Our desire is to continue what Jesus started. at Life Community Church our mission is simple: We are people committed to following Jesus in all of life and spending the rest of our lives helping others do the same.
How do we do that? And where do we start?
We start with the good news, the gospel. The good news of Jesus is an announcement and an invitation.
The first words of Jesus recorded in Mark's gospel say, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:15
Just two verses after that, Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to follow him.
A great place to start for us is through repentance, belief, baptism, and beginning to follow Jesus in all of life.
Repent & Believe
Repent literally means to turn around or change your mind in a way that leads to action; to realize you are headed down the wrong path, to turn around, and come home. The focus of this invitation in the Bible is always relational, never transactional. At the core, repentance is crying out to God to say that we are turning from our sin and trusting in Jesus instead. This process involves a declaration that we are no longer trusting our own way, includes a deep reorientation of the heart, and the shift in lifestyle that comes as a result.
Belief is so much more than a simple lip service or mental affirmation of theological concepts. The New Testament word for belief or faith is “pistis,” meaning a holistic shift toward exclusive allegiance or loyalty to Jesus as king. Allegiance is a helpful description because it helps illustrate believing in a truth that results in obedient action. We must resist the tendency to compartmentalize our lives and view belief as a small slice of the whole. The invitation to believe in Jesus requires that all of life come under the rule and reign of Jesus. We can’t hold anything back and no area is off limits.
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:9,13
"The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
Romans 10:9,13
"The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
FOLLOWING JESUS
We are committed to a life-long process Jesus calls: discipleship. The Bible uses this word over 260 times to describe a person who follows Jesus - a learner, a student, a practitioner, an apprentice. It’s not about knowing more information or only showing up to a building on a Sunday, but a way of life in community centered on the teaching and way of Jesus. Simply put, following Jesus is to rearrange our lives around 3 goals:
Be With Jesus (Mark 3:14)
In Mark 3, when Jesus calls disciples, he first calls them to Himself, to be with Him. We are with Jesus through many ways, such as abiding in Him like we see in John 15:1-8, through prayer, and learning more about Him through Scripture.
Become Like Jesus (Luke 6:40)
As we follow Jesus, we want to aim to be more like Him according to 1 John 2:6. As we follow Jesus, we grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control like we see in Galatians 5:22-23. The purpose of this is to bring glory to His name and to make more disciples.
Do What Jesus Did (Matthew 5:19)
Revelation 5:21 teaches us that God's mission is to renew and restore the world to how it was originally intended and that He is making all things new. As followers of Jesus, the Spirit lives in us to enable us to carry out His mission as the church like we see in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14.
IN ALL OF LIFE
As we follow Jesus, His Spirit begins to work through things like teaching, practice, and community to transform and reorient every facet of our lives. No area is off limits: our thoughts, actions, habits, relationships, career, finances, hobbies, sexuality, emotions. Everything begins to change.
Keeping this at the forefront of everything we do reminds us that following Jesus is not simply an idea or a box to check before moving on. It’s a deep, authentic transformation from the inside out. This change isn’t about achieving perfection over night, but rather experiencing growth over time.
Jesus lived with intentionality to create time and space with the Father and invites us to join His way of life. While there is no official list, these are 9 practices we see in the life of Jesus and his earliest followers:
Keeping this at the forefront of everything we do reminds us that following Jesus is not simply an idea or a box to check before moving on. It’s a deep, authentic transformation from the inside out. This change isn’t about achieving perfection over night, but rather experiencing growth over time.
Jesus lived with intentionality to create time and space with the Father and invites us to join His way of life. While there is no official list, these are 9 practices we see in the life of Jesus and his earliest followers:
Sabbath
A community of rest in a culture of hurry & exhaustion. A 24-hour period to stop, rest, delight, and worship.
Genesis 2:3, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 58:13-14
Genesis 2:3, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 58:13-14
Prayer
A community of communion with God in a culture of distraction & escapism. We can implement a daily prayer rhythm.
Matthew 6:5-13; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 5:16; 1 John 5:14
Matthew 6:5-13; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 5:16; 1 John 5:14
Solitude
A community of peace & quiet in a culture of anxiety & noise. A daily time in silence to begin or end your day.
Mark 1:35; Mark 6:31-32; Luke 5:16; Psalm 46:10
Mark 1:35; Mark 6:31-32; Luke 5:16; Psalm 46:10
Community
A community of love & depth in a culture of individualism & superficiality. Weekly participation in Community Groups and Sunday Worship Gatherings.
Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-5; Hebrews 10:24-25; 2 Corinthians 6:18
Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-5; Hebrews 10:24-25; 2 Corinthians 6:18
Scripture
A community of courageous fidelity to orthodoxy in a culture of ideological compromise. We can practice daily reading of scripture.
Hebrews 4:12-23; Romans 12:2; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:9-11
Hebrews 4:12-23; Romans 12:2; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:9-11
Fasting
A community of holiness in a culture of indulgence & immorality. A weekly fast until sundown.
Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:2-4; Isaiah 58:6-7; Joel 2:12
Matthew 6:16-18; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:2-4; Isaiah 58:6-7; Joel 2:12
Generosity
A community of contentment in a culture of consumerism. Give away 10% of your income monthly with special attention to the church, the poor, and advancing the kingdom.
Luke 12:32-34; Matthew 6:21; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Psalm 112:5
Luke 12:32-34; Matthew 6:21; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Psalm 112:5
Service
A community of justice, mercy, & reconciliation in a culture of injustice & division. A monthly act of service to those on the margins with the aim of building relationship.
Mark 10:43-45; Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:35-40; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Galatians 5:13
Mark 10:43-45; Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:35-40; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Galatians 5:13
Witness
A community of hospitality in a culture of hostility. We can practice a monthly act of hospitality to demonstrate and share the good news of Jesus; regularly praying by name for someone in your life who is close to you but far from God.
Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 5:14-16; 1 John 1:1-3
Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 5:14-16; 1 John 1:1-3
Ready to take the next step?
We are so excited you are exploring more about what that means and would love to talk with you about that. Whether it's talking to a pastor about what it means to follow Jesus, responding to the gospel through faith, repentance and baptism, or exploring our 4-week Basic class, we encourage you to take the next step.