The risk was worth the reward. As followers of Jesus, the church is called and inspired to act like Him: selflessly serving others, relying on God for strength, absorbing God’s Word and telling the world about God’s love. Male and female, rich and poor, people from all backgrounds or ethnicities are all equal in Jesus.
The church supports and encourages one another through time together in worship and Bible study. Christians celebrate Jesus’ covenant with them through the ceremony of the Lord’s Supper, remembering Jesus’ example of service and sacrifice. The church celebrates each member’s salvation through the ritual of baptism by immersion. The church is the hands and feet of the “body of Christ.”
Jesus promised that everything He had done on Earth would be accomplished through His church as well. Yes, we are a pale reflection of our Savior’s perfection, but Jesus is still the head of His church. Despite our imperfections, in His grace and through the power of His redeeming sacrifice, we will be a dazzling new creation.
In the world’s last days, when much of God’s message has been neglected and discarded, God calls us to remember the hallmarks of His truth. The book of Revelation tells of three angels sent to Earth with a final message of hope and warning. Their story symbolizes God's end-time mission for His people.
The Holy Spirit empowers each of us with our own spiritual gifts and skills to share God’s love and strengthen others. From teaching and preaching to encouraging and prophesying, the Spirit has provided the church with every gift it needs to accomplish its work.
The church is God’s family on Earth, serving, celebrating, studying and worshiping together. Looking to Jesus as its leader and Redeemer, the church is called to take the good news of salvation to all.
At the end of time, God calls His people back to core truths. Declaring Jesus’ soon return, the remnant highlights God as Creator, the heavenly judgment and the danger of spiritual compromise.
The human body serves as the perfect metaphor for the people of God on Earth. Comprised of many parts that are as different from one another as imaginable, harmony of voices and unity of mission comes as a result of the Holy Spirit in us.
Baptism symbolizes and declares our new faith in Christ and our trust in His forgiveness. Buried in the water, we arise to a new life in Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Lord’s Supper symbolizes our acceptance of the body and blood of Jesus, spilled and broken for us. Searching our hearts, we wash one another’s feet, remembering Jesus’ humble example of service.
From art to teaching and listening to preaching, the Holy Spirit empowers each of us with skills and talents to use for God’s glory and the church’s mission.
In the last days, as in biblical times, the Holy Spirit has blessed God’s people with the gift of prophecy. One who demonstrated this gift was Ellen G. White, a founder of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
