TRUTH

Expression: "What is truth?" Pilate asks Jesus this question in John 18. Truth was standing right in front of him, and he did not see it. Truth is a paradox of realities: it is both complex and simple, static and dynamic, Truth is a Person. Although we cannot capture Truth in a sentence, we find its essence in the Triune God. In His grace, the Father has revealed Himself through the Son by His Spirit. So, Truth is found in the Person of Jesus. He is the Truth, and the Truth sets us free (John 14:6,8:32). God's self-disclosure to humanity is found in a sacred compilation of various works known as the Bible. God has given us 66 books (39 Old Testament, 27 New Testament) written in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and a bit of Aramaic), over a period of more than a thousand years, by over 40 authors on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe). Authors include kings, peasants, philosophers, fisherman, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc. Books cover history, sermons, letters, a hymn book and a love song. There are geographical surveys, architectural specifications, travel diaries, family trees, and numerous legal documents. It covers hundreds of controversial subjects with amazing unity. It is the best selling book of all time and is now available in over 3,000 languages. It is our guide to Truth... our compass to the Triune God. The Bible is an essential and infallible record of God's self-disclosure to humanity. These Scriptures are fully inspired by God. We express Truth through grace.

Extension: We search the Scriptures to be introduced to the Triune God and discover the Truth that sets us free. We desire to couple Truth with grace in hopes that we might also introduce non-believers or re-introduce de-churched believers to this same God. We want to extend Truth to a culture desperately seeking answers, hope and meaning.

VIRTUE: GRACE

The apostle John writes in his gospel, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth...For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth we realized through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14-17)." The value of Truth corresponds with the virtue of grace. Unfortunately the message of Truth has been dismissed largely on the basis of the disposition of the messenger. As we express and extend Truth to our community we desire to envelop it with the virtue of grace. Our Savior is the model for this mixture.

CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

Expression: Truth without meaning is empty, worthless and most of all dangerous. We need meaning. We want Truth in motion and Truth lived out. When love collides with the heart, it creates. We express Christian Spirituality through love.

Extension: Christian Spirituality is one way Truth works itself out in real life. Prayer, fasting, art, poetry, drama, solitude, meditation, music, writing – these are some of the aspects of Christian Spirituality. Our faith is not merely intellectual. It stirs, creates, motivates, and hurts. It is innovative and spontaneous, beautiful and messy. We value and encourage the outworking of Truth in our community through the myriad of forms Christian spirituality can take.

VIRTUE: LOVE

The apostle Paul writes in his letters to the Corinthians, "Let all that you do be done in love; For the love of Christ controls us...(1 Cor. 16:14; 2 Cor. 5:14)." The value of Christian Spirituality corresponds with the virtue of love. Since this value includes the essence of the Christian life as seen in creativity, discipline, work and play, it is only fitting that the virtue of love would blanket this value. Love is the primary virtue of the Scriptures and the one that demonstrates to the world the evidence of Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27).

COMMUNITY

Expression: Throughout the Bible, community is a major theme. Beginning with His first creation, continuing with Israel and the New Testament Church, God always calls out a people for Himself. Even when the Jews were in captivity and dispersed among enemy nations, they organized themselves into groups that ultimately formed synagogues where they could serve one another and carry out their beliefs. In Acts 2, the first century church met in temple courts (Sunday morning worship) and in house to house (home group) settings. These new church communities began as small groups, just as Jesus had modeled with the twelve (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:12-19). There are over 50 Biblical "one another's" that admonish us to be closely involved with a few others (small groups) in order that we might learn and imitate attitudes and behaviors that characterize God's household – the community of believers. We express Community through authenticity.

Extension: Small groups are intentional efforts to create an atmosphere conducive for believers and non-believers to grow in their understanding and application of God's direction in their lives. Small groups help create Biblical community. We value genuine, real, and authentic relationships.

VIRTUE: AUTHENTICITY

The apostle Paul writes in his epistle to the Ephesians, "...having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another (Eph. 4:25)." The value of Community corresponds with the virtue of authenticity. Falsehood can be found in our speech or in our presentation of self. Webster defines authenticity as, "true to one's own personality, spirit or character." Authenticity, which is very near to the virtue of honesty, is the fertile soil in which the graces grow. Community thrives when people are authentic and genuine, yet it is misleading and disingenuous when authenticity is sparse.

FOOT-WASHING

Expression: At The Village, we desire to follow our Lord's example to wash each other's feet. That is, we are to serve one another in the church. But, our service extends to those in our community as well. Foot-washing expresses itself in a myriad of ways from changing diapers in the nursery, mowing lawns for widows, providing childcare for single moms, parking cars for weekend worship, serving meals for the hungry, or attending to the needs of the less fortunate. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. We express service through humility.

Extension: Jesus demonstrated for us the necessity of serving one another when He washed the disciple's feet, but He also shared the story about the Good Samaritan to open our eyes to the needs of the world. Jesus radically taught that our neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of social status, race, or even religious preference. We are called to wash the feet of our neighbors in order to demonstrate the rich compassion of our Lord. We desire to mobilize our membership for life-affirming outreach and ministries of mercy within our community and beyond. We desire that our members show compassion daily for the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the outcast. We are to ask ourselves, "Who can I be a neighbor to?" Those who follow the way of Jesus will be known for their love towards others. We can wash one another's feet by serving in home groups, greeting during the weekends or facilitating a group in the children's ministry. Outside of the needs of our church body provides a wealth of opportunities to serve our neighbors. We can be a part of transforming a neighborhood in Dallas, volunteering at the pregnancy center, or getting involved in the Local Missions Ministry.

VIRTUE: HUMILITY

The apostle Paul writes in his epistle to the Philippians, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:3-7)." The value of Foot-washing corresponds to the virtue of humility. Jesus modeled humility is His incarnation, His life and His death. Humility is the foundational virtue of the Scriptures. It is the basis of our confession of our need for salvation in Christ. It is the basis of our worship as we see God's great worth. It is the basis of our service as we see others better than ourselves.

MISSIONAL LIVING

Expression: We want to be intentional about life, to live life on purpose. Acts 17:26 says that "He (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation..." This means that God was intentional about our lives. He placed us in neighborhoods, work places, classrooms, gyms, and coffee shops on purpose. Life is not a random accident; rather, God designed it with intention and purpose. We express Missional Living through obedience.

Extension: We want to live the way of Jesus in front of the audience that God has given us. We love, serve, and care for those that God has "determined" us to be around in the hopes they will see Jesus in us, hear us speak of Him often and be drawn to Him. We extend our lives missionally when we introduce or re-introduce our neighbors, co-workers, family and friends to great and glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

VIRTUE: OBEDIENCE

Our Lord Jesus declared that, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:18-20)." The value of Missional Living corresponds with the virtue of obedience. The Great Commission is the basis of our mission and is not an option for the believer in Christ. Christ has called His people to obedience in His mission. Obedience is not a popular word in our culture, but joy is found in obedience. Jesus made the issue clear in the gospel of John, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments...Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love Him and manifest myself to him...If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him (John 14:15, 21, 23)." Jesus did not leave obedience up to us alone, but He provided His Holy Spirit who leads us, guides us, teaches us, and conforms us into the image of Christ. Obedience is joint work of the believer and the Spirit.