Anchor Verses
Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Corinthians 12
Focus Statement
Our faith is not a formula to perform, but a life we are formed into—and what we value will shape who we become.
Intro: Our Desire for a Formula
- We often want faith to feel like:
- Steps to follow
- Rules to get right
- A system that guarantees results
- Danger:
- Reducing faith to something we can control
- Key Idea:
- If faith is a formula, failure means you’re finished
- Truth:
- God didn’t call us to perform for Him
- He called us to be formed by Him
- Because of Jesus:
- We’re not solving for an outcome
- We’re being shaped into a people
- Anchor:
- Our faith is formational, not formulaic
- We have present access to God
One Body — Formation Requires Unity
- 1 Corinthians 12
- The church:
- One body, many parts
- God’s design:
- Different roles, same purpose
- Truth:
- Unity isn’t everyone being the same
- It’s everyone embracing their role
- Tension:
- Disunity often comes from comparison or resistance
- Key Truth:
- You are not formed in isolation
- You are formed in the body
- Value:
- We value the body of Christ
- When we value the body:
- We submit to our place in it
- We grow within it
One Foundation — Formation Requires Structure
- Ephesians 2:20
- The church:
- Built on the foundation of Christ
- Jesus:
- The cornerstone everything aligns to
- Illustration:
- A building requires shared plans
- Without alignment → confusion, instability
- Truth:
- Structure doesn’t restrict growth
- It makes growth possible
- Clarification:
- Mission, doctrine, and rhythms are not formulas to follow
- They are structure to build within
- Value:
- We align our lives to Christ
- Anchor:
- We are being built together
Shared Values — Formation Requires Consistency
- What we value consistently is what will shape us over time
- Illustration (Family Culture):
- “We eat together”
- “No shoes in the house”
- “Friday is pizza night”
- Truth:
- These don’t make you a family
- But they shape how that family lives
- Warning:
- If we don’t define our values
- Culture will define them for us
- Tension:
- Influence of culture, social media, and environment
- Key Truth:
- Values don’t create identity
- They cultivate it
- Value:
- We live intentionally by what God has called us to
Walking It Out — Living a Formed Life
- Examine what is shaping you
- Are your values coming from God or culture?
- Embrace your role in the body
- You are needed—step into how God has designed you
- Align your life with Christ
- Build your rhythms, decisions, and priorities on Him
- Commit to the process
- Formation takes time—stay planted and faithful
Final Though
- You married because you loved…and over time, love is formed through commitment
- In the same way:
- You don’t stay because it’s perfect
- You stay because God is forming you through it
- You’re not failing an equation…you’re being formed into something
- This isn’t a formula you perform—it’s a life you commit to… and over time, God forms you.
