The Rock Church - A contemporary church in Asheville, North Carolina

One Prayer is a great opportunity for churches to come together, sharing worship and resources in a worldwide effort for God.  The topic this year is to finish this statement: God is _______.

The way that you fill in the blank shapes quite a bit about your life.  This answers life's most important question to you.  Everything we believe about the character of God effects the way we live.  What would be the word, phrase or thought that you would fill in? 

Views of God shape entire cultures. India has a Hindu slant on who God is. The former Soviet republics have a lingering communistic viewpoint of God. Radical Muslims have their take on who God is - and you will see the effect of that in the entire country.  Theology matters to everyone.

What you believe about God will shape everything in your life. It will shape how you interact with people, it will shape your marriage, your friendships, how you think about money... 

Jesus said - if your eye is clear then you're full of light. If your eye is dark, then you're full of darkness.  What a sad thing when you have darkness in you but you actually believe it's light.

Positive people see positively; Cynics see cynically; Opportunity minded people see opportunities; and Chicken Littles always see the sky falling. The viewpoint determines the outlook.

How we view God makes a huge difference in the quality of our life.

John 17:3

This is eternal life: To know God - the true God. Filling in the blank appropriately of who God is brings you into eternal life.  

Heaven doesn't start existing the day we die - eternal life is a quality of life.  Vibrant, dynamic, powerful living comes from knowing God.

Romans 8:31 - 32

My take on who God is:  God is for you.

I don't pretend that this is deep or profound - but that the implications of this are deep and profound. 

God who is all powerful, all knowing, and all sufficient. God who lacks nothing, who created everything, who holds history in His hand, who spoke the world into existence and who can turn any situation around in a moment...  He is FOR YOU. Owning that idea changes everything!

When the economy goes down, when people rip you off, when you disappoint yourself - no matter what happens - God is for you!  Who can be against you?

No matter what is happening, this is what you can know:  God is for you.  He is on your side and He wants to help you in life. 

Romans 8:28

When I was in high school, there was a guy who found out that his girlfriend thought I was cute. He started rounding up his friends - to beat me up. What they did not know was this - I had Bernie Massett as a friend.

I had grown up with Bernie Massett, who was muscular, good-looking, popular and had a black belt in karate.

Bernie found out about this other guy and started rounding up his friends. All that Bernie Massett had going for him, I now had going for me. If Bernie hadn't been for me, none of his great attributes would've mattered.  His attributes started to matter when he stepped up and He was for me. 

All that God has going for Him - is for you!

Matthew 8:1 -3

Matthew 8:1 -3 (Message)

God is not a reluctant helper. He absolutely wants to help us.  I hope we can all hear God saying "I want to"!

A relationship with God is more about Him helping us than us obeying Him. If we center only on our obedience, doesn't that make it all about us?

Psalms 121:1 - 2

Psalms 46:1 -3

I want you to buy into this idea:  No matter how you see God - God is for you.

We all mess up - we all sin - we all deserve the wrath of God.

Jesus led a sinless life and offered it to God so that we could be forgiven.

It's no longer about our obedience - it's all about His son's perfect obedience. 

Romans 8:31 - 32

If He loved you enough to give His Son for you - Will He not also freely give us all things? 

God is conspiring to bring great things into your life.  God is for you!