Curious about becoming a Christ-Follower?
Have you ever wondered if there was more to life? Do you ever feel like there is something going on around you that you can’t seem to grasp? Are you looking for purpose and passion for living that seems so evasive?
We believe that the point of life and the source of true purpose and passion come from knowing the creator of all things, God. His is a story that supersedes space and time about a Creator that has an intense desire to know you intimately and intensely. It is a story of good battling evil, a hero and a villain, life and death, and a chance at a happily ever after ending.
It is the story of a God who watched His creation actively choose to walk in a different way of life than they were created for. He demonstrated a love that allowed us to choose whether or not to know and love Him. Rejecting God led to a way of life called sin because we choose to follow our own passions rather than his. They were destructive, hurtful, unjust, and completely self-motivated. Even those who try to be good enough in this life have missed the mark.
Because of God’s intense love for us, he gave a way back in to a relationship with him and out of the monotony and purposeless of life through His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe Jesus walked this earth both as a man and as God. We don’t understand everything about Him but we do know that he was willing to do whatever it would take to free us from sin and experience God’s fullness.
We believe that he was wrongly accused by the “religious” leaders of the time and was put to death on a cross. Because he was perfect and without blame, God raised Jesus from the dead to defeat the way of sin offering to anyone that if they would believe in Him and would actively work to walk in a new way, the way of Jesus, they could reenter into relationship with God and have the hope of never ending life in heaven one day. It is a new reality that effects our lives not just in the future, but in the here and now.
If you would like to know more about following the way of Jesus Christ, talk to one of our staff members or email mark@journeychattanooga.com. Pastor Mark would love to talk with you.
What’s baptism about?
Baptism at Journey is an opportunity to celebrate someone’s decision to publicly announce to the world that they want to be identified with Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection from the cross.
It is a sacred and time-honored expression passed down from Jesus, Himself, to demonstrate that you believe living like Jesus is the best way to live. Just as Jesus died on a cross, was buried after he died, and was resurrected from death, baptism by water shows our commitment to die to our old way of life, burying that life, and resurrecting into a new way of living.
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)
It does not make you a believer, it is for people who already believe. It also does not “save” you. Only faith in Jesus Christ to forgive our sins can do that.
If you have committed to living like Jesus and have faith that He is God and that he rose from the dead so that you can be forgiven of your sins, we would love to celebrate this expression of faith with you.
If you have questions, Pastor Mark would love to talk with you. Feel free to ask any questions or schedule a time to sit down and talk about this important life step by emailing him at mark@journeychattanooga.com
Covenant Partnership – Pursuing God, Pursuing Growth
What is a covenant?
In the Old Testament, the act of “cutting a covenant” involved a binding commitment between individuals who have a meaningful relationship. It goes beyond lip-service to passionately commit to someone or something.
Why Covenant with Journey Chattanooga?
We can cut a covenant with God and with each other. Cutting a covenant with God is an extension of your faith and means you are passionately committing to know Him and follow the way of Jesus Christ that is recorded in the Bible. Cutting a covenant with Journey means we are committing to be an authentic community to help you pursue God more intensely, live your faith more freely, and to give you opportunities to make a difference in this world.
As a covenant partner, you commit to…
Loving God…
Loving God begins with a decision to repent, or turn away from your sin, selfishness, and self-righteousness to accept God’s gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
You commit to pursuing a daily and growing relationship with God to know Him intimately and become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
You commit to growing as a believer by growing in your knowledge of God and the Bible through personally studying it.
You commit to developing a lifestyle of worship, obedience to God’s word, a habit of generous giving, and a mindset to make a difference in the world.
Loving People…
God places a high priority on the way we live with other people.
You commit to being a regular part of the Journey faith community by regularly attending worship experiences, finding a place to serve others around you, and partnering with us to reach out to the broken, rejected, hurting, and hopeless in our community.
You commit to making a difference in the world by giving where you can give, supporting where you can support, and giving grace to people who need it.
You commit to positively influence those around you by demonstrating the way of Jesus, living a life of integrity, and looking for opportunities to share grace and truth with others.
You can attend, serve, belong, and grow as part of the Journey Chattanooga community without becoming a Covenant Partner. But, if you want to take the next step in your commitment, we welcome you as our partner.
