I was recently reminded how important it is to be understood. Recently, GRDC hosted a meeting bringing together multiple site leaders and volunteers not only for connection, but to continue to connect everyone to our mission and heart in why we do what we do. Our mission is that “GRDC is a movement that builds trusted relationships through weekly consistency and authenticity inside the communities of our city!” And our GRDC heart is “To lead people into a totally committed relationship with Jesus Christ.” Our mission is meaningless unless it is tied to our heart of leading people to Jesus. That is purely and wholly why we exist.
But why do we do that? We see Jesus as the ultimate source of love expressed through ultimate truth. But this isn’t our idea, it is from what Jesus told us about Himself which we get from the Bible in the New Testament. Who remembers this simple Sunday school song? “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the…Bible tells me so”. “Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. And “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. I John 4:8.
This love and truth is expressed at the heart of the cross where Jesus modeled this love by laying Himself down through His death, burial, and resurrection. This brought an atonement, which means He paid the debt for our sin and took the judgement we deserved before a perfect and holy God. Love is laying one’s self down for someone else. That is the ultimate example and it is the express image we want to reproduce. A lifestyle of love is free from sin, bondage, addiction, and darkness that destroys lives.
So although many good people are in our city, God has us plunging into the dark places. This is not just to have a consuming love for those stuck in bondage separate from God. No. But it is a redemptive love that is committed to leading people to the path of freedom and reconciliation with God. And not just leading them, but walking alongside of them. Commitment! And how does Jesus tell us to lead people to Him? He gave us the great commission, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20. In GRDC, all our impacts falls into our A.C.T.S. model of A.ssistance, C.ommunity, T.eaching, and S.ervice. All of systems and impacts are built from our playbook which is the Bible to fulfill the previous scripture which is the great commission.
We are devoted to Jesus’s words which come from the Bible which is the word of God. We believe in the full integrity of the testimony of the Old and New Testament. Truth be told, it is actually quite fun to examine the entire Bible, because of how solid and sound the integrity of the scripture is since it was written. All of that said, we are undoubtedly a Bible based ministry and organization. This may seem elementary in writing this. But for those who have gotten outside of our Bible based churches know that the Bible has been under and attack and persecution for centuries and probably more than ever right now in American culture. Many churches right now are even departing from the Bible and/or sound doctrine in the Bible. Paul told us that this would happen. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables,” 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
There are many rock solid reasons to trust the miracle of the Bible in and of itself that would take me pages to write about. But we know that the Bible has stood the test of time and is still the best-selling book of all time! Conclusion? The Bible is our (GRDC) final book of authority. We are so thankful that the word of God is a powerful, double-edged sword with God’s words and truth that won’t ever return void! We stand on it and continue to see God bring His breakthrough through His humble, selfless, love being poured out in Grand Rapids and beyond through GRDC! And so I end with God’s words, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:14-17!
