Everyone has values. They are what we live by. They are how we act day after day. They become the default setting of our lives.

Let me give some of my values for First Baptist Church. I hope and pray they will become your values as well.

First, everyone counts. We always are tempted to judge and to determine who matters more than others. That is exactly what’s happening in America today. We are judging who and what’s important and who’s not. For this reason, we have abortions and assisted suicide because children and old people are inconvenient to many people.

As a church, let us not decide who’s important. Rather, let us decide that everyone counts and everyone matters.

Because of this value, I try to know everyone’s name (no, I haven’t reached that point yet). Everyone matters to God and should matter to us as well.

Second, God and His truth matter. God is truth. His Word is truth.

In our brokenness and rebellion, we try to make God in our image and our likeness. This desire goes against our very creation. We are not here to invent or create God; we are here to praise and obey the God who created us.

This means we must value theology–a word that means the knowledge of God. We must hold to good theology, the truth about God and what matters to Him.

Third, eternity counts. Salvation comes only by submission to God. According to Scripture, salvation is by the grace of God through our faith in Him. Salvation is not by works or emotion; it is by the grace of God.

These, obviously, are not our only values. In the next months, I hope to continue to talk about things that matter and values we hold. Please think and pray with me about who we are and what should matter.