Everything God made, He made well. God is the Creator and His creation is beautiful. He created, and therefore loves, diversity. At Manna, we love diversity as well.

Division by race, socioeconomic status, fame, or intellect is unbiblical. God is no respecter of persons. We do not accept African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, or Whites because they are Christian African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites. We don’t look past their race and say things like “I don’t even think of you as a white person/black/Latino.” Just the opposite is true. Our heart is to communicate “I do think of you as white/black/Latino because that is who you are, and I love you as you are.”

Ephesians 2:14-16 (ESV)

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

1 John 4:20 (ESV)

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV)

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The church is to provide a culture of healing and reconciliation. Therefore, it is to be without walls. Religion builds walls to keep “good” people in and “bad” people out. Christianity tears down walls and seeks to deliver the healing message of the Gospel to all who need it.

Of course, there is order and (when appropriate) discipline in the Church, but the doors of the Church—namely, our hearts—are always open to others who are “outside.”

Outreach is not an option; it is a mandate from Jesus. The Great Commandment (love the Lord your God) is followed by the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 8:1-4 (ESV)

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word.

Jesus died for real people and sent real people to reach them.

As real people, we have had both success and failures, lived through many unique circumstances, experienced many challenges and difficulties.

Many of the people with whom we have contact will have some of these things in common with us.

There are people in your oikos who are just waiting to hear parts of the story of what Jesus has done and is doing in your life. So, it’s important we are equipped to understand our life message, be comfortable sharing the Gospel, and confident in the faith we are living. (In this week’s “Going Deeper,” we’ve included questions from a portion of Growth Track’s First Step which help you better understand and share the story of your journey with Jesus.)

Our best testimony is a life well-lived—a life wholeheartedly devoted to following Jesus.

Outreach includes every part of the globe and every people group on the planet. At Manna, we are especially drawn to the most difficult and dangerous places and people groups.

Jesus created the Church to be the vehicle to advance the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Because this is His plan, growth and success are expected. At the same time, we fear neither risk nor failure. Our expectation is simply this: once we see the vision He reveals, and set our hearts to work fearlessly toward that end, He will provide the results He intended us to have.

We are committed to stick to the vision and work the plan that God has given us. We can’t do everything, but we’ll do what we are called to do with all we have!

We believe that, ultimately, every church really has the same calling. We are committed to do our part in the way that God has called us to do it. And every step of the way, that plan includes you!

So, start with the people who are close to you—your families, co-workers, neighbors, those who you have a passion to come to know Jesus. Let’s reach out to those people and see what God does!

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Excellence = relentless improvement.

For example, Manna’s Worship Experiences are designed to honor God, engage people, and portray a spirit of excellence befitting the worship of our awesome God. That same spirit of excellence should extend to everything we do. We are talking about excellence, not perfection. Pay attention to the Law of Diminishing Returns which says that as you add elements, the overall quality can tend to decrease. We don’t aim for mediocrity, “good enough,” or perfection. We aim for excellence.

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