To take notes, click into the square to the right of the blue “comment box” (see example immediately below.) If you are logged into the FCC app, it should automatically save them until the next Sermon Guide is published (i.e., it changes each Sun morning.) To save a copy, email your notes to yourself (scroll to the bottom.)

• Our preachers don’t always follow word for word, (especially Scott, our Lead Pastor!), but it will help you follow the train of thought and prepare for your study below.
• Scott

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New City Catechism: Basic Christian Beliefs in 52 Weeks
Structure, Outline, Content, Memory Verses The New City Catechism (NCC) is comprised of 52 questions and answers, one Q&A for each week of the year. We will be doing NCC in 3 separate parts, alternating with the Exodus series we began in January 2023.
• Part 1: God, Creation and Fall, Law – 20 wks
• Part 2: Christ, Redemption, Grace – 15 wks
• Part 3: Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace – 17 weeks
• *Notice that (a) the 9 Parts, in succession—God, Creation and Fall, Law, Christ, Redemption, Grace, Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace—are the basic trajectory of God’s work in the world as told in the Scriptures from beginning to end, and that (b) in each of the 3 main Parts, each of the 3 sections vertically corresponds with the same relative section in the other Parts. So the first section in each of the 3 Parts highlights the Trinity—God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The 2nd section—Creation and Fall, Redemption, and Restoration—is about the condition of the world relative to God and His plans. And the 3rd section speaks to humanity’s condition relative to God and His work in Christ—being condemned under God’s Law (what God commands), under His Grace, and then Growing in Grace.




Each week’s content…
• starts with a Question that focus our attention on a key doctrinal or theological theme.
  
• provides an Answer that is a Biblical and time-tested truth. This will, in effect, be the bottom line of each week’s sermon as well as each week‘s kids’ and students’ teaching and curriculum.
  
• highlights a Key Bible Verse/Passage that will guide our Sunday sermons (as well as the kids and students environments).
  
• includes a short Devotional Commentary developed from the writings or sayings of both a past and contemporary preacher/theologian, to help us reflect on the topic being explored.
  
• ends with a short, original Prayer.
  
• includes ”Children’s Mode” (on app, see below) with simplified verbiage and song for learning the content.
You can find more info and introductory material like a brief explanation and defense of the word “catechism,” and links to the content, etc., on our series info page: fccgreene.org/ncc.


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Sermon Notes
“How and Why Did God Create Us?” (Genesis 1:27)




Q: “How and Why Did God Create Us?” (Genesis 1:27)
A: God created us male and female in His own image to know Him, love Him, live with Him, and glorify Him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to His glory.

Memory Verse: Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.


(D’load free Bible Memory app & join “FCC Greene” at fccgreene.org/mv)

To say that God created us—male and female in His image—means God has blessed us for His purposes of producing His goodness and glory!
Genesis 1:1-2 – 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.


Genesis 1:26-28 – 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”


Genesis 2:15 – The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.


Genesis 12:1-3 – 1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”


Genesis 15:1-5 – 1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”


Genesis 17:1-8 – When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”


Genesis 22:17-18 – I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”


Galatians 3:14 – So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.


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Application Point
If we are not at least a little uncomfortably focused on making disciplemakers, producing producers, and becoming people who are Helping People Find & Follow Jesus, we do not understand why God created us.




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Takeaway Question

Is your life producing any fruit that is growing on someone else’s tree?!





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PrayerMaker of All, let us not lose sight that we, and every human being you have made, are created in your image. Never let us doubt this about ourselves. Never let us doubt this about any other man or woman, for to do so denies you the glory that is due to your name. Your likeness glimpsed in us testifies that we belong to you, body and soul. Amen.