The following is a post by one of our elders, summarizing the content from this past Sunday's Adult Bible Study Hour. In the class, we are going through eight different aspects of our Planting Joy vision. Consider joining us this Sunday at 9:30am in the sanctuary.

In God’s creativity, he formed the earth. At his word, the land was filled with trees, vegetation, and creatures of all sorts. He then created a most beautiful place in the midst of his creation; a garden where he could meet with his most glorious of creations, Adam and Eve.

Sadly, Adam’s sin violated that joyful fellowship with God, and he and Eve were evicted from the garden to face the consequences of their sin, namely death. But God, in his great mercy, pursued Adam and Eve and their offspring for their joy in him. To this day, out of this same mercy, God continues to pursue his elect and draw them to himself.

Throughout Scripture, land is closely associated with God’s blessing as he purposed to plant his people in his place with his presence for their joy and his glory. Even better than the physcial land Israel was blessed with is the heavenly country we will receive if we endure in faithfulness, just as Israel needed to endure in faithfulness to remain in the land (cf. Hebrews 11:13-16).

Our faithfulness relates to the physical land we’ve been given and says something about our relationship with God. So, we must ask:
1) What does our relationship with the land here at the corner of Squirrel and Walton say to the community? 
2) What do our buildings communicate to the community? 
3) What do our land and buildings say about our God?

Generations past gave sacrificially to piece together the 20+ acres of land we own and build the buildings in which we worship today, so that the banner of Five Points Community Church has waved steadily on this corner since 1943 to declare the glories of God’s goodness. As a congregation, we must consider how we are going to continue in faithfulness with this land we’ve been given. Just as those who came before us gave sacrificially for this land and these buildings, we are now being called to do the same for sake of the gospel.