This month at Emmanuel we begin a new Home Group study series looking at the Apostles’ Creed.
Legend has it that the Apostles’ Creed is so-called because, on the Day of Pentecost, the twelve Apostles composed the creed between them with each of them making a contribution to it. Historians have proved that it didn’t come about in that way. However, for nearly two thousand years the Apostles Creed has established itself as one of the most important confessions of faith produced by the Christian church.
The statements of belief embodied in the Apostles Creed are, of course, grounded in the beliefs of the early Apostles and it was written to refute heresies of the early church. The Apostles Creed includes a broad overview of Christian doctrine and Biblical orthodoxy. It summarises who we are, teaches us what is important about our faith and enables us avoid making theological errors and helps us to understand a little more about the God we worship.
Many churches recite the Apostles Creed every week yet, for many, it can be a dull statement, full of doubt and confusion, rather than one filled with confidence and joy and a declaration which summaries all that we believe to be true about the Christian faith. When we recite the Creed, we are joining with Christians across time and space.
The Apostles Creed begins with ‘I’ rather than the ‘We’ of the Nicene Creed and that’s because it was first used as a personal confession of faith before people were Baptised. The ‘We’ of the Nicene Creed (agreed at the Council of Nicea in 325AD) became a declaration of the faith of the worldwide church.
| 13 May | I Believe In … God |
Genesis 1:1-5; 1 John 4:7-13 |
| 27 May | I Believe In … Jesus Christ | Isaiah 43:1-7; John 1:1-14 |
| 10 June | I Believe In … The Holy Spirit | Isaiah 61:1-3; Acts 3:1-10 |
| 24 June | I Believe In … The Catholic Church | Acts 4:32-37; Matt 28:16-20 |
| 8 July | I Believe In … The Forgiveness of Sins |
Rom 5:12-21; Matt 5:38-48 |
| 22 July | I Believe In … The Resurrection |
Eze 37:1-14; Luke 24:36-4 |
Home Group sermons are usually preached on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month
All sermons are recorded and full sermon notes are provided (along with questions to set you thinking) and they can be found here a couple of days after the Sunday in question.
A new series is always a good time to join a Home Group. Drop me a line if you’re interested in joining one.
revPACman 