We are officially in our second week of our sermon series called, “Keeping The Main The Main Thing.” This is a series that is all about the core beliefs of the Christian faith and the core beliefs we hold to here at First United Methodist Church of Plant City. Last week, I preached on the Bible, on how the Bible is the decisive source of our Christian witness and the authoritative measure of the truth in our beliefs. This upcoming Sunday, I am going to be preaching on the Trinity, specifically the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. 

 Knowing God as Father means that He desires to have a relationship with His children and is ever pursuing them, and this is also the God who accompanies them with care. He watches over us, protects us, guides and helps us make decisions, defends us, is present with, and loves us. When we experience God as our Heavenly Father, our relationship with Him becomes deeply personal. He pursues our hearts and souls, even when we are not pursuing Him. 

God desires for us to not only know Him, but He wants us to understand His heart. God came “to seek and to save what was lost,” which is us. He rejoices when we are brought into His family as sons and daughters. God is our good, good Father that lavishes His love upon His children, upon you and me. He is not just a commander and lawgiver so that you can believe right things and do right things, but God is our Father. He is not looking for a bunch of bond servants. What God desires is you! He wants you to come home. Today, we cry out, “Abba! Father!” and we give Him thanks and praise.