His story is at work in you and for you.
Each of us has a role to play in the great big story God is writing. In this series called “Story,” Pastor Eddie Cole will help you fall in love with the story God is writing and embrace your role in it with passion and experience it with joy.
History is just HIS story being written in real life.
There’s truth to this statement because we can verify this in Scripture. Colossians 1:15-18. From beginning to end, He is there.
We also see this in Jeremiah 29:11. In this passage, God is assuring Jeremiah that He has a plan and that plan is true for us today.
God’s story has been unfolding since the beginning of time and it continues today, being written in real time.
Ever person has a part to play in the story of God.
We have assurance that God loves us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This plays the most crucial part in His story and ours.
We all have a worldview. What we tell ourselves informs how we approach the world and our lives. Your worldview influences how you see God, your family, your community, and, even your own world. The conversation you have with yourself informs what you believe.
How you develop your worldview is based on what you value, believe, and experience. This is how you interpret the world and how you are going to approach the world.
There are two ways you can approach the world.
You can approach the world with a theistic worldview (you believe in God or gods), something that provides you direction.
Or you can approach the world with a secular world view does not believe in God, sometimes called agnostics or atheists. Secularists believe there are no right or wrong ways to live and that the world happened by chance, or accident. Relativism, materialism, hedonism, all encompass a secular world view.
How you view the world matters.
If you can’t see properly, you won’t be able to see all that God has for you. Christians are invited to have a gospel centered worldview. Romans 12:1-2.
By taking on a gospel worldview, you begin to renew your mind. How you view the world affects everything — your attitude, how you exist in relationships, your community, your job. A gospel centered worldview brings you life.
The gospel world view beings with faith in Jesus, confession of sin, repentance, and baptism by water. Being spiritually minded brings life and peace to your world. It doesn’t make everything easy, Jesus never promised an easy life. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all Psalm 34:19. Weeping may last for a night, but joy shall come in the morning Psalm 30:5. Trouble will come, but My peace I leave with you John 16:33.
If you want joy and peace that is unshakable, follow Jesus. If you are a believer, stay the course. Your joy is coming.
Pastors Eddie and Jessica Cole
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Our lead pastors, Eddie and Jessica Cole have had a heart for Hampton Roads for many years. While dating – more than 25 years ago! – they were visiting Jessica’s parents in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake and started dreaming about planting a church in the area.
It wasn’t until 2020, while Eddie was serving as a denominational Vice President in Minneapolis, that it became clear God was calling them to take a big leap of faith. They had helped others plant churches for years – now God began to confirm it was their turn. Within months they knew the time had arrived, they were supposed to plant the church they dreamed about in Hampton Roads.
Throughout their entire relationship, they have been doing ministry together. Most of this time was spent leading Salem Church in Staten Island, New York, and doing regional and national denominational work.
They are known for their passion for helping people experience the love and power of God. They have committed themselves to use all their God-given resources to help as many people as possible joyfully embrace and fulfill God’s purpose in their life.
Eddie earned a Doctorate in Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary and has two Master’s Degrees from Liberty Theological Seminary. Jessica is a graduate of Gateway Theological Institute and has a Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University, as well as a Master’s Degree in Executive Leadership from the Liberty University School of Business.