2025 "The Five Solas of the Reformation"
Week 1
Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone
Our theme for 2025 at First Wesleyan Church is "Maintaining Our Moral Compass." In the month of February, we will focus on "True North Fundamentals." Simple and yet comforting, the five Solas are the foundation for helping us hold on to the truth and counter false teaching. We must remain committed to staying focused on what is true, in spite of what the culture may embrace.
Main Idea
The Bible contains all we need to know about God for our salvation and to follow Him.
Head Change
To understand that God's Word has supreme and ultimate authority over the church and our lives as believers.
Heart Change
To draw delight and direction from the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient Word of God.
Life Change
To consider the Bible as the defining principle of our lives and the biblical worldview as the unchanging truth of God.
Week 2
Solus Christus: Christ Alone
Main Idea
Salvation is found in Christ alone.
Head Change
To understand that Christ is the ultimate prophet, priest, and king who ends our hostility and enmity with God because of our sin.
Heart Change
To grow in our intimacy with Christ and experience His transforming power and grace.
Life Change
To believe, articulate, and defend Christ's sufficiency and exclusivity.
Week 3
Sola Gratia: Grace Alone
Main Idea
We are saved by grace, a freely offered but costly gift from God.
Head Change
To know that nothing we do or say plays a role in the grace freely offered by God to us.
Heart Change
To appreciate the cost of grace and accept the gift freely given.
Life Change
To live under grace and walk in the freedom that grace gives.
Week 4
Sola Fide: Faith Alone
Main Idea
Christ's righteousness is credited to us due to his completed work on the cross, and we receive this righteousness only by faith.
Head Change
To understand that God's righteousness belongs to Him; we cannot attain righteousness by our good works.
Heart Change
To rest in the assurance that we are sinners justified by God's grace through faith alone in the righteousness of Christ alone.
Life Change
To live our Christian lives righteously, justified solely through faith.
Week 5
Soli Deo Gloria: To the Glory of God Alone
Main Idea
All five Solas make perfect sense when we can practice them with the purpose of Soli Deo Gloria—giving God alone the glory.
Head Change
To realize that whatever we do, the ultimate goal is to glorify God through it.
Heart Change
To be motivated to live faithfully to glorify God.
Life Change
To intentionally examine our motives and ask ourselves if our actions glorify God or ourselves.
Small Life Groups
Host Homes
Our goal is to host a small life group in every zip code in Cumberland and Salem Counties. Our purpose is to form healthy relationships both inside and outside our church communities.
Host Homes
Our goal is to host a small life group in every zip code in Cumberland and Salem Counties. Our purpose is to form healthy relationships both inside and outside our church communities.
Volunteer Facilitators
We have a short training for the recruitment of facilitators. The lessons will be presented on DVDs or streamed, but the facilitator will encourage each of the group participants to move forward in the area of weekly focus.
Volunteer Facilitators
We have a short training for the recruitment of facilitators. The lessons will be presented on DVDs or streamed, but the facilitator will encourage each of the group participants to move forward in the area of weekly focus.
Future Small Group Focus
We have used material from College Wesleyan Church, Hamburg Wesleyan Church, Saddleback, and others. Past topics include "The Purpose Driven Life," "Fault Lines," "Every Day Matters," "40 Days of Prayer," "Soul Shift," "Work as Worship," "Timothy II," "Right Now Media," and many others.
Future Small Group Focus
We have used material from College Wesleyan Church, Hamburg Wesleyan Church, Saddleback, and others. Past topics include "The Purpose Driven Life," "Fault Lines," "Every Day Matters," "40 Days of Prayer," "Soul Shift," "Work as Worship," "Timothy II," "Right Now Media," and many others.
Sunday Messages
Pastor Doug provides a message each Sunday to introduce each theme. The small group discussions are taken from the messages and the weekly DVD or streamed lessons from Right Now Media.
Sunday Messages
Pastor Doug provides a message each Sunday to introduce each theme. The small group discussions are taken from the messages and the weekly DVD or streamed lessons from Right Now Media.
Notebooks
A notebook is usually introduced and made available. Groups will also include daily reading and a weekly note guide.
Notebooks
A notebook is usually introduced and made available. Groups will also include daily reading and a weekly note guide.