OUR CHRISTIAN

CULTURE IN CFC
We have a covenant with God and with one
another. We are to be His people, and our lives
are to reflect our intimate relationship with
Him.

More specifically, we are called together in CFC

to live out a common life. Part of this life is a
distinct culture as Christians in general and as
CFC in particular.
What did God do for us?
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his
beloved Son.

Colossians 1:13
From darkness to God’s kingdom.
What is our response?
 So I declare and testify in the Lord
that you must no longer live as the Gentiles
do, in the futility of their minds; darkened in
understanding, alienated from the life of
God because of their ignorance, because of
their hardness of heart.

Ephesians 4:17-18
 Darkened in understanding, alienated from
the life of God because of their ignorance,
because of their hardness of heart, they have
become callous and have handed themselves
over to licentiousness for the practice of
every kind of impurity to excess.

Ephesians 4:18-19
 That you should put away the old self
of your former way of life, corrupted
through deceitful desires, and be renewed in
the spirit of your minds, and put on the new
self, created in God’s way in righteousness
and holiness of truth.

Ephesians 4:22-24
Our new identity as Christians.
 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may
announce the praises” of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were
“no people” but now you are God’s people; you “had
not received mercy” but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep
away from worldly desires that wage war against the
soul.
1 Peter 2:9-11
From darkness to light.
Once no people, now God’s people.
What is a culture?
Culture = the way of life of a
people.
Christianity is a culture.
 We can be Christian and Filipino
(or Indian, Australian, etc.). But we are
Christians first and foremost.
Our Christian culture in
CFC.
 1
CFC is a Christian community with
distinctive beliefs, values and patterns of life.
Beliefs: Jesus is Lord, life after death,
etc.
Values: What we consider desirable,
e.g., loyalty, dependability, dignity of
life, etc.
 2
Our statement of vision defines who we
are, why we are doing our work, and
what God wants us to achieve.
 3
Our statement of mission provides our
direction and the rationale for our
existence.
• The family is a creation of God and God
wants us to rise in defense of His work.

• We are to bring families back to the

plan of God.
 4
Our “statement of philosophy”
contains the beliefs and ideals of CFC,
which govern our thrust and mission.
• Marriage is indissoluble and is created
by God for love and procreation.

• Both husband and wife have equal

personal worth and dignity. God's order
for the family is expressed in roles, with
man as head and woman as helpmate.

• Parents are responsible for the

education of children.
• The family shares in the life and mission of
the Church.
- Prayers
- Evangelization
- Services to Others
• Christian family renewal is best
achieved through the power of the
Holy Spirit and the full use of all
charismatic gifts.
Expressions of Christian
culture in CFC.
The way we relate to one another.
Honor and Respect

This is as befits each one's dignity as a

child of God.

We are one family, brothers and sisters

in the Lord.
Loyalty and Commitment
We should be loyal and committed to
one another and to the body. We are to
look
out for the good of the other.

We should resolve conflicts in the Lord.

Christian Speech

Our speech is of tremendous

importance for the life of the body.
(Prov 18:21a)
We are to avoid slander, gossip and
negative humor.
 Our goal in the way we relate is to build one
another up in love, and to build up the body, CFC.
 Rather, living the truth in love, we
should grow in every way into him who is
the head, Christ, from whom the whole
body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, with the proper
functioning of each part, brings about the
body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16
Helping the poor through Building the
Church of the Poor
Faith. We are to be men and women of
faith.
What is faith?
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1
We can depend on divine providence.
 He said to [his] disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life
and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. For life is more
than food and the body more than clothing. Notice the ravens: they do not sow or
reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them. How much more
important are you than birds! Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your life-
span? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about
the rest? Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not
even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. If God so clothes the
grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not
much more provide for you, O you of little faith? As for you, do not seek what you
are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the
world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek
his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.

Luke 12:22-31
Jesus is our focus.
 While keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith. For the
sake of the joy that lay before him he
endured the cross, despising its shame, and
has taken his seat at the right of the throne
of God.

Hebrews 12:2
We are to have a daily conversation
with God.
 With all prayer and supplication, pray at
every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end,
be watchful with all perseverance and
supplication for all the holy ones.

Ephesians 6:18
Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it
with thanksgiving;

Colossians 4:2
We are to receive wisdom, guidance
and life from God’s Word.
 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish
one another, singing psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts
to God.

Colossians 3:16
 Indeed, the word of God is living and
effective, sharper than any two-edged
sword, penetrating even between soul and
spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern
reflections and thoughts of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12
Order in the family.
The Christian family is at the very
center of God’s plan.
We need to strengthen the family.
Life as a body.
We are one body, with a common life.
One concrete expression is the
household.
Respect for order and authority in the
body.
Christian finance.
Conclusion.
CFC is one body throughout the world,
with one vision, one mission, and also
one culture.
We are to be witnesses to His work in
our lives.
Our response will determine the
effectiveness of our witness.
Reflections:

Is my life a reflection of a Christianity which is a

counter-culture to the world's ways?

Am I trying to live out faithfully the culture of

CFC in all its various expressions?