"And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"
Matthew 22:39 (NKJ)
It is not enough that followers of Christ worship God (loving) and study the Bible (learning). We must live out our faith in Christ. The serious disciple will find ways to serve God by serving others. If we are not committed to obeying God, our faith is either hollow or non-existent. Jesus talked about giving a "cup of cold water" (Matthew 10:42) and serving by means of visiting the prisoner, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked (Matthew 25:34-45). The Bible speaks clearly about all Christians being gifted by God to serve by teaching, administrating, showing mercy, and applying other spiritual gifts. God uses each believer in a unique way to accomplish the work of His kingdom. Our "living" as a Christian includes using all that we are, all that we have, all the time to glorify God. So, at Mount Vernon we believe each of us must be committed to serving in specific ministries. There are no spectators in the church. We are not merely "attenders" who watch others worship and observe others as they serve the Lord. We are all on the team called "the body of Christ."
Romans 12:6-9 (NKJ)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
1 Corinthians 12:1-12 (NKJ)
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
