with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, as well as loving one another as ourselves. We see God as Creator; we understand the devastation that has happened to the world because of sin; and we grasp what Jesus Christ did by coming to the earth as God in the flesh, redeeming us from our sin and giving us hope, forgiveness of sin, promise for the future, and the hope of eternal life. These are not just theological platitudes. They are reference points by which we understand life and the things