1. Why start with Scripture?
    2. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable;
    1. yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.
    2. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church;
    3. and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing;
    4. which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary;
      See http://reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ch_I.html


  2. How do you define God?
    3. There is but one only,
    1. living, and true God,
    2. who is infinite in being and perfection,
    3. a most pure spirit,
    4. invisible,
    5. without body, parts,
    6. or passions;
    7. immutable,
    8. immense,
    9. eternal,
    10. incomprehensible,
    11. almighty,
    12. most wise,
    13.  most holy,
    14.  most free,
    15.  most absolute;
    16.  working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will,
    17.  for His own glory;
    18.  most loving,
    19.  gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;
    20.  the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him;
    21.  and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments,
    22.  hating all sin,
    23.  and who will by no means clear the guilty.
      See http://reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ch_II.html


  3. How does God reveal His Grace?
    4. [Those who] truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace,[3] and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.[4] See http://reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ch_XVIII.html

  4. What are the Doctrines of Grace?
    5. The "Solas of the Reformation" affirm the sufficiency of Scripture, Faith, God, Christ, and Grace. These solas are also known as the Doctrines of Grace. They are explained very well by Dr. James Boice in his books, such as the one here: http://tinyurl.com/SolasGrace

  5. How do leaders hold firmly to the Doctrines of Grace?
    6. "Evangelicalism desperately needs to return to the doctrines that once before reformed the world: radical depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, efficacious grace and persevering grace. James Boice and Philip Ryken not only provide a compelling exposition on these doctrines of grace, but also look briefly at their historical impact. The authors leave no doubt that the church suffers when these foundational truths are neglected and that she must return to a Christianity that is practically minded, kind hearted, and most importantly, biblically based." See http://www.cepbookstore.com/p-7458-doctrines-of-grace.aspx

  6. What is the Covenant of Grace
    7. By virtual of the Covenant of Grace, the believer accepts, receives, and rests upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. The Covenant of Grace is affirmed and respected through the Sacraments instituted by God. These sacraments represent Christ and His benefits, and confirm our interest in Him, while putting a visible difference between those that belong to the Church and the rest of the world. See, e.g., Chapters 27 and 28 of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

  7. How is the Covenant of Grace reflected in the Gospel?
    8. The elements of the Biblical gospel parallel the elements of the covenant. The covenant of grace, as explained in the classic confessions and catechisms, affirms Christ’s revelation and headship in covenantal relationships.

  8. What is the Connection between the Covenant and the Gospel?
    9. The gospel was first revealed in the creation covenant and Genesis 3:15. The gospel and the covenant are one, but the covenant was administered differently through a series of covenants that culminated with the new covenant of Christ. The message of the new covenant and the message of the gospel are identical. As noted at www.BiblicalGrace.com, both messages have six prominent elements.

  9. What is a Gospel-Centered Covenant Community?
    10. As noted in the free book available at www.Legacies.info, the covenant has six elements that define a believer’s personal relationship with God, and six similar elements define the believers relationship with covenant communities. There are three main covenant communities: the family, church, and government. All of these covenant communities, in their Biblical forms, reflect the six main dimensions of God’s character.

  10. How is a Covenant Community defined in Orthodox Ecclessiology?
    11. Church doctrine is explained in all of the classic orthodox creeds and confessions. The Westminster Confession explains how God’s three main covenantal institutions are supported by the magistrate (Chapter 23), the marriages (Chapter 24), and the Ministers (Chapter 25-27).

  11. How does Orthodoxy connect to Orthopraxy?
    12. Sunday sermons based on sound doctrine uphold orthodoxy; sermon listeners who apply the teachings throughout the week uphold orthopraxy. The disconnect between the sermon and application explains problems throughout society. An excellent reconciliation of orthodoxy and orthopraxy is articulted by D. A. Carson in Christ and Culture Revisited.

  12. How do healthy churches uphold both orthodoxy and orthopraxy?
    13. See www.9Marks.org for a discussion of how marks of healthy churches are defined. At www.9Marks.org, the church search tools helps identify healthy churches in many zip codes.

  13. Why do you emphasize Worship, Prayer, and Education regarding Judicial, Educational, and Economic solutions?
    14. The Apostle John, before his death, emphasized the importance of purity in the church. As the last Apostle alive, John understood that the message of the Gospel would be transmitted most reliably through churches that preached the pure word of God. Biblical worship and prayer focus church members on the character of God and his whole counsel. The whole counsel of God addresses a myriad of judicial, familial, and economic issues.

  14. What churches provide good models of judicial, educational, and economic solutions in the court room, classroom, family room, and board room?
    15. Growing numbers of churches offer peacemaking as an alternative to relativism in secular courts, classical Christian education as an alternative to the relativism in secular schools, support for families as an alternative to state-run family programs, and inspiration for business leaders as alternatives to secular MBA curricula. Some of the best local churches will be featured at www.covenant.net.

  15. How does one track the success of churches that affirm standards of orthodoxy and orthopraxy?
    16. Success can be tracked by looking at the maturity of members. Instead of just looking at quantitative indicators, as often happens in “seeker churches,” mature churches look at marks of maturity. For more information, see the books on personal and corporate maturity at the end of the essay at www.BiblicalGrace.com.

  16. Why are you focusing on tracking Key Performance Indicators of 50 churches in Orange County?
    17. Orange County ("OC") has 34 Municipalities. Success in building churches in OC can inspire development of successful church models in all 482 California municipalities. This can then inspire the building of mature churches in the 2438 municipalities of Mexico. In this way, churches can reach more than 150 million people. As churches in California and Mexico increasingly transform culture, the success should spread from “Jerusalem and Judea” to Samaria and the ends of the earth.

  17. How can the Orange County model be replicated elsewhere?
    18. As proven by California companies (Apple, Intel, Cisco, etc.) and California musicians (the Beach Boys, Eagles, etc.), when we get it right in California, the rest of the world quickly follows.

  18. Will the knowledge of the glory of the Lord cover the Earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14)?
    19. Yes