Apostles’ Creed Week 2: Who We Believe In
Introduction
In the coming weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through one of the oldest, most widely embraced confessions in the history of the Church—the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient creed is more than a set of beliefs; it’s a narrative. It tells the story of God, the story of the gospel, and the story we are invited into.
The Kansas City Underground holds this creed as a foundational confession. It’s a declaration of trust, a form of spiritual formation, and a shared language that binds us together with the global Church across time and culture.
Each week, we’ll sit with a single line or phrase. You’ll engage Scripture, linger in reflection, and respond in prayer. This is not a study to rush through, but an invitation to abide with truth until it shapes your imagination and your life.
If you want to dive deeper into the meaning behind each line, we highly recommend The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers. It’s a short but powerful companion that can enrich your journey.
Apostles’ Creed
Read the following line from the Apostles’ Creed:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty...”
This week, we begin to explore who we believe in.
The Creed doesn’t open with a theory or a vague spiritual force—it begins with a personal, relational claim: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty.”
It’s a loaded phrase. We call God “Father”—a word full of warmth, care, intimacy, and relationship. But we also call Him “Almighty”—a title that speaks of strength, sovereignty, power, and control.
Here’s the tension: God is not just near; He’s in charge. He is not just powerful; He is personally invested. One without the other distorts who God truly is. If He is only Father, He may seem soft and powerless. If He is only Almighty, He may feel distant and intimidating. But the Creed holds both—intimacy and authority, closeness and control.
In a culture that often chooses one or the other, this confession invites us to live in the holy tension of both. It’s a declaration of trust in a God who loves us deeply and rules with perfect wisdom and strength.
Scripture Readings
Exodus 34:5–7
Isaiah 64:8
Matthew 6:9–13
Romans 8:14–17
Revelation 1:8
Reflection
When Jesus taught us to pray, He said, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” That’s more than spiritual poetry—it’s a revelation. The same God who spoke creation into being, who parted seas and overthrew empires, invites us to call Him “Father.”
And not just any Father. A good one. One who is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and faithful through generations. In Jesus, we’re not just followers—we’re adopted sons and daughters.
Yet this Father is also Almighty. There is no higher authority, no greater power. He doesn’t answer to anyone. He is above all rulers and kingdoms and economies and systems. He holds all things together by His word.
To pray “Hallowed be Your name” is to hold God’s name as holy, sacred, unlike any other. It’s to honor both His nearness and His otherness. It’s to confess: Your name is not common. Your character is not compromised. Your power is not like the power of this world.
To say “I believe in God, the Father Almighty” is to say: I trust the One who is both strong enough to save and loving enough to care. He’s not out of touch with my life, and He’s not out of power when I pray.
This week, we’re invited to rest in that reality: You are held by a God who is both Father and Almighty—whose name is holy, whose heart is kind, and whose power is unmatched.
Consider
Where do you lean more—toward the image of God as a tender Father, or as a sovereign King? Do you sometimes struggle to believe God is strong enough to handle your life? Or loving enough to actually care?
We often carry assumptions about God that come from our own experiences with authority or fatherhood. This confession gently reshapes that: God is not a reflection of earthly fathers or flawed power structures—He is their perfection.
Before continuing on to the prayer prompts, take a few moments to journal some ideas around these three questions:
What would it look like to trust God as both Father and Almighty in your actual life right now?
Where are you trying to stay in control instead of resting in His authority?
Where do you need to hear that you are loved, seen, and safe in His care?
Prayer Prompts
Create space to be still. Slowly pray through these prompts or journal your responses:
Abba, Father… Speak to God with the name Jesus gave us. Sit with it. Use the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) as a guide if needed.
Name Your Needs: Where do you feel weak, overwhelmed, or out of control? Bring those to your Almighty Father.
Lay Down Control: Confess where you’ve been trying to be your own authority. Ask for grace to trust God’s power instead of your plans.
Receive Identity: Read Romans 8:14–17 slowly. Thank God that you are not a slave, but a child—an heir.
Intercede: Pray for our network to grow in both trust and surrender. That we would know God as Father—intimate, near, and loving—and also honor Him as Almighty—sovereign, powerful, and worthy of reverence. Ask that our microchurches would live in this tension, embodying both dependence and bold faith as we follow His lead together.