Highlight: Our part in God's story

You are part of God’s grand and expansive story of redemption that is being played out. His story can be divided into four acts: creation, the fall, the struggle, redemption and restoration. Pastor Steve Carter shares practical ways we can find ourselves and others within His story.

Act I: Creation

Each one of us were created in the image of God; when we look in the mirror, we reflect His own image.We need to keep this in mind when seeing others in God’s story.

“There’s something in every person that mirrors God’s characteristics. My job is to learn where do they mirror God’s image.”

Act II: The Fall

Ever since the fall took place in Genesis 3, broken patterns and sin entered the world.

“Every person I meet, I know they were created in God’s image and I know they have a ‘fall’ story.”

Pastor Carter encourages each of us to ask ourselves questions as we relate to others.

Where are they good? Where have they, by their choice or things that have happened to them, have they experienced the fall?

Act III: The Struggle

Along with the fall, we are all prone to struggle in God’s redemptive story.

“Israel literally means to struggle with God. You have this struggle that happens and people find themselves seeking and searching for ways to really fill this gap, pain, hole and ache.”

Act IV: Redemption

God’s story doesn’t end at the struggle. He leads us to redemption through the cross from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result, it has caused a ripple effect in all of our lives.

“When someone’s story is redeemed and they get to now take that redeemed story and join with God in the restoration of all things.”

Act V: Restoration

God is working through each of our stories to bring restoration to the hearts of His people in Israel and around the world.

“God is using the church to point people and be a part of the restoration of all things.”


Steve Carter is a teaching pastor for Willow Creek Community Church. Steve works with an incredible team of staff and volunteers committed to living out the reality that reconciliation is possible. He is a founding member of both Rock Harbor Fullerton Church and Solidarity and currently serves on the Solidarity board.

This Invitational Life