OUR BELIEFS
God
God is the creator of all things. He is sovereign, wise, and good. He reigns as King over all creation. He is the one and only God.
Romans 11:33-36
People
People were made in the image of God to live their lives in a loving relationship with God forever. However, because of sin, we have been separated from God and are completely unable to restore the relationship on our own.
Romans 3:23
Christ
Out of a kind of love that we cannot fathom, God sent His one and only son. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection we can be reconciled to God and saved from the eternal consequences of sin
John 3:16
Response
Through Jesus Christ, the gift of salvation by grace is available to all people. We receive this gift through believing (faith) in Jesus. His gift forgives our sins, restores our relationship to God, and calls us to live in a new life with Him forever.
Ephesians 2::8-10
About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Biblical references: Gen 1:1, 26-27, 3:22; Ps 90:2; Mt 28:19; 1 Pt 1:2; II Cor 13:14).
About Jesus
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to claim His own and take them to that same Heaven. (Biblical references: Mt 1:22, 23; Is 9:6; Jn 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Heb 4:14, 15; 1 Cor 15:3,4; Rom 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim 6:14-15; Tit 2:13).
About Baptism
Baptism is an expression of one’s trust in Jesus Christ and is always accompanied by faith. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In baptism we unite ourselves with Jesus (Romans 6). We bury our sinful lives in water. We are entirely forgiven and sin’s power over us is defeated. We rise to new life to be lived with Jesus in obedience to God. God places his Spirit within us. Our baptism is an opportunity to personalize this spiritual reality. The Bible has given us clear ways to demonstrate our belief, and baptism is one of them.
About The Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors wrote it under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because God inspires it, it is the truth without any mixture or error. (Biblical references: 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21; 2 Tim 1:13; Ps 119:105, 160; 12:6; Pro 30:5).
About Eternity & Salvation
We believe that a person is saved by grace through faith, and that there is nothing you can do to save yourself (Eph 2:8-10). A Christian is a person who has made Jesus Christ Lord of their life and is faithfully trying to do all that he asks and commands. Lordship issues include: belief, repentance, confession, baptism, and holy living (discipleship). (Acts 2:38, 4:12; Rom 10:9, 12:1-2; Phil 2:11; 1 Jn 1:19)
About The End Times
This is an issue that has ravaged the church. Devoted Christians have claimed to be pre-millennial, some post-millennial, others still a-millennial. There are those who are dispensationalists and mid-tribulationists and a myriad of other differing views. We believe that this is not a salvation issue and choose not to divide over it. We do firmly believe that there will be a literal return of Christ (Acts 1:11), and a judgment day (Heb 9:27-29), at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:10)
- STATEMENT OF FAITH
- WE believe the Bible to be the only inspired, trustworthy and true, without error, Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- WE believe there is only one God who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
- WE believe Jesus Christ is God, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His death that paid for our sin through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension/rising to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory. (John 1:1; Matthew 1:18,25; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 9:15-22; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 9:27-28)
- WE believe that salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ and God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment someone receives Jesus Christ as Lord of his life. This is evident by repentance, confession, baptism by immersion, and a life committed to His service. (John 1:12, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 6:23; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
- WE believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who lives within and guides Christians, so they are enabled to live godly lives. (John 14:15-26; John 16:5-16; Ephesians 1:13-14)
- WE believe in eternal life, and that through belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we spend eternity with the Lord in Heaven. I believe that in rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we receive eternal suffering in hell. (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
- WE believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, that all believers are members of His body, the Church. (Philippians 2:1-4)
- WE believe God’s design for sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within the context of marriage. God instituted marriage between one man and one woman as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, I believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9)
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- WE believe that God created all human beings in His image. Therefore, I believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; that we must honor the physical and spiritual needs of all people; following Christ’s example, I believe that every person should be treated with love, dignity, and respect. (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10)
- WE believe that we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of evangelism. Matthew 9:35-38; 22:37-39, and 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15 and 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10; Colossians 2:6-10; 1 Peter 3:15.