WHAT WE BELIEVE
1. IN ESSENTIAL BELIEFS, WE HAVE UNITY.
“There is one body and one spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of us.” Ephesians 4:4-6
2. IN NONESSENTIAL BELIEFS, WE HAVE LIBERTY.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you to judge someone else‘s servant? To his own master he stands or falls...So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God...So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22
3. IN ALL OUR BELIEFS, WE SHOW LOVE.
“...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have the absolute faith which can move mountains - but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 (Ph)
FOUR ESSENTIAL BELIEFS
1. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.”
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but actually as it is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13
God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, and we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is: “What does the Bible say?” We practice daily Bible reading and Bible study. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.
2. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
“Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.‘ There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.” Acts 4:11-12 (NLT)
Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, lived a sinless life on earth and voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross as our substitute. This accomplished salvation for all who receive grace by trusting in Him alone. He rose from the dead and is the only mediator between God and us. He baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit and will return to earth to fulfill prophecy.
3. YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
“When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. The old passes away, a new life has begun.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (LB)
“If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” Matthew 16:25 (NLT)
God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but they defied God by sinfully going their own way. As a result, we need God’s saving grace to end our separation from Him. Salvation comes only through God’s grace – not human effort – and must be received personally by repentance and faith. At the end, everyone will experience bodily resurrection and the judgment. Only believers will enjoy eternal fellowship with God.
4. BELIEVERS CAN BE SPIRIT FILLED AND SPIRIT LED.
“...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Acts 1:8
“...be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5:18
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13
We believe the only way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. Every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit by simply asking. We seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to live with excellence and lead in life.
FULL STATEMENT OF BELIEFS
1. We Believe... the Bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative, and applicable to our everyday lives.
Scripture Support: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21
2. We Believe... in the one true eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy.
Scripture Support: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; 1 John 4:8
3. We Believe... sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.
Scripture Support: Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-19
4. We Believe... the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. He is the son of God born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.
Scripture Support: Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22;
1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4
5. We Believe... in order to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth,’ we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives.
Scripture Support: Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22;
1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4
6. We Believe... in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptized in water and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to receive guidance, use spiritual gifts, and become effective witnesses.
Scripture Support: Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Acts 8:12-17; Acts 10:44-45; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 16:13; Galatians 5:22-23
7. We Believe... in the power and significance of the Church, the role each believer plays in fulfilling the Great Commission, and in the necessity of believers to meet regularly together for relationship, development, prayer, and the ‘breaking of bread.’
Scripture Support: Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:22; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:25
8. We Believe... God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives, which is to worship God, fulfill our role in the Church, and serve the community in which we live.
Scripture Support: John 4:23-24; Ephesians 4:11-16; Galatians 2:10; Galatians 6:10; James 1:27
9. We Believe... God wants to heal physically and emotionally, and transform us so that we can live healthy and blessed lives in order to help others more effectively.
Scripture Support: Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16
10. We Believe... our eternal destination of either Heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture Support: Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8
11. We Believe... the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.
Scripture Support: Matthew 24:27,30; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
12. We Believe… Marriage was instituted by God, ratified by Jesus, and is exclusively between a man and a woman. It is a picture of Christ and his church.
Scripture Support: Matthew 19:4–6, Genesis 1:26–27, Genesis 2:24, Romans 1:26–27, Ephesians. 5:32
13. We believe… Sex is a gift from God for procreation and unity, and it is only appropriate within and designed for marriage.
Scripture Support: Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:2