What We Believe
About God
God created everything that exists and rules over everything. He has existed eternally in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three are co-equal and are one God without division of nature, essence, or being.
(Genesis 1:1,26-27,3:22; Psalms 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
About the Father
God as Father provides and cares for His creation, His creatures, and guides human history according to His purposes. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God becomes our Father when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. When we do this He adopts us as His children.
(Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 19:1-3; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 14:6-13; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; Hebrews 11:6)
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived His life as a human without ever sinning and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. After three days He rose from the dead to show His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
(Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit lives inside Christians and gives power for living, helps us understand what God teaches and guides us to do what is right. He gives people the ability to understand truth, convicts people of their sin, and calls people to follow Jesus. When a person puts their faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives them spiritual gifts to use for serving God. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
(2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)
About the Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors who were divinely inspired by God. It is the supreme source of truth for what Christian’s believe and how they live. It is the final authority to test whether actions or beliefs are true. The Bible is authored by God to lead people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ and is completely true without any error.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalms 119:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)
About Human Beings
People are made from the moment of conception in the spiritual image of God. This means that people are like God in character. He created them male and female as the supreme work of His creation. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. As soon as people understand right from wrong they are guilty of breaking God’s law. Only God’s grace can forgive sin and restore the relationship between people and God. Following Jesus is the only way that people can fulfill the purpose for which they were created.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalms 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1-2; Jeremiah 1:5)
About Salvation
Salvation is offered freely to all who turn from a self-ruled life and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus paid the price for people’s sin by shedding His own blood on the cross. When a person believes in Jesus their soul is made spiritually alive, they are forgiven all their sin, they start growing more like Jesus, and they are promised eternal life in heaven. Not one person is saved apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)
About Eternal Security
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus, the believer is secure in that salvation forever. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
(John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
About Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.
(John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 1:8; Matthew 2:44,46)
About the Church
Every church is a self-directed local congregation of baptized believers under the Lordship of Christ. The members of a church are a family, adopted by God, designed to build one another up and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
(Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 6:3-6; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-3:15; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
About the Family
God has established the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
(Genesis 2:15-25; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 5:31-32; Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 5:8; Hebrews 13:4)