Beliefs
The Bible
The Bible is the authoritative and inspired Word of God; it is God’s revelation about Himself to humanity. It is historically accurate and internally consistent, telling one story of redemption pointing to Jesus Christ.
God used over 40 different authors to write the 66 books of the Bible, all being divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the living Word of God, applicable to all time, and is not only the measure and standard of truth, but points to Jesus - the way, the truth and the life.
Numbers 23:19 I Psalm 12:6 I Proverbs 30:5 I John 17:17 I 2 Timothy 3:16 I 1 Peter 1:20-21 I Hebrews 4:12 I John 1:1 I John 1:18 John 14:2-3
The Trinity
God eternally exists as three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The three distinct Persons of the Trinity are all fully God; all of God’s attributes are true of each Person and together they are one God.
While the word “Trinity” never appears in Scripture, it is an accepted doctrine based on the Bible’s teachings as a whole. We see throughout Scripture, evidence of the Trinity.
Genesis 1:26 I Psalm 45:6-7 I Psalm 110:1 I Isaiah 6:8 I Matthew 3:16-17 I Matthew 28:19 I John 1:1-5 I John 13:20 I 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 I 2 Corinthians 13:14 I Ephesians 2:18 I 1 Peter 1:2
God the Father
The first Person of the Trinity is God the Father. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. God is sovereign and infinite, meaning He has no limitations. God the Father can be intimately known through Jesus Christ.
Genesis 1:1 I Colossians 1:16 I Acts 4:24 I Hebrews 1:1-3 I Revelation 4:11 I Psalm 145:3 I Jeremiah 9:23-24 I Romans 11:23 I Matthew 11:27 I John 14:6
God the Son - Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity and the Son of God. He is God incarnate as man, and He was both fully God and fully human. He lived a perfect and sinless life in order to be a holy and worthy sacrifice. He was tempted as we are tempted. He suffered as we have suffered, yet he did not fall into sin. He put an end to the sacrificial system of atonement once and for all. He came to serve and not be served. Jesus was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and crucified on the cross where he died. Jesus’ life was not taken from him by anyone; He gave it as a willing sacrifice for everyone. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death and showing His power over both.
Luke 24:39 I John 1:1 I John 1:18 I Romans 9:5 I Colossians 1:19 I Colossians 2:9 I Matthew 1:18-20 I Luke 1:34-35 I John 15:10 I 2 Corinthians 5:21 I Hebrews 4:15 I Hebrews 9:26 I 1 Peter 3:18 I 1 John 3:5 I Hebrews 2:18 I Hebrews 7:26 I Philippians 2:5-11 I Matthew 27:27-30 I Mark 15:24 I Luke 23:26-49 I John 19:36-37 I John 10:18 I Matthew 28:1-20 I Mark 16:1-8 I Luke 24:1-53 I John 20:1-23 I 1 Corinthians 15:20 I Ephesians 1:19-20 I 1 Peter 1:3 I Luke 24:50-51 I Acts 1:9-11 I Matthew 25:31-26 I John 14:2-3
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is promised to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ; The Holy Spirit is the presence of God living inside each follower of Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches and bears witness about Jesus.
The Holy Spirit empowers those who follow Jesus in different forms of ministry; The Holy Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to followers of Jesus for the purpose of ministry. The Holy Spirit empowers prayer and gives strength to followers of Jesus to overcome spiritual opposition. The Holy Spirit sanctifies followers of Jesus and convicts the world of sin. The Holy Spirit guides and gives assurance of salvation to followers of Jesus.
Acts 2:38 I Romans 8:9-11 I John 14:26 I John 15:26 I John 16:7-15 I Acts 1:8 I 1 Thessalonians 1:5 I 1 Peter 1:12 I 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 I Romans 8:26 I Ephesians 2:18 I Matthew 12:28 I Ephesians 6:10-18 I 1 Corinthians 6:11 I 2 Thessalonians 2:13 I Titus 3:4-7 I Romans 8:14-16 I Galatians 5:16-18 I Ephesians 1:13-14
Humanity
Human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creation, created in the image and likeness of God. We have rebelled against God through sin and separated ourselves from the glory of God; we are all in need of redemption and restoration to the intended likeness we were created in.
God eternally loves each and every person and sent Jesus into the world not to condemn it but to save it.
Genesis 1:27 I Genesis 5:1-2 I Romans 3:23 I Romans 5:12 I 1 Corinthians 15:49 I Colossians 3:10 I John 3:17
Salvation
Salvation is a gift from God that can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. Salvation is only given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the redemption for our sin.
Salvation is based on the work of Jesus on the cross where He sacrificially died, bearing the sin and punishment of all humanity, and paying the price required of sin for all those who believe in Him.
John 1:12 I John 3:16 I Ephesians 1:7 I Ephesians 2:8-9 I Romans 3:23-25 I Romans 5:6-9 I Romans 6:23
The Church
The church is the community of all true followers of Jesus Christ. The church is the Body of Christ of which Jesus is the head, set on the mission given by Jesus to make disciples and share the love of God.
All True followers of Jesus should take an active part in the body of a local church to worship God, to know God more intimately, to pray, to make disciples of Jesus, to serve, and to encourage one another as they grow to maturity in the faith.
Ephesians 5:23 I Matthew 28:18-20 I Acts 1:8 I 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 I Ephesians 1:22-23 I Hebrews 10:25 I Colossians 3:16 I Ephesians 1:12 I Ephesians 5:16-20 I Psalm 9:10 I Jeremiah 9:24 I 2 Corinthians 4:6 I Philippians 3:10 I Colossians 1:9-10 I 1 Thessalonians 5:17 I Matthew 28:19 I Matthew 20:26-28 I Luke 6:35-36 I Acts 14:21-22 I 1 Thessalonians 5:11 I Ephesians 4:12-13 I Colossians 1:28 I Hebrews 13:17
Baptism
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith. Baptism is a public confession of that faith in Jesus to God, the church and the world.
The Greek word used exclusively throughout the New Testament for baptism is “baptizo,” which means to plunge, dip, or immerse. Jesus modeled this form of baptism and commanded it, making baptism a symbolic act of obedience and faith. Baptism by immersion represents the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing our old self dying, being buried in the water, and raised as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8 I Matthew 10:32 I Matthew 3:13-17 I Matthew 28:19 I Romans 6:3-4 I 2 Corinthians 5:17 I Acts 2:38 I Acts 8:12 I Acts 8:36-38 I Acts 10:44-48
Communion
Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance of Jesus and the proclamation of Christ’s death on the cross. The bread symbolically represents His broken body and the cup symbolically represents His shed blood inaugurating a new covenant between God and humanity.
While the frequency of the Lord’s Supper varies depending on the needs of each congregation, the posture we are to have when we take it is clear: We are to examine ourselves in light of our relationship with God and with others.
Matthew 26:26-28 I Luke 22:19-20 I 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Final Authority For all Matters of Belief and Conduct
These statements of belief do not exhaust the extent of Christian beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired Word of God speaks final authority concerning truth, morality and the proper conduct of humanity, and is the source of all that we believe. It is best interpreted and applied in the counsel of community under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.