WE LOVE GOD’S WORD!

The Bible is our blueprint for life! It is the inspired Word of God—the fruit of men who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. God’s Holy Word is what we accept as our infallible guide in all matters of life and doctrine (1Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21).

WHO IS THE FATHER, JESUS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT?

We are in awe of God’s greatness as the Trinity! There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being coequal and abiding in perfect unity. God the Father is the Creator of all things and the sender of the Word (John 1:14; John 16:28). Jesus is the Son – God in the flesh. He is the Word, and He has existed with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1, 14, 18; Philippians 2:6). The Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son and is God’s personal presence that comes to dwell in us (John 15:26).

LET’S TALK ABOUT SIN AND THE CROSS.

We’ve all sinned. People were lovingly created by God, made in His likeness and His image, designed for relationship with Him. But through Adam’s rebellion, sin came into the world. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”Jesus Christ came in the flesh and gave His life at the cross to pay our sin debt and restore us back to relationship with God, undoing the work of the devil who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our lives (Romans 3:10-26; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:8). 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “BORN AGAIN”?

Sin kills us, but Jesus brings us back to life! Salvation is the gift of God to mankind, which we receive by faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). A person’s entrance into salvation comes through godly sorrow leading to repentance – turning away from sin and turning toward God. When we repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are born again and become new in our spirits (John 3:3-5). Because of this born-again experience, those who belong to Jesus Christ will die in body but will live forever with God in spirit (John 11:25-26; Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 5:12)

THE MEANING OF WATER BAPTISM

We get to celebrate and proclaim our faith in such a beautiful way! Baptism in water by immersion is the next step in a person’s discipleship after coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Through water baptism we are publicly identified with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?

God’s Holy Spirit empowers us to live for Him! Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples that He must leave so that the Holy Spirit could come. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is available to all believers in Jesus with an evidence being speaking in other tongues, as well as the gifts of the Spirit, and the demonstration of spiritual power in daily life. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give His followers the same power He had to do the same works He did (Mathew 3:11; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

WHY DOES HOLINESS MATTER?

We strive to live a life that truly reflects our faith, pleases our Heavenly Father, and spares us from unnecessary troubles. We are called to be holy as God is holy. The Bible teaches that, without holiness, no one can see the Lord. Therefore, we believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification, understanding that holiness is a progressive work of grace, beginning at the time of salvation and continuing for the rest of our lives. We celebrate the fact that we are set apart for God and our lives are becoming more holy day by day (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 12:14).

WHAT ABOUT GENDER, SEXUALITY AND MARRIAGE?

We all wrestle with fleshly desires. Some of the core struggles of humanity are with identity, sexuality, and the need for companionship; every person struggles with these areas at some point. Some seek to express their sexuality or redefine gender based on feelings, experiences, and/or societal influences. However, God created man and woman each with their own specific attributes and features. The union of one man and one woman is His original and perfect design for marriage and procreation. For believers in Jesus, the Bible states that our bodies are temples for God’s Holy Spirit and God’s plan is for us to pursue holiness. Our bodies were created to glorify God, not pursue our lusts or redefine His creation. God is sovereign and His Word affirms heterosexual union for married persons and faithful celibate behavior for unmarried persons as the only biblical options for sexual conduct. The Bible affirms that all alternative sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage are sin and ultimately harmful to those who live such lives. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 13:4)

GOD WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE HEALTH & WHOLENESS.

We all experience pain and illness; however, we know God still heals! Physical healing of the human body is available to us by the power of God through the prayer of faith. Jesus Christ made this available to us by His perfect, finished work at the cross. Emotional healing of the human soul is also available to us through the inward ministry of the Holy Spirit(Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17; Mark 16:18; James 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24).

WHAT ABOUT JUDGMENT? WHY SHOULD WE TELL OTHERS?

We believe God graciously gives us opportunities to choose His beautiful gift of salvation in this life. The one who dies in their sins without accepting God’s beautiful gift of forgiveness in Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in Hell and, therefore, has no further opportunity to hear the Gospel and repent. Tragically, many will experience this separation from God in Hell for eternity (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:15). This reality provokes the people of God to evangelism – sharing and showing the Good News and love of Jesus to our neighbors, so that all might be saved (Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 28:18-20).

WHAT ABOUT HEAVEN?

We find joy and hope in knowing Jesus defeated death and sin and will return for His people in the end! God raised Jesus on the third day after His crucifixion, and there will also be a second coming of Jesus Christ where He will return to the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who have died in Christ will rise from the dead, and those who live will rise to meet Him also. Then God will make all things new – a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more sin, no more pain, no more death, and no more devil. God’s people will live with Him, in uninterrupted relationship, forever and ever. Knowing this day is coming, God’s people purify themselves and live diligently to please Him! (Acts1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 John 3:3; Revelation 21:1-7)

*Scriptures listed above are featured resources. We understand the Bible offers a much broader context for each topic mentioned, and we fully encourage you to pray and take a deeper dive into the scriptures for yourself.