Creation
In the beginning, God created all things. He spoke the entirety of the universe into existence by the authority of His word. In Him, for Him, and by Him all things were created. We believe the purpose of creation is twofold; to bring God glory & so that we can fellowship and live in communion with Him.
Genesis 1:1, 1:26, 2:7, Psalm 33:6, Isaiah 42:5, Hebrews 1:10, 11:3, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11
Salvation
Salvation is a free gift from God that can only be accepted by placing our faith in the redemptive work of Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we place our faith in Christ, we are immediately saved by grace through faith. Salvation can not be earned by our own efforts.
Isaiah 53:5-6, Matthew 1:21, 27:22-26, 28:1-6, John 1:12, 3:16, 3:36, 5:24, 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 2:21, 4:12, 16:30-31, Romans 3:22-25, 5:8-10, Galatians 2:20, 3:13, Hebrews 9:24-28
Second Coming
Jesus Christ will definitively and triumphantly return to Earth at a time that the Bible does not specify and which no man knows. The purpose of the second coming will be to establish His kingdom for the millennial reign on Earth. This return will be physical and visible and will take place after the rapture of the Church and the seven year tribulation.
Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, Revelation 1:7
The Trinity
We believe and affirm the testimony of scripture that God exists and has always existed in the form of three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each member of the trinity serves different functions, but they all possess equal power and authority.
Genesis 1:26, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, Luke 1:35, John 14:10, 14:16, Romans 8:9-11, 1 John 5:7
The Father
God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things. He created man in His image for fellowship and for His glory. After sin entered the world through man’s disobedience, He sent His son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to atone for that sin so that the relationship between the Father and his creation could be reconciled. God the Father is ever present, all powerful, all knowing, and unchanging. He is Holy. He loves us and wants to provide for us as His children.
Genesis 1 & 2, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:26, 7:9-11, 18:12-14, Acts 17:24-28, 1 John 1:3, 3:1
The Son
The Son, Jesus Christ, is eternally God. He has been with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all of time. Because of man’s sin, which resulted in our separation from God, Jesus came to the earth in the incarnation, meaning that He chose to become a man and live a perfect, sinless life so that He could die on the cross and atone for our sins by the shedding of His blood. The Bible says that while on Earth, He was fully God and fully man. Three days after dying on the cross, He resurrected from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father to reign alongside Him forever. Faith in Jesus as the Son of God and in His death and resurrection is the only way to spend eternity in Heaven. It is through Him alone that we gain access to the Father.
Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, John 1:1, 1:14, 10:30, 11:25-27, 14:6 ,17:1-5, Acts 2:22-24, Romans 1:3-4, 3:23-26, 8:1-3, 10:4, 1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, Galatians 4:4-5, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15, 2:9, 1 Timothy 2:5, 3:16
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the giver of life. It is He who immediately comes in and brings our dead spirit to life when we believe and accept the gospel in our hearts. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer for service and to be a witness. He convicts the unbeliever of his sins and reminds all of us of Jesus’ love for us and our righteousness in Him. He is the counselor, comforter, and advocate that is promised in scripture to all believers. The more that we yield ourselves and our will to him, the more He will manifest himself in and through us via His fruits and gifts.
Genesis 1:2, Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:1, 11:13, 12:12, John 1:32-33, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7-14, Acts 1:8, 13:2, Romans 8:9-11, 8:14-16, 8:26-27, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 1:13-14
The Bible
The Bible is the inerrant, authoritative word of God. It was written by men under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. It was given to us as a narrative of God’s creation, His love for man, and His redemptive plan for the world. It alone holds final authority in determining all doctrinal truths.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 40:8, Romans 15:4
Gifts of the Spirit
The gifts of the Holy Spirit, as demonstrated in Scripture, still exist for the believer today. The Holy Spirit manifests Himself through these gifts to build and empower the Church, as well as to demonstrate the power of Jesus’ resurrection. All believers are to desire and practice these gifts as prescribed in Scripture. They should always be used to glorify God and to edify the believer, and never in a way that violates the parameters set forth in the Bible.
Hebrews 2:4, Romans 1:11, 12:4-8, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Peter 4:10
Baptism
Following salvation, the new believer is commanded by the Word to be baptized in water as a public confession of their new faith in Christ. Water baptism does not save us but is an outward declaration of the inward reality that the believer is a new creation in Christ, washed clean by His blood.
Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, 10:47-48, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Child Dedication
Child dedication is an opportunity for parents to make a public declaration to raise our children up in a biblical environment, modeling the love and character of Christ in a manner that fosters and inspires a faith in and love for Him. We are not only asking for God’s grace and wisdom as we carry out our duties as parents, but are also acknowledging that a child is a gift from God that we as parents have the awesome responsibility of caring for. This commitment is made in the presence of our church family so that this community can not only hold us accountable to our commitment, but so that they may also support and encourage us along the way.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Ephesians 6:4
Eternity
Man was created by God to live forever in communion with Him. However, because of sin, that fellowship has been broken. It is now our decision whether we accept the gift of salvation and spend eternity with Him or reject that gift and be eternally separated from God. Eternal union with God will take place in Heaven. Eternal separation from Him will be an eternity in Hell. We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal, physical, and eternal places.
Matthew 6:20, 25:34, 25:41, John 3:16, 3:36, 17:24, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Hebrews 9:27, 11:16, 1 Peter 1:4, 1 John 2:25, 5:11-13, Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8
Healing of the sick
God’s desire and power to heal the sick is seen throughout His Word, especially through the life of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus himself commissioned His disciples to continue walking in this same authority and has given us the right and authority to do so, as well. Healing of the sick is intended to be a sign that follows the believer and serves to glorify the Father. It is also one of the promises obtained through Jesus’ work on the cross and is one of the gifts of the spirit.
Psalm 103:2-3, Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 8:16-17, 10:1, 10:8, Mark 16:17-18, Acts 8:6-7, James 5:14-16, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 12:28, Romans 11:29
Corporate Worship
We were created to worship God. We gather corporately on Sunday mornings to lift Him up & to see Him move. We are passionate about coming together to worship our savior. We believe that our worship should be passionate and vertical. Our focus in corporate worship should be on God & making much of His name.
John 4:23, Psalm 63:3-4, Psalm 100:1-2
Lifestyle Worship
Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we are called to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy & pleasing to God, on a daily basis. In the Old Testament, God’s people were required to “make” a sacrifice in the form of a dead offering. Under the New Covenant, we are called to “be” a living sacrifice. The death of Christ literally swept these dead sacrifices off of the altar to make room for the redeemed to offer ourselves as living offerings! Everything we do in life is an opportunity to worship Him and bring Him glory!
Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:16
Tithe/Generosity
Jesus tells us that where our hearts are, there also will be our treasure. We believe wholeheartedly that God’s desire is for His sons and daughters to be cheerful givers. and that He promises to bless us immeasurably for doing so. As Christians, we are called to be a generous people. We are to give faithfully and cheerfully out of love and with the purpose of meeting the needs of “the least of these”, as well as ensuring the ability of the local church to actively perform it’s duties of advancing the gospel, building up & caring for the local body, and serving the nations. This is the only area in scripture in which God instructs us to “test” Him and His faithfulness.
Matthew 6:21, 2 Corinthians 9:7, Malachi 3:8-11
Marriage
We affirm the biblical definition of marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman. This covenant should be recognized and honored as a sacred bond instituted by God.