In presenting our beliefs, we keep in mind the following 3 principles:

In essential beliefs – we have UNITY
In nonessential beliefs – we have LIBERTY
In all our beliefs – we show CHARITY

The Bible

We believe the Old and New Testaments are inspired of God, error-free in the original writings and the supreme authority of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We further believe in the historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture. By this, we mean that we seek to use grammar, literature, history, and culture to unlock and understand the meaning that God superintended the original human writer to communicate to the original readers. We hold that meaning to be the correct understanding of any particular passage.  2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12

 God

We believe in one true and living God, who is the creator of all things. One in essence, He is infinitely perfect and eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the Godhead possesses the same nature, each functions differently in respect to God’s dealings with man.  Genesis 1:1 Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1-3

 God the Father

The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to His own purpose, pleasure, and grace. He created the universe solely by His spoken word. He has decreed all things that come to pass for His own Glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.   Genesis 1:1 Matthew 6:9; John 5:19-24; Ephesians 1:3-6;

God the Son

The second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, is both the eternal Son of God and the virgin-born Son of Man, fully God and fully man.  He led a sinless life. He satisfied the Father’s justice concerning man’s sin by becoming mediator between God and man through His death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension, and His imminent visible return to this earth to establish His Kingdom.

Romans 3:24-26; 1 Corinthians 15; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17-18; James 1:14-18; Revelation 20:11-15

God the Holy Spirit

The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in our world. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the salvation Jesus Christ secured through His death on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to live a lifestyle pleasing to God. He endows each believer with special gifts that equip them to accomplish distinct ministries, planned beforehand by God the Father. John 3:1-8, 15:16, 16:4-15; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:10; Galatians 5: 1- 6:2

 Grace and Truth

Our God is a God “full of grace and truth.” Just as grace is the relational aspect of God’s character, truth is the structural aspect of God’s character. The Bible doesn’t commend either truth apart from grace, nor grace apart from truth; but rather, a mixture of both. Getting truth before grace, or truth before relationship, brings guilt, anxiety, anger, and a host of other painful emotions. Getting grace apart from truth can enable one to rationalize any decision regardless of content or consequence. It is only through a “moment by moment” surrender to Him, that we can receive and give out these two life-giving qualities; grace and truth. Leviticus 19:18 ; Luke 6:31; John 1: 14; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10, 17-21, 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 1 John 3:17-18

 Marriage

We believe God created marriage as a sacred covenant relationship between one biological man and one biological woman for the purposes of procreation, companionship, and dominion over creation, in keeping with the covenant relationship God himself established with his own creation. Genesis 2:15-24; Romans 1:16-32, 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23

The Nature of Man

We believe that God created man in His image to enjoy His fellowship and to fulfill His will on this earth. Sin is simply an attitude of independence from God.  A voluntary act of personal disobedience by Adam resulted in spiritual death for all mankind. As a result, all are born with a sinful nature and have no ability by our fallen nature to live a righteous life before God. All are subject to the certainty of both physical and spiritual death apart from Jesus Christ. Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 1:18-24, 3:10-23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3

 Prayer

We believe that prayer is both talking to and listening to God. Through prayer we can find strength of spirit, guidance, wisdom, joy and inner peace.  Prayer may be long or short, alone or in a group, silent or aloud; it is true communication with God. Important aspects of prayer include:

• Expressions of faith and trust in God
• Confession of sins
• Praise of God’s mighty deeds
• Thanksgiving for all the good things we have received
• Dedication to serve God and other people
• Requests for personal needs and the needs of others

Psalms 118:5-6, Psalms 138:3; Isaiah 58:9-11; Matthew 6:5-8; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7

 Salvation

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient sacrifice. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been born again by the Holy Spirit and baptized by Him into the Body of Christ. They are thereby the children of God forever and members in the one true church. Salvation leads to righteous living and good works through Jesus ‘ death and resurrection as the believer submits his will to the Word of God and the direction of the Holy Spirit John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24; 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9, Galatians 3:26; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 10:10-12, 1 John 5:11-13,

 Satan

We acknowledge the existence of the devil, Satan. Although created by God, he rebelled against Him and is God’s archenemy and all His creation, especially man. Satan and his demons can masquerade as angels of light, seek to deceive God’s people and distort God’s truth. However, the day will come when he and all those he has deceived will be eternally punished and cast into the lake of fire. Genesis 3:1-15; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-15; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 12:10-11; 20:10

 The Church

We believe that all those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true church, the Body of Christ. Believers are directed by Scripture to associate in local churches, which are the visible representation of Christ’s church. The church glorifies God by proclaiming the Gospel, leading people to Christ, discipling them to maturity, and sending them out to make disciples of all the nations.Matthew 16:13-28; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47, 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 2:19-24

 The Future

We believe that the next great event of human history is the imminent, visible, personal return of Jesus Christ. This is the “blessed hope,” for which all who love Jesus yearn. The exact time of Christ’s return remains a mystery, known only to the Father Himself. We believe that it could happen at any time & is as certain as His 1^st coming.

The Bible teaches the bodily resurrection of all mankind, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. Therefore, we believe that both heaven and hell are real places. In heaven, the spirit, soul and body of the redeemed are reunited to dwell forever in fellowship with God. In Hell those who refused God’s gracious rescue through Christ suffer eternal, conscious punishment for their sins in    the real physical domain of Hell, absent from the fellowship of God and the redeemed.   Matthew 25: 41-46, 24:36; John 3: 16, 11:25-26, 14:1-3; Romans 6:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Revelation 20: 11-15