WHAT WE BELIEVE

HE IS DESERVING OF ALL PRAISE AND ADMIRATION. HE IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, AND OMNIPRESENT. THE LORD IS TO BE FEARED, GLORIFIED, AND ENJOYED.

JESUS: HE IS MESSIAH, REDEEMER, AND LORD.

JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, CO-EXISTENT AND CO-EQUAL WITH GOD THE FATHER. HE CAME FROM HEAVEN TO LIVE AMONG SINNERS. HE WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD'S LAW IN EVERY WAY HAVING NO SIN. HE DIED ON THE CROSS WHERE HE MADE COMPLETE ATONEMNT FOR HIS PEOPLE. HE WAS PHYSICALLY RESURRECTED THREE DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 40 DAYS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.      HE CURRENTLY RULES AND REIGNS OVER ALL THINGS.

HOLY SPIRIT: HE CONVICTS PEOPLE OF SIN, CONVERTS SINNERS TO CHRIST, AND ILLUMINATES THE ELECT TO TRUTH. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD. HE PROCEEDS FROM THE FAHTER AND THE SON AND IS CO-EXISTENT AND CO-EQUAL WITH THE GODHEAD. HE LEADS HIS PEOPLE INTO TRUTH. HE IS TO BE YIELDED TO IN ALL THINGS. THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS BELIEVERS TO LIVE A LIFE OF SERVICE TO GOD AND GRANTS JOY IN LIVING. EVIDENCE OF HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLING CONSISTS OF, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, GENTLENESS, FAITHFULNESS, SELF-CONTROL, OPEN TO REASON, FULL OF MERCY, IMPARTIALITY, PURITY AND SINCERITY. 

THE BIBLE: THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED, WITHOUT ERROR, AND SUFFICIENT.

THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD AND CAN BE TRUSTED. IT WAS WRITTEN IN ANCIENT LANGUAGES, PRIMARILY GREEK AND HEBREW. THE BIBLE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO NUMEROUS LANGUAGES FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO READ. A COUPLE OF GREAT TRANSLATIONS AVAIALABLE ARE THE ESV AND NASB. OUR CHURCH UTILIZES THE ESV FOR PREACHING. SUCH TRANSLATIONS ARE INCREDIBLY ACCURATE TO THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES. BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD IT MUST BE PROCLAIMED AS THE WORD OF GOD. BELIEVERS NEED NO EARTHLY ANALYTICAL TOOLS SUCH AS CRITICAL THEORY TO ASSIST IN THE BIBLE'S INTERPRETATION OR APPLICATION. THE WORD OF GOD IS SUFFICIENT IN ITSELF.

SIN: EVERY HUMAN BEING IS A SINNER BY THEIR BIRTH AND CHOOSING.

SIN AFFECTS EVERYONE BECAUSE ALL ARE SINNERS.  SUCH SIN IS DERIVED FROM OUR FIRST PARENTS ADAM AND EVE (ORIGINAL SIN). AS A RESULT, ALL MANKIND IS LOST IN SIN BEFORE GOD AND MUST BE SAVED FROM THEIR SIN BY TRUSTING IN CHRIST ALONE. 

SALVATION: SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, IN CHRIST ALONE.

MAN'S GREATEST NEED IS TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD. THE PROBLEM IS MANKIND CANNOT SAVE THEMSELVES. NOTHING WE DO WILL SATISFY THE JUSTICE OF GOD - NOT OUR GOOD WORKS, GOOD BEHAVIOR, OR BENEVOLENCE. GOD SAVES  BY HIS GRACE ALONE. THE GRACE BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED IS THROUGH FAITH; ONE MUST BELIEVE UPON CHRIST ALONE TO BE SAVED. 

ELECTION: GOD HAS ELECTED HIS PEOPLE FROM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. 

THE LORD DID NOT ELECT SINNERS TO SALVATION BECAUSE HE SAW IN ADVANCE HOW THEY WOULD MAKE A WHOLESOME RELIGIOUS DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST. RATHER, IN THE MIDST OF MAN'S DEPRAVITY, OUT OF FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE, HE CHOSE SOME UNTO SALVATION. THIS LEAVES MAN WITH NO ROOM FOR BOASTING. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS AN ELECTING GOD. 

EVANGELISM: WE TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS.

BELIEVERS ARE CALLED TO GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES. THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE WILL HEAR OF CHRIST IS WHEN SOMEONE TELLS THEM. EVANGELISM IS NOT AN OPTION. THERE IS A HEAVEN TO BE GAINED AND A HELL TO BE SHUNNED. WE MUST INVITE ALL PEOPLE TO COME TO CHRIST AND BE SAVED.

ORDINANCES: BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER.

EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE BAPTIZED. BAPTISM CONVEYS THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF THE DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 

WHILE SOME HAVE ATTEMPTED TO USE ISOLATED VERSES TO TEACH SALVATION BY BAPTISM, ONE DOES NOT NEED TO LOOK FAR TO READ OF REDEMPTION ONLY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHICH WAS A MESSAGE CLEARLY PREACHED BY THE APOSTLES. 

BAPTISM HAS BEEN DEFINED AS AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF AN INWARD CHANGE. EVERY BELIEVER, UNLESS PROVIDENTIALLY HINDERED, SHOULD BE BAPTIZED. STANDING IN THE WATER SYMBOLICALLY PROCLAIMS DEATH TO SELF AND BEING SUBMERGED IS A SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF BEING BURIED WITH CHRIST. IN BEING BROUGHT UP OUT OF THE WATER THE INDIVIDUAL IS SYMBOLICALLY PROCLAIMING THEY HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST.  

THE LORD'S SUPPER IS SACRED. IN PARTAKING OF THE SUPPER WE ARE PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL - THAT JESUS DIED IN OUR PLACE ON THE CROSS, ROSE AND ASCENDED. THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A REMINDER WE WILL ONE DAY HAVE KINGDOM FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS. BY NO MEANS ARE THE ELEMENTS THE ACTUAL BLOOD AND BODY OF CHRIST. RATHER, IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE RECOGNIZE THE LORD JESUS TO BE PRESENT AMONG US IN A SPECIAL WAY. WE PARTAKE OF THE SUPPER TWICE A MONTH.  

THE CHURCH: THE CHURCH IS THE REDEEMED OF GOD.

GOD'S CHURCH IS HOLY. JESUS LOVES THE BRIDE (THE CHURCH) AND ULTIMATELY DIED FOR HER. THE CHURCH WAS PURCHASED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. THE CHURCH GATHERS TOGETHER TO WORSHIP THE TRIUNE GOD. THE CHURCH EVANGELIZES THE LOST AND SEEKS TO LIVE AS LIGHTS IN A DARK WORLD. THE CHURCH CONSISTS OF GOD'S PEOPLE ALL THROUGHOUT THE AGES. THERE IS ONE CHURCH. 

THE LOCAL CHURCH: THE LOCAL CHURCH MEETS TO WORSHIP AND PROCLAIM CHRIST.

THE LOCAL CHURCH IS THE PLACE WHERE GOD'S PEOPLE GATHER TO FELLOWSHIP IN SINGING, GIVING, PARTAKING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER, OBSERVING THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM, AND SIT UNDER BIBLICAL PREACHING. THE LOCAL CHURCH SCATTERS TO REPRESENT CHRIST EVERYWHERE THEY GO, WALKING IN WISDOM TOWARD OUTSIDERS. THE LOCAL CHURCH IS COMPRISED OF CONFESSING BELIEVERS IN THE LORD JESUS AND ARE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF BIBLICALLY QUALIFIED CHURCH ELDERS. MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL CHURCH SEEK TO WALK TOGETHER IN UNITY BY CONSIDERING ONE ANOTHER. BELIEVERS SHOULD SEEK TO JOIN WITH, AND SERVE ALONGSIDE, A CHRIST-HONORING LOCAL CHURCH. 

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: JESUS WILL RETURN SOMEDAY.

JESUS WILL RETURN IN ALL HIS GLORY TO SEPARATE BELIEVERS FROM UNBELIEVERS. BELIEVERS ARE CALLED TO LIVE THEIR LIVES IN EAGER ANTICIPATION OF HIS RETURN. UNBELIEVERS ARE CALLED UPON TO REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.  The gospel will continue to prevail until Christ returns as the mustard seed grows, the leaven leavens (Matthew 13:31-33), and the great mountain fills the earth (Daniel 2:35).