BELIEFS

We have found the Apostles Creed to be a helpful gift to summarize what we believe. The creed itself has been around since the 4th century.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

*The word catholic means “one.” It does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church, but the big “C” church at large.

 There is only one living God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is not only knowable, but also personal. He is not only our creator, but our sustainer. The phrase “Trinity” has come to identify the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to express their individual uniqueness, while affirming their equality. The Bible makes it clear, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

(Genesis 1, Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1-2; John 17, Luke 3:21-22, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 15; Romans 8:15; Matthew 6:9-15)

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross and three days later rose from the dead. By doing this, Jesus demonstrated His power over sin and death, and His validity as the Son of God. He will one day return to fully bring His Kingdom to this earth.

(Matthew 1:22, 23, Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-5; 3:16, 14:10-30, Hebrews 4:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 1:3-5, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Timothy 6:14-15)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He convicts the world of sin, draws people toward Christ, cultivates godly character, gives spiritual gifts and provides needed comfort in all seasons of life. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.

(John 14:15-21; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 2 Corinthians 3::17, Ephesians 1:13)

The Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and are God’s revelations of Himself to man. Divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all 66 books of the Bible. The Scriptures are without error and completely trustworthy. It is the supreme standard for conduct and reveals the way of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Scripture is used to teach us, direct us, and empower us to understand who God is and what it means to have a relationship with Him.

(Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Psalm 19:7-10, John 5:39, Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12, 2 Peter 1:19-21)

Man is separated from a relationship with God from birth because of sin. As a result, there is nothing man can do to earn salvation. Only by trusting in what Jesus Christ has done on the cross can man enter into a relationship with God. Salvation is not based on what man can do to get to God, but rather what God has done to get to man. Salvation is by grace and grace alone.

(Romans 3:22-24, 6:23-24, 10, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16, Titus 3:5, Galatians 3:26)

The church is the body of Christ in the world. It is not a building or a denomination, but rather a group of called out people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. The church exists for the primary purpose of bringing glory to God.

(Ephesians 5, Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 Peter 2:5, 2 Corinthians 11:2)

We hold to a historic orthodox biblical definition of human sexuality and gender. We believe God has designed marriage to be enjoyed in the commitment of lifelong relationship between one man and one woman for one lifetime.

(Genesis 1, Psalm 100, Romans 1)