What We Believe

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." - A.W. Tozer

Core Beliefs

God

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He is eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was born of a virgin, performed many miraculous signs, lived a sinless human life, and then offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. Then He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Holy Spirit

All believers receive the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) when they receive Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives at salvation. However, believers are also entitled to and should expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues according to Acts 2:4. We believe this was the normal experience of Christ followers in the early Christian Church. With the Holy Spirit baptism comes power for life and service.

The Bible

The Bible is God’s authoritative Word to us. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. It is the truth without any mixture of error.

Salvation

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we repent of sin, confess Jesus as Lord, and turn from our self-ruled life, we are saved.

Divine Healing

All through the centuries since the time of the apostles, there have been individuals who had faith in God for the healing of their bodies, and where New Testament faith has been found, miracles have taken place. We believe Jesus paid the price for divine healing through the atonement…and with His stripes, we are healed.

Blessed Hope

The blessed hope of the church is the rapture or the “catching away” of the church. The Bible teaches that at the time of the rapture of the church, living Christians will be changed; those whom have died in Christ will be raised in glory; all Christians will forever be with the Lord, and we should be comforted with this truth.

Eternity

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.

Ordinances

Baptisms

Baptism by immersion in water is commanded (Mark 16:16). All who repent and believe on Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are to be baptized. This act symbolically declares to others that the old sinful life and lifestyle died with Christ at salvation and a new spiritual life has been raised with Christ.

Communion

The Lord’s supper, consisting of bread and fruit of the vine, is a memorial of Christ’s suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26). In eating and drinking the sacraments, the believer expresses his/her awareness that through salvation he/she (1) has been made right with God and (2) shares the divine nature of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ. This ordinance also looks forward to Christ’s second coming for it is a reminder to proclaim the Lord’s death “until He comes!”