In Essential Beliefs – we have unity
“There is one Body and one Spirit…there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of us all…” Eph. 4:4-6
In Non-Essential Beliefs – we have acceptance
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters… Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls… So then each of us will give an account of himself to God… So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Rom. 14:1, 4, 12, 22
In All our Beliefs – we have love
“…If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains – but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” I Cor. 13:2
What We Believe
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2; II Cor. 13:14
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Matt. 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrew 4:14,15; I Cor. 15:3,4; Rom. 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Tim. 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” I Peter 3:15
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those God brings us into contact with. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church.
“A tithe (tenth) of everything you produce belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
“He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord and the Lord will repay what he has given.” Prov. 19:17
We practice tithing and giving offerings for the support of Christ’s body as God commands. We recognize that giving ten percent of our income is the Biblical standard of giving. We also give to special needs as God leads.
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer spiritual gifts when they are saved. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
God also gives Christians who have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit extra power and the ability to do supernatural signs, miracles and wonders, operate in supernatural gifts, as well as the ability to pray to God in a new spiritual language only understood by God himself.
II Cor. 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; I Cor. 2:12, 3:16, chapters 12 and 14; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Galatians 5:25
“Christ has given each of us special abilities…” Eph 4:7
“The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.” I Cor. 12:7
God not only called us to be saved but He also gave each one of us special giftings and abilities for the purpose of strengthening His body, the church. Not only are our giftings essential for the maturing of other believers but the Bible teaches that when we go to heaven God will judge us on how we used them. Don’t be spiritually lazy. Know that you are unique and that only you can minister to others the way you do.
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Galatians 5:14
“…if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love.” I Cor. 12:2
God is love. The whole Bible is a love letter from God to us. Therefore, if we confess Jesus as our Lord and say that we belong to God and yet don’t love people, all people, we prove that our relationship with God is not real. Jesus said that the world would be convinced that God truly sent Him by the way His people love.