What We Believe

Jesus

Jesus lived an earthly life free of sin because we couldn't. He died on the cross to atone for the sins of all mankind and to undo the separation we once had with God. Jesus is actively drawing people to himself with the free offer of forgiveness to anyone who will believe that he is who he says he is and trust him. His offer is not conditional and not based on anything we do or don't do; it is a free gift from a Living Savior who created us to have fellowship with him.

Jesus is available to all that would seek him. He asks us to cast our cares and anxieties on him and to seek his direction in all areas of life. He promises never to leave us nor forsake us. When we believe, he begins a process of transformation within us, making us more and more like him, molding us into his disciples and enabling us to reflect his love and carry out his perfect and specific will for our lives.

Jesus is, and always has been God. According to the Bible, he was with God and he was God before the Earth was even created. He was "begotten" by God, and though fully man while on this earth, he never ceased to also be fully God. To truly atone for sin, he had to bear the weight of our fallen humanity, making him a God who understands the trials and challenges of life and who is able to sustain us through them.

The Gospel

If you miss the gospel, you miss everything. The first reality of the gospel is that we are separated from God. Unfortunately, the most natural thing for us to do as humans is sin. This is why we have to teach children what’s right, but no one has to teach a kid how to lie or hit his brother. Sin is natural, instinctive—and the Bible reveals to us that, because God is perfect, everyone who sins has been disconnected from God, which is humanity’s greatest dilemma.

Check out what the Apostle Paul wrote about the Gospel: “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21.) In other words, on the cross, Christ who was perfect took on Himself all of the sins of everyone who would ever believe. This is a vital gospel concept called “substitution.” Literally, Christ died as our substitute, and in return we are righteous before God as Christ is. Simplified, when God looks at the cross He sees our sins, and when He looks at us He sees Jesus. Without Christ, we have no hope of ever being reconnected with our creator, God. But only through Christ we escape the penalty of our sin and are given a righteousness that we could have never earned on our own. That is good news.

Scripture

We believe that the Word of God is totally true, incapable of error or flaw. Every scripture in the Old and New Testament canons was breathed out by God Himself who inspired human authors to write for the instruction, correction, and training of believers throughout history and today. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13)

God

We believe that God has forever existed in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus), and (The Holy) Spirit. God the Father is the creator of, sustainer of, and sovereign over all things. God is perfectly righteous and just, incapable of wrong. (Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 4:24; Psalm 116:5; Isaiah 6:3)

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. An instrument of creation, Jesus has forever existed as part of the trinity. At the perfect time, Jesus abandoned His throne in Heaven to come to earth as a ransom for humanity. We believe that Jesus suffered and died as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and He rose on the third day to defeat the power of Hell and death. We believe that Jesus will return in power and glory to redeem His bride, the church. (Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 5:6-11)

The Holy Spirit

We believe that, present at creation, the Holy Spirit has forever existed as part of the trinity. The Holy Spirit is active today convicting the world of sin and righteousness and regenerating, indwelling, and empowering the saved. (Genesis 1:2; John 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Acts 1:8)

Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God to have perfect peace and fellowship with God. Our first parents lived and walked with God, but they broke God’s law for the garden and were cast out and separated from God. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 6:6)

Sin

We believe that all humans are born under the curse of sin. Because of that sin and God’s holiness, we are separated from God. Every attempt of our own will to get back to God is futile because our souls are hopelessly stained and incapable of bringing anything good before God. (Romans 3:10-19; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:1-3)

Hope

We believe that the only way we can escape the effects of sin is to embrace the reality of Jesus Christ with saving faith in His work on the cross. Because He is perfect, Christ’s sacrifice is the only effort good enough to redeem us from death’s grip. Therefore, God alone can save us and impute righteousness to sinful souls. This salvation is the act of a sovereign God who can alone rescue and is in no way possible through the human free will—that no one should be able to boast about their salvation. (Romans 10:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9)

The Church

We believe that the church is God’s chosen vehicle to transport the Gospel of Christ. We don’t believe that the church is a building or a location, rather it is people joined with common focus and motive: the knowledge of the glory of God as revealed in Christ. As the bride of Christ, we believe the church is to live humble, sacrificial lives that pursue the lost and glorify God. (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:27; Acts 2:42)