The Bible
We believe the Scriptures of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God. We believe that the Scriptures are God's Word and way of revealing Himself to humankind. We believe that the Scriptures are never wrong (infallible), and they are the divinely authoritative guide for our faith, our belief, and our conduct. We base this on what the Scriptures teach.
15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes
by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work
.- 2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NLT)
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- 2 Peter 1:21 (NIV)
God
There is one true God. He has revealed himself as having always existed without any outside cause bringing Him into being. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and the One who redeems, saves and rescues humanity from sin and its consequences. In Scripture, God has revealed Himself as a single Being consisting of three interrelated persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept of one God of three persons is referred to as the Trinity. The concept of a "three in one" Trinity has no parallel in the human world, and is difficult to comprehend to our natural minds, but it is scriptural and essential to an understanding of the multifaceted nature of God.
Here are some of the many scripture references pertaining to the one true God and the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity:
And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.
Zechariah 14:9
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:21-23
, 11:25-27, 28:19; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,2,14,18,29,49, 5:17-30,32,37
Man's Problem (Sin)
God created humanity as good. Man was created in God’s image but fell from perfection by willful disobedience, resulting in separation from God.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:26 (NLT)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
- Romans 3:23 (NLT)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men[a] because all sinned.
—Romans 5:12 (ESV)
The Solution for Man (The Good News)
Salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning work on the cross. Because Christ died for us, those who repent and accept Christ as Savior have a genuine change take place and are justified before God.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
- Ephesians. 2:8 (NIV)
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[a] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
- Romans 10:8-10 (NIV)
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
- Titus 3:5-7 (NIV)
The Person & Work of Holy Spirit
The baptism with the Holy Spirit empowers believers and is received as it was in the New Testament. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:4). The Holy Spirit bestows gifts on believers and a Spirit- filled life will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.
I Corinthians 12
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
- Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
Healing
Divine healing is the power of Christ to heal in response to faith. We believe that just as Jesus healed in His earthly ministry, He still heals today. Jesus heals in body, soul and spirit. Jesus is a healer.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
- 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
- James 5:14-16 (NIV)
Water Baptism
Baptism by immersion in water is an outward declaration of an inward work.
Matthew 28:19
Romans 6:4
Communion (The Lord's Supper)
The Lord’s supper (communion with the symbolic use of the bread and fruit of the vine) is practiced as a commemoration of Christ’s suffering and death and in expectation of His return.
I Corinthians 11:24-26
Heaven & Hell
Heaven is the eternal home of those who put their faith in God for salvation, while hell exists as a place of eternal punishment for those who reject Christ.
John 14:1-3
Revelation 20:11-15
Giving
God has ordained the giving of tithes and offerings as a means of supporting the work of His Kingdom.
Malachi 3:10
2 Corinthians 9:7