We believe...
Scripture: We believe that the Holy Bible, as set out in the original manuscripts, is the verbally-plenarily inspired Word of God, living, powerful, authoritative, inerrant, and infallible. (Matthew 5:18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16)
The Trinity: We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; identical in essence, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
The Person and Work of God the Father: We believe that God the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe; all that is seen and unseen. Through His Word, He spoke the heavens and the earth into existence. He is the uncreated Spirit, infinite source of existence, eternal being with no beginning or end, the causeless cause. He is the Father of lights from whom all blessings flow. He loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to save and reconcile the world to Himself. (Genesis 1:1, Job 36:26, Psalm 90:2, John 1:1-3, John 3:16, John 4:24, James 1:17)
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ: We believe that the Lord Jesus, the Christ and the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God; having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished our redemption by living a perfect and sinless life and fulfilling all requirements of the law. He paid the penalty for the sins of the world when He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. Our redemption and salvation are guaranteed to us by His actual physical resurrection from the dead. (Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 1:38, John 1:1, 14, 18, Romans 3:24-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 2:2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the eternal third Person of the divine Trinity, Who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; regenerates believers in Christ; sets each member in the Body of Christ, the church; indwells them; seals them unto the day of redemption; teaches in all truth; bestows spiritual gifts upon each saved believer; and fills those yielded to Him. (John 3:8, 14:16, 15:26, 16:7-15, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:4-22, Ephesians 4:30, 5:18, 1 John 2:27)
Man's Sinful Nature: We believe that although born innocent of particular sin, all mankind is born with a sinful nature and the resultant tendency to follow the temptations of the world, the flesh, and Satan. Upon reaching an age of personal accountability and having the knowledge of Jesus Christ by the grace of God, they must accept Him through faith and obedience. (Matthew 19:14, Ephesians 2:8-10)
Salvation: We believe that salvation is a gift of God through grace and is received by man through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of all sins. Salvation is the freedom from sin, the assurance of eternal life, and the promise given to those who believe. (John 3:16, 8:36, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 1:17)
The New Creation: We believe that God's masterful work of creating the universe by His word is only exceeded by the greatest masterpiece of His workmanship, namely, a Christian. New creation realities enable us to face life knowing that our identification with Christ allows us to hold fast to our confession, overcome in life, and be more than conquerors in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10)
The Church: We believe that the church is composed of all true disciples of Jesus Christ, and in Him is vested all power for its government. According to His commandments, Christians are to associate themselves into particular communities of local churches. God admonishes His people to assemble regularly for edification through the Scriptures, and for mutual encouragement. Further, to each of these churches God has given needful authority for administering that order and discipline which He has appointed. We also believe that God still heals, delivers, and works miracles through His church. (John 14:12-14, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27, Hebrews 13:8, James 5:14-15, 1 Peter 2:24)
The Head of the Church: We believe that the Head of the Church is Christ Himself. He is the final and ultimate Authority in all matters of faith, doctrine, and decision. All divinely approved church practices in the New Testament reflect the church's own acknowledgement of God's hand in directing the church; where the church failed to subject itself to Christ, He spoke firmly and unequivocally in denunciation; He expresses His will today through perfect harmony of the Holy Spirit and the written record of His own word. (Matthew 11:27, 28:18, John 5:27, 14:16-18, 26, 16:13-14, 17:2, Acts 14:26-27, Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23, Colossians 1:18, Revelation 2 & 3)
The Responsibility of Believers: We believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon their Lord and Savior. That it is the obligation of every believer to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all the world. (Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:14, 7:1, Galatians 5:16, 25)
Stewardship: We believe that God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. We recognize the Lord as owner of all our possessions. Christians cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally should contribute of their talents, abilities, and possessions to advancing the Savior's kingdom on earth. One of the purposes of our monetary offerings is to enable us to honor some of the tremendous sense of obligation and indebtedness we have toward God, and to teach us to always put God first in our lives. (Leviticus 27:30-32, Deuteronomy 14:23, Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 6:1-4, 19-21, Luke 12:16-21, Acts 2:44-47, Romans 6:6-22, 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Philippians 4:10-19, 1 Peter 1:18-19)
Marriage and Family: We believe that Christian marriage is the covenantal union of one man and one woman within a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Christian marriage is ordinarily for life, with allowable exceptions of divorce for adultery or abandonment. When the good providence of God allows, children are a blessing to the Christian marriage, and the children are to be reared to know and follow Jesus Christ. Marriage is a picture and type of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His church, the bride of Christ. As such, the husband is to love his wife with the sacrificial love Jesus Christ has for the church, and the wife is to joyfully submit to and respect her husband in the same way the church does to Jesus Christ. The celebration of a Christian marriage is considered a worship service of this congregation, and only those who are in submission to and rightly related to the doctrines and leadership of this congregation may have a wedding service using church facilities or leadership. (Proverbs 22:6, Matthew 5:31-32, 19:4-6, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5, Colossians 3:18-19)
Baptism: We believe that Baptism is an ordinance/sacrament of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein a person is immersed in water in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a sign and seal of their fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins and of giving themselves up to God to live and walk in newness of life. (Matthew 3:6-8, 28:18-19, Mark 1:5, 9, 10, 15, Luke 3:3-16, Acts 8:38-39, Romans 6:4-5, Colossians 2:12)
The Lord's Supper: We believe that the Lord's Supper is an ordinance/sacrament of the Lord Jesus, to be administered with the elements of bread and juice of grapes, and to be observed by His church until the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate His death and our communion with Him and with our church fellowship. It is open to all baptized believers. (Matthew 26:26-38, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
The Lord's Day: We believe that the Lord's Day is a Christian institution for regular observance and should be employed in the exercise of spiritual devotion. We observe the Lord's Day because we worship the Lord.
The Second Coming of Christ: We believe that Jesus will return personally and visibly to the earth according to His promise. Believers are to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age looking for His imminent return. (Matthew 24:27-44, Titus 2:12-13)
Last Things: We believe that at the end of the age every person will be judged. The unrighteous will go into Hell, a place of everlasting punishment and separation from God. The righteous through Christ will receive their reward and dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 21 & 22)
