Beliefs & History

We affirm the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the written revelation of God to His people. While the Bible was written by a diversity of human authors over hundreds of years, it was divinely overseen, inspired, and protected by God. As a result, the Bible is infallible and inerrant in the original autographs and has been faithfully preserved throughout history.

The main character and message of the Bible is Jesus Christ and His message of salvation. All the Scriptures point to Him as our only hope for authentic salvation. Because the Bible is God’s Word to us, it is the powerful, sufficient, and primary means by which Jesus rules over His people. It is our ultimate authority on all matters of belief and practice. Reading the Bible is the primary way we come to personally know and love God. 

Scripture Reference: Psalm 1:1–3; 19:7–11; Psalm 119; Proverbs 30:5–6; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 1:1-4; 24:25–47; John 5:39; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:6-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; Hebrews 1:1–3; 4:12; 2 Peter 1:16–21; 3:15–16; 1 John 1:1-3 

The Bible teaches there is one God who eternally exists as three divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is the very standard of beauty, righteousness, and truth who has created the universe to reveal and display His glory. 

The Scriptures teach that God is both sovereign and personal. In His sovereignty, God providentially governs, directs, and reigns over human history. However, He is not in any way the author or approver of sin, nor does He destroy the agency or accountability of mankind. God is also a personal God who desires to be known in a genuine, loving relationship—which He has made provision for through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Because of who God is and what He has done, He alone is worthy of all human praise, devotion, and love.  

Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 26–31; Exodus 20:1–4; 34:6–7; Deuteronomy 4:32–40; 6:4–9; Numbers 14:18–21; Nehemiah 9:26-31; Psalm 8:3–9; 27:1–6; 115:3; Proverbs 16:33; 21:1; Job 38–40; Isaiah 6:1–8, 45:5–25; 46:9–10; Jeremiah 10:6–10; Micah 7:18; Matthew 3:13–17; John 4:25; 10:30; 17:3; Romans 9:14–24; 11:34–36; 1 Corinthians 8:4–6; Ephesians 1:3–11; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 1:1-3; James 1:13–15; 1 Peter 1:1–2; 1 John 5:20; Jude 25; Revelation 4:11.  

We believe God created Humanity in His own image to represent His loving rule and reign on the earth. Because every person—regardless of culture, ethnicity, developmental stage, mental capacity, or any other factor—is made in the image of God, every person has inherent and equal value. 

Mankind is created in God’s spiritual image, which means we are to be like Him - relational, creative, moral, intellectual, spiritual. God also created humanity male and female with unique physiological differences that are immutably rooted in His loving design for the sexes. Humanity was created to enjoy a loving and personal relationship with God and to show one another what God is like. 

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve rejected God by disobeying Him, causing a break in the relationship they had with Him and a distortion in how we represent God to one another. This disobedience and rebellion led to all mankind inheriting a ‘sinful nature’. Sinful thoughts, emotions and actions are evidence of a deeper heart problem that everyone is in need of rescue from self, sin and death. Every person is separated from that loving relationship with God.  

Scripture References: Genesis 1:26–2:24; 3:6-8, 11-13; 5:1–3; 9:6–7; Psalm 8:3–9; Psalm 139:13–15; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 19:1–4; Mark 10:5–6; Acts 17:26–29; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 11:2–9; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19. 

For every human being: physical death is not the end. The spirit of every person will live on beyond physical death—the redeemed departing immediately to be with the Lord, and the unredeemed to be reserved under darkness until the day of judgment. On the last day, Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead to final judgment—at which time our spirits will be rejoined with our bodies and prepared for their eternal state. 

On the last day, a public separation will take place that will forever establish the final state of persons in heaven or hell—the unredeemed being justly assigned to endless punishment and separation from God’s love and the redeemed to endless joy and fellowship with God. How a person responds to God in this life ultimately determines where they will spend eternity.  

Scripture References: Isaiah 65:17–25; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 13:3–50; Matthew 25:1–46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 16:19–31; John 3:14-36; John 5:28–29; John 6:40; John 11:23–27; Romans 2:6–8; Acts 1:11; 3:21; 10:42; 17:30– 31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–12; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20-21 

Jesus Christ is the clearest and most powerful display of God’s glory. He is the second person of the Trinity who was supernaturally conceived by the virgin Mary. He is the suffering servant who gave Himself for our sins and was publicly crucified on a Roman cross. Jesus’ death on the cross was the final sacrifice, paying for all past, present and future sins of those who repent and trust Him for salvation. After His crucifixion, He demonstrated His power over death, hell, and the grave by physically rising from the dead. He is the long-promised Messiah and Savior of the world. 

Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant between God and humanity and the only means by which we can be saved from eternal condemnation. By the appointment of the Father, Jesus freely took on our nature but not our sin—He is truly God and truly man. He perfectly obeyed the law of God in our place and made a full atonement for our sins by His substitutionary death. After His resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father until the day He returns to fully establish His kingdom.  

Scripture References: Genesis 3:16; Isaiah 53:1–12; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Matthew 11:28–30; Mark 1:15; 10:35–45; Luke 1:26–38; 19:1–10; John 1:1–14; 5:17–47; 8:48–59; 14:1–6; Acts 2:14–36; 3:11–26; 4:5–12; 13:13–31; 17:16–31; Romans 3:21-27; 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8; Philippians 2:1–11; 1 Timothy 2:15; Titus 2:11–14; Hebrews 1:1–3; 4:14–16; 7:23–28; 8:7–13; 9:11–26; 10:1–18; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 2:1–2; 4:10.  

The gospel is the Good News of what God has done for us through Jesus. The gospel declares that God has brought His kingdom near through the person and work of Jesus. We enter this kingdom through repentance and faith in the finished work of Jesus. Through faith in Christ, we are declared forgiven and righteous before God. Even though we are practically still sinful and unrighteous, our status before God has changed and we are declared holy and blameless before Him. None of this is the result of any good works that we do. Instead we are saved through free grace of God that is received by faith. 

This salvation is offered to everyone—regardless of gender, class, ethnicity, etc. In His death, Jesus tore down the dividing wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, thus establishing in Himself a new and redeemed humanity. In heaven, a multitude of people from every tribe, tongue and nation will gather around the throne of Jesus. There we will praise Him together for all eternity. God is supremely glorified in the gospel, because it reveals the full array of His perfections working together to reconcile a lost people to Himself and to each other. Those who reject Jesus as Savior will not enjoy a relationship with God and will not receive the gift of eternal life with Christ.  

Scripture Reference: Mark 1:15–16; 2:13–17; Luke 9:23–25; John 3:14–18; Acts 2:37–41; Romans 3:21–27; 4:5; 5:1–10; 8:1–16; 9:16; 10:9–13; Acts 11:1–18; 13:42–52; 15:1–29; 19:11–20; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Galatians 2:11–4:6; Galatians 3:10-14; 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:3–5; 2:1–3:6; 2 Timothy 1:8–10; Titus 3:3–7; 1 John 1:8–10; Revelation 5:8–14; 7:9–17. 

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is fully God who indwells and seals every believer from the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit applies the redeeming work of Christ to the heart of every believer, thus awakening our hearts to the beauty of Christ and uniting our hearts to Him through faith. The Holy Spirit also distributes gifts to each believer according to His sovereign good pleasure. These gifts are ultimately given to magnify the person and work of Jesus by building up the church and manifesting the presence of God among His people. 

Throughout a believer’s life, the Holy Spirit continually works to guide, direct, and empower us so that we experience the power of God and progressively submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s guidance never contradicts or opposes the written Word of God. Every Christian has a responsibility to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and put to death anything within us that would quench His work in our lives.  

Scripture References: Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30; 139:7–8; Matthew 12:32; John 14:15– 31; 15:26–27; 16:7–15; Acts 1:4–8; 5:1–11; Romans 5:5; 8:5–27; 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 2:11– 15; 3:16; 6:11; 18–20; 12:12–21; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 3:17–18; 5:1–5; Galatians 4:5–6; 5:16–26; Ephesians 1:13–19; 2:18–22; 3:14–21; 4:11–16; Philippians 2:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22; Titus 3:4–6; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 4:11–12; 1 John 4:1–6; Jude 20–21. 

Because of the finished work of Christ and the sealing work of the Spirit, a genuine believer cannot lose his or her salvation. Instead, we are held fast in the Father’s love for us and eternally secure in the future hope of our salvation. This beautiful truth, however, does not entail a license to sin. On the contrary, authentic salvation is revealed in an imperfect and gradual progression to be conformed to the character of Christ. 

The many warning passages in the Scriptures are intended to signal the possibility of superficial faith and warn people within the church of the possibility of empty professions. These warnings serve as means by which God providentially preserves His people by exhorting them to ongoing self-reflection and sanctification. Though genuine believers may fall into sin—which grieves the Holy Spirit, impairs our fellowship with Christ, brings reproach upon His name, and incurs His loving discipline—we shall again be renewed to repentance and kept by the power of God, through faith, to final salvation.  

Scripture References: Jeremiah 32:36–41; Ezekiel 36:26–28; John 6:37–39, 8:31; 10:28–30; Romans 6:1–23; 7:7–25; 8:28–37; 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 1:7–8; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 7:1,7-11; 8:13; Romans 7:7-8; 8:13; 8:28-37; Galatians 5:16–26; Ephesians 1:13–14; 4:20–24; Philippians 1:6; 2:12–13; Colossians 3:1–17; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 7:25; 10:9-39; 12:1–2; James 2:14–26; 1 Peter 1:3–5,9; 2 Peter 1:3–11; 1 John 2:1–19; 3:9–10; 5:18–21; Jude 24; Revelation 21:5–8. 

The universal church consists of all those throughout history who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The local church is the visible expression of the universe church in a particular time and setting. A biblically oriented local church is meant to be an outpost of the Kingdom of God that gives a foretaste of His Kingdom to come. As the world sees God’s people loving and serving one another, we put the glory of God on display and invite people to be a part of something their souls truly long for. 

In practical terms, a local church is a group of baptized believers who commit to loving one another, serving one another, and sharing life together under the authority of Christ. Together we celebrate the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as Jesus commanded us to. The local church is governed by the Word of God, submits to King Jesus, is led by qualified elders, served by qualified deacons, and patiently works to make disciples of all nations to the glory of God. It is important for believers’ growth to be connected with others in the local church. 

Scripture References: Matthew 5:13–16; 16:13–19; 18:15–20; 22:34-40; 28:18–20; John 13:34–35; 17:20–24; Acts 2:42–47; 6:1–6; 14:23; 20:26–28; Romans 12:3–13; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 11:25–26; 12:1-31; 14:26–40; Galatians 6:1–5; Ephesians 1:22–23; 3:10; 4:1–2, 11–16, 5:1–21; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:1–3:15; 3:1-15; 4:14; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–5; 1 John 3:11–24, 4:7–21.