God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Everything exists because of Him and is sustained by Him. He sees everything, knows everything, and is everywhere at the same time. He exists eternally, completely outside the limits of time, and is dependent on nothing. He is perfect in holiness and love. He has always existed as the Trinity: one God, yet three distinct persons, all of who are co-equally God- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2, Psalm 99:2-3; Psalm 102:12; Psalm 115:3; Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:23-24;Malachi 3:6; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:26; Acts 15:18; Romans 1:32; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 4:13;Hebrews 12:8; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 4:8,16
The Father
The Father is the head of the Trinity. He is the all-powerful Lord over the universe and the flow of history. He is the Heavenly Father of all who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, yet is loving and compassionate to all people. He is faithful to His people and His promises.
Luke 22:42; John 1:12; John 3:16-17; John 5:19; John 10:30; John 17:21; Acts 17:28-29; Ephesians 1:3, James 1:17
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father and is therefore fully God. At the same time, He is also fully human. Jesus was born to a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect life without sin and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people through His death on the cross, taking the punishment for sin that people deserved to take. Three days after His death, He rose from the dead, demonstrating His power over sin and death. After His resurrection, He appeared to many witnesses before He ascended into heaven. He will return one day as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-20, 25; John 1:1-18; John 5:18; John 10:30; Acts 1:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for a relationship with Jesus Christ. He lives in those who receive Jesus as their Savior from the moment of salvation. He provides the follower of Jesus power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right, and assurance of their relationship with Jesus. He works in the life of a believer to make them more like Jesus and equips them for their role in the advancement of the church.
John 14:15-17; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 1:13-14;Ephesians 5:18
The Bible
The Bible is God’s word to all people and the ultimate authority on truth. It was written by imperfect men under the supernatural guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is a true and fully accurate account of God’s plan to bring people back into a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, through the multi-ethnic family of God called the Church. It is without error.
Psalm 12:6; Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119:4,105,160; Proverbs 30:5; John 5:29; Ephesians 2-3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
People
God created people in His image and for His pleasure. We were created to have fellowship with God, but sinful disobedience of the first man- Adam- brought sin and death into the world and all humanity, severing the relationship between God and people. As a result of that sin, all of us are born sinful and chose to sin against God. We are incapable of being “good enough” to regain a right relationship with God through our own efforts.
Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:1-22; Isaiah 43:7; Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10,23; Ephesians 2:3
Eternity
We were created to exist forever, and we believe forever is spent in one of two places: heaven or hell. Heaven is the place of eternal union with God and is the result of His forgiveness and salvation. Hell is the place of eternal separation from God, and is the result of God’s wrath against sin.
Matthew 25:46; John 3:16; John 5:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 9:27
Salvation
God’s perfect holiness cannot co-exist with sin. Therefore, since we are sinful, we are in a state of being separated from God in this life and doomed to hell for eternity. Sin has also alienated us from other people, bringing division into the world. We cannot be saved by good works or self-improvement.
However, since God is also perfect in His love, He provided the way for us to be saved. The penalty for our sin was paid in full when Jesus died on the cross, and God offers this gift of salvation as a gift to be received. Salvation can be received when you believe through faith that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Eternal life begins at the moment of salvation, so those who have been saved have literally crossed over from death to life. Salvation is maintained by the power of God, not the self-effort of the Christian.
Salvation also goes beyond moving people into a right relationship with God. The moment a person is saved, they become a member of God's multi-ethnic family- the Church. In this family, people are given the ministry of reconciliation, which invites people to be reconciled to God through the work of Christ and to each other through the Church, where God has destroyed the barriers that divide us.
John 3:16-17; John 5:24; John 10:29; John 14:6; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 1:3-5
The Christian Life
All those who have been saved should seek to live a life that glorifies Jesus Christ. By obedience to God’s Word and daily submission to the control of the Holy Spirit, every believer should become more mature and grow to be more like Jesus. Followers of Christ are commanded to surround themselves with other believers for the purpose of mutual accountability and encouragement. This happens in the context of the local church. All followers of Christ have a responsibility to participate in the advancement of Jesus’ Church through loving acts of service, and a willingness to share God’s plan of salvation at every opportunity.
Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 4:12-16; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:25
The Church
The Church is not a building or a service, nor is it limited by location or language. The Church is all people in all places at all times who follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is the multi-ethnic, multi-class, multi-generational family of God. We believe the local church is part of Jesus’ Church, and that the purpose of the Church is to glorify God by loving Him and making Him known to the rest of the world. This happens as the church goes to people all over the world and teaches them to follow Jesus and invites them to join His family. Jesus promises that He will build and sustain His Church through those who follow Him no matter what other institutions, empires, or kingdoms rise and fall throughout history.
Matthew 16:13-18; Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 2:19-22