Reaching

Reaching the Lost

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

(Luke 19:10)

 

Teaching

Teaching the Saints

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

(Ephesians 4:11-12)

 

Serving

Serving the Lord

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

(Joshua 24:15)

 

Loving Jesus

• We will, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, walk faithfully with Christ through personal Bible study and prayer, maintain family devotions in our homes, educate our children in the truth of God’s Word and live in a manner consistent with God’s Word. (2Timothy 2:15, 20-22; Ephesians 6:1-4)
• We will participate in the weekly worship services and respond to the preaching of God’s Word as His Spirit leads. We will observe the Lord’s Table together as a church family. (Hebrews 10:25; 1Thessalonians 2:13, 1Corinthians 11:23-34)
• We will participate in opportunities for spiritual growth as the Lord leads and as our schedules allow, such as Bible fellowships, revival services, conferences and other church ministries. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
• We will honor the Lord with systematic financial support of His work through regular tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

Living for Jesus

• We will relate to our fellow members in love, avoiding gossip, backbiting, anger and resentment. We will exercise the grace, kindness and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. (Colossians 3:12-16)
• We will walk circumspectly in the world, be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” (Titus 2:11-14) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Laboring for Jesus

• We will love and nurture the members of our immediate families according to the teachings of God’s Word. We will teach our families the Word, applying its truths to our lives. (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
• We will find a place to serve in the body where we may exercise our spiritual gifts to advance Christ’s work. (Romans 12:4-8; 1Peter 4:10)
• We will cultivate a servant’s heart toward our fellow members, watching over one another in brotherly love, remembering each other in prayer and supporting those who suffer in sickness and distress. (1Corinthians 12:25-27; Galatians 6:2)
• We will cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech, be slow to take offense, but always ready to secure reconciliation, and mindful of the teachings of our Saviour, and to secure reconciliation without delay. (Philippians 2:1-5)

Leading others to Jesus

• We will share the Gospel with those in our family, community and around the world. We will reach out with the love of Christ to our friends and neighbors. (2 Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
• We will support and pray for the missionaries our church is helping to send around the world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Philippians 4:18)

Bible

• We believe the Holy Scriptures, composed of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven books of the New Testament, are the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God.  The sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and are, therefore, the final authority for faith and life. We believe that God not only inspired every word, but that he has preserved them through the ages. In the English language, the King James Version of the Bible is accurate and shall be the official and only translation used by this church.  (Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 138:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

God

• We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.  (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:10, 26; John 16:7-18; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:1-8)

Jesus Christ

Person and Work of Christ

• We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and virgin-born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God in the flesh and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8)
• We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His shed blood and death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

Blood Atonement of Christ

• We believe in the substitutionary blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and all must be born again or be forever lost.  (Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 2:9; John 6:44-69; John 3:1-18; Romans 3:25; Revelation 1:5; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
• We believe the Lord’s atonement was not limited with respect to whom God’s salvation is offered, i.e., His shed blood is sufficient for all sin and, therefore, “whosoever will” may believe and be saved to the uttermost. (1 John 2:2; Hebrews 7:22-25; Revelation 22:17)

Resurrection of Christ

• We believe in the physical resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He ascended bodily into the heavens and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate.  (Acts 1:9-10; Acts 3:12-26; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)

Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ

• We believe in that blessed hope, the personal return of Christ. (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:6-10; I Corinthians 15:50-55; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

The Holy Spirit

• We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14)
• We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)

Depravity of Man

• We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

Salvation

• We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Matthew 12:31-32; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)
• We believe that man is justified on the single ground of faith in the shed blood and bodily resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 Ephesians 2:8-9)
• We believe the completed work of Redemption was accomplished through His death and resurrection and is all-sufficient for salvation. The adding of works, baptism, sacraments, or any other condition placed upon man in order to obtain God’s gift of salvation results in “another gospel” that is under God’s curse. (Galatians 1:6-10; Romans 1:16 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; John 5:24; Ephesians 5:8)

Eternal Security

• We believe in the eternal security of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. Once a person is saved, he is kept by God’s power and remains secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:25-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:4-5)
• We believe that once a lost sinner has become a “new creature in Christ,” he can never lose that new relationship in the family of God which is based upon Christ’s imputed righteousness and not his own. The life that God imparts to the believing sinner is not “eternal life” if it can be terminated. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21; John 10:25-29)
• We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15; 1 John 5:11-13)
• We believe that sin in the life of the believer affects his fellowship with the Father, not his sonship. All who are truly born of the Spirit and who continue in sin will be dealt with by the chastening hand of God. (1 John 1:5-10; Hebrews 12:6-13 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

New Testament Church

• We believe that the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43)
• We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances. (Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:12-14, 22-23; Ephesians 5:25-30; I Timothy 3:4-15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2)
• We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
• We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or controls. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
• We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Separation

• We believe that believers should maintain a godly testimony and live in such a way that their lives do not bring reproach upon their Saviour. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances. We stand against any and all worldly philosophies that seek to destroy or undermine the truth of the Bible and Biblical Christianity. (Leviticus 19:28; Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians. 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)

Creation

• We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God’s creation of the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)

Human Sexuality

• We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.  (Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1: 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians. 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
• We believe that the only Scriptural and legitimate marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)

Missions

• We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us.  (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith; it simply seeks to emphasizes main doctrines. The Scripture verses used are representative and not to be considered exhaustive. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe.