Simply put, we believe a follower of Jesus Christ is someone who believes and confesses Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9-10

(see also Matthew 7:15-23; John 15:1-11; James 2:17-18; 1 John 1:6-7)

We believe that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man in one Person. As fully God, He displays all of God’s attributes and expresses who God is. We know what God is like because Jesus reveals Him. As fully man, Jesus is the better Adam. He restores humanity into an obedient Adam, vice-regents, cultivators, and kings and queens.

As fully God and fully man, Jesus was able to live a sinless life, and in paying the penalty for our sins, He imputed His perfect righteousness to us. Only God could accomplish this beautiful exchange.

(John 1:1-4, 14; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-4, 4:14-15)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, completely equal and identical in value and essence to the Father and the Son, but distinct in Person and role. He has come to glorify the Son (John 16:14), who came to glorify the Father. He is sent as our Helper (John 15:26), Comforter (John 14:16), and Teacher (John 14:26). The Spirit speaks (Revelation 2:7), intercedes (Romans 8:26), convicts (John 16:8), illuminates (1 Corinthians 2:14), teaches (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:12-15), and leads and guides (Romans 8:14). He sanctifies and grows the fruit of the Spirit in all believers (Galatians 5:16-26), and imparts gifts for the edification of the body and the work of ministry in the world (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

We believe the gifts of the Spirit we see exercised in the Scriptures have not ceased, are available today, and are to be eagerly desired and practiced in submission to the Spirit as outlined and guided by Scripture.

We believe that the one, true God is actually three in one. There are three distinct Persons that make up the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are completely equal, identical in essence and value, each fully God, but different Persons with distinct roles. They function as One, inseparably. Every single act of God is from the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.

(Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 45:6-7, 110:1; Isaiah 45:5-6, 46:9-10; Matthew 3:13-17, 28:17-20; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, 12:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5)

We believe the authors and editors of the Bible were divinely inspired and influenced by God with the result being the authoritative, written, and sufficient Word of God. The Holy Spirit spoke through men both in the writing of the Scriptures and in the organization and canonization of Scriptures. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

(see also Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 10:35)

We believe that God is in charge of all things, not only the ordinary occurrences of daily life, but also the miraculous and supernatural (such as when He split the sea, stopped the sun, healed the sick, and raised the dead – Exodus 14; Joshua 10:13; Mark 2:1-12, 5:21-43, 8:1-4, 8:22-26, 10:46-52; Luke 7:11-17, 14:1-6; John 11:1-44). He is sovereign over all. Through divine providence, God accomplishes His will and leads all things toward His final goal of when Christ returns and makes all things new.

On the topic of sovereignty vs. free will, our personal understanding is it is not one or the other, as if only one can be true. We believe the Bible affirms the providential sovereignty of God over and in all things. We believe the Bible also affirms our ability as humans to make willing choices that have eternal results and for which we are held responsible. To be faithful to all that the Bible teaches, we accept both as true and believe in holding these things in tension.

(Genesis 4:10-12, 50:19-20; Exodus 4:21, 5:1, 8:1; 2 Samuel 24:1, 10; Psalm 115:3, 135:6; Job 38-41; Mark 7:20-22)

We believe that after Genesis 3, Satan became the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air (John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4). He is an accuser (Rev 12:10), a tempter (Mat 4:3, 1 Thess 3:5), and a deceiver (Gen 3, 2 Cor 4:4, Rev 20:3). We believe that Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), to proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set free those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18). Though there are battles still waging until Christ returns, the war has been won by Christ’s death and resurrection, and Satan’s destiny is sealed – an eternity in the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).

As we wait for Christ to return, we believe there are two kingdoms in conflict, though they are by no means equal (Job 1-2; Luke 22:31; Eph 1:20-23; Col 1:16, 2:15; Heb 2:14-15; 1 John 4:4). Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, and he has delegated that authority to his followers (Matt 28:18-20; John 17:18, 20:21). As children of God and co-heirs with Christ, we have been given authority over enemy spirits – to cast them out – and to heal every disease and every affliction (Matt 10:1, Luke 10:17-20). We are not seeking victory, but we stand united with Christ in victory over all powers of darkness (Eph 1:20-23, 2:4-7).