What We Believe

Following is a brief overview of the doctrinal beliefs that form the foundation of our fellowship.

1. We believe the Bible, plain and simple.  We believe it is relevant for the world today, that it is divinely inspired, without error, and is therefore profitable for teaching, reproof, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).
2. We believe in one way of salvation through Jesus Christ.  We believe in the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ, and that He is true God and man. He died on the cross as a substitutional sacrifice for our sins. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father and is now our High Priest and Advocate. 
3. We believe in one God, and that He has manifested Himself to mankind in three distinctly separate, yet mysteriously united personalities: God the Father, God the Son – Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:15). In the Son, Jesus, God clothed Himself in flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14), and took upon Himself the punishment for sin, so that all who place their faith in Jesus as their only hope of reconciliation with God may be pronounced “not guilty” (Rom. 8:1-4). Jesus is the Author of our salvation (Heb. 12:2), and faith is the substance of it (Heb. 11:1).
4. We believe that all mankind was created in the image of God, but has sinned and rebelled against God’s standard of righteousness (Rom. 3:23). Because of sin, no one is able to appease God’s judgment against sin based upon one’s own merits (James 2:10). We believe, therefore, in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ as redemption for mankind’s sin (2 Cor. 5:21). Salvation from God’s ultimate wrath against sin is offered through Jesus alone, and received by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9), and is orchestrated in the life of the individual through the work of the Holy Spirit.
5. We believe that eternal salvation is the free gift of God, entirely apart from man's works, and is possessed by any and all who have faith in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9).
6. We believe that baptism is by immersion (dunking under the water), and the Lord's Supper (“Communion”) is a memorial to His suffering and death on the cross. These are practices to be observed by the church in its present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means for man's salvation.  Baptism is symbolic for the death of our old life and the beginning of a new life, and communion is symbolic for the body and blood of Jesus and our oneness with Him.
7. We believe in the personal, bodily, imminent, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His Second Coming inspires believers for dynamic and zealous life and service for Him while waiting for His return.
8. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the everlasting blessedness of the saved in heaven, and the everlasting punishment and separation from God of the wicked in hell.
9. We believe that God orchestrated the Church as a means of teaching and instruction, fellowship for believers, and worship (Acts 2:42-47). It is through the Church that we spur one another on to love and good deeds, provide and receive Biblical dissemination, and draw near to God in the intimacy and celebration of corporate worship and praise.
10. We believe in the autonomy of the local church. The church will manage its own affairs and is not be subject to any other religious body or organization.
11. We believe that our purpose as Christians is to become more and more Christ-like (Rom. 12:1-2), and that our purpose as a church is to equip the believer and provide the love and support that will potentiate that growth. As was well said by John MacArthur, “True Christian living is to manifest genuinely Christ-like behavior by dependence on the working of the Spirit of God motivated by a love for the glory and honor of God.”
12. We believe that God is a GOOD God, and that His desire and purpose for His children is for them to live productive, healthy, and prosperous lives doing His will and advancing His Kingdom. This conviction is by no means intended to convey that Christians are immune from trouble, persecution, or problems, but that we have the power through Christ to overcome any and all obstacles set before us in order to live the abundant life that Jesus said He came to give His followers (John 10:10). We believe and teach that the scriptures encourage and provide for growth and productivity in every area of life: physical, social, financial, and certainly spiritual.