Salvation is a gift from God that redeems and delivers followers of Jesus from the penalty of their sins and allows them to walk with God eternally. This gift is received by repenting of sin, putting one’s faith in Jesus, and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior of one’s life.

The saving work of Christ is rooted in His radical love and grace towards us. It is not a result of an individual’s work or effort. Scripture teaches that even though mankind was created in God’s perfect image, sin entered the world through the fall, and all people are now sinful through both nature and choice. As a result of this sinful status, mankind was alienated from God and deserving of punishment and eternal separation from Him. The righteousness of God (which demonstrates that he is just and trustworthy) demands that sin be punished instead of going unnoticed.

Yet because of God’s radical love and grace toward us, He offers us the opportunity to receive forgiveness, grace, and new life! The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life through Christ – Jesus took the death that we deserved on the cross so that we can have the life that only He can give. Therefore, God is both just and the justifier, and individuals can once again be reconciled to God and walk in harmony with Him.

How can you take hold of what Jesus did for you on the cross and receive salvation? You are not saved by your own efforts. Rather, you are saved by receiving the free gift of eternal life that Jesus offers to you today. You can do this by repenting (turning from your sin and exchanging your way of doing things for His) and believing (trusting Jesus with everything in your life) in Him as the forgiver of your past and leader into your future. By believing that Jesus died and rose again for your sins and giving your life to Him, you can be reconciled to God and walk in perfect love with Him forever.

References: Ephesians 2:8-9, Genesis 3, Romans 1-3, Romans 6:23, John 3:16

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the source of Christian belief, and a means by which believers can grow in their relationship with God.

What does it mean that the Bible is the “Word of God”? It means that, although God chose to use dozens of humans over the span of many centuries to comprise the Bible, all these authors at all of these moments were supernaturally directed and led by the power and voice of God in their lives as they penned His thoughts and not just their own. This is why we believe that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

All of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is a beautiful story and mosaic painting the picture of God’s unconditional love toward humanity. The Bible is a story of radical grace that flows from the compassion of God toward His people. By reading and studying Scripture, believers are strengthened, encouraged, convicted, and can walk in all that God has for them. We believe that the Word of God is just as applicable, valuable, and authoritative today in the life of a believer as it was when it was written. Therefore, we are called to study this Word every day to be equipped for the good works that God has in store for us.

References: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Joshua 1:8, Romans 15:4, Hebrews 4:12

Who is Jesus? This is the most important question anyone can ask themselves. Jesus is the Son of God, perfect in every way, and the object of our affection, love, and devotion. Jesus is fully God and fully man, and this humanity and divinity allowed for him to become the perfect once and for all sacrifice for the sins of humanity. As one member of the Trinity, He eternally exists with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ mission on earth was simple: to make a way for mankind to have a restored relationship with God again. Through His death, Jesus paid for our sins. Through His resurrection, He demonstrated His power and strength to triumph over the enemy. Jesus is now seated in authority at the right hand of the father and is coming back for His church. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

References: Luke 22:70, 1 Peter 3:18, John 14:6

The Holy Spirit is alive and active in the life of believers today. As a member of the trinity, The Holy Spirit eternally exists with Jesus and the Father. He was there in the beginning at creation, is working in the lives of believers today, and will be there at the end when Jesus returns. Followers of Jesus are comforted, challenged, convicted, and enabled to walk in intimacy with God through the presence of the Holy Spirit within them.

The Holy Spirit pours out gifts to believers to empower and encourage them to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. He also helps believers enjoy fullness of life as they place their faith in Jesus and submit to Him. As a result of this, believers should welcome the work of the Holy Spirit daily and seek to operate in all the gifts that He offers them. When they do so, the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) will become evident in their lives.

References: Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Galatians 5:22-23

Sanctification is the process of looking and becoming more like Jesus every day.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” These words written by the Apostle Paul are some of the most relatable words written in the Bible. The reality is that while we are on this side of eternity, we will never become perfect. We make mistakes, we screw up, and we sin. However, sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit works in the life of a believer to progressively make them look like who they are in Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Sanctification is not trying to be something that we are not. Rather, it is walking in who we have now become due to our new identity in Christ.

Sanctification is not about perfection, but it is about direction. It is not about working for God, but it is allowing God to work through us. Every day, we are called to offer our lives as living sacrifices to Him. In other words, we are called to say no to our flesh and sin in order to say yes to Him. It is through this process of obedience and submission to Him that we experience what fullness of life, joy, and purpose really looks like.

One of the best ways to grow in sanctification is to know His Word and be a part of a healthy community with fellow believers. As Christians, we should welcome relationships that challenge us to be all that God has called us to be. In addition, we should know His Word so that we can get to know His heart. In doing so, we will not only discover who He is, but we will understand all that He has created us to be as well.

References: Romans 7:15, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 5:17, John 10:10

An external expression and declaration that reflects an internal decision and transformation. It represents the death, burial, and resurrection power of Jesus in the life of the believer.

Jesus modeled baptism for us on earth as He himself was baptized. If Jesus was baptized, so should His followers be as well. It says in Romans that “we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we may live a new way of life.” Therefore, baptism is representative of the power of the work of Jesus as we choose to die to ourselves to live fully for Him. Baptism does not save us from our sins – that rests solely on the sacrificial work of Jesus. However, baptism is a public demonstration that we have received the salvific gift that Jesus has offered to us and that we have given our lives to His purposes and ways.

At its core, baptism is a step that an individual should take after receiving the gift of salvation from Jesus. For this reason, we choose to participate in baby dedications instead of infant baptisms since we believe that baptism is meant for those who have consciously made the decision to put their faith in Him.

References: Matthew 3:13-17, Romans 6:4

An intentional opportunity to remember, reflect, and honor the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

As Jesus sat with His disciples on the night of His betrayal, He celebrated what is known as the Passover Meal with them. By instituting the communion practice on this night, He powerfully connected His impending crucifixion and resurrection with the symbolism associated with this meal. The Passover meal commemorated a time when the Lord passed over and protected the households of Israel because they put blood from a lamb on their doorposts. In the same way, Jesus is demonstrating that He is now the once-and-for-all Passover Lamb whose blood allows the judgment of God to be replaced with the mercy of God for all who put their faith in Him. There is such rich depth involved in the symbolism of the Passover Meal and the institution of communion in this passage. However, at its core, communion provides followers of Jesus the opportunity to remember, appreciate, and praise Him for His sacrifice on the cross as the broken bread demonstrates His broken body that makes us whole, and the juice demonstrates His blood that makes us clean and restored.

References: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 1 Peter 2:24, Colossians 1:19-20

The collective body and bride of Christ.

The body of Christ: The church is Jesus’ hands and feet in the world to reach and save the lost. While the church is comprised of individuals with unique talents, abilities, and gifts, it is centered around one mission and one heart: loving God, loving one another, and making his love known in the world. Each one of us -- including YOU – are gifted by God in unique and powerful ways. The church is comprised of a group of diverse individuals with diverse gifts and abilities who unite to advance kingdom purposes on the earth.

The bride of Christ: The church is the one that Jesus is coming back for. While the church is not perfect like Christ, the church does hold the sacred and profound position of being the bride and beloved of Christ. Therefore, individuals should seek to serve and build the church as a response to their love for Christ and in preparation as the bride of Christ. As such, Christians can have hope and find healthy community with one another as they walk in harmony together in pursuit of Him.

References: 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 5:25-27

Communicating relationally with God.

Because of the sacrificial love of Jesus, His followers are now able to walk in a restored relationship with God and in communication with Him. Unlike many modern-day understandings, we believe that we can approach God confidently, boldly, and authentically. We can talk to Him about our passions and our pains. Our heartaches and our hopes. Our disappointments and our dreams. Jesus himself modeled prayer as He routinely withdrew from crowds of people to spend time with His Heavenly Father. Scripture teaches us that we can take all our thoughts to Him because of His great care for us. In doing so, we do not need all the perfect words or right answers since we are communicating with the one who does.

Any good conversation, however, is meant to be dialogical in nature. In other words, good conversations are never one-sided. Rather, they go back and forth between participants. In the same way, when believers pray, they have the opportunity to not only talk at God, but to talk with Him as well. Therefore, believers should communicate what is on their hearts to God, but they should also take time to listen for His voice speaking to them as well. Engaging in the spiritual discipline of fasting can help develop this intimate communicative relationship in dynamic and powerful ways.

It is impossible to overstate the value and power of prayer in the life of the believer. Time and again throughout Scripture, we see examples of the power of simple faith-filled prayers. Since prayer should be used to thank and glorify God, align our hearts with His heart, and submit our requests before Him, it should be no surprise that our prayers have supernatural power and can transform situations in miraculous ways.

References: Luke 3:21, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:9-13, Joshua 10, Hebrews 5:7

The Trinity is who God is. He is three persons, but one God.

We believe that Jesus is God, The Father is God, and The Holy Spirit is God. These are not three distinct gods. They are one God eternally existing in three persons. Each member of the Trinity has a unique position/function.

God the Father is the source of all things, sustainer of all things, and ruler over all things.

God the Son (Jesus) is the one who does the will of the Father. He is the perfect and sinless Son of God who completed the atoning work on the cross on our behalf.

God The Holy Spirit produces power in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit comforts us, guides us, convicts us, and produces fruit in us. The Holy Spirit equips believers with spiritual gifts to do kingdom work here on the earth.

References: 2 Corinthians 13:14, Genesis 1:26, Matthew 28:18-20

Generosity is a response to the grace of God in our hearts that produces a life of radical giving in every way.

As believers, when we understand how much we have received from God, it is our rational and natural response to give back to him everything that we have. The heart of generosity is modeled by God Himself in the bedrock verse of John 3:16 when it states that “God so loved the world that he gave his only son.” Because God loves us, He gave. As believers, we are called to love the world and the people in our lives, and living generously is a demonstration of this love to our world.

As believers, we do not feel obligated or burdened to give. Rather, we give with cheerful hearts and joyful hands since we know how much we have first been recipients of the generosity of our Heavenly Father. When we give our resources with a heart of generosity to build the church, we are creating a space where people can experience the radical grace, love, and life that only Jesus could offer. In addition to giving our resources, we also have the amazing opportunity to walk in generosity with our time and abilities as well as by serving others through our giftings. Therefore, generosity is multifaceted and includes our resources, talents, time, and all that we have.

References: Matthew 10:8, 2 Cor. 9:7, Romans 12:1-2