The Scriptures, made up of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are alone the complete and finished Word of God, written without error by human authors under the  divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Because it is inspired by God, the Bible is completely free from error. It speaks with complete authority about life and faith, and it is the supreme source of truth for all  matters of Christian belief and living. While written at a particular time to a particular audience, it is true and relevant for all peoples, places, and times.

God’s Word brings comfort, encouragement, knowledge, instruction, and hope. It is a living and active Word, transformative and sufficient for salvation.

Deuteronomy 4:2, 32:47; Psalm 19:7-10; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Matthew 5:17-18; Mark 13:32; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 8:30; 17:17; Acts 20:32; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17;  Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:3, 19-21; Revelation 22:18

God is eternal. No one created God; He has been and always will be. God is all powerful, all present, and all knowing. He is not bound by time, and His attributes are beyond  human comprehension.

God is infinitely perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, justice, and love. He and He alone always and only does what is good, right, loving, and true, and He is the standard by  which those things must be defined. He is incapable of sin and error, and no evil originates with Him. God does not and cannot lie.

God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being who relates to His Creation. He is our  Creator, Judge, Lawgiver, Refuge, and King. He alone deserves our highest praise,  honor, love, reverence, obedience, and allegiance.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 145:3; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 1:3; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:16-17; 1 Timothy  1:17; 1 John 1:5 

God reveals Himself to us in three persons, each with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. The Father is not the Son; the Son is not  the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is not the Father, yet God is one. They execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. The Triune God  is comprehensively sovereign over the entire universe.

Isaiah 9:6, 48:16; Luke 1:35; John 1:14, 10:30; Matthew 28:29; 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 3:14, 17; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:1-2 

God the Father infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, including the free choices of all humans past, present, and future. He is actively at work in the affairs of  humans, orchestrating all things according to His sovereign plan. He loves His Creation.

All things belong to Him, and every good gift comes from Him. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all people, mercifully concerning Himself in the affairs of Humanity. He  hears and answers prayers. His love is so great that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, adopting them as His beloved children and  establishing them forever as rightful heirs of an unfading inheritance.

1 Chronicles 29:10; Isaiah 64:8; Hosea 11:1-11; Matthew 6:9-34; 7:11; 23:9; Mark 1:9-11; John 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6;  Hebrews 12:4-11; 1 Peter 1:17 

Jesus miraculously became human flesh, being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was, is, and will forever be fully God and fully man at one time. He is  the Promised Messiah, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. He is the living Word of God and the image of the invisible God.

Though He took on the fullness of human nature in every way, Jesus was and is without sin. He embodied God’s law by His perfect obedience, living the sinless life we could  never live. He made provision for the redemption of our sins, dying on the cross the death that we deserve to die. He appeased the righteous wrath of God, offering Himself  as the once-and-for-all atoning sacrifice for our sin. He demonstrated His matchless power over sin and death, raising Himself from the dead in a glorified body three days  later.

Jesus ascended to heaven at the Father’s side where He perpetually intercedes for those who trust in His name. Jesus is the only Mediator between us and God. Someday  He will return in power and glory to consummate His kingdom, judge all people  according to His perfect righteousness, and reign forever as eternal King.

Isaiah 53:10-12; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38 John 1:1, 14; 14:9-11; 15:26; Acts 1:9-11, 2:33; Romans 1:4; 5:6-8; 8:34; 9:5; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Galatians 3:13; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:5; 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:25; 9:15, 28; 1 Peter 2:21-23; Revelation 19:16 

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal “it” but a personal “He.” He inspired the holy men of  old to write the Scriptures. He empowered Jesus’s earthly ministry. The Holy Spirit is  present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus. He illuminates the truth so that human hearts can understand it, and He enables helpless people to  worship Jesus as Lord of all.

At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates us, replacing our dead heart bent on sin with a heart capable of loving and following God. He indwells every  believer, and His constant presence provides us with strength, comfort, understanding, guidance, and spiritual fruitfulness. He distributes gifts to us as He pleases by which we serve God and others. He intercedes for us when we lack words to pray.

The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ Jesus until the day of final redemption, guaranteeing our belonging to Christ and ensuring our growth into spiritual maturity.

Genesis 1:1-2; Job 33:4; Psalm 51:11; 104:30; Isaiah 11:2; 63:10; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Zechariah 4:6; Luke 11:13; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; 2:38; Romans 5:8; 8:9, 11, 26-27; I Corinthians 2:12-14; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 13:14; Galatians 4:6; 5:22-23; Titus 3:5-6; 

Satan is a created being who led an insurrection against the authority of God. He and his army of demons are on a mission to blind people from saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He is jealous for the glory and power that belong to God alone. He introduced sin into the world in the Garden of Eden, tempting Humanity to forsake trust in God and  rebel against His loving rule. His primary tactic is deception. He is the spirit at work in the fallen world, but he has no real power of his own. When Jesus returns, Satan and his demons will be cast forever into eternal torment.

Though Satan cannot steal believers from the grasp of God’s love, he prowls around seeking to deceive, distract, and discourage us. The truth of God’s Word is our greatest weapon against his lies.

Genesis 3:1-5; Job 1:6-12; Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Zechariah 3:1-2; Matthew 4:1-11,  16:23; Luke 10:18, 22:1-6; John 8:44; John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11; Ephesians 6:11-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 12, 20:1-6

God created Humanity, originally free from sin and endowed with free will, as the crowning work of His creation. He created them male and female as equal yet  complementary counterparts, giving the gift of gender as part of the goodness of His design. Every human being is intrinsically valuable from conception to death on the sole  basis of their status as image-bearers of God. Simply being human makes each person precious to God, possessing full dignity, worthy of respect and Christian love.

God created Humanity as relational beings meant to live in fellowship with Him and other humans. He established marriage as a lifelong covenant of love, intimacy, and  partnership between one man and one woman, supernaturally joining them together as one flesh through sexual union. He designed sex as a special expression of love to be  enjoyed solely within the context of marriage. Marriage is a reflection of God’s Triune nature, a pointer to the relationship between Christ and His church, and the mechanism  by which God intends humans to procreate. God set Humanity over the rest of creation  to steward it for maximum flourishing.

Despite God’s beautiful design and abundant provision for Humanity, Humanity rebelled against God and His ways, exchanging truth for lies. Through the temptation of Satan, the first humans fell from original innocence, incurring physical, spiritual, and eternal  death, which is separation from God.

As a result of that original sin, all human beings are born with a sinful nature opposed to God and His law and are under just condemnation. Every one of us is a sinner by nature  and by choice and thus needs salvation. We are incapable of saving ourselves; only the grace of God can bring us back into right relationship with God, others, and the rest of  Creation.

Genesis 1:27-28, 31; Genesis 2:4-25; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16; Jeremiah 17:9; Malachi 2:15; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:26-27; Romans 3:11, 23; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 2:14;  Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 1:8-10 

The Father sent the Son into the world, empowered by the Spirit, to inaugurate His Kingdom through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. God’s Spirit transforms  the hearts of men and women to turn from pursuing their own kingdom and receive the abundant and eternal life found under the rule and reign of King Jesus. Followers of Jesus are given a power to live in as saints, a people to live with in the family of God, and a purpose to live for as Christ’s ambassadors to the world calling others to follow  Him.

Jesus is the only way to God and the only hope for deliverance from the power, penalty, and eventually the presence of sin. Salvation is a free gift that is received only through  genuine repentance of sin and faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus has left nothing undone in the work of salvation; our only job is to rest in His finished work. Salvation is a permanent gift that cannot be revoked. Because we do  nothing to earn it, we cannot do anything to lose it. Once our hearts have been regenerated and indwelt with the Holy Spirit, nothing can separate us from the love of  Christ.

Genesis 3:15; Proverbs 28:13; Mark 1:15; Ephesians 2:1-9; John 1:12; 3:16, 36, 5:24; 6:40, 44; 20:28, 30-31; Acts 1:9-11; 2:37-38; 11:18; 13:38-39; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9-10; 8:1-39; 10:9-17; 1  Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:13; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:25; 11:6; 

The Church is the family of God and the Body of Christ, comprised of every believer from every time, people, nation, tribe, and tongue. The Church is called to gather  regularly to worship Him in local assemblies of believers called local churches.

A local church is a congregation of believers who join together for mutual edification in the faith. Each congregation operates under the lordship of Jesus Christ through the  instruction and oversight of biblically qualified elders (pastors) and the servant  leadership of biblically qualified deacons. All believers are gifted for service in the  church, though God has called only some to the offices of elder and deacon, and the  office of elder is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Each local church member is  accountable to Christ as Lord, to the elders as shepherds, and to the other members as  brothers and sisters.

Local churches gather regularly to worship God corporately, observe the two ordinances of Christ, equip one another for the work of the ministry, care for one  another’s needs, and display the love of Christ to the lost world around them. The local church is the primary, though not sole, vehicle responsible for the discipleship, care, and growth of believers.

Parachurch ministries exist to build up the Church in partnership with local churches.  They are not meant to detract from or replace the work of the local church, and those leading and participating in parachurch ministry are still called to be active members of  a local congregation.

John 10:16; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47; 20:28; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; Ephesians  1:22-23; 2:19-22; 4:11-16; 5:19-21; Colossians 1:18; 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; Hebrews 3:13; 10:24-25; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3 

Baptism* is the immersion of a believer, who has given credible profession of faith in Jesus, into water in the name of the Father the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of symbolic obedience testifying to the believer’s faith in a  crucified, buried, and risen Savior; the believer’s death to sin, the burial of  the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ. Baptism does not save us any more than a wedding ring marries a person,  but it serves as a public testimony to our changed heart and life.

The Lord’s Supper is an act of commemorative obedience in which believers  remember the death of Jesus and anticipate His second coming. The bread  symbolizes His body, which was broken for us, and the cup symbolizes His blood, which was shed for us. By participating in the Lord’s Supper, we renew our commitment to communion with God and each other.

Baptism: Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8-11; Acts 2:38, 41; Colossians 2:12

Lord’s Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; John 6:53-58; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 

*Note: While we as an organization affirm believer’s baptism and hold to it as our official teaching position, we recognize that there is a biblical argument for  infant baptism and that many mature, Bible-believing Christians hold to this view. We do not wish to compromise the conscience of a believer who genuinely believes, based on solid biblical support, in the validity of their own or others’  infant baptism. Because we see how this view can flow from a credible reading of Scripture that upholds its authority and unchanging infallibility, we are willing to make an exception on this matter. If, however, you have not seriously  considered and Scripturally studied the issue of baptism, we encourage you to do so first, and we will happily walk alongside you in that matter

A person who has had a genuine encounter with Jesus and been indwelt with the Holy Spirit cannot remain unchanged. Faith without works is dead. The  Christian life is not made up of works, then faith; nor faith and works; but works from faith. Saving faith inevitably leads to a life of growing holiness empowered by the Spirit.

The Christian life is lived for the glory of God and the well-being of others. The call of the gospel is to take up our cross, die to self, and live for  righteousness. Jesus has set us free, not so we can live for self and sin but so we can live the life we were originally created to live, loving God and loving others. As such, we are called to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, daily striving to be transformed into Christlikeness by the power of God at  work in us.

God calls us to be a people who love Him with our whole hearts and minds, pursuing Him through spiritual disciplines including Bible reading, prayer and  fasting, fellowship, generosity, hospitality, and evangelism.

God calls us be a people a love, treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, background, gender, socioeconomic  status, or any other identifying factor, loving our enemies, and praying for those who persecute us,

God calls us to be faithful and generous stewards of everything He has given us, including our time, talents, and resources, that we might bring Him glory, bless others, and advance His mission in the world.

God calls us to be a self-controlled people, striving in our eating, our drinking, our speaking, our working, and our doing, to be controlled by nothing but His Spirit, drawing attention not to ourselves but to Jesus.

God calls us be a people of purity, reserving all forms of sexual activity for the purpose for which He designed it, submitting our broken sexuality to His  lordship, and bringing our thoughts, intentions, words, and deeds in line with His Word.

A lifestyle of obedience to the commands of Christ is not a life of drudgery  and bondage but a life of freedom and joy, for this is how we were designed  to live. We strive for this outworking of our faith not by our own strength or effort but by dependence on His energy that is powerfully at work in us.

Ezekiel 36:27; Matthew 3:8-10, 5:1-48, 6:19-24, 28:20; John 14:15; Romans 6:1-7:6,  8:3-4, 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 10;31; Galatians 5:1-26, 6:7-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; 5:3- 6; 5:18; Philippians 1:27, 4:8-9; Colossians 1:10,28-29, 3:1-17; Hebrews 10:26-27,  12:1-2; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:3-11, 15; 2:12; 1 John 2:3-6; 3:16-18; 

The Great Commission was Jesus’s final set of instructions for His followers. It is for every believer. It is not limited to one set of activities but  encompasses our entire lives. We are living testimonies of the transforming  power of God through Jesus. Through our words and deeds, we have the  profound privilege of letting our light shine before lost people, pointing them  to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, so that they may have abundant and eternal life through Him.

Every one of us, regardless of age, life stage, spiritual maturity, gifting, or personality, has a part to play. God does not need us to accomplish His  purposes of grace, but He chooses to use us, infusing our lives with purpose  of eternal proportions as His ambassadors. 

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Matthew 24:14; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46- 48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Colossians  1:28-29; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 7:9-11 

God will, in His own time and way, bring the world to its appropriate end. In keeping with His promise, Jesus will return to resurrect all people and judge  them with justice and mercy. Unbelievers will be sent to hell for conscious,  endless suffering apart from God as just punishment for their unrepented sin. Believers will, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, receive their reward  and be welcomed into eternal life with God solely on the basis of Christ’s  righteousness.

Having eradicated evil along with both the presence and possibility of sin,  God will make the heavens and earth new. There we will not experience evil, suffering, sin, or death, but will be free to glorify our King as we enjoy His  presence forever.

We do not know the day, hour, or place of Christ’s return, nor are we to  attempt to predict it. Rather, we are to live every day in ready anticipation to meet our glorious Savior.

Isaiah 65:17; Matthew 24:36-44; Mark 13:32; John 11:25-26; Acts 1:11; Romans 2:6-8, 6:23; 2  Corinthians 11:13-15; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Hebrews 10:24-27; 2  Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 19:1-22:21