I BELIEVE the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's ("agape") love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians. I believe that with fellowship comes accountability, which is a foundation for proper discipleship.
I BELIEVE worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, I remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct my worship. The Word of God requires that I worship in spirit and in truth. Worship is a holy moment where I give to God the praises He deserves and prepare my heart to receive His Word. I also believe there is more to worship than just the music. Worship can be given to the LORD in every facet of the believers life no matter how mundane the area may seem.
I BELIEVE worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, I give great place to music in my worship. I hold that worship style should not become stagnate or confined to one particular genre. I believe that a good mix of old and contemporary is appropriate. Even the hymns of old were once new.
I BELIEVE in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity. Simply put I believe in a faithful interpretation of the Word of God.
I BELIEVE in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God. It is from this text that we glean the truth of Scripture and guide all of my decisions.
I BELIEVE in the trinity - one God eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe this is clearly spelled out in Scripture and the work of each is evidenced in the life of believers.
I BELIEVE that God the Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things. The eternal and immutable God is: omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.
I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of my sins by His vicarious death on the cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us. I also believe He will return for His people.
I BELIEVE that after Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to be His witnesses in the entire world, a responsibility shared by all believers today. I also believe that He imparts gifts of the Spirit, which are still very much alive today, and imparted to all believers and that these gifts are manifested in service to the church body as a whole.
I BELIEVE that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit. All his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God destined to spend eternity with the Lord. I do not believe in salvation by works, but I hold that a true faith will be evidenced by works.
I BELIEVE in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the scriptural guidelines. As a believer I am to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. I believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless. I also hold that the gifts of the Spirit should be used in their proper context as revealed in Scripture, and that the use of the gifts will not contradict the full counsel of the Word of God.
I BELIEVE that church government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy, and I depend on the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion. I do however rely heavily on godly counsel from others in the leadership of my church; however, the final authority for my family is in the hands of the LORD which falls upon me as the leader of my home and I defer all decisions to the Holy Spirit for the guidance of my family.
I BELIEVE in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and I believe that the second coming of Christ with His saints to rule on earth will be personal, pre-millennial, and visible. This motivates me to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, and participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. I also contend that His return is immanent and that the Rapture of the church could very well happen in our generation.
I BELIEVE I am called to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ. I believe that discipleship is critical to the growth of new believers and hold high regard to regular attendance and involvement in service.
I REJECT: (1) The belief that true Christians can be demon possessed. (2) "Five point Calvinism" (i.e., a fatalistic Calvinistic view that leaves no room for free will. Specifically, I reject the belief that Jesus' atonement was limited, instead I believe that He died for all people, and I reject the assertion that God's wooing grace cannot be resisted or that He has elected some people to go to hell. Instead, I believe that anyone who wills to come to Christ may do so). (3) "Positive confession" (the faith movement belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man's will). (4) Human prophecy that supersedes the Scripture. (5) The incorporation of humanistic and secular psychology, philosophy and relativism into Biblical teaching, and (6) the over-emphasis of spiritual gifts or experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of Biblical teaching.
IN MY DEVOTIONAL, I focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. I teach both expositionally and topically; however the expository style is the more common teaching method. As it pertains to speaking in tongues loudly during services or prophecy while a Bible study is in progress, I question the gift because I do not believe that the Holy Spirit would interrupt Himself. I hold that God is a God of order, and that there will be a place or special services where a set apart specific time is allotted to invite the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself and His Word through the use of these amazing spiritual gifts.