Next Steps

GOD

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. His is co-equal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose form the dead after three days to demonstrate his power over sin and death.

HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is co-equial with the Father and Jesus Christ. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need to be saved from sin. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, allowing us to live from the very presence of God. He gives every believer understanding of spiritual truth and guidance for doing what is right.

THE BIBLE

The Bible is God's word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefes and living.

HUMANS

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Sin is our rebellion against God's lordship in our lives. This attitude separates people from God.

SALVATION

Salvation is a free gift from God for those who will choose to accept it. What is God saving us from? His righteous anger against sin in our lives that leads to death. It's not enough to "live a good llfe". We cant work off this sin debt by being a good person. Salvation is not something we can earn; it is an undeserved gift. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to become our payment by dying on a cross. He then defeated the power of death by raising from the dead. Acceptance of this gift leads us to repentacne and is expressed by confessing Jesus is Lord and surrendering to Him through baptism. Thus, being saved by grace through faith.

CHURCH

The Bible says that the church is the body and bride of Christ. All Christians, through the gifting of the Holy Spirit become the representation of Jesus on earth. The church worldwide is made up of individual congregations living out Jesus in their various contexts. We are part of the restoration movement which follows no creed but Christ. We do not believe we are the only Christians, but Christians only. We are an individual body led by local Elders who exercise spiritual leadership and authority over this church.

ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally seprarted from God is hell. To be eternally in unison with Him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existance.

Our ultimate understanding of salvation is the freedom from sin that harms us and entering into the transformative presence of God - His grace - through faith in the death of Jesus and ultimately His defeat of death.

GOD LOVES YOU

You were made in the image of God. God sees you, He accepts you, and He loves you. Genesis 1:26-27

But we’re broken. We behave in a way that’s harmful to ourselves and separates us from God. That’s called sin. Sin convinces us to focus on ourselves—that we matter most and we know best. While God isn’t mad at us, He does know our sin will hurt us—it harms how we understand ourselves, how we treat others, and how we view Him.

Our sin keeps us from seeing what’s true about God, ourselves, and others. Sin convinces us that God is against us and that we matter more than those around us. Ultimately, sin keeps us from God Himself and the life he offers.

GOD IS PRESENT

God knew our sin would make us want to hide from Him and look out only for our best interest with no regard for others. Genesis 3

God also knew that when we sin, we’d think God would want to come after us to punish us. We’d be tempted to distance ourselves from Him to avoid His punishment. But God isn’t interested in punishing our sin as revenge. Instead, He wants to free us from sin’s punishment, and give ourselves to God, who gives us life. John 10:10

To prove how committed God was to life with us and for us, God sent His Son, Jesus, to go to the greatest length possible to demonstrate His love. Jesus died on the cross for us so we could be in God’s presence. Jesus paid the price of our sin with His death. John 3:16

After three days, Jesus was resurrected from the dead, proving He has ultimate power and that He can do what He says He’ll do. When we put our faith in Him, nothing—not even death—can separate us from Him. He has the power to transform our lives and to make us new.

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN JESUS

Believing in what God demonstrated through Jesus is like accepting a gift.

We accept the gift when we decide to trust that the God who made us is for us and He wants what’s best for us. We show trust by living in a way that reflects our confidence in what God says is best.

We know that God loves us and nothing we do could ever jeopardize our standing with Him. No amount of good behavior and no amount of sin will change the way He feels about us.

When we open this gift, he changes what our heart wants and desires?

BAPTIZED INTO JESUS’ DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Baptism is commanded and modeled by Jesus. (Matthew 28:19)

Baptism represents a person’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It is a picture of the transformation God is working in those who put their faith in Jesus. (Romans 6:3-8)

When we lie back in the water, it signifies the death and burial of our sinful desires in Jesus’ death and burial. When we come out of the water, it illustrates our new life in Christ and identifies us with Christ’s power over death. (Col. 2:12)

This is not a work, as someone else does the baptizing, but a receiving of the transformational gift of a restored relationship with God. It is an external expression of an internal change that has taken place in someone’s heart.