The Bible

I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is true, authoritative, completely trustworthy, without error, and sufficient for everything God intends it to accomplish in our lives.

Scripture isn’t simply one source of wisdom among many. It is God’s Word and the final authority for what we believe and how we live.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” 
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

Humanity and Sin

I believe every person is created in the image of God and therefore has dignity, worth, and value.

I also believe sin has affected every part of who we are. We are sinners who have rebelled against a holy God and cannot make ourselves right with Him.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Our greatest problem cannot be solved through self-improvement, morality, or religion.

We need a Savior.

Salvation

I believe salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace.

We cannot earn it through good works, religion, baptism, church attendance, generosity, or trying harder. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God saves sinners who repent of their sin and place their faith in Christ.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Salvation begins with God, depends on God, and ultimately gives glory to God.

The Church

I believe the church is the body of Christ, not simply a building, event, or something Christians attend once a week.

The church is where believers worship together, learn God’s Word, care for one another, serve, and make disciples. I believe every follower of Jesus should be meaningfully connected to a local church where they can be known, grow in their faith, use their gifts, and help others follow Christ.

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

The Christian Life

I believe salvation produces a changed life.

We will never live perfectly on this side of eternity, but God doesn’t save us and leave us where He found us. Through His Word and Spirit, God changes our hearts, renews our minds, helps us fight sin, and continues making us more and more like Christ.

That’s a big part of what I mean when I say:

Know It. Believe It. Live It. Share It.

Know what God has said. Believe what is true. Live in response to that truth. Help others know and follow Jesus too.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

I believe God created humanity in His image as male and female and that our bodies are part of His good design.

I believe God designed marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, and that sexual intimacy is His good gift for marriage.

I want to hold these convictions clearly while treating every person with the dignity, compassion, and love they deserve as someone created in God’s image.

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

“This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”
Genesis 2:24 (NLT)

The Mission of the Church

I believe Jesus has called every Christian to participate in making disciples.

The Gospel was never meant to stop with us. We are called to share Christ, help believers grow, serve others, care for people in need, and take the Gospel throughout the world.

Jesus’ command is still our mission: Make disciples.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

God

I believe there is one true and living God who eternally exists as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God created everything, sustains everything, and rules over everything. He is completely holy, good, loving, wise, just, and sovereign.

“For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” Romans 11:36 (NLT)

Jesus Christ

I believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, willingly died on the cross in the place of sinners, physically rose from the grave, ascended to the Father, and will one day return.

Jesus is not simply a teacher or example to follow. He is Lord, Savior, and the only way to reconciliation with God.

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit

I believe the Holy Spirit is fully God and actively at work in the lives of His people. He gives new life, indwells every believer, helps us understand and apply God’s Word, convicts us of sin, produces spiritual fruit, equips us to serve, and changes us to become more like Christ.

The Christian life isn’t something we live in our own strength. God continues His work in us through His Word and Spirit, making us more like Jesus.

Real transformation is the work of God from the inside out.

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

I believe Jesus gave His church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism by immersion is an act of obedience for those who have placed their faith in Jesus. It publicly identifies the believer with Christ and pictures His death, burial, and resurrection.

The Lord’s Supper helps us remember and proclaim Christ’s sacrifice as we look forward to His return.

Neither ordinance saves us. Both point us back to the Gospel.

“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
Romans 6:4 (NLT)

Biblical Counseling and Personal Change

I believe God’s Word speaks with authority and sufficiency to the spiritual issues we face. Scripture helps us understand our hearts, respond faithfully to suffering and sin, pursue wisdom, and grow in godliness.

Biblical counseling is about more than changing behavior. Lasting change begins in the heart as God uses His Word, His Spirit, and His people to transform us from the inside out.

I believe the local church should be a primary place where this kind of biblical care, counseling, and discipleship takes place as believers walk faithfully alongside one another through the struggles of life.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

The Sanctity of Human Life

I believe every human life has value because every person is created in the image of God.

A person’s value doesn’t change because of their age, ability, health, or circumstances. Because of that, I believe human life should be protected and cared for from conception through its natural end.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Psalm 139:13-14 (NLT)

The Return of Christ and Eternity

I believe Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return. There will be a resurrection of the dead and final judgment. Those who belong to Christ will spend eternity with Him, while those who remain separated from Christ will face eternal judgment.

For those who belong to Jesus, the future is filled with hope. Sin, suffering, sickness, and death will not have the final word.

Jesus will.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT)