Core Beliefs

I hold these truths…

1. I believe the Bible is the verbally inspired word of God and inerrant in the original writing, and is completely sufficient for spiritual things and how to live the best life possible including how to bring glory to God. It is also fully useful for instruction, correction, and for righteousness so a person can be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I believe the Bible is truth. (period)  I like the New King James Version the best, and mine is a MacArthur Study Bible.
2. I believe in one living God, who always was and always will be, and exists in three “persons”: Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. It’s a little bit hard to fully grasp that, but I wholeheartedly believe it anyway.
3. I believe Jesus Christ always was too, but then came to earth by being born of a virgin, is completely man and completely God, who lived here on earth without sinning, died, and rose again as He said He would proving He is God, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus will one day come again to the earth to rule over all, and I believe every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess “Jesus is Lord” (best to do that now rather than later).
4. I believe man was created in the image of God partly to have a relationship with God, then that man sinned (disobeyed God’s one rule, which then brought a bunch more rules), bringing upon himself and his race both physical death and spiritual death, which is separation from God, and all human beings are born with a sinful nature – and all do sin – causing us all to be separated from a sinless and perfect God.
5. I believe perfect and righteus and just God doesn’t like that we are separated from Him due to sin, so the Lord Jesus Christ provided a way for us to be reconciled to God (sinless in God’s eyes) by dying for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice. Sort of like you were convicted of a crime, and Jesus came into the courtroom and said “I will pay this person’s penalty so he/she can go free.”
6. I believe all people are sinners and therefore separated from God, but those who repent of their sins (apologize to God) and believe Jesus paid the penalty for their sins are completely forgiven because of the blood He shed when He was executed on the cross. This is called salvation, it just means you are saved from having to pay any penalty for your sins. Then you endeavor to follow Jesus and make Him Lord of your life.
7. I believe salvation is a free gift by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ, and that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are “born again” of the Holy Spirit. That means you are like a new person inside, and the Holy Spirit lives in you helping you to live a better life pleasing to God and glorifying to God and helps you to take on more and more of the attributes of Jesus, helping you to understand God’s Word the Bible, and helping you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and want to serve and obey Him. A person who believes all these, is a true Christian.
8. I believe our purpose in life is to love and glorify God, love others, and serve Jesus sort of like He’s our “boss”.
9. I believe God is awesome, creator and sustainer, He is just, loving, generous, kind, and works all things out for good for those who love Him and are trying their best to live the purpose God has for them. I believe He hears and answers my prayers, and mostly speaks to me through reading His Word the Bible.
10. I believe being a true Christian is the best life a person can live, and I believe the second after I die, I will be alive in Heaven and will be enthusiastically working for my Lord and King: Jesus.