Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (II John verse 9)

What we teach is consistent with historic Christian doctrine.  We do not follow man-made tradition or speculate about our beliefs, rather we hold to a “biblical theology” taken strictly from Scripture.

  • In ESSENTIAL beliefs, we have UNITY.
  • In NON-ESSENTIAL beliefs, we have DIVERSITY.
  • In ALL of our beliefs, we promote LOVE.

In order to help people get to know us better, here’s a summary of what we teach. . .

Church as Community 

We seek to actively love and care for one another and, as a church; we seek to channel our time, money, personal resources, and energy into people. Consequently, before programs and facilities, we are interested in a substantial ministry to people. In order to accomplish this, our church life is simple and not highly structured. The Sunday morning meeting is informal with an emphasis on worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship. Care groups meet during the week to promote love, encouragement, and growth among believers (Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-35; Rom. 12:5; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 2:14-22; 4:1-2, 32; Col. 3:12-17; I Pet. 2:4-12).

The Scriptures
The Bible is inspired by God and is inerrant; the final authority in faith and life.  It is  God’s Word to all men. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error. (John 5:39;10:35; II Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 1:23-25; II Pet. 1:20-21; Psalm 12:6, 119:105, 160; Prov. 30:5).

God

There is one God who exists eternally in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. These three are co-equal and are one God.  (Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:18, 14:8-20; II Cor. 13:14; I Pet. 1:1-2; Jude 21).

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.   He is co-equal with the Father. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Matt. 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; I Cor. 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; I Tim. 6:14-15; Titus 2:13).

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is the supernatural agent in salvation, baptizing all Christians into the universal church at conversion, indwelling and sealing them until the day of Christ’s return. (John 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 3:6; I Cor. 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18).

Personal Salvation
All of humanity is spiritually lost and without hope apart from God’s special intervention.  The only solution for our spiritually lost state is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, whose death and bodily resurrection make a relationship with God possible.  Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Salvation is a free gift of God received through repentance from sin and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It cannot be achieved by good works nor is it given according to race, status, or ability—salvation is through faith alone and by grace alone.  This salvation is expressed in a public confession through baptism and participation in the church, the Body of Christ. (John 1:12, 3:16-18, 10:28; Rom. 10:9-13; Acts 2:41; Eph. 1:13-14; I Pet. 1:3-5).

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We teach that baptism and the Lord’s Supper were initiated by Christ and are intended for our participation in this age. They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation. We encourage all members to obey the Lord in Baptism and to participate regularly at the Lord’s Table (Matt. 26:26-30, 28:19-20; Acts 2:37-41; 10:47-48; 20:7; I Cor. 11:23-32)

Church Government
We teach that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18) and that leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship in the church are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are pastors (males, Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11) and deacons (males) both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-5).

Hope
We believe in the hope that has always characterized the church of Jesus Christ. All true Christians will be kept by God’s power forever. We look forward to the second coming of Christ, when He will physically return and judge both the living and the dead, and rule and reign with His saints forever. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 9:27-28; I Pet.1:3-5; I John 2:19).  7.

What We Do Not Believe
He must hold fast to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:9

1. We reject the “positive confession” doctrine put forth by the faith movement teachers that say one can have unlimited health, wealth, and prosperity by speaking their own reality.   This teaching affirms that if a person will ‘confess’ health and wealth consistently, then that is what they will have, and, conversely, Christian living in sickness or poverty is settling for less than his full inheritance in Christ.

 

At Grace, we teach that many believers both in the Bible and in daily life are often afflicted not because their confession is wrong, but simply because we live in a fallen world. We believe the health and prosperity doctrine is a perversion of the gospel, encouraging the exercise of a covetous heart toward a materialistic world. It is often used to fleece the flock of God. We do not believe that God can be commanded by man to heal or provide, but that we must always submit to His perfect will even in affliction (I Cor. 4:9-13; II Cor. 12:7-10; Hebrews 5:7-8)

  1. Additionally, we reject the teaching that uses human prophecy to supersede the Word of God. There are some Christian groups which claim to have prophets and apostles of equal validity with those who wrote the Bible. Moreover, they claim that the prophetic utterances from these people take precedence over the Word of God.

 

At Grace, we teach that the Bible is the final authority and complete Word of God for His church today and that no prophecy or teaching can ever supersede it. (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; II Peter 1:19-21)

  1. Finally, we reject the over-emphasis of spiritual gifts and experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of Biblical teaching.
  2. We strive to provide ministries for all ages with the ultimate purpose to bring glory to Christ by equipping the flock for service.

 

At Grace, we focus on a personal relationship with God through worship, prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God.

 

By clarifying some of what we believe at Grace, our purpose has simply been to help you gain insight into who we are.  We seek the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and love and believe that God has called us to a unique ministry that fulfills His special purpose in this generation.  May God bless you as you seek to draw near to Him in love.

 

A detailed copy of our Doctrinal Positions can be obtained by request through our church office.