We would love to talk with you about your beliefs and hear your story over a cup of coffee (on us). Please contact us if you would be interested in a conversation or have any questions.
Although these topics are best discussed in person, here are some concepts to start with:
The Bible is the only source of knowledge about God and His forgiveness.
We can discover things about God by observing the beauty of creation or the orderly nature of the human body. The Bible’s God is this Creator God, and it also tells us much more about Him. Only in the Bible do we learn that while God is a just God who punishes sin; He is also a merciful God who forgives our sin at no cost to us. It is through the Bible that God speaks to us today, giving us the rule and norm for all we do and say. Since it was written by men as they were directed and guided by God’s Holy Spirit, the Bible is true and without error.
There is only one true God.
Contrary to public opinion, only one spiritual path leads to heaven. And that path passes through the God of the Bible, who has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God the Father is the Creator and sustainer of the universe.
When God first made the universe, He was pleased with everything He created. And when He created mankind—Adam and Eve—the Bible tells us God said they were “very good!” By giving them each a soul, God’s desire was that they would reflect His image, live in fellowship with Him and care for His creation. But Adam and Eve doubted that God would provide and care for them in the best way possible. So they rebelled against God. Once they broke that relationship, their natures became selfish and self-centered.
Now every human being is born with a self-centered (sinful) nature and a tendency for evil that violates God’s will and desire.
Attempts to change human nature or to please God with our own good are doomed to failure, for God demands perfection. No matter how hard we try, we are not and can never be perfect. Therefore, all of us are in the same boat: we need to be forgiven. That total and real forgiveness is found only in Jesus.
Jesus Christ is God the Son.
Jesus Christ was God in the flesh—He was 100% human and 100% God, all in one. As such, He experienced all the pain, suffering, and temptation we do. But because He was God, He dealt with it all in perfect, sinless ways. He did what none of us can do: He never sinned. After three years of publicly teaching and demonstrating that He was God, He allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross, paying the price for the sin of the world. Through His crucifixion, the debt we owe for our sin has been forgiven. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead testifies to this fact.
God the Holy Spirit gives us this new relationship with Jesus.
It’s a relationship built on faith, a simple word that speaks more about heart- knowledge than head-knowledge. “To have faith in Jesus” means “Jesus has saved and forgiven me…and I trust in that fact.” It’s the Spirit who gives us that relationship. That same Spirit constantly reminds us of what Jesus has done, encouraging and empowering us to mature in this relationship with God.
For the Christian, death is no longer something to be feared.
Rather, all those who trust in Jesus will live in joy with Him in heaven for eternity. Death is now simply a doorway to another level of intimacy with God.
The Church is the fellowship of everyone God has brought to faith.
The Church is more than one congregation or denomination. It consists of everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. God has given His Church two great gifts to continue its growth: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. In Baptism, God establishes a relationship with us, marking us as members of His Family and promising to always be our God. While baptism is a simple act of washing with water in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, its power lies in God’s Word as He gives us a new name—His. The power of the Lord’s Supper is also found in the Word of God when Jesus promises that “this (bread) is my body…this (wine) is my blood.” While the Supper is a simple act consisting of bread and wine and involving all of our senses, the Word of God ensures that Jesus’ body and blood are also present, in and with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our relationship with Him.
A Christian is a member of the Church not because of what she has done or who he is, but because God has brought him into a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
It’s a very one-sided thing: God has forgiven our sin because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Now His Spirit brings us into God’s Family so that what Jesus did, He did for us personally. So even though our imperfections remain with us while here on earth, thanks to Jesus we are already perfect in God’s eyes.
Christians are called to live for Jesus, seeking to serve and honor Him in all facets of life.
Life cannot be divided into compartments, some where Jesus is present, others where He is not. He is the author and Lord of all of life. Jesus summarized God’s entire Law with two instructions: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But because no one can love perfectly, one of the great joys of walking with Jesus is leaning on him and receiving and sharing his perfect love. He forgives us when we fail and gives us His forgiveness and love to share with others!