NORTH PORT

We believe the Bible is the written expression of God’s creative design and plan for mankind, serving as the sole basis for faith. We believe the Bible was written by men that were inspired by God, given the inspiration and message as God intended it to be written. We believe that the original manuscripts were written as God intended and without human error. We believe the Bible is intended for man to read devotionally, study intently and used as a guide for our lives. (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We believe there is only ONE TRUE God that is active in creation and sovereign above all things. God demonstrates his activity through three persons in the narrative of the Bible – God, the Father; God the Son, Jesus Christ; and God, the Holy Spirit. We commonly refer to this expression as the “Trinity.” These three are co-equal and exist in perfect unity as ONE God. We believe that God is absolutely holy and loving. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19)

We believe that God created mankind in His image for relationship. That relationship was broken by a willful act of disobedience; resulting in a broken trust that alienated man from God. God promised to restore the potential for relationship with all mankind through a redemptive act of God’s love. God fulfilled his promise through the life, death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3; John 3:16)

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and became fully man to express the love of God to all mankind. Jesus Christ fulfilled numerous prophecies and promises to restore a perfect relationship between God and his creation. Jesus’ deity was expressed through his virgin birth, his earthly ministry, including miracles, and through his resurrection from the dead. Jesus’ incarnation was expressed through his human body. Though he had not sinned of his own accord; he became a substitute for the judgment of sin and disease upon mankind through the suffering and death of his physical body. (John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:13-23; Hebrews 1:1-3)

We believe that God’s intended relationship with man is restored through a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. This faith will result in a sincere desire to live in obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. Salvation is the beginning of sanctification. We believe that while a person is saved we are in the process of being sanctified. Sanctification is a lifelong process to looking more like our savior Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Matthew 28:19-20)

We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. We believe that man’s ability to live in God’s redemptive plan is empowered by the Holy Spirit through his abiding presence, the power to share our faith with all people, daily direction and understanding the Bible. We believe that the Holy Spirit manifests in different ways. We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the empowerment of the church. (John 14:26; John 16:7-14; Acts 1:8)

We believe that these two practices are public testimonies of our faith in Jesus Christ. Every Christian should be baptized when they make a public confession for salvation, illustrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Communion is symbolic of all believers coming together in faith by “breaking bread” to remember that Jesus’ body was broken for our sins. The cup is symbolic of Jesus promise to all believers that we will be together in heaven and celebrate our life in God eternally. (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

We believe the church is God’s present expression to mankind of his love and redemptive promise for relationship with mankind. All believers comprise ONE church. All local gatherings that worship God and declare faith in Jesus Christ are microcosms of ONE church. The goal of every Christians is to come together with others in unity for worship, service, encourage faith and to express the love of Jesus to all mankind. (Ephesians 3:10; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:24-25)

The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth.

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Zech. 14;5, Matthew 24:27, Rev. 1:7, Rev. 20:1-6)