God The Father Is Our Architect: We believe we serve a big and supernatural God. One who is eternal, self-existent, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is perfect holiness, perfect righteousness, perfect faithfulness and perfect love. We believe that God the Father is our architect, source and the foundation of our entire human existence. 

 

God The Son Is Our Advocate: We believe that Jesus was both fully man and fully God and represents the sinless union of the divine and human natures which qualifies Him to be the only sacrificial mediator between God and man. Jesus is our advocate, mediator, and redeemer. He is the center of everything that we do. He is our agenda because His Name is the only name that saves. His power is the only power that can awaken our hearts, raise us from the dead and set us free from sin and death. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that God meets every need of man in redemptive power. Our heart is to be known by and remembered for having the heartbeat ofJesus. 

 

God The Spirit Is Our Illuminator: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third divine person of the eternal Godhead, co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent with the Father and the Son. It is His ministry to convict and convert man as well as to reveal and illuminate the Son and the Father to the believer. We believe that God the Spirit is our illuminator, our revelatory, and our communicator. We seek to be led by His Spirit not by our flesh because “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Romans 8:7

 

(Genesis 1:1) (Romans 1:20) (Romans 8:26-27) (Galatians 5: 25) (1 John 2:1-2)

The Scriptures are a revelation of God, coming from God, and flowing through and to man. There are 40 different authors that wrote 66 different books, in three different languages, spanning over a period of 1600 years. To have that result in one, harmonious book is humanly impossible. The unity and progression of scriptural thought with the absence of contradiction indicate that the Bible had ultimately one Author, God Himself. 

 

We believe that the Bible is the only written authoritative revelation of God, articulated by God through His word. It is the word of God revealed to human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is infallible and 100% accurate. It has supreme authority in all matters of faith and morals and has eternal relevance. We read the Bible to learn what God said about Himself, to draw closer in intimacy with Him, to be transformed and to fight the good fight of faith. 

 

In Ephesians 6, where Paul instructs us to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power by putting on the full armor of God, we are instructed to “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). It is our only offensive weapon against the spirit of darkness and we believe that the fight for peace, the fight for faith and the fight for truth is not for the unarmed.   

 

satan's power to deceive is on the ground of ignorance. It is essential to know the word of God as it is impossible to exercise our rights and privileges without knowing God’s word. Jesus was himself the Word of God, and could command demons so that they obey him (Mark 1:27) and yet He depended on Scripture to deflect the temptations of the enemy.

 

(John 1:1) (Ephesians 6:17) (Philippians 2:16) (2 Timothy 3:16-17) (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) (Hebrews 4:12) (2 Peter 2:20-21)

We believe that the church is God's chosen method for the expansion of His Kingdom, that the church is the Body of Christ, and that the church is His and will be presented to Him spotless at the second coming. We are considered God’s special possession because we belong to Christ as His Bride, as His Church. We believe that because of our connection with Him we are alive and secure and that it is only in connection with Him that we have life. The Church is the organism through which Christ manifests His life to the world today. We believe that scripture indicates that there is no other union to Christ other than through His Body by the power of His Spirit to which He is the head. We believe that the church is being called out from the world and to God. Ekklēsia, the common Greek word for church, is formed by the words Ek and Kaleo: ek, meaning "out from and to" and kaleo, meaning "to call.” We believe that a God-centered church is built upon the name of Jesus and exists to glorify His name and serve and equip the saints.

 

Disciple Making Is Our Mission:  In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” We believe that the first most foundational step in disciple making and discipleship is being a disciple of Jesus. A follower of Christ, forsaking all other pursuits for the sweetest pleasure, God Himself. Following Him as creatures of grace, made in His image, entering into fellowship with Him. This is confirmed in Matthew 4:19-20 when Jesus said ““Come, follow me,”, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” And we see Peter and Andrew respond with “At once they left their nets and followed him.” We see the same in verses 21-22. James and John were in a boat with their father when Jesus called them “and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” As His disciples, we follow Him at all cost, unwavered by circumstance or preference. For us to be true followers and disciples of Christ, we have to make Him preeminent, continually laying down our lives for the sake of Christ and His Body which is the church (Colossians 1:24). 

The Gospel Is Our Declaration: We believe that the Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, paying our penalty of death and rose again, eternally triumphant in victory over death. The Righteous One dying for an unrighteous PĒØPŁËŠ, to bring us to God in full redemptive power. As a result there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, but instead everlasting joy and satisfaction in Him. We believe that this is good news because after the fall of man (Genesis 3) we were left in a default sinful condition that leads to death and destruction. This condition severed any ability to commune with God but God, who is rich in mercy, made a way through His Son, Jesus. Who came to earth, fully God and fully Man, bearing the weight of our sins so that we may have life and have it abundantly. This is the only news of value worth declaring from our lips. It is in this news that we as His children are connected with the unattainable, undeserving gift of eternally knowing God and belonging to Him. We believe that the greatest good of this good news, is that God bought for us at the highest price, the everlasting enjoyment of Him for the redeemed. We therefore believe that the goal of salvation is God Himself and that the good news is the loving, grace filled, merciful and undeserved Gift from God of Himself to us.

​

(Matthew 4:19-20) (1 Corinthians 5:17-21)(1 Corinthians 15:1-5) (Romans 1:16) (Genesis 3) (Colossians 1:24-29)

​

​

We believe that the Scriptures teach us that the end pursued should always be the honor and glory of God's Name. Therefore, our love for people can only be shaped, sustained and carried by our love for God because our union with Christ is the basis of our unity with one another. We love because He first loved us. We are called to love our neighbor, to love our brothers and sisters and to love the church even when it’s hard because love does no harm. 

​

Family Is Our Responsibility: The first Christ followers saw themselves as literal mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters to everyone who bore Christ’s name. When we are joined to Jesus by grace through faith, we are also joined to everyone else Jesus is joined to. As we are united in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the practical concerns of others become our practical concerns. Their well-being should matter deeply to us. Their burdens, joys, and sorrows become our own whether we face them personally or not.    

​

People Are Our Priority: People greatly matter to God. Therefore, they are important to us. We believe that Jesus is in the business of people, so in modeling His character, and growing in Christ-likeness, we believe that we should exemplify His heart for people for His Name’s sake. When we consider the interests of the PĒØPŁËŠ we bear witness to the unity of the Kingdom of our Lord. If we knew what our adoption truly meant, then we wouldn’t ignore one another or each others needs. 

 

Honor Is Our Demonstration: All human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore worthy of honor. We believe that to cherish the Body of Christ the way God intended us to, we must honor its people. In Romans 12:10, we are instructed to “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” In the Bible, to honor means to esteem and treat another with respect. It carries a sense of value or quality. That which is valued and esteemed is “honored.” The biblical emphasis on honoring others is first rooted in the biblical command to honor God. So it is out of the overflow of our honor for God that we are to honor (value) others above ourselves.  

​

(1 Corinthians 13:13) (John 13:34-35) (Galatians 5:13-15) (Romans 12:10) (Romans 13:9-10) (Hebrews 10:23-25)  (1 John 4:19) (Psalm 8:5) (John 15:12-13) (Colossians 3:13) (Hebrews 2:10-11) (Matthew 22:36-40) (Luke 19:10) (1 John 3:16-18) (Romans 13:4) (Luke 14:11) (Ephesians 4:29) (Proverbs 16:28) (Hebrews 13:7) (James 3:1) (John 3:30) (1 Peter 5:1-4) (Matthew 20:24-28) (Galatians 6:2) 

We believe that worship is about making much of God’s holiness, goodness and authority as seen through Jesus Christ. So while music can be a part of worship, it was never intended to be the heart of it. The term worship in the Bible is used to refer to the act or action associated with ascribing honor (value), reverence (deep respect) or worth. Therefore, we believe that the Scriptures indicate that worship is the ascription of worth, honor or reverence to our Father in Heaven. 

 

We believe that worship is the human response to the self-revelation of God. A divine initiation in which God reveals Himself, His purposes and His will, leading to a spiritual and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit on the part of the worshipper, resulting in a response by the worshipper of adoration, humility, submission, and obedience to God. 

 

We believe Jesus died to pay a debt that was really our own on the cross, becoming the object of and therefore receiving God’s wrath against our sins to purchase our adoption into His family. We know through the words of Jesus in John chapter 4, that worship is not about a specific temple. Jesus doesn’t say that place does not matter. Instead He is saying that there is a new place and that the new place is in Him. He is the new temple. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6) and that it is in Him and through faith in Him that we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12). 

 

Therefore, we believe that without Jesus our worship is not worthy enough to offer to God and in turn would not be accepted by God. When worship is not our heart, we are saying that the debt He paid was not ours but His own. 

 

Our heart is that the blood that pumps in and through us would be pumped for the sake of His Name. That it would be rooted in not only a desire to see His Name known, glorified and honored but also in acknowledgment that His Name is already known, glorified and honored. 

 

We believe that worship involves not only our relationship with God but also our relationships with those He has reconciled to Himself through the blood of Jesus. Which means PĒØPŁËŠ are not a hindrance to our worship, God designed them to be an essential part of it. Our heart is to be a church whose worship professes the testimony of the good news and saving grace of Jesus. 

 

We believe that in the new Heaven and new earth every activity will be carried out for one purpose: to magnify the glory and grace of God. Our heart is that this awe provoking truth would motivate and inform our worship on this side of eternity. 

​

(Romans 13:8) (1 Chronicles 16:23-31) (John 4:20-24) (John 14:6) (Ephesians 3:12) (Hebrews 10:19-22) (1 Peter 2:4-5) (Romans 12:2)

​

​

Jesus modeled serving. As King, He came humbly as a servant. Therefore as Christ followers, we believe the Church, His Body, has a calling to serve others. Calling is an act of grace by which God invites us into participation in the privileges of the Gospel, that is salvation and participation in the service of the Gospel, that is to ministry. The word for ministry in the New Testament common Greek is diakonia and translates to service, relief or support. Our heart is to be a church who honors God’s Name above all other names and in pursuit of that, helps and cares for God’s people. 

 

Stewardship Is Our Approach: We believe that in this life we are owners of nothing but stewards of everything. As a church we long to see our gifts as things we do not deserve and see the gifts of others as merciful means of grace to us. In 1 Peter 4:10, we are instructed to “use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” We believe that our gifts not only work to bless others but also work to sanctify us. Our heart is to live out our assignments from God, stewarding our gifts faithfully for the Glory of Him and the sake of others. 

​

Generosity Is Our Privilege: We believe that as Christians, we should be the most generous people because we are the recipients of the greatest gift the world has ever known in being saved from death, and restored in relationship with a perfect and Holy God. Something we could never earn, take credit for or possibly be entitled to. We believe that generosity is less about money and more about our hearts to trust in the sovereignty of God to supply all of our needs. We have freely received, so we can freely give in response to the exceeding measure of the love He so generously lavishes on us. 
 

(1 Peter 4:10) (Mark 10:35) (2 Timothy 2:3-4) (Matthew 20:27-28, 23:11) (Colossians 3:23-24) (Daniel 6:3) (Acts 4:32-36)(Matthew 6:21) (Mark 12:41-44) (Malachi 3:10) (Philippians 4:19) (Philippians 2:5-8) (2 Corinthians 9:11-12)

Jesus asks us not only to know His word but also to obey it. When we look at scripture we see that at the moment of salvation we are sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We believe that we are continually filled with the Holy Spirit when we walk continually in obedience because obedience to God is how the filling of His Spirit is maintained. We believe that we are made aware of what He has commanded of us by the Holy Spirit through a revelation of Him and His will, discerned through His infallible written Word. Our heart is to be obedient vessels for His Glory no matter the cost. Whether it’s a mop or a microphone, using what God has entrusted in our hands to fulfill in His mission, by the power of His Spirit and in His Name, is the greatest honor He could bestow on us. We know that sin separates us from Him, so intimacy with God as we are indwelt and filled with His Spirit is the greatest reward of our obedience to Him. 

 

Surrender Is Our Posture: ​We believe that when we receive Jesus as Lord of our life, we surrender the right to lead our lives as we see fit, placing ourselves under His authority, submitting to be led by Him. We believe that the biblical surrender of ourselves to God means saying yes to God’s purchase of us by the death of His Son so that we could not only approach Him with freedom and confidence but also belong to Him. We believe that living joyfully in the reality of that purchase means to die to self daily. Renouncing our agenda, our will and our plans, receiving Him as ruler, treasure, satisfaction and Chief Shepherd over our hearts. What God is after in our surrender is to give us more of Himself and our response to that is rejoicing in the gift that we are utterly His. 

 

Conviction Is Our Mark: It is God who takes the initiative in repentance. It does not originate with man. We believe that it is the very grace of God who by the Holy Spirit convicts man to bring him to a state of repentance. We believe that the Scriptures indicate that conviction precedes repentance but not all who are convicted will turn towards God in repentance. Our heart is to be a church that is marked by conviction, marked by the hand of His Spirit and out of the overflow is a repenting church. One that surrenders to the conviction brought on by the Holy Spirit and turns away from dead works and towards our Father in faith. 

 

Joy Is Our Choice: We believe that God commands us to rejoice and find full satisfaction in Him and that if He commands something of us, He will also enable us to respond. We believe joy is produced by the Holy Spirit, as He enables us to see the glory and supreme infinite beauty of Jesus Christ through His Word, in His PĒØPŁËŠ and all He has created. We read in Galatians 5:22-23 that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the joy in our soul that overflows towards God is coming from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. When we say that joy is our choice, we mean that we choose by the power of the Holy Spirit to receive the joy that He has placed in us that we could not in our sinful nature choose on our own. Ultimately, while our bodies might feel the effects of joy, we believe that joy is something we feel in our soul that is produced by work of the Holy Spirit. 

 

 (Luke 11:28) (John 14:23) (Genesis 15:1) (John 14:23-24) (Proverbs 3:5-6) (Romans 3:22-24) (James 1:2-5) (Ecclesiastes 5:18) (Philippians 4:13) (2 Corinthians 10:5) (John 16-8-11) (Galatians 5:22-23) (John 16:22) (Psalms 16:11) (Psalms 118:24) (Hebrews 12:2)

​

​

As Christ followers, we believe that because of the cross, our guaranteed citizenship is in Heaven. In Philippians 3:20-21, Paul writes "but our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter instructs us “as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." Therefore, we believe that on this earth we are strangers and exiles, simply residents of this world but it is not our home.

 

The Kingdom Is Our Lens: In Matthew 6:33, we are instructed to “seek first the kingdom of God.” The Scriptures teach us that our outer nature is wasting away and that our inner nature is being renewed day by day as we set our minds not simply on what we see but on the things that are above (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Therefore, we believe that being Spiritually minded and having a Kingdom lens is a matter of life and death. Paul says in Romans 8:5-6 that ““Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”’‬ ‭Our heart is to be a church that is governed by the Spirit, as the mind governed by flesh is hostile to God. We long to see the world with spiritual eyes, celebrating what God is doing, regardless of where He is doing it and through whom He has chosen to do it. To celebrate His work is to celebrate Him. We love our family at For The PĒØPŁËŠ Church, but we know that we are just one part of the global body of believers, where Christ is the head. This is His Church and we joyfully join Him in edifying and strengthening His Church. Celebrating and uniting in what God is doing throughout the world wherever He is proclaimed and submitted to. We will regard no one according to their flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16) but instead be committed to being Kingdom minded in all matters standing unified with the Local and Global Church.

 

A World Redeemed Is Our Vision: We believe that God created the world for His glory and although fallen, the world is offered the hope of redemption and restoration through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. The word redemption represents the deepest most awe provoking event in the history of mankind, Christ dying for our sins. Redemption means to purchase back something that had been lost by the payment of a ransom. Our redemption was purchased at the highest price, Jesus Himself. He tore down every veil that separated us from our Father, allowing us to step into a right relationship with Him. He has given us redemption in exceeding measure because He is rich in mercy and grace. We believe that while we are citizens of Heaven, the Lord has entrusted the earth to us, that we would go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey what He has commanded of us. While this world has an end and is not our permanent home, as we await a new Heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13), the earth still matters to God because through Jesus there is redemption and renewal for the world. 

(1 Timothy 2:5-6) (1 Peter 2:13-17) (Ephesians 1:22) (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11) (Ephesians 2:19) (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) (Matthew 5:27-29) (2 Corinthians 5:16) (Matthew 6:33) (John 15:19) (Philippians 3:20-21)

​

​