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ESSENTIAL DOCTRINE

…ABOUT GOD

We believe in one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), who is infinitely perfect (Matthew 5:48), eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
We believe in the Biblical account of creation and that Scripture clearly teaches that man was created by a specific, immediate, and formative act of God (Genesis 1-2).

…ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

We believe Jesus Christ is true God and true man (Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 1:3-13, 2:10-18).  
We believe Jesus was begotten of God (John 1:14), conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:34-38).
We believe Jesus lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21) and that He died upon the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 2:9), and all who believe in Him in total surrender and commitment are justified based on His shed blood (Romans 5:9).
We believe Jesus bodily rose from the dead (Acts 2:23-24), ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), and is seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2), making intercession for believers  (Romans 8:34).

We believe in the personal, visible (Luke 21:27), imminent and bodily return of Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) when He will come again to establish His kingdom of righteousness and peace (Matthew 26:24). This is the believer's blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service (Titus 2:11-14).

…ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person (John 14:15-18), sent to indwell, guide, teach,  empower the believer (John 16:13, Acts 1:8), and convict the world of sin, of righteousness,  and of judgment (John 16:7-11). It is the will of God that each believer should live a spirit-filled life, becoming separated from sin and the world (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and being fully dedicated to His purposes. Each Christian should continue to grow in holiness  (Romans 6:1-14).

…ABOUT MANKIND AND SALVATION

We believe mankind was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).  Mankind has fallen through disobedience, and thereby has incurred both physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23). 

We believe that though the fall has given mankind a sinful nature and has interrupted fellowship with a Holy God (Romans 3:23), human beings are still of great value to God  (John 3:16).

 

We believe that salvation is the gift of God offered to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), whose precious blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 3:24-25). All who receive Jesus Christ as their personal  Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God and heirs of eternal life  (Titus 3:4-7). As children of God, followers of Christ live to model the character of Christ through His Holy Spirit for the glory of God (Luke 6:40; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Corinthians  3:18; Ephesians 3:16).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting conscious punishment of the unsaved in hell (John 5:28-29), and the everlasting blessedness of the saved in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

…ABOUT THE ENEMY

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin. He is the open and declared enemy of  God and man (Ephesians 6:11-12). Satan is still working in the world to destroy the souls of men (1 Peter 5:8-9). He, his demons, and all who do not receive Christ as their Savior will be eternally condemned to everlasting punishment in hell (Revelation 20:10).

…ABOUT THE CHURCH

We believe the Church, which is the body of Christ, consists of all those who believe in the  Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit.  Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23), which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

…ABOUT THE BIBLE

We believe that the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, infallible as originally given,  were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of God's will and plan for salvation. All teaching must be evaluated in light of the Word of God. It constitutes the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:15-17).

…ABOUT THE HOLY SACRAMENTS

Water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the sacraments of the church commanded by  Christ. They are means of grace through faith, tokens of our profession of Christian faith,  and signs of God’s gracious ministry toward us. By them, He works within us to quicken,  strengthen, and confirm our faith. 

Baptism

Water baptism is a sacrament of the church, commanded by our Lord, signifying acceptance of the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ to be administered to believers with the declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Baptism is a symbol of the new covenant of grace as circumcision was the symbol of the old covenant; and, since infants are recognized as being included in the atonement, they may be baptized upon the request of parents or guardians as a symbol of child dedication to which the parents or guardians affirm to the Lord their covenant to raise the child according to Christ-like, biblical standards.

The Lord's Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ’s death. To those who rightly, worthily, and with faith receive it, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise, the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. The supper is also a sign of the love and unity that Christians have among themselves. 
Christ, according to His promise, is really present in the sacrament. But His body is given, taken, and eaten only in a heavenly and spiritual manner. No change is effected in the element; the bread and wine are not literally the body and blood of Christ. Nor is the body and blood of Christ literally present with the elements. The elements are never to be considered objects of worship. The body and blood of Christ are received and eaten in faith.

 

…ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE

Community Life Church believes in the importance of possessing a personal, active and growing relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23), and living as Christ-like role models (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 4:12; Luke 6:40). Followers of Christ should conduct themselves in a way that will not raise questions regarding their Christian testimonies. A Christian lifestyle should reflect the biblical perspective of integrity and appropriate personal and family relationships, business conduct, and moral behavior. A disciple of Christ is expected to demonstrate a teachable spirit, an ability to share love for others, a willingness to live contentedly under authority, and a commitment to follow the Matthew 18 principle when an issue arises within the Body of Christ and in the world. 

…ABOUT MARRIAGE

Community Life Church believes that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive covenant union, as delineated in  Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25) and that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other and that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity is engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27–28; 2:21–24, Matthew 19:4–9; Mark 10:5–9; Ephesians 5:22–33).

…ABOUT THE LAST THINGS

The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is a prominent Bible theme providing Christians with both their tasks and hope. Jesus announced his presence. The kingdom is realized now as God’s reign is established in the hearts and lives of believers.

The church, by its prayers, example, and proclamation of the gospel, is the appointed and appropriate instrument of God in building His kingdom. 

But the kingdom is also future and is related to the return of Christ, when judgment will fall upon the present order. The enemies of Christ will be subdued; the reign of  God will be established; a total cosmic renewal, which is both material and moral, shall occur; and the hope of the redeemed will be fully realized.

The Return of Christ

The return of Christ is certain and may occur at any moment, although it is not given to us to know the hour. At His return, He will fulfill all prophecies concerning His final triumph over all evil. The believer’s response is joyous expectation,  watchfulness, readiness, and diligence.

Resurrection

There will be a bodily resurrection from the dead of both the just and the unjust,  they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. The resurrected body will be a spiritual body, but the person will be whole and identifiable. The Resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of  resurrection unto life to those who are in Him.

Final Destiny

Our eternal destiny is determined by God’s grace and our response. For those who trust Him and obediently follow Jesus as Savior and Lord, there is a heaven of eternal glory and the blessedness of Christ’s presence. But for the finally impenitent, there is a hell of eternal suffering and of separation from God.

DECEMBER

DISCIPLESHIP MOMENTS

WEEK ONE (12/4)

Discuss: While we wait for God to answer our prayers, why is serving others, like Zechariah did, a good use of our time? 
Are you serving others? If so, how are you serving others?

WEEK TWO (12/11)
Discuss: Why do you think some people don't see the message of Jesus as "good news?" 
What could Jesus' followers do to help change that?

WEEK THREE (12/18)

Discuss: Do you think being honest about our doubts and questions is more likely to help or hurt people who are curious about Jesus? Why?

LIFEgroups

Each week, we will have guided discussion tools to equip LIFEgroup leaders to facilitate their groups. This is a great resource to dig deeper during the week on the message from our Sunday worship gatherings.

Download this weeks guide!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Download last weeks guide!

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