Hope Christian Church

Some equate faith with spirituality; others see it merely as a general term for a religion. Eugene Petersen in The Message interprets Hebrews 11:1-2 as, The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. Its our handle on what we cant see. Faith, as I see it, is not a destination as in I have found faith or a commodity that we can appropriate whenever we feel the need. Faith is the foundation of a relationship the beginning of a journey and the filter by which we can interpret the events of the world around us. It creates a vantage point in our view that gives us hope.

Beauty is not just about physical appearance. Its about honor. Its about reverence. When we look upon something that is truly beautiful it can make us pause in awe. Remember the scene in Ferris Buellers Day Off when his best friend Cameron is mesmerized by the painting by Seurat called, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte? He just stands there captivated by the detail and incredible beauty of this painted scene. If Seurat were alive he would probably have said, That is why I paint, to captivate people with the beauty around us. God has created the Earth and everything in it. He created this world for us to be captivated by its beauty and look in awe at its wonders. He commanded humanity to steward over this earth, meaning to care for it. We need to do a better job of this in the church.

Beauty can also be seen in the love and grace that God has shown us through His son, Jesus Christ. A song sung by the band Delirious captures the beauty of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us:

Do you remember moments when you were at family gatherings while growing up and you heard relatives say things like, My you have grown and Boy, you sure are getting big? It seems that physical growth is easier to identify when we are separated by time from people. Spiritual growth can be identified this way as well. However, it is important to remember that growth, spiritual and physical, continues throughout these time separations. The real point of growth is that we are not in the same state that we started in; if that were the case then there is room for concern.

As we journey together we are often at different places in our spiritual path but as we share our story together we encourage growth in one another. As we learn about God, ourselves, and the world around us we morph into new individuals that show evidence of being in the presence of God. And soon, even if there is no time separation between individuals we hear things like, there is something about you that is different. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans that we can be transformed by God and the way we think can be changed which helps us to see Gods will for our life. This is our goal, to know and follow Gods will.

Basic Theology - We believe the Bible is God-inspired (2 Timothy 3:16,17). We believe God is Triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Becoming a Christian - We believe that man was created in the image of God, but that by voluntary disobedience he fell from perfection (Romans 5:12). We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, signing the pardon of all who believe on Him (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). We believe that we have no righteousness and must come to God pleading the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 2:8). We believe that upon sincere repentance, and a whole-hearted acceptance of Christ, we are justified before God (1 John 1:9). We believe that the change which takes place in the heart and life at conversion is a very real one (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).

Doctrine - We believe that divine healing is the power of Christ to heal the physically sick in answer to the prayer of faith (James 5:14-16). We believe that the Holy Spirit has gifts to bestow upon the Christian; and that we should show spiritual fruit as evidence of a Spirit-filled life (1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Galatians 5:22). We believe that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is to endue the believer with power; and that His incoming is after the same manner as in Bible days (Acts 2:4). We believe that baptism by immersion is an outward sign of an inward work (Matt. 28:19). We believe in the commemoration of the Lord's Supper by the symbolic use of the bread and juice of the vine (1 Corinthians 11:24, 25).

The Church - We believe that the method ordained of God for the support and spread of His cause is by giving of tithes and free-will offerings (Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:7). We believe that soul winning is the most important responsibility of the Church (James 5:20). We believe it is our sacred duty to identify ourselves with the visible Body of Christ (Acts 16:5; Hebrews 10:25).

Daily Living - We believe that it is the will of God that we be sanctified daily, growing constantly in the faith (Hebrews 6:1). We believe that rulers should be upheld at all times except in things opposed to the will of God (Romans 13:1-5). We believe that the experience and daily walk of the believer should never lead him into extremes of fanaticism (Philippians 4:5). We believe that it is the will of God that we walk in the Spirit daily (Ephesians 4:30-32).

The Future - We believe that the second coming of Christ is personal and imminent (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). We believe that all shall stand some day before the judgement seat of God, and there receive eternal life or death (2 Corinthians 5:10). We believe that heaven is the glorious eternal home of born-again believers (John 14:1-3; Revelation 7:15-17). We believe that hell is the place of eternal torment for all who reject Christ as the Savior (Revelation 20:10,15).