Our purpose:
To run the race in such a way to glorify God

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Our Statement of Faith:

1. God the Father
We believe, love and worship the one and only unchanging, sovereign, and loving God, the Creator and Ruler of all things in heaven and earth. God is manifest in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Gen 1:1, 26 | 1 Chr 29:11-12 | Deut 6:4 | Ps 90:2 | 1 Peter 1:2

2. Jesus Christ (Son)
Jesus Christ, our Lord, is God in the flesh. He is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, fully God, fully man, sinless. He died on the cross in our place for our sins, was buried, resurrected from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, as our Advocate, and will return to judge the living and the dead.
Heb 1:1-3 | Mat 1:18-23 | Jn 1:1-18 | Acts 1:9-11 | Acts 2:22-24 | 1 Cor 15 | Rev 5:9-14

3. Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, exalting Christ and convicting us of our sin and need for Jesus Christ. He fully lives in every believer from the moment of salvation. He comforts, teaches and empowers us to live in righteousness. He equips every believer with spiritual gifts for service in the Body of Christ.
Mat 1:18 | Jn 14:16-17 | Acts 1:8 | 1 Cor 3:16 | 1 Peter 4:10

4. People
People are made in the image of God–created to worship God, to glorify Him, and to have dominion over the earth. Sin separates people from God and they are eternally doomed unless they receive salvation in Jesus Christ.
Gen 1:26 | Ps 8:3-6 | Acts 17:26-31 | Rom 3:10-18, 23

5. Salvation
Since all persons are separated from God by sin and are in need of forgiveness, God offers the free gift of salvation. Each person must individually accept this gift, repent of sin, and place faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Exodus 6:2-8 | Mat 16:21-26 | Jn 3:15-16 | Jn 17:3 | Rom 5:1 | Rom 6:23 | Eph 2:8-9

6. Eternal Security of the Believer
We believe our true salvation, provided by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone, is eternally secure. It is imperishable and no man or circumstance can snatch us out of the powerful hand of God because Jesus Christ has made an everlasting covenant with us.
Jn 10:28 | 2 Tim 1:12 | 1 Peter 1:4 | Heb 7:25 | 2 Sam 23:5 | Jn 3:36 | Jn 5:24 | Jn 14:6

7. Bible
The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God to reveal God and His will to man. The Bible has God as its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error. The Bible is the sole authority for Christian living.
Deut 4:1-2 | Ps 12:6 | Ps 19:7-10 | Ps 119:105, 160 | Heb 4:12 | 2 Tim 3:16 | 2 Peter 1:20-21

8. Priesthood of the Believer
Every believer is a minister and has direct access to God through the high priest, Jesus Christ.
Heb 4:14-16 | Heb 10:19-22 | Eph 3:7

9. The Church
Jesus Christ is the head of His Body, the Church. The Body of Christ is composed of believers. The purpose of the Church is to carry out His mission in the world and is best lived out in local, autonomous churches.
Mat 16:15-19 | Acts 2:41-42, 47 | Rom 12:4-8 | Eph 4:10-16 | 1 Cor 12 | Rev 2-3

10. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Baptism by immersion follows Christ’s example, symbolizing death, burial and resurrection to new life in Christ. It serves as a testimony of faith after accepting Christ as personal Savior and Lord. The Lord’s Supper is an act of obedience and a testimony of faith. It symbolically memorializes the death of Jesus Christ. Self-examination and confession of sins should precede participation in the Lord’s Supper.
Mat 3:13-17 | Mat 26:26-30 | Acts 16:30-33 | Rom 6:3-5 | Col 2:12

11. Church Leadership
God calls individuals whose lives best exemplify the Biblical qualifications of the position of pastor, ministerial staff and deacons to lead the local body. They are selected and affirmed by the local body after prayerful consideration. Leaders are called by God to uphold church doctrine and to live lives worthy of respect. The local church is called to submit to their authority.
1 Tim 3 | Acts 6:1-8 | Acts 20:28 | 1 Tim 5:17-22 | Heb 13:7, 17 | Titus 1:5-9

12. Church Discipline
We believe that the Bible teaches church discipline. God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12). He uses the leadership of the church to prayerfully administer His discipline (Galatians 6:1) according to scripture (Matthew 18:15-18 and I Corinthians 5:1-13). Discipline is administered in hope of restoring the one who has fallen into sin back to a right relationship with God and the church.
Gal 6:1 | Heb 12 | Mat 18:15-18 | 1 Cor 5:1-13

Core Values

1. Biblical Integrity
The Bible is the final authority in all matters and the source of our doctrine, teaching, and decision making. (2 Timothy 3:16)

2. Authentic Relationships
We believe discipleship happens best in the context of meaningful and enduring relationships. Therefore, we foster authentic relationships through small groups that provide encouragement, accountability, and care support. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

3. Relevant Message
We are teaching for life change and so our messages are relevant to the lives of those who hear them. Our messages are more practical than informational and aim to help people “Run the Race in Such a Way to Glorify Him”.

4. Welcoming Environment
We know the impression we leave in the minds of our guests and members will influence how they view God. Therefore, we strive to foster an environment that is inviting just as “God’s kindness leads us to Him”. (Romans 2:4)

5. Mission Involvement
We believe God has called all believers to “go and make disciples of all nations”. (Matthew 28:18-20) We accomplish this through short-term mission teams, sponsoring career missionaries, and other programs.

6. Relational Evangelism
We believe evangelism is a natural outpouring of the life of a mature Christian. Therefore, evangelism should be happening in the daily lives of our people. We promote this style of evangelism by fostering an invest and invite mentality in the lives of our people.

7. Family Partnerships
We believe there is no greater influence on a child than a parent and no greater influence on a parent than the church. Therefore, we are partnering with parents for a greater combined influence. The Bible tells us clearly that parents are the key to their children knowing and growing in the Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 30:19-20) This is a responsibility we, as a church, cannot take away from the parents. Instead, we seek greater influence on the family through the parents. We also believe one of the best ways to build a healthy church is to build healthy families.

8. Grace Driven
Jesus said the two greatest things we can do is “love God and love man”. (Mark 12:28-31) The people who walk through the doors at FBCL matter to God and therefore they matter to us. People are at different points in their spiritual journey. Our desire is not to try and force spirituality on people but to create a process that invites people to progress on their journey towards Christ-likeness.