i love my kids... cereal!

Teenagers and young adults around the world are all asking the same questions—questions about love, parents, the future, money, sex, friendship, truth and God. Where do I fit in this world?

I know they need answers; they know they want answers; and God has given us His answer to our questions. He has given us the absolute Truth: His Son, Jesus Christ! {John 1:1-5}

In II Timothy 3:1-17, the reality of our world is depicted—the only possible hope that we have to conquer the trials of life is to understand who God is and how we are commanded to live in light of who He is.

I AM HERE

What do you say to a heart that’s been broken

What do you say to a heart that just won’t mend

I’m not sure what to say… I know your hearts been broken

So I won’t say a word, I’ll just be your friend

You can cry on my shoulder

You can scream… I’ll still be there!

When you feel like no one hears you

When you feel like no one cares

When you hate the world and feel like dying

You can know that I’ll be here

When you feel like no one needs you

When you feel like you have failed

When you feel like layin’ in bed all morning

You can know… I am here

Can a heart be “fixed”… once its been “broken”

Can a new life begin when the “old” ones seen its “end”

One things for sure… I know your heart is broken

So I won’t say a word, I’ll just be your friend

You can cry on my shoulder

You can scream… I’ll still be there!

When you feel like no one hears you

When you feel like no one cares

When you hate the world and feel like dying

You can know that I’ll be here

When you feel like no one needs you

When you feel like you have failed

When you feel like layin’ in bed all morning

You can know… I am here

My Doctrinal Statement

What I believe about the Bible

I believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Acts 17:11; and Isaiah 8:20)

What I believe about God

I believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT.

GOD THE FATHER – I believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power. I rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 5:48; Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:2-3; Psalm 103:19; Ephesians 1:11; 1 Kings 8:27; and Psalm 90:2)

THE SON – I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, sinless in His life, and making atonement for the sin of the world by His shed blood and death on the cross. I believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, and His high priestly intercession for His people. I believe in the imminent, pre-millennial, pre-tribulational rapture of the church of Jesus Christ, and His personal, visible and triumphant return to the world according to His promise. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14; Hebrews 10:9; John 1:29; 1 John 2:1-2; John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; and Acts 1:11)

THE HOLY SPIRIT – I believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from God to convict the world of sin, to convince the world of righteousness, and of judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and comfort those who believe in Jesus Christ. (John 15:26; John 16:8-11; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; and 1 Peter 1:1-3)

What I believe about People
MAN – I believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:15-17; and Romans 3:10-12, 23)

SALVATION – I believe that the only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever. (Galatians 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; 3:16; John 1:14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9)
I believe that Christ, as our Redeemer, performs the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his condition of humiliation and exaltation. (Acts 3:22; Hebrews 5:6; Psalm 2:6)
I believe that the elect are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effective application of it to us, by his Holy Spirit. (John 3:5, 6; Titus 3:5, 6)
I believe that The Holy Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (1 John 5:1; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14; 18:27; John 3:8; 6:64f)
I believe that Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, to convince us of our sin and misery, to enlighten our minds in the knowledge of Christ, to renew our wills, and thus persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9; John 6:44, 45; 16:8-11; Acts 2:37; 26:18; Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 12:3)
I believe that those who are effectually called receive in this life justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life accompany or flow from them. (Romans 8:30-32; Galatians 3:26; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; Ephesians 1:5)

Comment: I think that we must distinguish effectual calling from the general call of the gospel. Not all who hear the gospel believe. But all who are effectually called by God do believe. The call creates what it commands.
I believe that the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, fellowship with Christ, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, the privilege of prayer, and perseverance therein to the end. (Romans 5:1-5; 14:17; Proverbs 4:18: 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13; 1 Corinthians 1:9; John 15:7)
I believe that the duty which God requires of man is the obedience that comes from faith. (Galatians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Romans 1:5; 16:26; 15:18)
I believe that faith in Jesus Christ is saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, trusting him to forgive our sins, and guide us to eternal joy, on the basis of his divine power and atoning death. (Hebrews 10:39; John 1:12; 6:35; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:15-16, 20; Matthew 14:31)
I believe that repentance unto life is a saving grace, by which a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it to God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience. (Acts 2:37; Joel 2:13; Jeremiah 31:18, 19; 2 Corinthians 7:10, 11; Romans 6:18)
I believe that The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation. (Psalm 19:7; 119:11, 18; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; Romans 1:16)
I believe that, God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV) I believe that all who receive, by faith, Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are born again of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, become children of God. I believe that justification means that a person is declared righteous in the sight of God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. (John 1:12; Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8-10)

STATUS IN ETERNITY – I believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost. (Matthew 25:46)

HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY – I believe that every human being has responsibility to God alone in all matters of faith. (Romans 14:11-12)
I believe that prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer. (1 John 5:14; 1:9; Philippians 4:6; Psalm 10:17; 145:19; John 14:13, 14; Matthew 6:9-13; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

What I believe about the Church

THE CHURCH – I believe in the Church — a living, spiritual body in which Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated people are members. I believe that a visible church is a company of believers in Jesus Christ, buried with Him in baptism and associated for the purpose of leading believers toward maturity through worship, instruction, fellowship and evangelism. I believe that Christ has committed to the local church, the ordinances of Baptism and Communion to be observed until He comes, and that Christ has committed to the church the responsibility to proclaim to a lost world their need to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and to recognize Him has Lord. I believe that human betterment and social improvement are essential products of the Gospel. (Ephesians 1:22-23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; and John 8:31-32)
I believe that the infants of believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, nor implication from them to baptize such. But baptism is made as an expression of faith. (Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:26, 27)

What I believe about the Government

ATTITUDE TOWARD CIVIL GOVERNMENT – I believe that each church is independent and autonomous, and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; therefore, Church and State must be kept separate, as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other. I also believe that it is the responsibility of the church (individually and corporately) to live in submission to the government, as long as that does not violate Scripture or conscience and to pray for those who are in authority over us. (1 Timothy 2:1-3; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14; Acts 5:29; Matthew 23:10; Romans 13:1-7)

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.