Repost:My Values and Beliefs

This is a repost as some have been asking what I believe. It was first posted 9/30/06.

My Values and Beliefs

I believe...in one God, Creator of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that these three are co-eternal and are equal. Colossians 1:16

I believe...Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He is the Creator and that all things were created through Him. He is coequal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; l Corinthians 15:3,4; Roman 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
I believe...that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God and without mistakes as originally written. It is the complete revelation of His will for salvation and the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life. It is God’s revelation of Who He is. ll Timothy 3:16; ll Peter 1:20,21; ll Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160
I believe...that man was created by and for God; that by man's disobeying God, every person incurred spiritual death, which is separation from God, and physical death as a consequence; and that all people are sinners by nature and practice. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a, Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
I believe...in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwelling all believers and thus enabling and empowering the life and ministry of the believer. II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 4:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1
I believe...In the Old Testament it was understood that the way to God was through a priest. People went to the temple to give their sacrifice and had access to God through the priest. In the New Testament we are taught that Jesus Christ is our access to the Father and none of us needs to go through anyone - not a priest, a rabbi or a pastor - to reach God. John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5
I believe...Because God gives man eternal life through, Jesus Christ; the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security. John 10:29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14; I Peter 1:3-5
I believe... God is sovereign ruler of the universe, and He is owner of all things. He has made us stewards of His possessions, and therefore man is accountable to God for that which God has entrusted to him. We are called to give ourselves as believers living sacrifices. That means all our resources are to go to God's glory. Giving can be in many forms, from ones time to money. Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:10; Exodus 34:26; I Corinthians 16:2 Romans 12:1
I believe... God has redeemed and is giving man dominion through Jesus Christ over the earth making all things on earth as it is in heaven. John 17:4; Matthew 6:10

My Values are…
To be Missional… (from Friend of Missional one of the best sites I have seen on being missional)
Description of a Missional Church

• A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.






• A missional church will be made up of individuals willing and ready to be Christ's people in their own situation and place.






• A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people in their own community.






• A missional church will be engaged with the culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (not of the world). They will become intentionally indigenous.






• A missional church understands that God is already present in the culture where it finds itself. Therefore, a missional church doesn't view its purpose as bringing God into the culture or taking individuals out of the culture to a sacred space.






• A missional church is about more than just being contextual; it is also about the nature of the church and how it relates to God.






• A missional church will seek to plant all types of missional communities to extend the Kingdom of God.






• A missional church faithfully proclaims the gospel through word and deed; how the gospel is embodied in our community and service is as important as what we say.






• A missional church will align all their activities around the missio dei -- the mission of God.






• A missional church seeks to put the good of their neighbor over their own.






• A missional church will give integrity, morality, good character and conduct, compassion, love and a resurrection life filled with hope preeminence to give credence to their reasoned verbal witness.






• A missional church practices hospitality by welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community.






• A missional church will see themselves as a community or family on a mission together. There are no "Lone Ranger" Christians in a missional church.






• A missional church will see themselves as representatives of Jesus and will do nothing to dishonor his name.






• A missional church will be totally reliant on God in all it does. It will move beyond superficial faith to a life of supernatural living.






• A missional church will be desperately dependent on prayer.






• A missional church gathered will be for the purpose of worship, encouragement, supplemental teaching, training, and to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.


• A missional church is orthodox in its view of the gospel and scripture, but culturally relevant in its methods and practice so that it can engage the worldview of the hearers.






• A missional church will feed deeply on the scriptures throughout the week.






• A missional church will be a community where all members are involved in learning to be disciples of Jesus. Growth is an expectation.






• A missional church will help people discover and develop their spiritual gifts and will rely on gifted people for ministry instead of talented people.






• A missional church is a healing community where people carry each other's burdens and help restore gently.

Blessings,
iggy