What We Believe

WE BELIEVE there is one God who is the creator and the ruler of the universe (Gen. 1:1). He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19)

WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, in his virgin birth (Matt. 1:23), his sinless life (Heb. 4:15; 7:26), his atoning death on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3), his resurrection on the third day (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:4), and that He will return to reign as Lord of lords (Acts 1:11; 1 Tim. 6:13-16).

WE BELIEVE in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that empowers each Christian to live a godly life (Rom. 8:11). The body of each believer is a “temple” in which the Holy Spirit is present (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Therefore, every believer must foster a life filled with the Spirit, which is both an initial and ongoing experience for Christians (Ephesians 5:18). The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right, and spiritual gifts to edify the church.

WE BELIEVE that the entire Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit to write the books of Scripture (2 Pet 1:20-21). The words of the Bible are the primary source for teaching and equipping Christians for a life of righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

WE BELIEVE that human beings were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him (Gen. 1:26), but became alienated from that relationship through sinful disobedience (Gen. 3). As a result, humanity is totally incapable of coming back into a right relationship with God by our own effort.

WE BELIEVE that only the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross provides for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 10:45). Therefore, salvation is received only when a person places his faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for one’s acknowledged sin (Acts 2:38). This salvation is not earned but is a gift available by the grace of God alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

WE BELIEVE that Baptism is an outward display of an inward commitment. At LWC, baptism is a public service where we immerse people into water to metaphorically display the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is a personal declaration, “I choose to follow Christ in the way He loved God and served people.” It’s also an expression of hope, “My old ways are gone! I live a new life because of what Christ has done for me!” It is a joyous time where people answer affirmatively to Jesus as Lord & Savior of their life and express belief in his resurrection. At Living Word Community we encourage every person who is a believer to be baptized. It’s an incredible celebration of hope.

WE BELIEVE in the power of prayer, both individually and corporately, as an expression of faith in God’s work in our lives. Prayer is an essential part of a Christian life and is used to talk to God and to communicate with Him. We pray for guidance, strength, healing, protection, and for our families, friends, and community. Through prayer, we seek to deepen our understanding of God’s will and His plans for our lives. Praying helps us grow closer to God and to gain a better understanding of His will and how we can best serve Him. When we pray, we open ourselves up to God and He will answer us in His own way and in His own time. Prayer is a beautiful and powerful way to communicate with our Heavenly Father and to seek His love and guidance.

WE BELIEVE that for every Christian the old way of living for oneself is in the past and that the present and the future are filled with a new way of living for Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). By obedience to the Scriptures and daily yielding to the Spirit, we will mature and become conformed to the image of Christ, which should be exhibited by love for God and one’s neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39).

WE BELIEVE that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the head (Col. 1:18). The purpose of the church is to gather believers to glorify God by being a powerful witness for Jesus Christ in a lost world (Matt. 28:18-20). God wants to edify and build up His church; this is why the Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts to believers, such as encouragement, serving, teaching, healing, prophecy, etc. (Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12,) We practice two ordinances in the church, which were instituted by Christ Himself: water baptism (Luke 3:21-22) and holy communion (Luke 22:14-20).

WE BELIEVE that when we die, we are united with Christ and will live forever.