In essential beliefs – we have unity.
Ephes. 4:4-6 - “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you
were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.
- There are some principles of our faith that are simply not
negotiable. - The virgin birth of Jesus Christ, reconciliation with God
through repentance in faith in Christ alone, the
completeness and perfection of God's Word, etc... these
are all issues that we find unity in agreement.
Romans 14:1 – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome
him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”
Romans 14:4 – “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of
another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And
he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
Romans 14:12 – “So then each of us will give an account of
himself to God.”
Romans 14:22 – “The faith that you have, keep between
yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass
judgment on himself for what he approves.”
- How long or short your hair must be and other beliefs
that are often culturally driven are considered non-
essential beliefs. - When Christ will return is a non-essential belief... that He
WILL return is essential.
1 Cor. 13:2 – “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
- Whether we agree or disagree, our intention is to
maintain the same patient, loving spirit as our Lord
Jesus Christ.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another." John 13:35
We voluntarily affirm “The Baptist Faith and Message 2000,” a
statement adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June
14, 2000
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 best articulates what we
believe the Bible says about…
• The Scriptures
• God (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit)
• Man
• Salvation
• God’s Purpose of Grace
• The Church
• Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• The Lord’s Day
• The Kingdom
• Last Things
• Evangelism and Missions
• Education
• Stewardship
• Cooperation
• The Christian and the Social Order
• Peace and War
• Religious Liberty
• The Family
Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions. Based on what the Bible teaches, we feel very strongly
about the following eleven practices:
Bible as our sole authority.
(2 Tim. 3:15) – The Bible is the only inspired written message from God to man. It is our guidebook and authority for the
examination of all spiritual belief. Since God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, it is the basis for all
we believe.
God-Centered Worship
(Psalm 86:12-13) – Worship is the priority of God and is to be the passion of His people. Biblical worship comes from the
heart and is grounded in truth. The Scripture alone determines how God is to be worshiped. GracePointe is committed to
worship that is defined by and consistent with the Bible.
Expository Preaching
(2 Timothy 3:16) – Expository Preaching involves the public reading, explanation and application of Scripture. It is our
passion to "expose the text" rather than impose one's personal opinions or traditions on the text. Expository preaching at
GracePointe will generally be verse by verse teaching through books of the Bible.
Grace Alone / Faith Alone
Salvation is wholly a work of God. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
God planned salvation "before time began" and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save undeserving sinners by
His righteous life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection. Jesus Christ is the exclusive way of salvation and receives
all who, by His free and sovereign grace, repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation. The sovereignty of God
in salvation does not negate the responsibility of man to repent/believe or to share the gospel - in fact God's sovereignty is
the motive for such.
Church Fellowship
The church belongs to God and Jesus Christ is the head of the church. When God saves a person He places that person
into His body-the church. In the New Testament the church met in a variety of places and participated in the life of
fellowship. They gathered regularly for instruction, prayer, the ordinances, worship and fellowship. The church continues
as a "one another' community where its members share in a life of love to God and to one another. Christians should join
themselves to a local congregation for worship, fellowship, accountability and should not forsake regular assembly.
Autonomy of each local church.
(Col. 1:18) – Christ is the recognized head of our church – not any person, group, or religious organization. While
recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other groups of Christians, we believe every local church should
be self-governing and independent from any denominational control. The local church is God's primary method for people
to be nurtured and enabled to live a God-centered life. Those who commit to a local church are called to serve and support
the mission of that church in all ways possible. GracePointe is led by a group of godly men chosen from within our Church
to lead in God-centered, Spirit dependent ministries and living.
Baptism by Immersion
(Col. 2:12) – We practice baptism by immersion under water – the way Jesus was baptized, and the way the Bible
commands.
Spirit-empowered living
(John 15:5 Eph. 5:18; Phil. 2:13) – God desires that his followers love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and
that they would seek to love others as they would themselves. This means that God calls us to embrace a lifestyle of
dependency on Him in allowing His Spirit to control us in all areas of living in order to fulfill His heart. We believe the only
way possible to live the Christian life is by God’s power within us. Therefore, we seek to practice a daily dependence on
God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right.
Sharing our faith in Christ
(1 Peter 3:15) – It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those God brings us into contact with.
We practice personal sharing of the Gospel, as well as inviting friends to church, and desire to share our hope with the
nations.
Priesthood of every believer.
(Rev. 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9) – The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to Christian service, regardless of his or her
vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and
ministry. Every believer has direct access to God.
Tithing
(Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23) – We are to practice tithing for the support of Christ’s Body, the church, as
God commands. We recognize that giving ten percent of our personal income is the biblical standard of giving.
