beliefs of hope church

These are the foundational beliefs of Hope Church and how we live because of our faith. These statements are written to remind believers of how their faith should be fully realized through their life. We hope that our friends who are curious about Jesus will be inspirited to look to the Bible to find their life and hope in Jesus. We also align ourselves with the Evangelical Free Church of America.

- Statement of Faith -

  • god - WE WANT OUR FRIENDS TO SEE GOD

    There are many who have misconstrued God to fit their own understandings and agendas. Some even flat out deny His existence. However, we see the fingerprints of God all around us. He created everything and is involved in all things. Quite frankly, nothing makes sense without His existence. The Bible explains this one-of-a-kind God as One eternal God with three distinct persons. This Godhead is identical in nature, but distinct in roles and relationships. He is in and of Himself a family - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Make sense? We admit He is still a mystery to us, but He has opened our eyes to enough of Himself to make us curious and passionate about knowing Him more fully.

    - Matthew 28:18-20 -                                                                            - I AM by David Bowden -

  • human - we embrace who we truly are

    There are so many pressures in this life to become someone who you are not. You can pretend for a bit to be somebody else, but there is a desire within all of us to just be ourselves. Here at Hope, we believe that everyone finds their true self not by looking outside of themselves or even searching deep within themselves. We find our true self within God. Our original design was to be an imprint of His nature. This does not mean that we all look the same. Rather we each have been uniquely and beautifully stamped with the nature of God - His love, compassion, and justice.

    - Genesis 1:26-28 -                                 - The Greatest Artist of All Time by Jefferson Bethke -

    • Since we believe that God is our Creator and Designer, we look to Him as our inspiration for how to be truly human. However, this God-like nature has been tarnished and broken
  • sin - we know the main issue in this life

    The abuse and neglect, the infidelity and immorality, the hatred and injustice, are all symptoms of something God has diagnosed as sin. It is like a cancer that has taken over the entire world. Everyone has been infected. All aspects of our lives have been affected. Everyone's hearts are polluted with mixed motives; everyone's minds are corrupted with false worldviews; everyone's lives are consumed with self-serving ambitions.

    - Romans 1:16-2:4 -                                                         - The Fall by Preston and Jackie Perry -

    • Because we are terminally ill and in need of healing, we encourage transparency and vulnerability about our shortcomings. We fully confess our sins and quickly embrace God's forgiveness. We are confident that there is only one cure for our sin and it is only found in one place.
  • salvation - we know the cure to heal us

    Since sin is slowly poisoning us, we are in need of a cure. There is no system of morality nor large dose of good intentions that will cure us. We are terminally ill. Jesus is the only remedy. He did not give us a vaccination from sin nor give us a regime of sin purging treatments. The only cure was for Him to take the deadly virus upon Himself and give us a transfusion of His pure blood. We now have a clean bill of health. Sure, we still have moments of sin, but we are in remission because of Jesus. We have been cured of this deadly virus and have a new lease on life. There is nothing we have done; He has done it all for us.

    - Ephesians 2:1-10 -                       - Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus by Jefferson Bethke -

    • Due entirely to the work of Jesus, we identify with Jesus not by proving ourselves with good works, but by believing in His good work, which is our only cure from sin.
  • god our father - We know our father

    God is not a mysterious supernatural being or distant deity. We actually know Him. We not only know facts about Him, but we know Him like a Father - a Daddy. We believe that He's got us; nothing catches Him by surprise. He planned it all. Every detail and aspect of our lives are being shaped by Him to work together for our good. He really is for us, not against us. He will never fail us. He made His heart for us undeniably clear through His Son Jesus.

     - Romans 8:15-39 -                                                - The Father's Song by Steffany Gretzinger -

    • Since our Father loves and cherishes us, we walk each day in security and excitement with our Father discerning what He is telling us and prayerfully determining how to respond. We model our walk with our Father after His Son Jesus.
  • jesus - WE see JESUS AS OUR HERO

    Jesus did not make a grand entrance. He entered quietly. He lived simply. He walked humbly. Jesus was and is ordinarily human, yet also extraordinarily divine. He healed the sick, gave hope to the destitute, and befriended ordinary people. He preferred having outcasts and no names in His circle of friends. But this hero did something unexplainable; something that has never been done before or ever since. He died for those considered His enemies so that He could make them His friends and members of His Father's family. Yet our hero is not dead. He came back to life three days later proving that death couldn't stop Him. Today, He sits next to His Father cheering us on and advocating on our behalf. And there will be a day just around the corner when He leaves His throne to come gather His family. Jesus is really coming back, not as an unnoticed servant, but as an indisputable King.

    - Philippians 2:1-11 -                                                        - Hallelujah (What a King) by Vicksburg -

    • Since we have found the one and only true hero of this life. we look to Jesus as our example of how to love and live this life for our Father. Until that day, we walk by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
  • holy spirit - we see god in our daily lives

    The Father chased after us. Jesus came to live with us. Now, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and through us. Jesus told His disciples that life would be better after He left. That is hard to believe. Could you imagine spending a day with Jesus? However, Jesus said life in the Spirit would be better than physically walking with Him here on earth. The reason He said this is because we now have God Himself living inside of us. He has re-identified us as a child of God and is imprinting our lives with the character of our Father. He has empowered us to live like Jesus. There is nothing more thrilling and fulfilling than living our life with and for God.

    - Galatians 2:20-3:3, 5:16-26 -                                                          - Holy Spirit by Shai Linne -

    • Since we have God actually living in us, we make a choice each day to not move forward with self-confidence or self-righteousness, but rather with the boldness and power of the Spirit.
  • HIS CHILDREN - WE WALK WITH OUR FATHER

    The path of maturity in this world is growing from dependence as a child into great independence into adulthood. The journey as a child of God is the complete opposite. As we mature into our identity in Christ, it is a path towards greater dependence upon our Father. We learn to need Him more. We are convinced we cannot go a day without Him much like a helpless newborn baby. Once God brings us into His family, we are His. This journey towards embracing our identity and living in greater dependence is not easy. There are some days harder than others. In fact, we will never perfectly and entirely eradicate sin from our life. Despite our ongoing battle against sin, we should never question our new identity in Christ. He never disowns us. This is why we strive each day to live more and more like who we already are - a child of God. Our motivation comes from a deep gratitude and love for all that our Father has done for us. We have been given everything we need to fight these battles with God's help.

    - Romans 8:1-39 -                                                                   - Everything Drama by Lifehouse -

    • As we embrace God's love for us, we should see more of Him and less of us as we walk with Him.
  • church - we are the church

    The church is not merely a building or a Sunday service, but the name given to God's people. As a local church, we are designed to be a billboard for God. Our love for Him and for others paints an accurate picture of God for our friends in our community. We are all vital members of the body of Christ who work together to represent Him to the world.

    - 1 John 4:7-12 -                                                                                - We are by David Bowden -

    • Therefore, we choose to live interdependently, rather than independently, by loving, encouraging, and supporting one another in representing Christ.
  • bible - we view the bible as God's actual words

    We believe the Bible is God's very words. God used over forty authors from various cultures, every social class, and different time periods to accurately write His words. Since He is the author, we believe that the Bible in their original writings (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) are without error (inerrant) and will not mislead in their instruction (infallible). This is fantastically exciting. God actually speaks to us! Whether we need some encouragement, direction, or wisdom to navigate a difficult circumstance, God has something to say to us. Everyday we are looking to hear from Him and then live with Him.

    - Psalm 19:7-14 -                                                         - I Believe in Scripture by David Bowden -

    • Since we have access to God's very words, we make it a first priority to teach our Hope family to read and understand the Bible so they see the full story of God's relentless love for us.
  • future - it's pretty fantastic!

    Just as His story had a beautiful beginning, it will have a more stunning ending. The future is not uncertain or unknown. Our Father declared the end way back before the beginning of time. Our groom Jesus will come to gather us - His bride. Our first day in eternity will be the largest wedding celebration this world has ever seen. Our groom will be the crowned King. We will be standing beside Him looking forward into endless eternity knowing that we will live forever with Him. Although all are invited to the wedding day, not all accept the invitation. They will live forever without the love and peace of our Father.

    - Revelation 19-22 -                                                                        - Even So Come by Passion -

    • Since our future is amazing and guaranteed, we live each day with hopeful excitement like an engaged bride wondering if today is the day that Jesus, our groom will come to bring us home.