what do we BELIEVE?
BASIC BELIEFS
StoneRidge Fellowship Baptist Church will aggressively utilize methodologies in an attempt to reach people who are far from God. Rather than run from culture we have chosen to harness it to connect with people and show them God’s timeless truths. Although our approach may not always be traditional, we believe in and maintain a conservative theological position.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is truth without any mixture of error and is completely relevant to our daily lives.
Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalms 119:11, 89, 105; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 22:29; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 3:16
TRINITY – GOD
God has existed in relationship with Himself for all eternity. He exists as one substance in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35; John 5:21-23; 14:10, 16; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19
THE FATHER
God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, holy. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. God is good: He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises.
Exodus 3:14; Numbers 23:19; Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; Psalm 11:4-6; Malachi 3:6 John 3:16; 4:24; 5:26; 14:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 3:3-4
THE SON
Jesus Christ is completely human, but at the same time completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are enemies of God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life.
Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 14:33; 16:16; 28:5-6; Luke 22:70; 24:46-47; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 11:25-27; 17:1-5; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 8:1-3; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16
THE HOLY SPIRIT
His presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth, and exalts Christ. He convicts people of their sin, God’s righteousness, and the coming judgment. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ.
Genesis 1:2; Psalms 51:11; 139:7 ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Mark 1:10; Lk 1:35; 4:1; 11:13; 12:12; John 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:2; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:17
ETERNITY
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.
John 3:16, 36; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13;Revelation 20:15
MAN
Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have fellowship with God, but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11
SALVATION
The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God and it cannot be earned through our own efforts.
Isaiah 1:18; 53:5-6; 55:7; Matthew 1:21; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24;Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-18;3:23-25; 5:8-10; 6; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 2:8-10;Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 3:20
THE CHURCH
The church is a local community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. It is committed to the teachings of Christ, to obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the gospel to the world. The Church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.
Matthew 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:10-12; 5:22-32; Colossians 1:18; 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3
srf CORE VALUES
WE BELIEVE GOD WROTE THE BOOK ON HOW TO LIVE
We value the scriptures as God’s written authority; therefore we will be diligent in teaching the written Word of God in a variety of effective ways and promoting authentic living according to the scriptures.
WE BELIEVE CHRIST DIED, BUT HE’S NOT DEAD
We value the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; therefore we will give emphasis to the sharing of the death and resurrection of our Lord through the ministries of our church.
WE NEED TO CONVERSE WITH GOD ON A REGULAR BASIS
We value prayer as reliance on God; therefore we will encourage personal and corporate prayer within all our ministries.
WE ARE ALL PERFECTLY IMPERFECT
We value people, who are created in the image of God; therefore we will promote a spirit of grace, mercy and compassion toward every person with the intent of seeing them enjoy fellowship with the Lord.
WE BELIEVE AFTER GOD, FAMILY COMES FIRST
We value the family as God’s ordained foundation of society; therefore we will offer assistance to the strengthening of the home with the intent of seeing an increasing number of homes where Christ is honoured.
WE ARE GOD’S PRIMARY PLAN, NOT HIS BACKUP PLAN
We value the local church as God’s primary instrument in advancing His kingdom on earth; therefore we welcome within the church a spirit of excellence, celebration, anticipation, spontaneity and flexibility, and we will give priority to local churches in our worldwide outreach.
it’s all about JESUS
JESUS IS MORE THAN A MAN, A PROPHET OR A NICE GUY
Jesus is the Son of God.
He is eternal. He existed with God before the earth was formed. He lived 33 years on earth as a man without sin. He is alive today at the Father’s right hand in heaven.
Jesus was born of a virgin.
He performed countless miracles. He challenged religious leaders. He forgave sins. He was willingly executed.
AND HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD
What does all this mean?
It means Jesus is who He claimed to be. He is the Son of God. He is the Saviour of the world. When He died on the cross, it was for the sins of every man, woman and child. When He rose from the grave, He conquered death once and for all.
There is nothing you can do that Jesus will not forgive.
He forgave Zaccheus, a dishonest tax collector. He forgave an adulterer and a thief. He forgave Paul, who zealously murdered Christians. And He is still forgiving people today.
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN
You cannot earn your way to heaven. It is only possible through a personal relationship with Jesus. It’s really quite simple. Here’s how it works:
BELIEVE
Acknowledge that Jesus is who He claimed to be, that He died for your sins and rose from the dead.
REPENT
This means two things. First, be sincerely sorry for the things you have done (sin) that offend God. Have you ever told a little white lie? Taken anything that didn’t belong to you? Said an unkind word? It’s not just the big things like murder that offend God; it’s the little things, too. Second, commit to change.
CONFESS
Profess your faith in Jesus.
If you have chosen to have a personal relationship with Jesus, let us know. We would love to get you connected with other believers, who can help you grow in your faith.
If you want to know exactly it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus, we’d love to talk about it, and do our best to answer any questions you may have.
Contact us at info@srfconnect.com or (902) 865-3814.