OUR BELIEFS

GOD - OUR CREATOR

God is the creator of the universe. He is the only true and living god who eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. God, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, desires to be actively, intimately, and creatively involved in the lives of people everywhere.
Psalm 90:2; Genesis 1:1

JESUS CHRIST - OUR SAVIOR

Jesus, the Son, is both fully human and fully God. He was sent to earth as a human, but retained his deity. Jesus was sent as the messenger and example of God’s love for humanity. He lived a sinless life and became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Jesus died on the cross and rose again, demonstrating God’s power over sin and death. We come into relationship with Jesus when we recognize our sinful state, repent, and then endeavor to live daily following his example.
Hebrews 2:18; Hebrews 4:15

HOLY SPIRIT - OUR CONSTANT COMPANION

Holy Spirit lives to compel, comfort, equip and empower people. He lives to make people aware of their need for Jesus. He lives to equip and empower the followers of Jesus with gifts and guidance to carry out the Great Commission; to share the Gospel with people everywhere.
Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:25

THE BIBLE - HIS WRITTEN WORD

The Bible is God’s written word to humanity, inspired by God but written by human beings. The Bible teaches about God’s love for humanity, his reason for sending Jesus to Earth, his purpose, and his plans for using people to spread that same message of love. The Bible is historically reliable and serves as a guide for daily living. It’s the only book of its age whose author is still living.
Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

THE CHURCH

Made up of many members with various functions, the church is the earthly representation of the body of Christ with Jesus as its head. The church operates to equip its members to daily live in the love, peace, grace and power of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 12:27

SIN AND SALVATION

Sin came into the world when Adam disobeyed God. Everybody born since then is born with a sin nature. Jesus was sent as the answer to that sin nature. Salvation is a gift from God, that when people trust in Jesus, accepting God’s offer of forgiveness, they are saved from the penalties of sin. Salvation cannot be earned.
Romans 1:16; John 3:19; Romans 6:23

SATAN AND HELL

Satan is the author of sin and the reason for the fall of man. Though still an active agent of darkness, turmoil and confusion in the earth, Satan is aware of his coming destination of eternal punishment in hell along with those in humanity who reject God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The scriptures make it clear that God desires no person to end up there and that the only means of escape is acceptance of his plan for salvation.
Luke 16:19-31; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Corinthians 11:3

OUR PRACTICES

BIBLE STUDY

Because we recognize the Bible as foundational to every believer’s faith, we encourage corporate and private study of the Bible. Everything we do stems from our understanding of its teachings.
2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:11; Acts 17:11-12

WORSHIP

While we recognize that worship is a lifestyle, we also encourage followers of Jesus to worship him freely in corporate and private settings. As examples, the Bible teaches about raising hands, bowing down, waving, dancing, shouting, singing and waiting before God. Done in an orderly fashion as directed by the Holy Spirit, all such practices are demonstrated at Abundant Life.
Psalm 119:45; Psalm 95:6; Psalm 63:4

PRAYER

Prayer is foundational to believers of Jesus. It’s one of several forms of communication with the creator, author and finisher of our faith. The Bible offers much instruction about how to pray.
1 Timothy 2:1-4; Luke 11:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17

COMMUNION

The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, known as communion, is taught and offered as a reminder to followers of Jesus of the sacrifice he made for humanity. At Abundant Life, communion is served once a month in the form of a wafer and cup of grape juice.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

BAPTISM

Baptism, in the form of immersion in water, is an expression of obedience to Jesus Christ, who commanded it and submitted to it. Baptism demonstrates that we are believers in Jesus, that we identify with the burial and resurrection of Jesus and that we are his followers. Because submitting to baptism is an intentional act of obedience, it is reserved for those old enough to comprehend its meaning. At Abundant Life, babies, therefore, are not baptized but rather are dedicated to God by their parents, who are pledging to raise the infant in the teachings of Jesus not only in word but in deed.
Mark 1:9; Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 6:4

GIFTS

The Bible teaches that gifts are given by God to his followers for the building up of the body of Christ. Because the Bible is the infallible word of God, receiving, imparting and growing in all the gifts is not only taught but encouraged.
1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:6-8; Hebrews 2:4

TITHING

The Bible teaches that followers of God are to give him a tithe (10 percent) of their income as an act of obedience and that whatever is given is offered freely and cheerfully. Since its inception, Abundant Life has operated on these principles. Special offerings are collected occasionally to allow members to sow into others’ ministries, but tithes and offerings are routinely received in a receptacle in the church lobby.
1 Corinthians 16:1-3; Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:1-7