1 Peter 2:5
And you are living stones that God is building
into His spiritual temple. -
CORE BELIEFS
These are the core beliefs of Living Stones Church.
Each area is grounded on Scripture.
Click each topic to read the Scriptures.
The Bible is the Word of God and complete Truth. All of our beliefs are founded and grounded on Scripture.
We believe in God, as the one and only true God.
He is the triune God, who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Trinity
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
God and His Kingdom are eternal.
He created the whole earth and universe, and He created people out of a special love
and purpose. We are created in the image of God to multiply and spread His glory.
God is love, and He desires a love relationship with us. Real love is only given by
choice. God’s adversary, the devil, is the source of evil. Evil battles the truth of God’s
love and provision and seeks to separate us from God – but is NO MATCH for the
power of GOD.
Sin, our choices against God’s holiness, is what separates us from God. We have all
fallen short of God’s glory and suffer because of our eternal separation.
God in His abounding love provided the only Way for people to repent and return to
Him. God’s own son, Jesus, conquered sin by living a perfect life and then offering it as
a sacrifice – a payment for all, and He defeated death in His resurrection.
Through this gift of grace and mercy, all who believe and confess Jesus as LORD are
reunited with God – forever.
Our salvation through Jesus is our righteousness and allows us to receive God’s Holy
Spirit. The Spirit works in us and through us to change our entire lives, purifying us to
live in holiness – separate and different from the world around us. Our obedience
brings glory to God and gives testimony to His grace.
Christ’s church is the collective union of Christians. Because of redemption in Jesus,
God inhabits His people – not a building. He reveals his power and glory through a
unified church. The church functions as a body with Jesus as the head – the one and
only leader. Reflecting Christ’s sacrificial love is what ultimately sets the church apart
and proves we belong to Him.
In receiving the gift and power of God’s grace, we are commissioned and empowered
to spread this Good News of salvation with everyone.
We work with urgency, because Jesus has promised to return. One day, Jesus will
come to rescue all who have chosen Him and return to bring God’s
Kingdom fully and completely to the earth, defeating evil FOREVER.
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Baptism is an outward expression and public confession of our surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It represents the spiritual cleansing we have in Jesus, and our commitment to a new life of holiness through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
We baptize by submersion to represent the full and complete cleansing from sin and covering of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is an act of obedience after choosing and receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord. (Baby dedication is separate from baptism.)
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Jesus instructed His followers to remember His sacrifice and example through sharing the Lord’s Supper (or Communion) together. The bread represents Jesus’ body, which was broken for us. The wine represents His blood, which was shed for our sins. In His last night with His disciples, Jesus demonstrated and taught them about His love. He told them to remember His love AND show that same kind of love to each other. Communion is intended to not only connect us intimately with Jesus, but also with each other – the body of Christ.
We have Communion in our worship service with bread and juice. Our Communion is open to all who are seeking to love and honor Jesus. We also encourage followers of Jesus to worship God in Communion with each other as families and small groups, remembering and choosing Jesus’ call for us to love one another as He loved us.