What We Believe
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; John 6:27; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8
He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He reigns with providential care over the universe and the flow of human history goes according to His purposes and plan.
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 139:7-10; Isaiah 46:9; Romans 11:33; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 1:17; Revelation 19:6
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus has eternally existed and became man at His incarnation. He lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He bodily arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; 28:6; John 1:1-4; 14:3; 20:27-28; Acts 15:16; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 7:25; 8:6; 12:2; 1 Peter 2:22; 3:18; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 3:21
He is the third person of the Trinity. He guides men into all truth, exalts Christ, convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, bestows spiritual gifts by which believers serve God and seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the lives of believers is the assurance of God to bring us into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 7:39; 14:16-17, 26; 16:8-11; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-13, 28-31; 13:8-12; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, 13
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be separated from God is to exist eternally in Hell. To be in union with Him is eternal life in Heaven. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it has salvation for its end and is truth without any mixture of error.
Psalm 19:7-11; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 5:18; John 10:34-35; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19
People are made in the image of God and are the supreme object of God’s creation. All of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. Sin separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Habakkuk 2:4; John 1:11-12; 3:3-17; 10:28-29; Acts 13:39; Romans 2;4; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 4:2; 1 Peter 1:18-23; 2 Peter 1:4; 2:1; 1 John 5:11-13
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of believers who are associated by their common faith in and fellowship with Jesus Christ. A local church is to observe the two ordinances: (1) baptism and (2) the Lord’s Supper. The church should exercise their God-given gifts and extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. The church is an autonomous body serving under the Lordship of Christ. All members are equally responsible as they serve with the scriptural officers of the church which are pastors, elders, and deacons.
Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:6-8; Acts 6:3; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:3-6:23; 1Thessalonians 4:16-18
Baptism
We believe that scriptural baptism must be: (1) by being completely immersed under the water and (2) after salvation. Baptism has no saving power but is the first act of obedience symbolizing (1) the believer’s faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, (2) the believer’s death to sin and resurrection to walk anew in Christ, and (3) the Christian’s belief that he will die, be buried, and that Jesus will resurrect him from the dead. Acts 8:26-39; Romans 6:4, 5; Colossians 2:12
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ but have not participated in believer’s baptism, we would like to invite you to follow through in this step of your faith. For questions or more information please email Lara at lara@thegbf.com.
The Lord’s Supper
The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a time for believers to remember and celebrate what Christ has done for us on the cross, his death, burial and resurrection. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a time for believers to remember and celebrate what Christ has done for us on the cross, his death, burial and resurrection.
The accounts of the Lord’s Supper are found in the Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:17-25; Luke 22:7-22; and John 13:21-30). The apostle Paul wrote concerning the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. In keeping with Paul’s instruction, we should examine ourselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Marriage is an institution ordained by God from the foundation of the world and intended as a lifelong union of one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:22-32, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Romans 1:18-32