WHO WE ARE:

Abundant Life Church is a church seeking to cling as closely as possible to the doctrinal, governmental, and practical principles found in the New Testament. People from many different denominations come here to worship Jesus and learn to live victorious, productive Christian lives. We hold to the following foundational doctrines on which we believe agreement is essential. Beyond these, we teach a wide body of beliefs which not necessarily everyone accepts, agreeing to disagree without causing division and strife or falling into vain arguments.

THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE:

We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, was verbally inspired by God through the Holy Spirit, and that it is literal truth and the basis for Christian conduct and worship.

THE TRINITY:

We believe that God has eternally existed, and will eternally exist, as revealed in three Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at once, unchanging, faithful, merciful, loving, just, and deeply and intimately concerned in the affairs of humanity as a group and as individuals.

SALVATION - THROUGH GRACE:

We believe that every human being has been born into a state of sin. That is, the condition of the heart of man is rebellion against God and love of self. We believe further that it is impossible for a person, no matter how good, to overcome his or her own sin. This sin condition condemns a person to eternal hell. He needs salvation through Jesus Christ who is the only Savior and Lord.

THE MEANS OF SALVATION:

We believe that salvation is a very costly gift of God -- one which He has completely paid for in the death of His only Son, Jesus. We believe that through His death on the cross, His shed blood, and His bodily resurrection, He has provided the means for every person to be saved. The necessary steps for us to take are the recognition of our sinful state, belief in His atoning death, and submission to Him as Lord. There is no good work which can be done to earn or merit in any way what has been paid for with coin far beyond our poor means.

WHO IS JESUS:

We believe that Jesus is God come to earth in the flesh, the second Person of the Trinity, both God and man. He was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless life, taught both earthly and heavenly wisdom to those who followed Him, was betrayed and delivered to be put to death, was cruelly beaten to purchase healing and deliverance for those who believe in Him, was crucified, died, and buried; that He descended into Hell where He preached the good news of release to the people gone before His time; that He rose on the third day in bodily form, demonstrating that return to His disciples on numerous occasions; that He ascended into heaven where He sits on the right hand of God, making intercession for the saints; that He will return in bodily form to the earth to claim the church, and to judge the living and the dead.

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God the Spirit sent by Jesus to be the Helper. As such He is our intercessor, comforter, advocate and counselor who reveals the Lord Jesus and brings Him Glory. We believe that we are to submit to the Holy Spirit by not resisting His work in the Church. Thus we believe that all the spiritual gifts are active in the church today and are not to be quenched or rejected by man's theology. We believe that the Holy Spirit lives within each believer, helps us have communion with God, imparts a new nature, gives us power over sin, opens the Word of God, and guides individuals as well as the whole church. We hold that each believer should choose to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ. Each believer should then ask for spiritual gifts which are to be used in an orderly fashion for the common good of the church community. We also believe that the Holy Spirit may touch a believer in such a powerful way that the believer experiences profound reactions to His presence. Such reactions may include laughter as an expression of joy, tears, shaking, falling to the floor, spiritual drunkenness, healings, and a deep sense of peace and joy. We are not to quench these reactions, yet all must be done in order and according to Scripture.