The Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has always been and will always be active in our world, from the first day of creation until the day of the New Creation (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-5, Philippians 1:6, Revelation 22:13). God has revealed Himself to humanity from the start, walking in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve as Father (Genesis 2), taking on human flesh to live among us as Jesus the Christ (John 1:14), and dwelling today within every believing heart as the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). We know this is the God who is experienced in the events of human history, present in our everyday lives, and working to bring all things back to perfection on the day of Jesus’ return!

God the Father has loved us since the day of creation, setting out from the start to make humanity in His image for a glorious purpose: to enjoy a perfect relationship of love with Him in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:26-28). Even though we turned to sin and selfishness (Genesis 3), the Father never wavered in His grace-filled pursuit of His beloved and cherished possession (1 Peter 2:9-10), making a covenant with humanity to redeem us and set us free (Leviticus 26:11-13). In this life, the Father is our refuge and strength - a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). The Father is working all things together for the good of His children and making a way for us to be with Him again in perfect union and everlasting life in the New Creation (Romans 8:28, Revelation 21:3-5)!

Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man, completely holy and fully human: as such, Jesus is deeply familiar with sin and suffering but also the true Overcomer of these trials (Mark 1:1, Luke 19:10, Isaiah 53:3, Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, lived a sinless life of devotion to the Father and so gave Himself in love for the world (Luke 1:31-35, John 5:19-20, Matthew 9:12-13). Jesus was crucified because He disrupted the established powers of His day, was buried in a borrowed tomb, but was raised to life eternal on the third day (Luke 22-24). Jesus loved us to the fullest extent (John 13:1) - living to show us the Truth of who God is, dying to open the Way back to the Father for us, and winning Life for us forever through His resurrection (John 14:6, Titus 3:4-7). Jesus reigns even now as Lord on the Throne of Heaven, putting all things under His rule and bringing the completion of God’s redeeming work with Him when He returns (Acts 2:33-36, Revelation 3:20-21)!

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gifted us with the Holy Spirit, the very presence and power of God living within our hearts (Luke 24:49, Acts 2:33). Through the Holy Spirit, we receive wisdom and revelation to know God more (Ephesians 1:17). The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is a faithful reminder, like a seal on our hearts, guaranteeing our inheritance as children of God (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit fills our lives with the fruitfulness of God’s own character (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, our Comforter, and our Helper in every season of this life (John 14:16-17). By the Holy Spirit, the people of God walk in the same fullness of power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20)!

The Bible is the very Word of God, and so these Scriptures are at the center of our life together, guiding us into the will and ways of God (Joshua 1:8). The Scriptures are one, unbroken, God'-breathed story, telling us of God’s unwavering desire to love us, redeem us, and be with us forever. We trust and submit to its guidance, knowing that God will use it to make us more like Him every day (2 Timothy 3:16). We will not be swayed by popular beliefs or cultural perspectives that stand against the Word, bur rather we hold fast to its virtues and values as a counter-cultural witness to the truth of God (Colossians 2:8). We can be confident that the Word will not lead us astray because the Word took on flesh in Jesus Christ (John 1:3). He stands as a living testimony that devotion to the Word leads us back to an everlasting relationship with God Himself (John 14:6)!

Through our relationship with God, we receive our true identity - beloved children, known deeply and loved unconditionally (Psalm 139:14, Isaiah 43:4, Romans 8:16, Galatians 3:26). We are the recipients of an unending outpouring of grace - grace to be saved (Ephesians 2:8), grace to be made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and grace to be transformed more and more into people who live like Jesus (Romans 8:29). This grace is profoundly offered to us in our daily living as well as in the sacraments of Baptism and Communion - holy encounters with God that remind us we are precious, prized, forgiven, and free. All this is a gift from God, and He asks us simply to believe it is true and ours through His grace (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10)!

By our common faith in Jesus, we are united as one family called the Church, working together side by side in love through the empowering of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:1, Galatians 3:26-29, Ephesians 4:3-7). The Church welcomes all those who would long for God, offering the great invitation to believe in Jesus’ sacrifice and surrender to His Lordship, and in so doing become part of One Body with Jesus as our Head (Romans 15:7, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14). Even now, the Holy Spirit is preparing us as a spotless Bride for Jesus, because we are the chosen inheritance of the Resurrected King (John 3:29, Ephesians 5:26-27, Revelation 19:7, Revelation 21:2, Ephesians 1:18). God Himself is building us together into a holy Temple to host His presence, and He fills His Church with the gifts of His Spirit for the common good (Matthew 18:20, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:4-10, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Because of this miraculous presence and power of God in the Church, we become partners with God in His glorious mission: to bring life and love to the world still lost in sin and darkness (2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Peter 2:9-10)!

We no longer live our lives for ourselves, but in service to Jesus, our Lord and King (Galatians 2:20). His Kingdom is right here and now, transforming lives and bringing wholeness to the broken places of this world (Mark 1:15, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 10:10). Where the world is in need of an awakening to God’s desire for every heart, we serve as messengers of the Kingdom of Heaven, offering the evidence of God’s goodness to all who would receive Him (2 Corinthians 5:20, Romans 13:11). Though this life presents many trials and tribulations, we do not lose heart - for our Savior Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33)! One day, Jesus will return in Final Victory to destroy sin and death, and we will live forever in the Eternal Kingdom of God’s goodness and love (Psalm 23:6, Revelation 20-22)!