What We Teach

Our God

Jesus asked His followers, “Who do you think that I am?” Your response to this question will determine not only your values and lifestyle, but your eternal destiny as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE?

Who do you say he is?

Jesus is God

While Jesus was on earth there was much confusion about who He was. Some thought He was a wise man or a great prophet. Others thought He was a madman. Still others couldn’t decide or didn’t care. But Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). That means He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh. Many people today don’t understand that Jesus claimed to be God. They’re content to think of Him as little more than a great moral teacher. But even His enemies understood His claims to deity. That’s why they tried to stone Him to death (John 5:18; 10:33) and eventually had Him crucified (John 19:7).

Jesus is Holy

God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). As God, Jesus embodied every element of God’s character. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

He was perfectly holy (Hebrews 4:15). Even His enemies couldn’t prove any accusation against Him (John 8:46). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Jesus is the Savior

Our failure to obey God–to be holy–places us in danger of eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The truth is, we cannot obey Him because we have neither the desire nor the ability to do so.

We are by nature rebellious toward God (Ephesians 2:1-3). The Bible calls our rebellion “sin.”

According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23). And we are incapable of changing our sinful condition.

This doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. We might even be involved in various religious or humanitarian activities. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own. As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.” (Romans 3:10-12).

God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death: “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s hard for us to understand because we tend to evaluate sin on a relative scale, assuming some sins are less serious than others. However, the Bible teaches that all acts of sin are the result of sinful thinking and evil desires. That’s why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. We need to be changed inwardly so our thinking and desires are holy. Jesus is the only one who can forgive and transform us, thereby delivering us from the power and penalty of sin: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior, who paid the penalty and died for sinners: “Christ … died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice, thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” He alone is “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).

Jesus is the Lord

Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him.

The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Confessing Jesus as Lord means humbly submitting to His authority (Philippians 2:10-11). Believing that God has raised Him from the dead involves trusting in the historical fact of His resurrection–the pinnacle of Christian faith and the way the Father affirmed the deity and authority of the Son (Romans 1:4; Acts 17:30-31).

True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is more than simply being sorry for sin. It is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin and pursue holiness (Isaiah 55:7). Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); and “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings” (John 8:31).

Jesus is the Judge

All who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior will one day face Him as their Judge: “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

Second Thessalonians 1:7-9 says, “And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.”

How will You Respond?

Lets get back to Jesus' question, “Who do you think that I am?”

The answer is that Jesus is the living God, the Holy One, the Savior, the sovereign Lord, and the righteous Judge.

Who do you say Jesus is?

That is the inescapable question. He alone can redeem you–free you from the power and penalty of sin. He alone can transform you, restore you to fellowship with God, and give your life eternal purpose.

Will you repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Our Mission

Lost people saved,
Saved people matured,
Mature people multiplied,
All to the glory of God!

All to the glory of God...

We desire to make disciples of Jesus Christ who obey his commands as they worship Christ, walk with Christ and work for Christ (1 John 2:4-6).

It is our hope that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we would grow to maturity in bearing the responsibility of caring for one another in the context of loving relationships and mutual ministry within the local church, rather than allowing one or a few pastors to take total responsibility for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). It's not about one or a small number of pastors bearing the total responsibility to care for the entire congregation, but rather it's about all disciples using their God-given spiritual gifts to provide mutual ministry in the context of the vibrant and strong local church.

Calvary Community offers an array of opportunities for every disciple to grow in relationship to Jesus Christ and connect with others. These opportunities include dynamic weekend worship services, small groups, and fellowship activities.

Our Doctrine

God

We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God of truth and without iniquity, He is just and right (Deuteronomy 32:4) and He shall judge the world (Psalm 9:8).

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20;Acts 4:3-4).

Jesus Christ

We believe in the total deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He is the manifestation of God in the flesh. We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe Him to be true God and true man (John 1:1, 1:14, 1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16).

Holy Spirit

We believe in the total deity of the Holy Spirit and that His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14). The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts and empowers the believer for godly living (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:13; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment (John 16:8-11).

Scriptures

We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament are inspired by God and inerrant in their original writings. We believe the Scriptures are God’s sufficient revelation and therefore carry God’s authority for the total well-being of mankind (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16).

Man

We believe man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker but, by voluntarily transgressing, fell from his sinless and happy state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful. All people are sinners not only by inheritance, but by their own choice and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 1:18, Romans 1:32; Romans 5:1-2).

Salvation

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that each person who believes is justified on the basis of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross. Each person who believes in Christ is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes eternally secure as a child of God. We believe the Holy Spirit baptizes each believing person into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation and that there is no second baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:37-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

Resurrection

We believe in the resurrection of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26).

Heaven, Hell and the Return of Christ

We believe in the “blessed hope”: the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. His return has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal destruction in hell. (Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28;Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8).

Church

Upon believing in Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes part of His body, which is the church. There is one church universal, composed of all those throughout the world who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The Scriptures command believers to gather in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s supper), fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to make disciples of all believers (Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20).

Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church – under the oversight of elders and other supportive leadership. The church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:16).:16).

Missions

Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples around the world (Matthew 28:19-20).

Our Pillars

Bold preaching, Expository and applicational

We will fearlessly proclaim the truth about God and His Gospel by preaching the Scriptures in context with a dependence on the Holy Spirit to bring eternal life change. (II Timothy 4:1-5, Hebrews 4:12, I Corinthians 2:1-5)

Fervent prayer, Dependent and expectant

We will seek the Lord, His will, and His way with hearts humble before Him and confident in His plan. (Psalm 86:1, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16)

Passionate Worship, Spirit and Truth

We will join our voices and lives with worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and people to exalt Jesus Christ, responding to His matchless name. (Mark 12:30, John 4:23-24, John 12:32)

Purposeful Disciple-making, intentional and in community

We will unreservedly give ourselves to the multiplication and maturation of Jesus’s disciples in the pursuit of Christ-likeness together. (Mathew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:3-8)

Discipleship

Calvary Community is a church that is passionate about discipleship! Our focus is not a quantity of disciples... but rather a quality of discipleship! It is our hope as disciples of Jesus Christ, that we would grow to maturity and resemble our Lord.

First, a Disciple is a person who Worships Christ

To worship Christ, you must know Jesus and trust Him as your only hope of salvation. People who worship Christ will have the desire to connect with God and others who love Him. Every disciple of Jesus Christ will worship Him with every aspect of their life (Romans 12:1-2). Our weekend service provides a great opportunity to worship corporately with other disciples through the preaching of God's Word, giving, singing, prayer, and fellowship.

Second, a Disciple is a person who Walks with Christ

Once people begin to worship Christ, they realize their need to walk with Christ and make a commitment to spiritual growth and maturity. The best place for this to happen is in the context of small groups. In a small group you will develop significant relationships with others who can encourage and challenge you to consistently apply the truths of God's Word to each area of your life (Ephesians 5:1-20).

Third, a Disciple is a person who Works for Christ

When people walk with Christ, they desire to work for Christ by contributing their gifts and abilities to the building up of the church. There will be many opportunities for you to serve at Calvary Community. We believe the disciples of Jesus should minister to one another in the local church, rather than one or a small number of professional pastors bearing total responsibility to care for the entire congregation. God has given spiritual gifts to all of His people to work for Him in the context of a healthy local church (Ephesians 4:11-12).

However, a disciple that works for Christ in the church must also work for Christ outside of the church. The greatest way that this can take place is through evangelism. Calvary Community believes that every member of the body is called to full-time ministry in their sphere of influence (family, work, school, neighborhood, hobbies, etc.). Every part of a Christian's life is an opportunity to work for Christ and His glory (1 Corinthians 10.33; Matthew 5:13-16).

Church Government

Calvary Community is committed to the Bible’s teaching that men who hold the offices of Elder and Deacon are to oversee various functions of the local church.

The Elders’ Primary Responsibilities

Doctrine: Ensuring that the doctrine of the church is biblical; all doctrinal issues in the church will be settled by the Board of Elders;

Direction: Ensuring that the direction of the church is consistent with the Calvary Community statement of purpose and the four pillars;

Discipline: Administering in love and humility the process of church discipline as outlined in Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-4; Titus 3:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; 1 Timothy 5:17-25; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and Romans 16:17.

Plurality of Elders

The Scriptures teach that a plurality of elders governed individual New Testament churches (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5; Philippians 1:1). The Scripture does not mention any congregations featuring a stand-alone pastor and leader. A plurality of godly elders, exercising their individual gifts, squares with the Scripture’s teaching that wisdom is found in a multitude of godly counselors (Proverbs 11:4; Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 19:20; Proverbs 24:6).

Deacons

The Bible teaches that Deacons “lead by serving” (Acts 6). The qualifications for Elders and Deacons are the same regarding an individual’s character, but they differ in aptitude. The elders are to be “able to teach” while the deacons are to be “able and proved as servants.”