WHAT WE BELIEVE

THE GOOD NEWS

The reason we are here is to tell you about Jesus.

Everything we do as a church is because of God's gift of forgiveness through His Son, Jesus.  More than anything else, we want you to know that God loves you and has a plan for your life!

Many spend their lives trying to earn God's approval by following rules, attending religious services, or being a good person; the truth is that the only way to a fulfilling life and eternity in heaven is through a relationship with God.

1. God loves you.
Because God loves everyone, He desires that you have a relationship with Him.
(John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-5)

2.  You are a sinner.
Everyone sins - disobeys God.  Sin is choosing to go your own way and do your own thing. 
(Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10)

3.  Sin separates you from God.
Sin forms a barrier between you & God.  As a sinner, you can't have a relationship with Him.  You are headed for an eternal separation from God - hell.    (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23)

4.  You can't fix it!
People often think that through their efforts they can overcome the sin barrier.  That isn't true.   There is nothing you can do to restore the broken relationship with God.  You can't earn God's salvation.  (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5, Romans 4:4-5)

5.  God sent Jesus to fix it!
What you cannot do for yourself, Jesus Christ has done for you!  The Good News is that Jesus died on the cross for you and rose from the dead to demonstrate that His payment was acceptable to God.  By taking your punishment on Himself, Jesus made a way for you to reconnect with God. 
(1 Peter 2:23; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:9)

6.  You can receive Jesus Christ through faith.
Faith is trusting in what Jesus has done for you rather than trusting your own efforts.  It is a complete reliance on Christ to restore you into His family, allowing Him to live His life through you.  Faith also involves genuine sorrow for sin and a willingness to turn away from it. 
(John 14:6; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10)

7.  Through prayer you can trust in Jesus Christ!  
Admit to God that you are a sinner and be willing to turn away from your sin.  Ask God for forgiveness.  Invite Jesus into your life as Savior and Lord.  Commit yourself to live for Him.

AFFILIATIONS 

Organizations with which we are associated:

• The Blue Ridge Baptist Association is made up of other Baptist churches in the Tristate area for the purpose of reaching more people for Christ.

• The Maryland/Delaware Baptist Convention works together to impact these states for the cause of Christ.

• The Southern Baptist Convention is made up of about 45,000 churches and about 16 million members.  SBC churches include many races, nationalities and ethnic groups.  Each Sunday, services are held in over 110 languages.  

Why not just an independent church?
We are an independent church!  Every SBC church is completely independent.  We voluntarily affiliate ourselves.  There is no denominational control or hierarchy.  Each church is self-governed and determines its own affairs.

What are the advantages?

• It allows us to identify ourselves with other Christians around the world who are known for their commitment to the Bible.  Unlike other groups, the SBC has no man-made creed...the Bible is our sole authority.

• It allows our church to participate in the largest missionary organization in the world.  Through the SBC's "Cooperative Program," we help support over 9,000 career missionaries in 125 countries.

• It allows us to be a part of a tremendous volunteer force.  Each year about 100,000 people participate in short-term mission and disaster relief projects.