What
We Believe
If you’re considering trusting one or both of us for psychotherapy,
spiritual direction, consultation, or speaking to your group you might
wonder, “What do Bill and Kristi believe about the Christian
faith?” We’ve tried to summarize what we believe succinctly
and without using so many theological words that you’d be left
wondering what we really believed in our own hearts!
The Trinity
God is Three-in-One – Father, Son, and Spirit – an eternal community,
holy and loving.
The Father God, awesome as he is, reveals himself affectionately as
“Abba” or “Da Da.”
Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, is the only Savior to free us
from sin.
The Holy Spirit lives inside Christ-followers as Regenerator,
Comforter, and Counselor.
Father, Son, and Spirit invite us to join and share with others their
glorious fellowship.
Scripture
The Bible is the perfect, living Word of God that shows us how to live
life with God.
The law of God is good and pleasing; it’s the structure of grace and
the path of life.
Cover to cover the Bible points to Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior for
all who turn to him.
God still speaks to people today in ways that are consistent with the
Scriptures.
Human Nature, Sin, and Salvation
God desires that all people would enjoy the eternal, abundant life of
knowing him.
God created people “very good,” “crowned with glory and honor.”
God created people with eternal souls that need his LIFE: love,
identity, favor, enthusiasm.
We need God in our whole being: relationships, spirit, soul, body,
mind, heart, actions.
Sin is missing the mark of God’s holy law of love for God, others, and
ourselves.
We’ve inherited sin and chosen sin so we need to be forgiven and set
free by Christ.
Satan deceives people into sin, bringing death and destruction.
The human heart in isolation from God is “deceitful” and “desperately
wicked.”
Salvation is only through faith (trust) in God’s grace to us through
Jesus Christ.
The Christ-follower’s “new heart” longs to love God and others as we’ve
been loved.
The Purpose of Life
The joyful purpose of every breath is to interact with God in worship,
growth, and service.
Worship is adoring Father, Son, and Spirit soul-fully in our day-to-day
life.
Growth is becoming more and more like Christ in every dimension of our
souls.
Service is being Christ’s Ambassador, overflowing with God’s love to
reconcile souls to God.
Spiritual Formation (How People Grow)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom then God’s perfect love
removes our fear.
By trusting in and responding to God we can learn to obey everything
that Jesus taught.
To follow Jesus is to deny ourselves, giving up everything to love him
above all and in all.
Spiritual growth is inside-out: loving God and others as self with
heart, soul, mind, strength.
We need the vision, intention, and means to rely on God’s grace in
specific situations.
Loving, authentic relationships with people in the body of Christ
enable us to trust God.
Practicing spiritual disciplines like Scripture meditation, prayer, and
fasting helps us grow.
As we grow in faith God develops “ever-increasing glory” and beauty in
us.
Virtue and the Good Life
The life of virtue is the truly happy life and arises out of faith,
hope, and love.
Faith is trust in God, hope is anticipation of good, and love is giving
self away.
Faith without hope and love isn’t faith; it becomes intellectualized
and isolated.
Hope without faith and love isn’t hope; it becomes over-emotional and
self-absorbed.
Love without faith and hope isn’t love; it disconnects from God and
self.
The holy, whole life of Jesus in us grows the fruit of the Spirit -
blessing God, others, self.
The Church
The world-wide church is ordained by God to be Light in every corner of
our dark world.
Christ is Head of his church, including people from every tribe and
tongue.
The church is to fulfill the Great Commandment (Love) and Great
Commission (Discipleship).
God has ordained a rich variety of Christian faith traditions to help
us follow Jesus.
The local church is the place for every Christian to worship, grow, and
serve.
The Kingdom of God is Jesus right here, right now ready to govern our
lives gracefully.
The Lord is sovereign over all things, temporarily allowing evil and
pain for ultimate good.
One day Jesus will personally and visibly return to rule the earth with
the church.
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