"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
We
believe God desires to bring us near to him so we can experience a full
life. From birth, though, we are separated from God because of our sin.
But God has opened access to himself by sending his Son Jesus Christ
to die in our place to take the just judgment for our sins.
We believe that the written record of Jesus Christ’s resurrection
from the dead provides us with certainty that God has accepted Jesus’
death for sinners and that God now forgives and receives us freely when
we trust Jesus Christ for eternal life.
We believe
that this fullness of life, which the Bible calls eternal life, is
God’s gift to us who believe, not the result of our achievement. This
gift of life will continue forever and rescues us from the eternal
separation and punishment of hell.
We believe that in his death for sin Jesus Christ laid the foundation for His second
coming when he will usher in a thousand years of world peace, a peace
resulting from his rule extending throughout the world. Following this
period of world peace, God will create a new heaven and earth where
believers will serve and enjoy God forever.
We believe
that the moment a person trusts Jesus Christ for eternal life the Holy
Spirit takes up residence in the person's life, giving him everything he needs to grow in his new relationship with God. The Holy Spirit
begins a life-long process in the believer, reshaping how he or she
thinks, acts and feels. This process frees the believer from being
pressed into the mold of the surrounding culture, so he can gain
fullness in their new life with Jesus Christ.
We believe
that God has established believers into a spiritual family called the
Church. When believers make a practical commitment to regularly meet
together to worship God and to serve and to encourage each other, they can
grow to spiritual maturity.
We invite you to believe in
Jesus, so you may receive eternal life. And we invite you to come
and to grow together with us in greater fullness in life.
How does a person get to Heaven?
The
obstacle to knowing God and to spending eternity with him in Heaven is
one’s sin. Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay the penalty for that
sin. When one believes that Jesus is God’s Son
and God raised him from the dead after he was crucified and
buried, that person is “born again” and can look forward to going to
Heaven when he or she dies. This is documented in the Bible by a conversation
Jesus had as recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 3.
Can a person be sure they will go to Heaven when they die?
The
Bible says that if a person “has the Son,” if a
person believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, that person has
eternal life. This is an iron-clad guarantee from God’s Word, the
Bible. You can read this promise in I John 5:11-13.
Different religions teach different ways to be at peace with God. How can a person arrive at certainty?
The
Bible records these words from Jesus in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one can come to the Father but through me.” There is no other person than Jesus Christ who has the clout to provide us with
acceptance and access to a holy God. This special relationship of acceptance with God cannot be
purchased, earned or bartered in any way. It is a gift. One must
believe in Jesus to see Heaven.
What is the process of growing spiritually at First Baptist?
We understand that spiritual growth happens over time
when we respond to the Word of God in the environment of supportive
relationships. At
First Baptist this process of spiritual development generally begins
with a person participating in our worship service on Sunday morning.
As a person becomes acquainted with the congregation, we like to invite
them to try one of our small group Bible studies, so they can study the
Bible in a setting of fellowship. In time, we encourage
people to develop formal or informal mentoring-type relationships.
Throughout this process we encourage people to find a place to use
their gifts to serve others.
Is First Baptist part of a denomination?
First Baptist is an independent Baptist church. We partner together with other churches and agencies in the community and around the world to serve others where we can.
