Statement of Faith

Statements of Faith

We Believe in One God Who Exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We believe there is only one God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 1:1) In the New Testament, time and time again we see the expression of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.

• God as Father, Jesus as Son and the Holy Spirit are in complete unity.
• All are a part of creation and vital to the salvation of the world with specific functions.
• God as Father is the master architect of the entire plan of creation.
• Jesus is the expression of God’s bridge between Himself and man.
• The Holy Spirit is the Revealer of Truth and serves as a down payment for salvation for eternity.
• The Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in The Father with the Holy Spirit as the Divine Interpreter. They are equal in purpose, equal in power, and equal in authority; completely and totally unified.
• Therefore, we conclude that there is one God manifest in three persons.
We Believe in Jesus Christ
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ was begotten, not created, very God of very God, truly God, truly Man. He was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a vicarious and atoning death for the sins of the world, resurrected bodily for our justification, and now reigns in glory until all things be put under His feet. (1 Timothy 3:16)

There are six things essential to our beliefs as a Christian:
• Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. God was His Father, and Mary was his mother.
• Mary was a virgin as the scripture records. In order for her to conceive it had to be supernatural: beyond natural.
• Jesus lived His life without sin. If He sinned in any way His blood would not have qualified to be poured on the mercy seat in Heaven. The scripture says that there can be no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.
• Jesus' death was for the sins of the world. My sin and your sin caused His death.
• Jesus was raised from the dead. This signified His supreme Lordship over death. Death was the natural result of our separation from God through sin. Physical death was a shadow of spiritual death.
• Jesus now reigns as the immortal, invisible King who will one day establish His rule on Earth at the appointed time.
We Believe in the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:16 - 17)

• The Holy Spirit sanctifies – sets us apart to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
• The Holy Spirit preserves – He keeps us until the day that Christ returns.
• The Holy Spirit comes within you when you accept Christ into your heart.
• The scriptures identify Him as “the one called alongside to help provide comfort, revelation regarding the will of God and teaching”.
We Believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an Endowment of Power
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an endowment of power, subsequent to conversion, given by God to anoint the believer for sanctification and evangelism. It is our understanding that the supernatural charisma of the Holy Spirit is active within the Body of Christ until the coming of the Lord. Furthermore, we believe the development of charismatic gifts ought to be encouraged under the guidance of local church authorities. (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience to salvation.
• Evidence of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by speaking in tongues and boldness as recorded in the book of Acts.
• The Holy Spirit within produces fruit for internal work.
• The Holy Spirit upon us produces power for external work.
• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a requirement of Salvation.
• We encourage you to ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
We Believe in the Holy Scriptures
We believe in the absolute inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, given by the Holy Spirit without error, as He moved upon holy men of old. Furthermore, we believe that the Church has no authority to establish doctrine or practice contrary to these same Scriptures, which were subsequently accepted as canon by the early Christian Church. (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Holy Bible is the word of God, written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

• All that we believe has its basis in the entirety of the scripture and the absolute truths that it contains. Absolutes are principles that stand alone.
• The Holy Scripture is our highest authority for establishing doctrine, reproving, instructing, convicting of sin, correction of error, and training in righteousness.
• The canon of scripture was established prior to the universal church's fragmentation into denominations. At the same time the scriptures were written, the universal church was still an organic body, not an institutional one.
We Believe in Justification by Grace through Faith
We believe that justification is by grace through faith in our Lord’s sacrifice on Calvary. (Romans 3:21 - 24)
• Alienation from God because of sin can only be corrected by grace through faith in what Jesus did in His death, burial and resurrection.
• Jesus Christ, through His death, satisfied the requirement, or standards, established by God. He becomes our substitution.
• God’s entire wrath against disobedience (sin) was taken out on Jesus on the cross. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
We Believe in Sanctification
We believe that those who are called by the name of Christ should depart from iniquity. Understanding that salvation from the penalty of sin only begins the process of redemption, we acknowledge that one work of the Holy Spirit is to create in us the character of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:19) In order to achieve this new character, we believe:
• our walk matches your talk,
• we have been free from the power of sin,
• in a lifestyle change in every arena of life: mental, spiritual and physical.
• in a life that reflects the nature and character of Jesus Christ.
We Believe in Baptism
We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, subsequent to conversion. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4)

• Baptism is a command. Everyone who confesses Christ should be baptized.
• Baptism comes from the word “baptize” which means to immerse.
• Baptism represents a burial of the old way of life and mindset.
• Baptism is not a prerequisite to salvation.
• Agape Life Church does not baptize infants.
• Baptism is to be participated in when the concept it represents can be fully understood by the participant.
• We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ in accordance with the scriptural record.
• Jesus was baptized as a way of identifying with us as sinners.
We Believe in the Equipping of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry
We believe that the calling of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher are functional within the Body of Christ until the Lord’s return. Furthermore, these ministries are gifts to the Church for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, that the Body of Christ will be edified. (Ephesians 4:11-16) We believe that the ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are still in operation today. (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher)

• The role of these gifts is the equipping of the believers for the work of the ministry.
• These gifts are expressed within the context of a local community of believers.
• We need to exercise balance and sensitivity in allowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives.
• Gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be manifest decently and in order in a church service under the leading of the ministry oversight.
We Believe in the Unity of the Church
We believe in the spiritual unity of all who are born of God through the confession of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

• We do not disassociate from other churches that profess Jesus Christ but may have different doctrinal beliefs or cultural ways of worshiping the Lord.
• We don’t major on the minors.
• We want to build bridges not walls.
We Believe in the Priesthood of the Believer
We believe in the priesthood of the believer. That is to say, all people born of God have equal status before, and direct access to, their Lord. (1 Peter 2:5)

• You can have a relationship with God without having a human mediator.
• Jesus is our mediator to God.
• We all have equal status and access to God through Jesus Christ.
• We have a responsibility as priests to minister to those who don’t have a relationship with the Lord and to fellow believers
We Believe in the Local Church
We believe the identity of the Body of Christ on the earth is primarily perceived through the local church. While encouraging the voluntary association of local churches, and recognizing the need of consensus on matters of fundamental doctrine and conduct, we strongly confess the local church to be sovereign and autonomous.
(Revelation 2-3)

• Every individual who professes a relationship with Jesus Christ should be involved in a local community of believers.
• The local church should represent Jesus Christ to the community.
• The local church is a place of accountability and covering.
We Believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
We believe in the literal second coming of our Lord, the literal rule of Christ upon the earth, the resurrection of the regenerate to eternal life and the unregenerate to eternal damnation, and the ultimate victory of the eternal Kingdom of God.(Acts 1:9-11, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 22:1 -7)

• Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, is still alive today.
• Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God and He is interceding on our behalf daily.
• Jesus Christ’s rule (government) will literally be established in the earth.
• We await His literal return to the Earth.

Philosophy of Ministry- Pastor Kevin Davis 

Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV)11 And He (God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;12 For the perfecting (maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (mature) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:God, through the Apostle Paul tells us the purpose of ministry and from here I draw my inspiration, direction and methodology of ministry.I as a pastor/teacher, have be given by God himself to His people. Since I am a gift I cannot serve my own purpose but the purpose of the Giver for the benefit of the recipients (the church). I know that ministry will challenge not only me but my entire family and I believe we all have been called to do the work of ministry in different ways including but not limited to prayer and visitations, teaching/preaching, counseling, mentoring/disciplining, training and vision casting, etc.I as a pastor/teacher am needed by the church BUT I cannot bear the burden alone. The Bible tells me here that I need others with different gifts than me to deliver a well-rounded Christian experience. Teachers tend to instruct but may not always inspire, give strong rebuke, or provide specialized information like marriage, single, financial planning or spiritual gift assessment. As the pastor, I believe it is my responsibility to provide the sheep with the information that they need. If it is not an area that I am particularly knowledgeable in then it is my responsibility to vet the person I bring in to minister.As a pastor/teacher I do not want God's people to be dependent on me but on God. Therefore, it is my personal mission in ministry to give members and visitors the information they need to mature in their faith.  I teach from a practical standpoint because I want everyone to able to formulate a plan for their lives based on their understanding of the Word of God.  I know that every Biblical truth cannot be taught in 3 easy steps but I do believe that the entire Bible is understandable and applicable to every age, race, creed, color and economical class. We just have to try to reach them on their level. As the saints mature, Paul says here that they need to do the work of ministry. Now that you have been served... Serve others. As a pastor, it is my responsibility, with the help of other ministry leaders, to challenge every believer to get involved in ministry. First, I must make sure opportunities are available. Since everyone does not have the same skill and experience. The pastor must assure that varying levels of responsibility are available in various areas of interest so that everyone has an opportunity to serve. Second, I must provide training opportunities so that the believer can move beyond just doing ministry to perfecting or maturing in ministry. When believers continue to develop in ministry we build the Body of Christ.As the pastor of the church it is my desire to build the church but more importantly I want to build the Body of Christ. I realize that even though I spend hours and energy teaching and training, counseling and coaching many will not stay. The Lord will move them off to different ministries, different cities, different states and even countries but when they go it is my desire that they will be prepared to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ successfully.As the Pastor it is my responsibility to keep my ear to Heaven for the God given direction for the church both local (Individual) and universal (all churches). I preach and teach unity of the Body of Christ. In order for that to happen we must let love cover some differences so we can have unity in our faith; the life, death, resurrection, ascension and soon coming return of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.Effective ministry fosters a personal relationship with Christ but as the pastor it is my responsibility to introduce or re-introduce all the different aspects of Jesus throughout the Bible both old and new testament. The more we understand Jesus and His love for us, the more we will be inspired to live a life that is pleasing to Him and the Heavenly Father.

Statement of Faith

Statements of Faith

We Believe in One God Who Exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

We believe there is only one God, revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 1:1) In the New Testament, time and time again we see the expression of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.

• God as Father, Jesus as Son and the Holy Spirit are in complete unity.

• All are a part of creation and vital to the salvation of the world with specific functions.

• God as Father is the master architect of the entire plan of creation.

• Jesus is the expression of God’s bridge between Himself and man.

• The Holy Spirit is the Revealer of Truth and serves as a down payment for salvation for eternity.

• The Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in The Father with the Holy Spirit as the Divine Interpreter. They are equal in purpose, equal in power, and equal in authority; completely and totally unified.

• Therefore, we conclude that there is one God manifest in three persons.

We Believe in Jesus Christ

There are six things essential to our beliefs as a Christian:

• Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. God was His Father, and Mary was his mother.

• Mary was a virgin as the scripture records. In order for her to conceive it had to be supernatural: beyond natural.

• Jesus lived His life without sin. If He sinned in any way His blood would not have qualified to be poured on the mercy seat in Heaven. The scripture says that there can be no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.

• Jesus' death was for the sins of the world. My sin and your sin caused His death.

• Jesus was raised from the dead. This signified His supreme Lordship over death. Death was the natural result of our separation from God through sin. Physical death was a shadow of spiritual death.

• Jesus now reigns as the immortal, invisible King who will one day establish His rule on Earth at the appointed time.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers, conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 8:16 - 17)

• The Holy Spirit sanctifies – sets us apart to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

• The Holy Spirit preserves – He keeps us until the day that Christ returns.

• The Holy Spirit comes within you when you accept Christ into your heart.

• The scriptures identify Him as “the one called alongside to help provide comfort, revelation regarding the will of God and teaching”.

We Believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an Endowment of Power

• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience to salvation.

• Evidence of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated by speaking in tongues and boldness as recorded in the book of Acts.

• The Holy Spirit within produces fruit for internal work.

• The Holy Spirit upon us produces power for external work.

• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a requirement of Salvation.

• We encourage you to ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

We Believe in the Holy Scriptures

The Holy Bible is the word of God, written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

• All that we believe has its basis in the entirety of the scripture and the absolute truths that it contains. Absolutes are principles that stand alone.

• The Holy Scripture is our highest authority for establishing doctrine, reproving, instructing, convicting of sin, correction of error, and training in righteousness.

• The canon of scripture was established prior to the universal church's fragmentation into denominations. At the same time the scriptures were written, the universal church was still an organic body, not an institutional one.

We Believe in Justification by Grace through Faith

We believe that justification is by grace through faith in our Lord’s sacrifice on Calvary. (Romans 3:21 - 24)

• Alienation from God because of sin can only be corrected by grace through faith in what Jesus did in His death, burial and resurrection.

• Jesus Christ, through His death, satisfied the requirement, or standards, established by God. He becomes our substitution.

• God’s entire wrath against disobedience (sin) was taken out on Jesus on the cross. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

We Believe in Sanctification

• our walk matches your talk,

• we have been free from the power of sin,

• in a lifestyle change in every arena of life: mental, spiritual and physical.

• in a life that reflects the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

We Believe in Baptism

We believe that all of God’s people are to be buried with our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, subsequent to conversion. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4)

• Baptism is a command. Everyone who confesses Christ should be baptized.

• Baptism comes from the word “baptize” which means to immerse.

• Baptism represents a burial of the old way of life and mindset.

• Baptism is not a prerequisite to salvation.

• Agape Life Church does not baptize infants.

• Baptism is to be participated in when the concept it represents can be fully understood by the participant.

• We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ in accordance with the scriptural record.

• Jesus was baptized as a way of identifying with us as sinners.

We Believe in the Equipping of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry

• The role of these gifts is the equipping of the believers for the work of the ministry.

• These gifts are expressed within the context of a local community of believers.

• We need to exercise balance and sensitivity in allowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in our lives.

• Gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be manifest decently and in order in a church service under the leading of the ministry oversight.

We Believe in the Unity of the Church

We believe in the spiritual unity of all who are born of God through the confession of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

• We do not disassociate from other churches that profess Jesus Christ but may have different doctrinal beliefs or cultural ways of worshiping the Lord.

• We don’t major on the minors.

• We want to build bridges not walls.

We Believe in the Priesthood of the Believer

We believe in the priesthood of the believer. That is to say, all people born of God have equal status before, and direct access to, their Lord. (1 Peter 2:5)

• You can have a relationship with God without having a human mediator.

• Jesus is our mediator to God.

• We all have equal status and access to God through Jesus Christ.

• We have a responsibility as priests to minister to those who don’t have a relationship with the Lord and to fellow believers

We Believe in the Local Church

(Revelation 2-3)

• Every individual who professes a relationship with Jesus Christ should be involved in a local community of believers.

• The local church should represent Jesus Christ to the community.

• The local church is a place of accountability and covering.