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What We Believe
& What We Do
It is the desire of the leadership and
congregation at Grace Life Church that all who
come would feel welcome here and free to enter
into the joy of the Lord. The information below
will be helpful to your visit our first time
guests who may not be familiar with our style of
worship. Your questions or comments are always
welcomed.
Some would
define Grace Life Church with terms like
charismatic, Pentecostal, Spirit-filled, full
gospel, independent, and nondenominational.
These terms can vary widely in what is
communicated depending on the ideas, beliefs or
experience of the one using them or hearing
them. Some of these terms are becoming cloudier
and faded in what image they may create.
Christians are
part of Christ’s body that He is raising up to
proclaim His Kingdom, its power and its
promises. Col 1:24, “I now rejoice in my
sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what
is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the
sake of His body, which is the church.” Eph
1:22-23, “And He put all things under His feet,
and gave Him to be head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fullness of Him
who fills all in all.”
Each of us as individuals that are in Christ and
Christ is in us are members of His body. We
believe each individual church is a part of His
body comprised of the individual cells we all
represent. Each cell is significant and has an
important part to play in the life and health of
each church and community.
Question:
Who is Grace Life Church?
Answer: One part of the body of Christ,
doing its part to proclaim the Kingdom.
The
followings are some foundational beliefs that we
consider basic and essential:
• We believe
that the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired,
without error in the original manuscripts, and
the infallible rule and practice.
• We believe
that there is One Living and True God, eternally
existing in three persons- the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory;
that this triune God created all, upholds all
and governs all.
• We believe in
God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit,
perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love;
that He concerns Himself mercifully in the
affairs of men; that He hears and answers
prayer; that He saves from sin and death all who
come to Him through Jesus Christ.
• We believe in
Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived
by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin
birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, His
substitutionary atoning death, bodily
resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual
intercession of His people and personal, visible
return to earth. We believe in His first coming
Jesus inaugurated the fulfillment of the Kingdom
of God.
• We believe in
the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father
and Son to convict the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment and to regenerate,
sanctify and empower for ministry all who
believe in Christ; we believe the Holy Spirit
indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that
He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We
believe in the present ministry of the Holy
Spirit and in the exercise of the Biblical gifts
of the Spirit. We believe in the laying on of
hands for the empowering of the Holy Spirit, for
the ordination of pastors and leaders, and for
receiving gifts of the Spirit and for healing.
• We believe
that all men are sinners by nature and choice
and are therefore under condemnation, that God
regenerates and baptizes by the Holy Spirit
those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus
Christ as Lord.
• We believe in
the universal church, the living spiritual body,
of which Christ is the head and all regenerated
persons are members. We believe in the
priesthood, authority, and responsibility of the
believer to have free access to the presence of
the Father and to live a life separated from the
world.
• We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two
ordinances to the church: water baptism and the
Lord’s Supper. We hold to believer’s baptism in
water and communion that is open to every
believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe
there are additional covenant life expressions
evidenced in the Word of God, such as infant
dedication, marriage, fellowship meals, etc.
• We believe in
the personal, visible, appearing of Christ to
earth and the consummation of His kingdom; in
the resurrection of the body, the final
judgment, and eternal blessing of the righteous
and endless suffering of the wicked.
• We believe in
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What God has saved
us for is greater than what He saves us from.
Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus means a
total surrender of life and possessions to his
absolute control. We believe in honoring,
respecting, and obeying the church and civil
governments but reserve unquestioned obedience
for God alone. We see the believer’s first
loyalty to the Kingdom of God and to Christ the
King.
No
Liturgy, Written Prayers or Predetermined
Program.
We desire the Holy Spirit to lead people and
meetings rather than only be led by a set
routine or program. The leadership endeavors to
see God’s order in the service while also
meeting the needs of those present. Our desire
is to lift up Jesus Christ as we magnify Him
with our whole hearts. Come expecting to meet
with the Lord and His people, drawing love and
grace from Him and each other.
Prayer
Before The Service.
Some people come forward to ask for prayer, but
during this time most are preparing their hearts
to be ready to receive from the Lord or share
what He desires to say or do in the service. The
Lord wants His people to be willing and ready to
receive a word from Him or to be used to give a
word to the church. Pray to cleanse your heart
that you may stand before the Lord and be a fit
vessel that the gifts of the Spirit may manifest
through.
Songs
With Bible Reference
The songs used to worship the Lord are diverse
and usually projected on screen for
congregational singing. Some hymns are sung, but
mostly contemporary Christian songs that include
scripture verse and scripture paraphrase set to
music. In this, the Lord Jesus Christ is praised
and we are greatly encouraged by His life
through His own words!
Singing
In The Spirit.
“I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray
with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit
and I shall sing with the mind also” I Cor
14:15. Singing with the mind is singing in our
native language as described above. Singing with
the spirit (also called “tongues”), is singing
in the language (tongue), believers may receive
when baptized in the Holy Spirit, Who leads
these spontaneous choruses of worship (See Act
2:4 and I Cor. 14:3, 21-22) One voice, one mind,
one heart to love and glorify Jesus!
Prophecies and Messages.
I Cor. 12:7-10, “But to each is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, and to another the word of
knowledge, to another faith, and to another
gifts of healing by one Spirit, and to another
the effecting of miracles, and to another
prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of
spirits, to another various kinds of tongues,
and to another the interpretation of tongues”.
We believe these expressions of the Spirit are
for Christ’s church today, and that He has given
instruction in His Word concerning their purpose
and use for edification. These gifts may be seen
expressed in our congregation as the Holy Spirit
prompts an individual. We ask that the
prophecies and messages be shared with the
church leadership, prior to bringing them before
the entire congregation. This allows for
confirmation that the prophecy or message is
indeed for the entire church body.
Lifting
Hands, Clapping, Shouting, Dancing.
These are expressions of worship and love for
God who is worthy of all praise. Psalm 63:4“I
will lift up my hands in they name”. Psalm 47:1,
“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto
God with the voice of triumph”. Psalm 149:3,
“Let them praise His name in the dance.”
Laying On
of Hands and Anointing With Oil For Healing.
James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him
call for the elders of the church and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord.”
Pastor Bernie Wing
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