Core Values and Beliefs

Our faith backgrounds are all different. What we’ve been taught, the religious practices we’re familiar with and our level of intimacy with God reflect a variety of experiences. Therefore, it’s important to us that all individuals considering Lifetree as their church home understand our core values and the basis for our belief system. We’ve broken it down into 14 faith statements:

• We believe God is the creator of all things. He exists in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Within the Godhead, these three persons are co-equal and one.

Genesis 1:26-27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; John 1:1-2; Ephesians 1:13-15; 2 Corinthians 13:14

• We believe mankind was created by God in His own image, as the supreme object of His love. All men and women are responsible for their actions, but Christ is able to restore all people to God.

Genesis 3:6, 6:5; Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:23, 6:22-23

• We believe everyone has an eternity. For all men and women who accept Christ as their personal Savior, they will spend eternity with God. Through forgiveness, we come to know Jesus as our Lord. Death is what unites us with Him in Heaven. Those who don’t know Christ personally are eternally separated from God in Hell.

Matthew 8:10-12; John 3:16-21; Romans 6:23; Revelations 20:15

• We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Christ was sinless throughout His entire life, offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all men through death on a cross. Jesus rose from the dead three days later and ascended into Heaven. One day, He will return to earth.

Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 2:1-20; John 1:1-15; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:10; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Timothy 6:13-16

• We believe salvation is the key to eternal life. Sin separates us from God, but through confession and repentance, we understand God sent His one and only Son so that we could have eternal life. Salvation is given to the person who confesses his/her sin and is sincere in heart. Salvation begins the moment anyone receives Jesus into his/her heart through faith. See seeking God for more information on this subject.

John 1:12, 3:16, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 5:10, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7

• We believe grace is God’s gift of unconditional love to us even though we are undeserving. Good works cannot save us. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can a person receive forgiveness and mercy from God.

Matthew 5:16, 7:16-20; Romans 3:22-24; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-10; James 2:14-26

• We believe the Holy Spirit is in the world to make individuals aware of their need for Christ. For those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts, empowering them to live holy lives. The Holy Spirit also provides insight on spiritual truth and gives guidance for everyday living.

John 7:37-39, 14:16-17, 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:13, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

• We believe spiritual gifts are given to every person once they accept Christ as their Savior. These gifts are for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and bringing glory to God.

Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-25

• We believe the Bible is God’s Word to all men. Co-authored by humans, the Holy Spirit provided inspiration to those who authored the Scriptures. The Bible is the source of truth and is living and active. It’s inspired by God and leads people into a right relationship with Him. Simply put, the Bible is man’s blueprint for living a godly life.

Psalm 19:7, 119:105 and 106; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12-13

• We believe baptism is for all believers after they’ve accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Water baptism by immersion is the biblical testimony of all professed believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:1-17, 18:18-20; Acts 2:28-41 and 47, 8:36-40, 10:47, 18:8; Romans 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:13

• We believe communion is for born again believers in observation of their personal relationship with Christ. We partake in communion on a monthly basis at Lifetree. The grape juice symbolizes the blood Christ shed on the cross for our sins, and the bread represents His body, given as our sacrifice at the cross.

Matthew 26:26-30; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29

• We believe foot washing provides an opportunity for Christians to gather together in order to wash one another’s feet in obedience to biblical teaching, an act modeled by Jesus. This ordinance is observed annually.

John 13:1-17

• We believe fellowship gives Christians an opportunity to meet regularly for worship and to provide encouragement to one another.

Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25

• We believe in the second coming, when Christ will return and take those who have accepted Him as their personal Savior to Heaven with Him. Everyone will be judged by God at that time. The moment of Christ’s return is unknown.

Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 20

Contact:

Call the office complex at 570-398-2163 or e-mail us at info@lifetreepa.com.