We believe Hope has a name, Jesus! Our Sunday gatherings are called "Weekend Experiences" because we want people to experience the hope of Jesus each weekend. We believe that when you experience the hope of Jesus, you'll find a rich and satisfying life. Everything we do is with this goal in mind.
One of our basic human needs is for human connection. That’s because we all want to be fully known and truly loved! We’re on a journey of learning how to love well. Your life will begin to flourish when you build friendships that are both life-giving, honest and long-lasting.
Live Wide is about living the God-dream, yet discovering that the essence of life is leveraging our unique fingerprints to leave a lasting mark on our world, for the glory of God and for generations to come.
To experience hope is not a matter of wishful thinking, but rather firmly grasping a truth that has the power to break us free from the bondage of helplessness. It is a realization that the fulfillment we spend our lives searching for is found in Jesus!
What if we thought differently about the people we were called to reach? What if instead of only thinking of people as "lost," we made it our mission to see them, first, as loved? Lost might be their location but loved is their identity.
Laughter is a gift from God. We were created to worship and enjoy God! The enemy of our soul wants us to believe that "fun" can only be found in things outside of God's will. That couldn't be further from the truth! God is not the killer of joy! He's the source of it!
Church is not just a place. It's a collective-a people, of all ethnic backgrounds, where are differences are celebrated and not just tolerated or ignored. We bring heaven to earth when we honor people of all ages, stages, races and cultures.
A. About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
B. About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13
C. About the Holy Spirit
All believers receive the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of God) when they make Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives at salvation. However, believers are also entitled to and should expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We believe this was the normal experience of Christ followers in the early Christian Church. With the Holy Spirit baptism comes power for life and service.
“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.’” (Acts 1:4)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 11:14-16; Acts 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as:
D. About the Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote it. It is the supreme source of truth and the basis for all we believe. We accept the Bible as our manual for living. Because God inspired it, it is without error.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
E. About salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we repent of sin, confess Jesus as Lord, and turn from our self-ruled life, we are saved.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
F. About divine healing
Throughout the centuries since the time of the apostles, there have been individuals who had faith in God for the healing of their bodies, and where New Testament faith has been found, New Testament miracles have been demonstrated in the name of Jesus Christ. The Spirit-filled Church accepts the doctrine of divine healing, and many can testify of it in their own bodies.
James 5:14-15; Luke 13:11-17; Exodus 15:26; Acts 10:38; Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 8:16-17; Luke 7:21-22; Acts 5:12, 15
G. About the rapture
The blessed hope of the church is the rapture of the saints according to 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18. We believe living Christians will be changed; those whom have died in Christ will be raised in glory; all Christians will forever be with the Lord; and we should be comforted with this truth.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 21:36; John 14:2-3; Revelation 3:10; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; Revelation 22:12
H. About eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin in Hell, or eternally with God in Heaven through forgiveness and salvation. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
Alcohol
When it comes to the consumption of alcohol, it is important to note that God gives us guidelines for its consumption. As a church we believe the biblical nview of wine is something we can delight in (Psalm 104:14-15 & Isaiah 22:13). nWe celebrate and embrace this freedom, as we instruct our congregation to either drink in moderation or abstain totally.
At HopeX, we fully recognize the risk associated with the abuse of alcohol. Further, we are aware of the destructive behaviors often caused by the abuse of alcohol. That being the case, we discourage individuals who have addictive behavioral patterns from drinking. Similarly, we encourage any individual who may have a conflicted conscience on this matter to abstain from drinking. We forbid anyone under the age of 21 from drinking, as it is unlawful. Additionally, we affirm the bible's teaching as it relates to drunkenness. Drunkenness is forbidden in the scriptures and should be as such in our individual lives.
In the gospel of John, Jesus and his mother are invited to a wedding. While at this celebration, the wine runs out. Jesus performs a miracle by transforming water into wine. This was fermented wine and was his first miracle on earth. It is significant to note that Jesus lived a sinless life, and that he did not encourage or endorse sin in any way. Jesus would have never transformed water into wine, if the consumption of wine itself was sinful. Sinful people abuse what is not inherently sinful.
Example:
Biblically, there is only one group of people who are told, specifically, not to drink wine. They are called the "Nazarites." (Numbers 6:1-4) Individuals who took the Nazarene vow were forbidden to drink wine, or any kind of intoxicating drink.
Homosexuality
At HopeX Church we believe in both conviction and practice that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman in covenant before God. Because of this, we reserve the right to only marry individuals who adhere to those principals. LGBTQ+ individuals are welcome in our congregation. We will love and care for all people as the bible instructs us to. There is no requirement or prerequisite to attending our church, participating in small groups, or volunteering within our congregation. A person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is saved, whether same-sex attracted or not. We welcome all individuals who have taken that step, into the family of GOD. However, individuals who wish to become a teacher, minister, or pastor within our congregation must first affirm, and fully adhere to the biblical principles laid out within our STATEMENT OF FAITH, our DOCTRINAL BELIEFS, as well as our VISION, and CULTURE CODE.
Cigarettes
This is not a soteriological issue. However, the Bible commands us not to allow our bodies to become "mastered" by anything. Smoking is undeniably strongly addictive. Scripture teaches us to care for our bodies, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body". Smoking is undoubtedly very bad for your health. Smoking has been proven to damage the lungs and the heart. Therefore, we discourage smoking within our congregation.
Marijuana
As it relates to the smoking of Marijuana, we submit to Romans 13:1-7 which instructs believers to submit to the laws of government as long as there is no conflict with the higher laws of God in scripture. In any state where recreational smoking is prohibited, we instruct our members to abstain. For our members who are in states where recreational smoking is legal, we encourage each individual to ask the question, “Is it wise?” Some things are neither illegal nor sinful, but they are unwise. Often time’s individuals who engage in the practice of smoking marijuana are unable to stop. Further, they are prone to self-medicate which becomes an obstacle to spiritual growth and maturity. Many will attempt to treat marijuana usage as analogous to alcohol. However, the bible speaks of alcohol and it does not speak of marijuana. Therefore, this issue requires a great deal of consideration before arriving at a thoughtful Christian position. Each individual situation is unique and as a church we handle each situation as such.
