What We Believe
It's the way we think, act, speak, and love one another. It's in the way we raise our families, love our community, and seek the good of others before ourselves. Here's what makes Lake Country Church unique.
The Gospel
The gospel represents the beautiful story of God's mercy and salvation. It unfolds the story of creation, downfall through sin, and subsequent salvation. This is done through the ministry, sacrifice, triumph of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ is the essence of this gospel.
Christ's sacrifice acts as a selfless offering to God on our behalf, addressing our sin. It meets the requirements of God’s justice and wrath. Simultaneously, it stands as a testament to His boundless love and showcases His exceptional grace. Jesus Christ remains the sole bridge connecting humanity and God. Salvation is found in no other name but His.
Sound doctrine and beliefs starts with Christ's sacrifice and glorifying God for his goodness. Thus, we desire everything we do emerges from and be linked to this gospel.
Basic Beliefs
These statements reflect our full Statement of Faith and give an overview to what we believe are non-negotiable elements of the Christian faith.
Doctrine of God
We believe in one God eternally existing as one essence and three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each of whom is fully God, yet there is one God.
Doctrine of Scripture
The Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is alone the only infallible inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate and final and eternal.
Doctrine of Sin
Sin severed the relationship between man and God, leaving us in need of salvation.
Doctrine of Atonement
Christ’s death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, but its benefits are only applicable to those who receive Jesus as personal Savior.
Doctrine of Salvation
Salvation from eternal death is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of Jesus, the one perfect sacrifice and the fulfillment of the law, and is appropriated by faith.
Doctrine of The Christian Life
Sanctification is a work done in us by the Holy Spirit that never ceases as long as we live here in this life.
Doctrine of The Church
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ sent into the world to shine forth the glory of God.
Doctrine of New Creation
We believe that Jesus Christ is returning to the world in the future to judge the living and the dead.
Values
These are our personal values God has called our church to live by. They are not a substitution for the callings and mandates of each believer, but our unique focuses and DNA.
Love Relentlessly
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus gave this statement, which is called the Shema: ‘Love God, Love Others, Love Self.’ We are called, first and foremost, to love God. The focus is not primarily to obey or believe in a certain way, but to love God. Next is to love others. In the same way that God loved us right where we were, that is how we are to love others. Though God loves us exactly where we are, He loves us too much to let us stay there. God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to continue living a life of destruction and turmoil. Finally, God wants us to learn to love ourselves, not to worship ourselves, but to learn to love what He loves. We cannot give what we do not have.
Worship in Everything
In the Old Testament, people would bring their sacrifices and lay them on the altar before God. This was their form of worship. God tells us that WE are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), and that we are to present ourselves to God in all that we do: our words, our motives, our jobs. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17). Everything that we do as believers is worship.
Follow The Word
Jesus said that He was the Word made flesh. Our goal is to follow Christ in every area of our lives. God has given us the Bible as the plumb line, the light, and the standard by which to live. In it, we find comfort, truth, direction, encouragement, correction, and training (2 Timothy 3:16). We desire to align our church and our lives with the Word of God.
Radically Generous
If we are going to be like Christ, we are going to be generous givers of our time, treasures, and talents. God has set the standard. You can give and not love, but if you love, you must give.
Live Abundantly
John 10:10 speaks to God’s original design. We desire to learn to walk in all that God has designed for us. That means learning to walk in healing, learning to walk in freedom, distinguishing the lies from the world, flesh, and enemy, and walking in not our truth, but THE truth (John 14:6). To live abundantly means to walk in the fullness of all that God has for us.
Everything Together
In all that we do, we do it as unto God, because He is always with us. We also do life with others. We were not created to do life alone. Even when God was with man in the Garden, He said, “It is not good that you be alone.” We are created for community – with God and with others. Everything together.
