ABOUT GOD: God is the creator of everything that exists. He
knows everything, sees everything, has power over everything, and has a plan
for everything. We know he exists in three persons (Father, Son and Spirit), we see his amazing creation all around us, and we feel his
personal touch in our lives. But that doesn’t mean we'll ever fully grasp who
God is or how he works. We’re just thankful that he loves us!
(Genesis 1:1, 26-27; Psalm 24:1-2; 90:2; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:20; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:8)
ABOUT JESUS: Jesus is God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life and showed us what God is like. He became our bridge back to a right relationship with God when he paid the penalty for our sins—dying on a cross and then demonstrating his power over sin and death by rising from the grave three days later. He's still alive today—because he's God and he's eternal. When we acknowledge that Jesus is God and submit our lives to his leadership, we receive forgiveness for our sins and eternal life with God.
(John 1:1-4,14; 3:16, 14:10-11; Luke 1:30-35; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT: God’s spirit, called the Holy Spirit, convicts us of our sin. He comes to live inside us the moment we acknowledge our sin and put our faith in Jesus Christ. He then leads us to be more like Christ. The Holy Spirit guides us to truth, directs us to do the right thing, equips us to serve others, strengthens us in times of need, and continually reveals the nature of God to us. We are called to live under the Spirit's influence.
(John 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-15; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18)
ABOUT HUMANITY: Humans are made in the image of God—to be like him in character. It’s what separates us from everything else that God created. We are valued above all nature. God created us personally, knew us before we were born, made us male and female, and made no mistakes in His creation of any of us. His desire was for us to be in a loving relationship with him. But love can’t exist without free will. One must choose to love. So God gave us free will, which means we’re also free to reject God and his ways—something the Bible calls sin. From the beginning we chose to sin—and separated ourselves from God.
(Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-8; 139:13; Isaiah 53:6, 59:2; Romans 3:23)
ABOUT THE BIBLE: The Bible is God's perfect and complete word. It’s the blueprint for how to live our lives and the framework for how we relate to God and each other. We trust its unchanging truth and learn from every part of it. We don't edit out the parts we don’t like, redefine what it says to appease our culture, or add religious rules to it. We just study it, rejoice in its message, apply it to our lives and share it with others.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 12:6, 119:105; Revelation 22:18-19)
ABOUT SALVATION: Salvation is a gift from God. We don’t deserve it and can’t earn it. It doesn’t come because we do more good than not. It doesn’t come because we do more good than others. It is given to us by God when we realize our sinfulness and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. This “belief” is defined in the Bible as faith. It's a faith that submits our lives to Jesus' leadership, allows him to transform our heart and mind, and produces fruit in our life—which are his characteristics revealed in us.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12, 14:6; Titus 3:5; James 2:14-26)
ABOUT BAPTISM: Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith in Jesus. As believers, we obey the words of Jesus and are publicly baptized. We are immersed in water, which represents our old life going away, and then brought up out of the water, which represents the new life that God has given us. Baptisms are a big celebration at NBC because they're a vivid demonstration of a great truth, that God can and does transform our life!
(Matthew 28:18-19; Acts 8:12; Acts 18:8; Ephesians 4:21-23)
ABOUT MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY: We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning—and that is the joining of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union ordained by God. Sexual intimacy was created by God to be enjoyed exclusively within the context of marriage. The Bible is clear that any other form of sexual behavior is sinful and a rejection of God's perfect design. We want the best for everyone, which is why we teach and practice God's way.
(Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:1-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
ABOUT END TIMES: In the end, Jesus will return—just as he said he would. He will come in glory and honor to judge the living and the dead. He will gather his church and, ultimately, destroy evil forever. We anxiously await God’s final victory, the end of this present age of struggle, and the creation and establishment of a new heaven and new earth. It's there where the children of God will live forever under the reign of Christ—in justice, righteousness, and peace.
(Matthew 24:44; Luke 21:36; Romans 16:20; Revelation 11:15-19, 12:9, 20:4-6, 21:1-3)
