What We Believe
“ ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ "
Matthew 28:18-20 (New American Standard Bible)
As members of the Lord’s Body here in Sturgis, we believe that there are three imperative aspects in our lives: Evangelize, Edify, and Equip.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO . . . Evangelizing the lost world for Jesus. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). This is our primary purpose in life: to Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the entire World. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
WE ARE COMMITTED TO . . . our Edification. Edification simply means to be “built up.” So in other words, we want to be made stronger into the likeness of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the standard by whom we want to measure our growth. We read in Ephesians 4:12,15 that the goal for God’s Church is “[to be built] up [in] the body of Christ. . .We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
WE ARE COMMITTED TO . . . being Equipped to work together to serve in His Kingdom. We truly believe that the Bible “is inspired by God and [is] profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). If we are going to be a people who carry the message of Jesus Christ to the world, we must be equipped, with the Word of God. Jesus commands those that have been baptized “to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).