OUR BELIEFS
VIVE is rooted in the ancient, historic teachings of Christian orthodoxy as articulated in the Apostles Creed. Our essential beliefs are intended to be the basis for fellowship. There will always be peripheral doctrines that committed Christians disagree upon, but the essential beliefs of Christianity are non-negotiable. Below is a list of VIVE's essential beliefs.
The Rescuing (Salvation) of Man
We believe that the death of Jesus Christ was the final and complete sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Salvation is obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. All who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are born again into eternal life as children of God.
The only means of salvation is Jesus the Messiah (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). He died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins (1 Peter 2:24) and rose from the dead on the third day according to Scripture to infuse humanity with His resurrection life. He offers each of us a pardon for our sins (Hebrews 9:26; 1 John 4:9–10) and wants us to become beloved children of God (John 1:12). When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). We become citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20–21). We are given eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted and become children of God (Galatians 4:4–7). Our sins are forgiven and forgotten (Hebrews 8:12). We are credited with the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:4–5). We are born again (John 3:3). God takes ownership of us (1 Corinthians 6:20). We receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14; 1 Peter 1:3–5). The evidence of salvation is twofold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). We become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17) and are transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
One God
God is called by many different names in the Bible because of the different dimensions of His personality, but God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 22:37). God is super-dimensional and eternally self-existent (John 8:54–59).
God is love, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1-2). While God is one, He is also a tri-personal being known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Baptism
The Scripture teaches that all who repent and believe in Christ are to be baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It’s a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Communion
A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).
The Church and Her Mission
We believe that those who have placed their faith in Christ are knit together in one Body, the Church, a distinctive community of faith expressed in local clusters, engaging culture on every front with God’s hope and love …a Church for which Christ will personally return.
It’s a community of believers who support each other and believe the best about each other. We believe the local church is the hope of the world to amplify His fame, strengthen the lives of people and repair communities so that all people can know the healing power and grace of the Savior. The Church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27) and has a threefold purpose: to evangelize the world as His missionaries (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18–20; John 17:8), to worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13), and to equip God’s people for ministry (Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Corinthians 12:28, 14:12).
The Uniqueness of Christ
Jesus the Messiah (Christ) is the second person of the tri-personal God. The eternal Son of God became man without ceasing to be God (John 1:1–14; Philippians 2:5–11). The Scripture declares His virgin birth (Matthew 1:18–23); His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:4-5); His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:37–38); His substitutionary death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:4); His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:4); and His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father to now function as our High Priest, Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2). Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who regenerates and indwells every believer in Jesus, assures us of our salvation, guides us into all truth, and glorifies Jesus and convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We are filled with the Spirit of God at conversion which is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We believe that God does hear and answer prayer, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. We believe that it’s the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to them. (Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:10–11). The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) is the by-product of a Spirit-filled life and is evidence of spiritual maturity.
Whole-Life Worship
More than outward forms Biblically informed worship must encompass our entire existence, whereby in all circumstances our words and actions bring glory to God. All things exist for the glory of God. We believe worship is more than a song but every line of life crosses at worship.
Eternity
God's all about God's glory. We believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to the earth and the establishing of His Kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, and the final judgment. We believe that our eternal destination of either heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ and how we live out our lives for His glory.
The Bible Is the Inspired Word of God
We believe in the accuracy, truth, authority, and power of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God. The Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God, the only written revelation from God to man. The Bible is infallible and the authoritative rule of faith and conduct for mankind (2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)
The Fall of Man
Humanity was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). However, by a voluntary act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). That first sin had several repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23), a curse was pronounced (Genesis 3:14–19), the process of physical death began (Genesis 2:17), and man died spiritually (Romans 5:12–19). Sin separated humankind from God and left man in a fallen (sinful) condition, separated from the life and love of God (Romans 3:23).
Sex and Marriage
The Covenant of Marriage between a man and a woman is holy, sacred, and beautiful. We view marriage as God’s divine design of a sacred covenant (a supernatural bonding) between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:23–24; Matthew 5:31–32, Matthew 19:1–12; Ephesians 5:25–33). In our fallen and broken world, relationships are often fragile. Yet, we believe that with the grace and power of God–along with the guidance of Scripture and a faithful community of believers–there is hope to have sexual wholeness, whether in singleness or in marriage as we completely surrender to Jesus. According to Scripture, marriage reflects the relationship between Jesus and the Church (The Groom and bride of Christ) and a reflection of the capital M Marriage focused on eternity.
OUR VALUES
Our core values are who we are.
They are not just what we do, they are part of our DNA.
JESUS IS CENTRAL
The purpose of VIVE is to share the hope of Jesus. Jesus is our message and central in everything we do. We are a Jesus church, not a religious church. Methods will come and go, yet our central message will remain the same... That Jesus is for everyone.
PEOPLE ARE OUR HEART
We make no apologies for loving all people and desire a trail of kindness to follow us everywhere we go. We also believe that your connection determines your direction, therefore we are serious about connecting with others in our city.
GENEROSITY IS OUR PRIVILEGE
Generosity is our privilege because Jesus was first generous towards us. So we leave minimums in the dust. We see generosity as a privilege. We’re generous with our time, talents, and treasure. We go first in our giving. God has given richly towards us, and it’s our honor to give back to Him.
DISCIPLESHIP IS OUR PASSION
Being a disciple who makes others disciples is the one thing Jesus called us to do. This is what drives us. We want to multiply true disciples of Jesus in every area so they can go do the same in every area of our city.
HUMILITY AND HONOR IS OUR SPIRIT
We are vocal with our honor, meaning we are not stingy with our words. We choose joyfully to submit to those God has placed over us and we honor and care for those God has placed above us, beside us, and under us.
LOVE IS OUR MOTIVATION
Everything we do, we do it with a passionate love for God and others. Our motivation is rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus and His love to reach the planet. Love drives us. Love for Jesus, love for all people and love for His church.
