When you make your home with Jesus, you join a spiritual family—His Church—alongside everyone else who has found their home in Him. This truth reshapes our understanding of community and purpose. If you’re in Christ, you are part of what God is building. And what exactly is God building? What are the essential elements of His Church? We believe there are five key pillars:
- Gospel Doctrine in an Age of Moral Relativism
- Gospel Culture in an Age of Selfish Ambition
- Authentic Community in an Age of Counterfeit Connection
- Missional Mindset in an Age of Comfort & Convenience
- Pentecostal Power in an Age of Self-Help
Let’s explore the first pillar of this foundation: Gospel Doctrine.
Gospel Doctrine in an Age of Moral Relativism
The foundation of the Church isn’t rooted in human opinion but in unshakeable truth: the Gospel. This Gospel—the truth of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished—holds the power to restore both individuals and all of creation. Yet, in today’s culture of moral relativism, the need to understand and embrace gospel doctrine is greater than ever.
Jesus established the Church on this bedrock in Matthew 16, affirming Peter’s declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Our faith centers on this identity of Jesus. Apart from Him, the very basis of our community fades; our unity and purpose disintegrate without Christ as our foundation.
Gospel doctrine is not simply good advice or a set of moral standards; it is the unchangeable truth of who Jesus is and what He has done, an anchor in an ever-shifting culture.
These core beliefs touch the depths of our existence: the cosmic Gospel addresses the brokenness in the world that we alone cannot fix, while the personal Gospel speaks to each individual’s restoration in Christ.
The Authority of the Gospel
A key question lies at the center of gospel doctrine: Who is the authority? For Christians, God’s Word is the ultimate authority. To walk by faith is to trust God’s perspective on reality. Truth isn’t simply what we experience; it’s who God is and what He has revealed. As Romans 1 and the Psalms declare, God has made Himself known through creation, and His Word clarifies that truth for us.
The Shift from Community to Individualism
In the past 500 years, our culture has shifted from valuing community toward an emphasis on individualism. This move has led to what’s now called “expressive individualism”, where each person’s truth is inviolable, and no one else has the right to impose limits on it. Yet this mindset leaves us untethered and anxious. We become our own guide, adrift without a central truth to anchor our identity and purpose.
Moving Toward Gospel Doctrine
Jesus declared, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). Gospel doctrine should transform us into people of humility, surrender, and submission to God’s truth. This posture helps us encounter Jesus directly in Scripture, allowing His life to shape ours.
At the heart of gospel doctrine is the recognition of both who God is and who we are in light of Him. It produces a humility that drives us not to performance but to surrender. In surrendering, we acknowledge that transformation is the Lord’s work through us, not something we can produce alone. Our role is to abide, to stay connected to the true vine, and to let Jesus produce fruit in us that will last.
In an age that says we must define ourselves, gospel doctrine tells us that we’re already defined in the most profound way: loved, redeemed, and called by Jesus. This is the truth that binds His Church together—a community focused on Christ, rooted in His truth, and transformed by His love.
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