What we believe at The Orchard about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church.

Our Beliefs

GOD

God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. The Bible teaches that He is one being, yet has existed since the beginning of time as three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Genesis 1:1 | Deuteronomy 6:4 | Matthew 3:16-17

THE TRINITY

The Father: The Father is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He reigns with providential care over the universe, and the flow of human history goes according to His purposes and plan. 

Psalm 19:1-3 | Jeremiah 10:10 | 1 Timothy 1:17

The Son: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the fullness of God and the fullness of man in a human body. Born of a virgin, he lived a perfect, sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. On the third day He arose from the dead demonstrating His power over sin and death. After His resurrection He ascended back to Heaven and will someday return in glory. 

Matthew 16:16 | John 1:1-18, 17:1-5 | Colossians 1:19-20 | Hebrews 1:1-3 

The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He lives inside every believer empowering them with gifts, providing comfort, guiding them into the truth, and assuring them of their salvation. The Holy Spirit enables believers to live out the righteousness they have been called to. The Holy Spirit’s chief ministry to the unbeliever is to convict the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. 

Genesis 1:2 | Isaiah 61:1-3 | John 4:24 | John 16:7-15 | Romans 8:16

THE BIBLE

The Bible is God's way of revealing Himself to us. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it is inspired by God, it has salvation for its end and is truth without any mixture of error.  We hold the Bible as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice in the local church and life of the believer.

Exodus 24:4 | Psalms 40:8 | 2 Timothy 3:15-17 | Hebrews 4:12 | 2 Peter 1:20-21

PEOPLE

People are made in the image of God and are the supreme object of God's creation. All humans are born with an attitude of disobedience toward God (sin). Sin eternally separates people from God and results in death and judgment. 

Genesis 1:26-30 | Psalm 8:3-6 | Acts 17:26-31

SALVATION

Salvation is God's free gift to us through the shed blood of Jesus where we can be freed from the penalty and power of our sin by trusting that Jesus took the punishment we deserved upon Himself. Jesus effectively paid our debt so that we don’t have to, and instead offers us the gift of eternal life. Salvation is neither earned nor deserved, but is instead received only by faith. 

John 10:9, 28-29 | Romans 10:9-10, 13 | Eph. 2:8-22 | Titus 2:11-14

ETERNAL SECURITY

Because salvation is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the believer cannot lose their salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security. 

John 3:16 | John 10:27-30 | Romans 8:31-39

ETERNITY

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God because of our sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally in union with Him is an aspect of eternal life. To be eternally separated from God is an aspect of Hell. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. 

Matthew 25:31-46

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

We believe that baptism is for the believer and is the first act of obedience to Christ. Baptism must be by immersion in water and represents: 1) the believer's faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, 2) the believer's death to sin and resurrection to new life in Christ, and 3) the Christian's belief that he will die, be buried, and that Jesus will resurrect him from the dead. 

Matthew 3:16 | Mark 1:9-11 | Romans 6:4, 16:7-15, 8:16

TITHING

We believe giving is one of the responsibilities of the believer. The “tithe” (10% of income) is a measure of giving laid out in Scripture. Additionally, the Scriptures highlight the attitude with which we give is equally important as the amount given and that we are to give cheerfully, systematically, proportionately, and liberally to support the work of the Gospel and meet the needs of the Church. 

Leviticus 27:30-32 | Matthew 22:15-17 | 2 Corinthians 9:7 | 1 Timothy 5:3

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