What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Joy Christian Center, based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical truths.

We believe the Bible is God’s perfect, inspired, and authoritative Word, which, in addition to being helpful for all areas of life and godliness, reveals God’s immeasurable love for the world and for each of His precious masterpieces therein (one of those masterpiece is you!).  |1 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim 3:15-17; John 3:16; Eph 2:10 NLT|

God The Holy Spirit
We believe that God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, was given as a gift  from the Father after Jesus ascended to the His right hand in Heaven. We believe the Holy Spirit forever dwells with and within Christians, teaching and revealing all truth, convicting all people of their need for God, and transforming believers to aid them in living godly, selfless lives filled with love, as they become more and more like Jesus.  We believe the Holy Spirit is also forever helping, comforting, encouraging, and advocating on behalf of every child of God who has given his or her life to Jesus.  Furthermore, we believe that the Holy Spirit pours out God’s abundant love within us, gives us the right words to minister to a lost world, and that He has sealed us for the day of redemption and thus for our eternal relationship with our Father God, as His beloved children. |Acts 2:38-39; John 14:16; John 14:15-17; 1 Cor 6:19-20; John 14:25-26; John 16:7-14; Gal 5:22-23; Rom 5:5; Mark 13:11; Eph 4:30|

God has revealed himself to us through his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the Holy Scriptures, and through all of creation itself.

Humans, both male and female, were created in God's image for His glory. The first humans, Adam and Eve, were created without sin and appointed as caretakers of the rest of God's creations. But after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin and corruption entered every aspect of creation and humanity. Because of this, we believe that every person who has ever lived, with the one exception of our Lord Jesus, has been corrupted with sin and has thus been separated from a relationship with God.  Though this is true, God in His great love and mercy has made a way for humanity to be rescued from this sin-condition and to be reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus, who never sinned, suffered and died on the cross in order to pay the debt for the sin of the whole world and to cleanse those who will receive Him and His sacrifice from all their sins. We now have the opportunity to have a relationship with our Triune God.  When we give our lives to God, repent of our sins, and accept/receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God no longer sees us as stained with sin and corruption, instead He sees us as cleansed, pure, righteous, and holy, because when He looks at us He sees the purity of Jesus within us and covering us. |Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:10; Rom 5:12-21; Isaiah 59:2; 2 Cor 5:18-19; John 3:16; John 1:12; 1 John 1:6-9; Gal 3:26-27|
While God has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, it does require a heart response on our part. The most devastating of all responses a person can make is to reject Him, His love, and His sacrifice. The Bible warns us that those who do not respond by submitting to God in obedience and accepting Jesus’ sacrifice and His invitation to have a relationship with God the Father through Jesus will be eternally separated from God and will live in punishment and torment eternally in Hell. This is the last thing God wants for any of His children He created. He sees each of us as the apple of His eye and longs for us to return to Him and spend eternity with Him. |2 Thes 1:7-10; Mat 25:31-46; Psalm 17:7-8; Rom 8:37-39; Rom 5:8; John 3:16|

The Church is meant to be the visible, united body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God, proclaim the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and bring forth the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's Kingdom, which will climax in a new Heaven and a new Earth, where all who have responded to His love will live for Eternity in God's glorious presence, where there will be no more pain, sickness, tears, or hopelessness, and where everyone there will expereince  perfect love, exuberant joy, and abundant peace.

This is your opporcunity to turn your heart to Jesus and respond to His love. Do not put it off!  God tells us in the Bible, “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 5:2).  If you are ready in this moment to turn to Jesus and give your life once and for all to God and to receive Jesus as your Savior, I want to encourage you to talk directly to God and let Him know right now. He’s listening! There is no formula or specific prayer that must be stated to accept Jesus’ sacrifice and to enter into a relationship with Him and our Father God, but in case you don’t know what to say or how to talk to God, please use the following prayer to help you through your conversation with Him:
"Loving God, I know I have sinned in my life in ways I am aware of and in ways I am unaware of, and right now I ask for your forgiveness. I’m so sorry for all the things I’ve done that have hurt others, myself, and especially you. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son, and I believe that He died for my sins and that you raised Him from the dead. I am choosing today to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as the Lord of my life. Guide my life and help me to live the way you want me to. I thank you for forgiving me for all my sin, and that the Bible says that I am now a new creation.  Thank you God, and I look forward to experiencing your love and peace in this life and to one day living forever with you and all your children in Heaven. I pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen."  

If you just prayed the above prayer or one like it to our Father God, then He and the angels in Heaven are celebrating in this very moment.  Now that you responded in this way, I want to encourage you to connect with other Christians and find a Christian church to start attending.  We would love to have you join our family at Joy Christian Center, but if you are not able to for some reason, please find a good, loving church near you that is founded on truth (the Bible) and is focused on seeking to know God.  If you need help finding a church near you, reach out to us and we will do our best to help.
God bless you and welcome to God's family!