Essentials (Non-negotiable to the essence of my Christian belief)

1. The Bible is the sufficient and completely trustworthy Word of God.
2. God is triune – one God existing in three Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit.
3. God created out of nothing, clearly distinguishing between Creator and creatures.
4. Man sins, deserves hell, but God lovingly offers full redemption.
5. Jesus died in our place, for the penalty of our sins, and three days later rose again from the grave.
6. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
7. Sanctification is sourced in God’s grace, too.
8. The Holy Spirit is our power.
9. The family is designed by God. Marriage is between a man and a woman.
10. The Church is Christ’s Body.
11. We should humbly love one another.
12. We should submit to human authorities ordained by God.
13. We should take the gospel to the whole world.
14. Because we are completely dependent, we must pray about everything.
15. Jesus is coming again.
16. Jesus is King over all.

Personal Convictions

1. Mildly Dispensational rather than Reformed – I do not see the Church, having begun in the New Testament, as fulfilling the land promises given to national Israel in the Old Testament.
2. Young, earth creationist.
3. Mildly Calvinistic over Arminian – I do not see belief in (1) God’s gracious election and (2) Christ dying for all, as contradictory.
4. Mild cessationist rather than continuist – I do not see the continuation of modern apostles and sign gifts in the same sense as introduced in the book of Acts.
5. Complementarian rather than egalitarian roles in family and church.
6. Congregationalism – Congregational membership matters with elders leading and deacons serving.
7. The gospel is visibly expressed through the ordinances of believer’s water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
8. A pre-tribulational, pre-millennial return of Christ.

Personal Preferences

1. I prefer teaching from the New King James Version of the Bible, but I am comfortable with utilizing other Bible translations.
2. I prefer expository preaching and small group inductive studies in individual books of the Bible.
3. I prefer singing ancient and modern hymns and anthems in public worship, set to traditional instruments, but I listen to quite a variety of Christian songs.
4. I prefer the multiplication of smaller, congregational church plants throughout a city.
5. I prefer utilizing Idaho’s great outdoors as a means for intentional gospel outreach with others.
6. I prefer ministering in the city of Idaho Falls above all the other cities in America. I love its people.