Beliefs
God: there is one God (monotheism) vs atheism (no god) or polytheism (many gods).  God wants to be known - that is the point of the Bible, the Prophets, and especially Jesus.  Christianity cannot be agnostic which believes god cannot be known.  We share this belief in the One knowable God with two other faiths - Judaism from whom Christianity comes (32AD) and Islam (570AD).

The Shema: We affirm Judaism's core belief: "Shema Israel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad" - "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4).

The Trinity: The One God eternally exists as 3 distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Bible describes the Father as God (Philippians 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3-4)..The Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16).  The Son redeemed creation (Romans 8:20-21) and revealed God's Will (Luke 20:22).  The Holy Spirit is sent into the world to continue Christ's redemptive work (Galatians 4:6).

Jesus: God's only begotten (born) Son (John 1:14).  He is fully God and fully man (the Theandric Union).  Born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:19) with the purpose of Salvation (Matthew 1:21).  Jesus revealed God's nature and will (John 17:25-26).  He was crucified for our sins - to bridge the gap between us and God (1 Peter 3:18).  He rose from the dead (Luke 24:6-7), was seen and heard by many (1 Corinthians 15:3-7), and returned to heaven (Acts 1:10-11).  He will come again this time to judge the living and the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Creation: God created (Genesis 1:1) everything (Colossians 1:16) and sustains all that exists (Hebrews 1:3).  God exists apart from creation (transcendent - Isaiah 55:9) and is actively involved in creation (immanent, Deuteronomy 4:7).

The Fall: God's creation was "very good" (Genesis 1:31) but it was not "locked in."  Change was possible because God created man (Genesis 1:27) for His glory (Isaiah 43:7).  And, for love and praise to be genuine, unforced or automatic, God gave humanity Free Will (Joshua 24:15).  We often choose our way over God's way - that's called sin and it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Salvation: We are born as self-centered (sinful) creatures in a self-centered world (Romans 3:23).  Like fish unaware they're swimming in water we are unaware we're "wet" (sinful).  There is nothing we can do or refrain from doing that will make us "right" with God - change our self-centered nature into a God-focused nature (Matthew 19:25-26).  God must do this.

New Nature:  We need a new nature that must be given to us (John 3:5-7).  This earth and each of us has an expiration date - everyone dies.  Our old nature is part of this natural order and will not fit into eternity (heaven) with God (Revelation 21:27).  We can all receive this new nature by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Romans 3:23).

The Work of Salvation: Salvation is a 3-part reality.  I was saved (2 Timothy 1:9) by Christ's work on Calvary's Cross; I am being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18) as Christ's character is formed in me by the power of the Holy Spirit; and I will be saved (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) when Christ returns and this age ends.

Grace: All of creation experiences God's nature as grace - God's unmerited favor.  We don't deserve it, can't earn it or lose it - grace falls like rain on a dry and parched land.  But, we can push grace away - like opening an umbrella.  An umbrella can't stop the rain but it can keep us dry.  We can ignore, even defy, God's grace because God's nature is to love us enough to respect our choices even when those choices hurt us, others, and God.

Experience of Grace: We experience God's grace in 3 ways - Prevenient Grace (God's love and care for all of creation - Titus 2:11-14); Justifying Grace (God's love and care for His adopted children - Romans 3:23-25); and Sanctifying Grace (the Holy Spirit growing Christ's character in us - Galatians 2:20).

The Bible: The Bible is the inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Word of God.  The Holy Spirit inspired the original writers (2 Peter 2:20-21) and those who read Scripture today (2 Corinthians 2:12-14).  It was written over a 1,600 year period on 3 continents in at least 3 languages (Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek) by 40 authors.  The unity in its theme and content attests to its Divine inspiration.  There are many good translations you can use to fulfill Scripture's purpose found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture teaches us what is true and makes us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."

The Quadrilateral: The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, used four sources in understanding and applying God's Word to life.  Albert C. Outler in his book, John Wesley, lists them as: Scripture (Acts 17:11), Tradition (1 John 4:1), Reason (2 Timothy 2:7), and Experience (Proverbs 18:17) but cautioned that Scripture must remain primary.