The Bible was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit — God guided them to write exactly what He intended to communicate. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living, and the final authority in all matters of faith and life. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without error.

2 Timothy 3:16 · 2 Peter 1:20-21 · Psalm 119:105, 160 · Proverbs 30:5 · Isaiah 40:8; 55:11 · Hebrews 4:12

He has eternally existed as one God in three coequal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father orders and directs all things according to His own purpose, pleasure, and grace. He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption; He graciously involves Himself in our lives, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:1, 26-27 · Deuteronomy 6:4 · Psalm 90:2; 103:19 · Matthew 28:19 · Romans 8:28-30 · 2 Corinthians 13:14

Jesus is coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He became flesh — conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary — and is both fully God and fully man. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross, so that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. He arose bodily from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, ascended to Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, where He serves as our high priest, intercessor, and advocate. He will personally, bodily, and visibly return to earth someday to reign as King.

Matthew 1:22-23 · Isaiah 9:6 · John 1:1-5, 14 · Hebrews 4:14-15; 7:25 · 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 · Romans 1:3-4 · 1 John 2:1 · Acts 1:9-11 · Colossians 2:9-10 · 1 Timothy 6:14-15

The Holy Spirit is a person, coequal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ, convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life, baptizes each believer into the body of Christ, and indwells them permanently. He provides Christians with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right, and He distributes spiritual gifts to each believer as He wills. The highest evidence of His work is the fruit of the Spirit, and as Christians we seek to live under His control daily.

Acts 1:8 · John 3:5-7; 14:16-17; 16:7-13 · Titus 3:5 · Galatians 5:22-25 · 1 Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 12:11, 13 · Ephesians 1:13

People are made in the spiritual image of God, created male and female, to be like Him in character. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." We are all born with a sinful nature; sin separates us from God, brings spiritual and physical death, and causes many problems in our lives.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:17 · Psalm 139:13-16 · Isaiah 53:6; 59:1-2 · Romans 3:23; 5:12-19 · Ephesians 2:1-3

The gospel is the good news of what God has accomplished to save sinners through the person and work of Jesus Christ. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life in repentance and turn to Jesus in faith, we are forgiven, justified, reconciled to God, and granted eternal life — beginning the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our life by faith.

Mark 1:15 · John 1:12; 14:6 · Romans 3:23-28; 5:1, 8; 6:23; 10:9-10 · 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 · Ephesians 2:8-9

All true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God — through the new birth, the permanent indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Christ. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit, and neither is its keeping.

John 10:28-30 · Ephesians 4:30 · Romans 8:34-35, 38-39 · 1 Peter 1:23

Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way for us to publicly declare our new life in Christ. It is also a step of obedience based on God's commands, following the example of Jesus, who submitted Himself to baptism to "fulfill all righteousness." Along with the Lord's Supper, it was given to the church to observe until Christ returns.

Matthew 3:16-17; 28:18-20 · Acts 2:41; 8:12 · Romans 6:4 · Colossians 2:12 · 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

God established local churches as the tangible, earthly expression of the body of Christ, called to gather together, worship and glorify God, and administer baptism and the Lord's Supper. Jesus commands His followers to go into the world as the Father sent Him — making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey His commands. This Great Commission continues, in His power and authority, until He returns. (Living Water Gaming is not a replacement for a local church — we encourage every member to be part of one.)

Matthew 28:18-20 · Hebrews 10:23-25 · Acts 1:8 · 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 · Romans 10:12-15

God calls every believer to a holy, Spirit-directed life of growing obedience to Christ — through union with Him, the transforming work of the cross, the personal application of Scripture, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Though believers still struggle with sin in this life, it should not rule us: repentance is an ongoing discipline, and when we stumble we turn from sin and return to God with humility and faith, relying on His grace. Every believer is called to pursue spiritual maturity — growing in faith, hope, and love — so that we can encourage and build up one another in Christ.

Romans 6:1-14; 8:11-13 · Galatians 2:20; 5:16-24 · Ephesians 4:22-24 · 1 Peter 1:14-16 · 1 John 1:9 · 1 Corinthians 13:13

God created two distinct and complementary sexes — male and female — in His image, a God-given design anchored in biology and not interchangeable. In our standing before God and our relationship with Christ, men and women share equally. God designed marriage as a covenantal, lifelong, exclusive union between one man and one woman, given for our good, as the foundation of the family, and to reflect God's relationship with His people. Sex is God's gift, to be enjoyed exclusively within marriage as He defined it.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25 · Matthew 19:4-9 · Galatians 3:26-29 · Ephesians 5:21-33

People were created to exist forever. Christ will personally, bodily, and visibly return, and all people will be raised bodily — believers to eternal life with God, and unbelievers to judgment and eternal separation from God. To be eternally separated from God is hell; to be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in heaven. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.

John 3:16; 5:28-29 · Romans 6:23 · 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 · Matthew 25:31-34, 41 · Revelation 20:12-15; 21:1-8

The beliefs above are the essentials we hold in common. On disputable matters within the Christian faith — such as the precise timeline of end-times events or how certain spiritual gifts operate today — we extend one another grace and liberty: "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters… So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."

Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22 · 1 Corinthians 10:23-24