God

We believe that there is one God. He is the eternal creator, the great king, and the righteous judge. His power and creativity are displayed in creation. His justice and mercy are seen in the way He provides eternal life and redemption for His people. We believe that God is both transcendent (big) & immanent (close). He is perfectly just and unequivocally gracious. He exists in a a trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:4, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 47:7-8, Isaiah 33:22, John 1:14

Bible

We believe that all of Scripture is given by God and is beneficial for us. Since it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is therefore inerrant and authoritative. It is primarily through scripture that God reveals His true nature and character. This belief in the perfect sufficiency of scripture leads us to be committed to expository preaching, Bible-saturated worship, and gospel centrality in everything we do.

It is really common to know some bible stories while not understanding the grand story of the Bible. We want to help people understand the over-arching story of God and his people that spans the whole of scripture. When we begin to understand the Bible in this way, it changes the way we see the story and our place in it.

The Oaks Church stands on the necessity and value of understanding of the story of God. We believe that the Bible is a collection of history, poetry, narrative and prophecy that makes up one big metanarrative. The sum of all of this is the Gospel, the story of how God has been at work from the beginning of time and how he will bring restoration to creation at the appointed time.
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Hebrews 4:12, Luke 24:27

Sin & Salvation

Sin is the great curse on humanity that came through an original act of pride and rebellion against God’s good plan. Now all of mankind is sinful by nature.

This world is broken. We see and feel the effects of this brokenness all around us. Humanity is both the source and the victim of this rampant sinfulness. Sin separates us from God and wreaks havoc on all of creation. The worse news is that we can’t do anything to fix this deepest of problems. God, however, has made a way to restore what has been broken. He sent his Son to seek and to save that which was lost. The Oaks Church believes that salvation and all its effects come by faith alone in Christ alone. In the atoning work of Christ, our brokenness is restored, we are made whole, and covered with the righteousness of Christ. Freedom is found in this gracious provision of God.

To be really clear, we believe that the due penalty for our sin was paid by Jesus Christ on the cross as he provides a substitutionary atonement for his people. In this, God demonstrates both his perfect justice and unfathomable love.
Scriptures: Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23-25, Ephesians 2:1-5, Isaiah 53:5-6, Luke 19:10

You

We hold firmly that you were created in God’s image. Therefore You have an intrinsic value and dignity regardless of age, race, gender, faith, political leanings, etc.

We believe that God has an intended purpose and plan for all areas of our lives. He created marriage, sex, the church, money, gender-roles, etc. with a specific plan and purpose in mind. We believe that God restores all of these areas of our lives through the work of Christ.

We all have a unique story AND we all have the same story. In its simplest form, our story is one of brokenness restored by the love and provision of God.
Scriptures: Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:29

Church

The church is not a building but rather a people. You can think of the church on two levels. The universal church is made up of all the people of God throughout the ages. It is bound by neither geography, time, or denomination. If you have repented of your sins and placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ then we believe that you are part of the family of God, the universal Church. The second level is the local church. This is made up of a group of Christians that are connected by geography and time. It is a body of believers that have covenanted together to follow Jesus and love each other. The local church gathers on the first day of the week to remember and celebrate the gospel. They uphold the ordinances of common and baptism. The local church also endeavors to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
Scriptures: Ephesians 2:19-22, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Future

We believe that there will come a time when Jesus will return and make all things new. We long for this restoration of all things and strive to live in such a way that will be found faithful on that day. Until the return of Christ we want to herald the gospel, multiply disciples, and enjoy the season.
Scriptures: Revelation 21:1-5, Acts 1:11, 2 Peter 3:13-14, Titus 2:13-14