Beliefs

What Should I Believe About God?

Here is a summary of Christian beliefs that were handed down from Jesus' first followers:

How Should I Worship God?

Worship is not limited to what you do in church-services. Worship ought to be a way of life. Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Love for God is expressed by obeying His commands, which He gave for our benefit. Therefore, do not steal. Do not
be drunken. Do not commit murder. Do not commit sodomy. Do not commit adultery. Do not commit fornication. Do
not engage in sorcery. Do not lie. Do not covet. Do not speak with pride or malice. Forgive others as you want to be
forgiven. Love one another. This is the path of life. Avoid the path of death: rage and murder, lust and adultery,
horoscopes and idol-worship, greed and stealing, rebelliousness and drunkenness, immodesty and hypocrisy, and pride.

Meet together often, so that our love, our unity, and our desire for good works may be stirred up. Praise the Lord with
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Diligently learn from the writings of the apostles and prophets in the New Testament,
and from the books of the Old Testament, which the apostles and prophets used as they wrote by the inspiration of God.

Each congregation ought to have elders to shepherd the flock. An elder should be the husband of one wife, and meet the
other qualifications given in the New Testament. Elders should guide and direct the congregation, and anoint the sick with
oil, as Scripture says. Where there can be deacons also, there should be deacons to assist the elders. There may also be
an evangelist to administer the word in preaching, in counsel, and in good works.

Christ told the apostles to administer two formal ceremonies, or sacraments, which transfer His grace: Christian baptism
and the communion-meal. Regarding the form of baptism, the church should follow the example of the apostles, who,
after teaching the way of the Lord, and after receiving from their listeners the sincere confession that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God, immersed them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (In the early church, in
the generation after the apostles, it was permissible to pour water onto a new believer three times, if immersion was
impossible.) Regarding the Lord's Supper, when the congregation assembles, each Christian should examine himself
before partaking of the bread and the wine or juice, solemnly remembering that Christ's body was broken and His blood
was shed to atone for our sins and reconcile us to the Father. At the Lord's table, in His presence, we thank God for the
one sacrifice which was offered for sins forever.

Prayer, fasting, and donating (with joy, not by compulsion) are also parts of Christian worship. Christians should not
pray as a show; they should pray thoughtfully, without vain repetition. Jesus taught His followers to pray this prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom,

and the power,

and the glory forever. Amen.

How Should I Treat Other People?

Love your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Pursue peace with everyone, as
much as it depends on you. Have the attitude of Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself to serve others. Share the fruit of
the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Forgive others as
Christ has forgiven you. Let your words be constructive, without lying, without filthiness, and without evil. Use the gifts
that God has given you to help others. Feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; care for the sick; visit prisoners; by
assisting them, you assist Christ.

What Is The Purpose Of My Life?

We are the handiwork of God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to
do. God wants your life to be part of His kingdom. To the extent that you have the opportunity and ability, you are
called to glorify God in your conduct, in church activities, in your family-life, in your duty as a citizen, and in your work.
Scripture says, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God." The Holy Spirit will empower you to overcome temptation, to fulfill God's purposes for your life, and to share the
good news with others so that they may turn to God, receive forgiveness of their sins, and enjoy a new spiritual nature as
children of God.

God wants His children to believe these doctrines and to put them into action. The message of the New Testament is only
summarized here; the New Testament contains fuller details about the work and teachings of Christ. If you are looking for
a church that follows the New Testament, we at Curtisville Christian Church hope that you will join us as we resolve to
take up the cross daily and follow Jesus, seeking to grow more like Him by diligently applying His teachings to every
aspect of life.