Foundations
What we believe + how to follow Jesus.
What is Salvation?
To accept Jesus is to recognize that you are a sinner, in need of a Savior – and that Jesus is that Savior. He is the Savior that came to Earth, died on a cross in the name of grace and mercy, and rose again three days later.
Salvation is an inward profession, a white flag of surrender; where you recognize that Jesus is and always will be everything we ever need.
How am I Saved?
Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." You have been saved by the grace of Jesus through faith; not because of anything you have done but rather, because of what He did for you when He died on the cross and rose again.
What do I need to do to be saved?
Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Message resource on salvation:
Message series on salvation:
The Bible - The Word of God
The Bible is a collection of books, written by people, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is inerrant, without flaw. Every part of the Bible is God-breathed and exists for our benefit and refinement. Each book, while varying in genre and standpoint, all reveals to us who God is and who we are as Christians.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Message resource on The Bible:
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Our sin makes salvation necessary.
What is sin?
Sin is described as “missing the mark.” It is us acting contrary to God’s will and God’s laws. Sin separates us from God. As long as we live in a life of sin, we are acting apart from the Holy Spirit, and apart from the blessings that come from living in God’s Truth.
Why did Jesus have to die?
Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The consequence of sin is death, and every one of us has sinned. Since we have all sinned, we all are separated from God. The wage of death still must be paid. But there is good news: That wage was paid for by Jesus. He took the punishment that we deserve. He was beaten, bruised, nailed to a cross and killed on our behalf.
Jesus, being perfect, died the death that we deserve. We are in union again with God when we accept the gift that we have been saved.
Message resource on sin and grace:
Message series on sin and grace:
I have accepted salvation, and I want to follow Jesus - what now?
Now begins the process of sanctification. That is a long word for “becoming more like Christ.” Sanctification is a lifelong process of us following God more and more every day.
Here’s an example of sanctification. Let’s say you decide to be a doctor, so you attend medical school. In medical school, you take classes and learn information about various medical fields, you attend seminars, watch procedures, and even complete a residency. Throughout your time in medical school, you became more like a doctor every day by learning, following, and receiving corrections and information.
The same is true with our walk with Jesus. Every day as we read the Bible, pray, learn, and understand His will more, we become more like Jesus.
Message resources on sanctification:
Message series on sanctification:
I want the world to know that I am a Christian - what about baptism?
Baptism is like a wedding ring - it is a public declaration of an inward decision. Baptism doesn’t make you a Christian, your decision to accept salvation does. We believe in immersive baptism in the presence of a church body, so that we can celebrate this public declaration with you.
Baptism is a Biblical command. Every believer should be baptized according to Acts 2:38, which states, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Once you have made the decision to be baptized, sign up for our next scheduled baptism on our events page.
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What is communion?
Communion is a celebration, a remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus that was made on our behalf.
Communion began in the Jewish celebration of Passover, the meal that was being partaken when the Last Supper was happening in Luke 22:19.
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’ ”
We observe communion as a church, using unleavened bread and juice as symbols of the body and blood of Jesus.
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What is prayer?
We believe that each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer is as simple as a conversation. We believe that when you pray, God hears us and listens to our worship and requests.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”
1 John 5:14
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools we wield as believers. It sharpens our faith, increases intimacy with God, and opens us up to watch His miracles happen.
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What about eternity?
We believe that Jesus Christ will literally return to earth, and that every person who is truly saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have accepted Christ as your savior, your eternity is secure in heaven.
Matthew 25:46 says, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” “They” in this instance refers to those who reject Jesus’ gift of salvation.
We are passionate about sharing the Gospel because we want everyone to accept the free gift of eternal life in Jesus.
Message resources on eternity:
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What now?
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
The Bible clearly states that we are called to serve the church, the local body of Christ. We have each been equipped with gifts and talents that will help grow the body. You never know the impact you may have until you step into serving. Acts 20:28 states; “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” This means that we are charged with taking care of one another — serving isn’t just a command, it’s an honor. 2 Timothy 2:15 also states; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” We have been called to handle the word of Truth in conduct and lifestyle. Serving calls us higher.
Here at WaterStone, we believe that serving grows us just as much as it grows the church body. We love to see families serve together in ministry, there is no greater gift than that! We have serving opportunities such as:
WaterStone Kids
WaterStone Production
Hospitality
WaterStone Worship
Connect Center
Coffee Team
WaterStone Young
Administrative Volunteer
and more.
To start serving, click the link below to get sent a form that you will fill out prior to serving.
At the link below, take your Spiritual Gifts Assessment to see where you are strong, and most inclined to exhibit Biblical traits.