WHAT WE BELIEVE
OUR ESSENTIAL BELIEFS
Below are the core beliefs of Temeku Life Center (a division of Inner-City Faith Fellowship).
By these beliefs, Temeku Life Center operates and flows as a unified church, and as a productive member
of the Body of Christ.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s will given to us, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by men of faith. The Bible is how God chooses to reveal His plan to mankind; it is without error and is reliable for insight about man’s beginning and his end. Without a doubt, the 66 books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament) reveal spiritual and historical knowledge about His dealings with humanity. We believe that the Bible holds the key to His sovereign will for us.
– 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 5:13-15
THE GODHEAD
The Bible speaks about one God revealed in 3 distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Although the word TRINITY is not found in the Bible, nonetheless, we find His nature consistently revealed in what we refer to as the Godhead. The attributes we see in scripture are revealed to the spiritually-minded person who is seeking a relationship with God, the Father.
– Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-5; John 14:7-11; Colossians 1:15-18; 1 John 5:8-11
MISSION OF THE CHURCH
The mission and work of the ministry is to reach the lost (those who don’t know God). We are commanded by Jesus to go into the world and preach the message of good news (the gospel), until every nation has had an opportunity to hear and respond to the Word, thereby adding new and born-again believers to the family of God.
– Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:9-13
THE BODY OF CHRIST
The Body of Christ is the living and moving church with each individual playing a part as a functioning member. Though we are many members and parts, we are one body. The Body of Christ, with Jesus ruling as the Head of the Body, gives life to every individual part, so we can work in one accord to show that Jesus is alive in the earth today–until He comes back for us.
– 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
PRAYER
Praying to God in Jesus‘ name is how we relate and communicate with our Heavenly Father. Without prayer, we would not know what God expects of us daily. Coupled together with reading His Word and praying for understanding, we believe that by prayer, the will of God will be made known to us for daily living.
– Luke 18:1; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:6-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:1-3
OUR SALVATION
The Bible stresses the point of salvation by faith in Jesus alone. There is no other way to be redeemed but through Jesus the Son of the Living God. The name of Jesus is above every name. Therefore, salvation is a gift from God, you can’t earn it, can’t be good enough for it, and it is only received by His grace through faith. Many people believe you can work your way into heaven, but we don’t work to get saved, we work because we are saved.
– John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-15; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:9-11
MANKIND
Mankind is in a fallen state of existence, desperately in need of redemption. It is impossible for man to save himself, but with God all things are possible. If we can believe, all things are possible with God. We have no purpose in life apart from Jesus. God made it possible for us to hear the good news and respond to it by faith in Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) It is our hope and prayer that mankind finds a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
– Genesis 3; Matthew 4:4; Matthew 19:16-26; John 3:16-17
REGARDING SIN
We are all born sinners. Sin is an abomination to God; that’s why Jesus died on the cross at Calvary. Sin originated in the Garden of Eden; it was there that Adam passed the fallen nature on to us. Therefore, without a plan of redemption, we would be lost for an eternity. But God, rich in mercy towards us, provided forgiveness for our sins.
– Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-6; 1 John 1:5-6
REGARDING LOVE
Love is the most powerful way to show that we care. The Bible reveals to us that God is love, and love is the greatest of all attributes to be sought after. Love is the most excellent way of life that a person can ever experience. God calls us to love because we are loved by Him. To sum it up; Love Gives, Love Covers, Love Owes Nothing, and Love Makes Sacrifices.
– John 15:12-14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 1 Corinthians 14:1; Ephesians 5:1-2
FELLOWSHIP
God encourages us to have fellowship with one another. In fellowship, we find healing and great support for our lives. Fellowship nurtures an environment for spiritual growth and maturity. We are strengthened while coming together, and it is so important that God made the statement that we should never forsake assembling together.
– Galatians 6:1; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 John 1:7
COMMUNION
Every believer should regularly observe communion as frequently as possible. Communion is symbolized with eating of bread and drinking of the fruit of the vine. Christ’s body was broken for us and His blood was also shed for us. Communion helps us as believers to remember what Christ has done for us on the cross and that He is coming back for us again.
– Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-33
BAPTISM IN WATER
Baptism is a public picture of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Once we believe, baptism is our way to identify with Christ. We declare that we are buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him unto new life. Although baptism cannot save us, it does make the statement of faith in Jesus, who can save and does save, based on our faith in Him, and Him alone.
-Matthew 3:11; Romans 6:1-4
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Baptism of fire is the fulfillment of scripture. John baptized with water unto repentance and Jesus baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. This was a total and complete baptism of a new nature and power-filled or spirit driven life. This enables the believer to have an indwelling presence of the comforter and helper, in the physical absence of the ascended Christ Jesus.
When you become a believer, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, with special endowments, such as: speaking with new tongues, prophecy, boldness to witness even onto death, and many other gifts as needed to reach a lost world.
-Matthew 3:11; Luke 11:9-13; John 14: 16-31;
John 16:5-15; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 9:44-45; Acts 11:15-18; Acts 19:1-6
DISCIPLESHIP
Discipleship is a calling of God! We become a pupil of Jesus by submitting ourselves to Christ’s teachings and His way of life. This will take some time and diligence to achieve effectively and will require some sacrifices on our part. Even our personal goals, and possibly our dreams, have to be submitted to Him in order to catch a more worthy goal and dream from God Himself. This can only be accomplished with the help of teachers and, of course, the Holy Spirit.
– Matthew 10:37-38; Matthew 28:18-19; Luke 9:57-62; John 8:31; Acts 2:42
KINGDOM INVESTING
Giving is a part of worship. God's word speaks of many ways to support the Gospel. To understand giving, we must start with the mindset that everything belongs to God. Tithing is the most common way to begin our worship financially, which is 10% of your increase. Tithing and offering is usually coupled together as your sacrificial free will offering. Whenever you give it should be done with faith, in humble obedience to God. When you give, it is personal and private, making it between you and God. I invite you to participate in cheerful and purposeful giving to advance the kingdom.
-Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6: 1-4; Matthew 6: 3-4; Proverbs 3:9; 2; Proverbs 11:25; Corinthians 9: 6-10
IN SUMMARY
It is absolutely imperative that we believe all that is contained in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The Word of God speaks to the human heart and has the power to transform and change a lost soul. The Bible is the only reliable resource that we can depend on to reveal the character and attributes of God. Without the revelation of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we would be lost for all eternity.
*Available Upon Request - Statement of Faith, Full Constitution, and Church Doctrine email: temekulifecenter@gmail.com