What We Believe

GOD IS

The wonderful, one and only, true God exists.  If this is true, it would rightly change everything, including our understanding of our world, ourselves, and counseling.  This God has always existed as three persons; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  God created everything and everyone for our joy and his glory.  He describes himself as both infinitely powerful (over all things) and intimately personal (loving and pursuing us for relationship).  God’s very presence introduces more goals to therapy, not just for relief and healing (which we believe God wants!), but also for knowing God more fully and learning to trust in Him.  

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6, Isaiah 46:9-10; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Genesis 1:26; Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:17-20; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

THE BIBLE IS REVELATION FROM GOD

We believe the Bible is from God, revealing who he is and his very words.  If this is true, it would mean that revelation (God intentionally revealing himself to us) would be the most direct way that we can know about our humanity, our design, how to live life with peace, love and joy, and how to change.  We do not believe it is the only way.  But we value it deeply as the critical core and most historically relevant resource to our humanity and his divinity.

(Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

TO BE HUMAN IS TO BE IMPERFECT & WOUNDED (BROKENNESS) THIS IS OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM

Even though we were created in beauty and perfection (God’s very image), the world was changed, due to the entrance of sin and imperfection.  This change means that our world and our humanity are deeply affected, wounded, and in need of healing.  Because of this, we are incomplete without God.  Our world and ourselves show many complex dimensions of this brokenness including relational brokenness, disconnection, sickness, altered brains, systemic injustice, oppression, weakness, and more – of which we believe the root is sin (direct and indirect).  In this state, we long for a healer, a defender, a rescuer, acceptance, perfect love, and a grace that can account for our brokenness.  But thankfully, God does not leave us in this state…

(Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23; 5:8, 12-21; 7:18; Ephesians 2:1-3, Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; 6:23; James 1:14-15)

JESUS IS THE HEALER

God’s plan was always to show how deeply he loved the world, by coming down to us in the person of Jesus. When we see Jesus, we see the Father, as the most direct revelation of who He is.  His message, The Gospel, is the ‘good news’ that Jesus was perfect in ways we never could be, comes to us in deep compassion, and offers himself, in our place, on the cross. After death Jesus rose from death. This good news explains that God saves us, sustains us, changes us, and satisfies us. This comes to pass by grace, a free gift from God.  When we trust Jesus, we believe that a new work begins in us, which includes being forgiven and cleansed of our sins.  Until we see Him face to face, we have the gift of being people who are continually changing and forming into the loving image of Jesus.  

(John 1:29; 10:1-18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 3:18)

GOD’S PEOPLE ARE THE CHURCH

The church is not a building, event, or institution — it is God’s family, made up of all those who trust in Jesus and have received this goodness from Him.  God gave us the church (one another) as a way to show Himself even more fully.  We experience Jesus relationally in our love for one another including comforting, bearing burdens, sharing generously, and speaking the truth lovingly.  In many ways, counseling is simply “being like Jesus” to one another.  We believe that the church is a gift, given for our joy and to form us more deeply.

(Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:17-32; I Corinthians 3:16; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12:1-31; Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3:1-15; 4:14; Titus 1:5-9;I Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)

GOD SENT US A HELPER

The Holy Spirit is a critical person in the Scriptures, alongside Jesus and the Father.  He opens our ears to hear the voice of God, brings conviction and conscience into our hearts to see ourselves, empowers us turn away from sins, teaches us to love those around us, grows us more into the likeness of Jesus, assures us of our eternal inheritance as children of God, and works through us as we carry the person and message of Jesus into the world.  This ‘helper' (as Jesus described Him) is forever changing us until we see Jesus face to face.

(John 14:16,17,26; 15:26-27; John 16:9-14; I Corinthians 12:13; I Corinthians 2:10-11; 3:16; 6:19; II Corinthians 3: 6; Galatians 5:22-26; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:9,12-13; Ephesians 6:11-18)