WHO WE ARE

God

There is one living, true & eternal God who is Creator of all and who has revealed Himself in three distinct Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – yet who is one in being, essence, and glory. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Colossians 1:16, John 10:30)

a) God the Father – God’s fatherhood is eternal and, through Jesus, we receive His love and are called children of God. He lavishes His love on us and we enjoy all the rights and privileges our adoption entails because we have come to know God as our Heavenly Father. (Romans 11:36)

b) Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ is God in the flesh; the express image of the Father, who, without ceasing to be God, became man in order that He might demonstrate who god is and provide the means of salvation for humanity. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary; He is fully God and fully man; He lived a perfect, sinless life; and all His teachings are true. Jesus died on the cross for all humanity as a substitutionary sacrifice and His death is sufficient to provide salvation for all mankind. Our justification is grounded in the shedding of His blood and that is confirmed by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body and is now seated at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. (Matthew 1:21-23, John 14:6, 1 Peter 1:3, Acts 1:9-11, Hebrews 7:25)

c) The Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit indwells each believer; He is the agent by whom Christ baptizes all believers; and He is the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers while continuing to illuminate believers’ hearts and minds to the Truth. (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12)

The Bible

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God to humanity and are the infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God meant to guide humanity in faith and practice. (Matthew 5:18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21)

The Sinfulness of Humanity

Humans were initially created innocent, made in the image and likeness of God, but by disobedience fell into a state of sin and condemnation. All humans since then inherit a fallen nature and as such are guilty before a perfect, holy God. (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-5, 12)

Salvation

God desires the salvation of all, the Gospel invites all, the Holy Spirit strives with all, and whosoever will may come and have it freely. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ died in our place, bearing our sins in His own body and physically rose from the dead on the third day after His death, demonstrating his victory over sin and death. Salvation is received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. All believers in Christ, who through grace persevere in holiness to the end of life, have promise of eternal salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8-9, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 14:9, Galatians 5:22-23, James 2:14-26, Romans 10:9-10)

Freedom of the Will

The human will is free and self-controlled, having power to yield to the influence of the truth and the Spirit in order to be saved or to resist the truth and the Spirit and perish. (Joshua 24:15, Mark 8:34, Revelation 3:20)

Gospel Practices

a) Baptism – Baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer’s life. Being submerged in the water illustrates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as well as our death to sin and new life in Christ. (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Matthew 28:19-20)

b) The Lord’s Supper – The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a remembrance of what Jesus did for us and a celebration of what we receive as a result of His sacrifice. (Matthew 26:26-29, 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

c) Feet Washing – Feet washing expresses our pursuit of Christlike humility and a lifestyle of service to others. (John 13:1-16, 1 Timothy 5:10, John 13:16)

Financial Giving

Every Christian is called to a lifestyle of generosity and should diligently pray and seek God’s wisdom in the matter of financial giving. Above all, offerings should be given with pure motives and an attitude of worship to God and service to the body of Christ. (James 1:5, 2 Corinthians 9:7)

The Christian Sabbath

God lovingly tells believers to set aside one day a week to rest. refresh, and refuel. In the New Testament, the first day of the week was inaugurated as that special day, being called the Lord’s day, because it was on that day that Jesus rose from the dead. (Exodus 20:8-11, Mark 2:27-28, Acts 2:46, Romans 14:5-6, Colossians 2:16)

Resurrection, Judgement, and Final Retribution

The Scriptures teach the resurrection of all people. Those who put their faith in Jesus will experience resurrection of life, and those who rejected Christ will experience eternal punishment. This is why followers of Jesus display an urgency in sharing the gospel with all people. (Galatians 6:7-8, Matthew 16:27, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10)

Marriage and Human Sexuality

God created man in His own image, as male and female. Based on the teachings of the Bible, sexual activity is to be exclusively practiced within the parameters of biblical marriage, defined throughout the Scriptures as a lifelong union ordained by God between one man and one woman. (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:6)

TDF exists to lead people to freedom, purpose, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

We live with integrity.

We will do what’s right just because it’s right.

“For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only before the Lord, but also before men.”—2 Corinthians 8:21

We serve joyfully.

Our service is fueled by God’s active work in us.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”—Mark 10:45

We embrace humility.

Pride is about us; humility is about God and others.

“He must become greater; I must become less.”—John 3:30

We choose unity.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we work together toward common spiritual goals.

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”—Psalm 133:1

We minister with focus.

We will be laser-focused on what contributes to our mission and vision.

“But see first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”—Matthew 6:33