GTBC is a church where we worship God, learn about God, grow in the Lord, and connect with other believers through Him.

GTBC is designed to worship God, God’s way. Worship is not just done on a Sunday morning, but worship is an everyday lifestyle, relationship, attitude, and conversation.

GTBC teaches each person who walks through the doors to learn how to be closer to God. We study HIS Word to have a closer walk with God, according to HIS Word.

GTBC desires each person to apply what is taught and grow to be better than when they first walked through the doors. The more we grow, the more opportunities to please God, our Savior.  

GTBC is made up of people who care for each other, as we all strive to get closer to God. Having a connection with other people with the same goal, to be more like Christ, will help us live a more meaningful life through Christ.

Articles of Faith

The Bible:

The Bible is God’s Holy Word given to mankind as the perfect standard of righteous living. It is the authority of the Church and all its practices.

It is Incorruptible: The Bible is the pure and holy. There are no contradictions and it is no need of revisions, updates or improvements. We must conform to the Bible, not change the Bible to what suits us are desires. (Prov 30:5-6, Isa 30:8, Rev 22:19)

It is infallible: The Bible is reliable and trustworthy. The Bible is dependable for all the spiritual and practical needs of man. (2 Tim 3:16-17, John 17:17,)

It is inspired: The Holy Spirit used men of God to pen the Words of God. While the writers used their specific language and unique perspective; the Holy Spirit moved the writers to place each word, paragraph, and punctuation in the precise order intended by God.  (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Tim 3:16-17, I John 2:20)

The King James Version is the most accurate translation of the Bible for the English speakers and readers.  

GOD: 

GOD is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. He created all things with His limitless power. He is true, holy and worthy of all praise. There is no measure of man that can fully explain his power. He does not need us. He is self-sufficient. Yet He cares for us and loves us. Thus, he deserves our adoration and obedience.  (Gen 1:-3, Ex 20:2-3, Ps 50:12, Rom 5:8, I Peter 5:7)

God is a triune being; three separate entities while at the same time all being one; the Trinity. The Trinity is consists of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father is not, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. God the Son is not God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is not God the Father, or God the Son. Each entity has limitless power, but each entity is unique to their distinct personalities. (Matt 28:19, I John 5:7-8)

God the Father:

God the Father sits on the throne of Heaven. His grace, holiness and love drive the whole purpose of man`, whether we abide and respect his grace, holiness and love, or we are in disobedience to it. We have the opportunity to fellowship and worship Him; however, our sinfulness hinders our walk with Him. Sin cannot be in the presence of God. However, his Holiness is only matched by his amazing love towards us.    (Rev 4, John 3:15-17, Rom 1:22, Psalm 7:11, Gen 3:23 Rom 5:8)

God the Son:

God the Son is Jesus Christ. God the Son came to earth to save mankind from the penalty of sin so that through Jesus alone, mankind can have fellowship with God. (Luke 5:31, John 3:16, John 14:6)

Jesus Christ was divinely born of a virgin. Adam’s sinful blood did not run through the blood of Jesus. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  God used Mary to be a vessel for Jesus. Mary did not stay a virgin, as the Scriptures mention her having other children. Mary is not divine. (Isa 7:14, Luke 1:26-35)

When Jesus came to earth, he was fully God and fully he was man. He was tempted like man, but never sinned. He was hungry. He was tired. He had all the limitations of man. However, He never sinned. He was perfect and is the only acceptable atonement for sin. He was falsely accused and sentenced to die on the cross. He willingly died on the cross and divinely rose again on the third day, proving his miraculous powers. The purpose was so that man can go to Heaven solely by faith alone in His completed work on the cross of Calvary. He endured the cross as the substitute for the penalty and punishment of sin. Jesus had victory over death, sin and hell. (Matt 24:36, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 3:25, I Peter 1:19)

Once Jesus’ work was finished, he ascended to heaven and he sits on the right hand of the throne of God and is now the mediator between God and man. One day he will come again to receive the Church, saved Christians, into his Kingdom (Acts 1:9, I Thess 4:13-18, I Tim 2:5, Heb 7:25) 

Holy Spirit:

God the Holy Spirit is the Christian’s active Deity that works in and through our lives.  The Holy Spirit is active in but not limited to the following; convicting sinners of their sin, communicating to man by the moving of the Scriptures, indwelling in the Christian at the time of Salvation, drawing men closer to God and empowering man to give glory to God by our actions. The Holy Spirit power was revealed to earth as the Comforter in the day of Pentecost, as a promise from Jesus.  (John 16:8, Acts 17:11, Acts 1:8, I Cor 12:13, Rom 8:9, Acts 2:1-4)

The Holy Spirit ought to be active in every detail in the Christian’s everyday life. The Holy Spirit is not a feeling in man, but a driving power. However, our submission to him can minimize his effectiveness. The Holy Spirit can be quenched, disobeyed, reduced, limited, and sadly unheard. All done so by the carnal attitudes and the disobedient actions of man (John 1:1, I Thess 5:19, Gal 5:16-26)

The Holy Spirit has also completed specific works in the Scripture that cannot be done today. The works were completed once the Scriptures were completed. One of the first works of the Holy Spirit was in the divine writing of the Bible. The Holy Spirit spoke to the writers to pen the Bible. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible and not man. Additionally, the Holy Spirit worked through men of God to perform miracles. The Holy Spirit continues to work miracles, but man does not have the ability to perform them, lest we claim any victory.

Mankind: 

Man was created by God in His image. Man also is a triune being consisting of:  a body, a soul and a spirit. Adam was the first man. Adam was created sinless. Although he was sinless, he was not a robot. Adam was free to think on his own and act on his volition. (Gen 1:26-28)

When God made Adam, God gave him a free will, a job and a companion, Eve. Adam’s main purpose in life was to worship God. His job and Eve were to be secondary benefits or enhancements of his main purpose. 

However, he chose to disobey God’s simple commandments, when he knowingly and willingly ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He knew that God told him he was not to eat of it, lest he die. Eve gave the fruit to Adam and was deceived; however Adam knew his actions were disobedient.

When confronted by God, he blamed God for Eve’s existence, rather than accepting the consequences of his actions or even asking for forgiveness.  God punished Adam and Eve and all mankind for their disobedience. Adam passed down his sinfulness to all his children, all mankind.  (Gen 2:15-25, Gen 3:7-23, Rom 5:12, Isaiah 64:6)

Salvation:

Salvation is the ultimate gift of God’s grace. When Adam sinned, he was punished with a lifelong physical curse, eternal separation from God and spiritual death. Sin was passed to all of mankind. No matter how good we may be, our own personal sin plus Adam’s sin, makes us all sinners. Just like in the Garden of Eden, God separated from Adam and his sinfulness. Mankind cannot approach God because Sin cannot be in His presence, for God is perfect, holy and just. All sinners come short to God’s perfection (Gen 3:7-23, Rom 5:12, Rom 3:23, Rom 3:10, I Pet 1:16)

Sin cannot be in the presence of God, thus creating eternal separation. Not only does sin separate us, it pulls the sinner to their rightful judgment, hell.  

Hell was originally created for the devil and his angels. However God deemed hell as a sufficient punishment and penalty for the sinner. (Rev 21:8, Rom 6:23, Rev, 20:14-15, Matt 25:14)

Because God loved his creation so much, God the Father sent his Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin. Jesus did not deserve any punishment, for he was sinless. Jesus, the spotless lamb, was to be punished for man’s sin. So that man can no longer be separated from God. Man’s only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ alone. (Rom 5:8, John 3:16, John 14:6)

Although Jesus died for all mankind on the cross, not everyone is going to Heaven; only those who call for Jesus’ salvation can go to heaven. The measurement for Heaven is not on any work we have done or can accomplish, but solely based on faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. For one to accept Jesus, one has to realize their true sin nature, ask Jesus for his forgiveness of the sin and confess our sin, and acknowledge the only way to Heaven is through Jesus’ Salvation. (John 3:16, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 10:13)

Security of Salvation:

If one were to accept Jesus as their Savior, a few things occurred at that moment; the blood of Jesus washes away your sins, your sin nature becomes declared righteous, when God sees us, he no longer sees a sinner, but a sinner saved by the blood and grace of Jesus. In addition, the Holy Spirit moves within us insomuch that our spirit is regenerated and reborn, the Holy Spirit also seals us unto the day of redemption. Lastly, for the sake of discussion, your name gets written in the Book of Life. All these things occur in salvation are done by divine work of God and not man. We have the utmost confidence that once Jesus saved us, He keeps us saved. We did nothing to earn Heaven, thus we do nothing to maintain Heaven. Our faith is found in the Lord and the Bible (John 5:24, John 6:37-50, Rom 5:9-10, Eph 4:30, I Cor 1-8)

Jesus died on the cross one time; there He paid the entire sin penalty. He need not die each and every day. He fully paid the price on that cross. God fully accepts his sacrifice as the redemptive work for sin. We have the confidence that Jesus forgave us of our sins, He will keep his promises that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and thus know we can have a home in Heaven because of His completed work.

Even we ourselves cannot pluck ourselves out of God’s Hand. Even if we wanted to, once saved always saved (Psalm 103:12, I John 1:9, I John 5:13, John 10:28) 

Church:

The church is an assembly of local, separated, called out, baptized believers, who gather to glorify God and encourage others to the cause of Christ. The church should be an open door to all walks of life with the specific intent of drawing men and women to get closer to God.  (Acts 5:11, I Cor 12:12-13)

Jesus Christ is the leader of the church through and by the Bible. Anything contrary to the Bible is false teaching. If a church teaches the Bible, but puts any above Jesus or adds any to be on the same level as Jesus, that church is a false church. Churches should be following Jesus and not man or any of man’s traditions, lifestyles or customs. Churches must be molded by the mind of Christ, not the opposite. (Eph 5:23, Col 1:8, Col 2:10, Phil 2:5) 

Church Ordinances

The church has a responsibility to follow the Great Commission and provide Biblical practices for obedience and not ritual. Two of the Ordinances are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  

Baptism:

Baptism is the first step of Spiritual obedience to the service of God. It is a pubic profession of faith and a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism should be a full immersion of one’s entire body under the water, as it shows Christ full commitment to his death and resurrection.  (Acts 2:41, Col 2:12, Rom 6:3-5)

Baptism does not save one from going to hell, only Jesus saves. Baptism is a public profession and a symbol of the new life one is to live, turning from one life to another. Similarly to a wedding ring, a husband and wife are still married to each other even if one takes off their wedding ring. The ring is to show the world of a marital commitment. Baptism is showing an obedience and commitment to service to God.

Lord’s Supper:

The Lord’s Supper also known as Communion is a remembrance of the finished sacrificial work of Jesus.  All members of the church should be active in communion to serve as reminder of Christ work for us. The Lord’s Supper should be done in a regular occurrence until the coming of Christ.  (I Cor 11:23-34)

As with Baptism, the Lord’s Supper does not save from hell, only Jesus saves. The Lord’s Supper serves only as a reminder of Christ actions. This practice should not be taken lightly and should be done occasionally.  The bread and wine being consumed is not the actual body and blood of Christ. It is only a picture of his body being beaten and blood being shed for our sins.