We are a Bible based, non-denominational house of worship. We believe in the Holy Trinity; God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, in the remission of sins through the shed blood of Jesus the Christ on the cross at Calvary. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost and in the evangeleical work of the Great Commission to which we are dedicated.
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third
day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is
seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He
will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy
Spirit, the Holy Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of
sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ. He
lived the life we should have lived, and died the death we should have
died, in our place. Three days later he rose from the dead, proving that
He is the son of God and offering the gift of salvation and forgiveness of
sins to anyone who repents and believes in Him.
The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ. He
lived the life we should have lived, and died the death we should have
died, in our place. Three days later he rose from the dead, proving that
He is the son of God and offering the gift of salvation and forgiveness of
sins to anyone who repents and believes in Him.
It is the testimony of both the Old and New Testaments and of the Christian Church that God is both One and Triune. The biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God and that He is eternally existent in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 3:16
God the Father
In the Bible, God is called by many different names because there are different dimensions of His personality, but there is still only one God. God is not limited by time or space and is eternally self-existent. God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heav ens and the earth. While God is one, He has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4; John 8:54-59; Genesis 1 and 2; Matthew 28:19
Jesus Christ, God the Son
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God. The Scripture declares His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary death on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father.
Matthew 1:18-23; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; John 3:4-5; Acts 2:22, 10:37-38; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Matthew 28:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:9, 11; Philippians 2:9-11
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God, He is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He was active in the Old Testament and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is given to every follower of Christ to guide, comfort, convict, and adopt us into the family of God. The nine fruits of the Spirit are by-products of a Spirit-filled life and evidence of spiritual maturity. The nine gifts of the Spirit are different manifestations of the Spirit to build up the body. We are instructed to diligently seek the gifts in the context of love. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by tongues, joy, praise, and other inward and outward manifestations and gifts.
Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:1- 11; 1 Corinthians 14:26-33; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4
The Bible is God’s Word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. We affirm that the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, is alone the only infallible, inspired Word of God and that its authority is ultimate, final,
and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error. For the purposes of interpretation and doctrine, we will utilize the New King James version of the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Atonement
Christ’s vicarious death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, but its benefits are only applicable to those who receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Healing of the body, soul, and spirit, is provided for in the atonement, as well as all of God’s provision
for His saints, but these must be appropriated.
Isaiah 53:4-7; John 3:16, 5:24; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-26, 5:8-11; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Philippians 2:7; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:14, 9:14; 1 John 2:2, 4:10
Salvation
Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. The only means of salvation is through Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we trade our sin for his righteousness, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. Jesus offers people a pardon from their sins and adopts
us into God’s family; our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; we become citizens of Heaven; and we are given eternal life. We are born again. God takes ownership of us and we receive an eternal inheritance. The evidence of salvation is two-fold. The internal evidence
is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit. The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit. We become a new creation, and we are transformed into the image of Christ. (this is a process)
Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 9:26; John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Philippians 3:20-21; John 3:16; Revelation 3:5; John 3:3; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Ephesians 1:13-14; I Peter 1:3-5; Romans 8:16; Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18
Baptism
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith. Every person who confesses Jesus as his or her personal Lord and Savior and desires a relationship with him needs to be baptized. “But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12
Baptism is an important step of obedience that shows others we have personally trusted Jesus for our salvation. Jesus was baptized when He was on the earth, and we do this to follow His example. When Christians are baptized, they are submerged under water to identify with the death and burial of Jesus and raised out of the water to identify with His resurrection.
Sanctity of Life
We believe all human life is a sacred gift from God and is to be protected and defended from conception to natural death. We will uphold the sanctity of life and bring the grace and compassion of Christ to those who face the realities of previous abortion, unwanted
pregnancy, and end-of-life illness.
Marriage and Sexuality
We believe in the importance of marriage. Specifically, that marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, and that a person’s sex (male or female) is determined by God in the womb and revealed at birth. We respect the complexity and depth of struggle that
men and women must endure when faced with issues related to their sexuality. It is our desire to walk beside an individual in such a way that sin’s power is broken through God’s all-encompassing grace, thereby ensuring that the individual is free to know and experience their true
identity in Christ and His Church.
Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Psalm 139:13
The Church
The Church is the body of Christ and has a four-fold purpose: to Glorify God, make disciples, make Jesus known to a lost world, and to meet human needs. The Church is governed by the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4, (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers); the offices of Elder and Deacon, as well as other offices mentioned in Scripture. It is essential to the life of the Church that scriptural patterns of discipline be practiced and that oversight for Church discipline,
individual and corporate, be exercised by the leadership of the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 3:16-17, Ephesians 1:12, Ephesians 5:16-19; Luke 6:35-36, Acts 11:29, 1 John 3:17, James 1:27;
Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2; Acts 1:8
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s table consists of two elements: the bread and the cup. Those elements are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. Communion is a memorial of Christ’s sufferings on the cross and a celebration of our salvation. It is an opportunity for a believer to examine oneself and
repent in order to experience the forgiveness granted to us in the cross. Communion is not a means of salvation. Rather, it is a testament of a believer’s faith in the atoning work of the cross.
Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
Eschatology
We affirm the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennium, and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, determined by their relationship to Jesus Christ. We affirm with the Bible the final state of the new heavens and the new earth. Matthew 24:27; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:31-46
Our Structure
Lighthouse Galveston is led by our Lead Pastor, advised by a board of elders. Our ministries are led by our Director of Ministries and are staffed and fueled by our volunteers. Each ministry of the church follows a volunteer leader assigned by the Director of Ministries who sets the ministry guidelines in accordance with the vision of the Lead Pastor and the values of Lighthouse
Galveston. Staff will lead area ministries through the guidance of the Lead Pastor and a Senior Leadership team. Elders and staff are asked to model and champion the Ephesians 4 model of ministry of church discipleship. The qualifications are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.