WHAT WE BELIEVE
WHAT WE BELIEVE
BELIEFS
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe Scripture originated entirely from God and that it was given through writers inspired by God. Scripture speaks with the authority of God and at the same time reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors. The Scriptures are presented exactly as God intended and without error in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God.
Psalm 119:60; Matthew 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 10:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21
We believe there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and each of whom is worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. In the beginning, God created the world and all things out of nothing, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4-8
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go his independent way, and was thus alienated from God. The consequence of this rebellion from God is the corruption of human nature, so that people are unable to please God in any way. The Fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of humanity is, then, wholly a sovereign work of God’s grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human effort or works of goodness. Salvation becomes a reality in a person’s experience when he or she admits his or her own sinfulness and inability to save himself or herself, and receives God’s gift of forgiveness by faith. By this act of faith, each person acknowledges his or her own need for repentance and solely relies on Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation.
Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3; Isaiah 64:6-7; Matthew 26:28; John 1:12; John 3:7-18; John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:28; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 16:31; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23-28; Romans 4:5-6; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:9-10; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:3; Romans 8:38-39; Romans 10:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:13; Galatians 3:21-22; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:4-9; Colossians 3:9-10; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Peter 1:3-6; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24
Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was united with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily made amends for the sins of humankind by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. Jesus rose from the dead in the same body, now glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and humanity, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
Matthew 1:18-25, 25:31-46; Mark 10:45; Luke 24; John 1:1, 1:14, 8:58; Acts 1:9-11, 2:22-24; Romans 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Hebrews 2:14-15, 4:14-16; Revelation 11:15-17, 20:11-15, 22:13, 22:20
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to humankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and genuinely endows each believer with gifts for the building of the Church. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character, referred to as the fruit of the Spirit, to the glory of the Father.
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:7-10; John 3:5-8, 14:16, 14:26, 16:8, 16:13; Romans 8:9, 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:16-17, 5:25; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 3:5
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. At the return of Christ, every human being will be bodily resurrected from the dead. All who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be separated from God for eternity. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternity their own rejection of God. All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be received into everlasting communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life that glorify Christ.
John 5:24-29; Romans 2:5-11; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 9:25; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 20:11-15
The result of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the Church. The one true Church is composed of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Wherever God’s people meet regularly, there is the local expression of the Church. Under the watchful care of elders and other supportive leaders, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God. Scripture commands all believers to be an active part of a local church body, devoting themselves to worship, prayer, and the teaching of God’s Word. Participation in a local body also includes the observance of believer’s baptism and communion as the sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body, and outreach to the world, thereby glorifying Christ and furthering His purposes.
Matthew 16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Romans 12:4-9; 1 Corinthians 12:7, 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:12; Colossians 1:18; 1 Peter 4:10
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, in these areas each believer should seek the wise counsel of others in the church and then be led by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
We adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, to view it in its entirety click here.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
We believe, according to the New Testament, the local church is critical in the life of a believer. It is within the local church that believers gather regularly for worship, as expressed below. Additionally, it is within the local church that believers challenge and encourage one another through intentional discipleship efforts. Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Believers need to surround themselves with fellow believers as they seek to grow as obedient followers of Christ. Additionally, the Church is God's plan A for getting the gospel to the ends of the earth. The local church bears the responsibility of equipping the saints (baptized believers) for the work of ministry. The church makes disciples and sends them out armed with the message of the gospel. In our context at Heartland, we seek to fulfill the Great Commission in Desoto County and beyond. When you join the local church here at Heartland, you are committing to church membership as we understand from key passages in scripture.
What we believe about the gathering
Every week, we gather to worship God. In doing so, we strive to obey how He has asked us to worship Him. We believe the saints (baptized believers) should gather regularly to worship God. This is sometimes called “corporate worship,” and it indicates a local group of Christians coming together to sing songs of praise, pray together, read and teach God’s word, and encourage one another to Christ-likeness.
Of course, those who are not yet believers are welcome, and we encourage everyone to join us!
We dress casually, but we worship reverently. We preach expositionally; meaning we work verse-by-verse through entire books of the Bible. We sing theologically rich, biblically faithful, and modernly arranged songs. Our theology is broadly evangelical and specifically baptist (see Our Beliefs for more info).
Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19-21, Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42-47
BYLAWS
The bylaws of Heartland Church are the practical expression of our biblical convictions. As such, the Bible is the ultimate and final authority in all matters of HeartLand Church and her congregation. In the event the bylaws conflict with scripture, it is unintended and the Bible always takes precedence.
The bylaws of Heartland church give insight on the operating procedures of Heartland Church. They are revised yearly by a church appointed bylaw revision team who takes time to look at the bylaws in detail, pray over them, and present recommeded revision to the church for a vote of approval.
You can access the most recent copy of Heartland Church Bylaws by clicking below.