While we humbly acknowledge that comprehending God in His entirety surpasses human understanding, we also believe in His desire to be known.
God has graciously provided us with His Word, guiding us towards a life of strong conviction. Our beliefs are firmly rooted in the unshakeable truths found in Scripture — a foundation of fact, history, and eternal truth.
2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1–3,14
John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5
John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5
Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:23–24; Titus 3:5
Romans 10:9–10; Acts 2:38; Mark 1:15
Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:20–22; John 5:28–29
Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11–15
Acts 2:41; Acts 8:36–38; Romans 6:3–4
Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:24–25; Ephesians 4:14-16
Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14–15
Everything we do as a Church Body is seen through the lens of these five foundational principles.
We live for God and His glory, not our own! We were created in the image of God and made to live a life that points to God and reflects who He is.
When God showed His glory to Moses, He made clear who He was and is: He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth. God keeps His love for thousands and forgives iniquity, transgression and sin.
When Jesus came, the disciples saw this glory and, as a result, reflected Jesus! We live to glorify Him in our singleness, our marriages, our families and our church. To look like Jesus in everything we do is living for His Glory! Cottonwood desires to be a church that does everything to the Glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 Exodus 33:17-34:7, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 8:28-30
God is love and God loves in great ways! His great love was shown when He sent Jesus to save us from the sin that separates us from Him and His glory!
Jesus taught that to fulfill the intent of Scripture we first love God with all that we are then we love our neighbor as ourselves. Then Jesus gave us a new commandment, that we love one another as He loved us! “Loving Well” means we will glorify God by laying down our lives for one another like Jesus did for us.
“Loving Well” is loving in great ways and it will see us serving, honoring and worshiping God with our entire lives. It will lead us to love others by being patient, and kind, never being provoked or taking into account a wrong suffered. The Bible says love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Loving Great means that we are known by God!
1 John 4:8, John 3:16, Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 5:43-48, 1 Cor 13:1-, 8 1 John 4:7
The Bible is God’s Word and is as relevant and powerful as ever. It is central here at Cottonwood because it is central to a true Christian walk. The Word is God-breathed, perfect, eternal, and living. It offers a solution for every need and problem that we face.
God’s Word is active, it births faith, it shows how to live life, it restores our souls, it makes us wise and lets us see how things really are. The Word washes our soul, brings about life change, and shows us who God is and what He has done for us. It is the revelation of His plan to redeem mankind from the curse and penalty of sin. It speaks to who we are in Christ and how we are to live life with Him.
We believe it, read it, study it, teach it, sing it and obey it. Hearing God and responding appropriately to his Word is how we grow in Christlikeness! We want not only to be “hearers” but doers of the Word of God.
Psalm 19:7-14, 1 Peter 1:24-25, 2 Timothy 3:16, John 17:17, Matthew 7:24-27
For Cottonwood, community means “Life-on-Life”—we do life together! In Scripture we realize that the Christian life cannot be lived in a vacuum. It is to be lived together.
We are to love, accept, build up, serve, forgive and be patient with one another. We are to comfort, teach, encourage, and pray for one another— caring for and bearing one another’s burdens. We are to assemble together and stir up one another to love and good deeds.
The Word teaches that the Church is the body of Christ and we are members of one another. On our journey towards Christlikeness, you have something we need and we have something you need, therefore we must be intentional to connect, and stay in fellowship with one another. Being a part of Cottonwood means we are becoming a part of one another’s lives.
Proverbs 27:17, Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25
The Word teaches that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and this transformation is from “glory to glory” into the likeness of Christ. This is not about perfection, but direction.
Life Change is not an option for the Christian. Jesus comes into our lives to change and transform us. We begin with Faith in Christ and then we mature in Christ to become more like Him. Because we trust and love Jesus, we intentionally position ourselves for this growth. He lives in us, so we choose to think, act and love like Jesus.
Not changing, not growing, not becoming more like Christ is unacceptable. The message for us to proclaim has been salvation, holiness, freedom and transformation into Christ’s likeness. This is indeed the Good News! In Christ, We are never the same!
2 Corinthians 3:16-17 Hebrews 12:14; Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1-2, 1 John 3:1-4, Romans 8:28-30