The Well’s Core Beliefs

Curious about the beliefs we find most essential as a church? While the Well affirms many secondary doctrines, these are the one’s we find non-negotiable.

The bible: At The Well, we believe that all 66 books of scripture were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are void of error in their original manuscripts and are to be viewed as the supreme authority in all matters of faith and our everyday lives. (2 Timothy 3:16). This has implications for everything we do and believe at The Church.
God: We believe that God is the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one God in three persons, co-eternal and coequal in power (2 Corinthians 13:14) and of the same essence. We affirm the truth of God’s omniscience (He knows everything), His omnipresence (He is everywhere), and His omnipotence (He has all power).
The Person and Work of the Father: God the father, distinct from the Son and the Spirit in person while fully unified in essence and purpose, is sovereign Lord over all and operates primarily as originator and creator. He has always existed in perfect love and harmony with the Son and the Spirit.
- Creator of the universe (Genesis 1& 2)
- Sovereign Lord (Psalm 135:6, Job 42:2, Romans 8:29-30) • Sent the Son (John 3:16-17)
- Sent the Spirit (John 14:26)
The Person and Work of Jesus: Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Jesus paid the full penalty for our sin and drank deeply of the wrath of God according to God’s predetermined plan. He has triumphed over the powers of Satan, Sin, and Death (Colossians 2:15).
- Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10-14)
- Jesus is our faithful High Priest who is both our advocate and intercessor (Hebrews 3:1)
- Jesus is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18)
- Jesus is King of Kings who sits at the right hand of the Father and has all authority in Heaven and Earth (Ephesians 1:20-23, Daniel 7:13-14)
- Jesus holds all things together (Colossians 1:17)
- Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)
- Jesus is the great Warrior who came to destroy the works of the devil and who is • currently ruling in the midst of His enemies (1 John 3:8, Psalm 110:1-3)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and came into the world to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.

- The Holy Spirit…
  - Convicts (Acts 2:37)
  - Regenerates (Titus 3:5)
  - Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
  - Seals (Ephesians 1:13-14)
  - Leads (Galatians 5:18)
  - Teaches (John 14:26)
  - Helps (John 16:7)
  - Empowers for Witnessing (Acts 1:8)
Humanity: We believe mankind was created in the image of God, but through Adam’s sin the race fell. Man is born into sin. Man has a radical bent towards evil and rebellion, is under the wrath of God, and cannot save himself. All men are in need of salvation that can only be supplied by the grace of God as it is revealed in the gospel. We also believe that God has placed great value on human life evidenced by His willingness to give His only begotten Son to die for humanity and to adopt us into His family. Our view of humanity is shaped by two truths.
- First, the Imago Dei. Man is made in God’s image and because of that all human beings have value and worth.
- Second, total depravity. All humans are sinners by nature and choice. This does not mean all people are as wicked as they could be because of the constraining grace of God. It does mean that salvation is a gift of God received by grace through faith in Jesus.
Salvation- We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received through faith in Jesus Christ whose blood was shed on the cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Ephesians 2:8) Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we can be set free from sin, Satan, and death.
The Church: We believe in both the Church universal and the Church local. The Church universal is comprised of all believers who have died in Christ and believers yet living. It is a Chosen Race and a Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 12:22-23). The Church local is the visible Body of Christ on Earth and is characterized by…
- Regenerated Members (Acts 2:41)
  - Biblical Leadership (Christ commissioned apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip the Saints) (Ephesians 4:11-14)

- - Gathering For Worship and Training (Hebrews 10:24-25)
  - Sacraments of Baptism (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-4) and Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
  - Unity in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-4)
  - Discipline for Holiness (1 Timothy 4:6-7)
  - Community of Love (Colossians 3:14)
  - Making Disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19)

Christ’s Return: There are lots of theories about what Jesus’ return will look like, when it will happen, what happens first, etc. While we believe that many of these theories find their root in scripture, we do not believe that all of them are essential from a doctrinal standpoint. Here’s what we believe is core to understanding Biblical teaching on the return of Christ:
- Christ will return (John 14:1-3)
- Christ’s return will be a literal, physical event (Acts 1:9-11)
- Christ’s return will be bright, loud, and glorious (Rev. 1:7, Matt. 24:27, 30-31)

About Austin Lawrence