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Our Statement of Purpose
Purpose #1 - Loving God
Loving God begins in the heart! As we participate in Christ honoring worship services and as we respond to the preaching of His Word, this love flourishes.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. - Mark 12:30
Purpose #2 - Growing Together
We grow together, in Jesus Christ, through the study of God's Word. This occurs in our weekly services, in our smaller Bible Studies & classes, and in one-on-one discipleship.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that wether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one
mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. - Philippians 1:27
Purpose #3 - Serving Others
We serve others as we find a place of ministry, in the local body. We also serve
by sharing the Gospel with those who need the Lord.
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. - I Peter 4:10
Our Core Values
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Found People Find People
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, He desires that we would share the
Gospel with others who still need to be found.
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel
them to come in, that my house may be filled. - Luke 14:23
Saved People Serve People
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, He desires that we would share the
Gospel with others who still need to be found.
Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life
as a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:28
Giving People Never Out Give God
Giving back what God has entrusted us, is one of the ways we show God, that we love and trust Him! It's fun to give to the Lord, to His causes and to His Church.
Bring ye all the tithes into the store house, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. - Malachi 3:10
Growing People Learn to Change
As we grow in our faith by reading the Word of God, we encounter moments where the Word of God comes in conflict with how we live. A good Christian agrees with God.
He that safety he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. - I John 2:6
Our Statement of Beliefs
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Desert Cities is an independent, fundamental Baptist Church. That's a big phrase but it just means, that we're distinctively and decidedly different, from most main stream churches across America. We believe the Bible commands us to minister in this manner.
We are independent in the sense of any conventions or national organizations and we are fundamental, in the sense that we believe the entire Bible literally, and base our ministry and teachings on the fundamental truths of the Word of God.
What we believe about the Scriptures...
We believe that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God and that it is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. For reasons of unity within the church and textual reliability we choose to use the King James version of the Bible.
II Timothy 3:16-17
II Peter 1:20-21
What we believe about our Sovereign God...
God is a Person, eternally existing, as a Trinity in unity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three Persons and yet one God. Scripturally and by faith, we believe Jesus is God in human flesh who left Heaven to come to earth, so that He might die for the sins of the whole world and redeem us for eternity.
Deuteronomy 6:4
Matthew 26:19
I Corinthians 8:6
What we believe about the Son of God...
Jesus Christ, eternally existing, is the only begotten Son of God. He left Heaven and became a sinless man in order to redeem us. He was born of a Virgin, and is true God and true man.
Luke 1:30-55
John 1:1-15
Philippians 2:5-8
Colossians 1:15
What we believe about the Sin of Man...
Man was created in the image of God but fell through sin, bringing not only physical death, but also a spiritual death or eternal separation from God. Now all of mankind exists as a fallen race, with an inherited sinful nature, in need of a Savior.
Genesis 1:26-27
Genesis 2:16
Genesis 3:10-23
Romans 6:23
What we believe about the Sacrifice of Christ...
The Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died as a substitutionary payment for the sins of the whole world. We believe He physically arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Simple faith in this sacrifice is the only way of salvation for mankind.
Luke 24
Acts 1:9-11
Romans 5:8-10
Ephesians 1:20-23
I Peter 3:18
What we believe about Christian Service...
The local church is a group of believers baptized by water, banded together for edification, exhortation, and evangelism as commanded by Jesus Christ in the Great Commission. It's our responsibility to serve the Lord with our talents and serve others as we would have others serve us. The greatest form of service o a lost and dying world is to share with them the Gospel!
Mark 16:15
I Corinthians 12:12
Ephesians 1:22-23
What we believe about End Time Events...
Jesus Christ Himself will soon come again in the air to catch up His Church and to reward their service: the unbelievers left behind will go through a period called the Tribulation, after which Jesus Christ will return to the earth to set up His Kingdom of 1000 years of righteous rule; after this the unbelievers of all ages will stand at the Great White Throne to be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, separated from God forever, while the believers spend eternity in the fullness of joy in Heaven with the Lord. Although this sounds discouraging, it is far more to discouraging to be a modern believer, that never tells their lost friends & family about the fate which awaits them.
Matthew 24:29-42
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
Revelation 19:11 - 20:13
Our Name: Baptist
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Desert Cities is a Baptist church because of a few simple but defining Biblical distinctives. We feel it is vitally important to uphold biblical traits that would help clarify what kind of church we are.
The word Baptist simply means that we believe in the:.
B BIBLICAL Authority in all matters of faith and practice.
John 17:17 - Acts 17:11 - II Timothy 3:16-17 - Hebrews 4:12 - II Peter 1:21
You will not find visions, revelations, tongues or extra Biblical "messages from God" at Desert Cities. The Word of God is our guidebook and the Holy Spirit is our guide. As we seek to do what the Holy Spirit desires, we always refer to the Word of God, to make sure what we sense, what we believe and how we behave does not conflict with the plain teachings of the Scriptures.
A AUTONOMY of the Local Church.
Colossians 1:18 - I Timothy 3:15 - Acts 20:19-30
Desert Cities is completely "self governing" and as previously stated, "independent" existing outside of any denominational boards or committees. How do we stay autonomous from a Mother Church or Denomination? The answer is simple, we rely solely on the Lord's blessings and the generous tithes and offerings of those who call our church their home. (For many years, we have only taken one offering per week, which takes place in our morning service. Some churches take multiple offerings per service and inundate their church family with texts and emails to encourage them for more. At Desert Cities, more of Jesus is what we desire not fortune or fame. We take offerings because the Bible commands it, and with cheerful hearts, we give what God desires us to give.)
P PRIESTHOOD of the believers.
I Timothy 2:5-6 - Hebrews 4:14-16
Every believer has equal and instant access to God. This means that each believer is his own priest. I'm sure you have never thought of yourself as a priest but in a way, you are! You have direct access to God's truth and God will for your life. You have instant access to the throne of God and He commands you to pray so that your pray can be answered. What a good and loving God we serve!
T TWO Offices within the Church.
Acts 6:1-7 - I Timothy 3:1-13 - Titus 1:6-9 - I Peter 5:1-4
Desert Cities Baptist Church has two offices of leadership - Pastors and Deacons. Scripture refers to the office of pastor with terms such as elder, bishop, and pastor. It's the responsibility of the Pastor to serve the church by leading, teaching, and overseeing the church work. It's the responsibility of deacons to serve the church through assisting with care and the provision of special needs.
I INDIVIDUAL Soul Liberty.
Romans 10:17 - Romans 14:1-8, 12:23
Every man and woman must choose to come to Jesus Christ for salvation. There's a school of thought in some churches, that teaches, that men are "too depraved in their sin and sinful ways "to ever come to the Lord on their own." At Desert Cites, we understand from Scripture, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" so that men and women, boys and girls can be saved. God is always wooing the lost and warning them to repent. He is constantly calling men "in the highways and hedges" to "come in so His house can be filled!" (Hyper Calvinism, which promotes this and many other heretical teachings, is an insidious evil to the church. This may not be the church for you if you believe that mankind is too depraved to "turn their eyes upon Jesus" and be saved. Don't let this stop you from coming to Desert Cites, as stated above, "growing people learn to change.")
S SEPARATION of Church and State.
Matthew 22:21 - Acts 5:29-31 - Romans 13:1-4
The state should have no power to intervene in the free expression of religious liberty. During the Pandemic, churches across the nation, were persecuted, maligned and boarded up. At its core, this was wrong and hurtful to the church. It is our responsibility to worship God in His House. It's commanded that we do this every week and in a very specific way. As American Christians, we believe we have the right and duty to worship God, in spite of natural disasters, wars, pandemics, whims of the day or political leanings. As human beings we realize there are sicknesses and diseases in this world. We understand that we must be vigilant to protect those who are susceptible to various sickness and future pandemics. We take this very seriously. At Desert Cities, our children and the elderly that call our church home, are our top priority. Simply put, we believe God has given government the responsibility to "watch for our souls" and to warn us of danger when necessary but that their authority stops there. No worshipper of God should ever be locked out of their place of worship. Be it a mosque, a temple or a church like ours - everyone should have the right to worship when, where and how they see fit.
T TWO Ordinances within the Church.
Matthew 28:19-20 - Acts 2:38-43 - Acts 8:36-38 - Romans 6:1-6 - I Corinthians 11:23-24
We practice two simple ordinances at Desert Cities – Baptism and the Lord’s Table (communion). These ordinances have no part in salvation and only serve as pictures of what Christ did for us. There's a difference between the word "ordinance" and the word "sacrament". Many of us have been taught that Baptism and Communion are "sacraments" meaning if we do them, they have saving value attached to them. The Bible is clear, we are Baptized after we accept Jesus as our Savior, in order to identify ourselves as a Christian. Additionally, we take communion because Jesus commanded us to, "do this in remembrance of Him". Communion is a way to keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ's great sacrifice for us at Calvary. Neither of the ordinances have saving value. We do them, not simply for duties sake but for loves sake!
S SECURITY of the Believer.
John 10:27-28 - I Peter 1:3-5
Salvation is a gift from God that cannot be taken away. When a person is saved, he is always saved! Nothing can separate him from eternal life in Jesus Christ. We believe and teach, that every saved believer can and should live with full assurance of Heaven, as their eternal home. Jesus saved us when we were lost and undone. He loved us when we were unruly and disobedient. He promised us a home in Heaven because He is good not because we are good. In fact, at the moment of salvation, He makes us good and "accepted in the brethren." A christian who sins cannot lose their salvation because their salvation was not predicated on their own righteousness. If eternal security sounds foreign to you, then we encourage you to search your heart and the scriptures, to understand what you're trusting in to save you. Salvation is not found in a "what" its found in a "Who" and that "Who" is Jesus Christ. If you are trusting your goodness to keep you saved then it's possible you have been trusting your goodness all along to save you in the first place. If you are saved but mixed up on how God continues to save a sinner, like you and I, you're not alone. If so, let's talk about it!
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Three Ways to Join DCBC
At Desert Cities, we offer three simple ways, to become a Member....
1
Baptism after Salvation
Upon accepting Jesus as your Savior, the Bible commands us to identify publicly as a new believer. We do this through Baptism. The Bible is clear that Baptism is not necessary for salvation, nor does it "wash away our sins" as some would suggest. As the old song says, "what can was away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus!" When you are baptized you are automatically added as a member of Desert Cities.
Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
2
Statement of Faith by Testimony or Email
If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and have been previously baptized in a Baptist church, whose doctrine is in agreement with Desert Cities Baptist, you may be voted into membership by your statement of faith. You can also join Desert Cities by transferring your membership from another Baptist church to ours through email. If this describes your situation, speak with pastor after any church service.
3
Statement of Faith by Baptism
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ but have not been baptized in a Baptist church of like-faith, we humbly ask you to consider being baptized before joining. Some seeking membership may have been sprinkled but not fully immersed, again we humbly ask you to consider being baptized before joining. We are committed to maintaining a doctrinal unity in this day of confusion and doctrinal compromise. If you believe any of this might apply to you, don't be discouraged, we promise to patiently help you make your Baptism a reality!
Matthew 3:16
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
John 3:23
And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
Acts 8:38
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 19:1-5
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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