Basically, that God graciously promises to forgive and grant eternal life to everyone who turns from unbelief to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But let’s break this down.

By "God," we mean there is a personal Being who dwells beyond time and space, yet is present in all times and places, because he is the creator and sustainer of everything good, true, and beautiful. He created human beings for the exalted purpose of knowing and enjoying him, and reflecting his divine nature in the world through their attitudes and actions.

Every person, however, has fallen short of God's will. We are all guilty for having scorned his many gifts and lived far below the moral standard he rightly requires of his creations. For that reason, no one deserves either life or blessing. Rather, we live under the shadow of eventual judgment and condemnation, like the fallen angels.

The good news is that God has not only made a way of salvation possible for human beings, but himself ensures that a multitude of people “whom no man can number,” will not only be forgiven but raised to the highest position of joy and blessing in the age to come! All of this is being accomplished through his Son, Jesus Christ, whom he sent into the world as the Redeemer.

The promise of the Gospel is that every sinner who turns from unbelief and places his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will receive eternal life. This salvation comes to us purely according to grace, which the Father purposed in Jesus Christ before the ages began. He bestows all his gifts freely on those who look away from their good works, that is, their own self-righteous attempts to deserve his favor, and instead embrace Jesus Christ to be their all-sufficient Savior. Their simple prayer is, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, for Jesus’ sake.”

Through faith, the Spirit unites you with Jesus. That very moment, God counts to your name the lifelong obedience of his Son, reckoning it your own. Believers are thus “justified,” meaning God declares them righteous in his sight, not because of any goodness in or from ourselves, but only on account of Christ’s righteousness. Moreover, the Father regards now us as having satisfied the penalty for sin, because Jesus’ suffered and died in our place on the cross. He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” as John the Baptist preached.

Finally, Jesus’ resurrection provides assurance that he is victorious over guilt and the grave. From his place at God’s right hand in heaven, the Lord now sends forth his Holy Spirit to convert, sanctify, and equip his people for ministry, until the day when we are all gathered to him.

When Christ returns bodily, as he promised, he will raise all people from the dead. There will be a judgment of everlasting consequence. Those who know him will be vindicated for Christ’s sake, and rewarded graciously for the good which God worked in and through them. But those whom Jesus does not know as his own will receive their just sentence of final separation from God and all his blessings. If anyone thinks this is “too much” and unfair, it only shows how unfairly they despise God’s infinite holiness and honor.

The way of peace is not far off. Anyone who desires to be saved needs only to cast themselves on God’s mercy, and he will grant it. And by his help, they will begin to show forth new spiritual life. The good news is held out to you, too! So why don’t you believe on Christ and begin to serve him in gratitude?

Yes! We know many churches segregate minors. The Bible, however, presents a different dynamic: all-ages uniting to sing, pray, and receive God's Word of grace (Deuteronomy 31:12, Ezra 10:1; Nehemiah 8:2). We have found age-inclusiveness to be a great blessing to us. We hope you do too!

Many of us were not raised with this practice but were led to it through a careful study of Scripture, especially God’s way of administering his covenants throughout redemptive history. In short, we do not baptize children on the presumption of their regeneration, nor do we think that the sacrament of baptism regenerates, saves, or gaurantees the salvation of its recipients, any more than circumcision formerly saved the descendants of Abraham. But like that former sign, which was given to both Abraham and his children, baptism is a visible sign and physical seal of God’s general promise to the church, to save and sanctify all whom God calls in grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We regard our children as members of the visible church while knowing that God alone sees the heart, and we call them all their lives to “make their calling and election sure,” by professing faith and living in a way that evidences a new heart. Where this doesn’t occur, we call them to repentance and faith.

For further explanation, you can watch this video sermon.

God created His people for fellowship (Acts 2:42-48; 4:32-35; Ephesians 2:19-22). Connecting throughout the week is an integral component of Phoenix URC's ministry. Sundays are the best place to begin since relationships are formed and deepened before, during, and after worship. Post-worship classes also provide an opportunity for relationship-building as well as informal contacts throughout the week. Check out the "Get Involved" section of our website.

Giving is an important component of Christian living. Giving comes in the form of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 4:7) and material offerings (Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8). Opportunities abound at PURC for both. As to monetary offerings, PURC supports a number of carefully designated causes including such things as local benevolence and budgetary needs, home and foreign missions, Christian education, disaster relief, and other causes. PURC's deacons as managers of spiritual and material resources (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13) ensure that all monies given are accounted for and distributed properly.

The purpose of these historic summaries of Christian beliefs is to systematically teach (Luke 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:16), protect (2 Peter 3:17), and defend (Jude 3) the faith. They do not possess the same inspired authority as the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 2:19-21), yet they are useful as faithful summaries of what the Bible teaches and help in discipling new believers (Matthew 28:19,20).

Church membership is an important component of Christian discipleship. Jesus said, "Whoever would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24). The Bible teaches us that to follow Christ requires that we join ourselves to His church (Hebrews 10:22-25; Acts 2:47). Membership is the means whereby we formally commit ourselves to the local expression of Christ's church much like formal vows commit husbands and wives to each other. Church membership brings with it the fruits of joy, fellowship, service, pastoral oversight, and accountability in the local church. Church membership has been a great blessing to us. If you want to know the process for becoming a member at PURC, see any Elder, Rev. Spotts, or contact us.