BIBLICAL CORE VALUES

 OF

GASTON OAKS BAPTIST CHURCH

Connecting People to Christ . . . Engaging Them in God’s Mission

Core values are the “why” of what we do. They are the character of who we are. They are our unifying foundation and our motivating force. These core values reflect the essential non-negotiable beliefs of this family called Gaston Oaks.  

Jesus Christ is Lord – All authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and God has highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). For there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). He is the head of the Church which is His Body. Therefore we are to confess Him with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We are to love Him with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are to worship Him (Matthew 28:17), pray in His name (John 16:23) always (Luke 18:1), and we are to obey Him (John 15:14).  

The Bible is God’s Word – It is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). We are to handle it accurately (2 Timothy 2:15), teach it faithfully (Matthew 28:20), learn it continually (Acts 2:42), speak it boldly (Acts 4:31), do it obediently (James 1:22), and live by it daily (Matthew 4:4). God’s Word is truth (John 17:7), will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), stands forever (Isaiah 40:8) and is forever settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). It is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).  

The Great Commission is Our Mandate – We are to be His witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) as we go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Our mandate calls for us to take the Good News to those closest to us and to those farthest away, locally and globally. This mandate for missions includes education, financial and prayer support, and participation. Missions includes being all things to all people in order that some might be won to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). 

All People Matter to God – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). The Lord does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We are to love our neighbor as our self (Matthew 22:39). We are to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothes to the needy, care to the sick and visitation to the prisoner (Matthew 25:25,36), and that which we do to the least of these brethren we do to Christ (Matthew 25:40). We are to accept the weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions (Romans 14:1), and we are to owe nothing to anyone except to love one another (Romans 13:8). Because God loves us, we are to love one another (1 John 4:11), and as we continue to love one another we should not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. We should also remember the prisoners and those who are ill-treated (Hebrews 13:1-3).

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