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Project: Your Statement of Faith - Lesson 1

Introduction to the Statement of Faith

In this lesson, you will gain an understanding of what a Statement of Faith is and how to write one. This includes: a definition of the Statement of Faith, its purpose, the difference between a creed and a statement of faith, who writes a statement of faith, and what is typically included in a statement of faith. Additionally, this lesson provides a set of questions to consider when writing a statement of faith, as well as a process for creating one.

Lesson 1
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Introduction to the Statement of Faith

I. Overview of the Statement of Faith

A. Definition and Purpose

B. Content and Context

II. Approaches to Writing a Statement of Faith

A. Writing for Personal Reflection

B. Writing for Shared Understanding

III. Examples of Statements of Faith

A. Short Statements

B. Longer Statements


Transcription
Lessons
Quiz

Dr. Bill Mounce
Project: Your Statement of Faith
TH099-01
Introduction to the Statement of Faith
Lesson Transcript

[00:00:01] Well, hi, I'm Bill Mounce, the preaching pastor at Shiloh, his fellowship. And we're taking this opportunity to share with you our statement of faith and to try to explain it in a little more detail. It's really important to us that if you're thinking about coming to Shiloh or if you're just trying to find out what we believe, that you really have an accurate understanding of our faith and our statement and how that works out in real life. So I'm going to take this opportunity to work through the statement of faith slowly and to explain. I will tell you that most of the statement, faith is non-controversial. It's just straight good old evangelical reform theology. There's a couple of places where it might be a little controversial, and I'll tell you where that is. When I get to those places, it would be best as we do this, that you have a copy of the Annotated Statement of Faith. It's got this statement of faith and a lot of verses, and it's easier to follow what I'm going to say if you have that document in front of you, if you're watching this on the Web, you can always download the annotated Statement of Faith from the website as well. Let me say something about the length of the statement of faith. Some people have really short statements of faith and some churches have very long statements of faith. I wanted a statement of faith that could be an instructional tool. In other words, I wanted a statement of faith with enough detail so that if you read it and you understood it, you would have a good basic understanding of what Scripture teaches, a good basic understanding of how we understand the Bible. And in line with Titus one nine, I wanted you to be able to know the truth and refute error.

[00:01:39] That's a requirement for elders in Titus one. And so I wrote a statement of faith that was long enough to be able to do precisely that. So if you're wondering about why do I talk this long or this little, that was my controlling factor. What I'd like to do is just read through the Statement of Faith one article at a time. As I'll be talking, I'll be explaining some of the words. And if there's anything that's of real significance or controversy, I'll come back to it after I'm done reading through the entire statement of Faith.

 

  • You will learn the definition, purpose, and components of a statement of faith, as well as how to create one by considering a set of questions and following a process.
  • You will gain an understanding of the Bible, its authority, interpretation, and its relationship with science, as well as an exploration of contradictions in the Bible and how to resolve them.
  • This lesson teaches you about God's nature, character, and activity, including his oneness, triune nature, attributes, holiness, love, sovereignty, and his activity in creation, providence, and redemption.
  • This lesson explores the person and work of Jesus Christ, providing a comprehensive understanding of His divine and human natures, humiliation, exaltation, redemption, and resurrection.
  • You will gain knowledge about the nature, work, and experience of the Holy Spirit from this lesson, including its definition and names, its relationship to the Father and the Son, and its baptism, filling, and gifts.
  • Gain insight into the doctrine of man and its implications, including the Biblical anthropology, the image of God, and the consequences of sin, and how it affects our daily lives and understanding of the human condition.
  • You will gain an understanding of the doctrine of salvation and its implications in this life and afterlife.
  • You will gain a better understanding of the doctrine of sanctification and its importance in the life of a believer. You will learn the definition of sanctification, the distinctions and degrees of sanctification, and the progressive nature of sanctification. You will also learn the means of sanctification and the goal of sanctification, which is transformation, holiness, and glorification. Finally, you will understand the significance of sanctification, which is to live a life of obedience, experience joy and abundance, and represent Christ in the world.
  • This lesson examines the doctrine of the church, exploring its definition, purpose, and mission. It also examines the relationship between the church, the Kingdom of God, and the Bible.
  • This lesson explores the Doctrine of Last Things, helping you to understand the theological implications, events, and applications of Eschatology.
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