Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Lighthouse Baptist Church | Pascagoula, MS based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these Biblical doctrines.
Salvation
"Salvation is recognizing you are a sinner, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, shed his blood for you, and rose again on the third day in power and authority. Salvation is simple as long as we don't complicate it. To be saved, all you need to do is admit that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:9-10)
There is only one way to Heaven and that is through the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." There's no good deed, good work, or amount of money that is able to seal your salvation. Church attendance, church membership, your last name, nor your financial status will give you a ticket for salvation; the blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will wash away your sins. (Colossians 1:14)
Salvation is a spiritual transaction that transforms you into a new creature in Christ. Every life that Jesus has touched has, and will, never be the same! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
There is only one way to Heaven and that is through the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." There's no good deed, good work, or amount of money that is able to seal your salvation. Church attendance, church membership, your last name, nor your financial status will give you a ticket for salvation; the blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that will wash away your sins. (Colossians 1:14)
Salvation is a spiritual transaction that transforms you into a new creature in Christ. Every life that Jesus has touched has, and will, never be the same! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Eternal Security
"At Lighthouse, we believe in the eternal security of the believer and we believe that solely based on the word of God.
If you have been saved once, you are saved forever. Why? Because Jesus is an eternal being, and the work He did on the cross when He said “it is finished”, is an eternal work. There are two things that will last forever: the Word of God and the souls of men. Thankfully, by faith, we can trust in God’s salvation to not only save us from our sins, but to seal us for eternity. [Romans 8:38-39]
Because we are sealed until the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit, we have hope of an eternal home in Heaven where we will live for eternity. Hell is a real place, but if you have been saved, you will never have to experience the judgement of hell. [Ephesians 4:30]
However, just because you have been sealed for eternity, does that mean we can live how we want to? According to God’s word, “old things are passed away and behold all things become new”. That doesn't mean we have a free pass for sin but that we should live in a way that pleases God. It should remind us of the ultimate price that Jesus paid for us. [Rom 6:1-2]
Since we have this blessing of eternal security, we can be assured that this world is not our final resting place. One day the trump of God will sound, and those that are saved will be “caught-up’ or raptured with Him in the clouds. [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]"
If you have been saved once, you are saved forever. Why? Because Jesus is an eternal being, and the work He did on the cross when He said “it is finished”, is an eternal work. There are two things that will last forever: the Word of God and the souls of men. Thankfully, by faith, we can trust in God’s salvation to not only save us from our sins, but to seal us for eternity. [Romans 8:38-39]
Because we are sealed until the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit, we have hope of an eternal home in Heaven where we will live for eternity. Hell is a real place, but if you have been saved, you will never have to experience the judgement of hell. [Ephesians 4:30]
However, just because you have been sealed for eternity, does that mean we can live how we want to? According to God’s word, “old things are passed away and behold all things become new”. That doesn't mean we have a free pass for sin but that we should live in a way that pleases God. It should remind us of the ultimate price that Jesus paid for us. [Rom 6:1-2]
Since we have this blessing of eternal security, we can be assured that this world is not our final resting place. One day the trump of God will sound, and those that are saved will be “caught-up’ or raptured with Him in the clouds. [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17]"
Baptism
"There are two major ordinances in our church. The first one is baptism. Baptism is a vital part of the life of a believer. It is the first step of obedience in a new believers life. It is you publicly signifying that you are not ashamed to associate with the Lord Jesus.
There is no power in baptism. If you get baptized or have been baptized without being saved, you did nothing more then get wet. However, for the soul that has been saved, it is a picture that you have died to your old life and you have been resurrected to walk in newness of life.
We also, baptize by immersion because it represents the death, burial and resurrection. It is a Biblical concept according to Romans 6:4-6 — “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
There is no power in baptism. If you get baptized or have been baptized without being saved, you did nothing more then get wet. However, for the soul that has been saved, it is a picture that you have died to your old life and you have been resurrected to walk in newness of life.
We also, baptize by immersion because it represents the death, burial and resurrection. It is a Biblical concept according to Romans 6:4-6 — “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
The Word of God
"If there’s one thing that we treasure here at Lighthouse, it is the Word of God. It is the only foundation worth standing on. The word of God is eternal truth and it will never go out of style. A phrase we use around here more than anything is, “The Bible is our final authority”. If the Bible says it's wrong, it’s wrong. If the Bible says it’s right, it’s right. No matter what the world and the culture around us is trying to flaunt or advertise, we will stand whole-heartedly on God’s Word.
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Scripture is immutable, infallible and eternal. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” These verses reaffirm the consistency and validity of the scripture God has given us.
We use the King James Version and we believe it is literally God’s word to the English speaking people. We do not worship King James himself, however, we do worship the words of this book and hold them in highest regard. In our preaching, teaching, small groups, or any other church activities, we use the KJV for the sake of unity. We do not want anyone to be confused about what our identity is.
If you have any questions or concerns about our beliefs on this, Pastor Jerry will be more than glad to speak with you one on one in private. We are not hateful on this subject, but we do stand strong on this foundation, with a spirit of love."
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Scripture is immutable, infallible and eternal. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” These verses reaffirm the consistency and validity of the scripture God has given us.
We use the King James Version and we believe it is literally God’s word to the English speaking people. We do not worship King James himself, however, we do worship the words of this book and hold them in highest regard. In our preaching, teaching, small groups, or any other church activities, we use the KJV for the sake of unity. We do not want anyone to be confused about what our identity is.
If you have any questions or concerns about our beliefs on this, Pastor Jerry will be more than glad to speak with you one on one in private. We are not hateful on this subject, but we do stand strong on this foundation, with a spirit of love."
Discipleship
In the life of the believer, there are many important things that we need to do to make sure we are progressing in our walk with the Lord. We have discussed a few of them but what we believe is the most important of all is Biblical Discipleship. This is the process in which we become a mature believer.
What are a few ways to help your personal growth in this area of discipleship?
•Consistent Daily Bible Reading and Prayer [Deuteronomy 6:5]
•Attend Your Church Faithfully [Hebrews 10:25]
•Commit To Faithful Service And Ministry [Romans 12:11]
•Invest Generously In The Work Of God [2 Corinthians 9:6-8]
•Develop Relationships Within The Church Body, Pastor And Leadership Of The Church [1 Thessalonians 5:11-13]
•Commit To Personal Discipleship [2 Timothy 2:2]
2 Peter 1:5-9 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. "
What are a few ways to help your personal growth in this area of discipleship?
•Consistent Daily Bible Reading and Prayer [Deuteronomy 6:5]
•Attend Your Church Faithfully [Hebrews 10:25]
•Commit To Faithful Service And Ministry [Romans 12:11]
•Invest Generously In The Work Of God [2 Corinthians 9:6-8]
•Develop Relationships Within The Church Body, Pastor And Leadership Of The Church [1 Thessalonians 5:11-13]
•Commit To Personal Discipleship [2 Timothy 2:2]
2 Peter 1:5-9 “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. "