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 Many people will hear the phrase
"Hip-Hop Church" and immediately have a lot of questions. If you are reading this magazine, many of you have probably attended a service and had a great time where you saw that church could be relevant, engaging, and real. At the same time, you may still have some questions about the details of what we believe. You may think it's all too good to be true. You may also be a parent reading this whose child or teenager recently attended Crossover and brought this magazine home. You're probably wondering what this
"Hip-Hop Church" is all about. Nothing at Crossover is traditional that's quite obvious. However, everything we believe and practice in our services is Biblical. There is a big difference.
The church [as a whole] has gotten the two a little mixed up. Jesus was not a traditional guy! As a matter of fact, he was constantly in conflict with the religious leaders of His day because He kept challenging them. They tried to look all good on the outside, but on the inside they were rotten. Jesus is not so concerned with how we look on the outside, or how we dress when we come to His house, (they didn't have suits and ties in His day), as long as it's modest. He's not concerned about the music we play, or the style we choose to worship Him with, as long as the lyrics are clean and glorify Him. Jesus wants our hearts to be pure! At Crossover, we will consistently change our presentation to stay relevant with the culture, but our message and what we believe will never change.
THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE
About God: God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. // Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:22/ Psalm 90:2/ Matthew 28:19/ Corinthians 13:14
About Jesus Christ: Jesus is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven's glory and will return again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. // Matthew 1:22-23/ Isaiah 9:6/ John 1:1-5, 14:10-30/ Hebrews 4:14-15/ 1 Corinthians 15:3-4/ Acts 1:9-11/ 1 Timothy 6:14-15/ Titus 2:13
About the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under his control daily. / /2 Corinthians 3:17/ John 16:7-13, 14:16-17/ Acts 1:8/ 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16/ Ephesians 1:13/ Acts 2:4
About the Bible: The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. IT is the supreme source of all truth for all Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error. // 2 Timothy 1:13, 3:16/ 2 Peter 1:20-21/ Psalm 119:105
About Human Beings: People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme objects of God's creation. Although every person has a great potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This sin nature (attitude) separates people from God and is the root cause of many of the problems of life. //Genesis 1:27/ Psalm 8:3-6/ Isaiah 53:6/ Romans 3:28
About Salvation: Salvation is God's free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sins through self improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer for forgiveness can any one be saved from sin's penalty. When we turn from our self-willed lives and turn to Christ in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into their life by faith. // Romans 6:23 / Ephesians 3:8,9/ John 14:6, 1:12/ Titus 3:5/ Galatians 3:26/ Romans 5:1
About Eternity: The soul of every human being was created to live forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through salvation and forgiveness. Hell is eternal separation of God. Heaven is eternal union with God. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. // John 3:16, 2:25, 5:11-13/ Romans
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