Our Beliefs

• The Holy Scriptures: We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written by men under God's control, without error and infallible in the original manuscripts and the final authority in faith and life. We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are God's complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God's authority for the total well-being of mankind. (1 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:l-9,11,97-104,160; Matt. 5:18; John 5:46-47; 10;35)

• The Trinity (The Godhead): We believe in one true God who has chosen to reveal Himself to us in three, yet equal, persons. This trinity of One we refer to as the Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 4:3-4)

• God (The Father): We believe that God is the One who created all things (Rev.4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power- Heb. 1:3. In Him we live and move and have our being - Acts 17:28. He is one and only God of truth and without iniquity, He is just and right- Deut 32:4, and He shall judge the world- Psalm 9:8.

• Jesus Christ (the Son): We believe in the total deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He is the manifestation of God in the flesh (the Word made flesh). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God to and accomplish the redemption of sinful man. He accomplished man's redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgments against sin. His bodily resurrection from the grave confinned our redemption. He then ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust in Him. (John 1:1- 2,14,18; Luke 1:34-35; 24:12; Rom. 3:34-26; 8:34; 2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:12-19)

• The Holy Spirit: We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. As He brings glory to the Son, He works to convict all men of their sin and their need of salvation; salvation that can only be found in Christ. The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer in one body of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts, and empowers the believer for godly living-Mark 13:11; John 14:26; Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 3:16. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God's righteousness of coming judgment (John 16:8-11). We believe that the Holy Spirit gives to each believer spiritual gifts to be used in the edification, instruction, and ministry of the local church. We do not believe that the Scriptures teach that any of the gifts have "ceased" but all gifts are still operable for today. (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Eph. 1:22; 4:11-12; Rom. 8:9-17; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 3:16; 12:4-5; 12:11-13; Gal. 5:25; Heb. 4:1-4; 2 Cor. 12:12)

• The Condition of Man: We believe that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were created in the image and likeness of God in innocence and without sin. We believe there came a time when Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God's law and fell from their sinless and righteous relationship they had with the Father. Because of Adam's rebellion and fall, all humanity inherited a sinful nature. Therefore, all mankind is born in sin causing them to be spiritually dead and alienated from God. In addition, not only are all people sinners by inheritance, but also by their own choice and therefore are under just condemnation of their sin. Because of man's sinful and fallen nature, every man and every woman stands before God in need of the salvation that is only found in Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:26; 2:1-24; Rom. 3:10-18; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3)

• Salvation: We believe that salvation from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (sanctification), and ultimately the presence of sin (glorification) is the gift of God's grace. It cannot be gained by meritorious works but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection. Each person who places their faith in Christ and receives the Father's gracious gift of salvation is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby assured of their standing before God as His child. (Eph. 2:8-9; 1:7; John 1:12; 1 John 5:11-13; Heb. 12:3-13; James 2:14-26; Rom. 8:37-39: 10:9-11,13)

• Eternal Security of the Believer: It is God's divine decision to save a person and it is God's kindness, forbearance and patience that leads that person to repentance (Rom. 2:4). All glory for the salvation and security of every believer belongs to God alone (Rom. 3:21-23; Eph. 1:7-9, 2:8-9; Jude 24-25). We believe that everyone who is born again by the Spirit through Jesus Christ is eternally assured of salvation from the moment of conversion. This assurance relies on God's decisive grace rather than on the works of the Christian. Obedience, good works, fruit-bearing do not earn or retain the believer's salvation, but indicate the reality of the person's love of Christ and profession of faith (Luke 6:46; John 14:21; James 2:17-18).

Eternal security in salvation relies on the Lord's guarantee of each believer's adoption as His son or daughter (Gal. 4:4-7), and His seal of the believer by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14), and the conviction that God gives the Holy Spirit to each believer as a down payment toward future bliss in heaven (2 Cor. 1:21-22).  A person who professes genuine faith in Christ is immediately "reborn" into a saving relationship (born again), being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and placed into the security of the Father's love (Luke 23:42-43; Acts 2:40-41; 16:30-34), and nothing can snatch that person out of the Father's hands (John 10:27-29). Having been bought with the price of Jesus Christ's crucifixion as complete payment of sin and brought to the fullness of life by His resurrection, we have been placed under the loving lordship of Jesus Christ and have become the adopted heirs of the Father. (1 Cor. 6:19-20). This assurance is absolutely certain, reserved in heaven, protected by God's unlimited power (1 Pt. 14:4- 5.).

• Process of Sanctification and Maturity: A mature disciple is committed to a relationship with Christ focusing on his/her personal walk with Him, worship of Him, and work with Him. A mature disciple will experience significant growth in personal sanctification and, therefore, will experience a closer personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and will become "complete in Christ" (Col. 1:28). For this reason we are committed to multiplying the godly characteristics of mature discipleship into the lives of others (2 Tim. 2:2).

This multiplication of maturity is the key to the healthy growth of the church. For mature disciples of Jesus Christ will minister to one another in the local church. This ministry of maturity allows the church to better fulfill God's desire for the body for it does not relegate the ministry of the church to one or a small number of professional pastors bearing total responsibility to care for the entire congregation. The more the church ministers to each other the more the Lord is honored and the more the world is allowed to see the truth of God's love among His people.

God has given spiritual gifts to all of His people to provide mutual ministry in the context of the healthy and strong local church (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Peter 4:8-10). Therefore, it is the goal of JCC to encourage and equip each believer to use their talents and spiritual gifting to ministry to the church and a mature and godly manner.

• The Church: Upon accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes a part of the body,- which is the church. There is one church universal, composed of all those throughout the world who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scriptures command believers to gather in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances (baptism and communion), fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to make disciples of all believers. Wherever God's people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there abides the local expression of the church under the oversight of elders and other supportive leadership. Those who compose the body of local believers are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ. (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:16; 5:23; Rom. 12:1: Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor. 14:26; 12:13; Matt. 28:28-20)

• Our Priorities - 5 Key Elements: JCC is committed to pursuing the five key elements of the New Testament church:  (1) Evangelism,  (2) Prayer & Worship, (3) Fellowship, (4) Discipleship, (5) Ministry [In-Reach & Out-Reach].

• Missions: We acknowledge that JCC itself is a mission of God and we work to honor God in this mission He has called us to here in Okeechobee. As we pursue the mission that God has called to, we recognize that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship. Therefore, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples around the world as God gives us the opportunity (Matt. 28:19-20).

• Church Planting: The purpose of Jubilee City Church is to glorify God through the fulfillment of the great Commission that Christ gave to His church. In seeking to act upon the church's purpose, we recognize the extraordinary value in multiplying the reach of His ministry by active associating with existing, like-minded local churches and by working to start new church plants as God supplies the people and the resources.

• Marriage & Sexuality: We believe that marriage is a sacred union by which God joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. Scripture teaches us that from the very beginning of creation God established a specific design for the foundation of marriage. Marriage was designed for one man and one woman to be joined in a covenantal union that was intended to be a life long commitment. Marriage and the establishing of strong homes are essential to the welfare of God's church and also the welfare of the local community as well as the nation as a whole.

The following purposes of marriage serve to define JCC's strong conviction for the biblical design of marriage:

1. Foundation for Society and Culture: We believe that the home, as established by God, was designed to be the very core of all society and culture, be it secular or religious. For in the scope of the Scriptures, which we believe God meant to serve as our guide in these matters, God has always worked through the home to raise up men and women who would be His instruments for societal stability and cultural characteristics that would reflect the image and glory of God. To truly accomplish this goal it is necessary that the home be such that it embraces only the foundational design of God's word and plan and to reject any and all things that would cause it to deviate from that design.

Therefore, we reject the concept and enactment of same-sex marriage not on the basis that we "hate" homosexuals or transgender individuals. For God would have us to love all people regardless of their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. We reject it because we believe it would be detrimental to those entering into such a relationship because they would be living outside of God design of marriage, bringing upon themselves the consequences that God's word says comes to those living outside of His design, bringing dysfunction and ultimately destruction to themselves and their relationships and serving to weaken the structure of society as God intended it to be as defined by Scripture.

This declaration is not intended as an indictment against homosexuals or transgender individuals. As stated earlier, we believe all are sinners and in need of the salvation that offered only in Jesus Christ. For God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness.

2. Mutual Edification and Growth: We believe that God designed the marriage relationship to reflect the relationship that He desires for all humanity to have with Himself. It is God's desire that we would find in Him, through Christ, a relationship that builds us up in all that is holy and righteous, bringing into our lives joy, purpose, fulfillment, and love. In Him, God's desire is that we would grow into a maturity that brings us to the "measure and fullness of Christ." So, marriage should also be producing in the lives of those who have entered into that sacred union the same effect of edification and growth. We hold that anything outside of God's established truth that would be allowed into the marriage relationship would prevent it from fully realizing God's design in this area.

3. Physical and Sexual Relations: Sex was designed by God and is a beautiful expression of love and intimacy within the union of marriage. We believe that a healthy married couple should and will have an active and joy-filled sexual element in their marriage. We believe that this brings joy to the heart of God and truly expresses the Lord's design for marriage as it pertains to love and intimacy.

We believe all sexual relations outside of marriage are against God's original design for marriage. Therefore, we not only reject the concept of same-sex marriage but anything that goes against God's design be it adultery, heterosexual - homosexual - bisexual misconduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to "change" one's sex, or disagreement with one's biological sex.

We believe that "alternate lifestyles" or changes in "sexual orientation" (such as transgender) are choses made (either made directly or indirectly) and not a biological reality such as gender or ethnicity. Thus we conclude that it is not a valid basis for civil rights on non-discrimination.

4. Creation of Offspring: One of the great joys of marriage is the gift of offspring as the result of the sexual union. Though sex is given in marriage for more than procreation, the gift of life through this union is truly the blessing of an almighty, gracious God. One of the great truths of any covenantal relationship is the producing of offspring be it physical, societal, or spiritual. The producing of offspring is central to all divine covenants because it is God working to continue His blessing on humanity and to further His work on earth. Because of our strong belief in this principle of offspring in covenantal union, we again affirm our stand that marriage must only be between a man and a woman in accordance with God's holy design.

This belief in offspring as the God-given fruit of marriage leads us to take a strong stand for the sanctity of human life. We believe that it the goal of every home and also every church to rear up and nurture children in the knowledge of Christ as strong, active, educated members of society. It is through this pursuit that we can eventually have a godly impact on the future of our homes, our churches, our nation, our world; both now and for future generations. (Gen. 1:27-28; Gen. 2:22-25; Matt. 19:4-5; Mal. 2:14-15; Eph. 5:22-33; Rom. 7:2-4; 1 Cor. 7:3-4)

JCC Core Values:

• At Jubilee City Church, we strive towards our Mission according to the following Core Values—characteristics and activities that express our heart and shape our ministries:

• Bold Preaching – Expository and Applicational (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
• Passionate Worship – In Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24)
• Fervent Prayer – Dependent and Expectant (Ephesians 6:18)
• Courageous Evangelism – In Word and Deed (Acts 4:18-21)
• Intentional Discipleship – Personal and In Community (Ephesians 4:11-16)
• Strategic Church Planting – Together and Around the World (Romans 15:18-21)

Family Values of Jubilee City Church:

1. We believe church is a family, not a building or a location

We believe authentic church transcends brick and mortar – it's found in the heartbeat of genuine relationships and shared lives. Just as families gather around tables, share meals, celebrate victories, and support each other through struggles, Jubilee City Church is building a spiritual family where everyone belongs. We're not defined by an address or confined by walls but by the depth of our love for one another and our commitment to walking together in faith. Like any healthy family, we make room for questions, embrace imperfection, and prioritize presence over performance. When someone walks through our doors, they're not entering a building – they're coming home to a family who has been waiting for them.

2. We believe that the nuclear family is foundational and biblical

We believe God's design for the nuclear family - father, mother, and children - serves as both a sacred blueprint and a powerful testimony of His love for humanity. This foundational relationship unit shapes society, nurtures the next generation, and reflects the very image of God. At Jubilee City Church, we're committed to strengthening, supporting, and celebrating families as they navigate life's journey together. We understand that strong families create strong communities, and biblical marriages provide children with the stability and security they need to flourish. While we extend grace and love to everyone, regardless of their family situation, we remain dedicated to upholding, teaching, and modeling God's original design for family as revealed in Scripture. Through intentional ministry, practical support, and biblical teaching, we help families build their homes on the unshakeable foundation of God's Word.

3. We believe that the next generation matters

We believe that children and young people aren't just the future of the church – they're vital members of our family today. At Jubilee City Church, we're passionate about creating spaces where the next generation can encounter Jesus personally, ask real questions, and develop authentic faith. We refuse to water down truth or entertain our kids into spiritual apathy. Instead, we're committed to walking alongside parents, investing deeply in young lives, and raising up a generation that's anchored in Scripture and equipped to live boldly for Christ. By intentionally involving young people in worship, service, and community life, we're building a church where every generation matters and thrives together.

Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances to be observed by all believers until His return; baptism and the Lord's Supper or communion.

1. Baptism: We believe that baptism was commanded by Christ (Matt. 28:19) and instituted by the apostles in the New Testament church. Though we do not believe that baptism is a requirement for salvation, we believe that Christ has commanded all believers (and only believers) to be baptized as a means of public identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. We believe strongly that baptism should only be for those who are believers. For Scripture teaches that a person is to be baptized only after personally receiving forgiveness of sin and new birth through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Col. 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:1-4)

We believe that baptism is a multi-faceted symbol of God's grace to the believer:

1. It is a symbol of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is a memorial marking our union with Hirn in death to sin and a celebration marking our union with Him in resurrection to new life. (Rom. 6:3-4)
2. It is a public identification with the covenant family of God, marking us as members of the body of Christ.
3. It is a symbol of the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 22:16)
4. It is a symbol of the receiving and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

The church shall accept as valid only the form of water baptism by immersion and shall encourage every individual believer that baptism by immersion is the form of baptism to be practiced by believers. The church will not perform infant baptism since it does not conform to our beliefs of believer's baptism. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38,41; 18:18)

1. Communion (Lord's Supper): Communion shall be administered by the Elders on a regular basis for we believe that it is a sacred commandment of Christ that we do so until He returns. We believe that communion is the commemoration by believer's of Christ death and a reminder - through the bread and the juice - of the Savior's broken body and shed blood. Communion is to be a time of reflection of our personal relationship in Christ and a time of confession of our sin and should be preceded by careful self-examination. We understand communion to be not only a commemoration of His death, but, also, a thanksgiving celebration, a symbol of hope that looks forward to His coming again, a reminder of His mercy and grace, and a time of communion with Him in which we offer our lives to Him, just as He offered His life to us. It also serves as a time of communion for believers as they come together to rejoice that Christ as placed them in the body for fellowship and service. We believe that communion is for all believers and only for believers. (Acts 4:13; Rom. 6:3-6; 1 Cor. 11:20-29)