JPL Bible Church is a non-denominational Christian church. 

Pastor Steven Sorensen is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Seminary, considered to be an interdenominational, evangelical seminary.  He has been involved in mainline, evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the U.S. and West Africa.    

If you are a student of detailed doctrine, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem contains 1,167 pages that represent the doctrinal positions of JPL.  Here is one page of highlights:

“Get to Know You” Lunch

If you are new to JPL or want to get more involved this is a great place to start.  Have lunch and get acquainted with Pastor Steve and his wife, Marty. Take a the Calendar/Events to see when the next Lunch is coming up.

The Bible is our final authority in faith and practice.  We believe it is without error or defect.  The Bible consists of the 66 books in the Old and New Testament.  We critique all other religious and non-religious with the teachings of the Bible.  St. Augustine spoke of there being one truth expressed in the book of scripture (the Bible) and the book of nature (the observable world around us).  It is important to get both right. 

God is very particular about how he is represented.  The true personality, character and attributes of God are revealed in the Bible and perfectly modeled in the man, Jesus Christ.  The first three of the Ten Commandments state: “You must not have any other god but me.”  “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind.”  You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”  An idol is a human conception of God that is different from the God described in the Bible.  In ancient history they expressed their mental ideas of God in wood, stone or metal idols. We make mental idols when our ideas of “God” contradict the Bible.  God is meant to be our highest priority in life.  If our 

highest priority in life is something other than God it becomes an ‘idol.’  For example Colossians 3:5 says “Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”   

“The Trinity” is not a term found in the Bible, but theologians use it as the name of the mysterious Godhead that is three persons yet one God.  God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. The Father sent Jesus into the world.  Jesus left the earth and left us with the Holy Spirit, God’s empowering presence in our lives. 

Jesus Christ came down from heaven as the incarnation of the one Creator God in human form.  He is absolutely unique in history by claiming deity and backing that claim with a sinless life, timeless teachings, loving and miraculous deeds and by his physical resurrection from the dead.  Every other religious founder claims wisdom or revelation from God.  Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

The Holy Spirit indwells us when we dedicate our lives to Jesus Christ and submit to baptism.  As we cooperate with God, the Holy Spirit empowers us to transform our thinking, desires, attitudes, and actions to become in every way more and more like Jesus.  He gives each follower of Jesus Christ a spiritual gift, a supernatural talent to build the church.  We seek to encourage all the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. We cannot reform ourselves to be like Christ.  We can only be transformed more like Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Church is also called the Body of Christ.  Jesus supernaturally organizes and empowersthe church to represent him on earth.  It is

impossible to fully develop your spiritual gifts or your calling without allowing Jesus to fit you into the relationships and service of a church.

The Purpose of Life is determined by our Creator and shared in the Bible.  We are told that each person is destined to die once, and then be judged by God.  Those who have accepted the forgiveness and cleansing of their sins in Jesus Christ will be accepted into a perfect eternal life called heaven.  Those who reject or ignore God, His commandments and His Son will be condemned to eternal separation from anything to do with God, which the Bible calls hell.  God has a rich and satisfying plan for our lives on earth, called God’s will.

Personal opinions about beliefs, practices and politics that are not addressed clearly in the Bible are left up to the individual before God.  We do not want to try and dictate beliefs in these areas.  We expect those in our spiritual family to avoid expressing their personal opinions in a way that causes confusion or dissension in the church.

Truth and love:  “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way, more and more like Christ.”  Everyone judges for better or worse.  We are told to examine ourselves first, and then we can speak the truth in love to help others in their efforts to experience the Bible and the Spirit in their life and ministry.

Becoming part of Spiritual Family at JPL: We welcome everyone to attend JPL. If you would like JPL to be your spiritual family, please let us know. We become spiritual family by not only attend services or fellowship groups, but by committing time, talent and treasure to serve Christ together in unity under the mission, vision and values of JPL.