OUR PASTOR
Dr. Nicholas LeBlanc, DMin
After completing his Theological Masters in Systematic Theology and Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, God brought Nicholas full circle back to his roots in Central to plant Central Bible Church in 2008. After several years of ministry, an opportunity was presented to continue his formal education and complete a Doctorate in Expository Preaching at The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, CA.
In alignment with Dr. LeBlanc's theological education, Central Bible Church is committed to expository preaching of the Word of God, theological training of every believer, and life-transforming discipleship. We hope you will join us!
OUR CORE VALUES
The Word: We believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, the standard by which we can measure our lives, and as such should be studied and taught deeply. [James 1:23-25; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 3:16-17]
Excellence: We believe that in every area of our lives, the goal is to “work as unto the Lord,” which translates into God being honored by our best. [1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17; Mal 1:6-14]
Commitment: We believe the Church (universal) and the church (local) are the hope of the world, an essential means by which one grows spiritually, and the avenue by which God operates in this age; therefore the believer is to commit to playing his or her part in bringing the body of Christ to maturity, both locally and internationally. [Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12-14; Rom 12; Ps 133:1; Nehemiah 3; John 13:34-35]
Evangelism: We believe humanity is utterly hopeless apart from a personal encounter with God the Father, through God the Son, by God the Holy Spirit. As Christians—those who have had this encounter and now have an ongoing relationship with God—it is our privilege and responsibility to share our hope with others, both locally and abroad. [Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Luke 5:30-32; Luke 15; Matt 18:14]
Continual Growth: We believe that continual growth is a sign of life. It is each individual's responsibility to participate in his/her personal growth and transformation through education, service, evangelism, prayer, worship, counseling, etc. [2 Cor 3:18; Rom 12:2; Phil 1:6]
The “5 Solas” of the Protestant Reformation are an efficient means by which theologians summarize the core doctrines that formed the distinctives of the Protestant faith. They are a historic expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the Word of God. Central Bible Church is committed to these foundational truths as a theological foundation for, and guide to gospel ministry.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) - All authority in the life of the believer, especially in terms of how we can determine the means of salvation rests upon the teaching found in Scripture and Scripture alone, not in the traditions of men or the church.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) - Salvation is not accomplished by any will or work of man (Rom. 9:16). Man is dead in sin and cannot contribute any part of his/her salvation (Eph 2:1). Salvation is a gift of God by His grace alone (not of works so that any man should boast (Eph 2:8-9)).
Sola Fide (Faith Alone) - Salvation is enacted in the life of a Christian by faith alone. Not by works (Rom 3:28). This does not mean that good works are not necessary in the life of a believer, but that the works are the expression of a salvation already had, not a precondition for salvation (James 2:26).
Solus Christus (Christ Alone) - The object of that faith through which salvation is enacted is not institutions, traditions, or works, but in Christ alone (Rom 10:13). A Christian’s faith rests in the finished work of Jesus Christ, His birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ministry at the right hand of the Father, and His coming again in judgment.
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory of God Alone) – Every aspect of salvation is designed by God so that he alone receives all glory. Salvation aligns with all of creation and history is for the glory of God alone. Everything is God focused not man focused. Every aspect of human history and creation is put in place for the glory of God, how much more so should the lives of Christians be lived to His glory (1 Cor 10:31)?
OUR BELIEFS
The following is a summary of our major beliefs.Those beliefs which are required to be a member of the church will be indicated by an asterisk (*), while the other beliefs are those which represent the theological stances from which God's Word is understood and taught.
The Scripture*
Scripture, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 3:16). God superintended the human authors of the Bible so that they composed and recorded without error in their original writings, His message to mankind (Jn 14:26; 2 Peter 1:16-21).
The Godhead*
The Scriptures reveal the eternal existence of the Godhead in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that these are the one God (Deut 6:4), having precisely the same nature and attributes (Jn 1:1; Acts 5:3-4). We hold to a Christian understanding of God, simply expressed as "three persons, one essence" (Mtt28:19-20; 2 Cor 13:14).
The Father*
God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass and governs all creatures and events (Rom 11:33-36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator, He is Father to all men (Jas 1:17), but He is the spiritual Father only to believers, whom He adopts as His own (Eph 1:5; Rom 8:15).
The Son*
The eternal Son of God (Jn 17:5), the second person of the Trinity (Jn 1:1), was born of a virgin (Mtt 1:18-25) as the perfect man Jesus Christ (Heb 4:15; 1 Jn 3:5; 1 Peter 1:18-19), yet He retained His absolute deity, being at the same time very God and very man. All that was created was created through Him (Col 1:16; Jn 1:3). He became man for the express purpose of dying as a sacrifice for our sins (Jn 1:29; Acts 2:23; Rom 5:8; Mark 8:31; 10:45; Isa 53). Through His resurrection, He conquered sin and death, and became the Redeemer of all those who place their trust in Him (Rom 4:25). He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-12; Hebr 8:1) where He intercedes on behalf of His Church (Hebr 7:25). We believe in His personal return to earth to reign and to judge the living and the dead (Mtt 25:31-46; 2 Tim 4:1; Rev 19:11-19).
The Holy Spirit*
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity (Acts 5:3-4), though omnipresent from eternity (Jn 4:24a), took up His abode in the world in a special sense in believers—individuals as well as corporately (1 Cor 6:19; 3:16) on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). He seals (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30) and indwells every believer (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Tim 1:14). By His baptism, He unites all believers in Christ in one body (1 Cor 12:13) and He is the believer's source of all power (Acts 1:8) and all acceptable worship and service (Jn 4:24).
Mankind*
Man was originally created in the image and the likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27), but he fell through sin (Gen 3:1-19; Rom 5:12-13), which in some way marred the purity of who he was created to be, while still retaining, in another since, the image and likeness of God (Rom 8:5-8; Gen 9:6b). Man, as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life becoming dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). This spiritual death has been transmitted to the entire human race (Romans 5:12), such that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature essentially and unchangeably sinful apart from divine grace (Eph 2:1-3).
Salvation*
Owing to universal death through sin, both physically and spiritually, no one may enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born again (Jn 3:3). This new birth is a gift of God enacted in the lives of "the called," those chosen by God in His sovereignty and grace (Rom 8:28; 9:11, 14-18). This calling by God occurs when the Holy Spirit draws the elect and transforms the will of man from a will which was once opposed to God, to one which now desires a relationship with the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit (Rom 8:5-11). Man then is enabled to respond to the gospel message in faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross and in His resurrection from the grave (Eph 2:1-10; Rom 10:9-10) and is granted repentance (2 Tim 2:25) then is empowered to live for Christ (Titus 2:11-14).
Election
In eternity past, God, in His sovereign good pleasure, and not based upon any foreseen merit in them, chose certain people (the elect) to be recipients of eternal salvation (Romans 8:29-30; Eph 1:3-6; Acts 13:48). God ensures that the elect come to believe in Christ and their salvation is secure for eternity (Jn 6:37, 44; 10:27-30). Because of His grace in election, man who was spiritually lifeless and hostile to the things of God is given life by the Spirit and in this new birth then calls out for his Father in faith and by his own free will (Eph 2:1-10; 1 Cor 2:12-14; Jn 3:16, 18).
Dispensations
Although salvation has always been by grace through faith, with Christ as the ultimate object and focus of faith, God has dealt with man at different times in different ways. This belief stems from a literal-historical-grammatical, contextual interpretation of scripture, using the normal sense of language. Therefore, we recognize a distinction between Israel and the Church in God’s plan of redemption. This guide to interpreting the Scriptures, as well as its consequence, the recognition of a distinction between the Church and Israel affects our views on all other areas of Systematic Theology and the importance we place on studying the Bible (Eph 3:1-6; Heb 7:12; John 1:17).
The Church
All who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ are members of the church universal, which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and is the bride and body of Christ (Eph 5:25-27, 32; 2 Cor 11:2; 1 Cor 12:27), who is its head (Eph 5:23). God has ordained the formation of local churches (1 Cor 12:18), where believers are to be equipped for their work of service through the oversight of pastors/elders (Eph 4:11-16). Two ordinances are given to the church: Water Baptism and the Lord's Table (Mtt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor 11:23-32). These are reserved for and to be observed by those who profess their faith in Jesus Christ.
The Christian Walk
Christians are called with a holy calling, not to walk after the lusts of their sinful natures, but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit (Col 3:1-11; Eph 2:1-10; Rom 6; Acts 1:8) and thus will persevere in faith as God preserves him or her (1 Peter 1:3-5; Jn 6:37, 44). It is the responsibility of all believers to be witnesses of the saving grace of Christ and to exercise their spiritual gifts for the building up of the saints (Rom 12:3-6; 1 Cor 12:1-26).
Future Things
The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to receive to Himself all those, dead and alive, who belong to Him is imminent (1 Thess 4:13-18). This rapture, or catching away, will initiate the end of the present age (1 Thess 4:13-18, 5:1-9). Following the rapture of the Church, the earth will undergo a time of judgment or "Tribulation" for seven years (1 Thess 5:1-9; Daniel 9:24-27; Rev 5-19). The culmination of the Tribulation will be the personal return of Christ to the Earth to establish the "Millennial Age," the time during which Christ and Christians will reign, Satan will be bound, Israel will be restored, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (Mtt 25:31; Rev 19:11, 20:1-5; Jer 31:31-36). The final judgment will occur at the end of the Millennial Age. The unsaved will be cast into the Lake of Fire to receive conscious everlasting punishment (Rev 20:14-15). The saved will enjoy conscious blessedness forever in the presence of the Trinitarian God while dwelling in the New Heavens and New Earth (Rev 21).
