The Holy Spirit inspired human authors to write the books of the Bible. God Himself is the author (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is God’s love letter to all of humanity. In it is the record of His story in relation to the earth and humankind. It reveals His character, His love, His will and His work, and it reveals what is yet to come. It ultimately acts as a giant arrow pointing to the person and finished work of Jesus Christ.

Scripture teaches that God created everything we can see, and even everything we can’t see, out of nothing. Although it might be difficult for the human mind to comprehend, the Bible teaches that He is one, yet has existed forever, as three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

• The Father: The Father, in perfect love, sent Jesus Christ to be the instrument of mankind’s redemption and restoration to Himself and to our original design. He loves the entire world (John 3:16) and wants all people to experience the full intimacy of His love as His beloved Children (1 John 3:1, Romans 5:5). The Children of God can refer to Him as Abba  Daddy) and enjoy full and uninterrupted fellowship  with Him (1 John 1:3, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6).

• The Son:Jesus Christ, the Son, is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross, rose from the grave on the third day, and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God as our High Priest and Advocate. All who trust in His finished work on their behalf receive total forgiveness for all sin, a new heart (spiritual core), and adoption into God’s family… all as free gifts. He is the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the father except through Him. (John 1:12, John 3:16, Hebrews 8:10-12, Ezekiel 36:26-27). Jesus will return visibly and obviously to make all things new and bring His kingdom into full realization. He will make a new earth and a new heaven for all believers to enjoy (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21).

• The Holy Spirit:The Holy Spirit lives inside of all God’s children and is the instrument for new life within the believer (Titus 3:5). The Holy Spirit exists to glorify Christ and does so by constantly reminding believers of the finished work of Christ and their identity because of this work (Hebrews 10:15-18, John 14:26, John 16: 14). He also acts to convict unbelievers of their sin and need for a Savior (John 16: 8-11), and is a great comforter, counselor, and helper to all who listen to Him (John 14:26).

The New Covenant began at Christ’s death (Luke 22:20, Hebrews 9:16) and promises total forgiveness, a new heart or spiritual core, and adoption to all who believe in Christ (Hebrews 8:8-12). The church, consisting of all believers worldwide, has been entrusted with this message. We are to be ministers of this New Covenant of life, not the Old Covenant of death known as the Law (2 Corinthians 3:6-7). As ministers of the New Covenant we are free from the Law to serve in the power of Christ’s Spirit and grace (Romans 7:6, Titus 2:12).

In bringing the Old Covenant to an end, and beginning the New Covenant, Christ has set His children free from the Old Covenant Law to live in the new way of the Spirit (Galatians 5:1, 5:25, Romans 8:2). The Old Covenant Law, which included the Ten Commandments, ultimately acted as a tool to show the world its total and utter failure to

meet God’s standards (Romans 3:19-20,alatians 3:19-20). Once saved believers have the Holy Spirit of Jesus living inside of them. It is from this reality that we live the Christian life, allowing Jesus to live His supernatural life through us.

Mankind’s disobedient nature has eternally separated it from the Creator. No matter how hard we try, we can never earn our way back into God’s presence. Our only hope is to trust Jesus as God’s plan for redemption. Whenever an individual makes a decision to trust in Christ for salvation, they step into the eternal and abundant life Jesus promised for all believers (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is through the most trustworthy being in the universe – Jesus Christ! Believers did not do anything to earn salvation, and cannot do anything to lose it. Salvation is permanent because Christ’s finished work is completely sufficient (Hebrews 7:25). All who reject the gospel remain in their sin and will not only spend this life separated from a relationship with God, but all eternity.

The Christian life is a journey of growing in understanding of the love of God and the finished work of Christ (Ephesians 3:17-19). It is also the process of renewing the mind (Romans 12:1- 2) by exchanging old sinful thoughts and behaviors for righteous thoughts and behaviors through the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers exchange lies for truth they deepen in their understanding of God and His salvation, and experience the abundant life they possess in Christ (John 10:10). Behavioral change is never to maintain or earn closeness to God; Christ’s blood has already brought believers into a fully intimate relationship with Him. Believers simply must grow in their application and

understanding of what Christ has done, and respond accordingly with gratitude, trust and obedience (love).

The Church is comprised of all of God’s children, Jew and Gentile, and exists first and foremost to know Him. The Church is also a global disciple-making movement founded on the finished work of Christ, and the all-encompassing love of God (Matthew 28:16-20). We have been entrusted with the message of God’s reconciliation and have the privilege of communicating this message in word and deed in our local communities and worldwide through foreign missions. The Church has been forgiven, redeemed, raised with Christ, and seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1 and 2). As God’s redeemed children we are His home on earth through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence (1 Corinthians 3:16, John 14:23).

God made mankind in His image in the form of genetic males and genetic females. He has an all-consuming love for mankind even though we rebelled in the Garden of Eden introducing original sin to the world (Genesis 3). God desires for all people to be saved and is constantly drawing all people to Himself through Jesus (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, John 12:32). Yet, it remains, because of free will, that some will reject God’s offer of salvation.

Heaven and Hell are real places. Heaven is where the presence of God and all of his followers reside forever. Hell is the absence of God’s presence and everything goodwhere all who reject the grace offered to us through His Son’s sacrifice will reside forever.

We affirm that the Christian life is to be based on interaction with the Holy Spirit and the Bible, and that these two work in tandem with one another. Jesus said that we are to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24). Christians have the Spirit ofChrist living in them and through them, and they also have the words of God written through the authors of the Old and New Testaments. Thus, we believe that living from the indwelling presence of Christ, as well as viewing the Bible as authoritative in all issues it addresses directly and indirectly, are equally important, and never contradictory to one another.

We affirm that the spiritual gifts present during the days of the early church continue to be present and available for believers today. As such we encourage the discovery and mature development of spiritual gifts within the daily life of the believer for the edification of the church (1 Corinthians 14:12). Yet, in the development of spiritual gifts specifically, and in the Christian character generally, emphasis is placed on the fruits of the Spirit over the gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23). If we do not use our gifts in love, for example, then they are of no value for the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

• The Lord’s Supper:  We affirm that the Lord’s Supper is to be taken on a regular basis as a means of remembering what Christ accomplished for His children on the cross, and to reflect on the New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Thus, we encourage believers to partake of the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis, not as a means of perfecting salvation, but to reflect on the One who has saved them perfectly (Hebrews 7:25, 10:14)
• Baptism:  We affirm the importance of water baptism, not as a prerequisite for salvation, but as an act closely associated with it (Matthew 28:16-20). While we affirm that people are saved when they trust in Christ, we also believe that  baptism can be a time in which faith is confirmed or finalized. Therefore, we offer an “open door policy” with regards to baptism so that believers may live out their faith as Jesus leads, being baptized by another believer at any time day or night.

Outlook Church places a strong emphasis on the priesthood of all believers, male and female (1 Peter 2:9). This manifests in an egalitarian form of ministry in which qualified men and women may hold any and all leadership offices including the position of elders. Paul makes it clear that our identities are not ultimately contained in our gender or racial background, but rather in our positions “in Christ” (Galatians 3:28). Thus, we believe that all passages which seemingly speak against female involvement in the position of elder or teacher must be read and interpreted in appropriate historical context, and that these passages do not prohibit this form of female leadership.

Outlook Church believes that God created man and woman as individually unique, valued, and biological persons. We believe the Lord’s plan for human sexuality is to be expressed solely within the context of marriage to complement each other and to further express the image of God. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27;1 Corinthians 6:9). Due to Outlook Church’s view on the authority and inspiration of the Bible, and subsequent view of marriage, Outlook Church reserves the right to only conduct marriages which are founded on Biblical truth as interpreted by the Elders of Outlook Christian Church.

Outlook Church emphasizes the importance of freedom in financial giving as expressed in 2 Corinthians 9, especially 2 Corinthians 9:7. We do not encourage rule-based or guilt-based giving. Instead, we want people to have the freedom they need to give in the way God desires, willingly, sacrificially, and cheerfully. understanding of what Christ has done, and respond accordingly with gratitude, trust and obedience (love). 

Outlook Church desires to leave room for diversity within the body of Christ when it comes to various debatable issues within theology, ministry, and politics. Thus, we do not seek to draw “lines in the sand” in areas which are “gray” and debatable. Instead, we seek to cultivate unity on the foundation of the person and work of Christ and the relevancy of His written word. Some examples of debatable or “gray” issues
include: events surrounding Christ’s return (rapture, millennium), preferred political party or candidate, preferred version of the Bible, holidays, worship styles, mode of the Lord’s Supper, and exact nature and definition of individual spiritual gifts. Outlook Church stresses unity not uniformity.

Experiencing and enjoying the presence of God is the fulfillment of all of God’s dreams, the reason for the cross, and the end goal of our salvation. It is our privileged position to be, once again, invited into His presence. We, as sons and daughters of God, should value His presence above all things, in the world and in our faith. At Outlook, it is our desire to meet with Him at every gathering, live with Him everyday and celebrate His presence with us at all times. His presence changes everything!

When Moses asked God to reveal his glory, God responded by saying, “I will cause all of my goodness to pass before you…” (Ex. 33:19 / 2 Pt. 1:3,5) God is good, all the time… even when things are going bad. His nature and character do not change; which is why we can have hope in every situation. We  maintain that God is loving towards all he has made. He causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. He loves us in all seasons whether we personally experience this love or not. God is love at His core (1 John 4:8). Outlook Church strives to create an atmosphere that expresses this love at every gathering, and strives to export, in lifestyle, His love throughout the week in every atmosphere. But we must also remember that God is just, which explains the cross. The willing sacrifice of His Son on the cross explains both his love and his justice.

When we read about joy, peace and hope in the Bible, it is in the midst of suffering, not the absence of it. Because of the cross, we have hope. As a result, we should experience peace and joy in our lives regardless of the circumstances. Joy and peace are the results of believing in this hope, and trusting in Jesus, the reason for our hope. (Rom. 15:13; Col. 1:27) At Outlook church, we seek to be bringers of this hope to the world. Because God is always and forever for us, always with us and in us, and always faithful to fulfill His promises and work for the good of those who love and trust him, we can and should overflow with hope by the power of the Spirit. (Rom. 8:28-31).

We do not desire for our gatherings to be an impersonal experience, on thecontrary, we desire for everyone, who has been created in God’s image, to be seen, valued and received as they would be in heaven itself. We want to create an expression of heaven on earth in the way we treat one another. Jesus said He would build the Church. He called us to Be the Church to one another, and to the world. We believe this focus on being God’s family, instead of a corporation or institution, creates a healthy and welcoming environment for people to grow in. And as we learn to honor one another, and treat one another with love and respect, we can create a place for any and everyone.

At Outlook, we value equally the two gifts God has given us, in order that we might know Him, grow in Him: the Word of God (Bible) and the Spirit of God. Many churches rely on one over the other. It is our desire to fully embrace both. We believe the Bible is the inspired and living Word of God (Heb. 4:12) and that his Spirit is alive in all believers

We believe God’s grace is sufficient for all our needs. We enter into a relationship with God, having our sins forgiven, by His grace. And we also must learn to live in this grace, which is the empowering presence of God (HS) in our lives, working to finish the good work He began in us. Learning to manage our freedom in Christ and cooperate with the Spirit (live in grace) is paramount to remaining free. Otherwise we will succumb to rules and regulations once again, and not experience the abundant life Jesus promised.understanding of what Christ has done, and respond accordingly with gratitude, trust and obedience (love).

Faith is believing. What we believe, will determine how we live, and will dictate our emotions. Without faith it is impossible to know or please God. (Hebrews 11). Faith is like a muscle, and must be exercised to grow. As our faith grows, we will find the motivation for all service and sacrifice. Servanthood and obedience must be motivated from our faith and gratitude, otherwise it will be done out of guilt or obligation, and will not lead to joy or abundance. Doing God’s will is the result of both believing and valuing the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is the only natural response. We all live what we believe, and our actions reveal what we value. When we learn to truly trust God, we will overcome all our fears and experience a life of freedom and adventure; obeying  every command, joyfully doing His will, and living our lives to honor and glorify our heavenly Father.

Our God is a generous Father. As his children and representatives of the kingdom of heaven, we seek to be like Him in every way and reflect His nature and glory on the earth. Generosity frees us from a poverty mentality and a culture of materialism. All of heaven’s resources are available to God’s kids. We are rich and we are backed by the promises of God. Therefore, we teach and encourage a lifestyle of stewardship, using every resource for the purposes of God.

We seek to care for the whole person mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Therefore, we encourage people to establish healthy “rhythms” in life that allow them to function to their fullest capacity with family, work, and ministry. We want to see people thriving in their walk with Jesus. This calls for reflection, prioritization, wisdom and determination, all led by the Word and the Spirit of God. He is not a harsh taskmaster. Doing His will, His way, will not turn us out, but actually fill us up.

God’s heart is for the whole world, for those who are spiritually lost (Luke 15:8-10). It is this love which drove Him to the cross where His love was revealed in all fullness and glory (Romans 5:6-8). Thus, as seen in our name Outlook Church, we seek to be an outward facing church with passion and intention in joining God on His mission to seek and save the lost. It is our desire to be a place where unbelievers and seekers can experience the reality of God and His love.

We recognize that worship is a lifestyle in which we daily offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We also recognize the importance of corporate worship in which we join together to reflect on Christ, and praise Him with one another (Ephesians 5:19). The Outlook worship team leads the church body in worship and through battle, physically and spiritually to honor, exalt, and encounter God (2 Chronicles 20). Creative worship is commanded through the Bible in many different  forms, venues, and expressions. Our team studies each song and creative expression we choose for biblical and theological soundness. There is a specific socio-cultural niche that speaks to both the believer and the unbeliever that facilitates engagement as the Holy Spirit ministers. We strive to foster an atmosphere in our worship that is biblical, culturally relevant, and full of freedom and expectation of powerful and meaningful encounters with God.

Outlook Church seeks to be an equipping ground for the next generation of believers, the future Christian church. Therefore, we seek to have dynamic and impactful children’s, youth, and young adult ministries where they can explore, encounter, embrace, and express the love of God.

We are not the only church or the best church in Reno. We are but one expression of the beautiful bride of Christ in our city. Therefore, we seek to be unified in Spirit and cooperate with the move of God in our region, joining together in prayer, worship and other activities with the other churches in our region for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom.