WHO  WE  ARE

The members of Hardin Valley Church of Christ are a visible representation of Jesus Christ. We share our stories and encourage everyone to glorify God through spiritual gifts and a close relationship with God in service to the church body and the community. We are a family known by our love of Jesus, each other and those who are not yet members of His body. We focus on spiritual growth and creating a culture of training, equipping, and mentoring members to reach the Hardin Valley community. 

At Hardin Valley every member is encouraged to nurture the development of youth and young families to impact their community with the Gospel, practice spiritual disciplines, remain steadfast through trials, and show the beauty of Christ in their life. In doing this we are growing our entire church family to be more like Jesus. 

Hardin Valley labors to effectively reach the community around us. Our community frequently recognizes us not only for providing services and activities, but also as a place where anyone can learn about God and about what it means to follow Jesus. We draw people in from our surrounding community, particularly those seeking help or belonging in a Christian community.

We ensure administrative needs are covered by clearly communicating to our members. We ensure our community is aware of our activities and resources through targeted and purposeful communications.

Our congregation is engaged and led by the Spirit resulting in intense and passionate praise for God that flows through all of life. Our individual and corporate worship is centered in Christ, draws people to Christ and expresses God’s deep love and heart toward people. Everyone is enabled to fully participate in a lifestyle of praising God. 

The Godhead (sometimes referred to as the Trinity) is made up of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are one in spirit (1 John 5: 6-12).

There is only one true and living God.

• God is perfect, personal, infinite, and eternal (Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139:8;  2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; I Corinthians 8:4; John 4:24; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-5; Revelation 1:4-6).
• He is sovereign in providence and redemption (Psalm 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:33).
• God is the Creator of the universe, a task which he performed from no pre-existing substance, but by the creative power of His spoken Word (Genesis 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-3).

The Holy Spirit is personal and eternal (Acts 5:3-4; Ephesians 5:30; Hebrews 9:14). We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), which we receive when we repent and are baptized in Him (Acts 2:38). Evidence of His presence in our lives will be the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 ).

The Holy Spirit:

• Convicts of sin.  John 16:8-11
• Glorifies Jesus Christ.  John 15:26
• Regenerates the unsaved.  John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5
• Places and seals the believer “in Christ”.  Ephesians 1:13; I Corinthians 12:13
• Dwells within the believer.  John 14:16-18; I Corinthians 6:19-20
• Comforts the afflicted.  John 14:16, John 14:26
• Equips saints with gifts.  Romans 12, Ephesians 4, I Corinthians 12
• Sanctifies.  Romans 15:16
• Unifies the body.  Ephesians 4:3
• Assures us of our salvation.  I John 3:24
• Teaches us the Word of God.  John 14:17, John 14:26 

The Bible is “God-breathed” and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Bible is the only authority for all matters of faith and practice (Psalm 19:1-14; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 30:8; I Corinthians 2:6-16; Matthew 5:18; Matthew 24:34-35; John 10:35; John 16:12-13; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11).

The Bible teaches us that humanity is created in the spiritual likeness or image of God. God gave us free will; thus, we have the ability to choose to love as God loves, do right in the likeness of God’s righteousness, and value what God values. The first man, Adam, chose to sin, and now every person lives in a marred creation with a marred spiritual nature. As a result, every person will eventually choose to sin and subsequently be separated from God (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3:1-24; Psalms 8:3-6; John 4:24; Ephesians 1:4-6 and Romans 3:23). As a result of sin, every person requires the salvation offered through Christ’s blood in order to gain eternal life in heaven.

The Bible teaches that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable value in all its dimensions and stages, including children in utero, the aged, persons with physical or intellectual disabilities or challenges, and persons in every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, to protect, and to value human life (Psalm 139:13-15).

The Bible teaches that God wonderfully and immutable creates each person as male or female, and that those two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.

The Bible also teaches that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within the marriage union. Because God ordained marriage or defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and God Himself, this congregation will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman (1 Corinthians 7).

The Bible teaches that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, change of gender by dress or by medical intervention, bestiality, incest, and the use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is not the result of something we have done, but rather because of what God has done for us through Jesus. It is a free gift that cannot be earned or deserved (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8). We receive that “gift” by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. While we are not saved by works of righteousness, we are justified by them (James 2:24). The outward manifestation and confirmation of our saving faith is good works which God planned in advance for us to do in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:9-10; Titus 3:5; Romans 4:2-6; Romans 11:6; James 2:14-26). We are saved by the almighty power and love of God demonstrated in His gift of Jesus who died for our sins and was raised to life that those who believe in Him may have eternal life.

The Bible teaches us that we are to believe in Christ as God’s Son and Savior of the world, trusting in Him and Him alone for our salvation; to repent of personal sin and turn to God for forgiveness; to confess Christ as Lord; and to be baptized in His name (John 3:16; John 1:12-13; Acts 10:43; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 3:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Romans 6:3-5).

The Bible teaches that baptism is the immersion in water of a penitent believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the New Testament church, every believer was commanded to be baptized (Acts 2:38). Additionally, the church was commanded to baptize all new disciples as part of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). As a God-ordained faith response to God’s grace through Jesus Christ, baptism points to and declares the following:

• The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-5), which is beautifully and accurately portrayed through immersion with Him through water baptism.
• The New Birth and washing by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; Titus 3:5).
• Cleansing and forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).
• Circumcision of the Heart (Colossians 2:11-12).
• Salvation (1 Peter 3:21).
• Baptism is not an option for the true believer. It demonstrates and confesses our true and obedient faith in Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord (Matthew 28:18-20; John 14:15).

Christ, on the night He was betrayed, instituted the Lord’s Supper for Christians to observe in His memory, as a proclamation of His death, and as an occasion of special communion with God and with other Christians (1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17). In following the example and tradition of the early church, we commune together as a church family each Sunday (Acts 20:7), through the eating of the unleavened bread representing Christ’s body and the drinking of the fruit of the vine representing Christ’s blood that was shed on the cross. 

The Bible teaches that all who, by faith, receive Christ are baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body.  1 Corinthians 12:13. The head of this body is Jesus (Ephesians 5:23b; Colossians 1:18). The task of this “body” of believers is to make disciples throughout the world, winning the lost to Christ and equipping them for ministry (​Matthew 28:18-20​; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28-29). The local church consists of a group of baptized believers who join together in a particular place in fulfilling the church’s mission to make disciples and to do God’s work. Each member should identify their spiritual gift or gifts for use within the congregation in order to fulfill its mission (Romans 12:4-7). 

The Head of each local congregation is Jesus Christ. He is also the Great Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22-23; Hebrews 13:20). Serving under Him as spiritual shepherds of each congregation are elders, chosen by the church from among its male members who meet all scriptural qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). Other scriptural functions of the church’s elders are overseeing the congregation and providing living examples for the church (1 Peter 5:2-3). Deacons and other members of the church, serving under the oversight of the elders, will likewise, exercise Christian leadership in the church’s activities