lEAD pASTOR

Jeff and Melissa Noles.  Pastor Jeff is our Lead Pastor.  He is the son of a Church of God Pastor and began  his ministry evangelizing in local churches throughout the Southeastern United States, and also served as an evangelist with the Alabama Church of God State office.  He holds the highest rank of Bishop in the Church of God, and for more than 35 years, has served in all aspects of church ministry.

Melissa has faithfully served along with her husband, and currently serves as our ministries coordinator and worship team keyboardist & vocalist. 

They have two children, a son, Caleb, and a daughter, Connor.  Caleb is a musician in our worship band, and a member of our security team; and Connor teaches our girls clubs, and also serves in our media department.

Pastor’s heart is to equip the body of Christ to do the work of the Kingdom of God and accomplish the Great Commission Jesus gave us, as we Reach, Love, Teach, and Rejoice together!  Ephesians 4:11-16

Youth Pastor

Pastor Brandon and Brooke Hunt are credentialed ministers in the Church of God. They have been in ministry for the past 12 years. The Hunt’s have served as Children’s Pastors, Student Pastors, and Executive Pastors. They have two sons, Carson and Channing. Their passion is to connect people to Jesus and help them use their talents for Christ. Favorite bible verse is Job 13:15


OUR BELIEFS

At BSOP We Believe:


The Bible is God’s Holy word; written by men, as they were inspired by God.  Jesus Christ was the Word made flesh and demonstrated the power of the Word on this earth.  The Bible is our authority for truth, doctrine, correction, and instruction.  [2 Peter 1:20-21; John 1:1,14;  2 Timothy 3:16]

In the Trinity.  God is eternal, (that He always was, and always will be). Furthermore, that God is a triune being, existing in three persons; namely, God (the Father), Jesus (the Son), and Holy Ghost (the Spirit).  That God is all-powerful, ever present, and that He knows and understands all things. [1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:18-20; Psalm 139:8; Isaiah 55:8-9]

That Jesus Christ is the only Son of God the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That He lived a sinless life and offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.  That He was crucified on the cross, buried in a tomb, but then raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven, and is at the right hand of the Father as our Intercessor.  Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father and to Heaven.  [Luke 1:30-35; Hebrews 4:14-15, 9:27-28; John 10:14-18; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Timothy 3:16, 2:5-6; John 14:6]

In Salvation.  We are all in need of a Savior, namely Jesus Christ!  Forgiveness of sin is available onlyby the shed blood of Jesus Christ!  Salvation is the first step in our walk with God, and it is a requirement to go to heaven.    [Romans 3:23, 5:12; 1 John 1:8-10, 2:1-5; Romans 10:9-11; Matthew 10:32-33]

That repentance is not only being sorry for sinning, rather it is the complete turning away from our sinful desires, and the wholehearted pursuit of God’s will for our lives.  True repentance will affect every area of our lives.  It is commanded by God for everyone, and provides for our continued spiritual development.  We cannot be repentant, and continue in a lifestyle of sin.  [John 5:14; Hebrews 10:26]

That justification, which is being restored to a pre-sinful condition in the eyes of God; and the new birth, which is to be spiritually reborn; are attained by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only through His sacrifice and our submission to His Lordship, that we may begin a new Christian life.  [Romans 5:1,9; James 2:21-26; John 3:3-21; 2 Corinthians 5:17]

In sanctification.  After salvation, the new Christian must begin to develop and model Christ’s nature.  This can only be accomplished by the application of Christian principles taught in the Bible, coupled with the power of the Holy Ghost living within us.  [1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; Romans 12:1-2]

Holiness is God's standard of living for His people. The Christian experience must impact every part of our daily life; and we must live in a way that brings honor and glory to God.  It is not a matter of personal preference, but one of Christian testimony and servant-hood.  [Romans 6:19, 22-23; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1Corinthians 6:15-20]

In the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is God’s promise to the believer.  The Holy Ghost provides both, the power to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ, and a supernatural ability to live a holy lifestyle.  Furthermore, He is the vehicle through which all Spiritual Gifts operate, and Spiritual Fruit is produced.  The baptism with the Holy Ghost is distinctly separate from the salvation experience.   [Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4; Ephesians 1:13-14; Acts 2:38-47, 1 Corinthians 12:1-7; Galatians 5:22-25; Acts 8:14-22; Act 10:30-33, 44-48; 11:15-18, 19:1-6]

Spiritual Gifts.  The baptism with the Holy Ghost provides access to all Spiritual Gifts.  The Gifts are for the edification of the church and the individual.  They also benefit unbelievers.  Every Christian is commanded by God to pursue Spiritual Gifts.  God is a God of order; therefore a true manifestation of a Spiritual Gift will always work in harmony with the Bible, with the other Gifts, and operate only through Christian love.  [1 Corinthians 12:8-14, 27-31, 14: 1-5, 12, 22, 24-25, 39; Romans 12:4-21; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 13]

The Fruit of the Spirit reveals the nature of God through us.  Therefore, it must be every Christian’s desire to produce this Fruit.  The presence of Spiritual Fruit in the Christian’s life is an enduring evidence of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.   [Galatians 5:19-25; Romans 8:1-14; 28:18-20; Acts 2:38, 8:35-38]

Divine healing was purchased by Jesus; on His way to the cross.  It is also listed as one of the Gifts of the Spirit.  [Matthew 4:23, 10:1, Acts 8:6-8; James 5:14-16; Isaiah 53:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:9]

In Water Baptism by Immersion.  In baptism we are following Jesus Christ’s example when He was baptized by John.   The Greek word for baptize, is baptidzo which means “to immerse.” Baptism consists of three main precepts: immersion, submersion and emergence. To baptize is to totally immerse an object in another substance and then bring it out again.  Water baptism symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and our death and burial to sin and resurrection into a new life in Jesus.  Water baptism is commanded as a testimony of our born-again experience. Water baptism does not save anyone.  ONLY the blood of Jesus has the power to forgive sin.  Immersion shows our total surrender to Christ and that no area of our life remains untouched by Him. [Mark 1:9-11; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38]

In the Lord's Supper and developing servant-hearted attitudes toward one another.  The Lord’s Supper is an observance of the broken body of Jesus and His shed blood.  The Bible instructs us to be worthy of this sacrament.  We must also serve one another as though we are serving Christ.  [Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30]

In the pre-millennial Rapture of the church.  Jesus Christ will return in the clouds and catch away His bride.  Both, the dead in Christ, and Christians who are living at that time, will be caught up to be with the Lord.  [1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, John 14: 1-3]

Millennial reign, when Jesus will establish His earthly kingdom and reign on the earth for a thousand years.  Christians which were caught away in the rapture, will have received glorified bodies, and will rule and reign with Him during this period.  [Revelation 5:6-10]

The Lake of fire is a place prepared for Satan and his fallen angels.  It was never designed for humanity, however, people who reject the sacrifice of God’s son Jesus, choose this place as their final destination.  It is a place of complete pain and agony.  Hell, and all who reject Christ will even be thrown into this place as an eternal punishment.  [Revelation 20:10-15, 21:8]

Heaven is a place prepared for all who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior.  It is a place of perfect peace and rest.  Christians will reign with Christ throughout eternity.  [John 14:Revelation 4: 1-11; Revelation 21:1-27, 22:1-3]

God's Plan of Salvation

In order to be saved (become a Christian, be "born again") you must first understand your present condition.


1. Romans 3:10 "As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not

one'" -- God requires righteousness (the state of being in right standing in God's eyes), but no one is righteous.


2. Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" -- There are no exceptions to this - all of us have sinned and come short of God's standard of righteousness. What is sin? Any action, word, thought, attitude, or desire that is contrary to God's commands, as well as the failure to act or speak in obedience to God's commands.


3. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are a good measuring stick to show our sinfulness. Have you ever put anything ahead of God? Taken God's name in vain (used His name carelessly)? Dishonored your parents? Murdered anyone? (According to 1 John 3:15, hatred toward a brother qualifies as murder.) Committed adultery? (According to Matthew 5:27-28, lusting after someone qualifies as adultery.) Stolen anything? Told a lie? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, God's commands have been violated and that makes you a sinner.


Now that you realize your sinful condition, it is essential that you understand there is nothing you can do to correct the situation in your own power. There is no work you can perform, ceremony to partake in, etc., which can fix the problem of sin.


1. Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" - God doesn't think highly of our self-righteous acts.

2. James 2:10 "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." Doing well in some areas doesn't "make up" for our failures in others.


If you can't fix the sin problem in your own strength, then is there any hope?


1. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus died to pay the debt for our sins even while we were sinners.

2. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We deserve death - not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. However, God gives us what we don't deserve - forgiveness of our sins and the opportunity to be made righteous.


Salvation is provided only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ - there is no other way.


1. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

2. Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

3. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

4. Since we have all sinned, the only one qualified to pay the debt for sin was God Himself. Therefore God came in the flesh as a man - Jesus Christ. As a result, we must go through Jesus to be made right with God.


Salvation doesn't come automatically. It is a gift that must be accepted.

1. John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

2. Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

3. Romans 10:13 "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."


Do you feel led to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? John 6:44 tells us that no one can come to Jesus Christ unless God draws him. No one just decides, "I think I'll get saved today." God also wants you to understand the cost of being a follower of Christ. Your love for God must far exceed your love for your family (Luke 14:26). You must completely surrender to the lordship of Christ (Luke 14:33). You must be prepared to suffer persecution from the world (2 Timothy 3:12). The cost of following Christ is great. The cost of not following Christ is eternal torments in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).


If you realize your need for forgiveness and salvation, sincerely call on the Lord in prayer. Confess to God that you are a sinner. Call on God to have mercy on you for your sins. Repent of, or turn away from, your sins. Ask God to save you in the name of Jesus. Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that Jesus died for the penalty of your sins and arose to life. After receiving Christ, commit to reading and studying God's Word (the Bible) and living according to its instruction. Pray regularly. Follow in water baptism as a symbol of your new birth. (Baptism doesn't save you; it is a way of professing the salvation that has already occurred.) It is also important to fellowship with other followers of Christ in order to grow in your relationship with Christ


WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!