Our Purpose

Living Waters Baptist Church exists to glorify God by making disciples in Sanders, Arizona and around the world.

Our Pastor

Pastor Michael Costigan

Michael and his wife Jennifer first experienced Sanders in the summer of 2019 while on a short term mission trip to help a local church with it’s VBS. Michael saw the great need for laborers and felt a calling to move his family to Arizona to begin serving the community of Sanders.

In the spring of 2023, Michael and his wife started Community Christian Academy in Sanders. They both currently teach at the school.

In January of 2024, Bro. Wayne Cox, the former pastor asked Michael to fill the pulpit due to some health problems his wife was going through. He continued to fill the pulpit until May of 2024 when he was called to be the pastor.

Michael and Jennifer were married in 2004 and have four children, Natalie, Tiffany, Daniel and John.

Pastor Costigan is passionate about expository preaching and making disciples in Sanders and around the world.

Our Beliefs

  • We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version (1611) of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

  • We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John l:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-l0; l Pet. 1:18-l9).

  • We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26).

  • We believe that the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe that the local church is God's only institution to carry out His work today. We believe that the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and the Lord's Table.

  • We believe that the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe that the local church is God's only institution to carry out His work today. We believe that the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and the Lord's Table.


  • We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).

    We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).

    We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

    We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (l Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).

  • We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; l Pet. 2:13-14).


  • We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).


  • We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).

  • We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life, which define man's responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations-the law, the church, and the kingdom-are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6).

  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).

    We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

    We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts l: 9-l0; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; l John 2:1-2).

  • We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:l -3; 4:17-19).

  • We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; l Pet. 1:4-5).

    We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

  • We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God ( Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14 – 7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

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  • We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

  • We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; l Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

  • We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

  • We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32).

  • We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).

Knowing God

Step One: Know that God Loves You

God loves you and He has a plan for your life, both now and for all eternity.

The Bible says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." - 1 John 4:9

God doesn't just love "good" people or churched people - He loves all people! That includes you.

Step Two: Realize that You are a Sinner

The Bible says:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" - Romans 3:23

Sin is anything that I think, do, or say that breaks God’s law. All of us are guilty of choosing occasionally to disobey God in action, attitude or thought.

The Bible says:

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you…" - Isaiah 59:2

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:23

Our sins separate us from a holy God. They separate us from Him in life and in death. Those that do not receive Christ will spend eternity separated from God in a real place called hell.

The Bible says:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8

Do you believe that you are a sinner?

Step Three: Believe that Jesus Died For You

The Bible says:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

"For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." - 1 Peter 3:18

Jesus never sinned, but He took your sin on Himself. He died in your place to pay the price (wage) for your sin. Not only did Jesus Christ die on the cross for you, but He was buried and rose again three days later.

The Bible says:

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Do you believe that Jesus died for you and rose again on the third day?

Step Four: You Must Receive Christ by Faith

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him in repentance and by faith.

The Bible says:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" - John 1:12

Here is how you can receive Christ:

  • Stop depending on your own effort. None of us are as good as God and good works, baptism, church membership, or any other good work cannot save us.

The Bible says:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

  • Put your faith in Jesus Christ alone.

The Bible says:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." - Romans 10:9

Are you ready to place your faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him as your Savior? If so, receive Christ as Savior through prayer:

"Father in Heaven, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I do not deserve Heaven. But I believe that you love me and sent Jesus to die for me. I believe that He was buried and that He rose again. I’m turning from my sin and placing all of my faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. I now confess you by faith as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen."