The Work of the Church,  Part 2   Introduction We’ve been looking at the actual work of the church. Last week we covered, “Teaching the Lost” and this week’s article is about edification of the saved. There are a lot of people out there who believe that the church should be doing so much more that what listed in scripture but if we don’t have authority to do it, then we shouldn’t. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:6, Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written , that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.   Continue in the teachings A lot of new converts out there have a belief that once you are baptized and become a Christian, that you are done and nothing more is needed. They follow the five steps in the obedience of the Father but then they sit back or return to their former lives assuming that since they are baptized, no

  This week's lesson is on why you don't follow the crowd. The speaker is me, Chris Mentzer

  The Work of the Church,  Part 1   Introduction In these next three articles, we’ll look at the actual work of the church. There are a lot of people out there who believe that the church should be doing so much more that what listed in scripture but if we don’t have authority to do it, then we shouldn’t. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:6, Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written , that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. One of the most dangerous things that a Christian can do is to perform duties, on behalf of the church, and state that just because the bible didn’t say, “not to”, it’s acceptable. It is not acceptable because that would open the gates to any number of activities people could claim are acceptable.   Evangelism What is evangelism? The definition, in the 1913 Webster’s dictionary, is The Preaching o

    Introduction If you’ve ever been to a denominational service, you’ve probably heard the preacher say something and then the congregation respond. This is what is known as liturgy. But is it a scriptural form of worship?   What is Liturgy? The 1913 Webster’s dictionary gives this definition— An established formula for public worship, or the entire ritual for public worship in a church which uses prescribed forms; a formulary for public prayer or worship or devotion. In the Roman Catholic Church, it includes all forms and services in any language, in any part of the world for the celebration of Mass. Growing up in the denominations, I was very aware of this type of worship. There was a portion that was spoken by both the pastor (preacher) and the congregation in response. There was also a portion in which the congregation sang a response. One of the most notable memories I have is singing the words to Psalm 51:10-12, in regards to asking God to forgive us of our sins

  This week's lesson is a discussion on the necessity of baptism and the thief on the cross. This is from Bible Crossfire with Pat Donahue

    Introduction In Romans 14:17 the apostle Paul writes, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. How often is this verse violated by congregations in the world today? They want to call themselves God’s church but yet their actions speak contrary to the what’s written. In Matthew 15:9 Jesus said, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”   Does your Church have any Programs? When someone is moving into the area, or visiting from out of town, how often has this question been asked of your local congregation? Do you have any programs? They are looking for activities for: children, teens, young couples, single people, seniors, etc. This is a RED FLAG question as most want to be entertained and amused more than edified. A lot of churches out there will provide activities, and more, to bring people into the congregation. If you see the word, ‘Community’ on the church sign yo

This week we look at part 6 and part 7 in the series on Bible Authority. The speaker is Greg Gwin of Collegevue church of Christ.

  Introduction What goes through your mind as you enter the church building? Are you looking forward to approaching the throne of God? Or Are you looking to be uplifted and entertained? Too many people today go to worship for the wrong reason and with the wrong mindset.   Now Performing… C ongregations today see themselves as the audience rather than the participants. If they aren’t preaching or leading the singing, they consider themselves the audience. They go with a need to be uplifted; made to feel good about themselves so that when they leave the service, they feel better than when they came in. On the surface, that’s not a bad thing. After a week long of trudging through life with job, family, and whatever the news is giving us, we look forward to heading to worship to be encouraged by the message and the general atmosphere. They say they want to be edified but it’s more of a physical desire than a spiritual one. If you look at the megachurches or even the community

This week we continue the series on Bible Authority with Part 4 and Part 5 . The speaker is Greg Gwin of Collegevue church of Christ.