The Church as a Self-Edifying Body

Text: Ephesians 4:11-16 There are several ways that the church is described in the New Testament. One way is in our text – the church is a self-edifying body What does this mean? Why did the Lord give this role to the church? How is this role carried out? What Does This Mean? Body – this […]

Is the Church a Cult?

Text: Acts 24:14 When Paul stood before Felix, he was accused of being “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). He acknowledged that he served God “according to the Way which they call a sect” (Acts 24:14). Calling the church a “sect” was meant to disparage/discredit Paul and His message. The term “cult” is […]

The Blessing of Autonomy

Text: 1 Peter 5:1-2 One characteristic of the Lord’s church that makes it different from most churches of men is autonomy. Why did the Lord design the church to be this way? We can look to the Bible to see what has been revealed that would show at least some of His reasons. So in this lesson, […]

Christ’s Plan for His Church

Text: Ephesians 3:8-11 The church was not established as an afterthought. It was not a “backup plan” because Jesus “failed” to set up His kingdom. The revelation of the mystery of God was to be “made known through the church.” Paul described the church as the body and bride of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23-24). That […]

Vanity of Our Efforts without God

Psalm 127:1-2 Psalm 127 was written by Solomon – king of Israel and builder of the temple. He understood the need to rely upon God. In this lesson, we are going to make some spiritual applications to what Solomon mentioned in this psalm. Building the House God’s house today is the church (1 Timothy 3:15) – made […]

What We Want the Preacher to Be

Text: 2 Timothy 4:2-5 There are different terms that people use to describe those who preach. Often the term that people use reflects what they expect of their preacher. The expectations that many people have are not Biblical. We need to align our expectations with what the Bible says. In this lesson, we are going to […]

Examining the Relationship Between Elders and the Church

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 The last two lessons were about a broad look at what the New Testament says about elders and an examination of the qualifications for elders. In this lesson, we will focus on the relationship between elders and the local church. Elders are to be appreciated and esteemed because of their work and the […]