What Is the Church?

Another interesting thing about Paul’s preaching of the gospel was his use of his personal testimony. When Paul shared the gospel message with powerful government leaders, he would often begin with his personal testimony. Then,

God has given us a simple yet profound message to deliver: the gospel. We don’t need to candy-coat it, gloss it over, add or subtract anything from it. We must present it as God presents

Next to personally knowing Jesus and walking with Him, I know of no greater blessing or privilege than actually leading someone to Jesus Christ. Sharing your faith is a great joy—and it even plays a

One day a lady criticized the great 19th-century evangelist D.L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody answered, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way

We should not share our faith with others out of obligation, duty, or guilt, but out of a God-given burden for their lives. Compassion motivated Jesus. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved

When the subject of sharing our faith comes up, we often come up with a long list of excuses for why we cannot do it. A recent survey among Christians revealed that 95% of those

Scripture lays out three primary purposes for the church: The exaltation of God God has called us to live “for the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:12). We are here on this earth to glorify

The Book of Revelation gives a brief description of the church in the last days. The second and third chapters describe seven different churches, portraying both their strengths and weaknesses. This is Jesus’ message to

Are we making a difference? The first-century church did not leave their world the same way they found it. This group of committed, Spirit-empowered followers of Jesus made a difference. They turned the world upside

God promises to bless and provide for the faithful giver. In fact, God makes a dramatic promise if we obey His command to give in Malachi 3:8–11. This passage contains several key points: If we

The apostle Paul was not afraid to talk about the giving of money. Although he never over-emphasized it, he never neglected its importance. In 1 Corinthians 16:1–3, he details some important principles regarding the subject.

We would like to think that our money belongs to us, and that we can pretty much do with it as we please. Yet, Scripture reminds us that it is God who has given us

In the Old Testament, the prophet Haggai addressed the needs of the people as they lamented that no matter how much they made, it was never enough. God then revealed to them that their real

Matthew 6:1–4 tells us that there are a number of ways that our giving to God can be wrong: We can not give at all—or give sporadically, at best—and disobey God, missing many of His

The apostle Paul clearly sets forth the biblical principles of giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6–11. Our motive in giving is important. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or

Money is the main subject in nearly half the parables Jesus told. In addition, one out of every seven verses in the New Testament deals with the topic. Money and the believer The Bible certainly

Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). What does this type of love entail? Scripture gives us the answer. The most

We are called out. God has a unique plan and place for His church in this world. Paul tells us in Romans that we as Christians are “The called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6). What

At a time when our society seems to be more disjointed and divided than ever, people are looking for a place to belong. Jesus gives us insight into this important aspect of the Christian life

This is how Jesus described the fundamental elements of true worship: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24.) Worship in spirit You can be completely orthodox

The usher who helped you find your seat, the Sunday School teacher who is looking after and teaching your precious children, that counselor who prays with you, the attendant who helps you get in and

Paul thanked the believers in Philippi for the gift they sent to him “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an

Our sacrifice of praise to God is something that is unique and special to the church alone. No other religion sings like the Christian faith. “He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to

True worship is not merely the singing of songs to God, but it is the living of our lives in a way that pleases God. In fact, our singing and prayers are but the outward

What is God seeking in this world? Jesus said that He had come “to seek and to save that which was lost,” namely us in our lost state of sin (Luke 19:10). But God is

The tender and touching story of Mary of Bethany in John 12:1–8 demonstrates the right way to worship God. Martha, predictably, was working, and Mary was worshipping. Mary wanted to give to Jesus something that

Worship—or the failure to do it properly—affects every aspect of our lives. Romans 1:20–25 points out four steps that lead to spiritual deterioration: Failing to glorify God Failing to give thanks Turning to other gods

The early church was a learning church, a loving church, a worshipping church, and an evangelistic church (see Acts 2:42–47). In this section, we will focus on the aspect of worship. Created to worship God

Success or failure in the Christian life depends upon how much of the Word of God you get into your heart and mind on a regular basis, and how obedient you are to it. In

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). God has given me, as a pastor, clear direction as to what I should be doing. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Preach the Word! Be ready

In this mile-a-minute culture, we don’t like to wait for things anymore. We are used to getting things fast and simplified. Unfortunately, it is easy to carry this attitude over to our worship life. If

“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). Some might think that for a church to be spirit empowered, all use of intellect must be abandoned: Some say, “I’m not into doctrine. I just

Four characteristics of the early church stand out in Acts 2:37–47. You might say that they are the trademarks of a healthy church: It was a learning church. It was a loving church. It was

Speaking of the church which He Himself founded, Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Although the early church lacked

While it appears that many people have an increasing hunger for the spiritual, few are looking to the church for help in their quest. Instead, many are leaving churches in record numbers, or not even

Do you desire boldness in your witness for Christ? Has your prayer life become dry and one-dimensional? Do you feel that you are lacking something in your spiritual walk? Is the world turning you upside

The reason so many churches are ineffective and/or falling apart today is because they have strayed from God’s original plan. The phenomenal strength and growth of the early church can be traced to this: the

It is not an option for us as believers to take or leave the church as a whole. If we are true Christians, we will want to be a vital part of all that God

At spiritual rebirth, we are made a part of this wonderful gathering of believers that Jesus Himself established, purchased, leads, and protects. Even more, God has a purpose for each of us individually in this

In this new section of our Foundations for Living studies, we will look at the role, purpose, and function of the church today. It is vitally important to understand how the church was established. Man did not

One night several years ago, hurricane-force winds battered an American town. In the morning, people emerged from their homes and shelters to assess the damage. The power of the storm quickly became apparent to one

One of the keys to spiritual growth is to become part of a local church. In its biblical form, the church should provide biblically-sound teaching, genuine worship, an atmosphere in which Christians are able to