table talk

what is the church?

the church has been given the job of making disciples of jesus in all nations.

What is the Church? The Church is all who have put their faith in Jesus: past, present, and future. This “universal” Church is designed by God to be experienced by all Christians primarily through a local church community in which they are a member.

Head

We are blessed with an abundance of resources in our current age. Through the internet we have access to a multitude of Bible teachings and Christian art. However, with the blessings of our age can come a belief that we do not need a local church. “We have all we need to live a Christian life available to us online”. However, the New Testament shows that the universal Church is only truly experienced when we live out our Christian lives together in relationship with those in our local church. What are some necessities of the Christian life that can only be experienced together in a local church?

Heart

One of the ways that the Spirit uses the local church to grow us is by putting people we don’t naturally get along with in our local church. These relationships can reveal sin in our lives and help us to grow in love and grace. However, these are the very relationships we try to avoid. Is there anyone that you are avoiding within the church right now? What would it look like for you to repent from your sinful attitude towards them this week?

Hands Feet

While avoiding connecting to the local church is sinful, focusing only on your local church to the neglect of the larger Church that we belong to is also sinful. One way we can love the universal church is to support churches and missionaries working in another country. Adopt one of the missionaries our church supports to pray for as a family/ group this year.

What can you do this week to further share the Gospel with the person your family/ group decided last week to reach out to?