SpiritAndTruth.org The Church

The Church

There is much confusion today regarding the nature and purpose of the local church. These sessions discuss some of the biblical topics which are foundational for proper thinking about the church today.

Session	Description
01 Jesus Teaching	Christ's Teaching About the Church We would think that to get the definitive word about what the church is to do and to be, then we should go to the words of Christ Himself. One thing that may surprise us is that Jesus' teaching about the church is very limited. He did not provide much direct guidance about the church, so we need to clearly understand what He did say as well as why He did not say more. [31 minutes]
02 Body Of Christ	Believers as the Body of Christ In this session we will examine the special baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit and how it functions to bring believers into the "Body of Christ." We will also present a brief overview of the responsibilities given to believers as members of the body of Christ. [33 minutes]
03 What Must Happen	What Must Happen When the Church Gathers In this session we will determine what must happen when the local gathering of the members of the Body of Christ meets together. We will see that it is the primary function of the church to equip believers for fulfilling their individual responsibilities to God and others, and the primary tool for accomplishing this is the Word of God. [26 minutes]
04 Provision For Edification	God's Provision for Edification in the Church This session examines in detail one of the key Scripture passages outlining the purpose and function of the local church (Ephesians 4:11-16). The gathering of the local body of Christ on a Sunday morning must provide for equipping the saints for the work of ministry. [37 minutes]
05 Activities For Edification	Activities for Edification in the Church This session looks at the organization of the early church and the pattern of activities provided for the edification of members of the body of Christ when they gather. [40 minutes]
06 Church Leadership	Leadership for the Church To provide for the orderly operation of the church, it became necessary that certain individuals be recognized as having regular leadership ministries. This session examines the required attitudes and actions of believers in a leadership role in the church. [43 minutes]