Redeeming Church
The Task of the Church (Part II): Growing Adults (Ephesians 4:15-16)
In Ephesians 4:14-16, we have some clear instructions on what the church is supposed to do. There are two parts to these instructions of God about the task of the church, and so we will consider them in two different studies. I previously considered Ephesians 4:14, and this study looks at Ephesians 4:15-16. Both of these studies, along with all the others in this series, are drawn from my book, God’s Blueprints for Church Growth. The Task of the Church (Part II): Growing Adults (Ephesians 4:15-16) “… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of ...
The Task of the Church (Part I): Guarding Children (Ephesians 4:14)
What is the church supposed to DO? If you ask 10 Christians this question, you’ll get fifteen answers. Is it to send out missionaries and evangelists to share the gospel? Maybe it’s to attract the unchurched to our Sunday morning event so they can hear about Jesus? Maybe it’s community involvement so we can serve the poor and needy. Or political involvement to change the world for the better. Or maybe the church is to provide top quality worshipful experiences for the believers who gather on Sunday morning? Or maybe it’s high quality biblical teaching to help Christians grow in the knowledge of Scripture. Thankfully, in Ephesians 4:14-16, God, through the pen of Paul, provides some clear instructions on what the church is supposed to do. There are two parts to these instructions of God abo...
The Best Model for Church Growth (Ephesians 4:13)
Note: This study is from my book, God’s Blueprints for Church Growth. The Model for Church Growth (Ephesians 4:13) … till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ … (Ephesians 4:13) My brother is an architect, and several years ago, the firm he works for was hired to design an addition to the largest church in town. During that time, I remember stopping into his office when the planning process was in its final stages. He was working on putting together a miniature chipboard model of what the church building would look like with the expansion. He was almost done with the model at the time, and I remember looking at it in awe. He had cut out all the windows. He had made ...
Who Does the Work of the Ministry in the Church? (Ephesians 4:12)
Note: This study is from my book, God’s Blueprints for Church Growth. … for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.Ephesians 4:12 John F. Kennedy once told our nation, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” And for a while, we followed his advice. But consumerism’s viselike grip upon our lives has us once more asking, “What will the government do for me?” According to the Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, this me-first, entitlement mentality is the type of thinking that led to the downfall of the Roman Empire.[1] If things continue as they are, this attitude will lead to our downfall as well. But before that happens, this same mindset will lead to the downfall of the church. Most C...
The Rich Young Ruler and You (Matthew 19:16-24)
Money! Money! Money! It’s the money episode! In this podcast study, I talk about cryptocurrency, a reader email about tithing, and the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-24. We see that Jesus was NOT telling the young man that he had to give up all his money in order to go to heaven. The story is about something else entirely. Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are in the News! Have you heard of cryptocurrency? They’re in the news a lot this week, so I decided to talk a a bit about them. I explain what they are, why they’re important and gainin widespread acceptance, and how to get some if you want. Ten years ago, Bitcoin was $1. It hit $48,000 today. Dogecoin is the most entertaining cryptocurrency, which causes many to believe it will be the most successful. It currentl...
How can Christians find Fellowship? A discussion with Richard Jacobson (Hebrews 10:25)
Millions of Christians have questions about church and how to find true Christian fellowship. In this podcast interview, Richard Jacobson and Jeremy Myers discuss how to be the church and why Hebrews 10:25 does not teach that all Christians must attend a church service on Sunday morning. Church fellowship is critical, but there are a variety of ways God leads us to find this fellowship. Links mentioned in this discussion with Richard Jacobson: [embedded content] God is One Verse, Redeeming Church, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: be the church, church, ecclesiology, Hebrews 10:25, One Verse Podcast, Richard Jacobson, unchurching Advertisement
