Life of the Church

At the Lord's Supper, Christians eat and drink together. We call it communion because by it we are unified in Christ. This togetherness—this community—is central to the life of the Church. Its distinguishing feature is not multiplicity, but oneness: "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:4-6).

Like all good stories there is unity to the story of the Church. It looks much different now than it did in the first century, but it's still the same Church. Part of its life is this story: where did it come from, who keeps it together, where is it going? While there are all kinds of interesting particulars, there is really only one answer to these questions: Christ. He is the founder of the Church, He is its sustainer, and He is the goal toward which it is progressing. History will culminate in the absolute glorification of Christ before all creation, and the Church's primary task is to prepare the way for Him. The Church is healthiest when Christians are most dedicated to this task. This doesn't mean the death of denominations, it simply means they will be working humbly together. Just as the men of Israel worked together to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem (Neh. 3), so all Christians regardless of denomination must build the kingdom together.

To be successful the Church must be healthy internally. Its worship must reflect the standards and guidelines found in the Bible, and its observance of the sacraments cannot be taken lightly or neglected. The Church is to be the one consistently safe place for Christians in a mostly hostile world. This is not to imply the Church is a location or building but that it is a spiritual presence providing refuge for the people of God.

The apostle John made it plain how the Church is to hold itself together. The world will know us by our love, he said. "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). The Church is at its best when it is filled with the selfless love of Christ and is sharing that love with the world.

It is the Church's responsibility to spread the kingdom Christ set up during His lifetime. This kingdom is spiritual and its citizenry is increased whenever someone is baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but it exists in a physical world and will lead to the transformation of all civilization and culture. While this goal often seems hopeless and beyond reach, God has promised that the Church will triumph:

"On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." — Matthew 16:18
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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109 Items found Print
Active Filters: 11th grade (Ages 16-17)
"But Don't All Religions Lead to God?"
by Michael Green
from Baker Books
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$11.05
Against All Odds
by Jim Stier
from YWAM Publishing
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Alphabet Makers
by Hyatt Moore
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Already Gone
by Britt Beemer, Ken Ham, with Todd Hillard
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Ashamed of the Gospel
by John F. MacArthur jr.
First Printing, Underlining from Crossway Books
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Atlas of the Islamic World
by Francis Robinson
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Bhagavad Gita
by Anonymous
Modern Reprint from Oxford University
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$8.95
Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church
by Michael Lawrence
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Blood of the Moon
by George Grant
from Wolgemuth and Hyatt
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Body of Divinity
by Thomas Watson
from Banner of Truth Trust
Theology for 9th-12th grade
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$13.60
Book of Psalms for Singing
by Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
from Crown and Covenant
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$17.85
Carved in Ebony
by Jasmine L. Holmes
from Bethany House
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Celebrating the Sabbath
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International Adventures
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Children of the Promise
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Christian Theology and Ancient Polytheism
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$35.00
Christianity, Cults & Religions
by Rose Publishing
7th edition from Rose Publishing
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$4.99
Christianity, Cults & Religions
from Rose Publishing
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$14.99
Classic Baptism
by James W. Dale
from P&R Publishing
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Compact Guide to World Religions
by Dean C. Halverson
from Bethany House
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$16.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Comparative Religions - Curriculum Pack
by Bodie Hodge & Roger Patterson
from Master Books
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$59.18
Counterfeit Revival
by Hank Hanegraaff
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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Created to Flourish
from HOPE International
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Creature of the Word
by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger
from B&H Books
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$14.99
Creeds of the Churches
by John Leith
3rd edition from Westminster John Knox Press
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$26.50
Cry from the Streets
International Adventures
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Dangerous Calling
by Paul David Tripp
1st edition from Crossway Books
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Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
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Desiring the Kingdom
Cultural Liturgies Volume 1
by James K.A. Smith
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$17.50
Discipling the Nations
by Dennis Woods
from ClassicalFree Virtual Academy
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Dispatches From the Front
by Tim Keesee
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Doctor in Buckskin
by T. D. Allen
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$5.00 (1 in stock)
Early Islam
Great Ages of Man
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Elders of the Church
by Lawrence R. Eyres
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Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
by J. I. Packer
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
by J. I. Packer
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Face to Face
by Steve Wilkins
2nd edition from Canon Press
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$11.90
Feed My Lambs
by Tim Gallant
from Pactum Reformanda
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$13.56
Five Pioneer Missionaries
by Various
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Biography for 9th-Adult
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For the Life of the World
by Alexander Schmemann
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$15.30
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya
by Ruth Tucker
2nd edition from Zondervan
History of missions for 11th-Adult
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$28.04
God Gave Wine
by Kenneth Gentry
from Oakdown Books
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God Makers
by Ed Decker & Dave Hunt
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Gospel Comes with a House Key
by Rosaria Butterfield
from Crossway Books
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$21.24
Great for God
by David Shibley
from Master Books
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$10.19
Handbook of Christian Apologetics
by Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli
from InterVarsity Press
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$18.70
Hipster Christianity
by Brett McCracken
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Hospitality Commands
by Alexander Strauch
from Lewis and Roth Publishers
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How to Grow in Christ
by Jack Kinneer
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Hudson Taylor & China's Open Century
by A.J. Broomhall
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In the Land of the Blue Burqas
by Kate McCord
from Moody Press
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$15.99
In the Shadow of Plenty
by George Grant
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
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$3.60 (1 in stock)
Islam
Opposing Viewpoints Series
by William Dudley, editor
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Jesus Among Other Gods
by Ravi Zacharias
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Jewish Literacy
by Joseph Telushkin
from William Morrow & Company
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Law of Kindness
by Mary Beeke
from Reformation Heritage Books
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Let The Nations Be Glad!
by John Piper
2nd edition from Baker Books
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Let The Nations Be Glad!
by John Piper
3rd edition from Baker Books
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$14.44
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
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Lord's Service
by Jeffrey Meyers
from Canon Press
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Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
from YWAM Publishing
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Man With the Bird on His Head
by Abbe Anderson, John Rush
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Mecca
by Desmond Stewart
from Newsweek Books
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Narrow Road
by Brother Andrew, Elizabeth Sherrill, Jars of Clay, John Sherrill
from Revell Publishing
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Narrow Road
by Brother Andrew, Elizabeth Sherrill, Jars of Clay, John Sherrill
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Note to Self
by Joe Thorn
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Operation World
by Jason Mandryk, Patrick & Robin Johnstone
7th edition from Biblica Publishing
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Operation World
by Jason Mandryk, Patrick & Robyn Johnstone
7th edition from InterVarsity Press
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$25.00
Peace Child
by Don Richardson
from Regal Books
Biography for 10th-Adult
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Peace Child
by Don Richardson
from Regal Books
Biography for 10th-Adult
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Peace Child
by Don Richardson
4th edition from Regal Books
Biography for 10th-Adult
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$13.59
Persuasions
by Doug Wilson
from Canon Press
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$10.20
Praying through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window
2nd edition from YWAM Publishing
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Publish Great Things
by H. Douglas Garland
from Bob Jones University Press
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Radical
by David Platt
1st edition from Multnomah Books
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Reformed Means Missional
by Samuel T. Logan, Jr.
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Reverberation
by Jonathan Leeman
from Moody Press
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Rule of St Benedict
by St. Benedict & Timothy Fry, editor
from Penguin Classics
Devotional Material for 9th-Adult
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$17.00
Rule of St. Benedict in English
by St. Benedict & Timothy Fry, editor
from Liturgical Press
Devotional Material for 9th-Adult
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Secret Believers
by Brother Andrew
from Revell Publishing
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$18.00
Shakespeare the Christian I
by Ralph Smith
from Covenant Media Foundation
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$35.00
Spiritual Leadership
by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby
from B&H Books
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Stronger Than the Strong
by Louise Morris
from OMF
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$2.40 (1 in stock)
Student's Guide to Religious Studies
by D.G. Hart
1st edition from Intercollegiate Studies Institute
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$12.99
Supper of the Lamb
by Robert Farrar Capon
from Modern Library
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in Culture of Food (Location: COOK-CUL)
$20.00
Surprised by Hope
by N. T. Wright
from HarperOne
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$21.24
Tactics
by Gregory Koukl
10th Anniversary Edition from Zondervan
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$19.54
Taking Men Alive
by Jim Wilson
from Canon Press
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$10.20
Taking the High Places
International Adventures
by Jemimah Wright, Terry Snow
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The Koran
by Anonymous
Revised from Penguin Classics
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$16.00 $8.50 (1 in stock)
There's a Sheep in My Bathtub
by Brian Hogan
1st edition from Asteroidea Books
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$13.56
Thousand Year War in the Mideast
by Richard Maybury
1st edition from Bluestocking Press
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$17.95
Tithing and Dominion
by Edward A. Powell & R. J. Rushdoony
from Chalcedon / Ross House Books
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$8.00 $4.00 (5 in stock)
To A Thousand Generations
by Doug Wilson
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$8.50
Tommorow You Die
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Torches of Joy
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by John Dekker & Lois Neely
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Missionary Biography for 10th-Adult
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Totally Surrounded
by Christina Davis
from YWAM Publishing
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Toxic Charity
by Robert D. Lupton
9.2.2012 from HarperOne
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$11.50
True Community
by Jerry Bridges
from NavPress
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$7.50 (4 in stock)
Understanding the Times
by David Noebel
2nd edition from Summit Ministries
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in Old Edition Bible (Location: ZCLE-BIB)
$10.00 (5 in stock)
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