My Account Wish List Shopping Cart Log In
Store Location

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 is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Life of the Church
Subcategories
150 Items found Print
Filter
Active Filters: Used Books & Materials
Aaron's Rod Blossoming
by George Gillespie
from Sprinkle Publications
for Adult
in Church Government (Location: XWO-GOV)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Alphabet Makers
by Hyatt Moore
from Wycliffe Bible Translators
for 8th-Adult
in History of Books & Language (Location: HISV-BOOK)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Already Gone
by Britt Beemer, Ken Ham, with Todd Hillard
from New Leaf Press
for 11th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
American Indian Prayer Guide
by Danette Maloof, Dean Cozzens
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-7th grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$4.50 (3 in stock)
Approved Unto God with Facing Reality
by Oswald Chambers
from Discovery House Publishers
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Ashamed of the Gospel
by John F. MacArthur jr.
First Printing, Underlining from Crossway Books
for 10th-Adult
in Ecclesiology (Location: XTH-ECC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Asia: A Christian Perspective
by Mary Ann Lind
from YWAM Publishing
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Atlas of the Islamic World
by Francis Robinson
from Facts On File
for 9th-Adult
in Historical & Cultural Atlases (Location: HISRF-ATLAS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales
by Sherab Chodzin & Alexandra Kohn (retellers), illustrated by Marie Cameron
from Barefoot Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Being the Body
by Charles Colson, Ellen Santilli Vaughn
First Edition from Word Publishing
for Adult
in Ecclesiology (Location: XTH-ECC)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Biblical Eldership
by Alexander Strauch
Rev Exp from Lewis and Roth Publishers
Historical Non-Fiction for Adult
in Church Government (Location: XWO-GOV)
$18.50 $8.00 (4 in stock)
Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church
by Michael Lawrence
from Crossway Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biblical Theology (Location: XTH-BIB)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Blessed Are the Hungry
by Peter Leithart
from Canon Press
in Communion (Eucharist) (Location: XWO-SAC2)
$15.00 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Blood of the Moon
by George Grant
from Wolgemuth and Hyatt
for 9th-Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Brigham Young, Pioneer and Prophet
Let Freedom Ring
by Cory Gideon Gunderson
from Capstone Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Built Upon the Rock
by Mark Dever
1st edition from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Church Government (Location: XWO-GOV)
$6.39 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Call of Grace
by Norman Shepherd
from P&R Publishing
for Adult
in Covenant Theology (Location: XTH-COV)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Catching their Talk in a Box
by Betty M. Hockett
from George Fox Press
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Children's Illustrated Jewish Bible
by Laaren Brown & Lenny Hort
Revised Edition from DK Children
for 1st-6th grade
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Baptism
by John Murray
from P&R Publishing
in Baptism (Location: XWO-SAC1)
$5.95 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Christianity: A Very Short Introduction
Very Short Introduction series
by Linda Woodhead
from Oxford University
for Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Church Planting Is For: Wimps
by Mike McKinley
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Church: The Gospel Made Visible
by Mark E. Dever
for Adult
in Ecclesiology (Location: XTH-ECC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Classic Baptism
by James W. Dale
from P&R Publishing
for 10th-Adult
in Baptism (Location: XWO-SAC1)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Commandments of Christ
by Robert C. Beasley
from P&R Publishing
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Community
Re:Lit Books
by Brad House
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Discipleship & Community (Location: XCL-DIS)
$12.79 $6.00 (3 in stock)
Compact Guide to World Religions
by Dean C. Halverson
from Bethany House
for 9th-Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$16.00 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Created to Flourish
from HOPE International
for 7th-12th grade
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross
by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour
from NavPress
for Adult
in Islam & Sharia Law (Location: XAP-ISL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Critique of Modern Youth Ministry
by Chris Schlect
2nd edition from Canon Press
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$7.00 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Dangerous Calling
by Paul David Tripp
1st edition from Crossway Books
for 11th-Adult
in Church Government (Location: XWO-GOV)
$18.39 $9.50 (2 in stock)
Daring to Live on the Edge
by Loren Cunningham
from YWAM Publishing
for 4th-7th grade
in Sacrificial Living (Location: XCL-SAC)
$9.99 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Day of Delight
by Pam Forster
from Doorposts
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Doorposts Materials (Location: BIB-CHDP)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Discipling
by Mark Dever
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
Discourse Concerning Love
by Nathaniel Vincent, Edited by Don Kistler
from Soli Deo Gloria
for Adult
in Puritan Writings (Location: XCH-PUR)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Dispatches From the Front
by Tim Keesee
from Crossway Books
for 10th-Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Dragon Tales
by Celia R. Brines
3rd edition from Pacific Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Elders of the Church
by Lawrence R. Eyres
from P&R Publishing
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Encountering the World of Islam
by Keith E. Swartley, ed.
from Authentic Media
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Escape
by Mona Dunckel
from Bob Jones University Press
for 3rd-4th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Escape from the Slave Traders
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Europe: Restoring Hope
by Deborah Meroff
for Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
by J. I. Packer
from InterVarsity Press
for 10th-Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Exhortations
by Doug Wilson
from Charles Nolan Publishers
for Adult
in Worship & Sabbath (Location: XWO-SABB)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Experience Jesus Today
by Charles Singer
from Oregon Catholic Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Bible Study & Reference for Kids (Location: BIB-STU)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Faith Like Mine
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Faith Worth Sharing
by C. John Miller
from P&R Publishing
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Fight for Jerusalem
by Dore Gold
from Regnery Publishing, Inc.
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Fit Bodies, Fat Minds
by Os Guinness
from Baker Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Five Pioneer Missionaries
by Various
from Banner of Truth Trust
Biography for 9th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$13.00 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Flight of the Fugitives
Trailblazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Forty-Acre Swindle
TrailBlazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Friendship: The Master-Passion
by Henry Clay Trumball
from Solid Ground Christian Books
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya
by Ruth Tucker
2nd edition from Zondervan
History of missions for 11th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$32.99 $14.00 (3 in stock)
Generous Justice
by Timothy Keller
from Dutton Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$19.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Giving Wisely?
by Jonathan Martin
2nd edition
for 12th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$3.00 (4 in stock)
God Gave Wine
by Kenneth Gentry
from Oakdown Books
for 11th-Adult
in Culture of Drinking & Wine (Location: XCU-WIN)
$13.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
God Makers
by Ed Decker & Dave Hunt
from Harvest House
for 10th-Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
God Speaks Numanggang
by David Hazell
2021 Printing from My Father's World
for 2nd-4th grade
in My Father's World (Location: CUR-MFW)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
God Speaks Numanggang (old cover)
by David Hazell
from My Father's World
for 2nd-4th grade
in My Father's World (Location: CUR-MFW)
$4.50 $2.50 (2 in stock)
Gospel
9marks: Buliding Healthy Churches
by Ray Ortlund, Foreword by J.I. Packer
1st edition from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Church Government (Location: XWO-GOV)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Gospel Wakefulness
by Jared C. Wilson, foreword by Ray Ortlund
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Greatness of the Great Commission
by Kenneth Gentry
for Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Hipster Christianity
by Brett McCracken
from Baker Books
for 9th-Adult
in Ecclesiology (Location: XTH-ECC)
$15.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Hole in Our Gospel
by Richard Stearns
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Hole in Our Gospel
by Richard Stearns
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$3.50 (3 in stock)
Holy Baptism
by Duane Spencer & James Jordan
from Geneva Ministries
in Baptism (Location: XWO-SAC1)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Hospitality Commands
by Alexander Strauch
from Lewis and Roth Publishers
for 10th-Adult
in Hospitality (Location: SS-HOS)
$4.75 $3.00 (1 in stock)
I Dared to Call Him Father
by Bilquis Sheikh & Richard H. Schneider
25th Anniversary from Chosen Books
Biography for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
I Suffer Not a Woman
by Catherine Clark Kroeger, Richard Clark Kroeger
from Baker Books
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
I Will!
by Thom S. Rainer
from B&H Books
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$5.00 (3 in stock)
In the Beginning
by Chaim Potok
1st edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
In the Shadow of Plenty
by George Grant
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 11th-Adult
in Christianity and the State (Location: XWV-STA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Invocations and Benedictions for the Revised Common Lectionary
by John M. Drescher
from Abingdon Press
for Adult
in Worship & Sabbath (Location: XWO-SABB)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
It's a Jungle Out There!
Rani Adventures #1
by Ron Snell
from Hannibal Books
for 4th-8th Grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Jesus Among Other Gods
by Ravi Zacharias
from W Publishing Group
for 10th-Adult
in Evidential Apologetics (Location: XAP-EVI)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Jesus the Evangelist
by Richard D. Phillips
from Reformation Trust Publishing
for Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Jewish Literacy
by Joseph Telushkin
from William Morrow & Company
for 11th-Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Johannic Baptism
by James W. Dale
2nd edition from P&R Publishing
for Adult
in Baptism (Location: XWO-SAC1)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Judaism: A Very Short Introduction
Very Short Introduction series
by Norman Solomon
from Oxford University
for Adult
in World Religions, Cults and Sects (Location: XAP-WRCS)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor and the Whirlwind
Jungle Doctor #1
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor in Slippery Places
Jungle Doctor #6
by Paul White
Reprint from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor on the Hop
Jungle Doctor #2
by Paul White
Reprint from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor Spots a Leopard
Jungle Doctor #3
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor's Crooked Dealings
Jungle Doctor #4
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Jungle Doctor's Enemies
Jungle Doctor #5
by Paul White
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Jungle Doctor (Location: SER-JD)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Law of Kindness
by Mary Beeke
from Reformation Heritage Books
for 10th-Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Let The Nations Be Glad!
by John Piper
2nd edition from Baker Books
for 10th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$10.00 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Life in the Father's House
by Wayne A. Mack, David Swavely
from P&R Publishing
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Life of Muhammad
by Hadrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad
from Islam International Publications Ltd
for Adult
in Islam & Sharia Law (Location: XAP-ISL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Liturgy Trap
by James Jordan
3rd edition from Athanasius Press
in Worship & Sabbath (Location: XWO-SABB)
$8.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Living Church
by John Stott
from InterVarsity Press
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$10.00 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
International Adventures
by Floyd McClung
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$14.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Lords of the Earth
by Don Richardson
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Man With the Bird on His Head
by Abbe Anderson, John Rush
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Mark of Jesus
by Timothy George & John Woodbridge
New from Moody Press
for Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Master's Perspective on Pastoral Ministry
by Richard L. Mayhue, Robert L. Thomas, eds.
from Kregel Publications
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mecca
by Desmond Stewart
from Newsweek Books
for 8th-Adult
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Minister's Treasury of Funeral & Memorial Passages
by Jim Henry
from Broadman & Holman
for Adult
in Church Ministry & Service (Location: XWO-MIN)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
12
Sign Up!

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Learn more about our store location and hours

Connect

503.655.1951

hello@exodusbooks.com

19146 Molalla Ave,
Oregon City, OR 97045