Church Articles – GROW magazine

17 Apr

How Christ Relates to the Church: The Chief Cornerstone

CHURCH ARTICLE | Osamagbe Lesley Egharevba | Lagos, Nigeria

“Now, therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fittted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22, NKJV)

As seen in our text above, the Bible describes Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone of His Church. This is the church that He promised to build (Matthew 16:18), the church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), the church that He is the head of (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18), and the church that He is the Chief Shephard (I Peter 5:4). Read More →

01 Jan

How Christ Relates to the Church : The Chief Shepherd

CHURCH ARTICLE | Don McClain | Bryant, Arkansas

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will recdeive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:4, NKJV)

There are a variety of metaphorical expressions used in the New Testament to describe Jesus. Each one gives us a unique perspective of His various positions, roles, and relationships. Each one provides us with greater insight and thus a deeper understanding of our Lord.

One of the most familiar and relatable trades in Palestine during Bible times was that of a shepherd. Literal shepherds and their flocks are referenced often in scripture, but the concept is also used many times metaphorically to illustrate the relationship between… Read More →

10 Oct

How Christ Relates to the Church: Bridegroom

CHURCH ARTICLE | Shawn Chancellor | Amarillo, Texas

The Book of Revelation is filled with awesome images of suffering, judgment, and triumph. These images, in turn, frighten and inspire as we read of fierce beasts that seek to destroy the faithful and various depictions of Jesus, always victorious and always with the faithful. One such view of Jesus is in Revelation 19, tucked between the judgment of the Great Harlot who had become “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Revelation 17:6; 18:1-24), and His victory over the armies of the beast (Revelation 19:11-19). In Revelation 19:7, the voice of a great multitude (Revelation 19:6) cries out, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” If this image were not so jarring in its context, it would be easy to overlook because of the enormity of the scenes surrounding it. A wedding announcement just before the most critical battle in the entire book? Yes, and this simple statement may help us to understand the point of the whole book. Read More →

28 Jul

Paul’s View of the Local Church

CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender (fondly remembered)

As the apostle Paul introduces many of his epistles, he takes the time to praise the congregation for their strengths. Some local congregations had more to be praised for than others did, but usually he could find some good to complement the local church to whom he was writing. The opening of the epistle to the Colossians is no different. Paul first states, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Colossians 1:2). It is easy for us to look over these statements about the local churches that Paul was writing to because they are not addressed to us in the 21st century. However, we can learn several important lessons concerning the local church and how it is to be conducting itself. Read More →

17 Apr

How Christ Relates to the Church: The Headship of Jesus

CHURCH ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Wichita, Kansas

It is common to consider Jesus as our personal and individual Savior, which He is. Also, it is easy to see that Jesus is connected to God since He is God’s very Son. However, we can sometimes neglect how Christ relates to the church. We recognize Jesus’ relationships with us individually or to God, but how does He connect to the universal body of all believers? The Bible helps us to see that relationship through Jesus’ headship over the body. Read More →

28 Jan

The Church at Thessalonica : Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | Osamagbe Lesley Egharevba | Lagos, Nigeria

Background

The establishment of the Lord’s church in the city of Thessalonica is found in Acts 17:1-10. During Paul’s second missionary journey, which begins in Acts 16, Paul heard the “Macedonia call” to send out the light (God’s Word). Specifically, he saw in a vision a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). After seeing the vision, Paul and the men with him concluded that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel in that region. They traveled to Philippi (a Roman colony and the foremost city of that part of Macedonia). After they had preached and converted souls in Philippi, they moved to Thessalonica (another prominent city in Macedonia). They continued their preaching (Acts 17:1-10). Read More →

08 Oct

Fellowship and Brotherly Love in the Early Jerusalem Church : Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | Chadwick Brewer | Richmond, Virginia

Fellowship

When, in our modern vernacular, we use the term fellowship, we often talk about doing activities with others who share our faith and the ability to get along with one another. Our modern term for fellowship is usually based on shared interests, commonalities, and a personal like of those you have fellowship with. However, this is not how this term is used in the New Testament. Read More →

05 Jul

The Church in Corinth: Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | John Hines | Haynesville, Louisiana

“There’s no such thing as a perfect church.” This idea can be espoused as nothing more than an excuse for sin and the overlooking of sin. While all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), one cannot help but notice something about various local congregations mentioned in scripture. In Revelation, for example, some of the churches are rebuked. Others are not, with the Lord recognizing their faithfulness (Revelation 3:7-13). Does this mean they never had problems? No, but apparently, they had dealt with any issues they faced in a scriptural manner. And now? The Lord does not tell them they need to repent. Instead, they conduct themselves in a way that Jesus commends. Read More →

03 Jan

Pondering Philippians : Congregational Profile

CHURCH ARTICLE | Scott Long | Marietta, Pennsylvania

The Circumstances

Robbed of his freedom for teaching the gospel, Paul sits in chains. It is not the first time (and it might not be the last*). Yet, as a true bondservant of God, rather than bemoan his circumstances, Paul rejoices in the twin blessings of access to teaching the “Praetoreum guard” and increased preaching by the brethren, though some “preach Christ even from envy and strife.” Even in his chains, Paul has cause to remember his beloved Macedonian brethren and pray for them. Read More →

26 Oct

A Church That Prays Together

CHURCH ARTICLE | Keith Sharp | Mountain Home, Arkansas

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The life of a Christian may be summarized in one word, “faith,” i.e., trust. The deepest expression of that dependent trust in God is prayer. The Lord once spoke a parable to teach “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Jesus spoke about a widow who persistently troubled an unjust judge until he finally granted her request. The parable emphasized the surety that a just and merciful Father will speedily hear His children. The Master concluded, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Read More →