Getting Started

The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture, Christians organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit in love, are corrected for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the great commandment and the great commission as missionaries to the world. We develop Kingdom ministry and are devoted to building up our local church family.

Something to consider: God’s mission for us and to others.

God's mission

The church

Ephesians 4:15-16
Hebrews 10:25
Colossians 3:16
Romans 12:5

Family

The husband

Ephesians 5:25
1 Peter 3:7
1 Timothy 5:8
Esther 1:22
Titus 1:6
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
1 Corinthians 14:35
Colossians 3:19
2 Corinthians 12:14
Ephesians 6:4
1 Timothy 3:4, 5, 12
Deuteronomy 4:9
Deuteronomy 11:19
Proverbs 22:6

The wife

Genesis 3:12, 16
Ephesians 5:22-24
Titus 2:3-5
Genesis 2:18
Malachi 2:14-15
Esther 1:20
Colossians 3:18
1 Peter 3:1, 2, 6
Proverbs 31:10-12

Parenting

Proverbs 13:24
Proverbs 29:15
Hebrews 12:2-8
Psalms 127:3-4
Deuteronomy 5:16
Proverbs 4:1
Proverbs 20:20
Matthew 15:4
Mark 10:19
Ephesians 6:2-3
Deuteronomy 27:16 1
Samuel 1:5-11
Hebrews 12:6-8
Revelation 3:19
1 John 2:3-6
Proverbs 23:13
Isaiah 54:13
Proverbs 19:18
Proverbs 3:11-12
Ephesians 6:4
Genesis 25:21
Leviticus 19:3
Proverbs 6:20
John 19:26-27
Matthew 19:19
Luke 18:20
Hebrews 5:8
Exodus 20:12
Proverbs 3:11-12
Malachi 4:6
John 14:15
2 John 6
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Genesis 18:17-19

Children's responsibilities

Exodus 20:12
Proverbs 13:1
Luke 2:51
Ephesians 6:1
Proverbs 1:8
Proverbs 23:22
John 6:38
Colossians 3:20

Special promises to children

Deuteronomy 5:16
Proverbs 8:17, 32
Acts 2: 39
Psalms 27:10
Mark 10:14
Ephesians 6:2-3

A mother's love

Hagar - Genesis 21:16
Moses Mother - Exodus 2:3
Samuel’s Mother - 1 Samuel 2:19
Rizpah’s Mother - 2 Samuel 21:9-10
Mother of Solomon’s Time - 1 Kings 3:26
Shunammite - 2 Kings 4:20
Jesus’ Mother - John 19:25

Parental duties

To Teach - Deuteronomy 6:7; 4:9; 31:13
To Train - Proverbs 22:6
To Provide - 2 Corinthians 12:14
To Nurture - Ephesians 6:4
To Control - 1 Timothy 3:4
To Love - Titus 2:4
To Correct - Proverbs 22:15

Examples of bad parenting

1 Samuel 3:13
1 Kings 1:6
1 Samuel 8:3
Luke 15:12-13

Questions about Church

Now that we've looked at a number of verses, we encourage you to explore these questions with your group or in a journal.

• What is the church? 
  

• What is the mission of the church? 
  

• Why is the leadership structure of the church important? 
  

• What are sacraments, and what is their role in the church?  
  

What does it mean?

Knowledge is good, but knowing how to act on that knowledge is better. Explore some of these questions about how our knowledge affects our lives.

• How do you see the church fulfilling its role to make disciples for God’s glory? 
  

• What is your role in the church? 
  

• How are you being faithful to this role and how are you not? 
  

• If you are not a member of a church, what is keeping you from becoming one?