Church 101

What is the church supposed to be? There's a never ending list of how to "do church" books. There are conferences, study guides, church planting manuals and on and on the list goes. I suppose they have their place; yet the proof of Ecclesiastes 12:12 comes through again, there really is no end to the writing and gathering of books.

When it comes to telling the church how to be the church, God has already written the book. The Bible as a whole describes everything we need to know. And specifically the pastoral letters instruct us in church life. In this study of first Timothy I want to look at God's prescription for the church.

The title and the topic take themselves from 1 Timothy 3:15, "...I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." There it is, Paul clearly spells out his purpose as nothing more than to describe for believers how to "do church."

Let's take this journey together through Church 101.