On today’s Equipping You in Grace show Dave and Gregg Allison discuss why it matters every Christian should be in a local church, discerning essential and non-essential issues, the importance of singing solid biblical songs, along with his book, The Church: An Introduction (Crossway, 2021).What you’ll hear in this episode* How Scripture speaks of the Church.* Why it matters every Christian be in the local church.* The importance of a biblical qualified male eldership in the local church.* Discerning the difference between what theological issues are essential and which one’s aren’t.* Why it matters the Church sings solid biblical songs on the Lord’s day.* The central place of expository sermons in the local church.* The importance of every member in a local church being involved using their spiritual gifts in the church.* Some concerns and hopes for the future of the church.About the GuestGregg R. Allison (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society, a book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, an elder at Sojourn Community Church, and a theological strategist for Harbor Network. Allison has taught at several colleges and seminaries, including Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and is the author of numerous books, including Historical Theology; Sojourners and Strangers; and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice.Subscribing, sharing, and your feedbackYou can subscribe to Equipping You in Grace via iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast catcher. If you like what you’ve heard, please consider leaving a rating and share it with your friends (it takes only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show). You can also connect with me on Twitter at @davejjenkins, on Facebook, or via email to share your feedback.Thanks for listening to this episode of Equipping You in Grace!