Kitchen Table Theology

 “We need to pray for missionaries. The world really needs more people to tell all the lost people in the world about Christ, and the amazing Good News that He died for sinners so that whoever believes will be saved. But how will they hear it unless somebody tells them?” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue in our series of The Doctrine of Hamartiology. So far in this series, we’ve covered The Lostness of Man, the Inevitable Results of Lostness, and today we’re discussing the Future Destiny of the Lost. 

[00:01] Why It’s So Hard To Talk About Eternal Punishment

• As Christians, this should move us spiritually and emotionally (Romans 9:1)
• We see God’s own heart towards this in Ezekiel 33

 [04:40] Gaining a Biblical Understanding of Hell

• A theological and doctrinally accurate definition of hell
  • Dr. Wayne Grudem says, "Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked."
  • Hell mentioned in Scripture: Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14:9-11
• Annihilationism - After the wicked have suffered and been punished, God will annihilate them at some point, so that they no longer exist
  • Scripture is clear that punishment is eternal, however, a growing number of denominations are rejecting the idea of eternal conscious punishment of unbelievers

 [11:19]  Different Words for Hell in the Bible

• Hades - NT word that refers to a place in regards to punishment. It also means the state of death
• Gehenna - The valley of Henna was a place where garbage, dead animals, and criminals were burned
• The abyss - The prison for demons (Rev 9:11) 
• Sheol - Hebrew word for where the dead go

 [16:24]  What About Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?

• God always punishes people, because of what they know and fail to believe
• All people know God. According to Romans 1:18-23, God is revealed through His creation
• Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God (Romans 10:13-17) 
• We must pray for our missionaries and share the Word of God 

 [28:10] Closing Segment   

• Check out the links below for the books and resources mentioned in this episode
• Closing words

Key Quotes 

 “We can talk about the doctrine of sin and the doctrine of the future destiny of the lost, and if we're not careful, it can become academic. But when we start to personalize it, it really hits home.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Resources Mentioned

• What About Those Who Have Never Heard? by Ron Nash
• Four Views on Hell by Preston Sprinkle

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“One of the great dangers in theology is making our faith something we discuss rather than something which moves us.” - Kelly M. Kapic

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue in our series of The Doctrine of Hamartiology. So far in this series, we’ve covered The Lostness of Man, and today we’re discussing the Inevitable Results of Lostness

[00:01] Establishing a Foundationally Biblical Understanding of Sin

• Floyd H. Barackman’s 6 brief observations about sin 
  • Since sin is a unique force, it is positive, absolute evil, not a lesser degree of goodness
  • Sin is actively opposed to God and His will
  • Sin was not a part of the Original Creation
  • Sin always produces death, both spiritual and eventually physical
  • Sin will cease to exist in humans when all mortal bodies die and when we're all changed

 [08:27] The Inevitable Results of Sin

• Sin plays a role in every human beings life and the ultimate inevitable result of sin is an eternal tormenting hell (Isaiah 59:1-3) 
•  Sin affects our will and our judgment (Romans 6:16) 
  • You belong to the power which you choose to obey (John 8:44)  
  • Sin affects our physical body (Psalm 38:3-4)
• Our sin separates us from God eternally 
  • Those who are in the righteousness of Christ inherit an eternity in Heaven (Luke 23:43,  2 Cor 5:8, Phil 1:23
  • Those who are unrighteous, and apart from Christ are sent to eternity in Hell (Mat 8:12, 1 Peter 3:19, Luke 16:24, 2 Thes 1: 8-10)
• Do we have a second chance after we die? (Heb 9:27)

 [21:45]  Here’s the Good News!   

• Some great reminders regarding sin and Jesus from Charles Spurgeon 
• Closing words 

Key Quotes

“It is sobering because sin affects all of us and it affects us to the utmost degree. The eternal destiny of every person who's ever lived, is living now, or will live in the future. Sin plays a role in every human being’s life.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Resources Mentioned

• Practical Christian Theology by Floyd H. Barackman

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“Remember that the Lord Jesus came to take away sin in three ways; He came to remove the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and, at last, the presence of sin.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! Welcome to our new series on the Doctrine of Hamartiology or the doctrine of sin. In this episode, Pastor Jeff starts us off by talking about the lostness of man.

[00:01] The Meaning of Sin

• Why sin is becoming less present in our culture and why that’s not a good thing 
• In both Greek and Hebrew sin basically means ‘To miss the mark’ 
  •  To miss the mark is to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
• Charles Caldwell Ryrie defines sins as missing the mark, badness, rebellion, iniquity, going astray, wickedness, wandering, ungodliness, crime, lawlessness, transgression, ignorance, and a falling away
• James Strong defines sin as a lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either an act, disposition, or state

 [09:06] The  Different Areas and Categories of Sin

• When we sin, we sin against God (Psalm 51:4) 
• Sin breaks God's moral standard which is the Law (1 John 3:4)
• Sin is disobeying our conscience (Romans 2:14-15) 
• Sin is failing to do what is right
• Sin is unbelief (John 3:16-18, Romans 14:23)
• Sins of Commission
  •  A sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed
    • Trespasses 
    • Transgressions
    • Iniquities
    • Disobedience
• Sins of Omission
  •  Sins in which we knew we should have done something good, but we refused (James 4:17) Examples can be found in Romans 12-13, and James 1:20 
•  Inherited sin & personal sin 
  • Inherited sin also called sin nature, the doctrine of total depravity, or original sin (Romans 5)
  • Personal sin means sin that we personally commit because of our sinful nature (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)

 [21:01]  Here’s the Good News!   

• Whatever we discuss regarding sin, Jesus has defeated it! Jesus came to remove the penalty, power, and presence of sin
• Closing words

Key Quotes

“Sin puts us in a position to be recipients of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

“The doctrine Hamartiology is one of the most fundamental doctrines in the Bible. We see it right out of the gate in Genesis, chapter 3. It affects every person who has ever lived, is alive now, and will ever live in the future. And it's real, because if it's not real, then why would Jesus have come to Earth?” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

 
Resources Mentioned

• The Doctrine of Total Depravity
• The Doctrine of Hamartiology 
• Charles Caldwell Ryrie
• James Strong
• Charles Spurgeon 

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“You will never exhaust the depths of who He is. And even when we get to heaven one day, and we know all things, we're still not going to get it. We're still not going to be able to see the exhaustive resource that God is. He's available to each of us.” - Pastor Mike Linch

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! Welcome to this special interview episode where Pastor Jeff Cranston and our guest, Pastor Mike Lynch, discuss The American Church. 

Pastor Mike Linch is the head pastor of NorthStar Church in Kennesaw/Acworth, GA, and also serves as the Varsity Pitching Coach for Allatoona High School and is the chaplain for the Bucs football team. He’s a graduate of Liberty University in New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the host of the podcast Lynch with a Leader. 

Every early Sunday morning Pastor Mike leads a chapel service at LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, GA , and is a guest chaplain for the Atlanta Falcons and other NFL teams coming through ATL. He is also a frequent speaker at many other athletic events.

Mike married his best friend Anne and they have 2 kids together, Casey and Mary-Michael. If he is not at his office or at home, you will most likely find him on a ball field somewhere.   

[00:01] Get to Know Pastor Mike

• Introducing Pastor Mike 
• Faithfully serving the same church for decades 

[08:36] Who Is a Theologian? 

• Pastor Mike talks about how he sees theology play a major part in the lives of leaders
• Why it’s a bad idea to leave theology up to the ‘professionals’
• How we can dive deeper into our own study of God
  • We live in an age of resources

 [15:39] The State of Theology in America

• Ligonier survey findings: 
  • The increasing rejection that the Bible is the literal Word of God
  • 30% of evangelicals reject the deity of Christ
  • 46% of US evangelicals believe that people are good by nature
• Raising up a generation of people that know the Word
• The repercussions of this unbelief (John 10:10, John 10:9)

 [24:26]  Closing Segment

•  Pastor Mike’s glue for the study of theology
  • Christ’s ministry and the theology that was grounded into the 12 disciples
  •  Life is overwhelming, but to know He has us is everything
• You will never exhaust the depths of who He is
• Connect with Pastor Mike! (Links below)

Key Quotes

“I better understand what I believe and the depths of what I believe because it's going to get challenged.” - Pastor Mike Linch

“And I think, put inside every person is that hunger [for Theology]. And I think that the church proper has made it a category... that ability to grow, learn, and study is accessible to all of us.” - Pastor Mike Linch

Resources Mentioned

• Ligonier: The State of Theology (Survey) 

Connect with Pastor Mike
www.mikelinch.com
Instagram: @mikelinch
Podcast: Lynch with a Leader

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

 "Some of the greatest truths, whether it be a song, book, or someone's testimony,  don't come from, 'Everything's great! God is good, my life is perfect.' Almost all the best ones always come out of woundedness, pain, suffering, because it's then when we've reached the end of our hoarded resources, our father's full giving has only begun." - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. We’re coming at you with a Bonus episode all about hymns! We’re taking a deep dive into 3 of our favorite hymns, learning about the writers, and examining the theology behind the lyrics.

[03:04]  In The Garden by C. Austin Miles

• Why this is one of Jen’s favorite songs
• Some background on the writer
• “It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.” - C. Austin Miles
• The theology we see in this hymn  

[14:32] Just as I am by Charlotte Elliott  

• Pastor Jeff recalls Jen’s story of how this is the hymn she answered an altar call to 
• How this hymn was inspired by rude behavior! 
  • Some background of the writer, Charlotte Elliott, and her struggle with sin, failure, mental and physical health 
  • The rude remark she made to a well-known minister led to a friendship, healing, and eventually writing hymns 

 [26:09] He Giveth More Grace by Annie Johnson Flint

• Annie Johnson Flint’s life 
• This hymn pictures someone desperately clinging to the only hope that we have. Adam Dolhanyk likens it to a shipwrecked sailor clinging to a piece of wood, we as believers cling to the cross of Christ
• When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s giving has just begun 

 [33:31] Closing Segment

• A little sneak peek of our next podcast! 
  • The state of theology and the American church

Key Quotes

“Here you've got a woman with a struggling life, dealing with pain dealing with weakness, man, and she writes this and God used her and her weakness, to write a hymn that has been used to draw millions of people to Christ.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston on Charlotte Elliott’s  Just as I am' 

Hymns Mentioned 

• In The Garden by C. Austin Miles 
• Just as I am by Charlotte Elliott
• He Giveth More Grace by Annie Johnson Flint

Resources Mentioned

• The Story Behind “In the Garden”
• Just as I am: What altar call hymn was inspired by rude behavior?
• Behind the Music: He Giveth More Grace

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

 "The church isn't just some happenstance gathering of redeemed people who come together on their own. The building, the house of God is orderly, sophisticated, purposeful, divinely designed by the grand architect God Himself. And all of that united by one Lord, one faith, and one baptism." - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. This is our fifth episode in a new series on the Church. The Doctrine of the Church is also known as the doctrine of Ecclesiology. Previously, we discussed how the church is like a flock, fellowship, body, bride, and family. Today we tackle how the church is the House of God.  

[00:29]  The Church Is Local and Universal

• The word 'church' in the New Testament is applied to any size of believers: From a very small group of believers meeting at a house all the way to all true believers extending to every corner of the world
  • House church references in the NT (Rom 16:5, 1 Cor 16:19)
  • The church is spread throughout the city /geographical location (1 Thess, Acts 9:31)
  • The church throughout the entire world (1 Cor 12:2)
• Defining ‘Church’
  • Defined by Jonathan Leeman: A local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ's name to officially affirm and oversee one another's membership in Jesus Christ and His kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances

[06:38] The Church Is The House of God

• The church is, in a sense, God's habitation; He resides in His people
• Christ was and is the original foundation and the apostles and prophets were sovereignly added by God (1 Cor 3:11, Eph 2:20)
• The church is being built together as a dwelling place of God (Eph 2:21-22)

 [13:04] The Church is Made of Livingstones

• Christians are called Livingstones being fashioned by Christ who is the Cornerstone (1 Pet 2:5-7)
•  Livingstones are God's people who have or are undergoing God's chipping away

 [16:27] So What?

• Within the kingdom of God is the Church of God. His church, within His kingdom, is the body of authority. The Church isn’t just a happenstance gathering of redeemed people who come together on their own
• Closing words: Pay attention to your KTT feed later this week! We have a bonus episode dropping

Key Quotes

“The church is called God's house because it is also in a sense God's habitation because He resides in His people.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

"These living stones are God's people who have or are undergoing God's chipping away. Sometimes it's discipline, sometimes it's just God fashioning us more and more into the image of Christ." - Pastor Jeff Cranston

"We think about that Livingstone nature; All of us, with all of our chips and things that we don't think are perfect, He makes perfect in His own time for that purpose." - Jen Denton

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

"The value of having a church family is being loved and loving others in a way that is different from how people in the secular world love. This love is to be sacrificial and unconditional like the love Jesus shows us." - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. This is our fifth episode in a new series on the Church. The Doctrine of the Church is also known as the doctrine of Ecclesiology. Previously we’ve discussed how the church is like a flock, fellowship, body, and bride. Today we tackle how the church is a Family.  

[00:29]  What Do You Think of When You Think of ‘Family’? 

• Pastor Jeff and Jen share some experiences growing up and fun family stories 
• The word “Family” can evoke positive or negative emotions in someone depending on their personal experiences.

[05:32] The Church is a Family

• Ephesians 2:19
• Wayne Grudem defines the church as the community of all true believers of all time
•  Paul told Timothy to act as if all the church members were members of a larger family (1 Timothy 5)
• Scripture teaches us that God is our Heavenly Father and that we're His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18) so that we might fulfill the Great Commission and take the Gospel to the whole world
• Why is the church a family? 
  • Becoming a Christian means being adopted into God's family as a child of God and brother or sister to fellow believers (Romans 8:14, 16-17)
• The true value of the Church Family (John 13: 34-35)

 [10:00] Have We Lost the Impact of the Church Being a Family? 

• What are the core values we can learn about the church as a family?
  • In a family, belonging comes from who you are, and not what you do
  • We can make the mistake of thinking that we earn our belonging; a bad approach to community and the absolute definition of a dysfunctional family

 [18:13] What Makes a Healthy Family? 

• Traditions and practices 
• Freely giving themselves to one another
• Open and inviting
• Lovingly solve conflict, forgive, and reconcile  

 [22:30] Closing Segment 

• 1 Peter 3 should be our goal as a church-family 
• Final Words 

Key Quotes

"The church family is a place that can bring healing and security no matter what your background is. It's a place where you can learn to be nurtured in a way that does allow you to fulfill that potential; all you were meant to be." - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

"In a family, belonging comes from who you are and not what you do." - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

"If a family is healthy, the family members are not consumers. They willingly give themselves to others in the family.  In an unhealthy family, members take and they don't give. The same thing is true in a church; That if you bring consumer-mentality into a church, it kills family, and it kills the church." - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“When Christians who are His church, fail to live by His standards, and thereby fail to show our love to Him, it's concluded we don't love Him. But the root problem is that we fail to realize how much He loves us.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. This is our third episode in a new series on the Church. The Doctrine of the Church is also known as the doctrine of Ecclesiology. Previously we’ve discussed how the church is like a flock, fellowship, and body. Today we’ll discuss how the church is the bride of Christ.

[00:29]  How is the Church Like the Bride of Christ?   

• Pastor Jeff and Jen share some fun wedding stories
• Several places in the Bible that use the imagery of marriage to describe the relationship between Christ and the church

[12:35] Jesus is the Bridegroom    

• John 3:29 is the first place in scripture that mentions Jesus as a bridegroom by John the Baptist
• The symbology of wedding ceremonies shows us the relationship of Christ to His church
• Revelation 19-21 clearly paints a picture of a bride made white in the blood of the Lamb, the marriage feast, and the marriage supper of the Lamb

[17:28] The Bride of The Lamb  

• The church as the bride of Christ is compared to the image of a husband and wife's relationship and marriage
• These scriptures and references indicate proximity and intimacy between Christ and His Church
• We are in a waiting period, the church age. The bride is simply waiting for the bridegroom to return

[20:41] Christ’s Limitless Love

• We see in the teaching of this bride and groom picture that it's a reminder of the demonstration of Christ's limitless love for us
  • Christ loves us in spite of ourselves, and not because of what we do but because Jesus is God, and God is love 
• Final words from Jen and Pastor Jeff

Key Quotes

“The passage of Ephesians 5 on marriage teaches us that mutual love and respect form the basis for a very God-honoring marriage. And likewise, Christ's love for the church. And the churches love and respect for Christ forms the basis for a God-honoring church.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“The relationship of Christ and His Church is the motto for us as husband and wife. The marriage relationship rightly practiced, reflects many of the ways Jesus loves his people, and the church, as its husband and as its bridegroom.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“In modern marriage culture, we can get really excited about the celebration. And sometimes forget about the foundation of the marriage just as we can get caught up in the things of the church and forget about our relationship with Christ.” - Jen Denton 

Scripture Mentioned

• Eph 5:22-32
• 2 Cor 11: 2 
• Rev 21: 9-21
• John 3:29
• 1 John 4:16

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

“A man can't be always defending the truth, there must be a time to feed on it.” C.S. Lewis 

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. This is our third episode in a new series on the Church. The Doctrine of the Church is also known as the doctrine of Ecclesiology. Previously we’ve discussed how the church is like a flock and fellowship. Today we’ll discuss how the church is like a body 

[00:26]  What is The Body of Christ?   

• While groups can provide fellowship and interaction, they point to the deeper longing for every person to belong in the family of God. The ultimate membership a person can join is in the body of Christ
• The body of Christ is believers collectively forming as the church

[05:41] The Church is a Body   

• In Ephesians, Paul refers to the church as a body with Christ as the head. Christ as the head then holds the entire body together and equips every part to work as it ought to be working
• Who belongs in the body of Christ? 
  • All people who place their trust and faith in Jesus Christ
  • What is the relation of the kingdom of God to the body of Christ? 

[09:47] A Divided Body 

•  If we are supposed to be the united body of Christ, how can we account for Christianity having so many different branches and denominations?
• A quick history lesson on differences in the church 
  • Differentiation in Christianity has existed since the very beginning
  • The first major schism due to Arianism in the 4th century 
  • 325 AD The Council of Nicea
  • The Great Schism 
  • The Protestant Reformation on October 31, 1517 
• Our diversity is both God-given and essential to our maturity and our health
• As members of Christ's body, He is the head, He controls the body, therefore he is to be given preeminence in all things

[21:08] So What? 

• Jesus uses us in all of our weirdness, oddity, wildness, and oneness to take His gospel into all the world 
• Final words from Jen and Pastor Jeff

Key Quotes

“Groups can provide fellowship and interaction, but they point to the deeper longing for every person to belong in the family of God. The ultimate membership a person can have is in the body of Christ.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“The truth is that the body of Christ is designed to teach us that we need one another and that we must care for one another to the world. We must show ourselves wanting Christ, united in love, and united in a shared life. We're united in Jesus. Such unity is not uniformity, it's not even conformity, it is unity.”  - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Scripture Mentioned

• 1 Cor 12:27
• Ephesians 3:6, 4:15–16, 5:23
• Romans 12:1, 12:5

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! We’re your hosts, Jen Denton, and Pastor Jeff Cranston. This is our second episode in a new series on the Church. The Doctrine of the Church is also known as the doctrine of Ecclesiology. And over the course of this series, we will delve into seven snapshots of what the New Testament teaches us about the church. The NT says that the Church is a flock, a fellowship, a body, a bride, a family, as God’s House, and a priesthood.

[01:37]  Fellowship 

• What do college football and fellowship have in common?
• The definition of fellowship; when you get to know other people because you're headed in the same direction 
• Unity in the church is not about being similar. We have unity because we are in Christ 

[11:36] Disunity in the Church 

• When Christians are divided are they tearing down the walls of the church? 
  • However you organize your church, a good structure should promote unity and harmony and downplayed differences

[16:59] Breaking Down the Meaning of Fellowship 

• Fellowship comes from the Greek word Koinonia the root simply meaning common 
  • While the Greeks placed an emphasis on the individual, they also believed that as an individual you lived by, and for the society
  • Fellowship means to share with someone in something 

[18:50] So What? 

• Is fellowship something that should stay within the four walls of the church?
• The love Christians have for one another can influence others toward faith in Jesus Christ
• Fellowship enables community prayer, congregational worship, church decision making, baptism, and communion  
  • Christian fellowship is absolutely essential to our spiritual growth, but many believers today wrongly don't recognize the importance of fellowship or local church involvement
• Final words from Jen and Pastor Jeff

Key Quotes:

“Fellowship is not just something the church is, it’s something the church does.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

“When we talk about unity, we have unity, because we're all saved in the church, by Christ, not because we all look alike, act alike, breathe alike, talk alike, or even dress alike.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

“The love Christians have for one another can influence others toward faith in Jesus Christ. And that's all part of fellowship.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston  

“Many believers today wrongly don't recognize the importance of fellowship or local church involvement. But Christian fellowship is absolutely essential to our spiritual growth.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Scripture Mentioned

• Acts 2:42
• Eph 4:3-4 
• Jude 1:3
• Titus 1:4 
• Hebrews 10: 24-25

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at [email protected]

Visit my website jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!