ecclesiology – Grace Evangelical Society

Encourage and Build Up One Another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

September 3, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Church, church life, ecclesiology, one another commands, spirituality

My wife and I bought our house in 2015. It’s our first house. Up till then, we rented—living in apartments and townhomes where we were restricted on what we could do to make the space our own and depending on the landlord to make repairs. Now things are different. The responsibility of maintaining the house

Are There Any Free Grace Denominations?

August 24, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - denominations, ecclesiology, Local Church

People often ask whether there are any Free Grace denominations. They want to belong to a local church that preaches grace and need to know where to look. The short answer is there are no Free Grace denominations. The more complicated answer is that some denominations are more accepting than others. If you can find

Where All Minister (Ephesians 4:11-12)

August 13, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Church, church life, ecclesiology, spiritual growth, spirituality

Free Grace Theology is exciting. It clarifies the freeness of salvation, and in doing that, it clarifies other areas of theology, too. The Free Grace movement involves a reformation of more than one area of theology. For example, did you know that the NT places spiritual growth squarely within the ekklēsia—the believing community? As Paul

Anthony Norris Groves and a Simple Way to Start a Church Meeting

August 4, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church meeting, ecclesiology

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is what to do if there is no Free Grace church near you. And one of our most frequently given answers is, “Start a meeting in your home.” People are intimidated by that prospect. Why? It may be because we have a big, complicated view of

Love One Another as Jesus Loved (John 13:34-35; 15:12)

June 22, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Christian Life, church life, ecclesiology, one another commands, spirituality

Is it true that “All love is love”? No. Not everything that calls itself love is loving. And what’s more, not all loves are equal. Did you know that non-Christians can be examples of what it means to love others? As Jesus said, “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that

Comfort One Another with the Rapture and Resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

June 7, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, ecclesiology, one another, spirituality

Have you ever noticed that when people panic, they stop thinking clearly? I remember making a short film with some high school friends. We were shooting in a dry field at the edge of a forest. As the director set up his camera, I got bored and started a teeny tiny fire with a handful

Stir Up Love and Good Works in One Another (Hebrews 10:24)

May 31, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Discipleship, ecclesiology, one another commands, spirituality

Normal church life is active. Christians should not be passively inhabiting the pews. We live for Christ 24/7, serving Him in all that we do. And that means the churches ought to be actively loving and serving and doing good, often in the face of enormous challenges. But with any activity, people often need encouragement

Confess Your Sins to One Another (James 5:16)

May 21, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Confession, Discipleship, ecclesiology, James, one another commands, spiritual theology

“Honestly, I didn’t want to join a Bible study,” the young mother admitted to the group. “I didn’t want to be around perfect people with perfect lives…Then I found you weirdos!” I think it is comforting to know you’re in a “hospital for the sick, not a social club for saints.” A “thick” Christian community

Why You Can’t Help Everyone and Shouldn’t Try

April 30, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Discipleship, ecclesiology, Watchman Nee

You can’t help everyone. You may want to. You may think you need to. And your consistent inability to meet every single genuine need around you may disappoint you. After all, the people around you are hurting, with problems, challenges, and questions to address. But do they all need to be addressed by you? You

Should Christians Kiss One Another? (1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; Romans 16:16; 1 Peter 5:14)

April 14, 2021 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - church life, Discipleship, ecclesiology, kiss, kissing, one another commands, spirituality

I grew up in a French city where it was customary to greet people with a double-cheeked kiss. At least, that was normal among my French relatives. Meanwhile, my British/English circles preferred a firm handshake or nod of the head—or, if they felt especially informal, a quick hug. I have been studying the many “one