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Basics

Week 7: Is church necessary? Why do we have church services the way we do?

Pastor Ramona & Pastor Harlie

of the Bible

CrossPointe Fellowship Church, Summer 2026

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remove some of the head knowledge barriers that keep people away from Jesus, and invite them to build a heart knowledge relationship with Him
provide a doctrinal foundation for new believers, no matter their stage in life
review the foundations of our beliefs for seasoned believers to act as a launching pad into apologetics and discipleship

Goals of this class

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According to Scriptural evidence, which comes first: the Tribulation, or the Rapture of the Church?

Review Question

The Rapture happens first, then the 7-year tribulation!

CrossPointe Fellowship Church, Summer 2026

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1 Peter 2:4-10 ““you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Is church necessary?

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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God used, is using, and will use:

the prophets

Israel

the apostles

Jesus

The Church

144,000

Two witnesses

The angels

To spread the Gospel,

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Announcements / Confirm members (Acts 14:23, Romans 12:10)

Prayer / testimonials (2 Chronicles 7:14, James 5:16)

Praise and Worship, tithe (LOTS! Review Week 4 and check Facebook this week!)

Sermon (Romans 10:17, Ephesians 4:12, 1 Peter 2:5)

Altar call (Matthew 28:19-20! 1 John 1:9)

Why do we have church services the way we do?

1 Corinthians 14:26-33, 1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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1 Corinthians 14:26-33, 1 Corinthians 12 *verse 7*

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - encourage one another and build one another up

According to the Scriptures, church services are supposed to lift up the name of Jesus and point believers and unbelievers to Jesus, using the gifts given to us by God to build up one another. Every aspect of church should be from, by, to, through, for, Jesus Christ and only Jesus. We are the human vessels chosen by God and willingly used by God to do this. Scripture does give guidance on who should be in leadership. Scripture tells us how to correct our brothers and sisters, Scripture gives all the guidance we need to be a family functioning in love and grace and mercy and truth so that the world will be drawn in!! The Church in Acts was added to DAILY because of this!

At CrossPointe, we will mix things up, right? We don’t always have an announcement to share. We have been known to stop and have corporate prayer during praise and worship, we’ve been known to do the sermon first and then have praise and worship, we’ve done altar calls during worship, but it all points to Jesus always. As the Spirit leads us, we will do exactly that! But everything is grounded in Scripture, as you can see some of those references listed on the slide .As we saw in 1 Corinthians 14, church isn’t just a free for all country club. We are supposed to be singing hymns, having a lesson about the Word, bringing revelations and speaking in tongues and giving interpretations. That’s where our spiritual gifts come in! When we operate in our giftings, we fulfill Scripture. Ephesians 4:11-13. Make a note to spend some time in 1 Corinthians 12 for more!

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1 Timothy 3:15 - “...I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

1 Corinthians 11:16 - If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God

2 Timothy 2:15 - “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Behave in Church

CrossPointe Fellowship Church, Summer 2026

Now, I thought it was really, just human like, for Paul to be guiding Timothy here, just like a father would, just like the teacher in me. We have to teach our children how to act in a restaurant versus the playground, right? I was at the library for Block Time with Ethan last week, building blocks, knocking them over, building them again, and there were some older siblings who’d gotten bored and decided to turn the room into a Wipeout Episode and use the giant beanbag chairs as the jumping balls, you know, and I wanted to tell them, and their mothers, to behave!! Church is no different, as I said earlier, the Word is the final authority, and it gives us instruction on how to do everything we need to do in this life!! So, Paul tells Timothy and his church, look, I have taught you all you need to know about being the church, about being set apart, about being different from the world, I have taught you how to be this family you’ve been called, adopted, into. (read 1st Scripture) Holy ground!!! We also read in 1 Corinthians 11:16, the church is not the place to argue or fight. We are to bring our best to God. Our best to God…2 Timothy 2:15 says, (read slide) - what does that look like? (get answers) Turn your phone off, or leave it in the car. Bring your Bible instead. Smile!!! Follow along in your Bible, even take notes! Stay the whole time, don’t interrupt the Spirit during prayer or during altar call. Check on your brothers and your sisters. Spend a few extra minutes before or after service. Share an ah-ha moment with the Pastor. Invite someone to lunch! Be part of the family. I love the hum and the buzz before and after service, I can only imagine what God sees when we’re all together. I love having a house full. We’ve had a busy summer with lots of get togethers in my household, and I just love watching everyone interact and the kids play. I know it’s just a glimpse of what the early Church was never built around a weekly event. It was built around a shared life.

In the book of Acts, believers didn’t just gather in the temple courts; they met from house to house. They shared meals, carried one another’s burdens, prayed together, gave generously, worshiped passionately, and lived as a spiritual family (Acts 2:42-47).

Somewhere along the way, many of us began treating church like consumers instead of contributors. We attend a service, listen to a message, shake a few hands, and head home. While Sunday gatherings are essential, they were never meant to be the full expression of the Church.

You can’t build deep relationships by only attending church on Sunday.

Real discipleship happens around dinner tables, in living rooms, over coffee, in small groups, on mission trips, while serving together, praying together, laughing together, and walking through life’s victories and valleys together.

The Church isn’t an event you attend. It’s a family you belong to.

If we want to see Book of Acts Christianity again, we must recover Book of Acts community. The world doesn’t just need better church services; it needs to see a people who genuinely love one another.

Let’s move beyond attendance and into authentic relationship. Let’s stop being spectators and become participants. Let’s build lives together that make Jesus visible to the world.

“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35

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1. The False Doctrine of "Attendance Saves"

The Teaching: People believe that sitting in a pew, giving money, or participating in religious rituals makes a person right with God.

The Truth: The Bible teaches that you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, not by works or perfect attendance. Church attendance is the result of being a Christian, not the cause of it.

False Doctrine

2. The False Doctrine of the "Lone Wolf" Christian -- also, “digital disciples!”

The Teaching: People claim, "I can just worship God in nature" or "I am a Christian, but I do not need a church."

The Truth: The Bible compares the church to a physical human body. Just as an arm cannot live if it is cut off from the body, a Christian needs a community. Meeting together regularly is a commandment to keep believers strong.

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When we studied Ephesians last year, we learned your presence and participation in church LITERALLY adds strength and stability to the Church!!

Ephesians

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What barriers keep you away from church? Why? How does tonight’s lesson encourage you to move those barriers out of the way?

Discussion Time!

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Steps

Spend time in prayer about those barriers. Ask God to reveal to you the why behind those barriers, as well as the solution to them. Reach out to your church family for support, if needed! (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Put in your calendar:

Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am and/or Wednesday Dinner & Bible Study: 6:00 pm
Sunday service 10:15 am
Food Pantry:

Delivery 4th Monday 11:00 am
Distribution: 4th Tuesday 5;7p

Welcome Wagon committee - being formed soon!

CrossPointe Fellowship Church, Summer 2026

Ladies group - Fridays from July 31st - September 4th - vote for time: https://forms.gle/ee8AVYxprMxKLHKr9

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Facebook group

CrossPointe Fellowship Church, Summer 2026

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