A 13 lesson series on the investigation of Christian responsibilities of fellowship Written by Caleb B. Westbrook McKinney Central church of Christ Introduction – Those who seek to follow God are constantly challenged with examining themselves to see that they are honestly and correctly abiding in the standard of God’s Word (2 Cor. 13:5). God has given His Word to guide and direct us in the ways of righteousness (2 Pet. 1:3). We must constantly investigate and examine ourselves against the Truth. The challenge of this responsibility comes not with the sufficiency or clarity of God’s Word, rather in our own limitations, weakness, and selfishness. It can be very easy to look past our mistakes and only focus on areas that are enjoyable or easy to discuss. However, we must take courage and honestly look into the mirror of God’s Word (James 1:23-25). God’s teaching on fellowship has been regarded as one of the most difficult and understudied issues that Christians face. Many brethren do not know of the challenges of the application of fellowship because they simply have not studied the topic in much depth at all. The lack of study leads to spiritual immaturity on the topic and often leaves many brethren to rely on their judgment of situations rather than turning to God’s commands on the matter. It is the hope of this study to better familiarize ourselves with God’s Truth and commands on the topic of fellowship. This study may challenge you and perhaps even prompt you to reexamine your current beliefs and practices. Through all of this we should cast of any allegiance of selfish desire, human relation, or man-made belief that would hinder us from following God completely according to His will! May we take courage with an open heart, open mind, and open Bible as we humbly seek to understand the will of the Lord! Grace be with you, Caleb Westbrook - The Author As you go through this study please feel free to offer any feedback, critique, or comments to me. I am always seeking to improve my studies and presentation of God’s Word. My email is westbrookcaleb@gmail.com. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless! Table of Contents Lesson 1 – What is Fellowship? Lesson 2 – The Christian and God Lesson 3 – The Christian and the Truth Lesson 4 – The Christian and the Church Lesson 5 – The Christian and the Local church Lesson 6 – The Christian and Non-Christians Lesson 7 – The Christian and the Discipline of the Lord Lesson 8 – The Christian and False Teaching Lesson 9 – The Christian and Apostates Lesson 10 – The Christian and Apostates outside the Local church Lesson 11 – The Christian and Apostates in the Family
The Christian and Fellowship