“Beware of every wind of doctrine!”

– Dick Benjamin,

founder of Abbott Loop Christian Center

Ephesians 4:11-16

He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

Related:
Kevin Conner on the Believer’s CONDITIONAL Security: “OBEDIENCE IS the very law of SECURITY for all created beings. There can be NO SUCH THING as UNCONDITIONAL security.” — WARNINGS against backsliding SHOW that the security of the believer is conditional upon obedience and faith • What God has provided in Christ man must receive and apply • Divine SOVEREIGNTY *and* human RESPONSIBILITY meet together in the great redemptive plan • Christ is “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him”(Hebrews 5:9) • Upon HEARING and FOLLOWING the Shepherd they receive eternal life and will never perish • AS HE OBEYS the Word of the Lord his SECURITY against backsliding and apostacy is FULLY GUARANTEED
Women’s Ministry: A Critique of Jack Hayford’s “A Woman’s Place in Christ” by Jeff Fenske — How deception passes as truth
Kevin Conner: Doctrine Determines the Health of the Church
(photo) Abbott Loop CC Cross: We MUST Die In Order To Live!!!

Update: I’ve been told that this cross did not survive the March-2012 roof collapse.

It had been moved from front and center to the west wall, which took the biggest hit.

Someone should resurrect this theme.

– –

Jesus:

Most certainly I tell you,
unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains by itself alone.
But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

12/2/09

On Abbott Loop Community Church’s west wall

It used to be front and center
“What happened?”

ALCC’s cross and wheat logo

The idea comes from what Jesus said in John 12:

24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Paul taught (and Frank taught in Bible school) Jesus is The Pattern in Php 2:

1 If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him….