The Journey Guide is a collection of hand outs, arranged by topic, that were used in our house church fellowship meetings over a period of two years to equip and train on the basic issues of the faith. This is not intended as a stand alone study guide or book, because many of the handouts were used in the context of a teaching session and may not always seem complete. They are made available here, however, because of requests from multiple people who would like to refer to them and study them. There is no charge for their usage or download. Enjoy!
Below is a diagram the seeks to illustrate the church as it is intended to be as seen in scripture.
The center shows the essential elements of the church. The Church is made up of followers of Jesus, who have put their faith in His finished work of atonement on the Cross, and who believe he rose from the grave the third day, and choose to pattern their lives after his, to follow and obey His commandments. He is recognized and followed as the Head of His Church (Ekklessia–Called out Community). His commandments are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). So, the three points:
Love God: Living according to His Word with the indwelling Holy Spirit,
Love Others: Serving others in love (Matthew 23:11,Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10), and making God known through justice, mercy, and humility ((Micah 6:8).
Make Disciples (to do likewise): The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-19).
The outside circle show a progression of circular activities that occur naturally, organically, in the fellowship of the saints, through the Holy Spirit’s leading and direction. This results in followers who live according to God’s Word, who fellowship together, breaking bread, which means they not only observe the elements of the Lord’s Supper, the bread and the wine, but they eat together as a family. They pray together, for one another, and for the world around them. They serve one another, as modeled by Christ when He washed the disciples’ feet. and then told them to do likewise to each other (John 13). Together, and individually, they make God known to the world by their love for one another (John 13:35), and let others know of the message of redemption through Jesus Christ, baptizing all the new followers, and teaching them His Word. This is the essence of the Kingdom of God. It is made up of God’s family, not an organization run as a business, as He calls people from the world to be reunited with Him in His eternal Kingdom, which is coming to earth in all it’s glory (Rev. 19-21)
Some books that deal with various issues on simple church:
Beyond Traditon 