One Church, Serving

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Ephesians 4:1-6, and Romans 12.4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4‭-‬7; 12.27-30; 1 Peter 4:7-‬11

Key Idea: Our service to the one God as his one church is resourced by investments of grace given by Christ through the Spirit. These investments of grace line up with who we are and when and where we live; they are designed to meet the needs of those we serve so that the church may develop as the one family of God.

Amid cultural division and a widespread entitlement mentality, the church must stand as God's one church, a community of servants and a family of siblings who love God and people. What can TFB do to be God's one church in this place right now?

Christ invests his grace in his one church through opportunities and supplies to particular persons in specific places. While the church includes all who trust Christ across time and culture, the church manifests as local congregations. Just as the global, timeless church is one, so is each congregation united. Christ invests his grace in local congregations through opportunities and supplies that fit the locations and methods of individuals within each local culture and circumstance. His investments of grace help us serve him and one another in ways that mature this congregation as the one body of Christ, filled with portrayers and embodiers of him.

Christ's investment grace lines up with who we are, when and where we live, and those we serve. While Christ's investment of grace always aligns with his intention and will, he also conforms these investments of grace--these spiritual gifts--to our relationships, life settings, and places of service. He matches his gifts to how his people minister in their communities and cultures so believers can do his will. He equips all Christians so that everyone can minister. In addition, the local body partners with Christ, educating all as ministers and instructing all concerning God's truth revealed in Scripture and Creation. By this, the people of God deepen their unity and better worship their Savior. 

Christ's investment of grace enables us to develop as the one family of God. As every member ministers, the local congregation can better live as one family toward Christ, the Lord of Heaven and Earth and Head of the Body. Serving as one church and serving one another deepen our life together as siblings who are the children of one Father and the servants of Jesus. As ministry together moves toward Jesus, the source and measure of the church and the one who directs her life, we come closer to one another. These spiritual gifts, or ministry assignments, are tools by which the church grows in size and matures as the family of God in Christ. Ministering as one church lives out our unity in Christ, centers us on truth, and maintains our affection for God and one another. As we share ourselves as a community, we mature as a church characterized by unity, mutuality, diversity, and generosity. 

Being God's one church requires learning his ways so we might love one another well through service and live wisely as the one family of God. (1) The more we know about Jesus and his investments of grace in us, the better we can serve one another as his ministers. We must use our time in gatherings like life groups and worship services to teach one another God's ways. (2) The more we serve God together, the more we grow as a family of loving siblings. We must use our participation in service events and ministry teams to care for one another from hearts of affection. (3) The more we serve others using God's resources, the more we can minister in, for, and as a family. We must actively love one another as we eat, play, and work together, using our gifts to serve others and strengthen family unity. Let us decide now to be God’s church: a community of servants and a family of siblings who love God and people and teach others to do the same. 

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Being the One Church of the One God

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Exodus 6:7; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:16; 12:46-50; 19:29; John 1:12-13; 13:34-35; Romans 8:26-30; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 8:5-6; 12:12-30; Galatians 3:23-29; 4:4-7; 5:13; Ephesians 1:5; 2:19-22; 4:1-6; 4:32; 5:15-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:19-25; 12:1-4; 13:1-6; James 5:16; 1 Peter 4:9; Revelation 21:3

Key Idea: The one church of the one God lives out an identity grounded in Jesus and practices an eternal unity centered on him.

When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, what do they see? How would they describe our relationships with one another? What would they list as our priorities? What would they think about Jesus? What would they think about how we treat those who are different?

The one God has given his one church an identity grounded in Jesus. He has equipped us to live out this eternal identity by revealing himself and his truth in Scripture and Creation. Through Scripture, he teaches us the eternal truth about Jesus, and through Creation, he teaches us knowledge and skills to live as his people in our communities and cultures. 

Creation and the Word resource us to live as God’s one church, composed of all who trust Christ and are chosen by his sovereignty. We have been chosen to live as God’s people and Christ’s body, showing the world who Jesus is: the sovereign and holy Savior and Lord. We have been chosen to form the dwelling place of God in the world; whether gathered for worship, service, and learning or dispersed into our daily lives, we reflect and proclaim him. Everywhere we are, every moment of every day, we are the temple of God, the place where God's glory is exalted.

The one God has made his one church to live in unity. Our unity is expressed as we love God and others and live as his family. Centering our minds and practices on God's truth and dwelling in his presence work together to strengthen our unity and make the family of God increasingly important to us. Indeed, our eternal unity in Christ means that our eternal family should come before everything else on earth. 

We center our shared life on truth by basking in Jesus and his Word to develop our family resemblance, sharpen our ability to perceive God's work, and deepen our affection for one another. By loving one another, we show ourselves to be God's children and the family of siblings making up his house. We commit ourselves to maintaining deep affection for God and one another, thereby proving our unity. We channel our love for the ever-present, sovereign, and holy God to our siblings and learn to live in the world as his dwelling place. We put our eternal relationships first by maintaining deep loyalty to God and one another.

When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, they should see a unified church that considers all who trust Christ to be brothers and sisters. They should describe us as siblings of one another, different from each other yet the children of one Father, tending our hearts toward feeling at home, being responsible, and acting with compassion. They should understand that we trust the one God, the Creator and Lord of all, worship him alone and align ourselves to his standards. They should look at us and see Jesus as the ultimately trustworthy and only Savior of all those and only those who trust him. They should see him as the one head of the church and the unique Son in God's family. They should look at how we treat those different from us and see a community with a profound unity in Jesus, loving others as he does and living as a family with Christ as our center. 

So, let us bask in Jesus and his Word to learn who we are and strive together to live out that identity, tending our hearts toward feeling confident, centered, and connected in him. Let us trust Jesus, understanding unity and diversity from his perspective, striving together to maintain oneness, and tending our hearts toward sibling love, purposeful motivation, and sacrificial generosity.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Living as a Worshiping Family

By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer

Key Verses: Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Luke 11:28, Luke 9:34-35; Eph 1:3-14, 4:2, 4:32; Jn 13:34; 1 Cor 12:25; Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 4:9; Jam 5:16

Key Idea: Christians who know they are family live in community as they worship and serve together. They hear and obey their Father and actively participate in life with their siblings by doing the one anothers and sharing God’s love with the world.

We live as family by listening and obeying the Father and imitating our head brother and redeemer, Jesus, in words and deeds. We train every time we are gathered together as a spiritual family. Here, we sharpen each other to become more like Christ before we disperse to our various mission fields: at work, home, hanging with friends, gathering at a local restaurant or pub, or in the rhythms of everyday life. While dispersed, we proclaim the excellent news of redemption and restoration to our Father and declare the great mercies, blessings, and grace he has bestowed upon his children through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

We love God as a worshiping family by listening and obeying our Father. Both the Old and New Testaments see obeying God as hearing Him and walking in his ways. In biblical times, genuinely hearing God's Word implied obedience and action instead of simply acquiring additional head knowledge. Today, we must listen by making time with God throughout our busy day by spending time in the Word and continually conversing with the one who has chosen us. We must desire and do everything with God, even in our dark places and messiness. Since God has told us to listen to Jesus, we must obey and do what he has commanded: love God, love people, and teach others to do the same.

We love our siblings as a worshiping family by imitating Jesus. Like Jesus, we must put the needs of our spiritual siblings before our own. What would it look like if everyone put one another's needs before their own? We would love, care for, offer grace and hospitality, and encourage and remind each other of our true identity in Christ. We would not hold grudges but would forgive each other and confess to one another when we have done wrong. Unify God's family! The New Testament commands us to do the one anothers 59 times. That’s a lot. All of these were modeled by Jesus. As we listen to and imitate Jesus, we dare not pick and choose the things we want to obey. All his commands are critical for us to work out our salvation and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, transform us to be more like Him, thereby being the light and showing Christ to those on our mission field. 

We share Jesus's love with the world by loving our neighbors in Word and deed. We love those in our mission field by listening to and meeting them where they are as well as providing for their physical needs. We must not forget that we were once enemies of God, and only by his grace did he save us from our sins. From this position of grace, we speak God's truth with love by recognizing that everything stems from Him and explaining why He is our ultimate love.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Living as Worshiping Priests

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Exodus 28; Luke 10:11

Key Idea: Praising and praying together as God's priests requires aligning ourselves with Scripture and sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities to glorify him better in and as his church. 

We have received from God more blessings than we could ever imagine, yet sometimes, our worship response is a bit flat. Our beliefs may line up perfectly with Scripture. Our practices may show the world what Jesus is like. Proper beliefs and practices are necessary but insufficient, for we are commanded to be a people overflowing with love for God and one another. Our lives ought to be filled with uncontainable gratitude, but something holds us back. God has given us all we need to be priests who shine with his glory, yet sometimes, our light is under a bushel.

Christians serve God as priests whenever we use our abilities to bring him glory. Whether setting up tables together or sitting with a brother or sister in distress, we act as God's priests by bringing his love to others. We act as his priests when we lean in with compassion rather than standing back with critique. We act as his priests when we give ourselves to others generously rather than holding back to keep ourselves safe. 

The priestly activities of praise and prayer are essential elements of every Spirit-supplied ability. Serving as priests is hard, for we are messy people who serve messy people. We can only carry out God's command to serve by praising him always and remaining in constant prayer. As we pray and praise together, we help one another love Jesus and bear with one another even when that is hard. Infusing everything with praise keeps our hearts on God rather than on our messy selves. It fills life with gratitude even when gratitude is hard. Soaking everything with prayer reminds us that we cannot serve without the Spirit, who is here among us. 

Training our perspectives to align with Scripture develops us as praising and praying priests. Priestly ministry is from God and for God. Since our view of things is always skewed, we must let his Word determine the right goals and proper means for our priestly work. His Word measures correct belief, so we must study and rely upon Scripture. His view of reality is accurate, so we must submit our filters and lenses to him for correction. Maturing our understanding of Scripture and calibrating our discernment occurs as we minister together as a community of priests. As we learn the Word and speak the truth to one another, we come to know God and his priorities more accurately, allowing us to align ministry to his will rather than our preferences. But aligning with Scripture is only step one. 

Sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities helps us better glorify Jesus as his Body and in our communities. Aligning our perspectives with Scripture is necessary, but we must not stop there. Our Spirit-equipped human abilities need sharpening as well. If you bake, become a better baker. If you preach, become a better preacher. If you listen, become a better listener. You get the idea. Sharpen what God has given rather than envying or waiting for what he has not. Glorify God to the best of your ability, and keep raising the bar.

So, let us know the Scripture more deeply. Let us pray more bluntly. Let us praise more descriptively. Let us learn to do all of this with overflowing, extravagant gratitude. It will not be easy, and we will fail. But the Spirit is right here. Our siblings in Christ are right here. Let us remind one another of God's amazing grace. Let us minister to one another with that same grace. Let us live as priests.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper

Living as Worshiping Disciples

By Laura Springer and Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Psalm 27; Matthew 18; Ephesians 5:15-21; 2 Timothy1:13-14; Revelation 5:10–12

Key Idea: The church is God's community of worshiping disciples who live the whole of life learning and loving together as they serve Christ by filling their gatherings and daily lives with his truth and presence.


Worship is much more than a meeting on the church calendar. Worship is how we live in the world as followers of Jesus, and living as disciples is one way to look at worship.

As God's community of worshiping disciples, Christians learn together as we love one another. We are follower-learners who live alongside one another in God's presence, knowing he is always with us, no matter the situation. We know he loves us, and we are safe in him, so we help one another follow Jesus. We help one another come to him just as we are, trusting him to transform us. We know that his kindness and overabundant supply of grace will continue to transform us into the image of Christ.

Christians act as worshiping disciples when we fill our gatherings with God's truth and presence. Together, we learn the Word and practice God’s ways, training our minds, wills, and emotions to recognize and carry out his grace. We learn to value what God values through honest conversations in life groups and patio time. We learn to respect one another by bearing with one another, speaking honestly, and acting for one another's good. Let us submit our preferences and priorities to God's call to unity, dedicating ourselves to kindness and respect. As a church community, let us support discipleship by creating events and programs that connect intellect, emotions, and daily life. Let us design physical spaces that invite person-to-person connection. Above all, let us focus ourselves, programs, and events on Christ.

Christians act as worshiping disciples when we fill our days with service that puts God's values into practice. Each day, we can take what we have learned about God and his ways and figure out how that works in daily life. Let us put knowledge, skills, and passions to work in the everyday stuff of life: home, work, school, and play. When we meet people along the way, let us choose to connect, whether with a simple nod of greeting or a good word. As a community of worshiping disciples, let us point others to Jesus by loving one another in public and proclaiming the one who made such love possible.

Brothers and sisters, let us commit ourselves to live as worshiping disciples by filling life with God's truth and presence, following him as our center, and living every moment for his glory. Let us help one another pause in his presence, whether gathered together or dispersed into our days. Let us live our moments for the glory of Jesus and then recount his glory and grace when we gather together. Everything we know and can do has been given to us by God, so let’s give ourselves back to him in worship that fills our days.

One People Living as Worshipers

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart 

Key Idea: In Christ, Christians are disciples, priests, and family, and these identities form our communal life of worship, lived toward God, alongside one another, and before the world.

Key Verses: Matthew 5.16; 28.16-20; John 13.34-35; 1 Corinthians 12.12-30

Worship is not a meeting on the church calendar. It’s not even gathering for praise and preaching on Sunday morning. These are too small. Worship is living in a way that makes God’s worth evident. It is life as his family, his priesthood, and his disciples, no matter where we are.

The Church is the community of God's disciples. Disciples bring their reason, emotions, and actions to their service to Jesus. They center cultural differences on Christ so that these differences work together to reflect God's beauty and grace. They share life, learning and teaching God's Word and Ways, working out their salvation in community, and declaring Jesus to all who will listen, both inside the church and out in the world. As disciples of Jesus at TFB, let us join together in conversation centered on truth and serve alongside one another to build each other up in Christ.

The Church is the one priesthood of God. Believer-Priests display God’s many-splendored glory, a glory that disperses through the amazing variety of God’s people like white light traveling through a prism disperses into a rainbow of color. They proclaim God’s grace to everyone and stand before God in confession and consultation for themselves, one another, and the world. Christians live together as priests by gathering to hear and speak the truth. They carry one another before the throne of God and point one another toward Jesus. They live as those who know the truth about human brokenness and divine grace. As priests of God at TFB, let us acknowledge and confess our brokenness to one another and bring each others’ needs before God. As we sing together, let us sing the lyrics as prayer and proclamation. As we serve together, let us look for and come alongside any in need.

The Church is the one family of God. Christians are children of God and siblings of one another. Family relationship is foundational. They live together as a family, prioritizing their communal life above all else and carrying their family resemblance into all the moments of their days. They choose to be for one another in head, heart, and hands, whether gathered as a community or dispersed into the world. They live in a way that makes it clear to all that they are the children of God and siblings of one another by displaying love for one another and glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5.16; John 13.34-35). As siblings in Christ and the children of one Father at TFB, let us show up and be present for each other in our gatherings and welcome those we do not yet know.

As we meet together for praise and prayer or learning and service, whether in large or small gatherings, let us worship by living alongside one another as siblings, priests, and disciples. As we disperse to our God-given mission fields of work, school, home, or play, let us worship in the dailies by proclaiming our Lord Jesus Christ in actions and words. Let us worship our worthy God wherever we are, whomever we’re with, and whatever we are doing.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper. 

Church is the One Family of God

By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer

Key Verses: Matthew 12:46–50; Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21; Matthew 19:29; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:29

Key Idea: Christ's intention that Christians put spiritual family first requires them to carry out God's mission as a committed family and live alongside one another as siblings who put one another before self and make space for relationship.

God is a relational being and has created humanity to be in a relationship with Him and each other. Out of all the social structures, the family is an essential and critical aspect of God's plan. Though the Western church elevates the nuclear family and the marital bond, God's design before the foundation of the world was to unite all believers into His family—the church. Thus, He elevated the spiritual sibling bond. As Scripture says, God has predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.

Jesus states that those who follow the will of God are His family. But what does it mean to do the will of God? The will of God is the incredible plan God has implemented through Jesus' death and resurrection, in which one is called upon to participate in an ultimate denial of self and an altering of one's life to God's will. What is God's supreme will? It is to love God, love others, and teach others to do the same.

When we are adopted into the family of God and made siblings to Christ and one another, we are called/commanded to keep denying ourselves and aligning ourselves with Christ. And because we are sons and daughters, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts allowing us to cry, "Abba, Father!" We must remember we are no longer slaves but children and heirs through God. As heirs, we are promised an inheritance and a multitude of siblings. Jesus spoke of this when he told Peter that those that leave everything behind to follow Him would receive a hundred-fold of brothers, sisters, and mothers.

Jesus intended for His followers to exchange all their loyalties, including their devotion to their family, for His family, the church. What does that look like? First, it is not neglecting our biological family but being loyal to and prioritizing those of the family of God. We must reclaim this truth that our relationships with our siblings in Christ should take precedence over our biological families. Second, a conscious decision needs to be made to commit to a local church and do the one anothers of Scripture to help each other and ourselves to become more like Christ. Therefore, we need to make time in our schedules for each other to allow time for spiritual family.

We must strive for unity and love within the family. As siblings, we must choose to live with all our brothers and sisters regardless of our differences, such as age, gender, social or marital status, denomination, or our views on secondary and tertiary issues. We need to celebrate the diversity of the family while having our gaze remain focused on God and Christ. This is the only way we can radiate God's love to each other. When this is accomplished, it will attract non-believers because the love of God, which permeates throughout us, will be irresistible to them and bring ultimate glory to God our Father.


Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies, a Certificate in Spiritual Formation, and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Church is the One Temple of God

Key Passages: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22

Key Idea: The church is the one Temple of God, formed by his presence to be his eternal dwelling and the place in which his people love him, love people, and teach others to do the same.

We live in a world of distractions, some good and some bad, which can capture our attention and turn our faces away from God. Individualism is prioritized, and community is too often neglected. Consumerism tempts us to look at everything and everyone as a resource for our own gain. Siblings, it ought not to be so among us, for we are the people of God.

God is with and among his people forever, uniting them as one people who live together in God's presence toward one shared purpose: love. God calls and forms his singular and unique church into a temple comprising all who trust Christ and only those who trust Christ. He alone chooses, protects, and disciplines this global and local, timely and timeless church. He alone is God-with-us, the source and center of our life.

As the temple of God, the church is the dwelling place of the Spirit, making division both impossible and despicable. Indeed, God the Spirit will bring destructive consequences on any who divide his church and profane God's temple. God gives every Christian a ministry assignment that builds up the Body of Christ, so we may serve alongside our siblings to maintain the church's unity, live worshipfully, and carry out our duties as priests.

The people of God form the temple where God dwells, and his people lead others in worship. Christians are valued structure set aside to bring God glory. Neither the physical building nor the gatherings form this structure. We do. Christians across time and space, generation and language, denomination and tradition, are one temple with a unity that never ends and never fails. This temple is secure in Christ, for we are his building, his temple, and he is our foundation and cornerstone. He holds us together forever and builds us up to be like him.

Since we together form the very temple of God, how should we live in this world? Our love for God and identity as his temple demand that we prioritize and practice Christ-centered worship and make time to be present with our siblings. (1) This love stands against the consumerism that tries to infect the church with works righteousness and the judgmentalism of personal preferences. We live by grace, so we treat one another with grace: the preferences of others and the needs of the Body come before ours. (2) This love stands against cultural individualism that tries to attack the mutual care and unity of the church. As God's one temple, the church remains a community of priests and siblings who choose to love one another. While individualism may try to turn us inward and trap us in silos, we choose to share our diversity as fellow priests of God, united as one in Christ. In him, we live as one building, one dwelling of God, one temple, declaring his glory everywhere. (3) This love stands against the distractions that can turn our faces and turns them into prayers to our Father, ways to worship him together wherever we are, and new ideas for ministry in the world. The sum of it all is this: as his temple, we reflect God's splendor and weightiness by pointing to him, not ourselves.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

For additional discussion see the following Musings by Laura:

• Made One to Glorify
• Temple and Family
• Being One Temple
  

Present God, Our God

by Laura Springer

Key Passages: Deuteronomy 6.4-‬9; Haggai 2.5-9; 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 2 Corinthians 5.1-5]; Ephesians 1.3-14; 2:19-22; Philippians 4.6-7

Key Idea: Because God is present with and for his people, starting now as the indwelling Spirit and continuing eternally in our face-to-face presence with Father, Son, and Spirit, those who trust him can live with courage and generosity.

God is present with his people, for God the Spirit lives in each and all who trust Jesus. He is with us now and through eternity. Because he is in us, our bodies are temples where God is worshiped. Because God is among us, we together are God's building.

God is present for his people as our strong protector and capable carer. He gives us the courage to come to him and rest and forms us from the inside out to dwell in his presence forever. He has covenanted to be our one God and make us his one people. Therefore, he blesses us beyond measure and comforts us beyond understanding. His affection for us spills out in our affection for one another and our care for the world.

God is present with and for us right now. He abides in us, so we need not wait to abide in God. He is right here to comfort and correct, to guide and restore. We can do whatever ministry assignments he has given us, for he equips us with capacity and opportunity. We can become the people he has called us to be, for he will bring salvation to its glorious end.

Best of all, the presence of God that starts now continues forever and gets better, for all who trust God will live face-to-face with Father, Son, and Spirit forever. No matter what is happening in our moments, our end is sure, and that end is a life of love and service in God's direct presence.

So, let us come to him and rest in him as stained imagers bringing blunt mutterings and messy whole-self abiding. We need not and cannot clean ourselves up. We come just as we are, deciding day by day, and sometimes moment by moment, to live in his direction. So, let us keep choosing to direct our minds, will, and emotions toward his glory and by his grace. Let us rest in his ability and do our work without fear. Let us give of ourselves generously; his presence supplies everything we need.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.

One God, Our God

 By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-9; Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 8:26-30; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; Ephesians 4:1-6

Key Idea: God is one God, and he has made us one people. Therefore, the unity of the church is both necessary and beautiful.

Silos and division are everywhere. So many things drift in, separating us from one another: age gaps, political differences, social and cultural distance, marital status, and much more. Society should not have such divisions, much less in the family of God's people.

God is one. Scripture teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35). No matter how many spiritual powers may exist, God is unique (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). His singular glory shines through all creation (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 19:1-6).

God has made his church one people. The church belongs to God, and we bear his image in the world. Since God is one, unity is essential to our being, for our unity rests in God, and he is our perfect example. Just as God is one God, the church is one church. Culture, language, preference, and denomination must not divide us. Instead, we must love one another just as Father, Son, and Spirit love one another. We must be of one mind just as Father, Son, and Spirit are of one mind. When disagreements arise, we must work together to reach an agreement that aligns with God’s will. Unity is not optional but necessary.

God calls his church to live as one people. God has given his people the capacity to be one, for he has saved us, indwells us, and will make us like himself. He has delivered us from sin and the death, destruction, and division it brings. He lives within and among us, forming us as one in Christ. He works within us to conform us to the image of Christ. He calls and equips us to live as one people, a family of Sibling-Priests who share life and work together toward God’s good ends. He calls us to love one another as siblings, to carry out loving justice, and to wait on him as a  community.

Let us live as one. So, let those of us who know the one true God live as his one people. Knowing that he blesses us with his love, let us love boldly. Knowing that we abide in his presence now and forever, let us dwell together in ways that show the world our great and awesome God. Knowing we have life in his presence forever, let us live toward him now through lives of hopeful, joyful worship.

Despite much division, we see community and connection everywhere in society and God’s church. Friendships form across social and cultural barriers. People team up from across the political spectrum to do good work. Old, young, and those in between labor and play together. Singles and married people form communities and friendships. The church should do no less. So, as much as it depends on us, let’s do our part to live out God-reflecting unity. The one God has made us his one people (Ephesians 4:1-6); let us determine to live like it.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Holy God, Our God

By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart

Key Passages: Psalm 46.8-11; Hosea 6.1-10; Amos 4.12-13; Micah 6:8

Key Idea: God, who is holy, sovereign, and powerful, reveals his holiness alongside his hesed, and protects his people and his glory by strictly guarding his holiness.

We live in a culture where many put much of life on social media, yet talking to one another face-to-face about deep things is rare. When we mess up, we assume we can handle it ourselves. While every person and community has baggage, we too often sweep it under the rug and let it fester. But we cannot follow Jesus alone. We cannot handle our problems alone. We cannot heal our community without confession of God's holiness and our weakness as a community.

God is holy. He is fiercely passionate about goodness, and he demands a holy people. His requirements are clear: God’s people must contribute to moral righteousness, do and maintain kindness, and humbly live life alongside him. But he does not leave us to do this in our own strength. Instead, he forms us. He gives the grace of blunt and repeated warnings about sinful choices so we might turn back to him. Even more, his blunt warnings are always accompanied by his covenant love: we are safe in his care, for he is our God, and we are his people.

God is our God. He has made an eternal covenant in Christ that we will be his people, and he will be our God, the one who has united us and made us family. He promises to be with us always and draw us to himself to dwell in his presence for eternity. These promises are certain. When we have completed our days in time, we will live in his holy and loving presence forever. But his presence is not just assured for eternity. No. He is present among us right now, for God the Spirit has taken up residence in and among us. He is the first installment of life forever with God. He is right here with us.

If we’re honest, sometimes God’s presence makes us uncomfortable, especially when we have turned our faces away. When our hearts are toward him, we experience the Spirit as the Lover of our souls. When our hearts are toward ourselves and our desires, we experience him as Judge or distant Sovereign.

God will never leave us. But neither will he leave us alone when we’re messing up. Our loving, ever-present God is a holy God who expects a holy people. Without one another, being a Christian is just too hard. Without relying on God, becoming like Christ is impossible. We need one another, and we need him. We must confess and repent and press into him as a church family. We must faithfully walk beside one another with open ears, open hands, and tender hearts. We need to help one another rest in God's unrelenting covenant love. God is always right here with us, and we have no need to fear anything or anyone but the God who loves us most and best.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner, co-lead in the Young Adult Ministry, and as TFB’s bookkeeper.

Being the One People of the One God

By Laura Springer

Key Idea: God declares to those he has chosen, You will be my people, and I will be your God. Our God makes us the one people of God in Christ. Therefore, we who trust Christ are the one people of the one God, called and commanded to think and behave in ways that live out that identity.


We live in a culture where differences are too often magnified. Sometimes the differences are small; sometimes, they are big. Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so for God's people. We are the people of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit. We, who are many, are one Church in Christ. We are his people, and he is our God.

God declares to those he has chosen, You will be my people, and I will be your God (Exodus 6:7; Revelation 21:3). From the beginning of the story, when God chose the children of Abraham, to the end of the story when God declares he will live forever with all who are his, he is our God, and we are his people. He was present with Israel in the tabernacle. He was present when the Son lived (tabernacled: John 1:14) as a human among us. He is present now, as the Spirit lives within and among us, transforming our time-bound bodies into eternal tabernacles ready for eternity in God's presence (2 Corinthians 5:1-5). Finally, the Father awaits our eternal presence in his house, where he will forever tabernacle with his people (Revelation 21:3).

The church is the one people of God in Christ (Galatians 3:23-29). Across time, geography, culture, and language, the church is one family, the children of the one Father (John 1:12-13). She is one freed people in the Son, who bought us with his blood (1 Peter 1:17-21). She is one through the indwelling Spirit, who forms bonds among believers and between believers and Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6). Being present with God and one another is part of who we are, and we have a holy obligation to keep our bonds in good repair. All believers have this duty, whether they are pastors, deacons, or members.


We who trust Christ are the one people of the one God, called and commanded to think and behave in ways that live out that identity. Pastors and other spiritual leaders live out this identity by leading others into God's presence in ways that tend toward oneness in Christ. Ministry leaders and other decision-makers live out this identity by working with their teams to create spaces, events, and standards that encourage people to be present with God and one another. All believers live out this identity by taking responsibility for making others welcome whenever the church gathers by choosing to connect with those outside their core group. All have the responsibility to maintain the unity formed by God.

Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band.