by Jamon S.R. Sorrells

If a person says, "I am a member of 'such-and-such' church," what do they mean? What constitutes being a 'member' of a local assembly? Is our modern day practice of local church 'membership' ordained by God, or instituted by man? What are the advantages to our modern day practice of church 'membership'? Are there any drawbacks? Should believing 'members' of a local assembly, and believing 'non-members' of the same assembly, be treated differently? Should 'membership' have its privileges? These are some of the questions I wish to explore in this article. Read more...

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Isn't it easier to get along with someone who thinks just like we do? Isn't life easier when we are able to always agree with others around us? So the opposite of diversity, which is conformity, is definitely the easier path. It is not a difficult thing to love those who agree with us. Actually, such love is simply an extension of "self-love." This is so because we have love for the other person because they possess the same thoughts or qualities as ourselves. This self-love extension comes rather naturally for each of us. It takes little effort on our part. However, such relationships really do not challenge us to broaden our expression of the Christian qualities of long-suffering, forgiveness, understanding, humility, and most importantly--love. Download PDF article