⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read
Why the Local Church Matters for Christian Growth and Perseverance
Author: Dave Jenkins
Show: Equipping You in Grace
Series: Anchored for a New Year
Show Summary
In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, we continue our January series Anchored for a New Year by recovering a biblical vision for why the local church is essential for Christian growth, perseverance, and faithfulness. In a culture shaped by convenience and post-pandemic drift, Scripture calls believers back to Christ’s ordained means of grace—preaching, ordinances (sacraments), shepherding, fellowship, and discipline—within the covenant community of the local church.
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Episode Notes
- The local church is not optional—it is Christ’s institution and God’s gift for our growth.
- Scripture defines the church as a redeemed people gathered under the Word, ordinances, and shepherding care.
- God grows believers through the ordinary means of grace: preaching, prayer, fellowship, and discipline.
- Perseverance is not a solo project—the New Testament assumes covenant community and “one another” obedience.
- Healing after church hurt happens through truth, wise reengagement, and faithful shepherding—not isolation.
Key Scriptures
- Acts 2:42–47
- Matthew 16:18
- Ephesians 4:11–16
- Hebrews 10:23–25
- Hebrews 12:1
- John 13:35
Call to Action
If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Equipping You in Grace wherever you listen to podcasts, and consider sharing it with a friend or someone in your church who needs to rediscover the beauty of belonging to Christ’s body.
For more biblical teaching and discipleship resources, visit Equipping You in Grace on Servants of Grace or explore our YouTube playlist.
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Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
