In the face of persecution, ignorance, and hostility, the Church needed to provide a stout defence of its practice and beliefs. The writers who provided this defense are sometimes referred to as the apologists (meaning those who explain or defend their beliefs, rather than apologize). Their aim was to provide a rational explanation to people more acquainted with Greek philosophy and to persuade the Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah....

From the beginning, the Church met with many challenges to its beliefs, both from within and without. First, the fledgling Church had to avoid being swallowed up by some of the influential religions of the day. Then it had to face major divisions within its own ranks....

How do you lead worship? The Holy Spirit, as counselor and as guide, directs the worship through the worship leader. The leader acts as a conduit through which the Holy Spirit can flow. The great part about it is that God uses ordinary people just like you and me. He directs the worship through the worship leader, and in turn the worship leader leads the people into the presence of God....

By the end of the first century, Christians had developed a clearly defined way of worshiping. The Church was growing fast and was becoming increasingly involved with the world beyond its Jewish roots. As it did so, it had to grapple with a stream of theoretical and practical questions....

A hymn festival is a worship service devoted especially to congregational singing. It is a type of service especially well suited to the celebration of important events in the Christian year and in the life of the congregation. The apostle Paul urged the people of Ephesus to sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when they were together, and to go on singing and chanting to the Lord in their hearts, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20)....

The Hebrew Scriptures tell the story of God’s saving action on behalf of God’s people. God bound Himself to a covenant to save His people. With Christ, a new covenant of the kingdom of God dawned. Christians were those who believed that the covenant promises of God were now being fulfilled in the mystery of Christ. Christ was the new oath, the new covenant. Hebrew religious rituals, in a similar manner as Hebrew theology, were transformed into Christian rituals or sacred actions....

Trinity Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Trinity Sunday, a principal feast day in the church, is different from other principal days in that it does not commemorate an aspect of God’s saving deed in history. Instead, it celebrates the Triune God, the source of the historical action that brings our salvation....

Encouraged by the teaching and example of the Apostles, the first Christians appointed bishops, presbyters, and deacons to govern their communities and ensure their development. These ecclesiastical leaders also had the responsibility of teaching and handing on their faith. Christians soon came under attack from the State, which saw the new religion as a threat; some Christians chose to die as martyrs rather than renounce their new faith....

Pentecost Sunday is both an end and a beginning. It’s not only the culmination of the season of Easter, it also represents the dawn of a new day in the life of the church. Just as believers are empowered by the Spirit, the message of the risen Lord is trumpeted around the world. Here are seven ways to make Pentecost Sunday memorable and meaningful....

What does it mean to praise the Lord? What place does praise have in our worship of God? Many have different answers....