This book seeks to clarify and demonstrate the incalculable and injurious influence that progressive education has had and is having upon preaching, thinking Christianly, and the local church. Progressive education began at the turn of the twentieth century, replacing classical education with what is purportedly a science-based education, which necessarily results in scientism. This seismic shift in public education has not only affected what we learn but how we think. In order to enable the church to detect progressivism's deleterious sway and protect herself by being equipped with the progressive revelation of God, and thereby counter the influence of progressive education of man, I seek to highlight some of the underlying intolerable essentials of progressive education. In the companion book to this one, The Equipping Church: Somewhere Between Fundamentalism and Fluff, I explain the biblical model for the local church and how to build such a church.

The New Testament model for the church is neither pragmatic fluff nor sterile traditionalism, but rather biblically driven, which places her somewhere between the traditional and contemporary church models. Seasoned by decades of pastoral experience, Ronnie Rogers makes a compelling, biblical-theological case that an equipping church fulfills Gods plan for the bride of Christ. Adam Harwood, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology, McFarland Chair of Theology New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary This book gives the reader a robust ecclesiology, a biblical philosophy of ministry, and a host of practical exhortations that will lead to biblical reformation among Gods people. Josh Wagner, M.A. Biblical Languages Pastor, Berry Road Baptist Church Norman, OK On rare occasions I read a book that I simply cant put down until the last page. This is such a bookFrom his fertile mind, gifted pen, and more than thirty years of pastoral experience, comes a work that everyone in Christian ministry must read. Rogers cuts through the murk of all the discussions and debates about traditional and contemporary ministry approaches. David L. Allen, Ph.D. Dean of the School of Theology Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

The cruelest thing we can do is to let people remain in their sin when there is liberty to be lived. Ronnie W. Rogers Pastor Ronnie Rogers superb volume on disciplinehas provided the most detailed study that to my knowledge has been written in recent years. Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Seminary Writing as a biblical theologian, Ronnie Rogersestablishes the foundation for church discipline.But Ronnie writes also as an experienced pastor who has worked out the biblical teaching on church discipline in real life. Dr. C. Richard Wells, distinguished professor of pastoral theology, The Criswell College Senior Pastor, South Canyon Baptist Church, Rapid City, SD Its hypocrisy for a local church to claim to believe the Bible and then willingly ignore the Bibles teaching on church discipline. Its refreshing to see a local church pastor like Ronnie Rogers cry out so clearly against the apathy and disobedience that prevails in most churches on this issue. Dr. Donald S. Whitney, associate professor of spiritual formation, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

It is time to call out true religion, more especially the "Christian" in Christian nationalism, and to invite anybody who may be convinced to reject and assist in the dismantling of a false gospel that promotes tyranny and dominance. We have a responsibility to strengthen the faith of each and every one of us, as well as to assist those individuals who are unaware, unable to escape, and enslaved by the dogma and worship of Christian nationalism, which is putting us in such grave peril. The focus of our attention should be directed towards the core of what it means to have real faith in the Bible and what Jesus has commanded us to do in the gospels. There is a new question that has to be asked: do we believe these teachings or not?People of all religious traditions, including those who have no religion at all, may benefit from reading this book. It is not only for Christians. We need a civic religion that is based on love, healing, and hope in order to be successful in overcoming the situation in which we see a civic promotion of fear, hatred, and violence for the trajectory of our politics. And this must include each and every one of us, regardless of our religious beliefs. When it comes to the future of democracy throughout the globe, the ability to learn and practise a politics of neighbour love will be very important. And the words of Jesus ring truer than they ever have before: "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." After two thousand years of Christian interpretation and commentary, it is difficult to hear Jesus' voice after twenty centuries of Christianity and all of the ideas that have been voiced about what Jesus said and taught. Also, after twenty centuries of Christianity, it is difficult to hear his voice. Sometimes Christians cling to a few favorite things that Jesus spoke. Yet throughout the course of the four Gospels, sections of the Book of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, Jesus teaches on certain issues that are crucial to our salvation; things which deserve our attention! This book cites nobody except Jesus. It is written in language that is simple to grasp, while preserving all of the integrity of how Jesus instructs us to live; which will enable us to live with him for the rest of eternity! While Jesus and the Church places the foundations of the Church in their historical and scriptural context, the textbook goes further by guiding students to recognize the sacred nature of the Church and engaging them to more actively participate in the living Body of Christ and serve as witnesses to the sacred Gospel in the world today.Simply defined, the purpose of the book--as in the Encountering Jesus series as a whole--is to improve the lives of students by drawing real-life links between what they are studying about the Church and how they meet Jesus in the modern world.