Glossary of "Christianese"

Apologetics: The defense of the faith. Apologists look to prove the truth of scripture by looking at science, reason, archaeological finds, historic documents, scripture itself and more. Apologetics is a popular means of evangelism, especially among college students and cynics. Josh McDowell is a famous mainstream Christian apologist.

Believer: another name for Christian.

Communion: this is time during our worship service when we remember Jesus' death on the cross--we do this by means of two symbols. Each Christian takes a piece of bread and a drink of grapejuice to be reminded of Jesus' body and blood. Jesus began this tradition during his last meal with his disciples. GCC offers communion each Sunday morning.

Crucifixion: a means of execution employed by the Romans. After being whipped nearly to death, the criminal was stripped naked and then attached, by three large nails (one through each wrist and one through both feet), to a T-shaped wooden post (the cross), usually in view of a busy road.

Epistle: this is a fancy word for the letters that are found in the New Testament. These letters were sent by one of the church leaders and were addressed to either an individual, a church, or to several churches. 13 of these epistles were written by the apostle Paul. Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, are all examples of these epistles/letters.

Evangelism: sharing the message of Jesus Christ with someone who does not have a relationship with Him. "Evangelion" is the Greek word for "Good News." So literally, this means to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Faith: Faith (as used in the Bible) is best defined as a belief that results in action. If I believe that my house is on fire, I will call 911 and then get out. A man may "believe" in the existence of God, but if he does not act upon that belief, he is no better off than the devil.

Faith Promise: A financial pledge made by the GCC congregation each year that is separate from the regular general budget offering. These extra funds are dedicated to special outreach projects and to helping support missionaries who are from GCC and now are on the mission field. The pledge is not solely financial, as we also pledge to continue to partner and support with prayer, as well.

Flesh:  Of course, flesh can refer to your skin or your body. In the Bible it also sometimes refers to that part of our nature that desires to do wrong and disobey God. ie: Our Spirit wants us to obey God, our Flesh just wants to do what feels good.

Fruit: besides referring to the stuff you get in the grocery store, fruit is often used in the Bible to mean the good qualities (such as love, patience, and self-control) that God produces in the hearts of Christians. We can also produce bad fruit (such as gossip, rage, etc.). Our goal is obviously to produce good fruit.

Gospel: The word "gospel" means "good news". It refers to the good news that because of Jesus' death on the cross, we can be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with God.

Grace:  when we deserve a punishment but instead are forgiven and given a reward. Though we deserve death and punishment, God offers us forgiveness and eternal life. God shows us "grace" like this because of Jesus' death on the cross. A helpful acronym: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Justification: to be declared "not guilty" by God. Since all of us have sinned, the only way we can be "justified" is for God to accept Jesus' death as the payment for our sins.

Missions: This refers to the efforts to help everyone in the world hear about Jesus Christ and to have a chance to respond to his offer of salvation. The "Missions" program in the church involves supporting these types of efforts through prayer, finances and personal involvement.

Missionaries: Those individuals who have committed their lives to full-time Christian service, most often in a foreign country or with a specific culture or group.

New Testament: The Bible is divided up into two parts (testaments). This is the 2nd part, and it includes all the stories of Jesus and the church. Everything that is written in the New Testament dates around the first century A.D. There are 27 different books within the New Testament. It begins with Matthew and ends with Revelation.

Old Testament: The Bible is divided up into two parts (testaments). This is the 1st part, and it includes everything from Creation (Adam and Eve) through 400 years before Jesus' birth. The stories about Israel and the kings, the wars, the prophets, etc. are found in this section of the Bible. The OT is comprised of 39 different books. It begins with Genesis and ends with Malachi.

Outreach: sharing the message of Jesus Christ with someone who does not have a relationship with Him. This might be through acts of service, or through large events, or through personal relationships.

Repentance: to make a complete 180 degree change in your life---to stop going the wrong direction with your life AND to turn around and start going the right direction.

Salvation: the state of being saved from God's judgment.

Sanctification: to be sanctified means to be "set apart" or made "holy." The process of sanctification is the process of us being transformed by the Holy Spirit to be set apart for the purposes of God and free from sin.

Stewardship: A steward is the person in charge of managing someone else's property. If the steward is reckless with the owner's property, then he is a bad steward. We are stewards of everything God has given us (because it really belongs to Him). When we talk about stewardship at GCC, it generally refers to how we are managing either: our bodies, our money, our time, or our talents. And we would much rather be good stewards of them!

Theology: the study of God.

Tithe: "a tenth percent." This was introduced in the Old Testament as the standard amount to give to God as an offering. We are to give back to God at least 10% of what

Walk: Besides the normal meaning, "walk" in the Bible somtimes refers to the way we behave. For instance, "walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise" means "be careful how you act". Sometimes you will hear people talk about their "spiritual walk" --and this simply means their life as a Christian.

Works: often used in reference to the good things we do to try to earn God's forgiveness or acceptance. Of course, our "works" don't earn us those things--God offers them because of His grace.

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