Emmanuel Tuscaloosa Building Blocks

Elders and Deacons | The biblical offices of elder and deacon promote unity in the church as the Word is taught, the church is equipped for ministry, and its physical needs are met. Church Membership | Tom Allen

The Ordinances | Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are church acts whereby believers publicly identify with Christ and his church. Church Membership | Tom Allen

Why would God permit it? | God can be both good and sovereign while allowing evil for purposes of judgment, discipline, and mercy. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Word & Worship | Scripture shapes the order and content of our corporate worship, in which expositional preaching, prayer, the ordinances, giving, and singing are done for the glory of God and building up of his church. Church Membership | Tom Allen

Sovereignty vs Complicity | God’s absolute sovereignty, human moral responsibility, and God’s goodness are fully compatible, and the cross proves that God sovereignly governs even evil without becoming guilty of it. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Do you still believe God is sovereign over every circumstance? Passages: Genesis 37-50, Mark 5, John 11 Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Membership | Church membership is defined in the biblical framework of the family of God and the body of Christ. Church Membership | Tom Allen

Is Evil Ever 'of the Lord'? | God sovereignly governs both natural and human evil without excusing sinful agents, assuring us that suffering is never random or outside His purposeful rule. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Bad Responses to the Problem of Evil | Suffering exposes faulty assumptions about God, ourselves, and evil, while Scripture rejects explanations that diminish God’s power, nearness, sovereignty, or the seriousness of evil. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Evil Defined | Evil includes both moral and natural suffering, and while the Bible honestly portrays its devastating reach through the fall, it also teaches that Christ’s redemption will ultimately overcome the curse and restore creation. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Unity and Diversity | The body of Christ displays God’s wisdom and glory, having been joined to him and one another by the Spirit’s work, in which people from diverse backgrounds are supernaturally united in the gospel. Church Membership | Tom Allen

"How Long, O Lord?" | Suffering may leave questions unanswered, but Christians can still trust God’s goodness and power, especially in Christ. Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Scripture | Emmanuel Baptist Church submits to the authority of the Scriptures as the final word on all matters of life and doctrine. Church Membership | Tom Allen

How to Attain Contentment - Concluded: Chapter 13 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Tom Allen

How to Attain Contentment: Chapter 12 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Excuses of a Discontented Heart: Chapter 11 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

Aggravations of the Sin of Murmuring: Chapter 10 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Evils of a Murmuring Spirit - Concluded: Chapter 9 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Evils of a Murmuring Spirit: Chapter 8 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Excellence of Contentment: Chapter 7 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

How Christ Teaches Contentment - Concluded: Chapter 6 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

How Christ Teaches Contentment: Chapter 5 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Mystery of Contentment - Concluded: Chapter 4 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Mystery of Contentment - Continued: Chapter 3 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite

The Mystery of Contentment: Chapter 2 A study based on the book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs Speaker: Michael Crosswhite