What makes the church, its purpose and longevity, so unique, so essential to human development and to the creation of a healthy society. Certainly over the years there have been numerous organizations that have done noble deed, supported great social causes, brought positive change to the world. So what makes the church so different.  The church may be considered Christian, to the extent that it allows itself to be confronted by and attempts to conform to the Word of God, the Bible. In this study we realize that we cannot be all the God intends for us to be nor can we have a unique one-of-a-kind message without embracing and celebrating the Bible in our community.  We are a people of One Book. That does not mean, of course, that we do not seek new ideas and reflect on life through other texts, it simply means the Bible is at the center of all our pursuits. The Bible is like a telescope. We can look at it and see only a book filled with ancient people, cultures and costumes with radically different ideas of of what life is suppose to be like. Or we can look through the Bible and see new world, new possibilities and discover a completely different kind of life from a different perspective.  Which will you choose? Which have you already chosen? http://www.slideshare.net/steve4040/shaped-by-the-bible-92015