Many of my sermons and article ideas are sparked by everyday encounters with those in the church and those of the religious world. The other day I ran across such a post on social media, which made this statement, “No, you don’t need to go to church to be a Christian, but because you are a Christian you should want to go to church.” This statement sparked my curiosity. The first part of this statement is the first cousin of another familiar statement, sometimes made in the church, “I want Christ, just not His church.” Is it true that we can have Christ without His church? Let us begin with a couple matters of context. First, the post under consideration was made by a popular religious organization in our community, which in and of itself, promotes false doctrine. They are not the church of the New Testament. While the source does not make the statement inherently false, we must always take that statement under investigation and examine the truth of the statement based upon a careful consideration of the holy scriptures. Second, though this statement was made by a denominational source, it appears to be the prevailing logic regarding the need for the church in our lives, even amongst God’s people. I want to provide you with a brief examination of this statement from the scripture by providing three truths:  The church is a body of people, not a building: Many view the church as a building, but the church …

John recorded by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in John 19:25, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” Our mothers deserve more recognition than one day a year for the unending love, selfless compassion, and priceless lessons they have brought to our lives. Each day, we ought to consider the beauty which “a woman who fears the Lord”, (c.f., Proverbs 31:30), brings not only to her family but to the church of our Lord. There are many greatest examples of a biblical mothers, but perhaps Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the greatest example of all. When we think of Mary, it is likely that much of what comes to our minds is steeped in ancient legend, rather than scriptural fact. We sometimes create a portrait of Mary in our minds as a young woman, serene and confident in her motherly role in raising the Son of God. However, as we explore the scriptures, we will notice that the scriptures paint a much more human and compelling picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. What does the Bible teach us about Mary, the disciple?  Mary was the first disciple to suffer for the cause of Christ. Think in terms of the first-century: A poor young Jewish girl, betrothed to a carpenter, who “magically” becomes pregnant. Though she had been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she would conceive a child through the power …

         The story is told of an older woman. She had run out of money and did not have the means to pay any of her bills, including her rent. In her moment of need, the landlord was unwilling to show mercy. She began to threaten the older woman and told her, if she could pay her rent soon, she would be evicted. It was in the middle of winter, and her cable, water, and electricity had been shut off. She only had a few candles to keep her warm! One cold day, she was warming her hands over the candle when she heard a knock at the door. However, the woman was afraid to answer the door as she thought it might be her landlord coming to collect the rent which she did not have the money to pay. So, she blew out her candle and quietly waited in the darkness for the landlord to leave. Two weeks later, she ran into her friend at the store where she now worked. She found that the knock on the door had not come from her landlord, but her friend who was bringing her a check with enough money to pay her rent and all her debts. In her moment of need, if only she had opened the door, her friend would have paid all her debts. However, because she did not answer the door, she found herself in the dark.            The words of Jesus to church at Laodicea …

Can I begin with a personal anecdote? In writing this article, I was humbled as it challenged me on every spiritual and emotional level.  I suppose it is human nature to become frustrated toward a specific person or group of people whose beliefs differ from our own. Daily, I am frustrated by the brazen actions of those who openly support abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and false doctrines. While I am frustrated toward other actions and lifestyles that are condemned by the word of God, these four specific issues appear to be at the forefront of the spiritual and political polarization within this great nation. Each day, I study my Bible and see the error of these ideologies – sometimes feeling as Isaiah did with Jezebel, alone and helpless to fight against them. In speaking from personal experience, it is quite easy to direct my own personal frustrations toward these issues onto certain individuals, who either embody or advocate the ideologies that most irritate my spirit. In those moments, I find it easy to resort to the instinctual comeback that appears to be embedded in all of humankind, “I am right, you are wrong.” However, in my moments of vexation, I fail to realize that it is not the sinner that should be at the focus of my frustrations but rather the sin. It is in my empathy toward the sinner that I recognize they are a victim of sin much like myself. The difference is: They continue to cling to sin …