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7 Powerful Traits of a Truly Biblical Church

7 Powerful Traits of a Truly Biblical Church

What do you picture when you think of church?

Do you think of the rows of wooden pews or the intricate stained-glass windows in the sanctuary? Stacks of Bibles and hymnals? What about a stage or pulpit? Maybe you think of a large auditorium setting if you attend a mega church. 

All these details tell us what we see when we look at a building, but they tell us nothing about what a church should biblically look like. Scripture does not give directions about the format of seating or the use of a stage. We find no mention of a required carpet color or use of stained-glass windows. During the early days of the church, there were no chapels or cathedrals with steeples. That is because the Church is not a building. 

Believers make up the body of Christ, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27). 

As members of the body of Christ, what we look like stems from our relationship to Jesus and the mission He gave us. He has called us to be a multiplying people, a community that grows and reaches into the lives of others. It is a group of individuals who increasingly look like Him. 

C.S. Lewis wrote about the purpose of the church in Mere Christianity. As he explained, “[T]he church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time” (HarperOne, 2001, p. 199).

At first, Lewis’ statement might surprise us. Constructing buildings, doing missions, and studying the Bible are wastes of time? They are if people are not growing in Christ and making disciples. The body of believers is meant to look increasingly like Jesus and help others become reflections of Christ too. If the church is not doing that, then it is not accomplishing its purpose. It will not look like a biblical church.   

But what are the indications that a group of believers are accomplishing this purpose of growing to become more like Christ?      

Scripture does not have directions about what a church building should look like, but it does have a wealth of information about what it looks like to live as individuals belonging to the Church.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Will & Deni McIntyre

10 Things Christians Should Know about the Episcopal Church: History and Beliefs

10 Things Christians Should Know about the Episcopal Church: History and Beliefs

The Episcopal Church was established after the American Revolution when it became independent from the Church of England. The Episcopal Church characterizes itself as "Protestant, yet Catholic".

It is a Christian church divided into nine provinces and has jurisdictions in the United States, Taiwan, Micronesia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, as well as the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and the Navajoland Area Mission.

Discover our 10 things Christians should know about the Episcopal Church.

Main article image credit: ©Getty/JESUSDEFUENSANT

Mormons - 10 Things to Know about the Church of Latter Day Saints

Mormons - 10 Things to Know about the Church of Latter Day Saints

Often capturing public fascination, Mormonism can actually refer to several different groups. The most well-known group of Mormons is the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, which was founded in the early 1800s.

Later, branches of the original Mormon church were started with each splitting over differences in theology or conflict over certain religious practices.

Here are 10 things to know about Mormonism:

Photo courtesy: © Getty Images/NikonShutterman

9 Christian Responses to Religious Trauma

9 Christian Responses to Religious Trauma

Some people walk away from religions because of bad experiences, emotional pain, or even severe abuse. This occurs in every faith on earth, including cults, polytheistic religions, and the Abrahamic religions. The Christian Church is certainly not immune from inflicting negative experience on people.

While some bad encounters with faith can be shaken off, some are so severe it creates a trauma that can have lasting impacts that are disturbing to a person’s life. While people who know the healing power of the love of Jesus want someone to just accept Him, people who experienced religious trauma – both in and out of the church – may be reluctant to see the appeal.

Christians, and the church at large, should be cautious in how they approach someone coming from religious trauma. We must respect their experience. Jesus is the great Healer, and His example provides guidance for how to respond to religious trauma.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/max-kegfire

7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan

7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan

“To be human is to worship.” Those are the opening words of Daniel Block’s excellent new book on worship, For the Glory of God. Men and women are inveterate worshippers. Paul makes this clear in Romans 1. Even those who reject the plain knowledge of God which can be perceived within the created order do not cease worshiping. Rather they simply begin worshipping created things instead of the Creator (Rom 1:18ff). Given that we all worship and that our hearts tend to be deceptive, it is vital that our worship be shaped by what God has made clear in His Word rather than by personal opinions, past experiences, or intuitions.

While not an exhaustive list, the following 7 points help us think more biblically about worship:

Common Myth: Church Hymns Are Deeper

Common Myth: Church Hymns Are Deeper

I have heard for many years people in churches or on social media say something like this: “we need to sing more hymns because they are deeper than modern songs.”

John MacArthur Rejects Christian Nationalism: Jesus’ ‘Kingdom Is Not of This World’

John MacArthur Rejects Christian Nationalism: Jesus’ ‘Kingdom Is Not of This World’

Pastor and author John MacArthur criticized the concept of Christian nationalism, telling his congregation the “responsibility of the church is not to advance the kingdom of this world.”

We All Need to Be Hybrid Now

We All Need to Be Hybrid Now
According to the 2024 State of the Church Technology report from Pushpay, 91% of all churches are livestreaming their worship services. 90% are going further and employing a hybrid model of ministry which combines both in-person and virtual elements.

Alarming: Attacks on U.S. Churches More Than Doubled in 2023, Report Finds

Alarming: Attacks on U.S. Churches More Than Doubled in 2023, Report Finds

The number of hostile actions against churches more than doubled in 2023, according to a major new report that suggests the data could point to a “collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship.”

What Is the Church's Role in Digital Self-Control?

What Is the Church's Role in Digital Self-Control?

In a rare moment of bipartisanship, senators on both sides of the aisle have agreed that social media is not safe for teens and that it’s time for the government to do something about it.

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