Christian livingChurchThanksgiving

Signs Of A Healthy Church

What’s the atmosphere of your church like?  How would you describe it in one sentence?  What’s your favorite part?  People have asked me what Sunday morning worship is like.  This verse is one of the ones that come to mind when I attempt to answer these questions. 

The word of Christ.  One of the reason I love to go to church is that our Pastor teaches directly from scripture. He’s not seeking to tickle our ears with a nice uplifting message. Instead, he spends hours during the week working to understand the original author’s message and then listening to God for how to share with all of us.  He preaches the full word of God.  He doesn’t skip over the tough parts or hop from topic to topic.  We must desire and allow the word of Christ to dwell richly in us; for it is the source of our wisdom. 

Teaching and Admonishing. None of us have attained a place of complete knowledge of God. Every step we take toward knowing Him opens our eyes to a new depth of how much of Him we have yet to understand. We forget, lose focus, and even willfully disregard our Father in heaven.  We need to be taught and reminded who God really is, what He has done, and what He is capable of. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to do so.   To receive this we must open ourselves to relationship with them.  Finding a local body of mature believers and seeking Christ together is critical to your walk with God. 

Singing with Thankfulness. There’s something about a song that can burn in your brain and teach you for many years going forward.  Our hearts were designed for praise and song.  Our lips long to sing of His great mercies and shout of His excellence.  Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs have the power to refocus our eyes where they belong.  Singing with thankfulness together is a powerful medicine that is meant to be taken daily. 

So what is a Sunday morning like?   It is a body of believers that seeks hard after Jesus, that He (the living Word) would dwell richly in them.  Through the wisdom of His word, they teach and admonish one another through Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  It is a place of love and powerful worship and I am blessed!

Reflection

What is your church like?

Is God’s word the rudder that steers your church?

Is it a place of teaching and admonishing?

Do you thankfully sing His praises?

Prayer

Father, we thank You that You have given us a body of believers to worship with even if we haven’t found them yet.  Lord I ask that Your people would see their need for one another and that You would provide a place for all those that are worshipping You from afar; apart from the body. Draw them together that they may grow and carry out Your great mission.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!