Augustine radically changed the way the world saw the light and darkness. He boldly proclaimed that darkness was not a quantifiable material or substance but was simply the absence of light. In the absence of light, darkness begins to exist. An easy concept to understand with the physical world, but what of the spiritual world? I have experienced darkness in the brightest white marble room in a Church of Scientology. I have experienced darkness in the presence of Hindu idol worship while in loving conversation with a dear Hindu friend. In the presence of candles all giving off warm light in a Wicca shop, I could best understand what the “absence of light” really was.

Spiritual darkness surrounds us in the world.

And as we enter into Halloween, we might notice things grow less discerning as the world gets even darker. To call Halloween a season of darkness is true both spiritually and physically. With the impending time change, our days are thrown off-kilter by circadian arrhythmia and the sun being in a different place seemingly than it was the day before. During fall, Seasonal Affective Disorder begins to plague those whose mental health acts as a testament to the importance of light in our lives. As natural light becomes more scarce, our bodies sometimes react physically the way our spirit reacts in the absence of light. The often prescribed treatment for SAD is called “light therapy,” in which people sit in the presence of bright, artificial light to bring about hormonal balance.

The spiritual climate begins to grow colder too, as our attention is diverted from the light and consumed with darkness. Studios save their most gruesome horror movies for release in conjunction with the Halloween season. In 2021 we saw the 12th installment of the Halloween movie series. Horror films will make millions of dollars, where it is all but certain people will watch dramatized versions of murder at the hands of a maniacal serial killer.

In this season of darkness, even the Church turns its mind toward death. Counteracting the pagan holiday Samhain, which is full of rituals commemorating the dead, the Church historically celebrates All Saints Day to remember the lives of the martyrs and saints that have come before us. It seems that as sighting the sun in the sky becomes rarer during this season, it is natural that humans ponder death and darkness in the absence of light.

So then, what is the Christian to do at this time of year? Are we to retreat to safety in hopeful wishing for the light of spring and Easter? Do we refuse to participate in Halloween, and yet not search out the opportunity to voice the reason that our Gospel has no place for the fascination of death and the demonic?

The Church has often missed its true calling in the face of darkness.

The Biblical contrast of darkness and light is impossible to miss. In Genesis, we read that darkness at one point hovered over the formless void until the fateful moment when God said, “Let there be light.” 1 John says that God is light and that there is no darkness found in Him at all. Jesus taught His disciples that they were to be like a city on a hill whose light could be seen for miles surrounding it. Those lost and wandering should find their way in the darkness because of the light of the Church. If we were able to ask Jesus face to face what to do, He would likely encourage us with some parable that teaches us that darkness stays dark until light goes into it.

A life of following Jesus is a life of following Jesus into the dark. It is the foundation of who Jesus is to His creation. In the introduction to his Gospel, John wrote, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” It is what Jesus does.

He dared to walk into Gerasene, a place marked by spiritual darkness where the demon-possessed man was living among tombs of the dead and healed him. We understand better what He meant in Matthew 5, when He told His disciples about the city on a hill and followed it up by telling them how ridiculous it would be to light a candle and then hide it under a basket.

Imagine being the Son of God and not venturing to the darkest places, dealing with those who have fallen into the abyss of evil found there. What then is the call of the Jesus follower in the face of evil? Well, it certainly is not to stay in Galilee. Rather, it is to cross the sea and enter into the place where all others are afraid to go because they do not serve a God of victory, life and light. Most others have no reason for boldness, but those of us who follow Jesus of Nazareth have every reason to proclaim. To not simply withdraw during seasons of darkness and evil, but to persevere and advance, knowing that the presence of light is not an accident but is something to be fueled and stewarded. The sober-minded and courageous Church shines its light for all to see that the lost and wandering will come in from the darkness to the rest found in its welcoming warmth.

The practical questions still abound, though. “Should I take my kids trick-or-treating? Can I watch horror movies?”

The issue of “celebrating” Halloween is more nuanced than just how your children secure candy or what particular movies you choose to watch. Not that every child’s costume has to be a Biblical figure, but perhaps we haven’t realized just how pervasive horror and evil has become “ok” to observe during Halloween. The more important question to address first is perhaps, “What has my attention?” It seems so easy to dwell on those things around us that evoke feelings of fear and sadness in us during this time. If we are what we consume, what are we during the month of the year when fear is commercialized? If what has our attention is what sets the direction for our life, where is our Christian walk heading when fixated on the demonic? As the days grow shorter and less sunny, reflect on life and ask, “Is this making much of the darkness?” Some families will choose not to celebrate Halloween, replacing it with something like All Saints Day. Some parents will do their best to navigate Halloween while shepherding their children away from the more evil aspects of the culture that surround it. No matter the choice, teach your children why it matters for Christians to live differently than the world around them. To not be “of” the world is not to be the same substance, which should be the natural conclusion for a group of people who the Creator has proclaimed they are made new.

Living differently does not imply that you are superior; instead, it is demonstrating what you believe. In this case, a Christian’s caution regarding evil is not out of arbitrary morality but stems from the belief that there is a spiritual world we should not take lightly. In an attempt to live differently than the world, in seeking to honor God, ask yourself, “What would make much of light?”, and live accordingly.

So as we navigate this season where horror, fear and evil seem to confront us at every turn, we ask ourselves difficult questions about just how much we participate in Halloween. The God we serve looked at His creation and saw it in its darkest times, and He still chose to involve Himself. He was not overcome or overtaken by the sheer evil He found in the darkness, and He never will be. Take courage and follow Him as He ventures into the dark looking for lost sheep, and know that wherever you go in His name, there will be light because you’ll be there.

Everyone is focused on improving themselves during the COVID-19 crisis, but how does that work spiritually? Most people think of adding a lot of spiritual habits to their daily routine. In this conversation, Aaron and Brian unpack what God really wants out of us and how spiritual thriving is less about doing things for God and more about being with God.

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The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good.

Last Sunday’s game was, by many accounts, either one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory, or perhaps the best ever (hard to argue with the latter if you are an Eagles’ fan). In any case, such an enormous public platform as the Super Bowl (an estimated 103.4 million tuned in for the game) becomes a medium not only for the athletic skills of the various players, but for their respective personal stories as well. Two of the main stories going into the game were the personal stories of New England quarterback Tom Brady and Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles. As interesting as these stories are in their own right, from a Christian perspective, they are interesting for the ways in which they compare and contrast with a Christian worldview, and for how they might both help God’s people to compete in the arena of life.

Going into the game, the Patriots were the odds makers’ favorite to win the Super Bowl by a 4.5 margin, and the biggest reason for that was New England’s Tom Brady. Brady is without question one of the greatest, if not the greatest quarterback of all time (I did grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the Joe Montana era, so I understand the argument for him as well). Under his leadership, New England has established itself as one of the most dominant franchises in NFL history. Tom, himself, is smashing past records left and right. And to add to that, he is playing at 40 years old and still playing at the highest level (he passed for 505 yards, a new Super Bowl record). His commitment to the game, his willingness to learn, to change his diet, to explore alternative training and therapy, are inspiring as we all realize that while age really can slow us down, many times it is because we let it.

As a Christian, and a man who is about the same age as Tom Brady, I have become more and more convinced that our best years could be, and perhaps should be, in front of us.

One of the things that motivates Brady to continue playing and challenging himself is the belief that because he has seen so much more of his opponents’ formation and plays over the years, he ought to be able to respond even better now than ever before. Simply put, he has become much wiser. As Christians, as we grow in the Lord, and we see the many looks or temptations the Devil throws our way, we too ought to be learning, growing and responding better than ever before. Our spiritual life should be thriving, and perhaps, it is in our later years where we are meant to do even more for God than in our younger years. While it is true that we have to take our limits seriously, it is equally true that we must not impose false limitations on ourselves that keep us from pursuing God’s call on our lives.

At the beginning of episode five of his “Tom vs.Time” videos, Brady says, “Spirituality means a lot of different things to different people, for me, it’s your deepest purpose.” While one could critique this statement biblically and theologically, I find it quite useful. For Tom, his deepest purpose is to be the most he can be, not just on the field, but also at home with his family. This is admirable, and I could certainly think of worse purposes. But from a Christian perspective, something is missing. Christianity wants to say, yes, spirituality is your deepest purpose, but it is not something you decide for yourself. And as great as sports or family may be, they are ultimately not our greatest purpose. One of the great fathers of the early church, St. Augustine, summarized the mystery of life’s purpose this way, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” Our deepest purpose is to know the only true and living God, and Jesus Christ whom God has sent (John 17:3). So if we are truly finding our purpose, we will be constantly learning, growing and attempting great things for the kingdom. May what was said of Job be true of us, may our latter years be more blessed than the first (Job 42:12).

A few years back I had this great idea of restoring a 1972 Chevy Blazer 4X4. I loved that specific year, great body lines, removable top, and it looks great with a 6″ lift kit. A good friend in the restoration business started the search and called me a few days later with what he said was the perfect truck to restore. What I got in my garage was affectionately nicknamed by my kids “Mater” after the rusted-out bucket of bolts tow truck from the Disney movie Cars.

I really had no idea how much work was ahead of me. Step one was stripping the truck down to frame and body and grinding out all the rust. Everyone knows if you don’t get all the rust out it will come back with a vengeance. You can paint over it, but in time, it will bubble through the paint and eat away at the body and frame of the car. In other words, stripping is essential for not only a good restore, but one that lasts.

Sometimes the same can be said for our lives and our churches. We want an enduring work of God that brings Him glory but just covering up the imperfections won’t produce that. Sometimes what’s needed is a deeper work. This has been a prayer for our church over the last several months as we’ve seen God working in three specific areas.

1. STRIPPED OF RELIGIOUS PRIDE

Nothing is more dangerous to a genuine work of God’s Spirit than religious pride. The Pharisees stand for everything that any sane Christian doesn’t want to be. They had inflated egos perceiving themselves to be better in every way than those around them. They believed their religious works were the basis for their supposed right standing before God. They were all religious show on the outside while the things most important to God were missing on the inside. All of this and more made them inflexible old wine skins, unable (and unwilling) to contain the new wine of God’s desired work.

What a deep deception it is to believe you are God’s instrument, when in reality, you’re a hindrance to what He desires to do. That religious pride needs to be stripped away and replaced with a raw and tender heart toward Jesus. Jack Miller popularized the phrase, “Preach the gospel to yourself,” which has now been passed on by notables like John Piper and Tim Keller. It’s good advice. We need to constantly remind ourselves that it is the gospel and the gospel alone that has saved us. When pride and self-sufficiency or egotism begin to rise, we need to grind it down with the gospel and rest our hope and our work completely upon the grace of God.

2. STRIPPED OF WATERED DOWN, UN-EMPOWERED PREACHING

Since I pastor in Las Vegas, every weekend I see a very unique cross section of humanity, and the need is great. Yet, like in so many large cities, a good portion of pulpits are centering their messages on self-help sermonettes or inspirational encouragements. While the idea may be that we need to give people what they want, our real responsibility is to give them what they need, and they need Holy Spirit empowered preaching and teaching of the full counsel of God’s Word. I don’t mean teaching that is simply conveying information. D.L. Moody said, “The Bible wasn’t just given for our information but our transformation.” Our preaching and teaching stands on the power of God’s word, but it should be delivered with the fire of God’s Spirit and from hearts and minds ablaze with His presence and divine unction. Moreover, we need to travel where others fear to tread. Over the past couple of summers, we have focused on a series called “Uncensored,” where we have addressed the most controversial and taboo topics that our culture is dealing with such as transgenderism, can a Christian be gay, race, divorce, prescription drug abuse and more. I think our culture needs Spirit empowered pastors who are willing to lead the way in teaching the truth in love.

3. STRIPPED OF CATEGORIZING THE PEOPLE OF GOD

I love looking out over the congregation on any given morning and seeing an ethnically diverse group of people from all walks of life: homeschool moms, lawyers, casino executives, people who work in hospitality, former exotic dancers, prostitutes and pimps. Only God can do that. Only God can transform lives and simultaneously break down walls so that we see each other as “one in Christ.” There are no categories; the ground at the foot of the cross is level.

Sectarianism comes naturally to us, but in the church and among churches, it must die. Paul said to the church at Corinth that divisions like this are a sign of carnality in Christians. And from my experience, it hinders the progress of the Great Commission. There are moments where I want to shout to the people the famous words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all get along?” Ultimately, the answer is love and sharing His love with one another, which covers a multitude of sins and identifies us as belonging to Jesus. The world needs to see the miracle of Christ’s love working among His people.

We all share the desire of experiencing a mighty outpouring of God in our generation, a genuine work of spiritual restoration. It may be that the first step to this great God glorifying work is some good, old fashioned body work where it’s needed most, beginning with you and me.

While all God’s Word is inspired and profitable ( 2 Timothy 3:16), most Christians have favorite passages. Sometimes we talk about our “life verse” by which we mean something especially relevant to our entire lives. Then there are seasons in which different verses are especially poignant. They’re a kind of “spiritual flashlight” to help us find our way or provide a handle that brings perspective.

A passage I’ve found especially helpful the last few years is John 10:10, where Jesus says He came for life.

It’s interesting how He phrases it. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus didn’t just come for life; He came for that life to be “more abundant.” That word means, “…pertaining to a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate—that which is more than, more than enough, beyond the norm, abundantly, superfluous.”¹

Jesus could have said, “I’ve come that you’d have abundant life.” He didn’t. He said it the way He did to make clear He didn’t just come for life. He came for MORE of it. Christian, however much life God’s grace and Spirit have brought about in you, there’s more! And when you’ve enjoyed that measure of more, there’s more still.

Surely that’s what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he invited the Philippians to adopt his mindset toward spiritual growth.

“Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Philippians 3:15–17, NKJV).

In verse 16, when Paul says, “to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule” he calls us to double our current spiritual standing and maturity. It’s as though he’s said, “All you Christians who’ve got some miles behind you in your spiritual walk, look back at how far you’ve come. Now, look ahead and determine to double it.” Paul could to issue that invitation because he knew Jesus came that we’d have ever more life.

I like the term “flourishing” as a way to capture the essence of all this.

God wants us to flourish.

The Gospel is the message of how Jesus rescued us from sin and death and made it possible for us to flourish. All God’s ways aim at promoting life and ensuring we’d flourish. And that’s why the first part of John 10:10 is an important reminder. Jesus spoke of His mission to promote our flourishing as a contrast to Satan’s objective, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

Sin has a goal, and it’s not the promise it makes when we’re tempted. Sin promises good but ultimately ends in ruin. Whatever momentary gain sin may acquire is always more than paid for by an enduring and greater loss. It’s no zero-sum gain, but it is a negative-sum loss.

Because God wants us to flourish, He gives us His Word and commands. Each provide insight into where a life of flourishing lies. God’s commands are never power trips on His part, as though He’s some kind of insecure deity needing to prove His authority by ordering us around. Rather, every command is guidance in how to flourish.

As we follow Jesus, it’s wise for us to keep all this in mind as we watch the world chart new paths for how to live. The devil aims to ruin us; Jesus wants us to flourish.

¹Louw, J. P. & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 598–599). New York: United Bible Societies.

Enjoy the first part of this two part series!

While having the wrong expectations from our church can stifle spiritual growth, having the right expectations will give us discernment that will lead us to a healthy church body where we can grow in our faith, maximizing all that God has for us. Here are some things we should expect from a church.

Things I should expect from my church:

1. The Bible

Front and center of any church should be the teaching of God’s Word. This is how we grow; how we distinguish between good and evil; how we are spiritually nourished; how we are equipped to battle Satan; what we base our lives upon, and what the church is to proclaim. Expect your church to teach the Word of God.

2. Unconditional love

Love is the primary characteristic of God working in a Christian’s life and in our church fellowships. This is how non-believers know we are followers of Christ, and this is what we will need in a church to nourish our lives and our relationship with Christ. We won’t always love perfectly, but that’s what a church should strive for, and what we should be willing to give. Expect your church to love you or at least strive to love you unconditionally.

3. Integrity in leadership

I should expect my leadership to exemplify Christ’s teaching morally. I should be able to trust that church leadership is following the Lord, making every effort to be holy and pleasing to the Lord, just as every follower of Christ. Leaders should not be looked at as perfect, but should want to exemplify Christ’s teachings, being careful not to misrepresent the gospel, especially in the areas of finances and sexual morality. Expect your church to value integrity in leadership.

4. Jesus-centric

I should expect my church to have Jesus front and center of all that goes on. Jesus should be the star of the church, the famous One, and the One the church magnifies. All should revolve around Jesus, as He is the head of the church. Expect your church to be centered on Jesus.

5. Gospel preached and lived out

I should expect my church to be a place where the message of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done to save mankind from sin is proclaimed and lived out. I should expect the gospel to be clear so that people will know the message of salvation, and so I can live by this message. I should expect my church to be clear about elements of the gospel like sin: How sin effects me. What God did about my sin. How to receive what God did about my sin, that only Jesus can take away my sin and why, about heaven and hell, grace, mercy, forgiveness and resurrection. Expect your church to preach and live out the gospel.

6. Dependence on the Holy Spirit

I should expect my church to follow, not lead God. This means that my church should make it clear by teaching and demonstrating that it is not by human abilities and strength but by the Spirit working in and through the church. I should expect my church to not rely on human means to accomplish God’s work, but that God’s work would be accomplished by God’s Spirit. Expect your church to depend on the Holy Spirit.

7. Support of the needy

I should expect my church to be compassionate and to help support those within the body who are needy and those without where the Spirit leads and provides. The church should always have the great commission in mind to make disciples by preaching the gospel and teaching people to obey Christ’s teaching as we reach out to help those in need. Expect your church to support the needy.

8. Unity in the Spirit

I should expect the church to strive for unity within the church body, which means that I will have to do that as well. The unity we will experience is in the Spirit and is focused on glorifying Christ in our actions. This means that we will have to often yield to others, consider others as more important than ourselves and to put others ahead of ourselves, so that Christ is glorified. This may mean that I will have to put my personal desires and wants behind the greater good of God’s glory. In other words, unity is more important than getting what we want. Expect your church to strive for unity.

9. Opportunities to serve

Considering that every Christian has a spiritual gift, and that gift is to be primarily used within the body of Christ, I should expect my church to give me opportunities and even encourage the use of my gift. I shouldn’t expect to be placed in certain positions or offices within the church right away or at my choosing, but I should expect to be able to serve in the church and let my gifts and calling come to the surface as I do. Expect your church to give you opportunities to serve.

10. Spiritual growth

I should expect to grow spiritually in my church with my participation. With healthy doctrine, teaching of the Word, opportunities to serve, using my spiritual gifts, accountably, encouragement, support, unconditional love and prayer, I will find that my church is the best instrument for my spiritual growth. Part of our growth is following the two prescribed “sacraments,” which are baptism and communion. These sacraments are outward signs of inward grace. Expect your church to help you grow spiritually.

11. Spiritual Attacks

Jesus said to His disciples that if they hated Him, they would hate them too. I should expect that a church that is following Jesus will encounter often and repeated attacks from Satan on the work of God. We aren’t to think it strange that we have these attacks but to think they are normal. The attacks are directly to stop the work of God. The most effective churches are the most spiritually attacked churches. Expect your church to be attacked spiritually.

12. Prayer

I should expect prayer to be a major focus and emphasis in my church. Jesus said that His house should be a house of prayer. I should expect there to be opportunities to pray corporately with the whole church, individually with others in the church, and with pastors and elders at the church. I should expect that my church knows the power of prayer and the gift of prayer, and that all that is done in the church is bathed in prayer. This means that I too should be praying with the body, with others and in my personal life. Expect your church to be a church of prayer.

13. Spiritual family

I should expect my church to be close like a spiritual family. I shouldn’t see my church as something I attend, but something I am. A church family should be a place that all are welcome to join, where there is mutual love for Jesus and for each other, where I can be connected with others, where I can be open and honest with others, where I can feel safe, valued, built up and where I can experience close fellowship. Expect your church to be a spiritual family.

14. Equipping for ministry

I should expect that involvement in my church would help me be better at serving the Lord and serving others. I should be more loving, more passionate about God, more understanding of His Word, more intimate in my relationship with Him, more grounded in His truth and a better instrument for God to use. If this is not happening in my church, then either you are in the wrong church or you are not participating in what the church is doing as part of the body of Christ. Expect your church to equip you for ministry.

15. Church Discipline

On occasion, I should expect my church to have to deal with those in the church who are causing division, or who are living in sin and won’t repent. These are those who are serving in the church and not mere attendants or guests of the church. Expect your church to exercise church discipline when necessary.

God uses the local church as a powerful instrument for a believer’s spiritual growth and maturity. The early church was a simple model where believers came together to hear the Word taught, to pray together, to take communion and to fellowship. The early church was an exciting place of love, power, fruitfulness and where Jesus was all-sufficient.

Like the early church, our local churches today should be a place where we can grow in our relationship with the Lord. However, today, especially in western culture, where we have a lot of things in the church that may or may not be wrong in and of themselves, but when we expect them to be a part of our church or use them as a premise and motivation in choosing a church, these expectations can actually be sabotaging our own spiritual growth.

Here are some things to think about if you have been expecting too much from your church and thus sabotaging your spiritual growth.

Things I shouldn’t expect from my church:

1. Perfection

A church is a body of imperfect people worshiping a perfect God. No one has arrived, and we are all at different places in our walks. We fight against the flesh and our selfish desires constantly; therefore imperfection is the norm not perfection. We won’t always be treated as we’d like to be, and the Bible gives us ways to deal with those things. It’s more about direction than it is perfection. Don’t expect your church to be perfect.

2. Status quo

The church is a living organism. It is always changing, and we shouldn’t expect to hold on to “the way it used to be” or “the way things were.” Change is good and keeps us from worshiping “relicts to the past” or making idols of things that are not of God. Change can flush out some of our false motives and old “wineskin” tendencies. Don’t expect your church to stay the same.

3. Getting my way

At the root of our sin nature is selfishness. This can manifest itself in a church when we have our own agenda, when we don’t get to do what we want to do or when things are different than what we like. One of the great benefits of a church is that it teaches us to submit our way to the Lord’s way and to trust the Lord. When we don’t get our way, it’s a chance to exercise our faith and die to ourselves, which helps us grow in God’s ways. Don’t expect to always get your way in church.

4. Not be offended

A church body is like a family. We live in close connection with each other, and we serve the Lord together. It’s inevitable that we will be offended or get our feelings hurt as well, as there is a good probability we will also hurt someone else’s feelings. Not to mention, we may and at times should be offended by the pastor’s sermon as Jesus offended many people by proclaiming truth. This is a great opportunity to exercise grace toward others. Don’t expect to not be offended in your church.

5. Entertainment

It’s not the job of the church to entertain us. The job of the church is to feed us (spiritually). When I expect the church to be an entertainment center, I may have missed what my real need is as a spiritually bankrupt sinner. There is nothing wrong with having fun and having a good time, of course, but I shouldn’t expect my church to provide that nor should I evaluate the church on how well they entertain me. Don’t expect your church to entertain you.

6. Wealthy

I shouldn’t gauge spiritual prosperity with material prosperity. Jesus wasn’t rich; the disciples weren’t rich, and the early church wasn’t rich. If God blesses the church with riches, then those riches can be used to further God’s kingdom, not to build a gaudy empire on earth. When we equate all the “bells and whistles” with the legitimacy of a church, we are left missing the immeasurable realization in the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t expect your church to be wealthy.

7. Programs

The church is to be driven by and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When I expect my church to have programs to meet all my needs, it can often be a substitute for the Holy Spirit. The early church focused on prayer, doctrine, breaking of bread and fellowship. It was a simple model. They had all they needed to change the world, and we do too. Don’t expect your church to have all the programs you want.

8. Politics

The church is not a political institution but a spiritual one that is to preach the gospel and make disciples of all men and women and then teach them to follow the Lord. When I expect my church to push political agendas and be involved politically beyond clear biblical issues and with a clear biblical approach, then my expectations aren’t right. As individuals we can pray and follow the Lord as He leads us in politics, but that is not the role of the church. Don’t expect your church to push your political agenda.

9. Comfort/Ease

A church is to be a place of sanctification, not comfort and ease. We have peace in the Holy Spirit always, but we should not expect the church to be a place where we value comfort and ease. The church should be a place where we value being stretched in our faith and a place where we will be able to go beyond the boundaries of our comfort. Don’t expect your church to be comfortable or easy.

10. Absence of conflict

The church that is honoring the Lord, led by the Spirit, filled with love, proclaiming the gospel and standing on truth is a place where Satan will attack. We are to use our spiritual weapons of warfare and engage in this conflict, understanding that when the Lord opens a door, there are many adversaries. Don’t expect your church to be conflict free.

11. A place to watch

The church is not a place where I should expect the “professionals” to do the ministry as I watch them. A church is a “body of believers” like the human body, made up of many parts, and all parts are to be involved. All believers have been given spiritual gifts to be used within the body of Christ to build the body. My expectation as a believer is to participate in the church, not spectate. Each Christian must be personally responsible for their own relationship with Jesus. No one can substitute for that. Don’t expect your church to be a place where you merely watch others exercise their gifts.

12. Have all my needs met

Jesus is the only one that can meet all our needs. I should not expect the church to do that. When I feel something lacking, I can go to Jesus Himself. The church is not a substitute for Jesus Himself. Don’t expect your church to meet all your needs.

13. “Cool”

It’s not the job of the church to be “cool;” it’s the job of the church to be “salt “ and “light.” That doesn’t mean the church shouldn’t recognize the things that are going on in the world and culture in trying to best orient people to the gospel. It is not more spiritual to be outdated and out of sync with culture. However, when a church is judged by how “cool” it is and when we value “cool” over “Godly,” we might really be judging a church by how “worldly it is.” Don’t expect your church to be “cool.”