Living by Faith: Beginning Your Walk as a New Believer

Author:Kimberly McRae
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Religion
ISBN: 9781453779828
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2011-06-01T22:00:00+00:00

Finding a Church

And he is the head of the body, the church…

Colossians 1:18

We have just seen that as believers we are all part of the body of Christ. As noted in Colossians 1:18, we are part of Christ’s church. It is not possible for all Christians to gather in the same place to worship Christ. There are local churches established for this purpose. One of the most difficult tasks for you as a new believer will be to find a church that God wants you to join. This is in part due to the fact that you have not yet built a firm foundation from the Word of God to discern what is right and what is not in the eyes of God regarding a church.

This chapter is designed to give you a rather brief overview of what to look for in a church. You will need to spend time in prayer asking for the Lord’s direction to guide you to a church and help you to determine if it is where you should join.

Please note that this chapter is not about religious denominations but it will draw your attention to some practices by various religious groups that do not align with God’s Word. There will be supporting Bible references for you to see what God says and help you in making your church selection.

Where to Begin the Search for a Church

If there was someone that led you to the Lord, your first stop to find a church should be to speak with that person or persons. The church that they attend may not be where the Lord needs you but they can direct you to some churches in your area for you to visit.

A simple way to find churches in your area is to look in the telephone directory. This may be more confusing to you since there are several denominations.

Outside of personal recommendations the best way to look for a church is to search the Internet. There are some churches that may not have a website but many do. This can help you eliminate some churches before attending. Most churches will post their beliefs online for you. Look for a link that says ‘doctrine’ or ‘doctrinal statement’.

Look First for a Bible-believing Church

Before you look for anything else in the church make sure that they are a Bible-believing church. Search the Internet using the words ‘Bible believing church’ with your town.

The Bible tells us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. This includes both the Old and New Testament.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. – 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17

If you go to visit a church and there are no Bibles in the pews this should be a red flag. It may be possible that the church is unable to afford Bibles but if an alternative book is used for sermons you should be wary.

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