The two main Greek words translated “church” or “fellowship” in the New Testament: ecclesia which speaks of the government and structure of the church, and koinonia which is the deep bonding of believers into the family of God. This biblical model for the church is to first become a family, then add structure and government as needed. 

          The most common forms of modern church are first built on the foundation of ecclesia. Ecclesia is important but can become skewed when it becomes the foundation before family is achieved. When organization is pursued before a love for God’s...

          I have been blessed to experience some of the greatest worship there has been in our lifetime, but we have lost that by letting our devotion to worship eclipse our devotion to the Lord. Several times I have been distracted from the River of Life by the great tributaries that feed it. 

         Consequently, I have been cautious and watchful for any tendencies to do this again. At the same time, I am resolved to seek the highest worship and koinonia I have been blessed to experience. We are called to walk in...

          The Scriptures make it clear that walking in new covenant church life is required to walk in the new covenant, as we see in texts like I John 1:7: “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship [koinonia] with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

         Though this verse does not necessarily address our redemption for trusting in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, it does talk about walking in the new covenant. Many do have a genuine salvation experience when they trust...

         We can be assured when we seek God, He is not boring and where we find Him will not be boring. If our church life is boring, we can be sure we got off track somewhere, and our focus is not on the right place. 

         The encounters God had with His people in Scripture are the most exciting and interesting portions of Scripture. They also brought radical change to those who experienced them. If we are truly meeting with God in our services, they will not be boring, and we will...

     What I proposed in last week’s Word for the Week is contrary to the way most churches are being built today, but are any of those ways working? Granted, there are some outstanding churches in our day, but are any of them even remotely like the one we read about in the New Testament? Are any so full of the manifest presence of the Lord that we know we will encounter Him when we go there?

     Nothing is as interesting as our Creator, and nothing is as exciting as following Him. How can His church, which is...