How to Know if a Church is a Good One – Rural Reset 13/21 [15]

08/19/24 • 16 min

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: This episode of the Back to Rurality podcast, hosted by TJ Freeman, focuses on how to wisely invest in a local church, especially in rural areas where options may be limited. Freeman acknowledges the challenges of finding a healthy church and discusses the pitfalls of approaching church selection with a consumerist mindset.

Key Points:

The Problem of a Consumerist Mindset: Freeman addresses that choosing a church based on their friendliness, look, music selection, or any other nonessential reason is not how to pick a good church home.
Understanding and Teaching the Gospel: If a church does not proclaim the truth of the Gospel it is not a church. If the truths of the gospel are not taught regularly and believed by the members then it is not a church worth investing in.
Faithfully Preaching the Word: The pastor does not have to be the next Charles Spurgeon, but he does need to open his Bible and teach the congregation the best he can the emphasis of the text.
Administering Sacraments Regularly: The church needs to take part in regular baptism and the Lord's Supper. The regularity can vary, but the church is required to have them.

Listener Takeaways:

Just go visit a church. If it meets the three qualifications talk about here, then go to membership class and try to get to know the members.
Listen as carefully to the preaching as you expect the pastor to be preaching.
Pray and ask the Lord to grow your church in other healthy ways.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Key Points:

The Problem of a Consumerist Mindset: Freeman addresses that choosing a church based on their friendliness, look, music selection, or any other nonessential reason is not how to pick a good church home.
Understanding and Teaching the Gospel: If a church does not proclaim the truth of the Gospel it is not a church. If the truths of the gospel are not taught regularly and believed by the members then it is not a church worth investing in.
Faithfully Preaching the Word: The pastor does not have to be the next Charles Spurgeon, but he does need to open his Bible and teach the congregation the best he can the emphasis of the text.
Administering Sacraments Regularly: The church needs to take part in regular baptism and the Lord's Supper. The regularity can vary, but the church is required to have them.

Listener Takeaways:

Just go visit a church. If it meets the three qualifications talk about here, then go to membership class and try to get to know the members.
Listen as carefully to the preaching as you expect the pastor to be preaching.
Pray and ask the Lord to grow your church in other healthy ways.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Previous Episode

Do you Have to Join a Church? – Rural Reset 12/21 [14]

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, discusses the concept of church membership. Freeman explains how church membership helps Christians to clarify, participate, demonstrate, and identify with their local churches.

Key Points:

Common Questions: Freeman addresses whether church membership biblical. He also begs the question whether church membership is controlling.
Church Body as a Building: Much like a home, a church is made up of many different parts. TJ expresses that if a brick if left out of a building it isn't serving it's purpose. This is true also of Christians not joining in on the life of a local church.
Church Discipline: Although it the concept of church discipline is uncomfortable, it is a means of grace. In other words, it is a helpful tool to keep each other away from destruction of sin.

Listener Takeaways:

Join a local church and lock arms with other Christians in your area. Befriend them, serve with them, and go all in. Be known by others in your church.
Prayerfully consider joining a church. Read through the statement of faith and see what it is you will be joining.
Meet with the pastors of church and talk through any reservations you may have in joining the church.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Next Episode

Why Your Church Needs You to Sing – Rural Reset 14/21 [16]

Host: TJ Freeman
Summary: This episode of Back to Rurality, hosted by TJ Freeman, addresses the common reluctance many experience towards singing in church. Freeman highlights the biblical imperative to sing as an act of worship, encouragement for others, and a reflection of genuine faith and transformation through the gospel.

Key Points:

Why People Aren't Singing: There are various reasons why people might feel uncomfortable or disinterested in singing, ranging from lack of musical knowledge to personal insecurities about one's voice.
Who Should We Sing For: Singing is not a personal preference, but instead is an act of worship. Congregations sing not for themselves, but for each other and for the glory of the Lord. Believers sing because their hearts have been transformed by the gospel.

Listener Takeaways:

Prepare before church on Sunday. Ask a pastor for the list of songs to be sung on Sunday and listen to them. Pray through the songs as well.
Remember the mnemonic device, 'SING': Sacrifice of praise, Inspiration, New song in our hearts, and Glorifying God.
Participate energetically in church singing as a vital expression of faith and community worship.

Connect with Us:

Website: backtorurality.com
Social Media: Facebook

Back to Rurality - How to Know if a Church is a Good One – Rural Reset 13/21 [15]

Transcript

Have you ever made a bad investment? You spent a lot of time investing in a relationship, only for it to end badly. Or you saved up, and you bought something that you thought was going to be amazing, only to find out it let you down. Or you put your money into an account that didn't bring the kind of returns that it promised, and that you hoped for.

Maybe you invested in your education, And later you found out that really wasn't a good fit. If you've made a bad investment before, you kno