HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ‘IDEAL’ LOCAL CHURCH’?                       

All Christians understand that the ‘Church’ is not a building or just a set of doctrinal beliefs; but how would you describe the ideal church that you would want to attend?

Definition of Church:

1.     A group of Christians who are learning how to live by the indwelling life of Jesus Christ, and who are expressing that life together.

2.    A community that regularity meets for worship, prayer, fellowship, mutual edification and mutual care.

3.    God has chosen to make his Son knowable, touchable, visible and locatable on planet earth through only one vessel- the ekklesia. Jesus Christ has distributed Himself in His body so that He might be expressed. The church, therefore is God’s designated instrument for the expression of His Son, and it is the very heartbeat of God’s ultimate passion.

 

The Kingdom of God= The manifestation of God’s ruling presence.

 

The local church should be focused on producing a culture for miracles.  (where we value gifts, personal worth etc.)  Note: Christian Culture is like a greenhouse- a controlled environment.

Why? So seeds you want to grow, will grow quickly and easily. (seeds=valuable truths)

 

SPIRTUAL BLUEPRINT/EXPECTATION FOR LOCAL CHURCH ENVIRONMENT:

a.      Vibrant love for Jesus

b.     Passionate desire to worship Him- in spirit and truth.

c.      A community that is founded on Biblical oversight.

d.     Having a  commitment to Five-Fold leadership- in the equipping of the saints.

e.     Leadership role modeling and teaching of basic Biblical principals

f.       Desire to establish/live in community

g.     Pursuing spiritual gifts- to edify the body

h.     Declaring  & Demonstrating the Kingdom of God

i.       Creative outreaches to reach the lost

j.       Support for apostolic foreign missions

LEAVING THE LOCAL CHURCH? …

1.     Most people who leave the institutional church do so because they are looking for Christ-centered face to face community, where every member participates and Jesus Christ is being deeply known, loved and expressed.

2.     Some Christians are not leaving church because they have lost faith . They are leaving the church to preserve their faith.

3.     The DNA of the church is marked by the very traits that we find in the triune God- mutual love, mutual fellowship, mutual dependence, mutual submission, mutual ministry and face to face community.

FOUNDATIONAL CHRISITIAN INSIGHT: To believe the Father’s magnificent obsession, is to provide a ‘bride’ for His Son.

HEAD OF THE CHURCH:

When Jesus read from Isaiah 53, the atmosphere changed, they heard from God for the first time ( in 400 years) - and they became aware of another (spiritual) world. The Kingdom of God had become available and  visited them in the person of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus- head of the Church.  Colossians 1:18

Note: Lots of people know about Jesus; but don’t know Him in Spirit and Truth.

God the Father wants a bride for God the Son

God the Son wants a house for God the Father

God the Father wants a body for God the Son

And God the Son wants a family for God the Father-

And the Spirit desires this with each other- and makes it happen.

 

Note; Beside my original thoughts, some concepts/teachings are adapted from Frank Viola, Bill Johnson and Vernice Smith.

 

 

Maturity/CONVICTIONS/Character

This is a teaching I gave recently to the men’s group I’m attending, Antioch International Church in Ft. Mill, SC.

ILL. Man comes home after a long hard day at work and collapses in his recliner, really hungry. His wife says to him, - are you hungry? He says yes – I’m starving- so she brings him some food. NOTE: He’s starving- but not starving enough to go get food by himself! MOST OF WHAT YOU NEED IN LIFE WILL BE PROVIDED or BROUGHT TO YOU- BUT THE THINGS YOU WANT IN LIFE YOU WILL HAVE TO PURSUE. One of those things is: Christian Maturity

                                                Maturity/CONVICTIONS/Character

PHILOSOPHY:    All philosophers need to answer 2 questions: “What is the good life? And how do you live it? “How you answer, determines who you are- and your destiny.

BROTHERS, what does it mean to you, to live a spiritually rewarding, fruitful life?

Jn. 10:10 Jesus: “I have come that you may have life and that abundantly.”

Fundamentally it’s about our spiritual development, not knowledge or natural goals achieved.       

Matt. 5:48 Jesus- “therefore you shall be perfect (mature) just as you Father in heaven is perfect.”

AMP. “You therefore, will be perfect (growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life) as your heavenly Father is perfect. “- (Father already perfect by eternal existence)     HOW DO WE PROCEED WITH THIS CHALLENGE? … [ maturity/character]   TWO THOUGHTS:

1.     ^{DECLARATION:  “}I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. Gal. 2:20

2.     BIBLICAL TRANSFORMATION: Hebrews 6:1,2   [Foundation Stones]    “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”

ONE Important Aspect of Christian maturity has to do with how many convictions you have incorporated into your life.

For many Christians, the battle is between convictions and preferences

Convictions are quality, spiritual decisions you have settled in your heart, and will not go back on, whatever the obstacle or cost.

ILL. First century Rome, Christians refused to acknowledge Caesar as divine. They had convictions that Jesus could not just be added to the many gods the Romans had, but He was the one true God. He was the Lord of their lives, and they would not bow down or acknowledge any man-made gods. They had a ‘red line’ they would not cross, and that decision (conviction) cost many of them imprisonment, torture and even death.

ILL. China    After WW2, there was a civil war in China. The communists drove out the Nationalists and promptly executed all clergy, banned all religions and forbade the Bible (and any other religious books) They tried, and failed to crush the Christian church. So in 1979, the communists formed the Three Self Church. It was a counterfeit church- some singing, buildings, lectures…. But nothing to do with Jesus or the Bible.  If someone got saved and was drawn to religious activity- they could go to the underground church or the Three Self church. (no consequences if attended Three Self church, but if caught at underground church: they would be sent to reeducation camp, lose their job, housing and food rations could be reduced etc. If this man had a conviction of assembling with believers for fellowship and growth, he would attend the underground church and trust God for any consequences.

HOW MANY CONVICTIONS HAVE YOU DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK?

Some topics to consider:   marriage, family life, assembling together, forgiveness, staying out of strife…etc.

Convictions are evidence of our character and maturity in Christ.   Christian maturity is worth pursuing!

                    GOSSIP and SLANDER

GOSSIP & SLANDER                                    Gary W Pfeiffer                                       November 2025

SLANDER:  In the Bible, slander is malicious, false, or damaging speech that harms another person's reputation or well-being. It is considered an evil act originating from the heart, which not only violates God's commands to love one's neighbor but also sows discord and division among people. The Bible consistently condemns slander, equating it to bearing false witness, and highlights its destructive nature within the community. 

No, not all gossip is slander; slander is a specific type of defamation involving spoken false statements that damage a person's reputation, while gossip is broader and may be true or false. Gossip can become slander or libel (written defamation) when a statement is presented as fact, is false, and causes actual harm to someone's reputation. 

Gossip vs. Slander

GOSSIP

The act of sharing information about someone when they are not present. This information can be true or false, malicious or neutral. 

SLANDER

A form of defamation that involves spreading false, damaging statements about a person verbally. It is a type of slander when the intent is to ruin someone's reputation, and the statement is presented as fact. 

When Gossip Becomes Slander (or Defamation)

Gossip can cross the line into actionable slander or libel if it meets the following criteria: 

1. It is false: The statement made about the person is untrue. 

2. It is presented as fact: The speaker intends for the listener to believe the information as true. 

3. It causes harm to the person's reputation: The statement lowers the person in the eyes of the community, damages their professional standing, or deters others from associating with them. 

4. It is spoken (for slander): The defamatory statement is communicated verbally. 

Key Distinctions

• Intent vs. Content:

Gossip can be a simple, unverified sharing of information. Slander, however, requires a malicious intent to harm another's reputation and involves spreading a false report. 

• Truth vs. Falsehood:

Even true information can be considered harmful gossip if shared with bad intent. For slander, the statement must be false. 

Proverbs 18:21 Amp. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.”

Proverbs 4:23 NKV "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." 

NOTE: Our speech should be reflective of the redemptive life Jesus has birthed in us-and cause others to be desirous of the love and peace we reflect.