Worship That Forms the Church

By Dave Jenkins

Theology for Life Magazine — October 2026

Clarity in Worship: Beholding the Glory of God with Understanding

Introduction: The Church Becomes What It Worships

Every Lord’s Day, Christians gather in local churches to worship the living God. They come from different circumstances, carrying different burdens, responsibilities, and concerns. Some arrive rejoicing in God’s goodness. Others come exhausted by the demands of work, family, caregiving, or personal suffering. Some are new believers learning the foundations of the Christian faith, while others have walked with the Lord for decades.

Yet all are called to gather around the same unchanging truth: God has revealed Himself through His Word, and He is worthy of the worship of His people.

What happens when the church gathers matters far more than we sometimes realize.

Worship is not simply an activity Christians attend before returning to ordinary life. It is one of the primary settings in which God strengthens, instructs, corrects, encourages, and matures His people.

Through the reading and preaching of Scripture, believers hear the voice of their Shepherd in His written Word. Through prayer, they express dependence upon their heavenly Father. Through congregational singing, they confess biblical truth and encourage one another. Through baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the church visibly proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ.

These ordinary practices have profound spiritual significance.

The church is shaped by what it believes, teaches, celebrates, and practices in worship.

When worship is centered upon God’s Word, the congregation is directed toward His holiness, grace, and glory. When worship is centered upon human personalities, emotional experiences, or cultural preferences, the church can gradually lose sight of its calling.

This is why biblical clarity in worship matters.

The church does not exist to entertain the world, celebrate human achievement, or manufacture spiritual experiences. It exists to glorify God, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, and build up the body of Christ.

And the worship of the gathered church should reflect that purpose.

Worship Begins with God, Not with Us

One of the most important truths Christians must recover is that worship begins with God.

God is not the recipient of whatever religious activities human beings choose to offer Him. He is the holy Creator who reveals Himself and calls His people to respond according to His truth.

Psalm 96:9 declares:

“Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”

The psalmist directs attention toward the majesty and holiness of God.

Worship begins with recognizing who He is.

He is the Creator of heaven and earth.

He is sovereign over all things.

He is holy, righteous, merciful, gracious, and faithful.

He is worthy of praise because of His own glorious character.

Yet modern approaches to worship can easily reverse this order.

Instead of beginning with God, churches may begin with the preferences of the congregation.

What kind of music will people enjoy?

What atmosphere will make them comfortable?

What experience will encourage them to return?

How can the service be designed to appeal to the surrounding culture?

Practical questions about communication, organization, and accessibility have their place. Churches should seek to communicate clearly and serve people wisely.

But these considerations must never become the governing authority for worship.

God’s Word must remain supreme.

Jesus declared in John 4:24:

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

True worship is not merely sincere religious expression.

It is a response to God grounded in His revelation.

The church must therefore begin by asking what Scripture teaches about the God we worship and the worship He requires.

When this foundation is secure, the congregation is better equipped to resist the temptation to make worship about itself.

The Word of God Forms the Mind of the Church

The church cannot grow in spiritual maturity apart from the truth of God’s Word.

Scripture reveals the character of God, the seriousness of sin, the person and work of Jesus Christ, and the responsibilities of Christian discipleship.

Second Timothy 3:16–17 declares:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word teaches, corrects, and equips His people.

This is why the public reading and faithful preaching of Scripture must remain central to corporate worship.

The congregation does not gather merely to hear an inspirational message.

It gathers to hear the Word of the living God.

When pastors faithfully explain Scripture in its context, the church learns to think biblically.

Believers begin to understand the difference between truth and error.

They learn to recognize false teaching.

They become better equipped to respond to suffering, temptation, and cultural pressure.

They develop a clearer understanding of the gospel.

And they learn to evaluate their own lives according to God’s revealed will.

Romans 12:2 commands believers not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds.

This transformation is not produced through human cleverness or emotional manipulation.

The Holy Spirit works through God’s truth to sanctify His people.

Jesus prayed in John 17:17:

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

The transforming power does not reside in the mere outward performance of religious activities. God works through His Word by the Holy Spirit, producing faith, repentance, understanding, and obedience in His people. This distinction matters because faithful worship is not a mechanical process. It is a gracious work of God through the means He has appointed.

A church that consistently receives sound biblical instruction is being equipped for spiritual maturity.

A church that neglects Scripture may become increasingly dependent upon personalities, trends, and experiences.

The difference is not merely one of worship style.

It is a matter of spiritual formation.

Worship Forms the Church Through the Gospel

The gospel must remain at the center of Christian worship because the gospel is the foundation of the church’s existence.

The church is not a gathering of morally superior people who have earned God’s approval.

It is a redeemed people who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds believers that salvation is God’s gift and not the result of works.

This truth should shape the way Christians approach worship.

We do not gather to impress God with our religious performance.

We gather because Christ has accomplished everything necessary for our salvation.

Through His sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection, Jesus has secured redemption for His people.

Hebrews 10:19–22 teaches that believers may draw near to God with confidence because of the blood of Jesus.

Our access to the Father rests upon Christ’s finished work.

When the gospel remains central in worship, it continually reminds the congregation of these realities.

The proud are humbled because salvation is entirely by grace.

The discouraged are comforted because their hope rests upon Christ rather than their own strength.

The guilty are directed toward the forgiveness secured through His sacrifice.

The weary are reminded that their Savior is sufficient.

And the entire congregation is called to rejoice in the mercy of God.

A church that loses the gospel at the center of its worship will eventually lose clarity concerning its identity and mission.

But a church that continually proclaims Christ crucified and risen is reminded of the foundation upon which it stands.

Congregational Singing Forms What We Believe

One of the most powerful ways worship shapes the church is through congregational singing.

Music has a remarkable ability to remain in our memories.

Christians may forget the details of a particular sermon while remembering the words of a hymn they learned decades earlier.

This makes the theological content of congregational singing especially important.

Colossians 3:16 declares:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Paul connects congregational singing with teaching and admonishing one another.

Singing is therefore not merely an emotional expression.

It is a ministry of biblical instruction.

When a congregation sings about the holiness of God, it is confessing His character.

When believers sing about the cross, they are proclaiming the gospel.

When they sing about the resurrection, they are celebrating Christ’s victory over death.

When they sing about the faithfulness of God, they are reminding one another of His promises.

The words matter because doctrine matters.

Churches should therefore carefully consider the theological content of the songs they use.

A memorable melody does not make an inaccurate statement true.

An emotionally powerful experience does not establish biblical faithfulness.

The congregation needs songs that communicate the truth of Scripture clearly.

When biblical truth is joined with congregational singing, the church is strengthened through shared confession and praise.

Prayer Forms a Dependent Church

Prayer is another essential part of worship that shapes the spiritual life of the congregation.

When Christians pray together, they acknowledge their dependence upon God.

They confess that they cannot sustain themselves through human strength, organizational skill, or personal wisdom.

They need the Lord.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–13.

The Lord’s Prayer begins with the glory of God and submission to His will before addressing daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil.

This pattern reminds the church that prayer should be shaped by God’s priorities.

Corporate prayer should therefore extend beyond immediate practical concerns.

The church should pray for the faithful preaching of Scripture.

It should pray for the salvation of sinners.

It should pray for holiness and spiritual maturity.

It should pray for suffering believers, missionaries, pastors, families, and the advance of the gospel.

It should confess sin and give thanks for God’s mercy.

When the congregation prays biblically, it learns to depend upon the Lord rather than itself.

Prayer also teaches humility.

No church can manufacture spiritual life.

No pastor can regenerate sinners.

No ministry strategy can replace the work of the Holy Spirit.

The church must depend upon God’s grace.

A praying church is reminded that its strength comes from the Lord.

The Ordinances Form a Gospel-Shaped Church

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not optional religious decorations.

They are ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ for His church.

Both direct believers toward the gospel.

Baptism visibly identifies believers with Christ and His people.

Romans 6:3–4 connects baptism with Christ’s death and resurrection.

It points toward the believer’s union with the Savior and the new life that flows from Him.

The Lord’s Supper likewise directs the church toward the saving work of Jesus.

First Corinthians 11:26 declares:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

The congregation remembers Christ’s sacrifice and anticipates His return.

The Supper reminds believers that their salvation rests upon the body and blood of the Savior who gave Himself for them.

Within the Reformed understanding of the ordinance, believers spiritually commune with Christ through faith by the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Supper does not repeat His sacrifice.

His atoning work is complete.

Yet through this Christ-appointed means of grace, the Lord strengthens the faith of His people.

The ordinances also remind Christians that the church is a visible, gathered community.

Believers do not invent their own private forms of Christianity.

They belong to Christ and are called to live faithfully among His people.

When the ordinances are administered with biblical clarity, they help form a congregation that understands its identity through the gospel.

Worship Forms a People Who Love One Another

The New Testament never presents the Christian life as an isolated spiritual journey.

Believers are united to Jesus Christ and therefore belong to one another.

First Corinthians 12:27 declares:

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

The gathered worship of the church visibly expresses this shared identity.

Christians come together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

They hear the same Word.

They sing the same truths.

They pray for one another.

They participate in the ordinances.

And they encourage one another toward faithfulness.

Hebrews 10:24–25 commands believers to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together but encouraging one another.

Corporate worship is therefore not merely an individual experience taking place in a room filled with other people.

It is the gathering of Christ’s body.

This has practical implications.

We should not approach worship solely by asking what we personally received from the service.

We should also consider how we can encourage and serve others.

Did we pray for those who are suffering?

Did we welcome someone who felt alone?

Did we listen attentively to the Word?

Did we sing in a way that encouraged the congregation?

Did we seek opportunities to demonstrate Christian love?

The church is strengthened when its members recognize that worship involves mutual encouragement.

God uses His people to care for one another.

This also means that Christians should come to worship prepared to give as well as receive. The weary believer may need encouragement, while another member may have an opportunity to provide it. A simple conversation, a prayer offered with someone in distress, or a thoughtful word from Scripture can become an expression of Christian love. The congregation grows as its members actively seek one another’s spiritual good.

Worship Forms Christians Who Can Suffer Faithfully

One of the most important purposes of biblical worship is preparing Christians for the realities of life in a fallen world.

Every congregation includes people who are suffering.

Some are grieving the death of loved ones.

Others are caring for aging parents or family members with serious health needs.

Some are experiencing financial hardship.

Others are facing uncertainty, discouragement, or physical pain.

A church that emphasizes constant excitement and emotional triumph may leave suffering believers poorly equipped for hardship.

But a church grounded in Scripture teaches Christians to worship through every season of life.

The Psalms provide language for both praise and lament.

They teach believers to bring sorrow honestly before the Lord while remembering His faithfulness.

Psalm 42:5 declares:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

The psalmist acknowledges his distress while directing his heart toward the Lord.

This is a vital lesson.

Christian worship does not require believers to pretend that suffering is easy.

It teaches them to trust God even when circumstances are painful.

Romans 8:18 reminds Christians that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed.

When the church regularly proclaims these truths, it prepares believers to endure hardship with hope.

The songs they sing become reminders of God’s promises.

The sermons they hear provide a foundation for biblical thinking.

The prayers of the congregation encourage them.

And the fellowship of the church reminds them that they are not alone.

Faithful worship forms Christians who can suffer without losing sight of Christ.

Worship Forms a Discerning Church

The church today faces a continual stream of competing spiritual claims.

Social media, podcasts, books, conferences, and online personalities present countless ideas about God, the Christian life, and the meaning of spiritual experience.

Some of these resources are helpful.

Others distort Scripture or promote teachings that are inconsistent with the gospel.

Christians need discernment.

Ephesians 4:14 warns believers against being carried about by every wind of doctrine, human cunning, and deceitful schemes.

The passage connects spiritual maturity with stability in the truth.

This maturity develops as believers are equipped through the ministry Christ has given His church.

When Scripture is faithfully taught in worship, Christians become better prepared to recognize error.

They learn to distinguish biblical teaching from speculation.

They become less dependent upon charismatic personalities.

They learn to evaluate spiritual claims according to God’s Word.

And they grow in their ability to hold fast to sound doctrine.

Discernment is not merely the ability to identify what is wrong.

It also involves knowing, loving, and practicing what is true.

A church that continually receives sound biblical instruction is being prepared to stand firm amid confusion.

This is another reason worship must remain Word-centered.

The spiritual health of the congregation depends upon the truth it receives.

Worship Forms a Humble Church

Biblical worship should produce humility because it directs attention toward the greatness of God and the grace of Jesus Christ.

When Isaiah encountered the holiness of the Lord in Isaiah 6, he became deeply aware of his own sinfulness.

He cried out:

“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).

The vision of God’s holiness exposed Isaiah’s need.

The same principle applies to Christians today.

When Scripture reveals God’s holiness, believers recognize the seriousness of sin.

When the gospel is proclaimed, they remember that salvation is entirely by grace.

When Christ’s sacrifice is celebrated, they are reminded that forgiveness was secured through His suffering and death.

These truths leave no room for spiritual pride.

The church does not gather to celebrate its own greatness.

It gathers to praise the Lord who has shown mercy to undeserving sinners.

Humility should therefore characterize the congregation’s relationships.

Believers should be willing to receive correction.

They should confess sin.

They should forgive one another.

They should seek reconciliation.

And they should serve without demanding recognition.

Philippians 2:3–4 instructs Christians to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility to count others more significant than themselves.

Worship that exalts Christ should produce people who increasingly reflect His humility.

Worship Forms a Holy Church

God’s purpose for His people includes their growth in holiness.

First Peter 1:15–16 commands believers to be holy in all their conduct because the Lord Himself is holy.

The worship of the church should encourage this pursuit.

When Scripture is preached faithfully, sin is exposed.

When God’s commands are explained, believers are instructed in righteousness.

When the gospel is proclaimed, Christians are reminded of the grace that saves and transforms them.

When the congregation prays, it asks for strength to obey the Lord.

And when believers gather around the Lord’s Table, they are called to examine themselves and remember the Savior who died for their sins.

Biblical worship should never communicate that holiness is optional.

Nor should it suggest that outward religious participation can replace obedience.

James 1:22 commands believers to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

This means the truths proclaimed in worship should shape the way Christians live throughout the week.

The husband who hears Scripture should seek to love his wife faithfully.

The wife who receives biblical instruction should seek to honor Christ in her responsibilities.

Parents should teach and model godliness before their children.

Church members should pursue integrity in their work, relationships, and speech.

All believers should seek to put sin to death and grow in obedience.

The purpose of worship is not merely to produce a meaningful Sunday experience.

It is to glorify God and strengthen a people who live faithfully before Him.

Worship Forms the Church for Its Mission

The church gathers for worship, but it also scatters into the world as a people called to bear witness to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:18–20 records the risen Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe everything He commanded.

This mission belongs to the church.

Faithful worship equips believers to participate in it.

Through the preaching of Scripture, Christians grow in their understanding of the gospel.

Through prayer, they learn dependence upon God.

Through congregational singing, they confess the truths they are called to proclaim.

Through fellowship, they practice the love that should characterize Christ’s disciples.

And through the ordinances, they are reminded of the saving work that stands at the center of their message.

The gathered church should therefore prepare believers for faithful witness.

Christians need to understand the gospel clearly enough to explain it.

They need to know Scripture well enough to answer questions with humility and truth.

They need courage to speak about Christ.

They need love for their neighbors.

And they need a growing desire to see sinners reconciled to God.

Worship should strengthen these convictions.

The church does not exist merely to preserve an institution or maintain religious programs.

It exists for the glory of God, the edification of believers, and the proclamation of the gospel.

The Danger of Worship That Forms Consumers

One of the great dangers facing contemporary churches is the tendency to approach worship through the expectations of consumer culture.

People may evaluate a church primarily according to musical preferences, production quality, personality, convenience, or personal enjoyment.

The central question becomes whether the service met their expectations.

But the New Testament presents a very different understanding of the church.

Believers are not customers.

They are members of Christ’s body.

They are called to love, serve, encourage, and build up one another.

First Corinthians 12 teaches that the members of the body need one another.

No believer possesses every gift.

No individual Christian is self-sufficient.

The church grows as its members serve according to the grace God has given them.

When worship is organized primarily around consumer expectations, the congregation may gradually learn to approach church as a product.

Members may become spectators rather than participants.

Preferences may become more important than biblical convictions.

Entertainment may replace instruction.

And personal satisfaction may displace the call to love and serve others.

The solution is not to make worship unnecessarily difficult or inaccessible.

The solution is to recover a biblical understanding of the church.

Worship should form disciples, not religious consumers.

It should encourage believers to receive God’s Word, participate in the life of the congregation, and serve one another in love.

Pastors Must Remember What Worship Is Forming

Pastors and elders carry a serious responsibility in shaping the worship of the local church.

They must remember that the practices of the congregation influence its spiritual development.

What is regularly preached will shape what members believe.

What is repeatedly sung will influence what they remember.

What is emphasized in prayer will teach them what matters.

What is celebrated in the congregation will affect what members value.

Pastors should therefore evaluate worship according to Scripture rather than immediate popularity.

Second Timothy 4:2 commands ministers to preach the Word with patience and teaching.

Titus 1:9 requires elders to hold firm to the trustworthy Word so that they can instruct in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it.

These responsibilities require courage.

There may be times when biblical preaching confronts cherished assumptions.

There may be occasions when songs need to be reconsidered because their theology is unclear or inaccurate.

There may be practices that should be corrected because they distract from the gospel.

Faithful pastoral leadership requires a willingness to place biblical truth above human approval.

Yet this work must be carried out with patience, humility, and love.

Pastors are shepherds, not performers.

They are servants of Christ entrusted with the care of His people.

Their goal should not be to build a ministry around themselves.

It should be to help the congregation grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The Ordinary Means of Grace and Lasting Spiritual Growth

Christians sometimes assume that meaningful spiritual growth requires extraordinary experiences.

They may search for a new conference, a special revelation, or a dramatic encounter that promises immediate transformation.

Yet Scripture consistently directs believers toward the ordinary means God has appointed for their spiritual good.

The ministry of the Word, prayer, the ordinances, and the fellowship of the church are not insignificant religious routines.

They are central to the Christian life.

Acts 2:42 describes the early believers as devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers.

These practices characterized the life of the church.

They were not impressive according to worldly standards.

But they reflected the priorities established by Christ and His apostles.

The same remains true today.

A church does not need constant novelty to grow in faithfulness.

It needs the Word of God faithfully preached.

It needs biblical prayer.

It needs the ordinances administered according to Christ’s command.

It needs believers who love and serve one another.

It needs pastors who shepherd with humility and conviction.

And it needs the grace of God working through these ordinary means.

Lasting spiritual maturity often develops through years of faithful participation in the life of a local church.

A believer hears Scripture preached week after week.

A family gathers regularly with God’s people.

Christians pray together through seasons of joy and suffering.

The congregation remembers Christ’s death at the Lord’s Table.

And over time, the Lord uses these practices to strengthen His people.

We should never despise ordinary faithfulness.

Worship Forms the Church Across Generations

Biblical worship also has implications for the next generation.

Children learn what Christians believe not only through formal instruction but also through observing the worship of the church.

They hear Scripture read.

They listen to sermons.

They watch believers pray.

They hear the congregation sing.

They observe baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

They see how Christians respond to suffering, repentance, forgiveness, and joy.

These experiences help shape their understanding of the Christian faith.

This does not mean participation in worship automatically produces conversion.

Salvation remains the sovereign work of God through the gospel.

But faithful worship provides regular opportunities for children and young people to encounter biblical truth.

Psalm 78:4 declares:

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.”

The church has a responsibility to pass biblical truth to future generations.

This requires more than providing age-specific activities.

Children and young people need to understand the doctrine, worship, fellowship, and mission of the church.

They need to see that Christianity is not merely a temporary stage of life.

It is the truth of God revealed through Jesus Christ.

A church committed to biblical worship is investing in the spiritual instruction of generations yet to come.

Worship Anticipates the Glory to Come

The gathered worship of the church also directs believers toward the future.

Christians live between the finished work of Jesus Christ and the day of His return.

We worship the risen Savior who reigns at the right hand of the Father.

And we await the day when He will bring His people into the fullness of His promised glory.

Revelation 7:9–12 describes a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

They proclaim salvation to God and offer Him praise.

This glorious scene reminds us that the worship of the church today anticipates the worship of God’s redeemed people in eternity.

One day, suffering will end.

Sin will be no more.

Death will be destroyed.

And the people of God will dwell in His presence forever.

Revelation 21:3–4 promises that God will dwell with His people and wipe away every tear from their eyes.

This hope should shape the church’s worship now.

We sing because Christ has conquered death.

We pray because our heavenly Father hears His children.

We receive the Word because God’s promises are true.

We participate in the Lord’s Supper while proclaiming His death until He comes.

And we encourage one another because the day of Christ’s return is drawing nearer.

The worship of the church is not an end in itself.

It directs God’s people toward the eternal glory secured through Jesus Christ.

A Final Word: Recovering Clarity in Worship

Throughout this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, we have considered the importance of biblical clarity in worship.

We have reflected upon the holiness and glory of God.

We have examined the centrality of Scripture, the person and work of Jesus Christ, congregational singing, prayer, the ordinances, and the responsibilities of the gathered church.

We have considered lessons from church history and the Protestant Reformation.

We have explored the importance of worship in the home and the need to worship faithfully through suffering.

These subjects are connected by one foundational conviction.

God is worthy of worship according to His Word, and the worship of His people should be shaped by His truth.

The church does not need to pursue endless novelty to remain faithful.

It does not need to imitate the entertainment industry.

It does not need to manufacture spiritual experiences.

It needs to return continually to the ordinary means through which God has promised to nourish and strengthen His people.

We need pastors who preach Scripture faithfully.

Pastors, do not measure the faithfulness of your ministry merely by visible results or immediate responses. Give yourselves to the patient exposition of Scripture, prayer, shepherding, and the care of Christ’s flock. Trust the Lord to accomplish His purposes through His Word, even when the fruit of your labor is not immediately apparent.

We need congregations that sing biblical truth.

We need churches that pray with humility and dependence.

We need believers who understand the gospel and participate faithfully in the ordinances.

We need families that treasure God’s Word.

We need Christians who love one another, endure suffering with hope, and grow in holiness.

And above all, we need to keep Jesus Christ at the center of our worship.

The church belongs to Him.

He purchased it with His blood.

He is its Head.

He gives gifts for its growth.

And He will bring His people safely into His eternal presence.

Ephesians 4:15–16 reminds us that the church grows as believers speak the truth in love and are joined together under Christ, the Head.

The purpose of biblical worship is not simply to create a meaningful gathering.

It is to glorify God and strengthen His people in the truth.

Conclusion: A Church Formed by the Glory of God

Christian, never underestimate what the Lord accomplishes through faithful worship.

A sermon faithfully preached may correct a misunderstanding that has troubled a believer for years.

A hymn grounded in Scripture may encourage someone walking through grief.

A congregational prayer may remind a weary Christian that the church is carrying burdens alongside them.

The Lord’s Supper may strengthen the assurance of a believer who has been struggling with guilt.

A passage of Scripture read aloud may awaken a sinner to the truth of the gospel.

These moments may appear ordinary.

But God works through His Word and by His Spirit to accomplish His purposes.

The church is formed as it gathers around the truth of God.

It is strengthened as believers hear and obey His Word.

It is encouraged as Christians pray and sing together.

It is nourished as the gospel is proclaimed and the ordinances are faithfully administered.

And it is equipped to live for the glory of God in a world that desperately needs the truth.

As we conclude this issue of Theology for Life Magazine, my encouragement is simple.

Keep the Word of God central.

Keep the gospel clear.

Keep Jesus Christ at the center of worship.

Love your local church.

Pray for your pastors.

Encourage your fellow believers.

And seek to worship the Lord with reverence, gratitude, joy, and understanding.

The church does not need worship that makes much of us.

It needs worship that makes much of God.

May the Lord continue to reform His church according to His Word.

May He raise up faithful congregations that treasure biblical truth.

May He strengthen believers through the ordinary means of grace.

And may our worship increasingly reflect the glory of the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us.

For the church exists by His grace, belongs to His Son, and lives for His glory.

As Paul declares in Ephesians 3:20–21:

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory.