Is streaming worship wrong?

No. Streaming can be a providential gift for those who are sick, shut-in, or traveling. The danger comes when it replaces the embodied gathering of the church.

Why is gathering in person so important?

Because worship is embodied and communal: the Lord’s Supper, baptism, fellowship, prayer, and singing all require presence.

Streaming Worship & the Temptation

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Streaming Worship & the Temptation to Spectate — The Weekly Watch (Sept 20, 2025)

Series: Contending for the Word — The Weekly Watch • Date: September 20, 2025 • Host: Dave Jenkins

Streaming Worship & the Temptation to Spectate

Show Summary

Streaming can be a providential gift for the sick, shut-ins, and those traveling. But if we’re not careful, it can also train us to spectate rather than worship. In this Weekly Watch, Dave contrasts the blessing of livestreams with the danger of passive “spectator worship,” and calls believers back to embodied gathering shaped by God’s Word and the ordinary means of grace.

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Key Scriptures

Hebrews 10:24–25; Acts 2:42–47; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4:16

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Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

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