Should Christians look for a perfect church?

Christians should not look for a perfect church, because every local church is made up of sinners who are still being sanctified. Christians should seek a faithful church where Christ is exalted, the gospel is proclaimed, and Scripture is the final authority.

Why does biblical preaching matter in a church?

Faithful preaching matters because God grows, strengthens, corrects, and equips His people through His Word. The authority of the church rests not in the opinions of a pastor but in the Word of God.

Why does church membership matter?

Meaningful church membership helps Christians live faithfully among God's people through accountability, discipleship, fellowship, service, and encouragement. The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation.

What Makes a Church a True Church: The Marks That Tell You Whether You’re Home

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The Marks of a Faithful Church: How to Recognize a Biblical Church

How can Christians recognize a faithful church in a time when popularity, personalities, programs, and production often shape how churches are evaluated?In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins explains the biblical marks of a true church: faithful preaching of God’s Word, the right administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, loving church discipline, qualified biblical leadership, and meaningful commitment within the local body.

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Seeking a Faithful Church

Christians are not called to find a perfect church. Every local church is made up of sinners who need the grace of God and are still being sanctified. The goal is to find a faithful church where Christ is exalted, the gospel is proclaimed, Scripture is the final authority, and God’s people grow together in grace and truth.In a consumer-driven culture, it is easy to evaluate a church by preferences, personality, programs, or production. But Christ owns the church and defines its priorities in His Word. A faithful church is marked by the clear preaching of Scripture, the biblical practice of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, loving discipline aimed at restoration, and qualified shepherds who serve rather than build their own platforms.This episode also considers why meaningful commitment to a local church matters. The Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. Christ grows His people through the ministry of His Word and through the care, accountability, service, and fellowship of His people.This episode continues the September series, Home: The Church, the Gospel, and the Grace That Brings You Back.

Continue growing in God’s Word with Equipping You in Grace.Equipping You in Grace | A Biblical Podcast for Christian Living Equipping You in Grace – YouTube

Dave Jenkins( Executive Director )

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 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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