15: A Guide to Finding a Church and the Red Flags To Look For

This week, we are turning up the heat (again) and sharing about red flags (and green!) to look for in a church.   We should be in a church. We should be a part of a church. We ARE the church.   But what does a biblical church look like?   There is no such thing as a perfect church: we are ALL sinners. But, there are churches that do not reflect what a good, Christ-centred, Bible-focused church should have.   If you are a new Christian, you may find this episode to be a helpful guide. And if you're a seasoned Christian and a part of a church, then this will be a good reminder of the kind of church you should be a part of.   Disclaimer: we are not experts here! We are purely speaking from our experience in finding a new church multiple times and doing so with much prayer, discussion, biblical reference and discernment. You may disagree with us on some things, and for the most part, that is okay!    We address the red flags to look for in a church, but we also talk about the good things (or green flags) to look for in a church.   Lastly, we talk about 'beige flags' to look for in a church (so things that are not necessarily a red flag, but just something to consider).   Ultimately, we want this to be an encouragement out there for you to be connected into a church and to find a church that reflects the heart of God in the purest way humanly possible.   Show notes:   Websites:   R. C. Sproul https://www.ligonier.org   Tim Keller https://timothykeller.com/     Scripture:   Matthew 26:16-20   Deuteronomy 4:2  Revelation 22:18-19  Titus 3:9-11  1 Timothy 3:2  Titus 1:6  Acts 2:42-27  Titus 2  2 Timothy 3:16  Acts 20:28  Hebrews 10:25    Episode Chapters:   00:00:00  Highs and lows of the past week  00:07:03  Topic intro – experiences of church and change  00:21:02  – lack of bible-based teaching   00:26:21  – Intentional controversy  00:31:42  – Super rich pastors  00:38:00  – Unapproachable pastors  00:39:57 – No leadership accountability  00:44:20 – Celebrity pastor cult  00:47:21  – Closed door church  00:54:02 – lack of discipleship,   00:55:11  – Songs of me me me  00:57:13 – Lack of diversity  01:00:50  – Opaque finances  01:04:00  – Imbalanced focus on grace/truth  01:05:20  Green Flag – welcoming community  01:06:28 – scripture- focused  01:07:00 – trust in leadership team  01:09:01  – healthy discipleship focus  01:10:10  – opportunities to grow/learn  01:12:20  – strong networks with healthy churches  01:13:35 – emphasis on prayer    If you want to purchase Jess's new book Nutrition For Postpartum Playbook, grab it here.   Thank you for your support! Please kindly leave a rating and/or review if you are loving the podcast. That would mean so much to us.   Sign up to our monthly newsletter here.           ReplyForward   Add reaction