"Signs of a Healthy Church" by Neal Pollard

February 22, 2026 - Sunday AM Sermon   This episode opens with a personal anecdote about a Lifeline health screening that serves as an extended analogy for spiritual health—what to watch, what to change, and how quickly circumstances can shift. The main teaching examines how to assess the Cumberland Trace Church of Christ—what outsiders and long-time members might say about the congregation, and how objective markers (attendance growth, baptisms, membership) and subjective perceptions (friendly, conservative, busy) interplay. Neal grounds the discussion in Scripture, especially Acts 2:42–47, and contrasts cultural measures of success with what God values. Central to the episode is a clear, four-part diagnosis of a spiritually healthy church: (1) a devoted church — steadfast to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer; (2) an awestruck church — marked by reverence and the “fear” or awe of the Lord that shapes vision and plans; (3) a generous church — sharing lives and resources to meet needs; and (4) a united church — one in mind, meeting together in homes and worship, a visible unity that draws others. These points are illustrated with biblical passages (Acts 2, John 17, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 1) and contemporary examples from the congregation. The episode also includes practical application: expectations for worship leaders and attendees to prepare and engage (not “mail it in”), the importance of dreaming big because God is bigger than our challenges, and the local implications of generosity and unity in community outreach. Cason’s preparation and leadership in worship are used as an example of devotion in practice. The episode closes with a call to worship together and to live out the four marks of church health in daily life. Duration 32:30