Many of my sermons and article ideas are sparked by everyday encounters with those in the church and those of the religious world. The other day I ran across such a post on social media, which made this statement, “No, you don’t need to go to church to be a Christian, but because you are a Christian you should want to go to church.” This statement sparked my curiosity. The first part of this statement is the first cousin of another familiar statement, sometimes made in the church, “I want Christ, just not His church.” Is it true that we can have Christ without His church? Let us begin with a couple matters of context. First, the post under consideration was made by a popular religious organization in our community, which in and of itself, promotes false doctrine. They are not the church of the New Testament. While the source does not make the statement inherently false, we must always take that statement under investigation and examine the truth of the statement based upon a careful consideration of the holy scriptures. Second, though this statement was made by a denominational source, it appears to be the prevailing logic regarding the need for the church in our lives, even amongst God’s people. I want to provide you with a brief examination of this statement from the scripture by providing three truths:  The church is a body of people, not a building: Many view the church as a building, but the church …

John recorded by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in John 19:25, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” Our mothers deserve more recognition than one day a year for the unending love, selfless compassion, and priceless lessons they have brought to our lives. Each day, we ought to consider the beauty which “a woman who fears the Lord”, (c.f., Proverbs 31:30), brings not only to her family but to the church of our Lord. There are many greatest examples of a biblical mothers, but perhaps Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the greatest example of all. When we think of Mary, it is likely that much of what comes to our minds is steeped in ancient legend, rather than scriptural fact. We sometimes create a portrait of Mary in our minds as a young woman, serene and confident in her motherly role in raising the Son of God. However, as we explore the scriptures, we will notice that the scriptures paint a much more human and compelling picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. What does the Bible teach us about Mary, the disciple?  Mary was the first disciple to suffer for the cause of Christ. Think in terms of the first-century: A poor young Jewish girl, betrothed to a carpenter, who “magically” becomes pregnant. Though she had been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she would conceive a child through the power …