By: Mike Riley
The Church is not made up of people who believe they are better than others, but rather it is made up of those who realize that they should be better than they are and must continually strive to do better (Philippians 3:12-16).
The Church is not made up of perfect people, but people who realize they are following a perfect Lord and must do their best (1 Peter 2:18-22; 1 Peter 1:13-16).
The Church is not made up of people who never make mistakes, but those who often acknowledge their errors and then forsake them (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13).
The Church is not trying to withdraw from everyone, but rather to draw everyone into its fellowship and love and encourage them to walk in the light where God the Father and Christ the Son are found (1 John 1:3-7).
The Church is not trying to set up arbitrary rules to hinder anyone, but rather to show the rule of Christ which helps everyone (Gal. 6:14-16; Philippians 3:7-16).
The Church is not trying to take the joy out of your life; it is trying to put real joy into every life it touches (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13).
The Church is not trying to separate you from your money; it is trying to keep your money from separating you from God (1 Timothy 6:6-10; cf. Proverbs 10:22).
The Church is not trying to become the master of your life but is trying to get you to master yourself (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
The Church is not trying to rob your life of priorities but is trying to allow you to put real priorities in your life (Matthew 6:33).
The Church is not discouraged simply because you miss service regularly but is fearful that you will miss heaven completely (Hebrews 10:23-31).