Churches Jesus Did Not Die For

I remember my wedding day so clearly. Standing at the front of a small church in Greenwood, Miss., legs shaking, I watched as the doors finally opened. There was my wife. I really couldn’t believe she was marrying me.

When I think about the church being the bride of Christ, I picture Jesus presenting the church to himself and God as his bride. The feelings of excitement. The years of waiting. The excruciating death that was essential for the marriage to become official. What a moment.

In the years since, the church has changed a lot. That’s not surprising (or bad). Things change. But the bride Jesus died for isn’t the same one that exists in many churches today.

You see, when Jesus died for the church, he died for men and women who would function as his hands and feet. He died for sacrificial followers who would be driven by love, motivated by joy, equipped with a message and led by the Spirit.

In 2015, the church desperately needs to rediscover the true bride of Christ. Here are seven churches Jesus did not die for. Read More

Originally published in 2015, this article is still relevant two years later. Perhaps even more so.