Time to let the cat out of the bag.  For the last several weeks we've been talking about how to choose a church. But I've been hiding something from you.

The items I've listed in these posts (the pure preaching of the gospel, the right administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline) have some history behind them.  They typically go by the call line "The 3 marks of a true church."

Many churches have become what the Bible terms, "synogogues of Satan."  That is to say, they are no longer churches that are faithful to Christ.  The question, of course, arises as to how to define a true church from a false one.

These were the traits that were developed during the Reformation as our Protestant father's sought to work through whether or not they should continue being aligned with the Catholic church.  

Today these principles still are helpful for us.  Churches come a dime a dozen.  There is one on almost every corner in cities like Ashland and Mansfield.  But which ones are faithful to Christ?  Which ones are not?

You can typically tell by looking to see whether or not a church is practicing these three marks.  If they are, it is likely that the church is serious about discipleship and are ready to nurture you & your family in the faith.

We still have two more posts to do in this series.  We still have the mark of love, and we will be doing a post on traits that likely show a church is definitely not worth your time.

On April 18th, Providence Church will hold its Good Friday service.  

The time will consist of songs interspersed with reflections on the cross.  Those who attend are encouraged to bring a Scripture or share a brief meditation on what the cross means.

The service will begin at 6:30 p.m.

If you are at a store buying clothes, you will want a salesman who is kind enough to tell you the shirt you picked out looks ugly on you.  

You don't want someone who will tell you anything just to make a sale (or worse, completely ignore you and not give a hoot about what you are doing there!).

The same is true when it comes to the church you choose.  

Like the salesman who has the courage to tell you your shirt is ugly, you should want a church where the leadership is willing hold the brethren accountable for the ugliness of sin in their lives.

Church discipline is not one of those things that might come to mind when you are choosing a church.  It ought to be, however.  That's because it is an extension of the gospel ministry.

You might say church discipline is the practical side of the ministry of the Word. It is a way of applying the Scriptures in real life situations.  

A church that practices discipline is a church that is serious about the purity and protection of its membership.  Sin can easily spread like gangrene, infecting you, your family, or your friends. Scripture also shows that the sin of one can result in God's wrath coming upon the corporate body (e.g. Judges 7).  

But church discipline will preserve a congregation from such miseries.  That's why you'll want to make sure you put this in the checklist when choosing a church in Ashland, Richland, and Wayne Counties.