EIGHTEEN QUESTIONS THAT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF SUNDAYS
Looking for a good church? Join the club. Church-shopping can be a long and painful
process. To shorten your search, call the pastor of the church before you visit and ask
the following questions. This might save you a lot of Sundays.
What is mankind's biggest problem?
Seeker sensitive and felt-needs churches focus on man’s hurts and problems. The Bible
says that man’s biggest problem is sin.
What must someone do to be saved?
Repent and trust is the Biblical answer. If the word “repent” is never used, say, “Thank you.”
How do you deliver the salvation message?
Ask the pastor to describe specifically what he says. Does he encourage people to simply say a prayer? Does he tell people to ask Jesus into their hearts? The salvation message should include: God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, God’s response (hell), God’s kindness (Jesus on the cross), man’s response (repentance and faith).
How often do you talk about sin, righteousness and judgment?
Balance is key. This should not be the only emphasis, but it should be a regular emphasis.
Do you do church for, seekers or members?
“Both” is not acceptable. Church should be done for members and the unsaved are
welcome to attend.
What is your mixture of topical preaching vs. expository preaching?
Topical preaching is fine, but if a pastor never or rarely preaches expositionally (verse
by verse), then you are going to be learning from the pastor and not God’s Word.
Do your sermons focus on general living or theology?
Most theology applies to general living, what you are looking for is if they teach theology. Churches that shy away from theology will feed you milk, rather than meat.
Do you have a youth program, and if so, how are they run?
Firstly, churches don't have to have a youth program. However if fun and games is the major (and usually first) emphasis, you have a youth program that is trying to compete with MTV.
Describe your evangelism programs.
Don’t just accept, “We have an evangelism committee.” Dig. Are they serious about saving souls? E.g, do they door knock, or go street witnessing. Do they teach people how to witness?
What church growth model do you follow?
Hopefully they don’t have one. Churches should be reaching out to the lost, but churches that are plugged into new church growth models tend to follow man’s modern ideas rather than the Bible.
Do you believe the Bible is free from errors and contradictions?
No equivocation allowed here.
Do you believe in a literal 6 day creation?
Jesus did (Matt.19:4).
Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment?
Jesus did (Matt.25).
When you distribute the Lord's Supper, do you emphasize the need to examine yourself?
Paul did (I Cor.11:27-32).
Can a person who is living in a persistent lifestyle of sin inherit eternal life?
Sinners can certainly be forgiven, but practicing sinners cannot inherit eternal life (I
John 3:8,9).
Does your church exercise church discipline?
Paul said we should (I Cor.5).
Do Sunday school teachers, nursery, and youth volunteers fill out an application to answer questions about their core beliefs, or are all volunteers accepted?
What are the essentials of the faith?
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Salvation through faith alone, the inerrancy of Scripture.
