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3 Misconceptions About the Church

Living in the heart of the Bible Belt, it’s quite easy to become comfortable with certain beliefs and worldviews. For some reason, as we grow older we tend to believe everyone else shares a similar experience in life and has a similar view and outlook. However, that is not always the case.

One thing I’m learning is that not everyone has the same outlook and worldview of the church. Not everyone spent their childhood attending Sunday School and participating in Christmas dramas.

Some have been burned by the church. Some have been used and abused by their spiritual leaders and mentors. Due to the pain and heartache caused by the imperfect people who make up the church, there are many wrong ideas that are developed.

There are several wrong ideas I’ve heard about the church, but there are three in particular that seem to be the most common.

The Church Just Wants Your Money

One wrong idea I hear consistently about the church is that the church just wants your money. It’s understandable why some people believe this.

I’m afraid that many people’s view is based on a TV special they’ve seen with a money hungry evangelist begging for viewers to send him money.

This, however, is not the heart of the church. While some pastors and ministers do abuse their spiritual authority for personal gain, most spiritual leaders are working long hours serving people in difficult situations while making a very average salary.

The church doesn’t want to take your money. The church just wants your heart to be opened to the good news of Jesus Christ.

The church wants you to realize that it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

And that it is a blessing to bless others (Proverbs 11:24-25).

Above anything else, that is the ultimate desire of the church. The church wants your heart connected to God’s love and to the truth that you were made to give your life away.

Sure, the church needs money to operate, but money isn’t the goal of the church—people are.

The Church Hates Homosexuals

I was driving down the road in my hometown recently and read a church sign that helped me understand why some homosexuals believe that the church hates them. The church sign I came across basically used scripture to make a shortsighted joke toward homosexuals. It was mean-spirited, hurtful and derogatory.