Day 18 | The Church

January 14th, 2026
by Pastor Doug Spencer

Sister Teri and I love our church, not the building at 2813 W. Mount Whitney Avenue. We do appreciate the beautiful facilities that God has blessed us with, but we would be wasting our time to pray for the “building”. The real church is the “Bride of Christ” and that is you and I, and we are called to dwell together in unity, strive for faith, and hold to pure doctrine. So today, join us in praying for Riverdale Assembly of God to fulfill our role as “THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD!!!”

Pray that the church dwells together in unity and faith (Eph 4:13)

Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

Pray that the church stands fast in one spirit, striving together for the faith (Phil 1:27)

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 

Pray that the church is not carried about with various and strange doctrines (Heb 13:9)

Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 

The Church

The church is not:

An ark for the saving of a select few.
A ferryboat to take effortless passengers to the shores of heaven.
A life insurance company, with no obligation on policy holders except the payment of a small annual premium.
A social set, welcoming certain people and excluding others from its fellowship.
A Sunday pleasure club for the providing of pleasant occupation on the day of rest.

The church is:

A lifeboat for the rescue of sin-wrecked and perishing souls.
A family, in which love and service are expected from each member to each member.
An organized community, with constant activities and continual growth and development.
A company of believers who have found the one way of life and obey the one Lord of life.
A union of those who love for the benefit of those who suffer.
A center of social worship, in which the spiritual life of each is helped by the spiritual life of his fellow.
The representative -- the "body" -- of Jesus Christ on the earth, reflecting his spirit and controlled by his will.

^{_{Copied from Sermon Central/ By Charles R. Swindoll}}

What Is the Church?

Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We’re into motivation and behavior alteration.

We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death.

We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There’s not enough money to buy it.)

Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn’t own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday."

_{^{Copied from Sermon Central/ By Troy Borst}}

Posted in 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting