April 2026

 

The apostle Paul not only paints an insightful picture of what can sometimes go wrong with a local church in his letters to the Corinthians, but also how to put it right.  We need to get clarity on what a healthy body of believers looks like because God ordained the church to guide, protect, and strengthen us as his followers.

In our current teaching series, To the Church of God, we unpack Paul's instructions to the Corinthian church. It's one of the best places in the Bible to learn about God's design for life in the body of Christ, because even though they were successful and spiritually gifted, they lacked love and unity. Does this sound familiar?

Paul addresses serious problems in the Corinthian church, reminding them of what church should be about. Rather than scolding them, he points them to God and tells them, “Here’s what you're meant to be like." He reminds them who they are: the church of God, sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people. What in the world could be any better than that?

To make his point, Paul uses the vivid metaphor of the human body: a unified whole with many distinct parts. Christ's church is the same. The Corinthians failed to understand their calling to love and unity, to being whole, which is why Paul uses this illustration.

In the New Testament there is no such thing as a Christian who is not part of a local Christian church. The decision to become a Christian is a decision to be part of the church. Our calling as individual believers is to be one body, with every member part of the larger whole.

Many of us need this reminder. Like it or not, we are part of the body of Christ. Perhaps we're disillusioned. Perhaps we’re weary in our walk. We may even feel inadequate and spiritually dry, having lost sight of how our spiritual health affects the whole body of Christ.

This is why I'm pleased to offer you a great book on living for Jesus this month, called Next by Matt Carvel. We will send you a copy as a thank-you for a donation of any amount to God Centered Life. God wants all of us. He cares about how we spend our money, what job we get, and even how we dress. From the day-to-day decisions to the big, life- shaping ones, how do we discern and live out God's will?

Your partnership in this ministry matters deeply. Through your faithful support, we reach around 500,000 people each week with the truth of God's Word, challenging them to center their lives around him.

May I ask you to prayerfully consider a donation to God Centered Life today to extend our reach? Thank you in advance for partnering with us in this important work. We are grateful for you!

Serving Him together,

Josh Moody
President and Founder
God Centered Life Ministries