You Don't Need a Building
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." — Acts 2:46
What makes a church a church?
The first church didn't even have a building. Where did they meet? They met in the temple courts and in the open air. They also met in small groups in their homes. They had communion and fellowship with one another in their homes. They were experiencing connectivity.
Let me tell you something important: The church is not a building. The church is people. You are the church. When you gather together, that's church—whether it's in a cathedral, a living room, a coffee shop, or under a tree.
During COVID, many churches discovered this truth all over again. We couldn't meet in our buildings, but we were still the church. Ministry still happened. People still came to Christ. Lives were still transformed.
The Bible tells us that the early believers were worshiping and praising the Lord. There was joy in their midst, and they could not wait to get together as often as they could. They didn't need fancy facilities. They didn't need professional sound systems or comfortable seating. They just needed each other and Jesus.
We've become so dependent on buildings that sometimes we forget what church really is. We think we need the right space, the right technology, the right atmosphere. But the early church had none of that, and they turned the world upside down.
I'm grateful for our church building. It's a tool that helps us gather and serve. But never confuse the tool with the reality. The building is not the church. You are the church.
This means you can do church anywhere. In your neighborhood. In your workplace. In your home. Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there. That's church.
Don't wait for the perfect building or the perfect program to start ministering to people. You are the church right now, right where you are. Gather people. Share Jesus. Break bread together. Worship. That's what the first church did, and they didn't have a building.
The church is people on mission, not bricks and mortar. Never forget that.
What makes a church a church?
The first church didn't even have a building. Where did they meet? They met in the temple courts and in the open air. They also met in small groups in their homes. They had communion and fellowship with one another in their homes. They were experiencing connectivity.
Let me tell you something important: The church is not a building. The church is people. You are the church. When you gather together, that's church—whether it's in a cathedral, a living room, a coffee shop, or under a tree.
During COVID, many churches discovered this truth all over again. We couldn't meet in our buildings, but we were still the church. Ministry still happened. People still came to Christ. Lives were still transformed.
The Bible tells us that the early believers were worshiping and praising the Lord. There was joy in their midst, and they could not wait to get together as often as they could. They didn't need fancy facilities. They didn't need professional sound systems or comfortable seating. They just needed each other and Jesus.
We've become so dependent on buildings that sometimes we forget what church really is. We think we need the right space, the right technology, the right atmosphere. But the early church had none of that, and they turned the world upside down.
I'm grateful for our church building. It's a tool that helps us gather and serve. But never confuse the tool with the reality. The building is not the church. You are the church.
This means you can do church anywhere. In your neighborhood. In your workplace. In your home. Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there. That's church.
Don't wait for the perfect building or the perfect program to start ministering to people. You are the church right now, right where you are. Gather people. Share Jesus. Break bread together. Worship. That's what the first church did, and they didn't have a building.
The church is people on mission, not bricks and mortar. Never forget that.
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2026
January
Are You Living Like He's Coming?Are You Worth Following?Are Your Sins Confessed Up to Date?God's PlanBut Wait, There's MoreLean on God in UncertaintyCaught Off GuardLearning to Be AloneDoes Your Ministry Stick?Worrying Won't Get You AnywhereDon't Waste Your PainJesus is Coming BackPraying According to God's WillWe are Different for a ReasonLearning to Say NoGod is Working In UsDon't Watch. Pray.It Will Cost YouJoy in the Middle of HellMinistry Happens in the Mess of Real LifeFaith That Doesn't Need AnswersThe Gospel Changes EverythingThe Question That Changes EverythingWhat are You Still Holding?When God Calls You to Small ThingsWhen Light and Darkness CollideWhen Love Changes EverythingWhen Your Faith Has a ReputationWorth the SacrificeYou Must Be Present to WinWhen God Nudges Your Heart
February
Jesus is Coming BackPraying According to God's WillWe Are Different For A ReasonLearning To Say NoGod Is Working In UsGod’s Plan Needs YouMinistry Happens Heart to HeartDon’t Abuse Your Free WillDo Your Words And Your Actions Matchup?Seek God FirstA Safe PersonTrust over WorryTruth Over ApplauseForgetting Your First LoveNever Stop WorshipingWalking Humbly with GodIt’s All About JesusPraise the LordPraying To Remind YourselfYou Made the TeamYour Pain Has a PurposeReal FriendsReplacing GodSpecific ConfessionSpiritual AlignmentThis World Is Not Our HomeOpen the GatesOne Life Is Worth It All
March
Crooked Lines to Straight DestinationsDead Men Feel NothingDon't Twist the TranslationWhen Tradition Becomes a TrapRooted TogetherLeave Room for God's JusticeYour Relationship, Your ResponsibilityGod Loves Big Churches TooNot What You ExpectedTwelve Inches from HellYou Don't Need a BuildingHow Truth Gets TwistedThe Danger of "Plus"Equipped for EverythingThe Pull You Can't IgnoreHungry for MoreReset Your SystemThe Word Does the WorkYou're Already a SaintYou Need a CoachOpposition Fuels GrowthTake the Weight OffGod Doesn't Change His MindWho's Really in Charge?When God Get's Your AttentionActions and WordsPraying in God’s WillA Call to God’s ChurchFalse ProphetsJesus Intercedes for YouAre You Ready For Jesus To Come Back?
2 Comments
I wish our younger people could understand this,in a society that's become used to entertainment the atmosphere of a church just simple piano ,singing the songs that praise& honor Jesus,a Leader teaching from the Bible,conversation ,to me that's worshiping .I don't need a band,l colored lights , ,it makes me feel like I'm at a concert.& it loses the reason we are there ,to share,participate with one another.
I've been in groups that met at houses,in the park,outdoors,or other places. I'm in a Bible study that meets in a celarium. God is still there.