10/06/2026
Authenticity means living according to the truth.
It begins with knowing who Jesus really is and finding who you really are in him.
Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Transparency is often the pathway to transformation.
One thing I have learnt over the years is that every one of us could become susceptible to making faith about performance, positions and titles rather than about Jesus.
Pride is a sneaky thing!
A home church can fall into the same trap as a church that meets in a large building.
The issue has never been the venue; it is always the condition of the heart.
When Jesus told the story of the prodigal son, the focus was not ultimately on the son who ran away, but on the elder brother who refused to come into the Father's house.
It is a reminder that outward faithfulness can still be accompanied by pride, resentment and a lack of grace.
The New Testament uses the word ekklesia to describe the church—the gathered people of God.
Sometimes we become distracted by labels: home church, online church, traditional church or contemporary church. Yet the real question is much simpler:
Are these believers born again?
Do they love Jesus?
Is the Bible their authority? Are they committed to making disciples and loving one another?
There are many churches led by pastors and elders who sincerely seek to live according to Scripture and refuse to compromise the truth.
The church is Christ's body. It is what He died for.
He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, not to elevate personalities but to build up His people.
I also believe ministry is fundamentally about serving.
Throughout Scripture, the gifts were exercised within the life of the church for the benefit of others.
While a worker is worthy of his wages and ministry carries real costs, our motivation should never be personal gain but the glory of Christ and the growth of His people.
Healthy leadership is marked by humility, Christlike character and a genuine desire to see others flourish in their God-given calling.
I also recognise that church hurt is real. Spiritual abuse, manipulation and even sexual abuse have sadly occurred within churches, and these things should never be minimised or excused. They grieve the heart of God and must be confronted with truth and justice.
But unresolved hurt can also shape our perspective until we begin criticising the very community Christ died to redeem.
In the spirit of transparency, part of my own journey has been learning this lesson.
There was a time when I moved from church to church carrying disappointments with me.
I became convinced that church had to look a certain way—perhaps a home church or an online gathering. I am not opposed to either today, but I no longer believe one model is the answer.
What matters is a community centred on Christ, grounded in Scripture, filled with love, accountability and a shared commitment to make disciples.
The church is not a building, but neither is it simply an individual believer.
We are called to gather, encourage one another and live as the family of God.
Jesus' first warning in Matthew 24 was, "Take heed that no man deceive you." For that reason we need God, His Word and His people. Isolation can leave us vulnerable, while healthy biblical community helps us grow in maturity and truth.
In 2017 I began embracing God's call on my life and stepping into the prophetic gift. Since then Sharon and I have experienced encouragement, but also misunderstanding, slander and disappointment.
At times the deepest wounds have come from within the church itself.
Yet we continue, because we love the church and believe God is still at work in His people.
I see the imperfections, but I also see what Christ sees. He loved the church enough to give His life for her.
Jesus is returning for a bride—a people who love Him, love one another, pursue holiness, seek the lost and serve their communities with compassion.
When Jesus commissioned His disciples, He said they would be His witnesses in "Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
That begins locally.
Every church should be asking how it can care for the homeless, support families doing it tough, feed the hungry and demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways.
Religion is not faithful commitment to Christ and His church.
Religion is replacing relationship with performance and tradition.
My prayer is that we would become authentic voices—people who walk in truth, humility, transparency and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, always pointing others back to Jesus rather than ourselves
God bless
Pastor Chris Boyes.