These are some of the great reflective questions he suggests we use instead to explain the strength and attractiveness of the church:

Is the gospel faithful preached?
Is the Bible taught with clarity and passion?
Are the sermons manifestly rooted in a text of Scripture?
Do the elders/pastors and deacons meet the qualifications for church office laid out in the New Testament?
Are the sacraments faithfully administered and protected?
Is church discipline practiced?
Do the elders exercise personal care over the flock?
Are there good relationships among the staff and other leaders?
Is the worship service put together thoughtfully and carried out with undistracting excellence (as much as possible).
Do the people in the congregation sing the songs with gusto or are they going through the motions?
Is a high bar set for church membership?
Are the people of the church engaged in personal ministry?
Is the congregation marked by increasing prayer and evangelism?
Do the pastors believe in the complete trustworthiness of all of Scripture?
Do they take adequate time for study and preparation?
Do they truly believe and eagerly rejoice in their church’s/denomination’s statement of faith, creeds, and confessions?
Are their lives examples of personal holiness?

1. God has revealed himself to us in his word and given us his Spirit that we might understand the truth.

2. The New Testament places a high value on discerning truth from error.

3. The ethical commands of the New Testament are predicated on theological propositions

4. Theological categories enable us to more fully and more deeply rejoice in God’s glory

5. Theology helps us more fully and more deeply rejoice in the blessings that are ours in Christ

6. Even (or is it especially?) non-Christians need good theology