Bible Verses on Church and Church Leadership

I sometimes wonder if church is supposed to look...different. There's nothing wrong with singing 3 songs, saying a prayer, taking up an offering, and hearing a sermon. But what if there's more to it? What if church looked like bringing healing to the hurting, even on Sundays? What if it looked like loving and serving like Jesus did? What if it was a place we longed to be all week, because it felt safer than anywhere else? What if church leadership looked like gentleness, encouragement, and careful teaching? What if church looked like sitting around the dinner table together, praising God for our blessings, and sharing what we have with those in need? Here are a few verses to ponder and pray over.

Matthew 12:9-13 "He departed from there and went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?' so that they might accuse him. He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.' Then he told the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other."

Matthew 16:18 KJV "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Luke 19:45-47 "He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, 'It is written, "My house is a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of robbers"!' He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him."

John 13:13-15"You call me Teacher and Lord. You say so correctly, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you."

John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy."

Psalm 84:1-4, 10 "How lovely are your dwellings, Yahweh of Armies! My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, Yahweh of Armies, my King, and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you...For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

Acts 2:42-47 "They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved."

Romans 10:13-15 "For, 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!'"

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 "Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you says, 'I follow Paul,' 'I follow Apollos,' 'I follow Cephas,' and, 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?"

1 Corinthians 1:21b-24 "[It] was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God;"

Hebrews 10:24-25 "Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

1 Timothy 4:13,16 "Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders...Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

2 Timothy 2:24-25 "The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient, in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth."

2 Timothy 4:2-5 "Preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry."

Titus 1:5-9 "I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you, if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him."

The whole chapters of Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Timothy 3 are also helpful.

*Unless otherwise noted, I use the World English Bible, because it is a free, public domain translation. Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Feel free to look up all the verses in your preferred translation! These lists are in no way comprehensive, and I am in no way an expert. These are simply passages I have found helpful in personal study. *

Nicole Jackson-Ozment