Week 25
Your Weekly Round-up Sunday!
The week we discover the Church we belong to as born-again believers…
Welcome to Week 25 — and what a week it is. We are going right back to basics with the one question every believer needs to settle: what is the Church, and what does it mean to belong to it? Most people think "Church" is a building you visit on a Sunday. Scripture says something far greater — Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular [1 Corinthians 12:27 KJV]. You are not a spectator at the back. You are a blood-bought member of the living body of Christ. Settle that, and you will never look at "going to church" the same way again.
Here is what is waiting for you this week. We open and close with a two-part teaching, What do you think of Church? Part One, at the top, settles what the Church truly is — not bricks and glass, but born-again people with Christ Himself as the Head. Part Two, at the end, shows you what the Church was built for — an assault force, not an audience, founded on the Rock and rooted in the Word.
In between, five daily teachings build it up brick by brick:
This Week's Daily Teachings
📖 Monday — What the Church Actually Is
🤝 Tuesday — Why You Need the Church
👣 Wednesday — Why the Church Needs You
❤️ Thursday — How to Live as a Real Part of the Church
🐑 Friday — Forsaken Sheep & Forsaking Shepherds (Part Three) — a hard word said in love about shepherds who stopped shepherding.
Add the daily YouTube line-up, the Blazing Apostles and Saturday Conversations podcasts, and everything on the website, and you have a full week to feast on. So settle it in your heart before you read another word: you do not merely attend the Church — as a born-again believer, you are the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones [Ephesians 5:30 KJV]. Let us walk worthy of it together this week.
With Christ's love, Dave & Elaine
Building Your Faith on Biblical Foundations! Discover core Christian principles and deepen your relationship with Christ through biblical teaching and practical application…
Part One: What do you think of Church?
Not a building you visit, but a body you belong to…
Ask ten Christians what the Church is, and you will get ten different answers. One points to the building. Another to the Sunday service. Someone names the music, the coffee, the programmes, the preacher. A few admit they have not been in a long while. And only a handful will say what Scripture says — the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth [1 Timothy 3:15 KJV].
We have a problem. And it is not that the world has stopped coming to church. It is that the church has stopped looking like the Church.
So let us get the first thing straight. The Church is not bricks, glass, carpet, or stained-glass windows. The Church is people — born-again believers, bought with the blood of Christ, joined to Him by His Spirit. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones [Ephesians 5:30 KJV].
You do not go to church on a Sunday. You are the Church on a Monday — in the supermarket, at your workplace, around your kitchen table. The building is simply where the body gathers. If it burned down tomorrow, the Church would still be standing, because the Church is alive in every believer who walks out of those doors and lives the Word the rest of the week.
Here is the next truth, and it is the one the modern church has quietly forgotten. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. Not the pastor. Not the elders. Not the leadership team. Not the latest book, conference, or celebrity preacher. And he is the head of the body, the church [Colossians 1:18 KJV].
When the Head goes missing from a body, the body begins to twitch and stumble and do strange things. That is exactly what we are watching across the Western church. Programmes replace prayer. Performances replace preaching. Personality replaces Christ. The lights go up, the smoke comes on, the band plays — and somewhere along the way the Lord Jesus has been quietly left at the door.
A church without Christ at the centre is not a church. It is a religious club with good lighting.
So before we ever talk about what the Church does, we have to settle what the Church is. It is the living body of Christ, indwelt by His Spirit, headed by the Lord Jesus Himself. Get that wrong, and everything else collapses. Get it right, and you will never look at "going to church" the same way again.
Ask yourself honestly this week: do I treat the Church as a place I attend, or a body I belong to? Is Christ truly the Head of my fellowship — and the Head of my own walk?
In Part Two, we turn to what this body was built for — its purpose, its foundation, and the step of obedience the Lord is asking of you…
"Something to think about" is a phrase that indicates there is a topic or idea presented that the reader should consider and contemplate, for further reflection or discussion. Published weekly on a Monday…
Monday 15/06/26
What the Church Actually Is (Teaching 1)
Before you can love the church, you have to know what the church is…
What even is the church?
Before you can love the church, you have to know what the church actually is. The church is not a building, a brand, or a Sunday service. The church is the blood-bought body of Jesus Christ — and because Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church, Scripture also names the church the bride of Christ. The church is the household of God, the temple of the Spirit, and the assembly Christ Himself is building. If Christ loves the church this much, we cannot afford to take the church lightly. This is the foundation. The rest of the week we build on it…
Messages from the Outpost: Join us at our home church (186, Greenacres, Wetheral, Carlisle CA4 8LU, UK) every Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Tuesday 16/06/26
Why You Need the Church (Teaching 2)
You were never meant to walk alone…
The lone-wolf lie
You were never meant to walk alone. From Genesis to Revelation, God forms His people into a people. The church is where you hear the Word, share the Table, obey the "one another's," and grow under the gifts Christ gave for your edification. Lone-wolf Christianity is not strength — it is exposure. Plant yourself in a local body and grow as God designed you to grow…
"Write this down" is a phrase used to draw attention to essential information that needs to be recorded or remembered. Published weekly on a Wednesday…
Wednesday 17/06/26
Why the Church Needs You (Teaching 3)
You're not just a pew-filler. You're part of the body…
Now turn it around
The church needs you. Not because she is short-handed, but because Christ designed her so every member matters. He gave gifts to His people, and the body grows when every part works. Stop hiding at the back. Stop saying you have nothing to offer. God set you in the body for a reason. Find your place, and start serving…
Messages from the Outpost: Join us at our home church (186, Greenacres, Wetheral, Carlisle CA4 8LU, UK) every Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Thursday 18/06/26
How to Live as a Real Part of the Church (Teaching 4)
Belonging is not a feeling — it's a way of life…
From hearer to doer
Belonging to the church is not a feeling — it is a way of life. Gather, listen, do, fellowship, serve, love, honour, pray, give, persevere. None of it is dramatic; all of it pleases the Lord. Build a life where the church is not a place you visit but a people you walk with — and you will look back on a Christian life that was lived where Christ shed His blood…
Back to Basics is a weekly Christian living teaching blog that focuses on teaching the principles of Christian living from a fundamental perspective. Published weekly on a Friday…
Friday 19/06/26
Part Three - Forsaken Sheep & Forsaking Shepherds
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord [Jeremiah 23:1 KJV].
Picking up where Part Two left off…
In Part One we looked up at the Chief Shepherd. In Part Two we looked around at the state of the flock. In Part Three we look in the mirror. This is a hard word said in love — there are lost, wandering, and wounded sheep in our churches because somewhere along the line the shepherds stopped shepherding. Ezekiel 34 is God's own diagnosis. Jeremiah 23 is His warning. And the second half of the warning, often missed, is that many churches do not even teach their people how to shepherd one another — so when the platform fails, the flock has no one. God will not stand back forever. If men will not shepherd His people, He will — and He will require an answer. The Chief Shepherd is gentle with shepherds who repent, and firm with those who won't. May none of His sheep be forsaken on our watch…
YouTube: Engaging Content Line-up on 'Back to Basics: Christian Living' YouTube Channel. Published weekly from Monday to Friday...
This Week: 15 - 19 June 2026
Welcome to this week's exciting line-up on our "Back to Basics: Christian Living" YouTube channel! We've carefully curated content designed to strengthen your faith, provide daily spiritual nourishment, and accompany you on your walk with Christ. From devotional moments to in-depth teachings, we're committed to bringing you resources that both inspire and equip…
Something to Think About?
Our "Something to Think About" playlist offers brief, thought-provoking reflections on Christian living. Each video presents meaningful topics designed for contemplation and spiritual growth, encouraging viewers to examine their faith more deeply. Whether you're seeking inspiration or wrestling with questions, these concise messages provide valuable insights to carry with you throughout your day and spark meaningful discussions with fellow believers….
Shorts: messages from the Outpost!
Discover the truth of God's Word. We're addressing the erosion of Biblical teachings in today's world and inviting everyone to join us on this journey. Our mission is to uphold the true teachings of Jesus, challenging misleading interpretations, and promoting accountability…
Write this Down…
Our Write This Down playlist features essential Christian teachings and biblical insights you'll want to remember. Each video highlights key principles for your faith journey that are worth noting down for future reference and spiritual growth….
Back to Basics: Christian Living
…Laying the foundation for a Christian life…
Back to Basics: Christian Living guides viewers through core principles of faith. Each video explores essential topics like prayer, scripture and community, offering practical advice and spiritual insights. Whether you're new to faith or deepening your understanding, this series provides key teachings for a life rooted in Christian values…
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The home for our unscheduled, Spirit-prompted teaching videos — the ones that don't fit the weekly slot but need saying now.
No fixed format. No fixed length. Just plain, practical, powerful teaching from the King James Bible — opened, explained, and applied.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves [James 1:22 KJV].
Back to Basics: Living Faith!
Morning: Awakening Faith! - is a series that inspires you to walk in the Spirit, live by faith, and fulfil God's purpose each day.
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Archive Collections: Under the Tree! - Building a solid foundation for a Christian life -Reflecting Christ, Overcoming Challenges, and Standing Strong in Faith offering insightful discussions on several topics related to Christian living & spiritual growth
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Discover our podcasts "Blazing Apostles" and "Saturday Conversations" with hosts Dave and Elaine. Through engaging discussions, stories and practical teachings, we explore foundational Christian principles that refresh your faith.
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Use the Word as Prayer — and Let Action Answer Your Natural Thoughts
Stop wrestling with your own reasoning. Pray the Word, then go and do it…
There is a quiet crisis in many a believer's prayer life, and it is this: we talk to God about our problems far more than we pray God's Word back to Him. We come with our worries, our wish-lists, our running commentary on what is wrong — and we call it prayer. But prayer was never meant to be the overflow of our natural thoughts. It was meant to be the overflow of His Word in us.
Listen to the Lord Jesus: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you [John 15:7 KJV]. Do you see the order? His words abide in you first; then your asking carries weight. Prayer that moves heaven is prayer soaked in Scripture.
So take the Word and turn it into prayer. Read a promise — and pray it. Read a command — and ask for grace to keep it. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly [Colossians 3:16 KJV], and let it rise back to God as worship and supplication: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit [Ephesians 6:18 KJV]. When you pray the Word, you are no longer guessing at God's will. You are agreeing with it.
But here is the second half, and it is just as searching. Many of us are led not by the Word, nor even by prayer, but by our natural thoughts. We feel something, we think something, and we treat that feeling as fact. Scripture is blunt about where that road ends: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace [Romans 8:6 KJV].
Your natural thoughts will tell you to worry, to quit, to take offence, to lean on your own understanding. The Word tells you otherwise. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding [Proverbs 3:5 KJV]. The Christian life is not won in the head; it is won in the doing. We are to be casting down imaginations... and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV].
That is the difference between a hearer and a doer. The hearer thinks about the Word. The doer acts on it. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves [James 1:22 KJV].
So here is your step this week. When a natural thought rises — fear, doubt, bitterness, despair — do not sit and argue with it. Find the verse that answers it, pray that verse straight back to God, and then act on it. Pray the Word. Walk the Word. Let obedience, not your own reasoning, have the final say.
That is what it means to come back to basics…
Back to Basics: Christian Living - Your Faith Journey. We're excited to share insights and practical guidance to help strengthen your faith journey in 2026…
Part Two: What do you think of Church?
An assault force, not an audience…
In Part One we settled what the Church is — not a building, but the living body of Christ, headed by the Lord Jesus Himself. Now we come to the question that exposes so much of what passes for church today: what did Jesus actually build it for?
He told us plainly. Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it [Matthew 16:18 KJV].
Read that again. The Church is an assault force, not an audience. It was never meant to sit politely while the world marches to hell. It was never meant to be a soft cushion for sleepy Christians. It was built to advance on the gates of hell — to preach the gospel, to make disciples, to build people up in the Word, and to send them out as doers of it.
Look at the New Testament Church and you will see it. They turned the world upside down [Acts 17:6 KJV]. They prayed. They gave. They suffered. They obeyed. They went house to house teaching the Word. They worshipped with reverence and joy. They cared for one another. They loved the Lord more than their own lives. That is the Church Jesus is coming back for — not a watered-down version squeezed in between brunch and the football.
But an army needs solid ground beneath it, and the Church has only one foundation. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV] — and the Christ we know is the Christ revealed in the Scriptures. Take away the Word, and you take away the Saviour. Take away the Saviour, and you take away the Church.
That is why every healthy church must be a Bible-believing church — not merely a Bible-quoting one. A church that opens the Word, teaches the Word, defends the Word, lives the Word, and refuses to bend it to suit the spirit of the age.
So next time you walk into a church, do not first ask, Did I enjoy it? Ask, Did I hear the Word? Was Christ lifted up? Did I leave knowing what to do?
Here, then, is your step of obedience this week:
Stop measuring church by how it makes you feel; start measuring it by what the Word says it should be — Christ-centred, Word-rooted, prayer-soaked, obedience-driven.
Pray for your local church. Pray for your pastor. Pray that the Head of the Church would be honoured in His house again.
Then live the Word the rest of the week — because the Church is not just where you go on Sunday; it is who you are every other day.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves [James 1:22 KJV].
It is time to come back to basics. It is time for the Church to look like the Church again…
