03-Misconceptions: "Five Myths: That Weaken the Church."

In Acts 7:48, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Matthew 18:15–20, and 2 Corinthians 9:1–7, Scripture dismantles five deeply held misconceptions that quietly cripple churches and stunt believers — the idea that the church is a building, that God's presence requires a crowd, that Sunday exists to court the unbeliever, that God won't overload you, and that tithing is a binding law.

When Stephen declared that the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, it cost him his life — and it should cost us our comfort. The veil is torn. The Spirit lives inside every believer. We do not walk into God's house on Sunday and leave it behind on Monday; we are the temple, deployed into the world the moment the service ends.

Jesus' promise in Matthew 18:20 is not a quorum clause for unlocking God's power — it is judicial backing for the hard, loving work of church discipline. And the Sunday gathering is not an evangelistic stage stripped of hard truths; it is the locker room where the team gets coached on apostles' doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42) so that we can go, make disciples, baptize, and teach.

The slogan "God won't give you more than you can handle" twists a passage about temptation (1 Cor. 10:13) into a lie about suffering. Paul himself was burdened beyond his strength — by design (2 Cor. 1:8–9). And the tithe? Paul retired the word entirely, replacing dekate with charis — grace-gift — calling us not to a percentage but to purposeful, promise-keeping generosity.

If you've been operating under any of these myths, this message resets your expectations to what Scripture actually teaches — and calls you to live it out.

Key Texts: Acts 7:48; Exodus 25:17–22; Matthew 27:51; Galatians 4:4–7; Ephesians 1:13–14; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Matthew 18:15–20; Deuteronomy 19:15; Acts 2:42; John 6:53–58; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:8–9; James 1:2–4; John 16:33; John 15:18–20; Philippians 4:13; Matthew 11:28–30; 2 Corinthians 9:1–7; Matthew 5:37; Acts 11:29

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