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Finding a Bible-Believing Church — What Does That Really Mean?

Jesus didn't cancel anyone...should we? What does the bible tell us?

I saw on the news that Jimmy Kimmel was cancelled. Let me be clear: I’m not supporting him, and I’m not defending what he said. At the end of the day, Kimmel has an employer, and he had to face the consequences of what he said in that role. I’m not arguing that. What I’m wrestling with is the society around it — this hyper-charged culture where we rebrand things to fit our side. We cheer when it serves our team, and we condemn when it doesn’t.

When I shared that thought, my boxing coach pushed back. He told me this wasn’t cancel culture at all, but consequence culture. And I’m grateful for that distinction, because I don’t disagree with him. Consequences matter. Accountability matters. I think a deeper conversation sparcing out the difference could be productive but also his comment also highlighted the very thing that caught my interest in this news story at all because believe me, I avoid this stuff like the plague. His comment also underscored what I was trying to highlight: we tend to rename the same thing depending on whose corner we’re in. Cancel or consequence, we justify it when it works for us and rage against it when it doesn’t.

Boxing has helped me picture this clearly. Anyone who trains knows that whoever controls the center of the ring controls the fight. But when you’re backed into a corner, your options shrink — you swing wild, desperate to fight your way out. That’s where our society is right now. We’ve given up the center. We’re stuck in the corners, divided and defensive, when what we really need is the courage to reclaim the middle — the space where truth and balance live.

I want to be clear: this post isn’t about defending Kimmel, or about politics. I’m not taking a right or left stance here. What I am saying is that I can no longer be silent. I admit my sin of falling into a narrow point of view and judging others for not seeing my way so I took several years to deconstruct. Now I am ready to share some wisdom I have gained in that very challenging internal work. We need to uproot the planted seeds of hate for opposing sides and step towards the center. I find myself more central than I’ve ever been.

For years I took to heart Dr. King’s distaste for moderates. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail he wrote: “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block… is not the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice.” That line shook me, because he was right — neutrality in the face of injustice is complicity.

But over time I’ve come to see that true moderation doesn’t mean passivity or avoidance. True moderation can mean something different: the courage to hold tension, to resist the pull of extremes, and to step inward toward one another instead of backward into our corners. It’s compassion, not complacency. It’s grace that chooses to lean in with love.

That’s what this blog is about. We need consequences in life — but fair ones. We need accountability — but not weaponized outrage. We need a faith that believes the Bible not just in words, but in the way of love. And that raises the question: what does it really mean to be a “Bible-based church”? Because anyone can claim the label, but how do we know if it’s true? What are we to believe even in the way of our faith? The church has so many denominations because historically we could never agree. Even the disciples struggled to get it and they were right there with Him.

Throughout the gospels, Jesus consistently challenged the religious leaders — the very people who claimed to be the most “Bible-believing” of their day. They held tightly to the law, but often missed its heart.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Jesus says in Matthew 23, “You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” 

Or when they challenged him about the Sabbath, he reminded them, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

And in John 5:39–40, he declared, “You study the Scriptures diligently… yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Their “Bible-belief” became a barrier to love — and it ultimately led to Jesus being executed.

And here’s the sobering truth: Jesus himself became a prime example of what we now call cancel culture — or consequence culture, depending on the label you prefer. He spoke out of turn in a society not grounded in love but in fear, pride, and division. The powers of His day could not tolerate His voice. Much like ours, their world was primed for outrage, not for love.

Now, don’t get me wrong — there is a need for consequences. But let’s be honest: the people with the most power and wealth often avoid them altogether. The elites with financial resources hire the best lawyers, manipulate loopholes, and walk away untouched. Meanwhile, those without privilege face the full weight of judgment — sometimes unjustly, sometimes disproportionately, and often without mercy.

So what does it mean to be a “Bible-believing” society? I don’t mean plastering the Ten Commandments outside courthouses or forcing religious symbols into schools. I mean letting scripture actually shape the way we live together.

Imagine if in a courtroom, instead of only the scales of justice, we also saw words like: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). A reminder that justice without humility becomes corruption.

In our schools, rather than glorifying wealth and status, imagine a simple banner: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). A reminder that greed corrodes learning, families, and futures.

In our government buildings, where power is wielded daily, what if leaders had to walk past: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). A reminder that service, not self-interest, is the true call of leadership.

If we lived by those truths, then maybe “Bible-believing” would mean more than just doctrinal alignment. It would mean love in action, justice with mercy, and accountability rooted in humility.

As Parker Palmer reminds us, “Truth is not something we possess; it is found in the space between us.” That sacred space is where God shows up. Yet so much of our culture has forgotten how to think critically, because critical thinking without love only leads to division. What if instead of rushing to cancel one another—or excusing those with privilege who never face true consequences—we stepped into that center space together? What if the measure of being “Bible-believing” wasn’t about labels or politics, but about how faithfully we practiced love in the public square?

That’s why my church’s motto is Love First. Always. Because love is the gauge. It’s the standard Jesus gave us when he said the world would know we are his disciples not by our theology, not by our sacraments, not by our politics, not by our sin or righteousness—but by our love (John 13:35).

So here’s the invitation: step inward, not backward. Step toward one another with grace and courage. Control the center. Seek truth in the sacred middle ground, and measure everything by the way of love. Then the words of that old hymn might finally come alive again: “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Prayer:

God of truth and love, we confess that too often we rush to judge, condemn, or divide. We live in a world quick to cancel and slow to forgive, where the powerful escape consequences and the powerless carry burdens too heavy to bear. Teach us again the way of Jesus—the way that challenges pride, confronts injustice, and always begins with love. Draw us to the center where Your truth dwells, and help us to see one another through eyes of mercy. Make us a people who act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. So that when the world looks at us, they will not see our divisions or our righteousness, but they will know we are Christians by our love. Amen.

Want to be part of a love-centered bible-based church where we check our politricks at the door? Come join us Sundays at 9:30 am 106 N. Chestnut Scottdale, PA