“I love thy church, O Lord,
The house of thine abode,
The Church our blest Redeemer saved
With his own precious blood."

Timothy Dwight wrote those words more than 200 years ago, yet they continue to resonate in my heart. The local church is God's best hope for humanity. It continues to have my thoughts and prayers and deepest devotion. I love the Church, and I know many of you do too.

I. THE CHURCH, IT'S NOT ABOUT CUSTOMS, IT'S ABOUT CHRIST

In the short span of 40 years, the center of the Christian movement moved from Jerusalem to Antioch. At first, the believers continued their custom of preaching to the Jews, but a major shift was about to happen. Some started preaching to the Greeks. “The Lord's hand was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (Acts 1…