What Pure Word of God Teaching Means, and How to Listen to a Sermon Well

When someone leaves a review for a church and writes 'Pure word of God teaching,' they're saying something specific. One visitor wrote exactly that about New Birth Kingdom Church International in a Google review. It's worth unpacking what the phrase usually means, because it also tells you what to listen for when you sit down in any church.

What the phrase usually means

In plain terms, pure word of God teaching describes a message that stays close to the Bible. The speaker reads a passage, explains what it says, and lets the text set the direction instead of using it as decoration for the speaker's own opinions. It's a preaching style, not a secret code. We can't speak for every church that uses the phrase, but this is how most people mean it.

The idea goes back to the Bible itself. John 1:1 says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (KJV). Christians have long treated Scripture as the main source for what they teach. In that setting, the word pure is usually shorthand for staying faithful to the text rather than adding to it.

A simple way to listen

Listening to a sermon is a skill, and nobody is born with it. A few habits help a great deal, in a pew or in front of a screen at home.

• Bring a pen and a small notebook, or use your phone's notes app, and write down one line that caught your attention.
• Note the Bible passage being read. If you can, open your own Bible to it and follow along.
• Ask what the passage says before you ask what it means for you. First the words, then the application.
• Write down one question you'd like to bring to someone afterward.
• Pick one small thing to do this week because of what you heard.

Check it against the page

There's a good example in Acts 17:11. The people of Berea 'received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so' (KJV). They listened eagerly, and then they checked. That's a healthy pattern for all of us. Good teachers don't mind being checked against the text, and a church that teaches from the Bible should be glad when you open yours.

So if a point puzzles you, mark it, look it up later, and ask. It isn't rude to say to a pastor, 'Where do you see that in the Bible?' It's what the Bereans did, and the question usually leads to a better conversation than silence would.

Hearing and doing

James 1:22 puts it bluntly: 'But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves' (KJV). A great message that changes nothing by Monday hasn't done its job. After you hear a sermon, try to pick one thing, such as a prayer to pray, a person to call, or a habit to start or stop, and write it somewhere you'll see it.

It also helps to keep your expectations kind. Not every message will land the same way. Some days a sermon is a full meal, and some days it's a snack, and the one you almost skipped can be the one you needed. Romans 10:17 says, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God' (KJV). Hearing matters, and it's worth taking the time to do it well.

What to notice when you visit

When you visit a church that says it teaches the Word, you can watch for a few simple things. Does the speaker name a passage and read it? Does the message keep coming back to it? Are you invited to look things up for yourself? Does the speaker point to Scripture, rather than only to himself or herself?

None of this is a test the church has to pass in front of you. It's just a way of knowing what you're hearing, and a way of listening that you can carry into any church for the rest of your life. If a church welcomes that kind of listening, that's a good sign.

Hear it for yourself

If you'd like to hear the teaching for yourself, call New Birth Kingdom Church International at (618) 549-7861 and ask when the next gathering is. Come with your Bible if you have one, or just come with your questions. You can also stop by 302 N Robinson Circle and see the building in person. We'd love to have you.