Three Words That Changed How We Must Think About Church
Are you spiritually hungry?
"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:9
It was Clara Peller who first asked, "Where's the beef?" in a groundbreaking 1984 television commercial for Wendy's hamburgers.
Clara Peller, standing barely 4'10" tall with a gravelly voice that could cut through steel, demanded to know, "Where's the beef?"
The story behind this iconic moment began in 1983 when Wendy's found itself struggling against larger competitors McDonald's and Burger King. Wendy's founder Dave Thomas had built his chain's reputation on square hamburger patties that hung over the edges of round buns, emphasizing the meat’s prominence. When market research revealed customers viewed competitors’ burgers as all bun and little beef, Wendy's advertising agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample recognized an opportunity.
The commercial's premise was simple but effective: three elderly women examine a competitor's burger with its giant fluffy bun and tiny patty. After two women admire the bun, Peller bursts out with her famous demand. The phrase
immediately resonated with audiences because it tapped into a broader cultural sentiment about style over substance. It wasn't just about hamburgers… it became a way to question the authenticity of anything that seemed to lack substance beneath its presentation.
The impact was immediate and far-reaching. Wendy's sales soared 31% in 1984. Peller became an overnight celebrity, appearing on television shows and giving interviews across the country. The phrase entered political discourse when Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale used it to challenge Gary Hart's campaign promises during a 1984 primary debate. T-shirts, bumper stickers, and merchandise bearing the slogan filled American stores.
The phrase became so popular that it was added to Bartlett's Familiar Quotations in its 1985 edition.
In 1984, Clara Peller's iconic question, "Where's the beef?" challenged the fast-food industry to deliver on its promises. Her call for substance over flashy packaging sparked a cultural moment that resonates deeply with the state of Christian teaching today. Many churches and ministries offer polished presentations and feel-good messages, but beneath the surface, they often lack the biblical depth necessary for spiritual growth.
Titus 1:9 provides a clear standard for church leaders: "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." This verse reminds us that Christian teaching is not about entertainment, comfort, or even popularity. It's about anchoring our faith in sound doctrine and equipping believers to discern truth from error.
But how often do we settle for something less? Churches today face the temptation to soften doctrine to avoid controversy and to focus on what feels good rather than what's true. Shallow teaching may attract crowds, but it fails to cultivate mature disciples. Like an oversized bun with little substance, a message that prioritizes style over Scripture cannot sustain spiritual growth.
The apostle Paul warned of this danger…
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Isn't this the reality we see today? Many teachings focus on self-improvement, prosperity, and comfort rather than calling us to repentance, holiness, and a deeper understanding of God's Word.
The responsibility lies with both teachers and listeners. Teachers must commit to presenting the full counsel of Scripture, even when it's uncomfortable or countercultural. They must stand firm in the truth, as Titus instructs, encouraging others by sound doctrine and refuting error with love and clarity. Congregants, on the other hand, must discern whether their church prioritizes biblical teaching over popular appeal. Are we seeking spiritual fast food—quick fixes and feel-good moments—or the rich nourishment of God's truth?
Demanding substance in teaching is not about being divisive but about pursuing faithfulness to God's Word. As Hebrews 5:14 teaches, "Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." A faith built on sound doctrine not only sustains us but equips us to navigate the challenges of life with wisdom and discernment.
The call to seek substantive teaching is a challenge for us all. Shallow, comfortable messages might feel satisfying at the moment, but they won't produce mature, Christlike believers. We need teaching that dives deep into Scripture, wrestles with its complexities, and applies its timeless truths to our daily lives. Let us be people who hunger for the truth, who seek not just what feels good but what draws us closer to God. In a world filled with spiritual fast food, may we always seek the nourishment of God's Word.
Clara Peller's famous question challenged Americans to look beyond appearances and demand real substance. Today, her words can echo in our spiritual lives, calling us to seek teaching that offers true biblical nourishment rather than hollow spiritual calories.
When we demand substance in our spiritual diet, we grow stronger in faith and better equipped to share God's truth with others…
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The adversary has infiltrated our fellowships. Even though Jesus said quite plainly those who love Him will obey His commands and that He did not come to do away with the law, we are taught the law is null and void and irrelevant. It's all about love. Forget obedience.
If we truly believe Jesus is God and we truly believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, then It follows we must believe Jesus wrote ALL the commands in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. That makes them ALL His commands.
He is either God or He is not. The Bible is either the inspired Word of God or it's not. You cannot have it both ways.
Where is the meat of the teachings of God in the Bible being taught in the Christian fellowships? Any time you hear obedience or obeying God's laws, it's only certain laws. It's pick and choose. Grace covers everything! Thing is, the truth is Grace does not cover willful obedience.
Those who do try to follow Jesus teachings in commands, all of them that are applicable to their gender and position and access, are told they are somehow sinning and nullifying the grace of Jesus. This is hogwash.
We are saved by grace, but we are called to obedience and there are scriptures all throughout the New Testament that tell us this. We have been delivered from slavery to sin to being capable of obeying God's laws.
Sadly, we've been propagandized and told that those scriptures don't mean what they say. It all started in the garden. "Did God really say?" is the tactic that was used back then and it's still being used now.
People need to look up the Biblical definitions for holiness, sanctification, and mercy. Not man's definitions, God's definitions in the Bible. People need to be truly studying the scriptures like the Bereans, seeking the Truth rather than seeking to buttress what they think is the truth.
Every teacher that teaches even the least of the commandments does not have to be obeyed will answer for that. Jesus Himself said it.
And let's not forget. The only scriptures they had back when Paul told Timothy that all scripture is profitable for reproof and correction and teaching, was the Old Testament. Specifically, the books of Moses were used. The Torah, which is best translated as teachings. There's more than just the law in there.
Once my eyes were opened to the Truth, I could not unsee it. Once I was able to get rid of the propaganda and the indoctrination I was taught, I was set free from the doctrines of man. I've since been living according to the Word, both written and living, and it's been an amazing journey that started years ago.
I am so humbled and blessed to be studying His Word with eyes wide open. I have learned so much and had so many of the inexplicable verses of the Bible actually explained. Things that never really quite made sense and that pastors would duck and dodge around, became understandable. It was all about context.
Where's the beef? Sadly, you won't find much, if any, coming from the typical Christian pulpit. There are some that teach the Truth, but not many.
Perhaps we could start a Christian catch-phrase, "Just the truth!" I get tired of all the extraneous nonsense surrounding the real gospel, which is very often couched in soft, fluffy boloney.