A year from now some of you will no longer be here.  For some of you… a job may take you to another city.  For some… you may move away to college…  Some of you… may decide to change churches even… for any number of good reasons.  And some of you… may no longer walk this earth.  Your time will be done… and, although you maybe didn’t see it coming… you will step into eternity and will never see the face if THIS earth again. 

I’m not troubled by any of those moves.  Movement is a fact of life.  I’m not worried of any of you at all who will no longer be here for any of THOSE reasons.  BUT, some of you… a year from now are going to be ABSENT… for DARKER REASONS.  Where God was once central in your life… where worship and fellowship once nurtured your life… a year from now… you’ll strangely be absent.  In its place will be something else filling your time, occupying your heart, and captivating your attention.  And it won’t happen all at once!  But, it will happen QUIETLY… it will happen over TIME… almost imperceptibly… because various reasons you’re going to “untie your rope”… you’ll quietly float away like a sailboat drifting away from the dock.  And I hope it never happens to you… but as a pastor I can tell you that every year… I see it happening to someone. » Read The Rest

The Californian reported yesterday that 80% of Americans believe there are many ways to believe about spiritual things… many legitimate options of religions… and you’re fine!  (Oprah denies Christ illustration.  “There just CAN’T BE one way!  There just CAN’T BE!”) One of the most offensive beliefs of Christianity to modern thinking is that among all religions… Christianity is unique…  that Christianity alone reveals the WHOLE TRUTH about God… and in fact is the ONLY WAY to God.  That exclusivism… just galls people!  “I mean, how pompous, bigoted and blind can you get?  EVERY RELIGION IS EQUALLY VALID!  NO ONE BELIEF is absolutely right or wrong!  There are hundreds of millions of non-Christians in the world… and their gods are just as real and valid as Christianity.  And if you’re one of those who don’t understand that… then YOU’RE the one in need of guidance, sympathy… and spiritual pity!”. » Read The Rest