Year end summary

2012 Year End Summary

 

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has proven to be a pretty good game show host on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" though at times what the show reveals is no laughing matter. Too many contestants, who've already received high school or even college diplomas, demonstrate ignorance of the basic facts of geography, math, and English literature.

Similarly it is no laughing matter what has happened to Christians in the United States. While most Christians claim to take the Bible seriously, our actions reveal just the opposite.

Pollster George Gallup has dubbed the United States "a nation of biblical illiterates." David Van Biema of Time magazine cites a telling example of this kind of biblical illiteracy: "Only half of U.S. adults know the title of even one Gospel. Most can't name the Bible's first book. And the trend extends even to Evangelicals."

That's amazing and that's dangerous. Most Americans know more about the lives of Kim Kardasian and Lindsey Lohan than they do about Jesus. Here is the danger of the trend of our times:

Without knowledge of the Bible how will we know what God expects?

How will we know where to stand on the issues of our day?

How will we ever be salt and light in our culture?

How will we re-wallpaper our minds with the truth of Scripture to fight against the lies of the enemy?

If we don't know the Scripture, we won't know God or the world we actually live in. I want to congratulate you on finishing the journey we began a year ago. The most important ingredient in becoming people who make a difference in life is immersion in the Scriptures. Without knowledge of the Bible we cannot love God, love our neighbor or disciple people, the three top priorities in life. Your commitment to spend 20 minutes reading God's Word has transformed you and ultimately the world around you.

Congratulations!!  I am looking forward to taking the journey with you next year.

Join us tomorrow after church for a celebration of the journey. We will gather for a light lunch and sharing of our stories.