Statistics show that most churches lose 80% of its new attendees. I believe people are looking for something that they perceive is not being offered. What the church has become is an entity perceived to be making a declaration to which we all have a tendency to declare and it is this: If we don't understand the depth of the truth concerning someone’s issue we revert back to the law in our attitudes and inwardly declare "just don't do that", or "your just wrong to do that". That advice isn't or wouldn’t be untrue in itself however, generally the individual is already aware of something wrong in them. The void lies in the quality or quantity of the knowledge of the truth which educationally provides the direction for people to become who they were meant to be. So what people are looking for is deeper spiritual knowledge, especially concerning themselves.
The reality of the educational challenge increases when we consider the question, do people recognize and or know what they need even when these truths are being presented to them? Unfortunately, the answer is no. So not only is education needed, but we must be spiritually educated to recognize the spiritual education that we need. Why is this true? Because Satan’s greatest tools are found in the strategy of keeping us in a state, which takes no notice of what we don’t know about spiritual matters.
We are living in a world and a society that promotes answers that are not providing solutions. Life is increasingly becoming a maze to where it seems impossible to find true fulfillment. Then every once in a while God will channel some unlikely individual to say something so simple, yet so profound, like this:
Soak Up The Sun
Sheryl Crowe
Its Not About Having What You Want
Its Wanting What You Got
This strikes at the heart of some of our deeper issues. Here are some good questions:
How do I ignite the desire to want what I already have? Why am I not satisfied with what I have when I went to great lengths to get it? If I don’t really want it anymore, did I, or do I need it? Do I know the difference between what I want and what I need? Is there a relationship between wants and needs? All these questions should and do have answers within the body of believers, Gods church.
A Compass
Every year at the beginning of training camp Vince Lombardi would hold up a football and say, “Gentlemen this is a football!” He was doing this when in the previous season this very group of players had won the national title. Why? He continually was returning to the foundational principles that made and continued to make his team winners. Returning to foundational principles every year seems to fly in the face of progressive logic. However, in spiritual matters going back to move forward sounds a whole lot like dying to self in order to receive life, and is profoundly " the way". We must allow the Lord to lead us in the same foundational direction.
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