Today we bring you the conclusion of a special message from Lloyd concerning the continued downfall of society that we see all around us. Opportunities for compromise are everywhere, and as believers, we must not only beware of them, but we must understand the consequences of succumbing to them.

We have a special message to share with you today, from pastor Lloyd. I'm sure you've noticed how God and His word have been pushed out of the public square in recent years. Our faith is under attack, our savior Jesus Christ is mocked and rejected. The very same things ere happening two thousand years ago, and The Lord wrote a letter to the Church in Pergamos to let them know what He thought about it. So join us in Revelation two as we learn from the church of Pergamos - a compromising church.

As we present the whole counsel of God here at Bridging the Gap, it's our prayer that God would lead you to faithful application in your life. It's then that you'll go on to maturity in the Lord. That's really what the apostle Paul is driving at as he closes out this epistle. We're going to see the true value of going through the Word, and applying it to our lives today!

How do we know whether we are actually "Right with God?" Or we could put it this way, how do we know we are really a Christian? Let's examine ourselves to see if we're in the faith today, with pastor Lloyd Pulley. We're glad you could join us as we begin the final message in our series through Second Corinthians.

Have you ever loved someone very deeply, poured your heart and soul into their life, and have that dedication met with ingratitude, or no love in return? It's an experience that can be very hurtful and disheartening. You might be surprised to find out that the apostle Paul experienced this too. We're nearing the end of our series through Second Corinthians, and today we'll wrap up our look at chapter twelve.

One of the greatest frustrations in life is to express genuine love to someone, and have them turn around and give nothing back in return... except a cold shoulder or rejection. In chapter twelve of Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul draws our attention to his love for the church at Corinth. While he loved more and more, they gave less and less in return

Among other things, today we'll take a look at what the apostle Paul referred to as his thorn in the flesh. No one is certain what that thorn represented, but it's not really vital that we know. Still today, God gives His children thorns, and as we'll see today, it's for good reasons. We may not understand the reason or even like the journey of trials we sometimes experience, but it's a necessary part of our growth as Christians.

Most of us find it extremely annoying when someone brags of their accomplishments. We see it constantly happening all around us. We'll learn today that boasting has no place in the Christian life, unless we are boasting in our weaknesses or about our good and gracious Lord. The apostle Paul was the poster image for Christian humility.

Satan uses the back door quite often in his attempt to deceive people. His three-pronged attack is aimed at confusing us about Christ, the Gospel, and the Spirit of God. And he uses some crafty techniques to get us off track. One of his favorite targets is church leaders. Pastor Lloyd Pulley will show us how to avoid satan's snares today on Bridging the Gap.

If you want to be a pro athlete, there are countless hours of practice and strength training. If you want to be a policeman, the training and preparations are long and arduous. What about being in ministry? Oh, there's a cost involved there as well, as pastor Lloyd will share today.