Nature takes the path of least resistance, and that path is always toward destruction. If you leave a piece of fruit on the counter too long, it becomes rotten. The longer a house stands, the more dilapidated it becomes. When left to their own devices, things don't get better, they slowly decay. Human beings are no different. Today Pastor Ken shows us this pattern is evident in the church as well. When the church goes without guidance and influence from God, it will decay and spiral into destruction.

When you're planning a road trip, you often have a few choices on how to get to your destination. Do you choose the shortest time, the shortest distance, or the route without tolls? Or do you pick the scenic route? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, you will still arrive at the same destination. But as Pastor Ken teaches today, you can't have the same approach to eternal life. Spiritually speaking, the route you take to get to eternity will determine your destination. Only one route leads to life: Jesus.

Things often seem backward in the kingdom of God. Jesus said that the last would be first and the first would be last. Those who lose their lives are the ones who live. He also made it clear that those who were ahead financially were not necessarily ahead spiritually. The church at Laodicea didn't understand this concept. They were a rich congregation, able to afford whatever they wanted. They thought wealth meant that they were blessed by God, but as Pastor Ken points out today, that was not the case.

You don't have to be a college graduate to be used by God. You don't have to earn a certain amount or have a minimum number of Instagram followers. You don't have to look trendy or come from a background of religious influence. The world might look to those things to measure your success, but God looks at the heart. In some cases, like the church in Laodicea, those worldly advantages might actually make it harder to follow Jesus. As Pastor Ken shows us today, God is looking for someone with the right heart.

Talking the talk doesn't mean much without walking the walk. You can claim to be whatever you want, but if your actions don't back it up, it's meaningless. This is especially dangerous when it comes to Christianity. It's not just your reputation with others that you need to be aware of, it's your reputation with Jesus himself. As Pastor Ken shows us today, if you only talk the talk, Jesus will spit you out of his mouth. He will say that he never knew you, just like the seventh church in Revelation, the church at Laodicea.

Have you ever done something good, but you did it with the wrong intentions? Maybe you helped a widow, but it was really just to get a pat on the back. Or have you ever been nice to someone because you had something to gain from them? With Jesus, it's not enough to just do good things. He will also judge you based on why you did those things. As Pastor Ken teaches us today, it's not enough to put on a good show. All the achievements you can gain won't mean anything if they weren't done for Jesus.

Have you ever put together a piece of furniture without looking at the instructions? Sometimes the assembly is intuitive enough that you can get away with it, but often it leads to frustration. You get to assemble the furniture twice: once the hard way, and once the easy way. The same is true in life. Although we've been given an instruction manual on how to live, many choose to try it their own way first. Pastor Ken warns us though, that you don't get to do life twice. You only have one chance. Will you look at the instructions?

Today Pastor Ken points out that when science trumps creation, we no longer are an image bearer of the Lord. Replacing creation with evolution means you evolved from an amoeba. So you are an animal, no better than a skunk. But when you hold true to the fact the world and everything in it was created, you can find purpose and meaning. Jesus accepted everything written in the Lord's book as good and true. If you put your trust in Jesus, also trust His version of God, the creator.

The church at Laodicea is like a lot of people today. They forgot who God truly was. Today Pastor Ken shares in his message today, God is who He says He is in His word. You can't pick and choose what characteristics listed in the Bible are true. True Christianity isn't describing your ideal situations and only accepting those truths as you believe.

Having a finite brain is like trying to understand another culture without experiencing its customs or traditions. You cannot comprehend how this culture operates with the information you have available. Likewise, as Pastor Ken explains in today's study, it's hard to understand the Trinity, the character of Christ, or why bad things happen to good people with the limited knowledge we have in our current state. But when we arrive in Heaven, it will all become clear. Come quickly, Lord!