[Insert Catchy Title Here]

For those who don't know, I absolutely love my church. I thrive on Wednesdays and hanging out with the youth because we have such a small group compared to all the other churches and everyone is so tight knit. We all sit down and really spend a lot of time with each other, like a family. And those who are Wesleyan and reading this, you know that Easley First is one of the loudest groups in the entire denomination. Not our fault, we just show love for one another.

Anyways, Dad decided that he would let Alex say a few words for the Wednesday night message. He spoke about something that GOD has really been laying on my heart, and as I sit here typing on the laptop in the kitchen, the TV is on 7Th Heaven, where the topic is brought up, yet again. It shows Simon sitting in the kitchen upset. As he does, Eric walks in and wonders why he isn't eating. He says he can't eat because he knows about all the bad in the world and it makes him feel selfish that we have it so good.

This brings me to what I wanted to talk about. Society these days has grown so selfish that we don't realize how good we have it. There are people at Wren High that wake up in the morning, drive their $30,000 car to school, wear clothes that cost about the price of diamond-studded rims, have the best friends ever, and still feel like they want more. I think these people need to realize how good they actually have it. Some people don't even have food to eat and you wake up and make this 4-star luxurious buffet and feel depressed because it didn't end up the way you wanted it. All that is is pure selfishness.

Alex also brought up a point that I have never even realized, a point that those who don't see this way about stuff, need to help with. He stated that there is a cheerleader at Easley High, who have these great friends, very attractive, nice clothes, and all these things that make it appear like she is living big. However, since he lives down the street from her, he passes by her every day. This girl looks like she would live in a fifty million dollar mansion and have the perfect family, but she lives in a very old house that looks run down and wasted. And every time he passes by the house, she is always in the yard, sitting all alone.

What do I mean by telling you this? Basically, what I'm saying in a nutshell is that looks don't matter. If every christian judged a person by their looks, the whole world would be condemned. Don't think that just because they have all this stuff and all these great friends that they live the good life, because this could be far from the truth. Get to know these people, sit down, have a conversation, and become a genuine friend to them and don't think they are snobby, or a prep, or a jerk, because this may be a face they are putting on. What they are really trying to say is "Someone help. Someone talk to me."

Alex also made one more good statement by saying that if you do live behind a mask, you should take that off. Don't be ashamed of your life. If you are going through some things, don't try to hide. Find a good friend you can talk to and get some help. There are plenty of people out there willing to help, whether you like them or not. If you need help, call someone and let them help you as opposed to trying to deal with it yourself.

Thanks Alex for bringing us such a good message!

"Tastes Great, Less Filling" by John MacArthur

The first role of successful merchandising is to give consumers what they want. If they want bigger burgers, make their burgers bigger. Designer bottled water in six fruit flavors? Done. Minivans with ten cup holders? Give them twenty. You've got to keep the customer satisfied. You've got to modify your product and your message to meet their needs if you want to build a market and get ahead of the competition.

Today this same consumer mind-set has invaded Christianity. The church service is too long, you say? We'll shorten it (one pastor guarentees his sermons will never last more than seven minutes!). Too formal? Wear your sweatsuit. Too boring? Wait'll you hear our band!

And if the message is too confrontational, or too judgemental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelieveable, hard to understand, or too much anything else for your taste, churches everywhere are eager to adjust that message to make you more comfortable. This new version of Christianity makes you a partner on the team, a design consultant on church life, and does away with old-fashioned authority, guilt trips, accountability, and moral absolutes.

One suburban church sent out a mailer recently, promising an "informal, relaxed, casual atmosphere," "great music from our band," and that those who will come, "believe it or not, even have fun." That's all great if you're a coffeehouse. But anyone who claims to be calling people to the gospel of Jesus with those as his priorities is calling them to a lie.

It's Christianity for consumers: Christianity Lite, the redirection, watering down, and misinterpretation of the biblical gospel in an attempt to make it more palatable and popular. It tastes great going down and settles light. It seems to salve your feelings and scratch your itch; it's custom-tailored to your preferences. But that lightness will never fill you up with the true, saving gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is designed by man and not GOD, and it is hollow and worthless. In fact, it's worse than worthless, because people who hear the message of Christianity Lite think they're hearing the gospel, think they're being rescued from eternal judgment, when, in fact, they're being tragically misled.