“God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God knew what we were before we received Jesus as Lord and Savior – wicked, evil, guilty. Yet, God loves us still.

God knew what we would be after receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior – weak, selfish, sinful, erring. Yet, God loves us still.

Nothing happening is a surprise to God. God knows exactly who you are, sinner. God knows everything there is to know about you. Yet, God loves you.

God’s love for sinners is all grace. It’s all God’s initiative. It’s all God. God loves sinners. God loves sinners so much that God could not imagine an eternity without you in it. So, God made a way through his Son, Jesus Christ, to transform sinners into sons and daughters of God.

Not because we are deserving. Not because we are worthy.

But because God loves sinners. It’s all grace. Totally undeserved. Totally unmerited.

Thank God.

Thank God for his love.

Thank God for his grace.

Thank God.

“He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral. those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death'” (Revelation 21:6-8)

If we are the church of Jesus Christ, then the church has no option than to teach and preach what God says in his word.

Sure. Some things that the Bible teaches may not be popular.

Sure. Some things that the Bible teaches may seem backward.

Sure. Some things that the Bible teaches may be offensive to modern Americans.

If we are to be the church of Jesus Christ, we have no other choice or option than to preach what Jesus teaches. We can’t make up our own stuff just because it may not be popular, or seem backward, be found offensive.

Here’s what the pastors at the Little Church and Lakewood Grace promise you: we will do everything we can to be faithful to what the word of God teaches. Nothing more, nothing less.

When it’s all said and done, the only thing that will matter is God’s truth and whether we were faithful to his teaching or not. And should our church change God’s teaching to accommodate American culture, we may find more friends in this world. But, when it’s all said and done, the very people we accommodated will demand to know why the church didn’t tell them the truth.

I know. Some things that the Bible teaches are not popular. In fact, some of it seems backward. And some of it is downright offensive to modern Americans. AND ALL OF IT IS STILL TRUE AND ALL OF IT IS STILL GOD’S TRUTH.

I don’t want to see anyone I know face judgment and eternal damnation. So I will tell you, to the best of my ability, what the Bible preaches. Because I have no other choice if I am to honor my calling. We preach God’s word because God loves sinners.

Church, we are not supposed to affirm and celebrate what God calls sin. We are supposed to repent and turn away from it.

If we are the church of Jesus Christ, the church has one mission: proclaim God’s truth.