Atheists Ad Campaign!

Dear Crosswalkers, This Sunday we will begin Week 5 of our 40 DAYS IN THE WORD sermon series. Last week we began to look at the important subject of interpreting the Bible.  At that time we saw that the key to Bible Study is asking the right questions. Here are some of the important questions to ask about any passage:   WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE SAY? (OBSERVATION) WHAT DOES IT MEAN? (INTERPRETATION) WHAT ELSE IN THE BIBLE HELPS ME UNDERSTAND THIS PASSAGE? (CORRELATION)       WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT? (APPLICATION) We will take the next step in Bible interpretation this Sunday by looking at some other crucial considerations that help us understand what the Bible is really teaching us! Why is this so important? Many reasons, but one is that recently the content of the Bible has come under attack by a number of Atheist organizations. These attacks can plant seeds of doubt in uniformed followers of Jesus. One of the new tactics is the use of billboards. Here is one example: Really? Just living, just breathing, is enough to find meaning and purpose and a life of peace and hope? What happens when your living becomes compromised by disease or tragedy? There are millions of people whose life experience says that merely breathing does not give life meaning and purpose. Besides, living naturally leads to dying. Then your meaning dies with you. God made us for more than that! The Bible says that God has put eternity into the human heart, and so we yearn for much more than this life has to offer!  Here's another: At least this one deals honestly with the following truth: Everyone worships something. The question is this - "Which God will we worship?" The Bible says that when people reject God, the result will be the worship of the things God made - like chemistry and physics - rather than the God who made them! The Scriptures put it like this:   They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.        - Romans 1:25 Unfortunately, these billboard ads have taken a darker turn. Now they are using the Bible to target African-Americans, among others, to turn away from their faith, and misinterpreting the Bible in the process. This Sunday we'll look at some of these billboards, and at how the Bible is being misused. We will also become equipped to answer those who"distort (the Bible), as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16). As always, we will have some wonderful life lessons that will bring us encouragement and joy as we live out our faith! Please invite a friend to come to church with you, and Lord willing, I will see you Sunday!   Faithfully yours, Pastor John Christie