What Ever Happened to Sin?

This morning I was reading over tomorrow's Sunday School lesson and the topic was sin. Particularly,  When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. Later on I was working in my yard trying to remove some persistent weeds/vines [?] that keep coming back every year.

But I was determined that they had to go, so I proceeded to dig them up. I was totally shocked when I saw the root system on this small plant. I had to use an ax to remove them. It was then I remembered the Sunday School lesson I had read earlier this morning. Eve had no idea where her decision to disobey (sin) God would take her and that it would affect the entire human race thousands of years later.

Millions of people today still believe that they can disobey God and it will not affect them or others. They think they have a better plan for their life than God has for them. Jeremiah 29:11 They do not realize that sin is progressive, that is it continues to become larger and larger until it has control of their life. What started out as excitement ends in destruction. James 1:14-16

Allow me to give you these words of warning:

• Sin will take you where you never planned to go.
• Sin will cost you more than you planned to pay.
• Sin will keep you longer than you planned to stay.

 



What Is in Your Hand?

There is no question that we live in a consumer-driven culture and nowhere is that seen better than attending church. Many people choose which church to attend by seeing who has the most to offer – music, preaching, children’s programs, etc. The motivation is “how will attending this church benefit me?”

God on the other hand has a different viewpoint on worship. I once read an interesting verse in the Bible that made be stop and think. “No one is to appear before me [God] empty-handed.” Exodus 23:15 , Exodus 34:20 , Deut. 16:16 God made it clear that worship is about Him, not us.

When we worship, God intends for us to bring something to offer Him. "...When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up."  I Cor. 14:26 When you last attended a worship, what did you bring to offer God? Or did you come empty-handed?