Dear Family and Friends,

To this day I still remember one particular fifth grade chapel service. Chapel, mandatory at Hawaii Baptist Academy, was led by the pastor of the Baptist church next to the school. But on this particular day, we had a guest pastor who…let me describe him this way.

Picture yourself standing at the Pali Lookout on a windy day. Your hair is flying straight back and the skin on your face is pressed flat.

That’s how we felt as he screamed at us, ‘Let me be absolutely clear, if you don’t raise your hand you will go to hell!’

Okay, he didn’t quite scream at us and I’m sure he meant well. But his lesson was, as they say, a no brainer.

There are a variety of reasons why people decide to believe in Jesus. Some are searching for acceptance in a mean-spirited world. Others are hurting from deep emotional wounds. Many are seeking the purpose of life or perhaps a purpose for their own life. Many young couples want the values of Jesus for themselves and their children.

I’m sure there are many other reasons, but the foremost reason why many believe in Jesus is the promise of salvation – to escape hell by going to Heaven.

Do you notice that all of these reasons center around ourselves?

Ourself is why many of us started our journey of faith. We had hope that Jesus would provide for our wants and needs in this life and next.

Pew Research Center released a report last week forecasting that the Christian population in America could shrink from 64 percent today to 35 percent by 2070. The losses will not be to other religions. There is an undeniable movement by Christians to what’s called religiously unaffiliated.

Another recent survey revealed what pastors across America are saying – that a quarter to a third of their pre-pandemic congregants have not returned since the church doors reopened. And pastors are beginning to realize that many will never return.

Some scholars suggest that the movement towards secularization is inevitable in a developed society. People no longer need religion once their basic needs are met. This is likely true given what has happened to Christianity in Europe and England.

Are you familiar with the term – quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting doesn’t refer to quitting a job. It refers to the practice of doing the bare minimum.

Perhaps this describes what’s happening in many Christians today.

When I was young, I used to believe that John 3:16 pretty much summed up all I needed to know about being a Christian. Thoughts like – I’m saved, so why bother reading the Bible or even going to church – guided my actions, or shall I say inactions.

Based on today’s trends, I suspect I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get the “memo” telling me how wrong I was.

Looking back at my lost years, I wish someone had told me that Jesus’ command in Matthew 22:37-39 NIV was not optional.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I wish someone had explained to me that denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Jesus was a 24/7 lifestyle, not a Sunday only calendar event. See Matthew 16:24-27.

I wish someone had explained to me that the fruit of the Spirit called faithfulness is from the Holy Spirit doing in us what we can’t do on our own – transform our reasons for following Jesus.

Where we once followed Jesus for what He could do for us, we now ask Jesus daily what we can do for Him.

This last point my friends is what it means to be a faithful Christ follower.

It’s about waking up each and every day realizing that we love Jesus so much that it hurts to not be with Him, walk and talk with Him, and obey Him.

In love always,