Dear Family and Friends,
 
Do you know anyone who stopped going to church?
 
My guess is we all know someone who has.
 
A recently published book cited that one in eight or 40 million Americans stopped attending church in the past 25 years.
 
A recent survey found that 84 percent of the churches in America are shrinking.
 
With that said, have you thought about giving those friends and acquaintances a Christmas gift worth more than any other gift that money can buy?
 
The gift of a daily relationship with Jesus.
 
Perhaps you’ve wanted to invite them back to church, but don’t know what to say…
 
Well, my friends, this and the next few messages before Christmas are for you.
 
Let’s begin with trying to understand why people walked away from the Church in the first place.
 
The book mentions a variety of reasons given by people who dechurched.
 
I’ll spare you the details and just say that most probably “heard” a salvation sermon – just say you believe in Jesus and you’ll go to Heaven.
 
I still remember a visiting preacher at our fifth-grade chapel who screamed at us – you will go to hell if you don’t raise your hand.
 
I still remember telling myself – just do it so he stops yelling. Besides, this is insurance if he’s right about any of this.
 
I think a few of us went to the restroom afterwards to make sure the backside of our underwear was still clean.
 
But most of all, I still remember not changing one bit.
 
One of the challenges pastors face is convincing folks that there’s more to our faith than passages like this:
 
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
 
This truth that we’re saved by faith and grace alone, and not from our works, gives Christians very little incentive to live a good life.
 
However there is so much more to our faith.
 
A recent news article described an incident involving the North Korean soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukraine. Apparently, the Russians gave them guns but not enough training.
 
As it turns out, when they let the North Koreans loose on the battlefield the North Koreans started shooting at the Russians.
 
It’s a funny story. But in a way, this is what happens when Christians raise their hands to accept Jesus as their savior and never come back to church.
 
They are not prepared for their new life with the Lord. Nor do they know that the benefits of a relationship with Jesus begin in this life. 
 
Allow me to close with the benefits David received from the Lord.
 
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  Psalms 103:1-5 NIV
 
Do you notice there’s no mention of post life benefits?
 
We shall continue this discussion next time.
 
In love always,