Evaluating 40 Days of Community

The content of the gospel is not something we have been given creative license with. We are not to water it down (ie. only mention the good parts and leave out the life that Jesus is calling us to), but neither are we to hide it under an emotional experience (setup the "atmosphere" to seduce decisions), use non-biblical motivations, trickery or peer pressure. To speak to this issue, I want to refer you to 3 blog posts that I made to my God's BMW blog. The first is this post where I quote an excerpt from Dave Hunt's booklet entitled "The Non-Negotiable Gospel."

What's Wrong With Just Preaching About God's Grace?
There's nothing wrong with preaching the grace of God! In fact, it is what we are commanded to do. But what is the grace of God if not a thorough understanding of the moral requirements of mankind--the Law (ie. the 10 Commandments) which magnifies the grace of God to us? For more on this matter, and the testimony of a pastor who had a ministry and life-changing dream from God, please see this blog post.

Billy Graham Reveals Secret Behind Failure of the Church
On September 22, 1958, Dr. Billy Graham preached a message in Charlotte, North Carolina. Using the 10 Commandments, he reveals the secret behind our failure as a church, as elders and deacons, and as Sunday School teachers, collectively and individually. In nearly 50 years, much has stayed the same and even worsened, and we are continuing to bear the fruit of our folly. For more details, please see this blog post.