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Gregory Blvd Church of Christ 7109 Raytown Rd Raytown, MO 64133 816-356-1262 |
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THIS WEEK
10/12/25
Praise the Lord we're open for business!
THIS AND THAT
October: Communion Preparation - Ed & Cindy Collection Counting - Jack/Sam
“The wise man built his house on sound doctrine” Jay Graham 10/5/2025
Matthew 7:13-14 Two sisters went driving Sunday afternoons with
the goal of getting lost. Taking random turns at intersections, trying
new roads, going farther and farther afield, they had an adventure each
week. The starting and ending points were the same, but the path was
always different. Is this how the path to heaven is? This is a common
view. Dalai Lama XIV said, “People take different roads seeking
fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road does
not mean they’ve gotten lost.” Many believe all religions are
essentially alike, different roads to the same heaven. Eventually
all—Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists,
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Mormons (and perhaps even
atheists, agnostics, humanists, Communists, and Gentiles)—will wind up
together.
The Bible does not always match
politically correct culture. Does it teach that all religious roads lead
to the same place?
Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and
there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult
is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew
7:13–14). He reduced life to two options: a
difficult, narrow road to heaven, and an easy, broad road to hell. There
are only two religions—true and false.
It is presumptuous for any man to
invent a religion and then tell others they can be saved by it, or that
they will be condemned if they do not believe it. This is an audacious
sin (Psalm
19:13; Romans
10:3; 1
Timothy 4:1; 2
Timothy 4:3–4). It usurps God’s prerogative. Only Jesus can say, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me” (John
14:6).Because
of who Jesus is, Christianity is not just another religion. Saying
Jesus is one religious leader among others implies He is a mere man.
When Peter made that mistake at the Transfiguration, God immediately
corrected him, saying, “This is my beloved Son . . . Hear Him” (Matthew
17:5). Buddha, Gautama, the Pope, Mohammed, Confucius, Martin Luther,
John Calvin, John Knox, Joseph Smith, Charles T. Russell, Mary Baker
Eddy, nor any other religious leader is on Jesus’ level.
PRAYERS NEEDED: Cancer
Always remember our young people who have grown out of the family home and are pursuing studies and careers, that they continue to seek wisdom from the omni-present Father. And that they continue to hold Him first in their lives.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The old story about the farmer and his mule is relevant to today’s interactions and political discussions. The farmer had his mule all rigged up and ready to plow the field but the mule would not move. After much coaxing, the farmer picked up a 2x4 and hit the mule across the head saying, “That was once.” The mule began to move. In fact, he plowed the field all day. He didn’t want to return to the barn. The farmer wrestled, sweet talked and coaxed to no avail. Finally, he gets out the 2x4 and hits the mule across the head, the mule heads to the barn. “That was twice,” the farmer said. The next day the mule refused to move again. Getting the mule’s attention with the 2x4, “That was three times,” the farmer said. At the end of the day, again the mule refused to return to the barn. The next day, the farmer was looking for a new mule. (Well, the story ends with a bang; but, I like to think the farmer traded the mule.)
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