The words of Scripture are trustworthy words. To hear scripture is to hear God. And His words are spirit and life (John 6:63).

To walk away or neglect the regular meditation of the Word and the fellowship of the Word-speaking community is to cut yourself off from your very life-source and identity in Christ.

It is a faithless abandonment of what a Christian is called to do and a reckless, self-destructive path with devastating consequences. And the first thing that goes out the window is discernment. Here are 5 ways you can start to see yourself drifting.

1. You begin to prioritize earthly needs over spiritual ones.
2. You begin to pursue fame rather than faithfulness.
3. You ask ‘what works?’ instead of ‘what does God want?’
4. You proceed to manage your sin instead of crying out for a Savior.
5. You begin to imagine your identity in Christ apart from the community of Christ. 

The above is an excerpt from the sermon titled, ‘Soaking in Sodom’ from Genesis 19:1-38 preached by Anand Samuel at Grace Evangelical Church, Sharjah on Sep 30, 2016. To listen to or download the sermon, please go to http://bit.ly/2cWWEf5