Bible Study Verse
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NIV)
Thoughts
My family went hiking up by Jasper in the northern Rockies a couple of years ago. We were trying to climb to the top of Parker Ridge. The goal of the hike was to get up on top of Parker Ridge, so that we could look down at the glacier that went in between the mountains there. The view was supposed to be amazing!
We ventured up the mountain following the switch backs that had been made by the many people who had been there before us. About half way up the mountain, I decided I was sick and tired of switch-backs! I kept looking over to the left of the trail, seeing a moraine there.
In my brain, climbing straight up the mountain on the boulders seemed like a better idea than continuing to do the switch-backs. I let everyone else know what I was going to do, and I had absolutely no volunteers to go with me. They all thought I was nuts. So, I headed on up on the moraine, alone.
(Dave M)
Action Point
What I found when hiking the moraine was that I had poor footing with every step. I'd take a step up . . . try to dig my foot into a solid spot . . . hoist my other foot up . . . searching for another solid place to put my next step.
In the end, we all reached the top. But, the difference was that I had no solid footing all the way up. I searched over and over again to find places where I hopefully wouldn't slip. At points, the rocks would slide and I would have to do a scramble to recover lost ground.
Spiritually, we need to make sure that we are on solid ground. There are many people who have an interest in the spiritual or supernatural realm. They spend their lives looking for some dark hidden secret that will supposedly change their life. They glean a little from this religion or a little bit of wisdom from another. They are constantly searching.
My friends, I believe it's important to understand the difference between Christianity and other religions. That allows us to know how to have conversations with folks from different backgrounds. However, we need to keep in mind that Truth is only found in the Bible. God's word is no accident. It was left for you and I as a blueprint for how to live our lives, what to put our trust in, and how to determine meaning for the life we've been given.
Anything that contradicts God's word puts you on slippery ground. Worse yet, it could be a rock slide. God's truths have withstood the test of time. Satan has tried to pervert them at points, and he's tried to mimic them in various religions that sound "good". These attempts are full of deception and half-truths.
The reality is that if a person puts their faith in Jesus Christ, they are going to have solid footing. There is no other way!
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
When hiking up mountains, make sure to take layers of clothes to put on. In the summertime, there's often a 30 degree temperature difference from where you start hiking to the top of the mountain.
| 
