When Jesus Is No Longer Enough: (Navigating the Dangers of Mixed Altars)

The modern believer rarely wakes up and decides to stop following Jesus. We don’t usually trade the Cross for a white flag of surrender. Instead, we trade the Cross for a crowded table. This is the subtle danger of mixed altars – when our faith becomes diluted by what we add beside Christ, rather than rejecting Him outright.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul issues a staggering warning: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons." Notice he doesn't say you shouldn't—he says you cannot. It is a spiritual impossibility to maintain a covenant with Christ while inviting "extra guests" to sit at His altar. This isn't a polite suggestion; it's a spiritual law.

The greatest threat to our Christian allegiance in the 21st-century church isn't that we are losing our faith; it’s that we are editing it. We have become experts at the "Jesus Plus" gospel, which often serves as a form of modern idolatry:

• Jesus plus my political identity, which often disciples me harder than Scripture itself.

• Jesus plus therapy language, subtly replacing biblical repentance with mere affirmation.

• Jesus plus the pursuit of "authentic" ego, baptized as spiritual truth.

• Jesus plus new-age practices like astrology or manifestation, disguised as "discernment."

We mistakenly think these additions are harmless tools to help us navigate a complex world. But altars are not neutral spaces. When we add something to the table of the Lord, we are not expanding our faith—we are redefining our spiritual compromise. Paul reminds us that this is not merely symbolic participation; it is spiritual alignment.

The enemy’s most effective strategy is not to devour the Church, but to make the wolves look like sheep and the pagan altars look Christian. He doesn’t need to remove Jesus from your life; he just needs you to give him a seat at the table. This cultural Christianity promises comfort but delivers spiritual exhaustion.

True freedom isn't found in a "buffet-style" faith where we take a little of the world and a little of the Word. Freedom is found in the singular, focused devotion to the One who refuses to share His glory. It’s time to stop managing Jesus and start worshipping Him. God's jealousy for our devotion isn't a sign of His insecurity; it's the ultimate proof of His intimacy with us.

It's time to clear the table.

Watch this week’s sermon,
"You're Not Under Attack – You're Under the Influence," 

Finding Hope in the Shadow of Loss

 

 Finding Hope in the Shadows of Loss

The calendar tells us it’s a time for "new beginnings" and "leaving the past behind." But for many of us, January isn’t a clean slate—it’s an anniversary. It’s a reminder of a room, a hospital bed, or a chair that now sits empty.

In my latest message, I share the personal story of losing my mother—my best friend and hero—during the holiday season of 2018. If you are entering this year carrying a weight that feels too heavy to lift, I want you to know: You are not healing "wrong," and you are certainly not alone.

Watch the Full Message: Remembering Without Being Destroyed (click here)

Here is a deeper look at the principles we explored regarding grief, faith, and the Savior who weeps with us.

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1. Honesty is Not the Enemy of Faith

We often feel pressured to put on a "spiritual mask." We think that if we have enough faith, we shouldn't feel the sting of the past. But Psalm 77 shows us a different way. The Psalmist cries out, "I refused to be comforted." He even admits that thinking of God makes him groan.

This is a vital truth: Scripture does not practice "spiritual bypassing." * Faith does not begin with pretending you are okay.

• Faith begins with the truth of where you actually are.

• God gave us the Psalms of lament because He wanted to give our pain a holy vocabulary.

2. Jesus is Not Rebuking Your Tears

In John 11, we see the shortest and perhaps most profound verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept." He knew He was about to perform a miracle. He knew Lazarus would be walking out of that tomb in minutes. Yet, He still stopped to cry. Why? Because love always feels the loss. Jesus doesn’t see your grief as an obstacle to get over; He sees it as a place He must step into. If the Son of God wept at a grave, your tears are not a sign of unbelief—they are a testimony of your love.

3. The Danger of Remembering Alone

There is a massive difference between remembering from inside your grief and remembering in the presence of God. In Psalm 77, the shift happens when the writer says, "I will remember the Lord’s works." The pain didn't vanish, but the direction of the memory changed. As 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 reminds us, we can be "perplexed but not in despair." We carry both life and death at the same time. The goal isn't to "let go" of the person you love; it’s to stop carrying the weight of that love in your own strength.

4. Moving Forward is Not the Same as "Being Strong"

For many, moving forward doesn't feel like a victory lap; it feels like survival. It feels like waking up tired and carrying love with nowhere to lay it.

If your faith right now looks less like "confidence" and more like "endurance," please hear this: That is still faith.  

Psalm 73:26 says, "My flesh and my heart may fail..." 
Failure of heart and strength is expected.

• But God is the portion—the daily bread—that sustains us when our own energy is gone.

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A Final Thought for Your Journey

Jesus does not meet us on the "other side" of our pain and tell us to hurry up and catch up. He meets us in the pain. He walks at the pace of your grief. He doesn't rush the remembering, and He never shames the tears.

If all you can do today is wake up and hold on, you are doing enough. You are walking with a Savior who knows what it is to lose, what it is to bleed, and what it is to live again.

To hear the full story and dive deeper into these scriptures, click the link below to watch the full sermon.

(click here)