Here is today’s Bible reading:  1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5.

Romans 1:16 (NIV)
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Sadly, the church in our culture is becoming increasingly ashamed of the gospel.  An important element of the good news is the bad news of judgment and hell.  But because we perceive that people do not want to hear the bad news, we don’t talk about it.  Such a gospel is not about salvation – it is merely self-improvement.  But Jesus did not die to simply improve our lives, He came to save us.

Further, the church in our culture does not believe that the power of the gospel is sufficient to save.  Instead, we put our trust in gimmicks and entertainment to attract people. Then we wonder why we fail to see lives radically changed. The power to change lives is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.