The sad, tragic event that took place at Virginia Tech this week should call us to an entirely new level in our church. It is time to get serious about what God has called us to do. While we go routinely about our lives today, there are numerous families and students about 1,000 miles away who are devastated beyond words. We must take time to pray for these people.

Friends, it is time to get serious. We must stop living life and doing church without a great sense of urgency! This very incident represents how fragile and uncertain life is. You do not control your life and how long you live in this world.

The greatest difference between the church of today and the New Testament church is URGENCY. We parade in and out of church IF it is convenient or does not interrupt our sports or family plan. We also pass by hundreds of people a week in a casual manner, never even thinking about their eternal destinies.

We need to understand that out of the 33 lives lost this week:

1. Each one entered into eternity this week.

2. Each one entered into an eternity in heaven or in hell.

There is no in between place. No, I am not trying to be insensitive to the moment of sorrow, but I do want us to see . . .

IT IS TIME, PAST TIME, FOR THE AMERICAN CHURCH (INCLUDING US) TO WAKE UP! Death is real. Tragedy does exist. People really need the Lord. That is not a cliche or simply the words of a song from the past.

People cannot afford our casual nature about spiritual matters any longer. We cannot go one week without inviting someone to come with us and share the life-changing message of Jesus. This is very serious business. The purpose of our Worship Services and Connection Groups is to bring glory to God by reaching others for Jesus.

NOTHING brings more glory to Jesus than seeing people come to Him . . . it is time, past time, to get serious about our Christianity.

I appeal to each of you, please stand up for Jesus this week. These are serious times, serious moments. It is past time to take the message of Jesus to the entire world, beginning with Northwest Arkansas and saturating them with truth and love.

Take the name of Jesus everywhere this week . . . bring others to Christ.