We live in a world that is constantly fighting for our attention and sending messages of what it thinks our priorities should be. When things take the place of God, it becomes and idol. The stand that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego take at the risk of their very lives still speaks volumes to us today.When we stand for what is right, God always gives us the grace to stand, even when we face a fiery furnace of affliction.

The solemn counsel which our Lord addresses to His disciples should often ring in our ears--"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:38)

What is the one thing that potentially could destroy the Church? truth be told...CHRISTIANS! While Jjesus said the "gates of hell would not prevail against His Church," sometimes Christians do the most damage to its body through the self-harm of dis-unity. In these scriptures, the Apostle Paul wants the Ephesian Church to live in the axiom of belief and behavior, doctrine and duty, and theology and practicality. TO lean on one side or the other is an imbalance that destroys the Church and our witness to the world.