How can Christians determine if they've been on the receiving end of bad advice? Pastor Craig Groeschel from Life.Church in Oklahoma City believes Christians have to be careful in discerning good from bad advice because the latter can lead people away from God.
During his recent sermon, Groeschel urged people to look at themselves and all of their bad habits. The further they are from God's image, the more likey they received bad advice at some point and acted on it.
"When we look at the way we behave, it's almost as if we're following bad advice," Groeschel says. "God isn't the one who moved. You moved away from God."
Groeschel then shares the parable found in Matthew 13:19. It reads, "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path."
He explains that the verse shows the danger of straying from God's word, because evil can easily enter into one's life in the form of bad advice.
"There are many that don't even recognise how far we've drifted from the grace, the presence, and the goodness of God," Groeschel says. If Christians don't do something about it, they will experience "spiritual death where you've got no joy, no passion, no life, no faith."
Thankfully, Groeschel says there is a solution. The megachurch pastor refers to the Bible passage Revelation 2:4-5, which reads: "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
He says people must remember to "repent and do the things you did at first." Once they do this, they can renew and strengthen their relationship with God.
