 Good afternoon, Pastor David. It is. Welcome everybody to unfiltered a random moment with Pastor David. Pastor, I was looking at some statistics today, and I was reading that how many Christians are there in the United States? And one poll, the thing was called Barna, sent a statistic out saying that 65% of Americans are considered Christians, 42 are evangelical. Then to take it a step further, it said 11% of people in the United States read their Bible, 65% or 82%, excuse me, 82% of Christians who identify themselves as Christians read their Bibles only in church on Sundays. You think of these statistics, or you hear these statistics, is that why we are declining? The church is declining in the United States. I think so. You know, it wasn't that long ago that a certain church planner had taken a survey in the city that he was considering planting a church and when he discovered that the people of that city didn't believe the Bible was the Word of God, he chose to instead of building his church on Bible studies and teaching, he chose to build his church on his positive thoughts and positive message and all of that. So that's been going on for a long time, John. So for people to date, to be claiming Christ is really more of an American thing to do. Most of the surveys I've seen recently at least have pointed to a declining of attendance in church and a decline in people's self-assignment of the name Christian. So it is on the decline. Many of the younger people who are in their early teens to mid teens, late teens, even early 20s are declaring themselves to be non-religious or just religious in spirit or feeling, but not associated with any formal religion. So no, that is something that is well documented and Barna and others are known for taking their surveys and pointing that fact out. But that said, yeah, I think a lot of churches have become aware of that, pastors have become aware that not everybody believes the Bible is the Word of God and all, so they've taken different approaches to dealing with that. Many of them have become entertainers. You know, many have become devotional speakers, not giving Bible studies, but maybe a short thought, maybe a 10 to 15 minute sermonette, we used to call them sermonettes, and a lot of that is being taught in the Bible colleges and in seminaries that if you're going to be connecting with people today, you need to be aware that they're not really listening and they can't really or won't listen more than 10 to 15 minutes. So a lot of people are being trained to give 15-minute Bible studies, 50-minute talks if they use the Bible at all. So no, that is a very real problem that we don't have here because I have never become a pastor who teaches sermonettes. I won't teach a 15-minute, 20-minute Bible study. I mean, my goodness, these people are going through seven days a week, 24 hours a day, they're going through a brainwashing by this world. Constant brainwashing, whether it's a movie that they see, TV program that they watch, whether it's a radio program they may listen to or something online and some feed or some social network, they're being fed the thoughts of the world 24-7. And so because of that, I know that I only have 45 minutes to 50 minutes to to instruct them on things that are eternal and so I'm not going to give up on that. I'm not going to give a 10 or 15-minute speech and then send them out hoping that they leave money in the box. I really feel more responsible for giving them insight into the kingdom of God, how to live for Christ or what God can do and does and it takes more than 15 minutes to do that and so some pastors have become entertainers, some have become magicians, you know, pulling things out of the Bible that really aren't there. Some people have become fine speakers or orators that others have developed, you know, stage presence, others have gotten very good teams of musicians, you know, sometimes not even not even leading in worship so much as just doing a contemporary song with the twist but we won't do that because we know that the only thing that changes a life is the teaching of the Word of God and and embracing by faith those things that God says. And that's why tomorrow night we're going to start a study in the book of Titus. We're going to be looking at chapter 1 verses 1 through 9, a portion of scripture where the apostle Paul goes in he was in the island of Crete, they're in the Mediterranean and churches had been planted, people had been converted but false teachers were infiltrating and and Paul begins to have to deal with that by teaching or commanding man named Titus to point elders and to make sure that that these people get taught the Word of God to safeguard them from the from the air that's creeping in. So it all comes by teaching the Word of God and that's what we'll do tomorrow night. Amen, and we're looking forward to that and want to invite your friends and family to come out and join us in a new study. It's yes in a brand new book and and those Titus is probably one of my favorite Titus in 1st and 2nd Timothy. Yeah, they're good. They're good books because you know we see in those books and we'll see as you guys come on Wednesday evening even Paul was a fight was encouraging Titus to do the ministry there or to do the ministry those same false teachers that same seed is what we see today you know you mentioned the brainwashing and and I'm thinking about the brainwashing today has gotten so prevalent that people can't even stand a 45-minute message. No, they can't. Yeah, the time has come that they will no longer endure sound doctrine, healthy teaching. No, they heap into themselves teachers having itching ears and voluntarily turn aside from the truth and turn unto fables. That's what Paul said would be the mark of the last days. That's what Jesus Christ said when he's warned people concerning false teachers because that is the the prevalence of the last moments of last days and so yeah, that's true but here at Calvary Chapel, Chino Valley, we do our best to teach the Word of God and that's the refreshing thing and that's what's gonna it's not going to be votes as you mentioned. It's not going to be entertainment the new thing. It's going to be the Word of God that transforms life so well pastor thank you so much for that and and as I looked at those statistics today, I was like wow, no wonder and and thank God for a church like ours that does and many others that do teach the Word of God that thank the Lord for pastors who who do teach the Word of God. So you guys come and join us tomorrow evening at seven o'clock as Pastor David has mentioned is starting the book of Titus. Invite a family friend. This is going to be a great study and join us for our Sunday morning services eight thirty and ten forty five. We will be having lunch on Sunday after first and second service. So invite you guys to come out and join us and pastor again thank you so much. God bless you guys. Thank you for tuning in. We'll see you on Thursday.