In this blog posting, I’ll be sharing with you both bad news and good news! 
Are you good enough to go to heaven?  You are probably thinking to yourself… “Yes, I’m good enough!  I haven’t killed anyone, haven’t robbed any banks, and I don’t do illegal drugs.  I’m much better than many other people.”
 
Now let’s look at God’s standard (God’s moral law) called the 10 commandments.  If God judges you by His standard (seen below) would you make it to heaven?
 
Exodus 20:1-17

 
Millions of Americans claim to be true Christians, but are they?  At church a few weeks ago, our pastor gave a very good sermon about the nature of saving faith.  Below are some notes from his sermon…

 
 
 
Friday Tournaments?
 
Many players ask me why the Samson Dubina Table Tennis Academy holds Friday/Saturday tournaments.  Before I answer that question, I just want to build a little context.
 

Matthew 7:24-29 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.

Psalm 51:15-17
Oh Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise.  For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it: you do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, Oh God, You will not despise.
 

 
In this blog, I would like to look with you at the Bible and show you that God cares not only about our external actions, but also about our internal thoughts and motives.
 
Matthew 5:21-22
Jesus said…
“You have heard that is was said to those of old, ‘you shall not murder: and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council: and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
 

Luke 15:11-32

 
 
 
Today, I would like to share with you a very family portion of the Bible and briefly describe a detail that you might have missed.  The portion of Scripture is found in Mark chapter 15; it is describing the death of Christ.
 
Mark 15:37-39

 
 
 
Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.
 
In the Bible passage, Jesus clearly tells us that we can only have 1 God in our lives.  God doesn’t want a rival with our time, our emotions, our desires, our energy, and our focus. 
We cannot serve God and table tennis
We cannot serve God and our job
We cannot serve God and our stuff
 

 
Christ is the ultimate example of true humility.  He humbled himself to being willing to die a criminal's death on the cross to pay for my sin.
 
Philippians 2:3-11