Spiritual dry rot weakens us
image by Joshua Morgan
Every so often, I ask a guest host to provide the post, and last week I ran across a convicting FaceBook piece from Joshua Morgan, pastor of First Nazarene Church of Sidney, OH, and he’s given permission to share it. You can find information about him below, and you might notice it’s a fine companion piece to last week’s “How Far Will You Follow?” Please read it prayerfully, it challenges us all to examine the status of our spiritual lives.
“This week, the cross outside our church fell. Not because of a storm, not because someone hit it—but because the wood at the foundation had slowly rotted away. On the surface, it still looked like a strong symbol of faith. But underneath, it was decaying—and eventually, that hidden weakness brought it down.
That’s a picture of cultural Christianity. It can look like faith on the outside—crosses on walls, verses in bios, occasional church attendance—but underneath, there's no living relationship with Jesus. No root in Scripture. No repentance. No transformation. And just like that cross, when pressure comes, it doesn’t stand.
Jesus warned us about this. In Matthew 7, he said that many will say, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but He will reply, ‘I never knew you.’ That’s not about how we look—it’s about who we truly are. We’re not called to have the appearance of the cross. We’re called to live under its power.
This fallen cross is more than a maintenance issue—it’s a wake-up call. Let’s not be content with the appearance of faith. Let’s dig deep and ask:
* Am I rooted in Christ, or just familiar with Christian culture?
* Is my relationship with Jesus active, or just assumed?
* Am I being shaped by Scripture, or just surrounded by it?
This week, take time to ‘check the foundation.’ Spend unhurried time in the Word. Pray honestly. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose any areas where things may be rotting beneath the surface. And if you’re not sure where to start, reach out. You're not alone—and the cross still stands, not because we hold it up, but because Christ has overcome.”
Cultural Christians tend to go with the flow, to like some parts of faith, and reject those they don’t. They choose to determine right or wrong themselves. God becomes a consultant who suggests but never commands, leaving that in our hands. Just this Sunday, one of our pastors gave a takeaway to his message on Jesus’ obedience in getting baptized although he had no need of repentance. But God said this was part of righteousness, and he did it. Obedience. Regardless of the cost. Regardless of how it might not make sense to us.
Kick Starting the Application
Maybe go over the questions that Joshua Morgan asked above. How are you doing? What is your next best spiritual step?
Joshua Morgan https://www.facebook.com/JMorganRev, https://www.facebook.com/sidneynaz/about