The South is such a good place! Our food is great; there is nothing like real southern BBQ and a tall glass of sweet tea! The climate and geography of the South are unmatched anywhere in the country; we actually have 4 distinct seasons, 80-degree ocean temperatures, and beautiful mountain ranges. Our people are the friendliest folk on the planet and when you visit, count on complete strangers talking to you on street corners. In the midst of this great goodness, we have been poisoned. The poison has been expertly disguised and consumed endlessly.

Poison Disguised

The "expert disguise" of the poison is that it has the appearance of health. How many times have we fallen for that same trick? As humans we long for goodness, satisfaction, and fulfillment, causing us to launch headfirst into almost anything that claims to offer those. We are lured by things that provoke lust in our souls and make us feel pseudo-fulfilled. The obesity crisis in our culture is a perfect example. We are killing ourselves with things that have the appearance of health but in actuality are destructive. No one has ever become obese from eating vegetables! No doctor has ever said, "Your consumption of grapes is going to be the end of you." No, it's the 2000-calorie hamburger with sausage and bacon on top that is making us obese. Commercials, web advertisements, and billboards depict our favorite indulgence, causing us to drool like Pavlov's dog before we consume to our own death. These foods have the appearance of health but they poison us.

The Poison of Quaint Moralism

The South has been poisoned, and the poison is "quaint moralism." This poison has systematically infected tens of millions in the South and we are now in the midst of a moralistic pandemic. Who has dispensed this quaint moralistic poison? The blame lies with Christianity! We have blared from pulpits, on radio waves, even in movie theaters that "it's good to be good." We have taught that when you do what the Bible says, your wife will obey, your dog will obey, and your kids will obey. For decades now we have filled churches by declaring that those among us who are ethical churchgoers will be accepted by God and those of us who don't go to church will burn, burn, burn. Our churches are full of good-looking, upright, moral people. The tragic irony is that our goodness is our poision. A great many Southerners claim Christianity as their religion, mimicking righteousness on the surface while their hearts remain unchanged by the gospel of Jesus. I understand the gravity of that statement and do not make it hastily. Here in the South, the gospel has either been ignored or foolishly assumed. We have satiated our desire for God through quaint morality, allowing people to ignore their need for Jesus. The outcome is disastrous; we are witnessing an exodus out of the local church and away from faith in Jesus. The words of Jesus to the church of Laodicea haunt me, "I know your works: you are neither hot nor cold…for you say, I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked" (Rev. 3:15–17).

A New Movement

Yet we have great Hope! Many pastors in the South believe Jesus is stirring a new movement for his glory. As I talk to pastors, professors, and experienced leaders, there is a universal sentiment that God is up to something. Many believe that Jesus is raising up churches, lay leaders, pastors, businessmen, and a multitude of believers to join the mission of God. Will you join us? Will you pray? Will you risk everything—influence, money, importance, tradition, denominational allegiance, and especially moralism—for the sake of the gospel? This conversation is happening all over the South. Join in at AdvancetheChurch.com.