Pastor Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, delivered a convicting message this month about the need for Christians to spend time with God and to escape their “spiritual slumber.”
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Idleman made it no secret that he was trying to “ruffle some feathers” with his sermon, imploring Christians to think deeper about the things that they are watching and doing.
“So, if we’re watching all these things we shouldn’t be watching, doing things we shouldn’t be doing, do you honestly think you’re going to wake up in the morning springing out of bed and want to go spend time with God?” the preacher asked.
He added that he believes many churches haven’t been feeding their flocks with spiritual messages and they they have, instead, been too colored by the things of this world.
“I hope I’m stepping on toes. I hope I’m ruffling feathers,” Idleman continued. “I hope I’m rubbing you the wrong way so you might turn the right way.”
Prayer, he argued, is the best “weapon” for Christians to embrace — a tool that holds the power to yield transformation and true change in the world.
“Prayer is a weapon … this is your AR-15. Everybody [says] ‘We got to buy an AR-15 before the gun laws are regulated! I’ve got to have 1,000 ammunitions in my gun safe … and I’ve got to have all these things!'” Idleman continued. “No! The weapon of our warfare is not carnal, it’s mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.