2. On Wednesday July 4 th, 2007, my wife and I lost our oldest son. He was twenty years old. We saw the symptoms and tried to address them, but it was too late. He was gone before we could even recognize the danger. Today, our oldest son is twenty-six years old. No, he didn’t die (physically) in 2007. It is much worse than that. His soul was completely devoured by a wild, ravenous beast (1 Peter 5:8)! Oh, what pain and tragedy it is when the young are ripped from the loving arms of those who truly love them!

3. I explained to him that he was choosing a path that would take him far away from God, and that we could not (and would not) go down that path with him. We all prayed together and cried together, and then he left our home for good. And just like that, the gnawing, excruciating feeling of “disconnection” began.

4. Here’s the confusing part. My son did not leave the Lord to pursue a life of fornication, an obsession with drugs and alcohol, a way of thievery, or even an ungodly relationship. He left because he didn’t believe that he (and logically my family and I) had the Truth. He was not convinced that the Bible contained all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1: 3). He felt that “our faith” was too restrictive and that there must be other truths out there to be discovered.

6. Its philosophers criticize the use of language and words. De-emphasize words to know God and His will; emphasize feelings and personal experiences. Undermine the importance and confidence in the words of the New Testament.

7. Communication has its origin in the Creator. God is able to communicate His words. He is able to protect His message. Matthew 24:35 Lack of confidence in the sufficiency of the Scriptures leads men away from Christ.

8. The gospel is revealed in words. 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 1:16; Matthew 7:24, 26; Acts 11:14 First century revelation is divine communi- cation of “all truth” (John 16:13). Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 1:2; 2:4; Jude 3; 2 Timothy 3:16; 4:2

9. The words of Scripture are understandable because it uses basic principles of communication. Tell someone; show someone; and imply something you expect people to get. First communicated orally and then a written record (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15). Use logic and reason to grow in knowledge and understanding (Ephesians 3:4).