I love the outdoors.  I love sports, hunting, fishing, anything that involves being outside.  One thing I really enjoy is boating on a nice calm lake or river.  One must be cautious, though, because there is some danger in boating.  You have to check the boat for cracks and leaks before putting it into the water.  As long as the boat floats along in the water, all is fine.  The problem arises when water starts getting into the boat.  If you take on just a little water, albeit continually, you are in danger of sinking if you don’t stop the leak and get rid of the water.  A giant leak will find you going under in no time.
     The church has some similarities with boating.  The church floats along in the world.  The problem arises when the world starts to leak into the church.  The church cannot avoid contact with the world, and to attempt such would be contrary to the purpose of the church (Lk.19:10), kind of like taking a boat out of the water and putting it away, never using it for fear it might sink.  As Christians, we must make sure that the walls of the God’s spiritual house are strong and secure.  We must be on the lookout for breaches in the walls where the world may creep in.  If and when it does, we need to act quickly to cast out the world and plug up the leak.  The purpose of the church is to change the world’s standards to fit God’s standards.  When the church begins to bend toward the standards of the world, then the church is taking on water.                  Patrick Morrison