In one of the most tragic stories in the Old Testament, the Israelites rebelled against God by building a golden calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai. One way to understand this story is to say that they were unprepared for the return of Moses from the top of the mountain. In the same way, people today have built golden calves and are not prepared for the return of Jesus. in this chapter we examine the nature of readiness, and show what must be done to avoid the fate of the Israelites.

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” - Jesus (Matt. 7:21-23) Over 85% of Americans believe in God and think they are going to go to Heaven when they die. Is this confidence warranted? Given the moral condition of our culture and Jesus’s stern warnings about being ill-prepared for his coming, I don't think so. From a biblical perspective, it seems many people are walking around with a false assurance of salvation. Avoiding that is what this series is about. In it we walk through ten characteristics of people who are ill prepared to face eternity.