August 30, 2026 - The Two Roads of Life

Scripture Reading — Matthew 7:12–14 (KJV)

12   Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

13   Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14   Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Sermon Summary

God Is Good, All the Time

Evangelist Audrey Kinney opened the way so many of the saints do, with a word of pure thanksgiving. God is good, she reminded us — not some of the time, but all the time. In a lonely and perilous world, He has been a faithful companion, the One who took her feet out of the miry clay and set them on a rock. Out of that gratitude came the question that would carry the whole message: of the two roads set before every one of us, which road will you take?

Two Roads, One Choice

The picture of the two gates comes straight from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. He set a wide gate beside a narrow gate — two paths leading to two very different eternal destinations. As Reverend Seth used to say, there are only ever two ways: right or wrong, good or evil, the way to heaven and the way to hell. Every person who has ever lived must make a clear choice about how they will live, and no one can make it for them. It is your thing to do, the evangelist said; the decision belongs to you.

The Broad Road

The broad road, the Bible says, leads to destruction, and many go in through it. Why so many? Because its gate stands right before our eyes; it is wide, easy to find, and nothing bars the way. It is a road that can be traveled without a single thought — the way of the world. Sister Kinney pictured it like the interstate: so wide you can do almost anything on it, drift over to the casino, exit at the barroom, and never feel you have wandered off course.

It is crowded with attractive, enticing things, and John warned us plainly that all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father. She remembered the old song about a girl who left a good home to see the world and have her fun, not knowing she would meet a man called King Heroin. That is the broad road: the careless who no longer mind what they say or who hears it, the undisciplined, the materialistic who live only for their own comfort — all going along with the crowd with no thought of heaven.

The Wages, and the Way Back

Paul left no doubt about where that road ends. The works of the flesh — immorality, idolatry, drunkenness, strife, and the rest — belong to those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the evangelist did not leave anyone stranded there. If some of those things are yours, she said, get on your knees and confess, for if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Just a little talk with Jesus will make it right. Tell God about the wrong attitude, the wrong look, the wrong thought, and let Him fix it — for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Narrow Gate

Then there is the narrow gate. If the broad road is the interstate, the narrow road is more like Highway 40 — full of curves and turns and signs that read danger, watch yourself. It is a road less traveled, because it is hard and it asks for commitment. You may not have wanted to get up this morning, but this road calls for determination: I am determined to see Jesus, determined to learn of His word, to take His yoke and find that His burden is light.

It is a path of obedience and self-denial, where the things you used to do, you do no more. Paul reminded us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places — so the way is narrow, sometimes so narrow it can hardly be seen. You have to seek it out diligently, choosing to be humble and to carry forgiveness in your heart. And you enter it by one door: repentance — a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of behavior.

The Way Is a Person

To make it plain, the evangelist told of Brother Leroy — “Tut” to those who love him — who once traveled the broad road all the way to a prison cell. The drugs promised a high he chased and never caught again, until the day he could finally say, the things I used to do, I don’t want to do them no more. He turned from the wide gate toward the narrow one, and the whole church rejoiced with him. For the narrow gate is not really a thing at all; it is a Person. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Him. There is no other road to heaven. As Uncle Bossy used to say, the way is so plain that a fool cannot err and a blind man cannot miss the path — if we will only take it.

Which Road Will You Take?

So the message came back around to its one great question: which road will you take this morning? Jesus has already given us everything we need to inherit the kingdom. He died on the cross, shed His own precious blood, rose on the third day, and sits now at the right hand of the Father with all power in His hand — and one day He is coming back for His own. Like Joshua, we can answer, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The narrow road is hard, and weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning; payday is coming for all who faint not. Hold on, the evangelist urged, to God’s unchanging hand — and choose the road that leads to life.

Key Takeaways

•   Every life runs down one of two roads. Jesus set a wide gate beside a narrow one, and each of us must choose which way we will live — no one can choose for us.

•   The broad road is easy, crowded, and deadly. It asks nothing of us and leads to destruction; the way of the world always costs more than it promises.

•   The narrow road is hard, but it leads to life. It calls for commitment, self-denial, and daily repentance — a change of mind, heart, and action.

•   The narrow gate is Jesus Himself. He is the only way to the Father, and He has already done everything needed for us to enter.

•   You can turn around today. Confess, hold on to God’s unchanging hand, and choose the road that leads home.