There's a huge difference between being alone and being lonely but what is it? Gilbert O'Sullivan's song, "Alone Again (Naturally)" might well be titled "Lonely Again (Naturally) as he sings about the emotional pain he goes through as life deals him more and more loss.

Some people are turning to AI to the detriment of meaningful connections, like the lady who reportedly said, "I spend five hours a day with my new companion...and I like her more than my daughter." Her new companion is AI.

Being alone is a physical condition based upon external connections. Loneliness is a mental/emotional condition based upon feelings and it's the lens through which people look at the world, others, and themselves.

The world has its solution to loneliness, though it is quite impotent to solving loneliness but God has the real solution. He says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," and He means it. He has provided six ways to not just combat loneliness but banish it. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

If someone would have thought of operating a cart with rocks to sell in Jerusalem around Jesus' time, they would have made a killing! Between apostates like Stephen and prostitutes, they would have had a big business.

But check out the account of the prostitute they brought to Jesus. It didn't end well for the Pharisees.

So many churches are in decline because of the perversion of the gift of discernment, a.k.a. Criticism. Like they say in show business, "Everyone is a critic!" Well, not everyone in the church but way too many, that's for sure.

Jay and Tom share the 5 D's of criticism: It's divisive, it's demeaning, it's disruptive, it's discouraging, and it's demonic. Listen and find out why.

And also discover the alternative and change from being critical to being encouraging. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Nearly a generation has gone by since the horrific events of September 11, 2001.

Even most who have been born since then are aware of what happened as thousands of Americans lost their lives as a result of evil in the world. When the towers fell and the jets fell from the sky, many had a wakeup call.

And it would have been nice if that wakeup call lasted, but something happened just this past week that reveals we have a serious problem in our country. When Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA fell because of being shot by an assassin, we were shown just how deep the evil and the division is in our country.

Some mourned in agony, some in disbelief that anyone would do such a horrific thing, but others cheered and jeered.

- Have we lost our humanity?

- Have we lost our dignity?

- Have we lost our rule of law?

Friends, it's not a political problem, it's not a social problem, and it's not an economic problem, though these do exist and continue to grow. But it is a spiritual problem where evil is exalted and truth is spurned. We no longer can dialogue peacefully but have to resort to character assassination as well as physical assassination.

America is at a turning point and the followers of Jesus Christ have some decisions to make. Our response will make a difference in the future of our country.