Each Independence Day millions of Americans gather in parks and stadiums to watch fireworks and spend a day with their families. Yet in the midst of the pomp and pageantry, many people have no idea that our nation is sliding down a slippery slope perilously close to a cliff-a point of no return. Consider the following evidence of how grim our slide has become.

Alexander Fraser Tytler lived at the end of the eighteenth century, but his book The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic sends a chilling warning today. Tytler found that ancient democracies waned under the selfishness of human hearts. He wrote: "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:"

From bondage to spiritual faith;

from spiritual faith to great courage;

from courage to liberty;

from liberty to abundance;

from abundance to selfishness;

from selfishness to complacency;

from complacency to apathy;

from apathy to dependency;

from dependency back to bondage.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said, "The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people." I am more convinced than ever that the homes of our nation contain the ingredients for a spiritual and moral awakening in our country. The smallest yet most powerful unit for spiritual awakening and social change is the family. Your family!

The real battle, the most important battle, is not in Washington, D.C.; it's in your own home.

Prayer: For those in power, both in this country and in other nations, that they may rule in godly ways so that we may live in peace in our nation.

Discuss: How does the level of morality and faith in society affect the home? Why do you think Christians are being tempted to lose heart in establishing biblical values and standards in their homes?