A pastor saw one of his sheep in the grocery store and got around to asking where they had been lately. Was it something I said? Is it another church?"
The man laughed and said, "Oh, no, we love you and the people of our church." The pastor was left to his own curiosity. He then asked, "Well, what is it then? We haven't seen you guys in months."
"To be honest with you, Pastor," the man replied, "we don't believe we need to go to church anymore."
Surprised, the Pastor asked, "Where did you get that idea?"
The church member smiled and said, "Brother, we are saved by grace without works, right. Well, that means we don't have to go to church to get to Heaven. The thief on the cross never went to church and he went to Heaven, right?"
The Pastor nodded and started to talk when he was interrupted by the church member.
"The thief on the cross never went to church, never was baptized, and never gave a penny to a church......but, guess what! We will see him in Heaven because we are all saved by grace without any works. I don't have to do anything to get to Heaven except believe."
There was a long pause and finally the Pastor wrapped up the conversation when he said, "Well, my friend, I guess you are a lot like the thief on the Cross, I believe. The only difference is.......he is a dead thief and you are a living one!"
And all of God's people said, "OUCH!!!!"
- Dr. Larry Petton