Many years ago at the Tournament of Roses parade the Standard Oil Company, now known as Chevron, had a beautiful float. In the middle of the parade the oil company's float came to a grinding halt and the rest of the parade with it. What had happened? It had run out of gas.

The directors of the Chevron float had done everything well but they neglected to avail themselves of their companies vast resources of oil. The parade waited while someone ran to get a gallon of gas.

Too often, I see this happen among us, Christians and churches breakdown right in the middle of the parade. And, while I know it's impossible for the entire Kingdom of God to be held up while some deacon goes to fetch a gallon of gospel, I fear sometimes its possible and I wonder what God must think when we neglect the source of our strength and power. When we fail to abide in Christ and render our selves ineffective.