Where does a path that 'seems right' pull at you this week — in your own thinking, or in something you've absorbed from the culture?

Most of us have driven a route we were sure was the fastest, only to learn later that another way was shorter all along. The frustrating part isn't being wrong. The frustrating part is that the wrong route *felt right* the whole time. Proverbs 14:12 is a verse for that exact experience — but with the stakes raised. *There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.* The Bible isn't being dramatic. It's making a point our culture finds uncomfortable: feeling right and being right are not the same thing. Yesterday Edwin opened John 14:6 — Jesus' claim to be "the way." Today Proverbs sets up why that claim matters. If a path that *seemed* right could end anywhere, including in death, then we needed someone to actually BE the way. Not just a guide who points. A perso

When the Bible repeats itself, it's flagging something we're prone to miss. What might Proverbs be making sure you don't miss?

When the Bible repeats itself, it's usually because we're prone to miss the point. Proverbs 16:25 is, to put it bluntly, a copy-paste. The exact same verse already appeared in Proverbs 14:12, just two chapters earlier: *There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.* Hebrew wisdom literature uses repetition as emphasis. When something matters this much, the sages didn't trust us to catch it on the first read. So they printed it again. What might Proverbs be making sure we don't miss? That it is entirely possible to walk a wrong path with full confidence. That sincerity is not the same as truth. That sometimes the most loving thing the Bible can do for us is repeat itself until we slow down and listen. Edwin's sermon Sunday turned this same key. Jesus' claim

Who in your life knows you follow Jesus by your words AND your warmth — not just one or the other?

Holding what Jesus said about himself — that he is THE way — feels like it should make conversations harder, not easier. If "all paths lead to God" is the cultural script, then claiming Jesus is *the* way sets you up to look closed-minded. Peter saw this coming. Writing to a Christian community surrounded by religions and philosophies that disagreed with theirs, he gave them a tool: *but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.* Read that last phrase again. Gentleness. Respect. *A reason for the hope* — that's the content. Be ready to talk about why you believe what you believe. Not as someone who's been backed into an argument, but as some

When have you needed Jesus to be a strong tower, not just a teacher?

A way that doesn't lead anywhere isn't really a way. It's a treadmill. Jesus' claim to be the way (John 14:6) isn't an end in itself. It's a way to somewhere — to the Father, to a Father's house with many rooms, to safety. That's why Proverbs 18:10 is such a fitting closer for this week: *The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.* The exclusive way Edwin preached Sunday isn't a narrow door for its own sake. It's a door to refuge. A lot of us, when we hear "Jesus is the way," only hear the *way* part. The directional language. The exclusivity. We forget there's a destination — and that the destination is the part that makes the journey worth taking. The strong tower in Proverbs 18 is a place for the weary. For people who are tired of being chase

What stood out to you most in Edwin's message? Was there a moment that landed differently than you expected?

Jesus' answer to the most diplomatic question of our time.

The phrase 'all religions lead to God' sounds humble at first hearing. Where do you encounter it most often — in conversations, on social media, or in your own internal monologue?

Jesus' answer to the most diplomatic question of our time.

Read John 14:6 together. What's at stake for the church if we soften this verse to make it more palatable? What's at stake if we sharpen it without love?

Jesus' answer to the most diplomatic question of our time.

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Sermons in English

Don't All Religions Lead to God?

John 14:6

Edwin Martinez Sunday, May 3, 2026

Icebreaker

When you were younger, what did you assume people who went to a different church — or a different religion entirely — actually believed about God? How accurate did that assumption turn out to be?

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Discussion Questions

1
What stood out to you most in Edwin's message? Was there a moment that landed differently than you expected?
2
The phrase 'all religions lead to God' sounds humble at first hearing. Where do you encounter it most often — in conversations, on social media, or in your own internal monologue?
3
Read John 14:6 together. What's at stake for the church if we soften this verse to make it more palatable? What's at stake if we sharpen it without love?
4
Edwin's missionary work means he regularly meets people whose religious frameworks are very different from ours. How might Jesus' 'I am the way' claim shape the *way* we share him — not just the content?
5
Where in your own life are you tempted to take a path that 'seems right' but isn't the way of Jesus? What would it look like this week to take the harder right turn?

Closing Prayer

Pray for the people in your life who don't yet know Jesus by name. Ask the Father to give the church courage to hold what Jesus actually said — and to hold it with the warmth Edwin showed us tonight. Pray for a door to open this week for an honest conversation.

Leader Notes

This sermon's exclusivity claim can land hard for people from religiously diverse families or workplaces. Make space for tension before you try to resolve it. The goal of question 3 isn't apologetic victory — it's the discipline of holding both clarity and love at the same time. If someone in the group is wrestling personally with a relative or coworker of another faith, slow down. Don't move on until you've named that.