The document discusses three ways that people relate to God - heaven, wilderness, and earth. Heaven represents a religious approach focused on rules and purity. The wilderness represents where people directly encounter God, exemplified by Jesus and his message. Earth represents where people live day to day, and the document urges making it easier for people to encounter God, not harder, as some religious approaches do, suggesting following Jesus as the "third way".

1. HEAVEN = WHERE GOD IS Behave Pharisees Way #1 Puritans Keep Purity Follow the Law (religious) WILDERNESS = WHERE PEOPLE MEET GOD Belong JESUS The 3rd Way GOD WITH US Anabaptist Keep Presence Follow the Lawyer Follow the Law (government) Keep the Peace Liberation Theology Way #2 Sadducees Believe EARTH = WHERE PEOPLE ARE

2. The religious had made the way hard for normal people to come into the presence of God. What are we doing today that makes it hard for us and others to come into the presence of God? John came to announce the advent of a time when it would no longer be hard for people to find God because God was going to make himself found. How is God making Himself found in our world today? What can we do make it easier for others to meet Jesus? Jesus is that easy way, the 3rd way. Will you follow? The religious were not going to be allowed to control it. Either they came in like everyone else or they would be cut out. There is no middle ground. Are we a valley, a mountain or a pathway to Jesus? Those are the only three options.