Some of you know I used to have a friend named Kevin Cochran.  Kevin and I met and worked together at AST Computer in Fort Worth for about 3 years.  Along the way on our friendship Kevin and I tinkered in running a web-hosting and ISP business.  There's a long story behind that and hindsight is always 20/20 but for many reasons, the business was not a success and we closed it, in turn I started another ISP (DataLink Networks) that was successful for a while until the market fell out from underneath it and every other web-host on the planet.

Anyway, Kevin Cochran and I continued to be friends for quite a while after the business venture and even attended the same church for a while.  Liberty Church of Kennedale with Pastor Marvin Raines.  On a side note, I hear they have expanded and moved to Mansfield.  I might have to go visit there sometime to see what they are doing now.  Somewhere along the way, Kevin became obsessed with biblical law and began to point out every tiny flaw in my life and walk with Christ.  This eventually led to our demise as friends, and quite honestly a major part of the reason I quite attending church for many years to follow.  In fact, that was around 1998 and I didn't start attending church again until around 2004 when my wife and I started attending Keystone Church in Keller, TX.  I attempted to discuss with him grace and try to figure out why he believed the way he did.  It turned into a "Faith without works is dead." conversation over and over again.  What he really believed however, was that "There is no grace without works and strict obedience to the law."  It turns out Kevin had been involved (without my knowledge) in a Church called Sound Doctrine out of Enumclaw, Washington.  Kevin eventually sold his home and moved his entire family there, in order to attend this Church, severing his ties with his friends in Texas.  It is my understanding from talking to others who knew him, that he and his family sold all of their possessions and gave them to the Church, as Jesus called on him to do in John 8:31.  I don't know this to be fact but I suspect it is the case.

Fast forward a couple of years.  I try to reach Kevin.  I send emails to a known good email account of his.  No replies.  I even managed to dig up his address from a vehicle registration on PublicData.com and mailed him a written letter.  No response.  It seems his new church doesn't allow him to talk to outsiders (or he has chosen to based on their teachings).  So as the years tick by to 2008, every year I attempt at some point to contact him.  I shoot an email, sometimes it bounces, sometimes it doesn't based on an email I can find searching public records, but regardless, he never answers.  Someone suggested to me that someone else, either family, or church associate might read his emails before he gets them and deletes them.  I suppose this is possible.

Last night was my day in 2008, that I attempt to hunt Kevin down again.  Each year, when I search for him, the information becomes less and less.  It's as if he is slowly but surely being removed from the grid.  Everything that used to come up for him (such a domain names he used to own) all come up as CarriedCross or SoundDoctrine (Carried Cross are the same people as Sound Doctrine).  It appears he or someone else purposefully does not want him to be found.

So I thought I would do some research on the Sound Doctrine guys.  I really wanted to get a grip on who they were and what they stand for.  The most interesting article I found is called "Sound Doctrine: Will they Pour the Kool-Aid soon?" which is a reference to cults poisoning themselves in suicide pacts to meet God.  It appears that all of my fears about this place and their teaching are real.  According to their interpretation of the Bible, my family, everyone I know, including the pastor of every church I have attended and all of their members are destined to go straight to hell!  I won't bore you with the contents, you can read the link above to learn more.

I'll end this incredibly long post with one last thought.  If Kevin and other members believes that this church's teachings are the truth, I have to wonder about something.  He attended Liberty Church for quite some time.  According to Sound Doctrine, Marvin Raines would be a heathen and teaching from the devils throne!  Does he look back on his life and say "Wow.  That Marvin really taught me some flawed material."  I doubt seriously based on the SD teachings that he could think Liberty Church taught him anything useful or true.  In fact I would venture to say that Kevin and other members of the SD Church would tell you that they were never saved until they found Sound Doctrine Church.  It's quite amazing to me the power that cults have over people.  And yes, I believe firmly that Sound Doctrine is a cult.  Looking up top 20 cults in America.. on Google.  Guess who is at number 19?

Kevin, if you're out there, shoot me an email sometime.  It would be great to hear from you. You have nothing to fear from me, unless you fear acceptance, forgiveness, and grace.