In the midst of this on-going "Culture War," followers of Jesus must not neglect the single most important thing we can do in all of this madness, We Must Remember God!

Jesus is calling all who will follow him to become something more than surface level religionists. His intention is to make us the kind of people who do what is right without having to think about it; to become Kingdom Saints. The point of this whole Sermon on the Mount is found in verse 20, a surpassing righteousness that leads us into the life of the kingdom!

What is the essence of a Berean Believer? It is to have an active, hungry, daily, diligent engagement with the scriptures. This quest for really knowing the truth became a daily for them, it was to be a way of life, not a nominal thing, not a now and then thing, but a “If this is the truth then I am in all the way, every day” thing!

Jesus tells us to "lay up our treasure in heaven." Why? Because wherever our treasure is, that is where our heart will be, and ultimately, that is his greatest interest, our heart! The greatest treasure our heart can hold is the loving, valuing, and desiring of Christ above everything else. But how can we do that? What does it look like to treasure Christ above all else?

To “abide,” is to remain, to stay with, or even more simply and powerfully said, it is to be; to be there, to be with, to be constant. This is how Jesus describes the relationship he intends for us to have with him. To simply dwell in and with the presence of Jesus, to hear him, love him, and learn from him, is the most necessary thing for your soul; but it is also the most opposed. 

Why do we sing in our worship services? As in all things, motive is key. Is there a biblical principle for choirs and congregational singing? If so, what should our focus be?

Sometimes we may get the impression that God’s blessings just roll out freely upon us, as if purely by grace. Is that right? Of course, it is, on one hand! But there is also, on the other hand, a level of the blessed life that only comes to those who pursue it, and the Personal Responsibility (PR) expected of those who would live in that level of blessing is laid out in these first Psalms. 

As I read the gospels, and into Acts for that matter, I have been struck with the impression that in the days of the early church, the people were simply taken with the heart of this man Jesus! There are numerous passages which show that those who had genuine encounters with Jesus were deeply stirred for him, and toward him. Yet, just to pause and reflect on where the church seems to be today, I am wondering if somewhere along the way, Christianity, or our form of it, lost Christ.