As I was driving to my bi-vocational job, I got to thinking about this song by Keith Green. It comes from the album No Compromise.

I remember how this album (Yes, a real record album) affected my thinking in my teen years. I remember our youth group well. We had a great youth group at church. After my parents, it was responsible for much of my Christian formation. My prayer is that our student could be part of a dynamic group like ours was. My heart aches for them. They want to come to church and yet keep their feet in the world. These words by Keith Green hit me hard as I remembered them this morning.

To obey is better than sacrifice. I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights. Cause if you can’t come to Me every day, then don’t bother coming at all. To obey is better than sacrifice, I want hearts of fire not your prayers of ice.

This got me thinking about the church in Laodicea. Jesus said they were neither hot or cold. They were lukewarm and he wanted to spit them out of his mouth.

Lord, I pray today that we can have hearts set on fire for You. Keep us from lukewarmness. We want to serve You everyday and not just when we are at church. Keep us from compromise and help us serve You with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, and with all of our minds. Amen.