Praise in public costs something. You know the price.
Fear shows up right on schedule: What will people think? Will I look foolish, extreme, too much? And it has been so reasonable about it for so long.
The Misconception: The Middle Is the Safe Place
Most of us don't decide to be half-hearted. We just drift to the middle. An hour on Sunday. A prayer when it matters. Real life, the career, the money, the relationships, the future, kept in reserve. We call it balance. We call it being responsible. We tell ourselves we're not one of those people who take it too far.
But look at what that middle actually costs. It doesn't protect your faith. It starves it. The lukewarm life isn't safe. It's just slow.
Done With the Sidelines
"All In" by Seph Schlueter is a song about someone who's finished. He's finished sitting on the sidelines. Finished handing God just part of his life. He tells fear this is the last time it gets to hold him back, because it never had the right. Whatever the world says, he refuses to be embarrassed by the name of Jesus. Why? Because that same Jesus saved his life and broke his chains. He's finished with the lukewarm middle, with a fire burning in him for the Lord who turned a locked cell into an open door.
Then the song turns to the sound of the torn veil, a way into God's presence that no one can lock, and a call to sing it louder. Anyone the Son sets free, the song reminds us, is free indeed. And the answer is everything.
What Jesus Said About the Middle
Revelation 3:15-16 doesn't leave room for comfort: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
That's strong language, and it isn't about a lack of volume. Jesus isn't asking you to be louder. He's asking whether you've got something in reserve. Whether the part of your life you haven't offered Him is the part you're protecting.
Paul's answer in Romans 1:16 is simple: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." He didn't say he was loud about it. He said he wasn't ashamed. There's a difference.
Try This Today
Name one thing you've been holding in reserve. Not your sins. Your yes. What's the part of your life you haven't offered Him? Write it down. Then tell Him you're done negotiating.
This is Chapter Four of THERE'S MORE. Tomorrow is the finale, and we find out what the "more" was all along.
🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Music
