“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

Since last summer, we have been exploring the subject of worship and have found it to be one of the most important things a Christian can learn to do. A.W. Tozer said of worship, “Worship is important because it’s the reason Christ came; the reason He was crucified; and, the reason He rose again.”

Over the last several months we have been exploring the subject of worship, its meaning, its application and its implementation in our lives.

We began our articles on worship three months ago by saying that "we become like what we worship." Consequently, if we want to become more Christ-like - more conformed into His image - we must learn to worship more.

Over the past several months, we have been studying why worship is the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do. Worship is critical because it is the "key" to joy and our being able to withstand the trials that God allows into our lives.

There is an old proverb that says, "We only prepare for what we think is important." And, it's so true. If we don't feel that the subject at hand is important, then we certainly won't prepare for it. However, if the issue is something that matters greatly to us, then we'll conscientiously do whatever is necessary to make ready for it.

Over the past few months, we have been studying the subject of worship, and we’ve come to the conclusion that worship is the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do. It’s important because it’s the “key” to holiness and God’s presence and the secret to true joy and happiness.

Years ago, in one of David Wilkerson's newsletters, there was an article entitled, "The Making of a Man of God." I've never forgotten that intriguing title because, in a nutshell, this is what God is trying to do in all of our lives - make us men and women of God.

We began our exploration of worship a couple of months ago by defining worship as "the means by which we come into the Lord's presence and adore, praise and love Him in the same nature as He - in the spirit." The definition of worship that I really like, however, is that worship means "catching fire with the Love of the Lord."

For the purpose of new readers just joining us this month, let's review for just a moment. This series began two months ago with my own story of several years ago, where I had become so discouraged and so disheartened at some of the horrific events in my life that I had lost the joy of my salvation.

Last month we began a new journey. A journey that explores the most important thing a Christian can learn to do: worship the Lord.

Beginning this month, we're going to embark on a new journey. A journey that explores the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do, worship. We'll learn exactly what worship is and what it's not; we'll learn how God wants us to worship; and, finally, we'll learn that worship is the only thing that will bring us the joy of the Lord.

For just over a year now, we have been talking about the authority and power that God gives us as Christians to make "faith choices" - choices we make by faith and not our feelings. What's sad is that many Christians still don't realize they have the authority to go against the tide of their emotions, and choose God's will regardless of how they feel.

Over the last several weeks, we have been talking about making emotional choices or "fleshly choices" as Christians. These are choices to follow what we think and feel and see, rather than choosing, by faith, to follow what God has asked us to do. These choices immediately quench God’s Spirit in us.

So far in our overview of Against the Tide , we've focused on the importance of our day-to-day choices and how they are the key to our Christian walk. We've talked about "faith choices" - choosing something we don't feel by saying, "Not my will, but Thine" - and how God has given us the authority and the power to make this kind of choice.

What a wonderful topic to discuss this month: Knowing how much God loves us! It's amazing to me that we "happen" to be in this particular section of the book at this time, but certainly, it's not by coincidence. The whole reason for the season is God's Love!

Can we choose to go "against the tide" and do what God has asked when we really don't feel like it, want to or even think it will work? Will God honor a choice like this?

We have found that even as Christians, our own thoughts, emotions and desires determine most aspects of our lives. The question is: How can we go against the tide and choose to do what God has asked, when we really don't feel like it, want to or think it will work? Will God honor something we choose by faith, but really don't feel?

Last month we continued our series Against the Tide: Getting Beyond Ourselves by focusing on the subject of single-mindedness vs. double-mindedness. In the Greek, single-minded means only one life is being lived; whereas, double-minded means two lives are being lived.

II Corinthians 10:5-6 gives us a very important directive. It tells us to "take every thought captive" and to deal with the thoughts that are not of faith. God knows that taking every thought captive is critical because our thoughts are the first to be triggered in the chain-reaction of our souls.

The power of our choice - what does this really mean and why is it so important? God has given us the incredible gift of free choice - the free choice to either follow His will moment by moment or the free choice to follow what we think and feel. Just how important are these moment-by-moment choices?

Over the last several months, we have been exploring the power of our choice; i.e., our willpower. As Christians, God has given us the free choice to either follow His will moment by moment or follow what we think and feel. Emotional choices, however, quench God's Spirit. Whereas faith choices (choices to follow Him regardless of how we feel) unleash all of His power to come to our aid.

Is it possible to make choices to follow God when we don't feel like it, want to or think it will work? This has been the subject we have been exploring over the last few months - faith choices - and why they are so important.

How do we as Christians overcome the justified hurt feelings, the anger, the bitterness, the resentment, the fear, the unforgiveness, the insecurity, the guilt and the memories that consume us daily?

God has given man a free will, much like His own. Our free will is the most important element of our make-up, because within that will lies the power to choose: to choose to follow what God desires us to do or follow what our own thoughts and emotions are telling us.

As Christians, most of us would agree that we've not been called simply to gain knowledge about Christ, but to gain more of His Life to give to others. We would concur that true Christianity is not about "head knowledge," but about Christ's Life being personally experienced and then passed on.

Last month we began a brand-new series called Against the Tide. This new series will cover some very simple, but extremely important, fundamental principles: i.e., how to walk by faith. If we don't understand how to make moment-by-moment faith choices, we may as well forget "living the Christian life!"

Natural thoughts, emotions and desires. The dictionary calls them "the movers of our soul" because what we think and feel is usually what we choose to follow.

For years, whenever I had a problem, other Christians would tell me, "Nancy, just give it to God." Well, that's really easy to say, but how on earth do you do it in action?

When things fall apart in our lives, it's so easy for someone looking in to simply say, "Oh, just give it to God." Well, the question is, how exactly does one do that? This has been the topic of our discussion over the past several months - how do we give things to God and leave them there?