Our country has hit a rough spot...

The principles that once made us a great nation are shaking. Fear is replacing hope and many are discouraged. Rather than planning and working for a better tomorrow, some are becoming like the steward who buried his talent in the backyard. We're left with questioning if this troubled experience is all there is to life.

We need to return to the basics. While we may not question Christianity's role and influence in the founding of our nation, many don't think the principles that were once used are still relevant for today; often with good reason.

As Jesus' disciples, we need to be about doing the things he has already asked us to do; loving god and loving people in all that this entails. That means returning to the word, his love letter for believers. Jesus never had a building fund. He didn't serve coffee. When he was in church, he was worshipping, preaching, praying, teaching, serving, discipling, ministering... Outside of church, he was doing the same thing.

Jesus prepared 12 ordinary men to carry on after he left earth. Each day Jesus and his disciples were about sharing the gospel and ministering to the people. They came to realize that the life of a disciple is usually one of multiplication, not addition.

'A View from the Back Row' follows the road our churches have traveled from Jesus' time and shows how we have slowly, but surely become more like the world than we realize. We need to regroup. Our country, and the world, needs what Jesus Christ offers; a reason to live today and hope for tomorrow.