Moe Bergeron

Content for the Thinking Christian

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  • The Death of Charlie Kirk: A Sobering Call to Examine Our Gospel

    The Death of Charlie Kirk: A Sobering Call to Examine Our Gospel

    The death of a man—especially one in the public eye—always draws a crowd. Some weep, others jeer. Some question his legacy, others canonize it. But before we can rightly speak of any man’s death, we must ask the more important question: Did he live by the Gospel? Did he have the Gospel first?

    Throughout the long history of God’s dealings with men, He has often raised up voices to speak truth before kings and rulers, voices who would not be silenced by power or fear. Moses stood before Pharaoh and demanded freedom for God’s people. John the Baptist dared to speak of sexual sin before a ruler who could—and did—take his head. Paul stood trial before governors and kings, never shrinking from proclaiming Christ crucified. And Christ Himself, the spotless Lamb, stood before Pilate—silent, though innocent—bearing witness to the truth that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36, BSB). Yet with every voice raised in truth came a cost. And behind every martyrdom was not just courage, but a message too sacred to dilute: the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit—just as your fathers did.” — Acts 7:51, BSB

    That brings us back to our question: Did Charlie Kirk have the Gospel? Not merely a conservative platform. Not just moral courage. Not the applause of a crowd or the ire of a political establishment. The question is spiritual, not political. Eternal, not cultural. It is possible—tragically so—to speak truth to power and yet not know the Truth (John 14:6). One may defend Christian values, fight for religious liberty, and even quote Scripture, yet still fall short of repentance and faith. Jesus warned of such in Matthew 7:22–23 (BSB):

    “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

    It is not enough to stand for what is right in the eyes of men if we have not bowed before Christ in repentance. The Pharisees were defenders of tradition, morality, and law—but they crucified the Author of Life. Having a cause is not the same as having a Christ.

    Paul warned of those who have “a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:5, BSB). The power of the Gospel is not merely in the defense of truth, but in its reception—deep within the heart—where a man is broken by the law, humbled by grace, and raised by the Spirit to new life.

    So then, did Charlie Kirk have the Gospel first?

    We may never know the final movements of his soul. That is between him and the Lord. But the question presses closer to home: Do you have the Gospel first?

    Before the platforms, before the applause, before the resistance and the suffering—have you stood before the living God and confessed your sin? Have you trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone for your salvation?

    Because it is not those who shout loudest for truth who are saved—but those who have been made new by it.

    And if indeed Charlie Kirk suffered for speaking truth—as many have since Pentecost—let us neither idolize nor condemn him. Let us rather learn the lesson: Boldness without the Gospel is bravery without hope. But the Gospel with boldness? That is a fire the world cannot quench.

    “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” — Romans 1:16, BSB

    Amen.

  • Session 1: Establishing the Foundation of Love

    Session 1: Establishing the Foundation of Love

    Series Introduction: The Core of the Christian Life

    Welcome to our first session in the series Church Goals, where we’ll explore the power and practice of love as presented in 1 Corinthians 13. Over the next 22 sessions, we’ll unpack each verse of this deeply transformative chapter—often called the “Love Chapter”—to see how love is not just a theological idea, but a practical, spiritual force that reshapes hearts, homes, and whole communities.

    Today, we begin by laying the foundation: love as the essential ingredient in every Christian’s life. No matter how gifted, intelligent, generous, or sacrificial we are—without love, it all falls flat. That’s why Paul begins here. And more specifically, he introduces two critical qualities that define true love: patience and kindness.

    Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1–4 (BSB)

    “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
    If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
    If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.
    Love is patient, love is kind.”
    (1 Corinthians 13:1–4, Berean Standard Bible)

    The Necessity of Love

    Paul doesn’t mince words—he makes it clear that love is not just a spiritual priority; it is the spiritual priority.

    You can have eloquence and charisma, know deep mysteries, perform miracles, and even give away everything you own—but if love isn’t behind it, you’ve gained nothing. Without love, every spiritual gift becomes noise, every act of faith loses its impact, and every sacrifice becomes hollow.

    This isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming more—becoming like Christ, who is love (1 John 4:8).

    Love gives meaning to everything else. It’s not the icing on the cake of Christian living—it’s the flour that makes the cake possible.

    Love Is Patient

    The first word Paul uses to define love is “patient”—makrothumia in Greek, meaning “long-tempered” or “slow to anger.” This isn’t passive waiting. It’s active restraint, especially under pressure.

    Patience is the space love creates between provocation and reaction. It mirrors how God deals with us—slow to anger, abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8).

    When we’re patient with others, especially in conflict or disappointment, we reflect God’s grace. It’s in those moments—when we want to snap, judge, or walk away—that patience becomes a witness to God’s Spirit at work in us.

    Love Is Kind

    Patience holds back; kindness reaches out.

    If patience is the posture of love, kindness is its movement. The Greek word used here, chresteuomai, implies active goodwill. Kindness is not just avoiding harm—it’s pursuing the good of others. It’s compassion with action.

    This kind of love doesn’t wait for people to deserve it. It initiates. It encourages. It uplifts. It’s the kind of love Jesus showed—healing the sick, welcoming the outcast, feeding the hungry, and offering forgiveness to the undeserving.

    Kindness has the power to soften hard hearts, to open doors, and to mend what’s broken. When love is kind, it’s unmistakably Christ-like.

    Living the Foundation of Love

    The foundation of a Christ-centered life isn’t built on talent or theology—it’s built on love that is patient and kind. These aren’t optional virtues; they are essential expressions of spiritual maturity. They affect every relationship, every decision, every act of ministry.

    And here’s the key: these qualities can’t be faked. They grow only from a genuine relationship with Jesus, cultivated through time in the Word, prayer, and daily surrender.

    Questions and Reflections

    Understanding Love’s Necessity

    • Why do you think Paul insists that even the greatest spiritual gifts are nothing without love?
    • How might love give deeper meaning to your daily actions or service?

    Reflecting on Patience

    • Can you recall a moment when patience cost you something—but produced peace or healing?
    • How can patience shift the dynamics of conflict in your home, church, or workplace?

    Practicing Kindness

    • What is one area in your life where you can go out of your way to show kindness this week?
    • How might intentional kindness open new doors in strained or distant relationships?

    Application: Put Love Into Action

    Personal Reflection
    Take time this week to assess your own heart. Are patience and kindness evident in how you interact with others—especially those who test your limits?

    Act of Kindness
    Plan and carry out a specific act of kindness this week. Choose something that requires effort, initiative, or sacrifice. Let it be a reflection of God’s kindness to you.

    Patience Practice
    Pick a specific scenario where you’re usually quick to react—maybe with a child, coworker, or in traffic. Pause, pray, and choose patience. Reflect on how it changes your heart and the situation.

    Conclusion: The First Building Blocks

    This first session reminds us that love is not a lofty idea—it’s a foundation made up of very real, very practical actions. When we choose patience in irritation and kindness in indifference, we begin to build a life that reflects Christ.

    Love doesn’t just inform our theology; it defines our identity. And when love is patient and kind, it becomes powerful, lasting, and transformative.

    Next Session Preview:

    In Session 2, we’ll explore what love is not. Specifically, how love does not envy, does not boast, and is not proud—and why rejecting these attitudes is crucial to preserving the unity and humility of the Church.

    Questions and Answers

    Q: Why does Paul prioritize love over faith or sacrifice?
    A: Because love is the motive behind every action that pleases God. Faith without love becomes cold. Sacrifice without love becomes self-righteous. Love gives our faith warmth and our actions meaning.

    Q: Is patience weakness?
    A: No—biblical patience is strength under control. It takes more strength to hold back anger and offer grace than it does to lash out.

    Q: What’s the difference between kindness and just being polite?
    A: Politeness can be superficial or self-serving. Kindness is sacrificial and sincere—it seeks the best for others, even when inconvenient.

    Let’s build this journey of love on the right foundation—because everything that follows will depend on it.

  • 6. Freedom from Man-Made Religion

    6. Freedom from Man-Made Religion

    Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

    Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what he has seen; he is puffed up with idle notions by his unspiritual mind. He has lost connection to the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

    If you died with Christ to the spiritual forces of the world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its regulations: “Do not handle,” “Do not taste,” “Do not touch”? These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such practices indeed have an appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

    The Substance is Christ

    The cross has triumphed—and therefore, religious judgment must be silenced. Paul is emphatic: let no one judge you based on external regulations. The old distinctions between clean and unclean, feast and fast, Sabbath and New Moon, have been rendered obsolete by Christ. These things were shadows, temporary signs pointing forward. But now the substance has come—and the substance is Christ (cf. Hebrews 8; Hebrews 10).

    To submit again to the shadows is to step backward into what has been fulfilled. The feast days and Sabbaths were part of the Mosaic covenant. But that covenant has been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and believers now live under a New Covenant (cf. Romans 14; Galatians 4).

    Paul next warns against mysticism and asceticism—forms of religion that seem impressive but disconnect the believer from Christ. The one who boasts in visions or worship of angels, who parades false humility, has lost connection to the Head. And without Christ, the body withers. But in union with Christ, the whole body grows with growth from God—a growth that is organic, spiritual, and rooted in grace (cf. Ephesians 4).

    Paul presses further: “If you died with Christ…” That is the decisive truth. The believer’s death with Christ means death to the old world and its religious systems. Why then live as if you still belonged to it? The rules—“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”—are man-made regulations, not Spirit-given commands. They perish with use and have no power to subdue the flesh.

    These religious practices have an appearance of wisdom, but only an appearance. They promote self-imposed religion, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but they fail to conquer sin. What the law could not do, God did by sending His Son (cf. Romans 8).

    This section is a declaration of spiritual liberty. It announces that believers in Christ are no longer under the rule of Sinai, no longer measured by diets and days, no longer controlled by visions and asceticism. The age of shadows is over; the Light has come. In the New Covenant, Christ is our holiness, our rest, our feast, and our sufficiency.