For some reason, prayer is not an important thing for a lot of Christians. They figure that as long as they do it in church and before meals, they're doing well. The reason it doesn't mean more to them is because they don't know what prayer really is. Imagine if the Queen of England gave you her phone number, and told you that you could call her anytime you wanted, and you'd never wear out your welcome. That's basically what God has done for us by letting us pray. However, we think that since we don't have to know a special number or make an appointment, prayer must not be all that special. But God is more than just the ruler of the universe. He's a loving, caring father, and like any loving, caring father, a talk with Him can be immediately helpful and clarifying. This song is about the power of prayer, and how it doesn't really make any sense to not use a gift like this.

This song is about the damaging effects of greed. Nobody sets a goal of being greedy, but of all the vices out there, greed is exceptionally skilled at creeping into our lives without us noticing. Then one day, you suddenly wake up and realize that you're pining away for something you wouldn't have dreamed of wanting years ago. Once greed gets a hold on you, it's very hard to shake off. The best thing to do is be vigilant in making sure it isn't finding a way into your thoughts and actions.

A lot of people think that how "good" they are depends on how "good" everybody else is. They then assume that if they're better than everyone else, then they must really be something in God's eyes. But the truth is, we're all sinners, no matter how much good we do. The Bible says that all our good works are "as filthy rags" compared to our sin. Maybe we could get away with being "good guys" if God saw only our actions. But God looks deeper than that. He can see all of our undercover desires, hidden lusts, and secret fantasies. And if you're like me, then if all of your secret sins came into the light, you would be extremely humbled. Since God sees all of that, all the time, we can't expect Him to think of our "goodness" the way other people do. Trying to be "good" in the eyes of men only brings us pride, which, as the Bible says, leads to destruction. Jesus set a different standard when He advised secret acts of servitude and prayer instead of public charity. Though are good works, secret or not, aren't the source of our salvation, Jesus said that, in His kingdom, the "least would be greatest". That means the one who served not for fame or honor but simply for the joy of obeying Christ will have a higher place than the one who judged his "goodness" as being relative to others.

Could it be that the people we follow, the people we trust to lead us in the right direction, could have little idea where they themselves are going? Perhaps they pursue a false conception of reality, thinking that they've really found meaning in something other than Christ. The theme of this entire album is one of following Jesus, and of course the exact opposite of that is following someone else. These counterfeit leaders may even claim to know God's will for your life, but by choosing to follow those who are truly blind, we blind ourselves and put ourselves in danger of stumbling off of the paths God intended for us to take. A true leader will not try to beguile you into following his representation of Christ, but will truly desire to help you hear God's call for yourself.

This song is based out of Isaiah 55:8, which says "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD". So many times we can wish we knew what God is thinking. Especially when life is hard for us, we have to wonder what He's trying to do. This song reminds us that God really does have a plan for our good, even though He may not reveal how our trials are gonna help while were facing them.

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" - Mark 8:36 One of the common tendencies in life is for us to take it for granted. A lot of people work hard for material possessions, without ever asking why they haven't found fulfillment or when they will have enough. As this song puts it, they fail to "wonder what it's all about". Yet this is the lifestyle that society points us toward. We are so drawn into this mindset that we're afraid that if we even stop to ponder if there's "more to this life", we will be seen as unusual or "holier-than-thou". We're afraid to ask these important questions, so when we feel the tugging to pay attention to where our life is going, we try to block it out with more work. While dedicating our lives to acquiring possessions and the status they bring may make us "cool" in the eyes of the world, they only bring pain for us personally. Divorce, estrangement from friends and family, and stress are all unexpected results of materialism, and they can ruin our lives from the inside out. When your kingdom crumbles and all your dreams fall apart, the world will quickly go from admiring you to condemning you. And worse than than that, you will have run the risk of making the terrible decision to trade your soul for the world and all that it offers.

The attractive feature of the disciples was not the promises they made or even the miracles they performed. It was the way they held to what they believed, even though their enemies threw everything they had at them. Only someone who had really seen a risen, crucified Christ would remain unwavering, even when threatened with death. With the things the disciples had seen, they couldn't help feeling joyful in the face of their trials, and that's what brought people into the early church.

"For the Sake of the Call" was released in 1990 as the pilot single for the album which bore the same name and carried the same message. It quickly rose to the #1 spot on the Christian charts, and remains a fan favorite and religious standard to this day. One of the reasons for its enduring fame is its inspiring message. It is based off of the account of Jesus' calling of the disciples. They came from all walks of life as fishermen, tax collectors, and political activists. They were far from saints: each of them would, at some point in their life, turn their back on their leader in some way or another, and one of them would even betray Jesus to be crucified. Every one of them, however, had this in common: they were all called by Christ, and they all answered. A lot of Christians have lost sight of that in the 21st century. Following Christ is no longer a conscious, full-time labor but has become a one-time prayer that sets you up for eternity so you can turn around and enjoy your share of success and prosperity at the Lord's expense. But Jesus said "if any man has life, let him take up his cross and follow me." Though many have forgotten this important message after two thousand years, it still must define every aspect of our lives. Just as the disciples forsook all to follow Jesus, we, as Christians, are called to forget everything else and overcome whatever keeps us from doing His will. What better way to show that we are grateful for what Christ has done for us?

This song was only featured on the CD version of the album More To This Life (it was back when most albums were sold on audio cassettes). It describes two very different situations. The "chapel on wheels" sounds like a thrown-together makeshift operation while the inner city church seems to be a sturdy building with historical significance. However, while the port-a-church is overwhelmed by visitors, the city church is lifeless and dry, most likely attended by a mostly elderly congregation. Why the difference? The people at one church are living out their faith in the "highways" so the Holy Spirit can draw in those who need the gospel message. Meanwhile, the other church is unsuccessful at attracting the new people it needs because the people inside can't see past the ordinances and scruples that they've added to the Gospel of Christ. It's no wonder their leader's efforts to mobilize the congregation have failed. The question this song asks is, which church do you go to? What needs to happen for your church to be in the right place? What have you done to further or hamper the Gospel?

This song describes what is a familiar feeling for many Christians: trying to pray, but feeling like repeating the same old lines would be redundant and useless. What we want to say about the Lord's greatness and mercy is somewhere in our heart, but we can't express it with our lips. What we need to do is offer the best we can do with our words, and trust that God knows what's on our hearts. To do so would not be ungrateful, but simply truthful.