Why Culture Matters So Much

We are not helpless victims of the culture!

Too often, Christians interpret the phrase “in the world, but not of the world” as permission to disengage—to retreat, complain, or isolate ourselves from the culture around us. But that was never Jesus’ intention.

We are not removed from the world to avoid it.
We are positioned in the world to transform it.

Scripture tells us that God’s ways are higher than our ways. That truth isn’t abstract—it’s practical. When we align our lives, families, and communities with His ways, we bring health, clarity, and hope into the culture around us.

That is why culture matters. Culture is simply the sum total of ways of living passed down from generation to generation. And the key word there is ways.

So the real question becomes:
Will we live according to our way—or His higher way?

Ambassadors of a Higher Kingdom

The Bible describes believers as ambassadors of heaven. That’s not symbolic language—it’s purposeful.

In ancient Roman history, when the empire conquered new territory, the hardest part wasn’t taking the land. It was holding it. The Romans discovered that if the conquered people retained their original culture, the empire would never truly expand.

So they sent in architects, artists, musicians, and administrators—people whose job was to establish Roman culture. These individuals were called apostles.

That’s where the word comes from.

Apostles were culture setters.

In the same way, we live in what I believe is an apostolic age—one where God’s people are called to establish the culture of heaven wherever they are placed. We are not meant to withdraw, bunker down, or hide. We are sent.

Jesus made this unmistakably clear in John 17. He prayed not that we would be taken out of the world, but that we would be protected within it—sent with a mission.

We are not of the world, but we are most definitely sent into it.

Transformation, Not Conformity

Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That transformation is not meant to be hidden. It is meant to be demonstrated.

For too long, revival has been framed as God’s glory despite family—or even at the expense of family. But I believe God is doing something different in our time.

Revival looks like glory and family.

Our homes, marriages, and children are meant to be living demonstrations of God’s higher ways. They are places where His glory doesn’t just visit—but dwells.

Knowing the Real Enemy

One of the most important reminders in cultural conversations is this: people are not the enemy.

Not politicians.
Not Hollywood.
Not social media.
Not your neighbor who disagrees with you.

Scripture is clear—we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of deception and darkness. Our battle is not against people; it is for people.

That’s why compassion and honor must remain central to every conversation. Honor does not mean agreement. It means recognizing the value of people even when we strongly disagree.

I am not angry.
I am not bitter.
But I am deeply determined.

Determined to pursue God’s heart.
Determined to speak truth with love.
Determined to demonstrate a higher way.

And if I ever cross that line, I welcome accountability—because dishonor has no place in the kingdom of God.

Why This Matters for Our Families

Culture is meant to be processed around the dinner table.

Culture is formed through conversation.
Identity is shaped through dialogue.
Values are passed down through relationship.

When parents and children talk about these things—when they wrestle with them, question them, and discuss them—it becomes part of their DNA. That’s how healthy culture is built.

My hope is that when your children leave your home—into schools, workplaces, and relationships—they carry with them a culture shaped by God’s higher ways.

God’s ways are higher than ours.
They are better.
They lead to life.

So let’s go together—
not hiding from culture,
but shaping it.