Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:09:08 -0700EditMySiteWed, 30 Sep 2026 19:33:57 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/this-is-a-misunderstood-passageI want you to look at Hebrews 6:1-8 with me. 
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

The author’s use of therefore to begin the section tells us he is indicating the actions his readers need to take based on what he said in the prior paragraphs.   It is time they move on to maturity.  These folks didn’t need to revisit their conversion; they already had everlasting life.  What they needed to do was press on to maturity in their faith, live according to the things they had been taught.  Chapter 5:12-14 make it clear they were not new believers.  They’d been taught and embraced (believed) the basic principles of Christianity.  But, apparently had drifted away from them, neglected to live out the principles they knew (Heb. 2:1-4). 

And they can do this if God will allow it.  That’s the warning here.  If they continue on the path of full-on apostasy God may not let them move on to maturity.  Spiritual Growth requires God’s involvement which He can withhold to believers who choose to continue to live like non-believers.  That is what the next verses 4-8 are about.

I know that some take vs. 4 & 5 to be describing either a false professor of faith, or a person losing their salvation and even just a hypothetical scenario.  But the language doesn’t support any of those.  The term enlightened also occurs in Heb. 10:32 where it refers to sufferings they endured when first converting to Christianity.  The author also used the word tasted in Heb. 2:9 in reference to Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.  Jesus did not sample death; He fully died and was buried.  So, these folks had fully embraced the gospel, had been sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit and were now contemplating apostasy.  If they do v. 6 comes into play. They may find repentance may be impossible since they have shamed the name of Jesus Christ.  Notice it is repentance that is withheld, the ability to turn back from their apostasy.  It is not the loss of everlasting life.    
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Vs. 7 & 8 use an illustration of a farmer’s field to drive home the point.  We are called to be good soil, soil that bears fruit from the seed of God’s word planted in us who believe, Matthew 13:8 & 23.  The field that produces nothing useful is useless to the farmer.  The thorns and weeds it produced are burned off.  I would compare this to 1 Corinthians 3:15 and the Christian who produced nothing of eternal value in his life.  All his works were burned off at the judgement seat of Christ but he himself was saved by the grace of God.   
]]>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:26:47 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/another-misrepresented-passageWhile I’m on the topic of misunderstood Bible passages let me take on another one that some people misinterpret by reading their personal theology into the text.  John 10 is one of the great “I am” passages in John.   It also contains another one of Jesus Christ’s plain statements on the assurance of everlasting life that cannot be lost.  And yet some people twist what the Lord Jesus said to support their personal theology which holds salvation can be lost.  You may have heard this already but there are people who say it’s true no one can snatch you out of God’s hand but then add that you can jump out yourself. 

Taking it at face value Jesus Christ’s statement actually rules out any such thing.  So, let’s look what that passage in John 10 actually says so you can see for yourself.
John 10:25-29 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

First point I’ll make is the implication of not being able to snatch them out of Christ’s hand is that He is holding them.  He has a grip on His sheep which prevents anyone from snatching them out and that anyone He is holding could jump out.  No one is stronger than God.  I could not break His grip on me no matter how hard I tried.

The second point is the first clause of v. 28.  Jesus Christ gives His sheep eternal life and they shall never perish.  Eternal life lasts for eternity, never perish means never.  Once you have eternal life you’re stuck with it.  Why? Because God Himself won’t let it happen.  The gift once given is never lost or taken back, Malachi 3:6.

The final point is the basis of the gift which is belief in Jesus Christ.  The Jewish antagonists did not believe Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed of God.  Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, meaning they believe Him.  The Jews were hearing the words but were not listening, they didn’t accept the truth of what they heard or saw in His works.  The Lord’s sheep are those who hear and believe Him. 
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 Which raises questions for us who read this today.  Jesus Christ said in John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  He also said in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  The question for us is who are you going to believe; Jesus Christ or someone who doesn’t take the Lord at His word?  
]]>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:39:14 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/the-outer-darknessIn the Parable of the Talents Jesus Christ said the unprofitable servant was cast into the outer darkness which some people teach is the lake of fire.  I asserted it is not and pointed to the next section of Matthew 25 where He did identify the lake of fire as the destiny for the “goats” who He had just judged.  So, what is the outer darkness if it is not the lake of fire? 

The phrase outer darkness only occurs three times in the N.T. and all three are in Matthew, 8:12, 22:13 and 25:30.  The context in each case is some aspect of the Kingdom and involves people who are present in it.  In other words, the people are believers.  In Matthew 8 Jesus Christ is drawing a contrast between a believing gentile, the Roman Centurion, and believing Jews, sons of the Kingdom. 

Read Matthew 8:5-13, the key verses being 11 & 12.  He was describing a dinner party or banquet with the Fathers of Israel in which the Centurion would be invited along with other believing Gentiles; those who come from the east and the west.  However, the Sons of the Kingdom, believing Jews, actually descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be left outside.  Outside in the dark.  As sons of the Kingdom, they are still living in the kingdom, but are not granted every honor or privilege available.  The weeping and gnashing of teeth is just an expression of remorse. 

In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus Christ describes a similar situation.  This time it is a Royal wedding feast for the King’s Son.  Amazingly, the people invited by the King choose not to attend.  He spoke this parable to the Pharisees and Priests who were seeking to kill Him.  In the parable the King punished them with His armies (see v. 7).  The King then invited common people off the streets, even bad and good.  However, there was one individual who came without the proper attire for the occasion.  Wedding feasts are never come as you are affairs.  He is cast into the darkness outside the feast. 

Since the parable is about the Kingdom of Heaven the King should be seen as representing God the Father, His Son is Jesus Christ and the original guest list are the Jewish Leadership who rejected and killed their Messiah.  Notice in the parable they are destroyed by the King’s army.  The man who is cast out into the darkness is not destroyed but simply roughly removed.  Since he was invited and allowed into the wedding feast, I believe we should take that to mean he was saved.  But since he chose not to prepare for the wedding feast he too is cast out and loses the privilege of participating in the wedding feast.   
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Like in the parable of the talents there is no justification for assuming the outer darkness is the lake of fire.  The contextual support goes to being excluded from a celebration or in the case of the talents a reward.   ]]>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:11:10 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/faithful-service-is-rewardedAnother thing that Jesus Christ spoke about frequently was rewards for believers.  By definition the word reward is something given in recognition of achievement, good performance.  The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 is a parable Jesus Christ spoke in reply to the disciples’ questions in Matthew 24:3. They asked about the signs of Christ’s coming and the end of the age.  The parable of the talents is placed chronologically in His answer after His coming to establish the Kingdom.  It follows the parable of the ten virgins and was given to explain the role merit plays in the Kingdom of Heaven.  I suggest you read it now before reading the rest of this post. 

It seems best to understand the man who goes to a far country is Jesus Christ and the servants are believers left to manage His affairs while gone.  On His return each servant is compensated based on his performance.  Two are rewarded for growing their master’s investments and one is actually punished for disobeying his master by doing nothing.  I know a lot of people are troubled by his being cast into the darkness outside thinking that must be the lake of fire.  It is not.  If it was Jesus Christ would have said so.  Note He did just that in the following section about the judgement of the Nations.  So, the outer darkness must be something else. 

However, those who conflate Salvation with Discipleship generally teach all true Believers will persevere in their faith and good works.  So, they downplay the aspect of rewards being merit based even though the servants’ allocations here were assigned according to their ability.  Their lord had specific expectations for each of them.  Most take the view that rewards are an expression of God’s grace rather than something earned.  But then they usually describe the 3rd servant as “an unconverted Christian”1 who is unfruitful and is cast away.  His failure to grow his master’s investment proves he was not a true Christian.  But then that makes works a requirement for receiving everlasting life and therefore salvation itself is made merit based.  How does someone get this so backwards when the Bible so clearly says salvation is strictly by Grace. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
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It just might be that too many church leaders are studying theology instead of their Bibles.  The better approach is just let the Bible mean what it says.  All three of these servants are believers because salvation is strictly by grace through faith.  And this parable is a continuation of the topic on faithful servants Christ introduced in Matthew 24:45. Rewards are an aspect of God’s grace in that He gives them as incentives for pursuing faithful service.  It is gracious of Him because He is rewarding us for doing what we should be doing just because He commanded us to do them. 
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1 J.C. Ryle commentary on Matthew, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Ill pg. 244  
]]>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:59:58 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/breaking-down-romans-59-10The failure to recognize the distinction between being a believer and a disciple will result in missing many important aspects of the Christian life.  The truth is found in God’s Word which is why we’re told to study it.  Working at organizing God’s word is how you learn about the full scope of this great salvation He has purchased for us.  Not by studying the words of Pastors and Theologians.  They do contribute to our knowledge of God, but only as long as what they teach matches up with what God has revealed in the Bible. 

That said, I want to break down the passage I quoted in my previous post to give an example of how I approach study.  Romans 5:9 & 10 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  

To start with I need to verify the Biblical meaning of the words justified and reconciled.  In Romans 3:21-26 & 4:5 & 7-8 Paul explains justification a being acquitted of all charges of sin and declared righteous.  He went on to say it also includes peace with God, Romans 5:1.  2 Corinthians 2:18-19 applies those same results to the word reconciled.  God has reconciled us to Him.  So, Paul was confirming a believer has by faith in Jesus Christ been delivered from the penalty of sin while at the same time indicating salvation includes much more. 

Romans 5:9 adds deliverance from wrath.  Since justification has already resolved the issue of eternal damnation this wrath must be something else.  Most likely he was referring to the wrath mentioned in Romans 1:18. My reason is that Romans 1:16-18 identifies the overarching theme of Romans, escaping God’s present-day wrath against sin.  The salvation Paul mentioned in Romans 1:16 & 17 was much more expansive than our final destiny, it included being spared from His present wrath against sin and a wasted life.  Christ still lives! And because He does, we, by the power of His resurrection can lead a sanctified life now (saved by His life).

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  Paul wrote that about 10 years before Romans.  Now after 10 years he is giving us an in-depth explanation of what it means.  I personally believe this is the life of freedom Jesus Christ offers disciples, believers who continue in His word (John 8:32).      

Starting in Romans 5:1-12 Paul lays out how his discovery of the truth set him free.  Chapters 6 & 7 appear to be his personal journey to the full realization of our release from the condemnation of sin.  Which he proclaims in Romans 8:1-4 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  (NKJV)
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Does this make sense to you?  Did I miss something? 
]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:54:38 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/believer-vs-discipleI want to point out some things about John 8:30-32 that you might not have had a Pastor ever show you before.  Hopefully, you’ve already figure them out on your own and if you have I think that is great.  You’re a Bible scholar.  But go ahead and read these verses.

John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

The main idea in v. 30 is that some of the people listening to Jesus Christ believed in Him.  What does that mean?  John told us in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. So, v. 30 is saying that some of the people who were listening to Jesus just received everlasting life! 

So, what does v. 31 say?  It says people with everlasting life who abide in His word are disciples of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is making a distinction between believers, people with everlasting life, and disciples.  Disciples being people with everlasting life who are abiding in His word.  I’m pointing out that distinction because a lot of Bible Teachers tend to conflate being saved (having everlasting life) with being a disciple and Jesus Christ says they are not the same. 

Why that’s important is because most of the N.T. is not evangelistic. It was written to disciples.  Did you know that the Greek word for saved (Sozo) appears 111 times in the Greek N. T. and only 33 of those usages pertain to being saved from eternal death.  In fact it is not used at all for saving from eternal damnation in the Book of Romans.  Instead, Paul used it in the sense of sanctification and deliverance from God’s present-day displeasure with sin.  His wrath towards sin in the here and now. 

Look at Romans 5:9-10 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Notice Paul makes a distinction between being justified and reconciled and being saved.  Justified and reconciled are being used to signify his readers have everlasting life.  In v. 9 saved is applied to avoiding the wrath of God which is being “revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” Romans 1:18. In v. 10 saved is used in regards to redeeming one’s remaining life in this present world. 
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I trust you can see how confusing this could be if it’s being taught from an evangelistic point of view.  It would likely make the next 3 chapters, Romans 6,7 & 8 almost impossible to understand.  I believe it is one of the reasons people lack the assurance of their salvation.  They likely truly believed they had everlasting life when they first believed in Jesus Christ.  But then they became confused by teachers who assume every time you see the word saved it must be deliverance from Hell.  And now they are not so sure.  They’ve been robbed of the joy that comes from knowing truth, the truth that Jesus said would make us free.  
]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:06:49 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/the-joy-of-fellowship-with-godThe Holy Spirit used the Apostle John to write 4 of the books in the New Testament.  The 2 that most people are familiar with are the Gospel of John and 1 John.  The subject matter of the Gospel of John is everlasting life.  John 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The subject matter of 1 John is living in fellowship with God, being a disciple and making the most of our everlasting life now.   Something Jesus Christ spoke about often.  Fellowship is born out of getting to know someone, building a close relationship with them.    

John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Jesus spoke this in His prayer to the Father on the night He was betrayed and arrested.  If you want to know God you have to know His word.  Knowing His word is key to fellowship and freedom.

Knowing God is a repeated theme in 1 John because knowing Him is necessary to experience fellowship with Him.  And fellowship was the main theme of John’s letter as he explained in his opening paragraph.  
1 John 1:3-4 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

There is just one catch, God is perfectly holy and pure in every respect.  1 John 1:5 & 6 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. In other words, if we walk (live) in darkness we cannot experience the fellowship and fullness of joy that John wants us to have.  That is why the very first instruction John gives us is to confess our sin. 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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He knows we really don’t understand how sinful we really are.  That is why He graciously says to confess the sins you know about and He will cleanse you of the rest.  Confessing your sins is necessary for fellowship with God. 
Is it part of your daily prayers?   
]]>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:31:41 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/resolving-doctrinal-differencesOne thing that I’ve learned as a pastor is that the exegetical approach to Bible teaching will provoke questions from those who attend your Church.  It really should not be a surprise because God has said things that are hard for us to grasp.  Look at the number of denominations that make up the spectrum of what we call the “Christian” Church.  These exist because we have disagreements, not about what the Bible says but about what it means.  That is the major influence on how Pastor’s teach and also on the word choices made by the Translators of our English Bibles.    

My responsibility as a pastor is to accurately present what the Bible says.  Hopefully, I can do that without injecting my preferential meanings to the text.  Those who are listening are responsible to verify what they are hearing matches up with what they are reading.  Because every Christian is responsible for their own beliefs.  Which means each of us must read the text for ourselves and have a sound methodology for resolving differences in interpretations.

My experience has been that most people go with comparing what different Pastors and Bible teachers say and then choose the one they like the best.  The problem with that approach is one Pastor might be correct in his teaching and the other wrong, but both could also be wrong.  In the former case you have a 50/50 chance of being right.  In the latter you are left with choosing the doctrinal error that sounds the best to you.  In other words, you would be 100% wrong. 

The Bible is the only touch stone we have for verification of spiritual truth.  It is the rationale behind 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Paul wrote that under the supervision of the Holy Spirit who knows all about human nature.  Paul’s letters have the authority of the Holy Spirit backing them up and yet the Spirit knew what future generations would do with the Scriptures. 
 
In Acts 17:10-11 He, the Spirit of God, gave us an example of what 2 Timothy 2:15 means.  Acts 17:10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Paul and his team were not troubled in the least by the Bereans checking out what they had taught against what the Scriptures actually said.  That is the model for every Christian to follow.  It is after all your personal destiny that is at stake.  Speaking for myself as a Pastor, I am pleased when people double check my teaching against the Text of the Bible.  And there have been more times than I like to admit that I’ve had to correct a long held understanding to the Bible that was wrong.  
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When you stand before the Lord saying “but that was the way my pastor taught it” won’t get you a pass.  
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:34:54 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/guest-blog-apologetics-by-ken-yatesApologetics is the defense of the Christian faith using nonbiblical means. It shows the reasonableness of the faith, not necessarily what a particular passage means. C. S. Lewis was famous in the field.  
I have met people who have taken many apologetics classes. Some teach it at the seminary level. I am not an expert, but I enjoyed the few classes I had on it. 

Most will disagree with me, but I have always felt that believers might get more out of apologetics than unbelievers. Maybe I am just speaking for myself, but I always get a little pick-me-up when an apologist explains why Christianity is reasonable.   Recently, I had one of those pick-me-ups. It came from William F. Buckley, who was Catholic. I do not know whether he was a believer, but he was discussing the reasonableness of believing in the deity of Christ. In his book, Nearer, My God, Buckley discusses the likelihood that the miracles of Christ actually happened. That is a common topic in apologetics. 

But then Buckley turns to the Lord’s teachings (pp. 237-39). Buckley had a command of the English language that few have possessed. Here is how he described Christ’s words:  "There was the surrealistic beauty of the words he used, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Buckley says that the skeptic who writes such words off as “nothing more than a collection of ethical commonplaces” cannot account for their unique resonance. There is no reasonable explanation for the beauty of Christ’s thought and expression. 

Some will say that He was like Shakespeare.  But that is to hold that this first-century Shakespeare started speaking such words after a career as a carpenter in the backwoods of Israel. Christ’s words are greater than Shakespeare’s. Shakespeare’s writings did not widely change lives. Jesus’ words did. 

The higher critic who says that the words of Christ did not come from one Man, but from a group of first-century teachers, makes an even more unreasonable claim. It suggests that three or four men who were greater literary geniuses than Shakespeare were walking around in Israel at that time. 

Sit down and read the entire Sermon on the Mount. Read His parables in Mark 4. Read how He answers the difficult questions of His day when challenged by His opponents in Mark 10–12. A critic might say that such words do not prove He was God. But to the unbiased observer, they show that He was a teacher sent by God.  And the people who heard Him speak recognized this. One of His disciples, after hearing Him speak, exclaimed, “You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). That could not be said of anybody else. 

Even those who rejected His claims were astonished at His words. They asked, “Where did this Man get this wisdom…?” (Matt 13:54). How could a Jewish carpenter, untrained in rhetoric, use words in a better way than any orator they had ever heard? 

On another occasion, those who went to arrest Him had the same reaction. They could not accomplish their task because they heard Him speak and concluded, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). 

Perhaps most unbelievers will not be moved by this short dive into apologetics. They will come up with different theories to explain away His wisdom. Maybe they will say that Jesus was just a very smart speaker, a great storyteller. Maybe, as He worked as a carpenter and before He began teaching, He honed his skills as an orator in His head while talking to Himself. Maybe others smarter than He edited His words after His death. 

But we have the record of those who heard Him speak. His words were otherworldly. The most reasonable explanation is what the Lord Himself said in John 14:10: “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me…”
He also said, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life…” (John 5:24). 
Someone who spoke as He spoke can be believed. His words show me the reasonableness of believing in Him for eternal life. That is thrilling.
]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:46:11 GMThttps://www.tregocommunitychurch.org/church-blog/two-ways-to-liveThe Biblical Book of Psalms opens with a short psalm about the 2 ways to live.  Yeah, the psalmist said we only have 2 paths from which to choose.  You might think that is overly simplistic and from a purely human perspective it is.  But the psalmist, who is being guided by the Holy Spirit, is writing God’s point of view.  And He says there are only 2 ways you can go.  You either do it God’s way and be happy & blessed or do it whatever way you would prefer. His way is the right way.  He created you in His image, so it makes sense you’re designed for His way of life.  That means whatever else you choose is classed under the heading of not-godly. 

Take a moment and read Psalm 1, being only 6 verses long so it’s a quick read.  Notice the outcomes He defined for the 2 choices.  The person who believes God, reads and studies God’s word will thrive.  He compares it to a tree planted by rivers of water.  Its roots are anchored in well-watered soil.   That is a nice word picture for God’s word.  It is why it produces Fruit in its season.  A fruitful tree is one that has value, it prospers.  

Whatever other path you follow will not prosper.  You might have a good life for the short time you’ll be on this planet.  You might even achieve fame and wealth.  But when your time is up everything you will have accomplished will be like the inedible husk removed from cereal grains. Your life will not stand up to examination by the Lord.  For the non-believer it's a complete loss. for the one who believed in Jesus Christ it's a loss of abundance in the congregation of the righteous, what we call heaven. 

The way of blessing starts with belief in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.  That secures your future with God.  See it in Jesus Christ’s own words.

John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 
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