Last Saturday, I travelled home to spend time with my grandmother, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins (don’t worry, nieces and nephews are on the way). It was one of those “miss‑not” extended family gatherings designed to strengthen family bonds through collective thanksgiving, prayer, and fellowship. During the gathering, my mum and her siblings exhorted us, sharing profound insights and demonstrating the unique way hymns simplify and communicate deep scriptural truths as they ministered to us through song.

I must confess, I am not as hymn‑inclined as some of my siblings; I lean more toward contemporary gospel. Yet, the effect remains the same; music possesses the ability to bypass the intellect and penetrate the deepest fibres of the heart. As a late Nigerian music icon once said, “Music doesn’t need permission to enter your spirit.” In moments of trouble or uncertainty, spiritual songs often resurface, reinfusing the soul with renewed faith and hope.

Among the many songs that consistently minister to me is “Christ Is the Centre” by The Belonging Co and Danny Gokey: a song of deep surrender and unwavering commitment to Christ. One verse, in particular, captures my heart:

You are Lord of this house
You’re the first and You’re the only
In the midst of us now
You are holy, You are worthy

From this song, I will be drawing lessons around the central theme: “Christ is the centre of it all.” This truth declares that Jesus Christ is the source, focus, purpose, and foundation of everything God does, and everything the believer lives for. As Scripture affirms, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

1. Christ Is the Centre of Creation

Everything begins from Him, exists through Him, and ultimately finds its purpose in Him. “For by Him all things were created… all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16–17). He is the eternal Word at the beginning of creation and remains its sustainer, “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:2–3).

2. Christ Is the Centre of Redemption

Following Adam’s fall, creation required redemption to be restored back to God. Scripture declares that creation groans under the weight of this fall (Romans 8:20–22). Redemption, however, is not a religious ideology but a living encounter with a Person, Jesus Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

3. Christ Is the Centre of the Church

The Church is not a physical structure but God’s living building—people who are in Christ. It exists to minister God’s wisdom to the needs of the body, with Christ as its Head. “And He is the head of the body, the church… that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

4. Christ Is the Centre of Scripture

The Bible is not merely a historical record; it is a progressive revelation of Christ. The Law foreshadows Him: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come…” (Hebrews 10:1), the Prophets proclaim Him (Isaiah 9:6), the Gospels reveal Him and His ministry (John 1), the Epistles explain His redemptive work and its implications (Ephesians 1:7), and Revelation glorifies His eternal reign: “And He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

5. Christ Is the Centre of the Believer’s Life

Once dead in sin, we now live by His life within us. The believer’s testimony echoes Paul’s words: “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). His life affords us His nature, authority and character.

6. Christ Is the Centre of Eternity

He is omnipresent— the Beginning, the End, and everything in between. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending,” says the Lord (Revelation 1:8).

In the end, all of God’s dealings with creation converge in one Person—Jesus Christ. To remove Him from the centre is to lose meaning, order, and life itself; to enthrone Him as Lord is to find coherence, purpose, and rest. Christianity is not the mere practice of set principles but the pursuit of a Person. Therefore, the call is clear and uncompromising: let Christ be central, not peripheral. For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.