FIND WHAT MATTERS MOST. BUILD YOUR LIFE AROUND IT.
In an age of distraction, everyone is looking for something that gives purpose and perspective on life. Jesus says it’s the kingdom of God. But the kingdom is not just another religious idea. Rather, God’s loving reign brings clarity and coherence to all of life – identity, work, play, relationships, justice, and character – in a way that is profound and practical. Seek First brings theology to the streets, giving a vision for the kingdom that will truly change your life.
Editorial Reviews
“Treat presents the message of the kingdom in a way that gives us a grander vision for life, whether in the workplace or on the basketball court.”
Chris Broussard, NBA analyst and sports broadcaster
“Few books do as good a job as this one in showing us how giving up everything for Christ and his kingdom is the pathway to our greatest gain. Seek First is a gem!”
Scott Sauls, author and senior pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church
“With insight and passion Treat reveals why we ought to reorient our lives and reprioritize our loves . . . practical and powerful.”
Marielle Wakim, editor, Los Angeles magazine
“A prophetic and urgent note to the generations . . . a clearly written and much-needed book!”
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, professor, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
It’s one of life’s disorienting paradoxes: some of the most tormented souls are also some of the most successful. Long-term joy, fulfill- ment, and human flourishing can never be found in constructing our own kingdoms. So where is true joy and renewal found? In winsome ways, my friend Jeremy Treat shows us, by reminding us of another paradox. Yet this one is far more beautiful and ful- filling: it is when we put down our own kingdoms and seek first God’s kingdom. Seek First is an inspiring reminder to keep first things first.
Bryan Loritts, author, Insider Outsider
To explain something important, you usually must choose between being incisively passionate or comprehensively balanced. But this book chooses both and puts everything in its proper place. This is big-picture theology for everyone.
Fred Sanders, professor, Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University
Threading the kingdom story through the history of Israel and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, Jeremy Treat deepens and widens our kingdom vision here and now. Reading this book, you’ll want to stop and sing, “Rejoice, the Lord is king!”
Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology, Westminster Seminary California
With the theological vision of The Crucified King, it became clear Jeremy Treat is a first-rate theologian of the Word. In Seek First we see the fruit of years putting that vision to work at the heart of Los Angeles as a pastor-theologian of the church. With clear prose, careful theological and biblical exposition, vivid illustration, and relevant application, Jeremy invites regular Christians to focus on the one thing that really matters: the kingdom of God. Wide-ranging and surprisingly comprehensive, Seek First gives us an integrative vision of what it means to embrace, experience, and seek the kingdom of God in our everyday lives of work, play, service, and worship. Most importantly, he does this in every chapter by fixing our eyes firmly on the person and work of King Jesus, who is the kingdom in his very person. I really hope folks get their hands on this book.
Derek Rishmawy, PhD student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, columnist for Christianity Today, and cohost of the Mere Fidelity podcast
Seek First is a work of love that is biblically solid and globally informed. The kingdom is not provincial but universal. Christian theology, therefore, ought to reflect the diversity of God’s royal family. That is certainly the case for this book by Jeremy Treat. It is rooted in a particular social location and yet engages with global, theological, multiethnic voices simultaneously. It is a delightful experience to learn new names from around the world. Healthy family conversation with diverse past and present Christian the- ologies truly enriches the kingdom-of-God narrative. This evokes African wisdom known as Ubuntu: “I am, because we are.”
Tekletsadik Belachew, researcher at Capuchin Franciscan Research and Retreat Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
