Feeding the Monster of You and I

I am convinced as I read more and more...
I am convinced as I sing more and more worship songs...
I am convinced as I hear more and more gospel presentations...
I am convinced...

We exist in a culture that feeds the monster that is I. Our churches often feed the monster that is I. In proposing that I be taken out of worship songs and not I engage the Scripture, but instead seek the illumination of the Spirit in studies. Or how about the gospel that is about the glory of God and not all about I. What is so wrong with that? Don't miss understand me. I'm not saying that all those worship songs that mention some aspect of "I" are essentially bad. And I am not saying that there is no room for me in the gospel (obviously without it I would not have salvation), but what I am saying is that the ultimate reality of the gospel is His glory. What I am saying is that in our culture where we expect everything to be about us and nothing else; this is merely feeding a monster that is out of control. If I am wrong then why do people get up in arms when this is only mentioned. What is so wrong with singing songs that don't talk about me? Are we afraid of forgetting where we have come from? Are we afraid of compromising something? Are we afraid if we don't mention ourselves somehow we will fall to the side in God's redemptive plan? Or are we afraid that maybe we will start to really believe that this thing really isn't about us? What is so wrong with a gospel presentation, that speaks to our need yes, but whose essential message is Christ and God's glory? We always talk about having Christ- centered worship, and a Christ-centered message, etc. But I propose what is so Christ-centered when we feel like everything has to come back around to us. We don't matter. We are not necessary. God could have and can do this without us. God has chosen us in grace, to glorify Him. That's it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not say that I am correct. I am merely saying that this is something I am dealing with. If you want to know more about the gospel and how to be saved, respond or email me and I'd be more than happy to share with you.

This is Who died for you.

"15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." Colossians 1 (English Standard Version)

Isn't it amazing that this is the One who gave His very life for you. The gravity of the truth of the gospel is heavy on my heart right now. There is a need for the gospel to be taken to the ends of the earth (literally). As Christians we are responsible for taking the grace and truth of the gospel to every corner of the earth. Understand that if you are a Christian this is not an option. This is your reason for existing, for being called to right relationship with Christ. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19ff) is not given as an option, but rather as a command. We must make disciples of all nations. We must start in our current context first however. I am convinced that it is impossible for a church to make disciples of the nations, when they are not making disciples in their church and in their community. We must start where we are and once we understand the workings of this process, then we are to take the gospel to all the earth. Without hesitation. Without fear. Without regard for our own dreams, desires, and even life. We must be more than a Christ follower; we must be a sold out Christ follower. May the truth of the gospel and the weight of this responsibility drive you to the cross and to the nations.

The bad and THE GOOD

I have been reminded, lately, of a lot of things that have gone on in the course of my somewhat short life. As I think back I can remember a great deal of negative things that have happened, but I can also remember the good that has happened as well. I truly believe that our experiences, that God allows us to go through and takes us through, shape us into the person He desires us to be. Apart from the grace of Christ I believe my life would be a train wreck. But the fact that Christ is my reason for living makes even the most dark and hard situations seem minor. God has this thing under control. Many times I have asked the hard questions of God, and often got the response that I didn't want. The truth of a life given to the gospel is that it really is not your own. My life belongs to the One who has given me life. No matter how tough things get or how often I wish to give up I must remember the cross and it's call to my life... To die to self and find life in the glorious sacrifice of Christ. The work of Christ for me is unbelievable. To say that Jesus paid it all, really doesn't do justice to the truth for me. The fact that Jesus became the One to bear full wrath of the Father on the cross leaves me without words. In place of my sin, now I have His righteousness. What an amazing truth! The truth of these things is a constant reminder that the good of our situation (lives) always out does the bad of our situation (lives). Someone once said, "Show me one person that lived their life for the gospel, and died without joy." What truth this speaks! Paul said "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I pray that I would always be mindful of these truths and live my life in light of them. That when tough and trying time comes I will be ready to give a response to them, that the gospel is my purpose and His joy and grace are my strength. My I stand before Him, and be found faithful with the gospel and the ministry to which He has given me.

Why Am I Here?

For one reason or another, I have been asking this question lately. Why am I here? At some level I know the answer, but there is another that begs me to ask myself this. I know why I am here at Southern, to become a better equipped minister of the Gospel. But why am I here on this earth, during this era, in these set of years, even during this very moment. What does God want me to do? I know that you cannot go wrong when you go out with the glory of God as your top priority, and with the gospel as your driving force. If I had to boil my desire down to one certain thing it would be this... That it would count. My two greatest fears have always been, being alone and wasting my life. I want my every moment to count for the gospel, but I'm not sure what that looks like right now, in my present situation. I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone, and I am confident in the fact that there is someone out there that can put up with me. :) But it seems that as you move on and on with your life, these fears that you know have been conquered in the cross show themselves from time to time. It hurts. I struggle. I feel like I'm drowning in them. I don't see any end in sight. But still there is something deep within me that tells me to hold on. To remember the truth of who God is and what He has done and what He has promised. I ask that you pray for me. I don't wish to know the full plan of God for my life, or who God wants me to marry, or what the very next day holds (or lacks). I desire for my life to count for His glory and His gospel. That through all the fun and friendships, God would be glorified. That through my studies God would be glorified. That through all the relationships, both new and old, God would be glorified. Pray that my fears would be overcome with His truth, with His cross, with His resurrection. I am eternally thankful/grateful for all that God has done for me, and that He has called me out of darkness and into the Light. And into His ministry. "Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God forever! Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory! Take my life and let it be Yours." -Fee "Glory to God Forever"

Life's Questions

As of the past few days I have been thinking about some of life's "most important" questions. I will not elaborate on those questions, because honestly it is different for each one of us. There is however this umbrella truth that each of us share, the uncertainty of the future. The truth is that no matter what ministry or career that God has called you to the future is always uncertain. The important thing to understand is that everyone struggles with this. The key to finding peace in this uncertainty is to understand the truths about God. Whatever stage of life you find yourself in you must always focus on today, because in our knowledge all we may have is today or in particular this very breath we take now, for the next is not promised. The key to joy is that we understand that in all things we are to glorify God, whether that be in contentment or in utter uncertainty. God's desire for your life and my life, is not for us to focus on the future so much as it is for us to embrace the moments we have now. God wants us to make disciples of all nations and that is the key to a joyful life in Him; to find yourself in whatever situation and live in faith and assurance that this is His will for your life. We will not and cannot ever know what our future holds, unless of course you are speaking with eternity in mind (of course you can know whether you will be in the glory of Christ in eternity or if you don't know Him you will of course spend eternity in His righteous judgement). The truth of the matter is that we seek to know the future because we lack the faith in Christ. I have to constantly remind myself that He has never failed, not once since He drew me unto Himself at 17. So the future is uncertain... Welcome to humanity, and welcome to faith. God has called us to live in a world of uncertainty and engage that world with the life changing gospel of Christ. So it is time for us to stop focusing on what we are not sure we will even happen and focus on what is truly important, that is taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Taking the gospel to those who have not heard, to those we work with, to those we meet on the street, to those we workout with, to those we talk to at the laundry mat, I think you get the point. Our lives in Christ are not lives focused on what could be in the future, but instead how we engage a Christless culture with the gospel now. My prayer is that you and I would not waste our lives focused on what we will do with the rest of our time here, but instead we would focus on next moment for the proclamation of the gospel. To Christ alone be the glory! For His gospel is a life changing message not only of grace and mercy, but also of freedom and truth! The cost is great, but the reward is Christ.

Ministry

Dane and I were talking today about ministry. In particular we were talking about ministry at Southern. Southern is definitely a young family seminary. It honestly seems like it is an unwritten rule here (not really but if Paul could use hyperbole then so can I). This conversation pretty much sparked from a comment made by one of our professors in class today. He was talking about ministry to the family, and said that the first half of our class we were going to talk about "what the family ought to look like." And he made a comment about "the single people" just listening in because we would find ourselves in that situation one day. Now for those who are married this seems to be a running theme. However, as I thought more and more about that comment in particular, but also how many times I have heard that said in the context of small group or corporate worship. Know this from the start, I don't think ministry to the family is bad in any way. The problem I have is that our church culture has become one of ministering to families alone. The fact of the matter is I don't have "a family" (that is to say that I'm not married), but also I have never had my immediate family attend church with me. So many times we wonder why there is becoming such a disconnect between high school grads and college students when it comes to church, and I feel (and I stress the fact that this is the way I feel) that this could be why. There is so much discussion of things involving the family, which IS NOT a bad thing. The bad comes in when you have people who can not relate to that message. For the most part ministers assume that, "you will be in this situation one day." I feel as though this creates a disconnect for some, including me at times. I feel as though in this culture of "married church" we forget those who aren't in that situation and honestly only God knows when they will find themselves there. It seems like the single people just get tagged on at the end. It really becomes difficult to connect with a church that just tags you on at the end of the message. I pray that God would use this to shape the minister that I am becoming. I pray that I would not forget and just tag people on when it is convenient, but that I would preach in such a way that it ministers to the whole congregation no matter how difficult this may be. I pray that this makes sense.

Life Right Now

I thought I would take some time tonight and blog about life right now. Tonight my best friend and I had a conversation that I would have never guessed would take place. For the first time in a long time one of my real friends was man enough to look me in the face and say some things that I had been/done wrong in certain life situations. I have to admit that it hurt in a way that I have never hurt before, but it exposed some truth to me. I am so thankful for real friends like that. Who aren't afraid to say nice things, but aren't afraid to smack you around when it is needed.
On a different note, all is well here at Southern. The guys in my dorm hall are pretty cool. The one right across the hall from me made up this "sprint club." No not the phone company, but actual sprinting. So apparently every night (for right now) that we are so called upon we go out onto the lawn and sprint. It sounds crazy I know, and at some level it really is. Also I have been reading since last Thursday and I have literally read hundreds of pages. I feel like I have accomplished something until I realize that I have countless thousands to go. You know sometimes I feel a little wierd about being 25 years old and living in a dorm, but so far it has been okay. They haven't keep me up too late yet!
Classes start on Tuesday for me. I have class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I'm taking 11 hours, but am really considering adding another online class to the mix. I'm excited about class, but at the same time I'm a little nervous. I really don't know what to expect.
I really believe that my time here will be beneficial and I pray that God would bless it. Like I have said before and continue to say I am here with God's glory at the top of my priority list. I pray that my studies here would bring glory to His name, and that they would make me a more effective minister of the Gospel, not so that I would be important but that God would show His love through me. My life verse remains 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." Keep me in your prayers as I study, and pray that God would shine through me in all things.
I am going to make an attempt at memorizing Scripture in my time here. I have memorized Psalm 46. I'm going to be so busy reading, studying, writing papers, taking test, etc. that I am going to have to make a real effort to do this. I think I have decided for now to memorize the Psalms because they are so awesome in speaking to the glory of God.
Also today I visited my first church in Louisville. I visited a church called Sojourn Community Church. It was definitely a different experience, but I felt like it was meaningful. The worship songs that they sing are rich with truth and are really deep songs. I enjoyed the fact that they are so different in the way they "do" church, but at the same time I felt a little akward because of that difference. My prayer is that God would take me to a church where there is a need. A church where the gospel is the center of everything that takes place.

Southern Seminary is my new temporary home

So I'm all moved in at Southern Seminary. I have asked myself so many times what I am doing here so far away from home, with no real clue what I have got myself into. I have found comfort in the fact that I made a decision based on the priority of God in my life. I didn't make this decision for someone, or because of someone, or inspite of someone, or fully understanding what I'm doing. I made this decision with the gospel in mind, so that I might come up here and become a more effective minister of the gospel of Christ. I have no doubt that God is with me, that He is guiding me, and that He will not fail me. I pray that humility would be what I'm about in my time here and when I begin a ministry somewhere. I pray that the gospel would be what my life is about. I pray that the love I show would reflect that love which God has so graciously shown me. I don't know for sure where I am going to work or what church I'm going to go to, but I know without question that God is with me and God is for me! My life verse has become this: 1 Corinthian 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
I ask that you would continue to pray for me. I have a lot on my plate this first sememster.

The Truth of the Gospel

My hope and prayer is that in all things I would glorify Christ. Whether that be at work or at home, with friends or with family, with the saved or with the lost. I wonder sometimes, while hanging out with the "saved," if we have forgotten the truth of the gospel. Why do I think such things? Because an estimate says that only 2% of Christians actively share their faith. The most disturbing part of this, is the fact that the very reason we are here, the reason God has set us apart, is to make disciples. In order to make disciples, we must first share the gospel. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about the old expression "Share the gospel... Use words if necessary." There is no truth to this statement. If you can show me one person who saw a Christian live a good, loving life and because of that life they one day decided to pray the prayer of salvation (whatever that is... don't get me started there) then I may change my mind. However the truth of the matter is that without words you have not shared the gospel. I do believe that after sharing the gospel in words you must live it out. I'm sure people will disagree with me, but the fact is that I happen to really believe that my life is a vapor and I'm not promised tomorrow let alone the very next breath. I guess somewhere along the way we have lost a since of urgency, because the average lifespan is 75 years (that is just a guess, but you get the point). We have to take every advantage to share the truth with others. We don't know that we will have another chance to make an impact on their life. There is no guarantee of another chance to share the gospel with that person, I don't care if you have worked at that job for 10 minutes or 10 years... We are not promised tomorrow. Share the truth of the gospel and do it with sincerity and love.

This is my new blog!

So I'm starting a new blog. I figured it can't hurt to share.