Weekend Wish

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord..." Genesis 6:8

What exactly was the favor (or grace) that Noah found? Was it the opportunity to build a monstrosity of a boat? Was it the privilege of witnessing to a lost community with no converts? Was it the joy of living on the water with your family in close proximity along with thousands of animals? Was it living nearly 350 years after the earth was destroyed?

We find the answer to this question in the very next verse: "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God." Because of God's grace extended toward Noah, he no longer identified with the sinfulness of his society but was separated from it - set apart from it - and was declared righteous. Here is the first consequence of his finding favor with God. Was Noah a really good guy? Did God look down at man and decide that Noah was the best option? We are actually told that when God looked at man, what He saw was that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." So Noah fell in that category.

But God, in His gracious mercy and wisdom, reached down, removed the blinders of sin from Noah's eyes, revealed Himself to him in a mighty, life-changing way and applied the righteousness of His Son to Noah's account. From Noah's perspective, it was the promise of a payment, but that promise was made in eternity past, given in the garden and fully applied to Noah's life. Therefore, Noah was a righteous man because of God's favor.

Noah was also blameless in his time. What in the world does this mean? Again, this points to the righteousness of Christ. God did not prepare His wrath to pour out on Noah because when God looked at Noah, he saw a blameless record. It was as if he had never sinned. It was as if he had always obeyed. How can a man be blameless? Was Noah sinless? Of course not. He was blameless before God because he was covered with the righteousness of Christ. Noah was justified through the future sacrifice of Jesus, which God applied even before the fact because of the nature of who He is - if Jesus says He'll do it, it was a done deal.

And finally, Noah walked with God. This was another facet of God's grace in Noah's life. He didn't have to go through this life (or the next) alone. He walked with God. "Walked" implies fellowship, relationship, intimacy. We are given some of their conversations in the next few chapters and we see immediate obedience on Noah's part to the instruction of God. But don't you wonder if there were conversations that weren't recorded? Noah didn't have the whole of scripture like we do...but what we are given of their relationship, we see a loving Father instructing an obedient son. Noah could have been stubborn and made the process a lot harder, but when he came into an eternal relationship with the Almighty Creator, he chose immediate and complete obedience.

Are we so caught up with life that we neglect to see the difference between the life that finds favor with the Lord and the life lost from His touch? I think it was pretty obvious to Noah that he was alone in the world. Do you ever feel alone? Do you ever look at what the Lord has called you to do and wonder how this could be considered "favor"? Do you ever feel that your witness is rejected so much that it's not worth trying anymore? Noah lived this life, but it didn't produce bitterness or even weariness. It produced obedience.

My weekend wish for you is that you remember that you have found favor with God. You are righteous and blameless in your time. That's what justification does for you - that's what the blood of Christ accomplishes for you. But as His child you have the choice of obedience. You can struggle with God, or fight with God, or wrestle with God, or you can walk with God. What does God's favor in your life produce? Struggle or obedience? Discipline or blessing? Remember that His favor includes His involvement. May Noah be a witness to us thousands of years later of a righteous man, who was blameless in his time, who walked with God.

Have a great weekend, gals!

Kristen

Remember...

Psalm 105:5 instructs us to "...Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth..."

This is the next verse we are to put to memory - don't give up, gals...keep working on it! Studying Genesis is a great way to remember His wonders and His marvels, as well as look at His judgments. Has He ever uttered a judgment so far that hasn't come true? We know the curses at the fall are true. We know His counsel for depression is true. We know that He destroyed the earth, save Noah and his family - so that judgment was true...God is so NOT like us...He keeps His word and He only speaks truth.

But what of His wonders? Creation, salvation, grace, faith...we can see His wonders and His marvels in the first few verses of Genesis, let alone the first few chapters. I pray that this study is making Him larger in your life - you see His involvement, His heart, His hand throughout history.

But what about the wonders in your own life? We are instructed to "remember His wonders" - can you sit and list out His wonders and His marvels within the context of your own life? I guess a better question might be, will you sit and list them out? And what benefit comes from remembering His wonders? It doesn't take much, gals, just look around you. What do you see? Can you see God in your every day life? In your children? In your home? In your marriage? In your church? What is He doing? We must live with the reality of His involvement, or we will never become more like Him.

I put a picture on this entry that I took last winter from my deck. How can I possibly look at it and not see God? How can this picture not draw my heart closer to Him, knowing that the Creator of the universe has done the most wonderful thing of all - saved a wretched sinner as I?

Noah found favor with this God.

So did I.

How wonderful is that?

Remember His wonders...

Heart vs. Hands

"For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings..." Hosea 6:6

It's Monday morning and if you're like me, you are either grabbing the "To-Do" list from last week and adding to it, or making a new one. I've already formed the list in my head of everything I need to accomplish this week and when the week is over, the plan is to have crossed off everything on the list.

Because I am a list-maker.

It's how I remember what's expected of me.

But now I've got a problem. This weekend we spent hours listening to and discussing the importance of lists in God's eyes. The Word is full of lists - do this, don't do that, take off this, put on that...how easily it is for a list-maker to grab her pen and paper, and make a spiritual list, so that at the end of the week (or her life), she can see that most things, if not all, are crossed off. But is that what the Christian life is all about?

Lists have their place, but in the shadow of the cross they are much harder to read. Adam and Eve had a perfect, sinless, unencumbered relationship with the Lord. They saw Him for how wonderful He is - they saw the work of His hands and they basked in His holiness. Did they need a list to know how to live with grateful hearts and honorable hands?

Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ we have had the blinders removed from our eyes and we have a restored relationship with the Lord. Though we still have the effects of sin to battle with, we are given the gift of faith and sight, so that we can see Him for how wonderful He is - within the context of our own sin, we can see the works of His nail-pierced hands and we can dwell in His holy presence.

So, here's my question for you today: How much easier is life when we keep our eyes on the Savior? Lists are good and lists are biblical, but without looking at the cross first, lists simply become penance (as Elyse would say) - they become sacrifices without love, they become burnt offerings without context. But God desires loyalty and knowledge above sacrifice and burnt offerings, because He knows that loyalty only comes through true love, and knowledge comes only from placing our eyes on Him.

Go ahead and work on that "To-Do" list this week, but before you accomplish good works with your hands, do a heart check. Ask yourself, why am I doing this? Is it to get through my list? Or is it because I love my Savior with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and more than anything I long to offer Him my love as a humble response to His great gift of salvation?

Now there's motivation...

See you all in the morning!

Kristen

Weekend Wish

(The weekend wish is coming a day early, due to the women's retreat on Friday and Saturday.)

On Tuesday we ended our study looking at the consequences of Adam and Eve's choice in the garden. What did sin accomplish? Guilt, condemnation and separation. Guilt - they saw that they were naked and were ashamed. Condemnation - the curses that came because of sin. Separation - they were forced out of the garden lest they eat from the tree of life and live forever in their desecrated bodies.

These three consequences are reality for all people. Sometimes I think that only believers are given the grace and sight to understand this, but you know, that's not altogether true. Look at our world. Look at its desire for youth and its fear of death. Look at the sadness and marriages lying in ruin, and see where the world turns to for hope - medicine? psychology? sex? retribution? false religion? community service? alcohol? selfishness and self-preservation?

Look at the world's love of the earth and its worship of it. They know that nature is not living up to its potential and they know who is responsible for its failure. So they place a higher value on the environment than they do on human life, passing laws to protect the created rather than the steward put in charge of creation. It blows my mind...

Deep down, man is created with a knowledge of God and is responsible for his rejection of Him. They bear the guilt, condemnation and separation that comes from sin. It's a miserable place to dwell, and the world not only dwells there, but it vacations there, it sleeps there and it marinates in sin. That's why things aren't getting better. This downward spiral will eventually bring the wrath of God into the picture and then things will get better. But not before then...

But thanks be to God, our Lord and Savior! He has taken away our guilt! He has removed our condemnation! He has replaced separation with communion! We have not been left in our dastardly state (yes, I used the word "dastardly" - how cool was that? and if you're not sure what it means, LOOK IT UP!) but have been given the gift which stands above all gifts. The gift which cost too much for us to purchase on our own. The gift for which we shall eternally be grateful! The gift which we don't deserve but we have been made alive to accept!

Do you have the gift from God? Do you remember daily what you have been saved from? Can you see how starting your day at the foot of the cross, in humble gratitude and overwhelming thanksgiving, could change the outcome of your day?

Ladies, my weekend wish for you is that you remember the garden and let it thrust your heart to the cross. We are not hopeless as the rest of the world. We are saved, secured, loved and cherished. As you wrap up this study on sin through your homework, be sure to spend some time thanking the Lord for His gift which has given you life. And then go one step further - tell someone about it...you have studied it in Genesis 3 and you know the outcome for believers in Romans 8, so go and share it with someone - encourage them if they know the Lord or if they don't, introduce them to Christ...

Have a great weekend, ladies...

Kristen

Seek the Lord and His strength...

As we move along in our memorization of Psalm 105, our next command (not suggestion) from the Lord is to seek Him and His strength, and to seek His face continually. Wow! Really? Continually? So what does that actually look like?

Well, let me back up a minute here. Our first instruction is to seek Him and His strength. How do we do that first? You all know where I am going with this one - if we are to seek out the Lord, the best place to look is in His Word. There we will find Him.

There we find His outstretched arms, as He gathers us into His promises and covenants.

There we find His rod of discipline, and His daily provision of nourishment, complete with even some tasty desserts!

There we find His sacrifice, His love, His wrath and His power - His mercy, His grace, His holiness and His purity - His patience, His anger, His Spirit and His Son - His purpose, His teaching, His instructions and His peace...

...and the list goes on and on...

So we will find the Lord in His Word, and it is there as well that we'll find His strength. What does that look like in your life? Seeing His strength does a couple of things to me: first, it shows me how powerful He is and how puny I am. Second, it shows me how willing He is and how needy I am. And third, it shows me how generous and protective He is and how blessed I am!

So, now we are told to "seek His face continually." Now that I understand that the search for God turns up such wonderful treasures, why would I ever stop seeking? Ladies, this call to seek continually is not a Greek word for "once a week, when you feel like it or every once in a while." We all know what "continually" means - it means non-stop, without ceasing, around the clock, time and time again, constantly, incessantly, always, all the time, the entire time, day and night, regularly, repeatedly, at every turn, endlessly, perpetually, eternally! How's that to name a few! (I especially love that last one...)

So as you head on through your week, be sure to add this to your to do list - "Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually."

Blessings to you and thanks for a great morning at study!

Kristen

Alistair Begg and Me

So, did I catch your attention with that title? Technically, I did not speak to Alistair, or actually meet him...but I did sit about 4 pews away from him as he waited to step onto the stage to speak on Sunday morning. Let me explain...

Yesterday was the 25th anniversary service of a church in the Chicago area that my parents began in their home when I was in college. Dave and I were at the first service before we headed back to school. The years have passed and God's face has shined on this church, and everyone was invited back to celebrate His work through the years. So many faces and hugs - I was nearly tackled by Steve Bollweg's twin sister, Stacia, when we walked in the door! It was a great reunion, but the icing on the cake was the speaker - Alistair Begg.

Now, maybe you don't know him. He is a pastor of a church in Ohio and speaks around the world. But other than the fact he is a remarkably gifted speaker who loves the Word and preaches lights out - he has a wonderful, Scottish accent, which makes the sermon immensely enjoyable to hear!

Yesterday he spoke on I Corinthians 15:58 - Paul's charge to the church at Corinth to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." What a wonderful charge as the church we were at looks ahead to the next 25 years!

The only thing in our life that is constant is Jesus. When we put our hopes in anything else, our foundation becomes shaky. But the work of the Lord is not one that is in vain, because it rests on truth. Now, ladies, this charge is not simply to church leaders, but to all believers! The call to follow Christ is one which abounds with work, so my question to you is this: What are you doing to further the cause of Christ? There is much work to be done and we can be steadfast and immovable because we are grounded in the Truth!

The Scottish accent was really fun to hear but Alistair Begg's message was far more impressive - I mean, it left a greater impression...we have a calling and this calling gives us our reason for living! So let's continue on in our study in Genesis, searching for Truth, seeking the face of our Savior, embracing the change to be more like Him...

See you in the morning!

Kristen

Weekend Wish

While we were in Washington I got a call from my 23 year old son who is a youth pastor in Orlando, Florida. "Mom," he said, "have you heard the big news?" By the excitement in his voice and the fact that we hadn't turned a television on in four days, I, of course, had no idea what he was referring to.

"No, what's up?"

"They just announced the Nobel Peace Prize winner and guess who it is?"

Instantly my mind turned to Glenn Beck, my favorite Mormon (long story but I do pray for his salvation!), but then I realized that there was no way he would win if there were any liberals on the committee. So, my second guess was Oprah, which would have really gotten me angry, so I jumped off that one quickly and moved to my third guess - Jack Bauer! But being a fictional character, that probably wasn't going to fly as well, so I bit...

"Nope, can't guess. Who is it?"

"Obama!"

"What?" I stammered. He repeated it again and I must admit I was speechless (doesn't happen often). "Based on what?"

"Based on his potential to bring peace to the world."

Now, that should be enough to make all of us pause. This isn't going to be a political post. No, it's a post about Jesus. As believers, there is only One who can bring peace to this world. He's already laid the path to His Father by shedding His blood and bearing the Father's wrath, so He's already accomplished peace. Jesus is the only person I can think of who truly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize - His peace is lasting. It is eternal. It is a done deal.

But don't forget, He's coming again. And when He does, He will deal with sin, usher in His millennial rule and show what a true leader looks like. Then the world will be given the opportunity to follow the true Prince of Peace. No human can fill this job description. Only Jesus. Kind of fun to think about...

So, my weekend wish for you is that you set your mind on the Prince of Peace and remember what He has done to earn this title. Next weekend, if you are joining us at the retreat, you will be saturated with the gospel message as a reminder of our power source for daily sanctification. Why not start early and spend some time thinking about the peace He has accomplished between you and His Father? It is truly a remarkable feat!

Thank you, Lord Jesus!

Kristen

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity...

Jig!

We're back! We're alive! Our families are in one piece and our houses are still standing! So, I guess you could say it was a good trip!

I missed getting together with all of you yesterday, but I trust you had a great day off. I am curious...what did you do on your day off? Are you willing to step into the scary world of bloggers and comment on this one? We'll see...

I'm going to make this a short one, but I just wanted to share with you gals that the body of Christ is a remarkable gift from God. Over the past week, I have personally experienced the love and fellowship of complete strangers, whom I now call sisters in Christ, and that ability to hug strangers, look into their eyes and see God's love is something that leaves me speechless. It is truly a common bond - Jesus transcends natural boundaries. I've met complete strangers in Romania with the same response - instant love, familial ties and an underlying understanding of life because of Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing.

Beth is a doll, gals. She travels well, laughs easily, beat me at cards (ugh!) and was even mistaken as my daughter! (Yeah, that was not a really good day...) I know her heart better for spending this past week with her and have been thanking the Lord for raising her up to lead us in prayer, because her life fits her message. She signed a song for me at the end of my devotional at a women's fall gathering on Monday night and you should have seen the faces of the women, singing and completely enthralled with Beth's beautiful, God-honoring hands...

Okay...so much for short...

Let me know - what did you do yesterday morning instead of our normal Bible study?

Kristen

Greetings from the road!

Hello!
My first post here at Groundwork for Grace..how exciting! Our week here in Washington is coming to a close. We have had wonderful weather ( I hear you all...not so much!) and a wonderful time, but I think both Kristen and I are looking forward to being reunited with our families, both at home and at church.
For me, this visit has been a welcomed break from the bustle of every day life and it has allowed me to slow down my physical being while sharpening my spiritual being. I have realized how often the business of life keeps me from that quiet thought- filled time with the Lord. He said himself, in Isaiah 30:15, "In returning (or repentance) and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength." ....interesting that the next phrase is..."but you were unwilling."

Aack!! But Lord, I'm not unwilling...just busy taking care of this family and household You have given me!! The hard truth is that I often let the things of this world take up my time with Him.

Hmmm...this week has shown me that it is more than worth it to find time to be quiet and rest with the Lord. My faith has been strengthened, my outlook re-energized, my knowledge increased and my peace magnified.

Other things I've learned this week...
* The bond of Christ runs deep and forms quickly. I was surprised at how fast I could come to care about fellow brothers and sisters in Christ....people I have met over Bible study, afternoon tea and dinner.
* Iron does indeed sharpen iron. Wow..what I have learned from great Biblical discussions around various tables this week!
* There is a difference between interest in the things of God and great passion for the things of God. I want passion!
*Godliness with contentment is great gain.
*Seattle is filled with all manner of strange and hurting people
*His creation...the mountains...beautiful!!!
*Traveling with Kristen is really fun!

Well, friends, lunch is waiting. Keep working on your verses...only 3 so far..and you have an extra week to learn them!

Find some time to rest with Him and be in the Word!
Beth

Weekend Wish

Hi, Ladies!

I can hardly believe that it is Friday already! I trust your week has gone well. Beth and I are having a wonderful time here in Washington with our friend, Kathy (she's the one with the blog named "Overcomer"). We've spent hours talking about the Lord, playing cards and solving the world's problems. Tomorrow we are heading into Seattle for the day, which should be a lot of fun.

On Thursday, Kathy taught her women's Bible study on Psalm 19. What a wonderful Psalm! Get out your Bible and take a look at it today, if you have a chance. It is a familiar one. Kathy explained that the Psalm praises God for His general revelation (creation) and His special revelation (His Word). In her description of creation, she said it speaks a "global, voiceless language", gushing or spewing out it's message that God is glorious! As we have studied creation, reading through the beginning of Psalm 19 is a great reminder that God's message has clearly gone out to the whole earth - that He exists, that He is glorious and that He is worthy to be worshipped. This is also consistent with our memory verses - isn't it amazing how God orchestrates multiple areas of our lives to point to the same conclusion? Our study, Kathy's lesson, our memory verses...

Beth just called to me from the living room - she is holding Kathy's grandson, feeding him a bottle. She says "Hi!" and "Keep praying and learn your verses!" She had her mother voice on, so I think she really meant it...

One final note on Psalm 19 (though I could go on and on) - verses 7-9 lay out the value of the Word of God. In verse 7 it says that the "testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." This phrase stuck with me in light of our study. We know that if we stand for literal creation, we are foolish in the eyes of the world...even in the eyes of some believers today. But this verse tells us that the "testimony" of God is sure - scripture is God's testimony about Himself. And it is sure - it is reliable - it is truth. And it makes wise the simple. That word "simple" literally means open-minded. The picture is an open door, where information can come and go because you haven't made up your mind about it. It means that you are open to many different interpretations and are very persuadable. But God's word makes wise the simple - it closes the door. Closing the door is an act of discrimination - you no longer let every opinion have equal voice in your mind. The door is closed on that subject.

Because we know the Word of God is truth, we can close our minds on creation. We don't have to be simple-minded - we can be wise and stand confidently in our source of truth.

My weekend wish for you is that you will choose not to be an open door, but rather close-minded when it comes to God's Word. What a strange thing to say, but we don't need to be wishy-washy about what the Word says. We read it and take it at face value and know that it is truth. As you head over to church on Sunday, trust the Word - respond to it. Delight in it and glory in His holy name.

Give our families a hug from us at church on Sunday and I'll check in again with you all next week!

Kristen

Glory in His holy Name

Our memory verse this week (for the next two weeks, actually) is "Glory in His holy name, let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad." Two simple phrases. We could memorize them with little effort and move on, don't you think?

But let's not do that. Let's munch on these phrases a bit. "Glory in His holy name"...what in the world does that mean? As a verb, glory means "to take great pride or pleasure in", as well as a negative connotation "to exult in unpleasantly or boastfully." Obviously the second is not our instruction, but the first phrase is - we are to take great pleasure and pride in the Holy name of God. So how do we do that? When His name is mocked or used in vain, do we defend the Holy name of God? His name is not one that should cause us to be shamed or embarrassed, and yet when we hear His name misused, we blush at the thought of correcting the offender. It's such a habit to misuse His name...they're not really speaking of God...or Jesus...or are they?

But let's set aside the defense of His name and get more aggressive. Why would we take great pleasure in the Holy name of God? What has He done for you that when you hear His name your heart swells with joy? Are you longing for His return? Are you seeking the things above? Do you talk with others about the Lord? I believe that if we truly were to glory in His name, it would continually be on our lips, flowing from our hearts. Think about it, gals - who else in our lives is holy? Who else is completely true and faithful? Who can possibly compare with the Lord, His goodness, His love and His care? And yet we fill our days talking about politics and recipes and the latest gossip on the family across the street. What is wrong with us? We need to shift the focus of our hearts from this world and firmly fix them on the throne of God - or the foot of the cross. Both places will have the same effect...

"Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad" - our second phrase is another command. There is an assumption here that we are seeking the Lord. That's taking an active role in our spiritual growth. How do we seek the Lord? Where can He be found? And why would seeking Him make our heart glad?

I'll tell you what...I'm tired of answering my own questions...it's your turn...tell me, how do YOU practically glory in the Holy name of God? And tell me why seeking Him would make our hearts glad...

Reminders for Tuesday

We had a great message on repentance this morning. Do you ever get frustrated that it seems like you're constantly dealing with the same sins over and over? As Ken defined repentance, it hit me that repentance flows from your mind, through your emotions and out of your actions. Listen to the definition again: A recognition of sin for what it is, followed by heartfelt sorrow, culminating in a change of behavior.

Recognition, sorrow and behavior.

Mind, emotions and actions.

You do what you do (actions/behavior) and feel how you feel (emotions/sorrow) because you think what you think (mind/recognition). How true, how true!

Ladies, if we are going to truly change, if we are going to sincerely repent, it starts in our head - our thoughts, our minds - the heart of the matter.

On Tuesday we are going to look at how sin entered humanity and what it means for us today. Our battle is found within the curse, and I believe that when we understand why we struggle with sin, it will help us understand the victory that Jesus gave us on the cross. Please plan on being with us...

Also, keep working on Psalm 105:1,2 - "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders."

And if you can bring in feminine products for the food pantry, please put them in the grocery basket in our classroom. These are not the most glamourous items to donate, but they are much needed.

Lord-willing, I'll see you all on Tuesday morning!

Kristen

Weekend Wish

I came upon an article written by R.C. Sproul this week. It's titled "The Sensuous Christian" and in it he explains: "The sensuous Christian is one who lived by his feelings rather than through his understanding of the Word of God. The sensuous Christian cannot be moved to service, prayer or study unless he "feels like it." His Christian life is only as effective as the intensity of present feelings. When he experiences spiritual euphoria, he is a whirlwind of Godly activity; when he is depressed, he is a spiritual incompetent. He constantly seeks new and fresh spiritual experiences and uses them to determine the Word of God. His "inner feelings" become the ultimate test of truth."

We've all seen this type of believer. Great highs and lows - they can actually be fun to be around when they are on a high, but we may just avoid them when they're down. But ladies, the sensuous believer is more common than the extreme friend - unfortunately, I am afraid it has become a way of life in the church.

Do we live by our feelings? Is that our rudder? I guess a better way to ask it is this: Can we be obedient to God when we don't feel like it? Can we worship even when we've had a bad morning? Do we let our feelings dictate our behavior? Because there is no difference between us and the world if we live by our feelings. In Ephesians 4:17-32, Paul reminds the church that they are no longer like unbelievers who have "...given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness...," but rather we are new creatures, which "...in the likeness of God have been created in righteousness and holiness of truth." The root of the word "sensuality" is "sense" or "senses". In other words, we are not guided by our senses but by truth.

And what is truth? It is the Word of God. Before He went to the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for His elect, asking His Father to "...sanctify them in the truth. Your Word is truth." (John 17:17) We have the complete Word of God to be our guide, and we are called to walk by faith (believing the Word of God and acting on it, no matter how we feel, because God promises a good result).

Ladies, it's a miserable way to live your life if you let your feelings be your guide. Now don't get me wrong - we were created with emotions and feelings, so they are a huge part of us and we must learn how to live with them. But if we truly love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength, we must understand the call to obey and follow Christ, whether or not we feel like it. We must understand that His way is best, that there are consequences for not walking by faith and that ultimately...God is good. He loves us and He knows what's best for us.

Sproul ends his article (which, yes, you will get a copy on Tuesday!) with a plea for his readers to get into the Word - to study and know truth. The only way the truth can guide you is for you to know the truth. Sounds pretty elementary, but in our feelings-led culture, it is vital to stay grounded in the Word.

Okay...off my soapbox...my weekend wish for you is that you purposefully chose to please the Lord with your life this weekend - the words that come from your mouth, the expression on your face, the work of your hands - give all of these to Christ this weekend and see what happens...I think you'll have a great weekend if you do...

See you Sunday!

Cool Video

Here's a link to a 7 minute video - I think it's from a movie where the gospel of John is read and acted out...the reason I am posting it is because of the first 60 seconds and our study. Take a look and you'll understand...

link