Hello friends! So i'm back in good ole KY. I don't want to be. After this amazing weekend I never wanted to leave. I know I already spilled my feelings the other night about how awesome it all was and what it meant to me but i'm gonna do it again. At least a little. So the message of the weekend was to Die to yourself. That sounds like such a simple thing but it's probably more profound than anything. The concept of giving everything up. Not necessarily selling all your posessions or anything but realizing that everything you own including your thoughts, hopes, and dreams belongs to God. And even more difficult, carrying yourself on a daily basis in a manner that satisfies God and shines the light of Christ where everyone can see it. It was honestly really easy for me to talk to the boys about the difficulty of stepping back into the world and doing all the things we said we would during the weekend. I come back here and i'm surrounded by sin, people that don't care about me or God, and a lack of true friends. The latter may be attributed to my new found picky nature but it's definitely a good thing. But I have to watch myself and not get too detached from friends my age because that connection is necessary for my ministry and witness. (The fact that 3 of my best friends have a combined age of over 100 tells me somethin. lol.) So, it's a big balancing act, I have to not be friends with "the world" and yet maintain the necessary connections in order to fulfill my mission in God all while dedicating every second of my life to the Ultimate Glory of God! In other words, the message this weekend really hit home. and i was the one doing the teaching. So while it is awesome to teach I still have so much to learn and I want to stay filled with the desire to do so. God has lit a fire under Stock Creek Baptist Church and I fully believe that the current leadership is in place fully by devine ordination. It was His will to bring us here at this exact time: His plan is in motion to make some big changes in the hearts of south Knoxville and like Benji said it's been a long time comming. Well, the time is now and it's our job not only to teach the youth about God's word but to live as a constant example to those who are watching. So, what does it look like to die to yourself? I think it looks different in every person's life ,but, in general, His will before yours, his plan before yours, his glory before yours. Once again, all you have belongs to Him, He is just merciful enough to let you borrow it for a while despite your faults. Seek the face of God. Learn the heart of Christ. Immulate it to the closest degree.
Thank you all so much. You're all a blessing in my life and I thank God every day for bringing you into my life. I've changed dramatically for the better in the last year and a half and I owe it largely to you. I love you all very much and pray you will always be in my life. Like I said last night, I've learned how to cry. Typically that's a weakness in men but it's because you all have shown me how powerfully emotional God is. And to that I say, let the tears come. God bless you all.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The awesome thing about dying to ourselves as a group is that there is no isolation. We become each others' strength and accountability which is what most people lack and eventually that leads to failure.
ReplyDeleteI think that as our lives become more of what He wants them to be, the joy will overtake the struggle. The growing pains will give way to the peace of maturity.
As wonderful as this weekend was, it's just the start. We haven't yet seen all that He has in store.
That's awesome man, I know it's tough to be in your situation up at school but you have a lot of support and prayer.
ReplyDeleteOur last lesson with the Jonah study was talking about Jonah hitting rock bottom as he was willing to die instead of go to Nineveh. And then when he was saved by the fish he was totally transformed. And I told the girls that they are drowning in some "sea" of stress, bad relationships, whatever and that there is a fish behind them with its mouth wide open and if the just stop trying to swim they will be saved. I think that is dying to self.
ReplyDeleteI commented on here cause I know at school we don't ever talk in person. Ha ha.
So the whole dying to self thing makes me also think of the concept of a living sacrifice, an oxy moron (sp?) if you really think about it. In the OT people offered sacrifices to God to satisfy the need for reconciliation to a holy Creator. So then David talks about it in Psalm 51...
ReplyDelete"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." -vv16-17
And then Jesus served as the ultimate sacrifice and propitiation for our sins. So Mary's little lamb can rest easy because the Lord no longer requires the blood of animals to cover our sins. His blood did it. (Okay, can we stop for a WOW moment!)
So what does He require? Are we just to believe and confess and move on like nothing ever happened? Absolutely not! We are new creatures! Yay! And that new creatures is "dead" to the old sinful nature and desires. That new creature only finds fulfillment and purpose and peace and joy through intimate connection with our Creator and Redeemer! We abide in Him not to meet a quota or look more "spiritual" but because our very hearts beat to do so! Because He is our reason for living and breathing!
Okay, that's a lot of exclamation points and I know this is really really long but I got a little excited... Sorry!
O, and sidebar, I'm really proud of you for letting the glory of the Lord move you so much that tears are inevitable. I know you weren't raised with that being okay. It is... Love you!
ReplyDelete