Filling some Big Shoes

My roller coaster weekend is finally finished. My dad has been out of town, and I have had the priviledge of filling his shoes for the past weekend. This included teaching in our men's bible study on the Sovereignty of God over election and salvation and leading worship in our main services morning and evening. It was a long weekend and took a lot of energy, but before I pat myself on the back too much for getting it all done, I have to remember that this is what my dad does every week of his ministry here, and he does an excellent job. Ministry is a blessing for my dad, and even with the expanded work load he has had with the loss of a few pastors over the years, he takes it all in stride and continues to do his work heartily, as to the Lord, rather than men. He's a great example and I hope to be more like him as I pursue my ministry.

I was very pleased particularly with the discussion on God's sovereignty during the men's Bible study. There was no debate for the purpose of arguing, just good discussion about man's inability to effect his own salvation and God's ultimate control over all things. There was a bit of discussion over the difference between foreknowledge and foreordination, but I think Jonathan Edwards puts that debate to rest with this great quote:

"Whether God has decreed all things that ever come to pass or not, all that own the being of a God, own that He knows all things beforehand. Now, it is self-evident that if He knows all things beforehand, He either doth approve of them or doth not approve of them; that is, He either is willing they should be, or He is not willing they should be. But to will that they should be is to decree them."

The very fact that things happen testifies to God's decreed will over all matters. And in that truth I trust He will continue to give me grace as I pursue ministry. God is good, gracious, and truly holy, holy, holy.

Christ, the Cubs, and Conversion

Well, I was encouraged to blog more by my brother, so I will do my best. As I sit here listening to the Cubs, I can't help but smile at the blessings God has poured out, particularly through my church. The Cubs seem to disappoint without fail as often as I am encouraged by Christ and the church. God has been so good recently and has encouraged me with several good books. I am currently reading through Mark Dever's 9 Marks of a Healthy Church and just finished my papers on Conversion and Evangelism. Here is an excerpt:

"Perhaps the shelter of their family or the comfort of a nice church culture has lulled [youth] into a sense of peace about their own eternal state when there should be no peace at all. All I have to go on is the fruit I see. This makes it difficult to really get to the hearts of students. Many of them appear to be genuine and do all the right things. I am grateful for the impact the Lord has allowed me to have on their lives, but my goal has to be confirming in their hearts what true conversion is. The more they understand, the more they will be able to tell if they are truly converted. Beyond that, I can do nothing but pray and trust the Lord to work through His gospel."

God has challenged my heart to not focus so much on results but to focus on getting the gospel right and let Him do the rest.

Other than that, things are moving right along. As usual, I haven't found a speaker for summer camp yet. My list is down to Josh Harris and C.J. Mahaney, but we'll see who God brings. I'm looking forward to the New Attitude conference in May. The lineup of speakers looks challenging and I hopeful as to what God will do in my life and in the lives of the students that are coming with me. The big things this week are teaching on God's sovereignty in Men's Bible study on Saturday and leading worship for the main services on Sunday. I'm pumped about both of those opportunities. That's it for now...