i am an offering

I’ve never considered myself a mentor before. Maybe I should start considering myself one, as I do really enjoy teaching and training, but I’ve never actually thought of myself like that before. I’m too young, I’m not educated enough, blah blah blah. But, in reality, whenever you are able to teach someone just a little bit of something and continue teaching on it, even just a little bit, you are a mentor.

My pastor honored me be actually calling me his “blogging mentor.” Pretty cool that even though it might be slightly in jest, he views even small tips about blogging as being mentored for him. Thanks, Wade.

In the meantime, you should check out his very touching story about his relationship with his high school math teacher. It’s a bit of a long read, but well worth it.

Coming tomorrow, a LONG overdue review of Craig Groeschel’s newest book, “Going All the Way.”

I usually don’t post twice in one day but our pastor has just started a blog series that I think will be very beneficial for believers to read. I blogged last weak on the importance of knowing how to defend what we believe. This is what Wade is going to be diving into this week. Check out the first post here.

Hello everyone!  Here are some thoughts going through my mind today:

• Had a great meeting with my pastor this morning.  How incredibly encouraging it is to just sharpen each other.
• “The number one reason that churches don’t grow is because of a lack of personal evangelism.”  I think I have to agree with that.  If we take the responsibility of “you shall be my witnesses” seriously, we should spend our efforts trying to reach out to the broken and help them get healed with the help of Jesus.  When they see that Jesus heals, they’ll fall in love with Him, and will want to be part of His church, His bride.
• Speaking of Jesus’ bride, I found this post very intriguing and eye-opening.  “Membership in and service to a local, biblically organized church body is not optional in the life of a believer, and is something that should not be taken lightly.”
• Along those lines, I think the quote above should read, “Partnership,” not membership.  Check this out.
• I’m still waiting for your questions. I would really love to get to know who’s reading this blog.  Even if it’s a question like, “Who in the world are you and why do you think you know anything about worship and music?”

This morning’s staff devotion was such a huge encouragement to me. We were reminded that God is still who He says He is. God is still our refuge, strength, helper, protector and provider. God is still loving, forgiving, encouraging, and sustaining. But I think we often forget that God is still jealous, just, holy and perfect. The God of the New Testament is not a different God than the God of the Old Testament. God’s holy standard still needs to be met, and we still fall short of it and always will.

Human solutions will never fulfill God’s promises. But praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, that is the only thing that could have paid the price for our sin. God’s standard can only be met by Himself, so Jesus being fully God and dying paid the price that God demanded, and Jesus being fully human, yet without sin, lets Him offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice that God’s standard demands. What an incredible plan! As Pastor Wade said yesterday (and you brought it, by the way!), “It was a scandal.” I couldn’t help having a song by one of my favorite bands, “The Choir” running through my head:

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner, sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

On the hillside you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Savior’s side

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by his blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night

Miraculous night

What we have to remember though, is that even though Jesus paid the price that was demanded, and we are forgiven and set free, God is still God and still demands for us to live for Him. Let’s give our lives in response to His grace, and live with obedience this week.