Lessons from 2007

Prayer is the primary means by which God conforms our hearts to His own; it is our primary work here in this world; it is how God has chosen to work in this world- by hearing and responding to the prayers of His people; to pray without ceasing effectively (i.e. as a "righteous man," whose prayers are always effective) one must continually be "made right" before the Lord, i.e. practice repentance.

The only way that a person becomes more like Christ (that is, his/her character more closely models that of Christ's) is through an active searching of the heart for sin (and being willing to pray until sin is revealed in the heart as sin, that is, something grievous and akin to treason before God, something deserving immediate and infinite punishment because it is an offense against someone infinitely worthy) and repentance thereof. If we are not repenting, we are certainly not growing.

Every moment of every day we are called to be ministers of His word. That is, when we don't want to let out lights shine brightly before all men, we need to repent and pray for God to change our sinful hearts because we are but vapors and these days are evil.

We serve a God who will one day make all things right. Even so, the heart of God cries out for us to plead and act on behalf of justice in this world.

Discipline is one of the man of God's best friends.

The Lord loves a humble, contrite spirit and hates American self-sufficiency. Oh how vital it is to remember how utterly dependent upon Him we are at all times for all things.

The only way that two sinners can exist in a relationship that is mutually encouraging and glorifies God is to found it solely upon grace and to practice honesty.

God is good; that is enough.

The Lord is trustworthy in all that He does.

A community of love and grace that is unafraid to practice discipline may be the greatest gift any believer could hope to receive.

I am but a small vessel- the Lord may use me as He wills, with or without my consent. How amazing it would be to never be remembered, but to have only left Christ's imprint upon the world, for the glory of His name.

I have re-learned how to use my gifts of "reading" people for good (that is, for spiritual encouragement) instead of using it for selfish gain. I have learned how to use it to motivate, how to use it to raise questions, and how to help people discover answers on their own.

I have learned that the Puritans were studs, and I pray that God, one day soon, gives me the desire to study the Word like Edwards.

God is at work in all people at all times everywhere to varying degrees, and my primary job in evangelism is to simply pray for discernment as to where the Spirit is already at work and to pray that the Spirit continues to work unto salvation, as only it can.

We can love each other because we were first loved. We can be Christ and the church only because He was Hosea while we were yet Gomer. We love because we were loved while were still unlovable.

If I do not love my brother or sister in Christ, I do not love Christ.

I may be called to preach- a call that I have passionately resisted for three years now.

I am just like Lazarus.

I am a sick man; I am a wretched man.

God does not need me for anything. He can accomplish (and WILL accomplish) His purposes with or without us. He never fails. It is my most awesome privilege to be used in the service of the King and to partake in His glory.