Think Wink.

Today has been just one incredible blessing from God my Father and Jesus his Christ.

First has to do with the summer mission trip that my youth at church is going on July 19-26, 2008. While on the trip the kids are going to study John Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life (For more information about this book and the study package it has you can click here or just go to the DesiringGod website linked under the Resources menu below). Yesterday I had the awesome privilege to serve my good friend and co-laborer with the youth Jimmy (he used to be my boss at UPS until a couple of weeks ago when Jesus blessed him with an 8-5 job working with an amazing gentleman at church) by moving him out of his old apartment on MBTS campus and to a new one just a couple miles away. In light of the move, I was asked to teach this morning (June 22, 2008) and begin the study of Don’t Waste Your Life. So I read the chapters and watched the DVD session and did the study guide section last night. I must say it was an amazing study for me. Then today, the youth really responded well and engaged the material. Some even came up to me after the second service and told me how much they look forward to the rest! Teenagers did that! God was really working in their hearts and minds and they want more. God is SO good.

Second was the first meeting of what I jokingly call the Illuminati. It is myself, my friends Jimmy and Shane, as well as two guys whom I’ve only met a couple of times, Clinton and Bob, meeting with our pastor, Pastor Tim, to really be mentored in how to do ministry. Not only are we going to discuss theology, but biblical counseling and issues like divorce and how to do youth ministry. He wants us to perform weddings and funerals and really get our hands dirty in counseling people. I am so excited to pick apart Pastor Tim’s brain because I might still be pastoring that church in Bunceton, MO right now as I would have been better able to minister to the difficulties that I had never been exposed to. Our church has been wanting to rewrite its statement of faith, in large part due to the heavy dispensational language in it. In fact as far as theology goes, eschatology will be a big sticking point, along with atonement issues etc. But more than that, he is making sure that all five us are involved in one-on-one discipling of another. We are going to evangelize together. We are going to spend time together, just hanging out and fellowshipping. In the fall, Pastor Tim has a small group for new members in which they come and get to learn about what Faith Community Church is all about. He asked one of us to join him and I am the lucky one to get to spend time with the new members this fall! Then on top of all of that, I got this, an NET Bible. Readers here might have noticed that I have used this translation more and more on this blog, even with the widget sidebar lookup. Now I have a physical copy and oh my. It is amazing to see a page with real notes on it, not fluffy, weak and pathetic theology (although they do have some notes that give some theology I disagree with). Text critical notes and explanations as to why a verse was translated as it was. And what makes this so awesome is that this Bible was FREE! God moved some woman in my church to donate four brand new NET Bibles and Pastor Tim gave them to us. God is SO good.

We meet again in two weeks and we have to spend the interim period thinking and meditating on “the call;” as in “I am called to be a minister” or “I am called to marry this girl/guy.” What does it mean to be “called of God?” Also, we are using our brand new (never been opened) NET Bibles to read through the pastoral epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. I can’t wait to get into this. God is SOOOO good!!!

The Watchmen Movie

When I think of “euaggelion” or “gospel”…

Another look into euaggelion