The Last Day of 2011

Often, I think change is needed...for other people.  I see the sins of others yet don't see where I am sinning.  This portrays a delight in the flesh over the power of the Spirit.  I pray that God's grace will awaken me to my slothfulness in mortifying my sin and cultivating humility.  

Below you will find one of my favorite posts from one of the bloggers I follow (Trevin Wax).  It reveals a heart that longs for less of self and more of the Savior.  I pray that this will be prevalent in my journey throughout 2012 and beyond...

Lord God Almighty,

I understand that I am unable to do anything without your help,
so I ask you to enable me by your grace to fulfill your will.

Give me grace to do whatever brings most glory and honor to you,
pleasure and profit to me,
and life and love to others.

Help me to number my days,
spending my time wisely,
living my life with all my might while I still have breath.

Humble me in the knowledge that I am chief of sinners;
when I hear of the sins of others,
help me to not look upon them with pride,
but to look upon myself with shame,
confessing my own sins to you.

When I go through difficulties and trials,
remind me of the pains of hell
from which you have already delivered me.

Place people in my path who need my help,
and give me a compassionate and generous spirit.

Fill my heart with such love
that I would never do anything out of a spirit of revenge,
nor lose my temper with those around me.
Hold my tongue when I am tempted to speak evil of others.

Thank you for the gospel and for the hope of glory.
Help me to live in light of these truths every day of my life,
so that when the time of my death arrives,
I will rest assuredly in you,
and you will be most glorified in me.

In Christ’s name…

- Trevin Wax (adapted from the first 21 of Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions)

Substitution

For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone.   --  John Stott

Video that I could not get to Embed

http://vimeo.com/2843450

Finish the Mission

Obviously, it has been a while since I've posted last.  I didn't quite finish my reading list.  I will hopefully give brief reviews sometime in the near future.

It has been a roller-coaster of emotions over the past month.  As the new pastor of Haven Baptist Church, I recognize the great responsibility that this position brings.  In light of my shepherding responsibility, I was reminded of another biblical responsibility that the Church bears in our day and age.  It is to testify of the gospel to those who have never heard.
There are some unique opportunities that are taking place in Southern Baptist Churches in North America.  It is exciting and surreal that our family could play a part in reaching those who are among an unreached people group.

Summer of Reading

The children love to read. The whole family has enjoyed many good books this summer. Here is a pic of the kids at the library recently.

Love Worth Fighting For

Well, it has been a busy summer and one that we will never forget. Recently, Sheena and I were able to get a couple of babysitters to watch the kids so we could go on a date. I surprised Sheena and bought tickets to a marriage event featuring Warren Barfield and Kirk Cameron called Love Worth Fighting For. It was awesome. Warren Barfield is a very talented musician and very funny. Kirk Cameron gave a couple of talks that were encouraging, convicting, and exalted Christ. In his second talk of the evening, he challenged husbands to...

Spend time with their wife

Study Her

Honor Her

Protect Her

Open Up to Her

Pray with Her

Needless to say, it was a very good evening. Afterwards, I was able to get an autograph from Kirk Cameron on a book that he wrote a foreword to called Am I Really A Christian by Mike McKinley with IX Marks Ministries. Great book that I will write more on later. After he signed the book, he shared with Sheena and I about his concerns for the nation's future and the responsibility of the church to impact the culture with the gospel. I was encouraged and you can learn more about his new movie called Monumental by watching for new updates. It is set to release in March 2012. I encourage you to pray for Kirk Cameron and his family as his travel schedule is heavy and the opportunity for pride to set in is easy for anyone in his shoes. I was thankful for this unique opportunity and to see his boldness for Christ that night but more thankful for my wife who seeks to follow Christ no matter the cost.

Newfoundland, Newfoundland

Our family still talks about Newfoundland and we still have friends there who we keep up with often. Some of those dear friends sent us a "goodie" box from the Rock that we have enjoyed. The chocolate, soda, and stickers made their way around every portion of our house (See picture).

We don't know what the Lord has in store for Newfoundland and it was bittersweet to move on from there after being there almost 4 years. Of course, I have doubted whether or not our family should have moved countless times but do believe it was a good decision for our family to move. We know God's good and perfect plan is always right but it does sadden me to see an island with so few biblically sound, Christ-exalting churches.

Please pray for a church that is sound and is seeking to impact the communities of Newfoundland. The church is Calvary Baptist and their website is here.

Also, pray for Jeremy and Amanda, Ryan and Marsha, Eric and Tina, Murray and Heather, Wu Zhong, Rolly, and Amir as they grow in their walks with the Lord.

Dear friends

We have met some dear friends since moving to Alabama. Brian and Krystal have a zeal for the Lord that is contagious. Thankful for God's grace to me through these friends.

A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. -- Proverbs 18:24

Our Cat that is no longer ours

We found a cat on our doorstep one day. So, we decided to feed it and keep it and I named it Temporary. There is a reason for the name...we only had him 1 week. We are NOT a cat family.

The Birmingham Zoo

We went to the Zoo this summer with the Deloach family. We looked like a class field trip with as many kids as we had there. Great time!

Speaking the Truth in Love

The summer reading plan is going pretty well for the most part. I've finished 3 of the 5 books on my list but the last two are by far the longest. I hope to do a short review of each book in order to remind me of what the book was about and hopefully encourage others as well.

Speaking the Truth in Love: Counsel in Community by David Powlison

Well, anything that David Powlison writes is going to be good but I was a little frustrated as I started this book but pleasantly surprised as I finished it. The beginning of the book seems to target those who plan on pursuing counseling as a profession but it quickly picks up the pace as Dr. Powlison tackles how to talk with difficult people, how to counsel a "Psychologized" counselee, and how the ministry of the Word has wrong associations at times.

All in all, I will definitely be rereading parts of this book again. It is a wonderful resource and helpful in many ways as we redeem relationships for His glory and not for personal gain.

My favorite chapter was on "Think Globally, Act Locally" for a variety of reasons. It was clear that the god-substitutes that hijack my heart were on display in this chapter.

When people ask Dr. Powlison about how the here-an-now stories connect to God's long ago stories, he responds by saying...

Connect one bit of Scripture to one bit of life. Always ask two questions of yourself and others: What is your current struggle? What about God in Christ connects to this? (p. 62)

Update on our family

We are doing well and enjoying the sun in Alabama. We have been able to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us lately by going swimming and fishing. Also, we have been reading The Horse and His boy by C.S. Lewis during the hot days. We hope to savor this unique time together while we can. God has continually taught us much about Him and about ourselves during our transition. His grace and mercy continually amazes us (as it should).

Also, I have applied for several different ministry positions and covet your prayers. As of now, there are two positions that have a lot of potential and there are on-going conversations with the churches and the Search Committees. Hopefully, I will have more to update you on soon.

His promises never fail us :)

Isaiah 40:30-31 --Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

This quote should be on your refridgerator

I stumbled across this quote as plan to preach tomorrow from Ephesians 4.

"The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed." --- Paul David Tripp

True and Better

True & Better from Peter Artemenko on Vimeo.

Christianity Explored

There are lots of ways to share the gospel. There are lots of kits, canned methods, and there are lots of conferences and seminars that will teach you how to do it. I have become frustrated with some and excited at the simplicity and the biblical teaching of others. Christianity Explored definitely falls in the camp of being solid and biblical.

Check out their website...

http://www.christianityexplored.org/what-is-christianity

God sent His Son (Jesus) into the world as King. We've rejected the loving King by sinning but Jesus died so that His blood would be poured out for many. He took the punishment that we deserve. We can become children of God when we repent of our sins and trust in Christ. This is good news. Really good news!

Tornadoes, Trials, and Tough Questions

Recently, another tornado created havoc and destroyed much of Joplin, Missouri (See Link). This city is the home of my wife's dear relatives. They are fine and are helping with relief efforts. As Joplin recovers and as Alabama continues to recover, more tornadoes are likely to come and hurricane season is around the corner. It is times like these that make us think about life and how short it really is in light of eternity. During these last days, some may question God's plan but without a doubt I trust His hand. He was not caught off guard by the whirlwind or when you or I sin. In the midst of trials and calamity, I am reminded of this precious truth...

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. -- Psalm 18:2

Recently, David Platt, preached on the Trustworthiness of God in the midst of tornadoes. It is excellent and brings joy in the midst of mourning.

Praying for the folks of Joplin!

Summer Reading List

Well, I have been inspired to come up with a summer reading list in part to my brother-in-law's list on his blog. I admit that I my list is not nearly as exciting or challenging as his is but I think I will probably be reading some children's books this summer to our crew of five so maybe that can count towards my summer theological studies.

Before I get to the list, I must say that one of the best books (top 5) I have ever read is How People Change by Paul David Tripp and Timothy Lane. I'm almost through with it and will definitely be rereading and referencing it time and again.

The list...

Desiring God by John Piper (I've picked this up before but have never finished it).

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

War of Words by Paul David Tripp

Speaking the Truth in Love by David Powlison

The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family by Martha Peace and Stuart Scott

Two books that I hope to buy and read in the near future...

Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine by Gregg Allison

40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer

Missionary Training

Tomorrow, should be a great day. Sheena and I are going to have some trusted friends watch the children so that we can do some missionary training with Lifeline Children Services. Lifeline

is a great organization and they are sending out a missionary couple to the Dominican Republic very soon. The couple will be working as representatives from Lifeline and living out a small part of the vision of (un)adopted. Sheena and I will be sharing about our church planting journey in Newfoundland, Canada in order to help prepare this couple for what awaits them. We hope our failures and successes in ministry will be of use to them and we look forward to learning from this special couple who have sacrificed their lives to further the gospel in a hurting country. Besides the above, I am looking forward to spending some time alone with my bride. We might be able to even squeeze in a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

Susanna dancing

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance --- Ecclesiastes 3:4

Susanna's 1st Birthday Cake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhZ4mxcBIKk

This is a tradition in the Baker family (Sheena's folks) household. You are sure to enjoy this video. By the way, her birthday was May 6th. I am just late on getting the video up.

Pride is deadly

There are a plethora of good books out there today. Kevin DeYoung lists quite a few that I would love to read in the near future. I remember Danny Akin mentioning in Seminary that there is just not enough time to read all of the good books out there so he tries to read the best ones for his particular ministry setting. One book that should top everyone's list as a GREAT book is The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott. I remember reading it thinking, "Wow, I wish I would have read this earlier." Scott does an amazing job of outlining the definition of pride and what it means to crucify pride and cultivate humility as we follow Christ. The manifestations of pride and humility can be seen summarized here. Pride is the source of all sin and reminds us that we often set out to further our kingdom instead of God's by exalting Christ. Pride is blinding and reminds us that our hearts are sick and in need of a Savior (Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:21-25). As easy as it is to get discouraged of late, I am reminded that I do not live as one without purpose. God's love is not something abstract but rather an attribute that is embodied in His Son, Jesus Christ. His love reveals the hope believers have to repent of sin (pride) and follow Christ each day. I am thankful for His love that frees me from pride and teaches me to follow His plans. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. --- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Grace of the Lord poured out on me

Yesterday, was a really good day. Some days are not like yesterday though. We struggle to discern God's plan or in being patient with others and we succumb to fleshly desires through anger, greed, pride, and many other sins. It is in those difficult days and in the best of days that we echo with the apostle Paul, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

God's grace is always amazing. We can become fickle with our emotions and lives but God is always faithful. As I was reading and answering emails a few nights ago, I saw this excellent blog post by Kelley Brown entitled, "Out of the Ashes Beauty will Rise" and was reminded again of God's redemptive plan that shows mercy to us as wretched sinners.

Immediately, I thought, "Let me tweet this or put a link on facebook or on my blog!" Then, I thought instead of pouring my heart out on the blogosphere or to the Internet I should spend some time in prayer thanking God and pouring my heart out to Him. It was a sweet time of prayer. I encourage you to spend a moment or two in prayer thanking God for his mercy to you even now. The blogging world and twitbook can be a great place to encourage other believers and to point others to the grace and mercy at the Cross but the technological world can have its drawbacks. Without a doubt, it doesn't take the place of having a personal relationship with Christ and being committed to His bride, the Church. It is through the church and small groups (community groups, core groups, life groups, etc.) that we can truly live out what it means to follow Christ by loving, encouraging, correcting, admonishing, and strengthening one another as Scripture tells us to do. Instead, at times, I find myself running away from believers instead of to them (obviously a source of pride). We see through the life of Paul how he longed to be with and learn from his sisters and brothers in Christ. Paul (the man who knew hardship, persecution, adversity and was a theological giant) knew well God's design for the church because at one time he was persecuting it himself. He saw how they lived in radical contradiction to the world and in deep love for one another. It was the type of love that is in response to Christ's love. Paul's perspective of what it means to follow Christ is always encouraging because he doesn't hold back what he is thinking nor mask his emotions in generic prayer requests. He runs the race in response to God's unfathomable and irresistible grace.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service

coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. -- Philippians 2:17

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. -- Romans 12:1

Acts

A funny video to remind us how the Spirit of God moved in the church after Christ's resurrection.

Enjoy!!

The Cross

Shai Linne has quickly become one of my favorite musicians on the planet. His talent is amazing and definitely a gift from God. Here is a youtube video of one of my favorite tracks...

Savoring in the mystery and wonder of the Cross today. Join me!

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Today, has been quite the day. It started with me almost breaking my arm and ended with me listening to a phenomenal sermon by Ken Whitten entitled "Is God Fair?"

It reminded me that God has shown me mercy and grace time and time again. It also reminded me to celebrate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, my Savior.

Some that I have talked with in the past who are skeptics, atheists, or just plain curious have asked why Jesus had to die if God was and is a loving God. It is because of His love that Jesus died on the cross.

Let my brother, Thabiti Anyabwile, explain.

Tempted and Tried

This looks like a great new book by Dr. Russell Moore. He is one of my favorite teachers and preachers of the Word. Check out this trailer...

Snake in the House

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,^[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. --- Hebrews 4:14-16

This is Talladega

Well, it has been an interesting weekend. God has taught me much over the weekend and especially during our transition from Canada to Alabama. I will be including a post soon on many things God has taught me over the past few months soon. Now, back to this weekend. It is a weekend that my owner at Best Western has been anticipating for months now. Why? This is because it was time to make money from the Talladega race fans. In case you didn't know (I didn't), Talladega is kind of a big deal in Alabama and for NASCAR fans around the world. Yes, we had some fans at our hotel from Canada and Australia this weekend. There are over 100,000 people who attend this race because it is the grand-daddy (or at least close) to one of the best tracks. This is all new to me! We had a couple of NASCAR drivers (Mike Harmon and Jennifer Jo Cobb) who stayed at our hotel along with some other notable people. Anyway, after striking up some conversation with one guy and setting his wake-up call, he said to me, "Hey, I've got some extra tickets for Saturday and Sunday if you know someone who wants them." It was right as I was leaving and I was thinking, "Who can I give these tickets to?" Well, I tried. I contacted several people who I thought might enjoy them and everyone was busy with one thing or another. Needless to say, I am not a NASCAR fan. Well, I didn't want the tickets to go to waste so I took Steven Hershael and Mr. Dennis to the early morning race on Saturday.

What was it like? CRAZY, LOUD, and INTERESTING. I was glad to be able to take Hersh man there and for him to see a race but what was sad was the fascination in man. It was the ol' tower of babel (Genesis 11) just in a different form. Without a doubt, I have fallen to the sin of idolatry when it comes to sports. I do love the Cardinals, Rams, Spurs, and NCAA Basketball but when it consumes the heart we have fallen prey to the desires of the world. As followers of Christ, we are prone to easily get distracted (just ask Peter).

While at the race track, we were able to talk a bit with the Joe Gibbs sponsored booth called

I AM SECOND. They were passing out tracts and pointing to the reality that God is FIRST and should always worship Him above all other things.

Darrin Patrick says it well when he writes, "The problem is that human beings not only fail to love God as he requires, but that we love to create other substitute gods to worship in the place of God. This is the essence of what we need to be saved from—sin. So, the essence of sin is idolatry, whereby we removed God from the altar of our hearts and replace him with functional gods of our own choosing. What does it mean to be saved? It means that Jesus came to satisfy the righteous requirements of the law so that sinners and idolaters could be reconciled to fellowship with God.”

So, I am thankful for a fast-paced and free NASCAR ticket weekend but even more thankful for God reminding me of the foolishness that comes when we idolize man instead of worshiping the God-man, Jesus Christ.

This is what the LORD says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

A few more...

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him. --- Psalm 127:3 ---

Recent pics

Here is some pics of the family outside across the street and then when we went to Noccalula Falls with Mr. Dennis. It was a lot of fun.

Psalm 8:1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

America's Funniest Home Videos

Well, we weren't able to get to go to Noccalula Falls like we thought we were to tonight. Instead, we are going to try and make it tomorrow. It still was a good day with great weather outside. I got some good pics that I will put up later. In the meantime, check out this funny video from lunchtime.

Precious Moments

I have enjoyed spending time with the kids today. Tonight, we have a special family fun night planned. Hopefully, I will have more to share and possibly some pics. In the meantime, some of my favorite words are when the kids say, "Right, dad" and "I Love you very much!"

FYI -- I'm not a Mormon

Just in case you wondered, I'm not a Mormon. I thought it was funny at first and then annonying that a youtube video advertising for the Mormon church was on my blog. As a result, I have tried to modify my advertisements and will probably be getting rid of them altogether. The Internet can be a wonderful tool but also a thorn in my flesh!

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” -- Acts 4:12 --

Salvation is only found in Jesus Christ. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone that we are saved.

Waffle House

Well, it has been a long day. It has definitely been a roller-coaster day but God always sustains us and gives us the strength to carry on. Tonight, before coming home I decided to stop in at Waffle House to get some waffles as a surprise for the kids tomorrow. Of course, they had the stereotypical waitress there from the South who said to me, "Hun, what'chya gonna have tonight" as I was about to sit on the barstool. After I ordered my waffles, I looked around the restaurant and was humbled. Since our family has moved to Attalla, we have really seen how hard the economic woes have hit this part of the United States. I have really lived a spoiled life and have never (I repeat never) lived in poverty. I have talked to numerous people who are unemployed and/or have been laid off from work.

As I am about to go to sleep, I am reminded of the wisdom found in the book of Ecclesiastes that says, "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other." God is so merciful to me and I pray that I will show mercy to others. Speaking of mercy, this book by Tim Keller is very good and I highly recommend it to you. Keller is a very gifted speaker and writer. The thing that is most impressive to me is his authentic way of relating to others with genuine humility. Humility is something I strive for but all too often fall short because of my pride and self-centered worldview at times. I am thankful for the forgiveness at the Cross and His mercy that is new every morning.

The Word of God is powerful

Today, I was talking with a lady who recently got out of prison. She was convicted for drug addictions in her past and was telling me about her devotion time this morning. We will call her Sally for the purpose of this post. Sally came to Christ while in prison. She is now ALIVE and zealous to tell many about Christ. In her words, "I love my Jesus!" Today, she was excited to tell me about where she was reading in the Bible. With an enthusiastic voice, she said, "I am in Deuteronomy 28 and am enjoying reading about the blessings and curses for God's children. Deuteronomy is great." How is that for a young believer? She is loving up on the Old Testament. Isn't that the way it is supposed to be? God's word transforms us and makes us more like Christ.

Recently, a friend of mine was highlighting in his Bible when Steven Hershael noticed him. Hersh said, "Why are you doing that?" He responded by saying, "I really like this part. It is important." Of course, Hersh said, "It is all important!" Yes, son, you are right.

Right now, I am in Ecclesiastes during my study time in the Word. I pray that I look forward to getting truth each day like my new friend Sally.

Here is a link to someone who is a tad passionate about the Word of God.

Looking forward to tomorrow by trusting in His plan...

Day 2

Well, I have started this blog last night and am going to try and use it to flesh out some thoughts of the day, encourage others, and hopefully keep me focused on the gospel. If the gospel is first and foremost in my life, then my role as a husband, father, son, friend, and so on will be more Christ-centered.

In light of the above, when reading Philippians yesterday, I was encouraged but mostly convicted by Paul's words in verse nine of chapter four that said, "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me-put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Without a doubt, I need more self-discipline in my life. I hope and pray that I can put into practice the things I have learned from the Word over the upcoming weeks and months. Do you have any advice on not just being a hearer of the Word but also being a doer of the Word?

Heading to Jack's (It's a Southern thing!)...

MARCH MADNESS

Well, it is late here in Alabama and I can't sleep. Normally, I can sleep through anything. We are experiencing some decent thunderstorms so maybe that is a contributor. Regardless, my mind is racing from meetings tomorrow, friends who are struggling, the uncertainty of the future, God's amazing grace, the end to the NCAA tournament, and wondering if I should get some Cookies N Cream Ice Cream.

Yes, I know that those thoughts are random! However, tonight I was sadly disappointed when the Butler men's basketball team lost to UCONN. Of course, I have nothing against UCONN nor Jim Calhoun because he is a great coach. It is just that they have won the championship multiple times. Butler was humiliated this year and suffered the agony of defeat last year. Through all of this, it pointed me to the reality of the gospel, Jesus Christ was humbled and defeated at the cross for our sake and in obedience to His Father's commands. It reminded me of Philippians 2:5-8 that says, "⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Yet, as a believer who is united to Christ, the beauty is that God vindicated his Son in the resurrection. The chapter goes on by further saying...

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I look forward to the day when Christ returns. In the meantime, I hope my life is consumed by something greater than March madness. How about the madness that Christ shed his blood on the cross for a wretched sinner such as I? It is hard to take in at times.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God is gracious.