Lectureship

My favorite time of year has come and gone. Lectureship at ACU. Most students cringe at the thought of parking being hectic because of a crowded campus, but I can't think of a better time in the four years I have been in Abilene. I love the classes, lectures and most of all time with my family.

This year, ACU focused on unity with Christian churches and the theme was the Gospel of John. It is amazing to think that we have no idea who our Christian Church brothers are because we have been divided for so long. We have similar theology and are conservative on the grand scheme of theological standing, but musical instruments have divided us mostly. It's crazy to think that such a puny matter in Scripture has divided us and kept us from being faithful to the greater doctrine of unity. There is much to be done not just with these brothers, but with all who hold up Christ as their Lord.

I was blown away by several lectures. David Fleer's sticks out to me. What an innovative, inductive preacher. David brought everyone into the text by describing a slideshow of his text. I felt like I had entered the Biblical world in a new and fresh way. What if every Sunday we read and preached in a way that made people enter the text in transforming ways? He truly has a gift that he gives to the students at Rochester. These sermons excite me again about the future and how God will use me as a voice for him. I can't wait for all of the sermons that will be written. God continue to work on me so that I am mastered by the text you have given.

All in all, it was a great week. My favorite week of the year. I only wish I could make it to Pepperdine and Tulsa yearly. Maybe in the future.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

For some reason this song ran through my head over and over again last night. What an amazing hymn! Check out verse 3. That ranks up there with "It is well With My Soul"'s 2nd verse. We talk a lot about grace, but what about the desire to be enslaved by God because of his grace?

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Father,

Thank you for your love exhibited through your grace. Just as you brought the Israelites from slavery to Pharaoh to slavery yourself, you have brought me from being a slave of sin to become a slave of righteousness. Never let me wander from thee, never leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.