I promise to get back to Malachi soon. But I just can't leave this alone.
What a great weekend. Our church had their annual youth winter retreat. I have never been so blessed to be a part of something like this and I'm sure I'll be jealous next year whenever I find out who will be speaking and I learn that I can't go with them! :0)
I was a co-speaker and our topic was, you guessed it: Control - the great illusion. It was so challenging to be prepare this message while I had been blogging about control. But it was even more challenging to get there and find myself adjusting my notes and adding thoughts as God continued to teach me, stretch me, and grow me. I pray that I can retain and change from even a fraction of what God laid on my heart because I will be a completely different man if I do.
Joel (the other speak) talked about O. T. examples and their struggles Saturday night but then Sunday morning he talked about Christ and his example to us. It drove me to my knees (figuratively and literally). I felt so unworthy to be getting up and talking to these kids about things I do not consistently practice and about things that I don't fully appreciate. Jesus Christ died on a cross for me!!! Seriously. That is AMAZING and yet we often say it so flippantly as though it was old hat and no big deal!!
For all of the control things that we talked about this weekend (which were a lot) I was also still thinking about this whole worship thing and being confronted with my own lack of worship in times of "worship." So, I started reading....really reading the words to the songs as I sang them. And I'll be honest and say that it struck a chord with me. I was almost not able to go up and speak right away because God was hitting me with my own unworthiness and ungrateful attitude.
There was one particular song called "Jesus, thank you." The last time we sang it, I realized that I have never..mark it, NEVER, sung that song and truly been thanking Jesus for the things listed. Here's the chorus.
Your blood has washed away my sins, Jesus, thank you. The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you. Once your enemy, now I'm seated at your table. Jesus, thank you.
What? How can you sing that and not be truly thankful? Well, we do it all the time. Let me tell you, to reflect on the words and then try to worship my God (respect and deep love) and I found myself crying. From fatigue? Maybe. But mostly from the shame of my ungratefulness and awe at what God did for me!!
Have you worshiped God today??
What a great weekend. Our church had their annual youth winter retreat. I have never been so blessed to be a part of something like this and I'm sure I'll be jealous next year whenever I find out who will be speaking and I learn that I can't go with them! :0)
I was a co-speaker and our topic was, you guessed it: Control - the great illusion. It was so challenging to be prepare this message while I had been blogging about control. But it was even more challenging to get there and find myself adjusting my notes and adding thoughts as God continued to teach me, stretch me, and grow me. I pray that I can retain and change from even a fraction of what God laid on my heart because I will be a completely different man if I do.
Joel (the other speak) talked about O. T. examples and their struggles Saturday night but then Sunday morning he talked about Christ and his example to us. It drove me to my knees (figuratively and literally). I felt so unworthy to be getting up and talking to these kids about things I do not consistently practice and about things that I don't fully appreciate. Jesus Christ died on a cross for me!!! Seriously. That is AMAZING and yet we often say it so flippantly as though it was old hat and no big deal!!
For all of the control things that we talked about this weekend (which were a lot) I was also still thinking about this whole worship thing and being confronted with my own lack of worship in times of "worship." So, I started reading....really reading the words to the songs as I sang them. And I'll be honest and say that it struck a chord with me. I was almost not able to go up and speak right away because God was hitting me with my own unworthiness and ungrateful attitude.
There was one particular song called "Jesus, thank you." The last time we sang it, I realized that I have never..mark it, NEVER, sung that song and truly been thanking Jesus for the things listed. Here's the chorus.
Your blood has washed away my sins, Jesus, thank you. The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you. Once your enemy, now I'm seated at your table. Jesus, thank you.
What? How can you sing that and not be truly thankful? Well, we do it all the time. Let me tell you, to reflect on the words and then try to worship my God (respect and deep love) and I found myself crying. From fatigue? Maybe. But mostly from the shame of my ungratefulness and awe at what God did for me!!
Have you worshiped God today??
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