Saturday, October 31, 2009

That'd be 'the day'

October 31, 1517 Wittenberg, Germany... that was the day.
The day change began.
The day the Reformation began.
The day God got All the Glory.
Martin Luther gathered a hammer, nails & his 95 Theses.
His desire was to refocus the church on salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone

His study of God's Word inspired him to adhere to God's Word. He knew the Truth and courageously stood for the Truth no matter the cost. He suffered many hardships because of this and was continuously questioned. His life is a great example.

Video Clip of His Defense (From 'Luther' the movie)

*'Luther' the movie is a great reenactment and retelling of his life.


I pray that we are encouraged and inspired to know God and His Word like Martin Luther.
May God work today in and through our lives for His Glory.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Timeout...


Well, it’s been awhile. Honestly I’m so slammed each week with ministry, school and my relationship with my beautiful fiancĂ© that I don’t have time to blog. Life is in the fast lane. But what am I telling you, so is yours. Life is good.... and IT’S BUSY!

Have you noticed that the busier we get the less time we spend with our Lord Jesus? Yes, even a seminary student & church leader can get so busy that he or she can actually go a whole week without growing personally. The Christian life is all about learning and becoming more like Him. But sometimes my Bible serves as a paper weight instead of the manual for daily life that God intends.

Sarah and I have both noticed this in our life this semester. So we’ve done some talking about what we’re going to do about it. (Yep, she’s a precious gift from God and I'm grateful to be so blessed.)

What about you? Can I ask you what your plan is for being intentional to study and grow in your relationship with God? This day, week or month?

I wanted to share with you some things I am pursuing.
First, Sarah and I decided to take a date night that I worked to plan for us next weekend (Nov. 6-7th). We will be spending about 35 hours in B-Ham with our UT friends the Sams. Friday evening Sarah will experience her 1st Secret Church at Brook Hills. If you’ve ever been to a Secret Church you know just how intense this evening will be. If you’ve never been you should check out the website and plan to attend the one in May.

November Teaser:


Link: http://www.brookhills.org/secretchurch/schedule.html

That gets my adeline pumping every time.


**Note: tickets sell out in minutes for this thing, I only got two by luck because my friend works for the church.


What is Secret Church? Well David Platt basically provides seminary level teaching for free in 6 hours chunks twice a year. People of all ages fill the room to learn all they can in that 6 hour time. It’s like trying to drink from a fire hose.

Why do stuff like this? Well I truly believe that every Christian should be diving deep into God’s Word. This means some intense study where we really absorb this Bible, yes all 66 books.

When Matt? I don’t have anytime, I’m so busy.
Well here’s what God told me about Sarah and myself. “Matt, you all spend 4 hours on Saturday watching the mighty Vols and 3 hours on Sunday watching the 2010 Super Bowl Champs Saints :=)” Some of you all reading this watch 1-2 hours of TV a day, surf Facebook or Tweet. We all have our hobbies. That’s not bad, unless they take us away from Jesus. So fast for a while and focus more fully on Him.


So, here’s my challenge.
  1. Check out the Secret Church Website
  2. Pick one that covers a topic which you're interested in, watch it and learn.


How? Every Secret Church is about 6 hours so if you do the math that’s 12 “Office” episodes. Divide it up in chunks and it becomes real easy. 30 minutes here, 1 hour there.

Try this challenge and see if your soul doesn’t hunger for more.


A Final Word
Technology like the internet is amazing. There’s never been an easier time to become a fully devoted followers of Jesus. I hope that your local church in which you are serving is teaching and growing you. If not, well pray about how you should change either that church or move to one that is. Also, why not use the numerous resources on the Internet to your benefit?

Below are several men I listen to & learn from who offer all of their Biblical wisdom for FREE!

Mars Hill Church, Seattle, Mark Driscoll
The Village Church, Dallas, Matt Chandler
The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, Daivd Platt
Desiring God, Minneapolis, John Piper
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, Tim Keller


Check it out and dive into the feast. From personal experience it’s delicious!