Do you feel weak? How do you view your weakness?

The Bible says that we are all weak (so you’re not alone)! Romans 3:10–12 talks about our weak state in this way, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Christianity is for weak people—Christ came to die on the cross for weak sinners like me and like you.

So, embrace your weakness, see that what you truly need is Christ! Take joy that you haven’t been left in your weakened state but you have been saved by the blood of Christ Jesus.

The most amazing thing about the gospel is that it brings peace, comfort, and encouragement to the weak. We are weak but he is strong, we are overwhelmed but he is sufficient, we are stressed but he is sovereign, we are weary but he gives us rest, we feel alone but he is near—he does all this through the gospel of Christ.

Allow your weakness to bring you to a greater appreciation for your savior and for his ever present help in time of need. May your heart sing “Hallelujah, all I have is Christ!”

Ray Ortlund writes:

…Romans 8:26 does not say, “The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses” but singular “weakness.” Our problem is not just weaknesses. More profoundly, our problem is weakness. Weakness is not just one more experience alongside our other experiences; weakness is the platform on which we have all our experiences. Weakness is a pervasive presence in all we are and do. It will not always be so. But for now, it is.

Every Sunday I am a weak man preaching to weak people. Admonition has its place. But what weak people need, more than admonition, is help. For weak people to live the Christian life in a way that is humane and sustainable, rather than defeating and shaming, we need good news more than good challenge.

Weak sinners, continually reassured by grace, will accomplish more for Christ than they would if continually confronted by demand. I am thankful that the Spirit meets us not in our strength but in our weakness, where alone His help enters in.

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Kurt Weaver is a pastor at Crossway Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Kurt graduated from the Pastors College in 2006 and joined the staff that June. Since that time, Kurt has taken over Crossway's parent/youth ministry (doxa), evangelism and outreach, served as the Sunday meeting administrator, and headed up media development. Kurt and his wife, Barbara, have six children.

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Jesus has something to say to you if you are one of his followers—“Take heart.”

“Take Heart” = No matter what—don’t worry, be encouraged & filled with hope from the inside out. 

Listen to your Savior say…

Take Heart, You are Never Alone in the Storms of Life.

To the disciples who thought they were all alone in the storm Jesus says,

“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Mark 6:50

Take Heart, I Can Do What No One Else in the World Can Do for You.

To the woman with an incurable disease who found absolutely no help from anyone on earth Jesus says,

“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.  Matthew 9:22

Take Heart, I Have Met Your Greatest Need by Forgiving Every Single One of Your Sins.

To the man who had no clue that his greatest need wasn’t his nonfunctioning legs Jesus says,

“Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Take Heart, I am Calling You to Cast Your Cares on Me Because I Care for You.

To Bartimaeus weighed down with the burden of blindness Jesus had his disicples say, 

“Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Mark 10:49-51

Take Heart, I Will One Day Bring All Your Brokenness & Suffering to an End.

To all disicples of all time who are dealing with the suffering & heartache of being broken people living in a broken world he says,

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Take Heart. 

* This post originally appeared on Ian McConnell's website, Blue Collar Gospel.

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Ian is the pastor for preaching and vision at Grace Bible Church in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which he replanted in 2005 (watch a video of his story). Ian and his wife, Rachel, have three children.

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The deafening sound of rapid gunfire. Blasts of mortar fire exploding all around. It’s hard to breathe as dust, gunpowder and the smell of a putrefying burning fills the air. Everything seems to move into slow motion as one tries to get orientated to the unraveling chaos around them.

Spiritual Warfare

Believers experience this kind of disorienting warfare in the spiritual realm when the intensity of the battle gets so strong and so powerful that it is actually called “the evil day” (Eph 6:13).

David faced days like that. He was pursued by a physical enemy that was no doubt empowered by spiritual powers (1 Sam 18:7-11). The apostle Paul understood that many of the enemies spoken about in the Psalms represented humans that were manipulated by spiritual powers of evil. We know this because he uses the warfare language of Psalm 110:1 and applies it directly to demonic forces in Eph 1:21-22 and Eph 6:11-12.

What then do you think would be the expected cry of someone surrounded by hostile enemies? Listen to David as he cries out to God when in danger:

"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:3-5

Asking For More Of God

Rather than asking for protection or deliverance, he asks for more of God. He asks for God to clear the smoke so he can gaze upon His beauty. There’s not much that’s beautiful in the midst of a horrific war-the injustice, the senseless harm done, the wounded, the maimed—these can fill our senses. What we so desperately need to see at times like that is something truly beautiful. The beauty of the Lord that David seeks refers to all that is attractive about God—his pure goodness and abundant grace. David says, “Oh Lord, let me just see you in all your glory, goodness, and grace! That’s all I need!”

Amazing really. He seeks communion with God while an army is encamped around him. He knows that the safest place in that terrible time is found in being near to God. The closer we move to Him, the more we think on Him, the more we gaze upon Him—the safer we will be in the battle. As one hymn writer said, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God”. Paul likewise links the act of “beholding the Lord” to “not losing heart” in ministry! (2 Cor 3:18-4:1)

The Lord’s brother, James, who was a key leader in navigating the early church through a troubled and divisive time (Acts 15) instructs the church on the same principle:

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." James 4:7-8

Drawing Near To God

We resist Satan BY drawing near to God! In the chaos of battle, what is needed above all else is clear communication with the command center. We need to see our God above the dust and smoke. To be more conscious of Him and His grace than our enemies or human sin. We need to stop our busyness, fretting and hand-wringing, and intentionally take time to simply GAZE at Him!

Problem is, we will never see what we’re not looking at……..

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Tim has spent half his life in Asia. He grew up in India, the son of missionary parents, and after returning to Canada for several years, he moved to Japan where he was involved in church planting for 12 years. He has been the pastor of Sovereign Grace Church Toronto since its inception 8 years ago. Tim is married with 4 children aged 18 to 25.

 

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Farmers work hard when it is time to work. They fertilize their fields in the fall, plow them in the spring, and plant their seeds in the furrows. Then they rest, and the wise farmers pray. They pray for rain, against a freeze, and for a bountiful crop. Then they rest in the reality that there is nothing more they can do. Farmers know the difference between sowing and growing. They can do the sowing but are powerless to do the growing.

Paul used this truth to illustrate the role God plays in transforming lives through the gospel. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth”(1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Parents would do well to remember this farming lesson when it comes to training their children. We all want our children to be transformed by the Gospel, but we can often fail to remember that we are seed planters, weed pickers, and watering cans. God alone is the grower. Don’t get me wrong, our role is critical. You’ve got to plant the seed, and a bit of water really helps. But then no amount of fear or worry in addition to the sowing can force the seed to grow. Wise parents, like wise farmers, pray. They pray the Holy Spirit brings conviction, opens their children’s blinded eyes to the truth, and causes their sinful, dead hearts to spring to life.

That is why a seed is such a great picture for a kid. They are both dead and hard, without life. But when God speaks into that deadness, a green shoot of life emerges. Then suddenly the seed is transformed into a living plant which can itself bear more seed to sow.

So if you are a parent, share the gospel with your children, water it regularly with reminders, then rest in the power of God to work through the good news you’ve shared. God will make it grow.

* This post originally appeared on the “Further In” blog of Covenant Fellowship Church.

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Marty leads the children's and youth ministries at Covenant Fellowship Church and is the author of The Gospel Story Bible, Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God, and Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family To God. He received a Bachelor of Science in industrial design from the Philadelphia College of Art. Marty resides in West Chester, PA, with his wife, Lois, and their six children.

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Have you ever noticed how much the gospels slow down as they approach Jesus’ death and resurrection?

The gospels begin with Jesus’ birth (except Mark which begins much more quickly). They then march along, gaining speed. Jesus makes repeated stops. He calls disciples. He preaches constantly. He heals blind, deaf, paralyzed, demon-possessed people at every stop. He can hardly rest.

This pace continues and gains steam.

But, as he enters Jerusalem, everything slows down dramatically. Much a train slows as it approaches its destination, so the gospels slow down as Jesus reaches his destination: death on a cross.

Consider this. In the gospel of Matthew, of twenty-eight total chapters, eight are devoted to the final week of Jesus’ ministry.

This week has historically been called “holy week.” It is simply a designation used to capture all that happened in the final days and week of Jesus’ ministry. It begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and ends with his resurrection day.

This is what the gospel slow down to consider.

And, perhaps, so should we.

With celebrating Easter on March 31, I want to encourage you to take a few moments individually or as a family to consider this important week and its all-too-important climax in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

A Few Suggestions

Read through the gospel accounts of each day - This chart is fantastic. It organizes all that occurred each day of holy week, beginning with his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before Easter. Take a few minutes to talk through this as a family each day.

Read these daily devotions from Desiring God Ministries - In this short e-book Love to the Uttermost, Desiring God has collected excerpts from various messages by John Piper to go along with each day of holy week.  

Rejoice in the wonderful truths of the gospel - To name a few:

• We are reconciled to God—Ephesians 2:11-22
• We are forgiven of our sins, as the debt has been cancelled—Colossians 2:14, Isaiah 53:6
• We are counted righteous in Christ—2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:23-26
• We are adopted as sons and daughters—Romans 8:15-17, Galatians 4:4-7
• We are born again, becoming new creations in Christ—John 3, 2 Corinthians 5:17
• We are kept in the love of God, which nothing can disrupt—Romans 8:28-39, Jude 1
• We are look to the hope of heaven—Romans 8:24-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5

Remember his death on Good Friday, March 29 - Good Friday was an agonizing day for Jesus, as he endured the agony of the cross and the wrath of God. Take time to remember his sacrificial death. Take time to read the accounts of that day—Matthew. 26:57-27:61, Mark 14:53-15:47, Luke 22:54-23:54, and John 18:13-19:42. Take time to listen to this Crucifixion Narrative by pastor Rick Gamache.

Celebrate his resurrection on Easter, March 31 - Christ has risen; He has risen indeed. Jesus has triumphed over sin and death and risen from the dead. He is alive and, because we united to Him, we too are alive and are new creations! Celebrate Easter and rejoice in what Jesus has done.

* This post first appeared on the Cornerstone Church of Knoxville blog. 

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Walt has been a member of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville since the spring of 2002. He graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in June, 2008. As student at the University of Tennessee, he discovered Cornerstone Church through Volunteers for Christ (VFC). He serves the church by overseeing the worship ministry, the Care Group ministry, men's ministry, and tending to various administrative duties. He married Kim in 2007. They welcomed their first child, son Rev, in September of 2010.

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Home is where the heart is, but is your heart in the right place? A follower of Jesus has one home–heaven. And we are reminded each day that we are traveling home to see Jesus. Our very existence screams that we are not yet home. Those screams that echo with the most force in our souls are the screams of the pain of trials of this life. Peter says,

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

Affliction in our lives hangs like a post-it note on our soul saying, “You are not home.” Adversity that dogs us all is meant to remind us that we are not yet with Jesus and we ought not get too comfortable. No place on earth is without suffering; but no place in heaven has suffering. Yet, today Christians writhe in anguish waiting.

For Christians, suffering does not have the final say. Jesus suffered the affliction of extermination and arose thereby becoming impervious now to misery and misfortune. When we get home to be with him we will impervious to difficulty too.

May your fiery trials not just remind you that you are not home but also stir your affections for the place you were reborn to be. Forever.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Come Lord Jesus.

* This post originally appeared on Rich's blog, I have NEVER been HOME.

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Rich has served as the Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Gilbert, AZ since 2001. He also oversees the Evangelism Ministry. Rich graduated the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College in 2000. He lives in Gilbert with his wife Tiffany and their daughter and 3 sons.

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Sometimes Jesus says staggering and truly astounding things:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

Without going into all that this promise means, we should be able to, at the very least, agree that Jesus is promising something of His powerful life to those who believe in Him. To make the verse say less than that is to nullify the whole force of what he is saying!

He says we will do what he has been doing “because” He is going to the Father.

Well, what does that mean? Read what Peter says on the day of Pentecost:

"This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing." Act 2:32-33

Do you understand what Jesus is saying here? He is saying that the Holy Spirit that was at work in His life is going to be at work in our life! The Spirit that empowered him is the same Spirit that will empower us. Jesus is promising to give us the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is the first gift that comes to us from the cross. Jesus takes the curse of our sin on himself, and in exchange, gives us the blessing of His Spirit! (Gal 3:13-14) Amazing grace!

What a promise! Problem is…..it doesn’t seem to be working for many of us does it? What’s wrong?! If Jesus promises us power to do his work, why are so many of us so weak and powerless so much of the time?

This promise is indeed awesome, but it is not automatic. Notice what Jesus says in the next two verses:

"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." John 14:13-14

Jesus clearly ties the power of the Holy Spirit to prayer. Unmistakable connection. No Prayer--No Power!! Now some of you will be saying at this point, “Wait a minute! I thought Christians already had the Holy Spirit. What’s all this stuff about praying for the Holy Spirit?” That’s a good question. Let me answer with the illustration of a glove.

Imagine that a glove represents you as a person, and your hand represents the Holy Spirit. If you stick your closed fist in the glove, you are inside the glove but your hand is not using the glove as it was designed to do. You can do a few things, but you cannot write a letter or shoot a basket or drive a car. But if your hand opens up and fills the fingers of the glove, the glove will now express the movements of the hand filling it. If you shake someone’s hand, the glove will squeeze with the power of your hand inside of it. The power of your hand is now expressed through the glove!

All Christians are all indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But all Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit. Is the Holy Spirit filling you so he can express his power in your life? John 14:13-14 clearly tells us that we receive the filling of the Holy Spirit by praying for the Holy Spirit! (Luke 11:13)

• The Spirit’s filling is absolutely necessary if we are going to be bold in sharing the gospel with others (Acts 4:31).
• The Spirit’s filling is absolutely necessary if we are going to express the full range of spiritual gifts in our church gatherings (1 Cor 12:7).
• The filling of the Spirit is absolutely necessary if we are going to face suffering with joy rather than with fear and despair (Acts 13: 50-52).
• The Spirit’s filling is absolutely necessary if we are going to be given the faith to engage in spiritual warfare (Acts 13:8-11).

If we are to be a Spirit-filled people, we will need to become a praying people! If we want to have Spirit-filled churches, we need to become praying churches! If we are to become a Spirit-filled family of churches, we are going to have to prioritize prayer in our movement.

Brother and sisters…let us pray!!

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Tim has spent half his life in Asia. He grew up in India, the son of missionary parents, and after returning to Canada for several years, he moved to Japan where he was involved in church planting for 12 years. He has been the pastor of Sovereign Grace Church Toronto since its inception 8 years ago. Tim is married with 4 children aged 18 to 25.

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The Importance of Transferring

Transferring is important to life. Very important. In fact, it can be a matter of life and death. 

I have four great kids at home. Each of them is his/her own little person, with his or her own exciting personality and skills. But regardless of their personality, there are certain things that each one of them must be taught—certain things that I must transfer to them for their own good. 

One of these things is the basic skill of eating real food. For every one of my kids, there came a time when drinking milk was no longer sufficient to nourish them. When my kiddos were 18 months or so, they didn't know that it was time to start eating real food, but it was! They would have been perfectly happy with milk for the rest of their lives—but Ashley and I knew better. We knew that they needed real food to live. We needed to transfer to them the skill of eating solid food. 

It's very much the same with our Christian lives. Any young generation can assume that what they have already is sufficient for their lives before God. Young Christians can assume that their basic knowledge of the Gospel is sufficient for their lives (and in one sense it is), but they often do not understand the immaturity that results from being satisfied on milk and not solid food. There can often be a lack of nourishment—that if not addressed will lead to spiritual malnourishment and even death. 

Feasting on the Word

The value of feasting God's Word must be transferred to the next generation.

In Hebrews 5, the writer to the Hebrews offers a bit of a correction to a group of young Christians, and it's a correction that is needed in my generation and in the generation that follows me as well.  He says: 

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity!"

The author of Hebrews is eager to transfer truth to these young Christians. He knows that the world they are living in requires great spiritual strength and maturity. He knows that they will grow weary in the journey if they do not have real nourishment to strengthen them. They must grow!  They must mature. 

And so he takes 13 glorious chapters of Scripture to lead them towards maturity. He proclaims from the Word of God (the Old Testament) solid truth that will put meat on their spiritual bones. He proclaims timeless truth that he knows they desperately need. He transfers a love for God's Word.  

Do We All See the Need?

Do we see the need for this transfer? Are younger generations hungry for it? Are older generations eager to give it? 

It won't always be easy. It can even be messy. I remember watching each one of my kids learn what solid food was. They spit it out; they mushed it around in their mouth; they smeared it into their hair; they dumped it on the floor...they did everything BUT eat it. But we kept giving it and they kept trying. 

How about you? Has a hunger for the meat of God's Word been transferred to you? Are you ready to grow? Are you ready to learn bite by bite how to get more out of God’s Word? It may not always be easy (which is why we need to be taught!), but one thing is clear: the generation that learns to eat meat is the generation that goes on to spiritual strength and maturity. Our generation needs more meat.

* This post originally appeared on the Transfer blog. 

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Joel joined the pastoral team of Covenant Fellowship Church in 2005, and graduated as part of the Pastors College class of 2008. He currently serves as the pastor of THRIVE, the singles & college ministry of Covenant Fellowship Church as well as Cross Culture, our youth ministry. Joel resides in West Chester with his wife Ashley and their four children.

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Does a church need other churches?

How a pastor answers that question will define his pastoral leadership. If his answer is, "no, there is no real need for other churches, simply an option of partnership when "helpful" then his connections to other churches will wax and wane over the decades, influenced greatly by the present cost or benefit of each partnership.

I would answer that yes, churches need other churches, at least if they desire to prosper over the generations. Here are a few reasons why.

Churches need other churches because:

1. New testament churches existed in partnership with one another.

Corinth and Thessalonica owed their existence to the sacrifice and obedience of Antioch. Jerusalem needed the financial provision of the Gentile churches. Galatia needed the reassuring direction of the Jerusalem counsel. Countless churches benefited from the support the Philippians sent to Paul. Christians and churches are made to be dependent. To say we do not need partnership is to say we don't need what the New Testament churches needed.

2. Churches need the wisdom of the wider body of Christ.

All children of the reformation will affirm Sola Sciptura, and the priesthood of all believers, but of course they did not discover those doctrines for themselves, but because they have been handed down, defended, and articulated by other churches. For a congregation to assume that its pastors, both in the present and future, are immune to all doctrinal seduction is extremely unwise and sooner or later will lead to the downfall of the church. For pastors to assume this of themselves is to be wise in their own eyes. In my own view this motivates toward a certain established structure of partnership since the pastor who is currently dabbling in doctrinal disintegration is unlikely to pursue, at that moment, the evaluation and critique of other leaders. Previously established structures provide speed bumps and guardrails when we are slumbering at the wheel.

3. Churches are called to serve other churches in mission.

People born of the Spirit are called to give their lives away to others. As crucial as local service is, there can be a kind of mutual benefit to servanthood within a local church. But when a church serves another church, either in establishing a church plant or in contributing to their mission, love as joyful sacrifice is practiced and the mission of the universal Church is advanced. We grow more and accomplish more together than apart.

4. Churches need counsel and encouragement in local crisis.

Faithful pastors will certainly prepare for local conflict by teaching about godly speech, forgiveness, suffering, patience, faith, and love, but no amount of teaching can eliminate the possibility of some seasons of strife or trial in the future. Wolves, after all, will rise up from among us. The culture will always denounce Biblical principles. The flesh wages war against the Spirit. Even the best of spiritual shepherds will feel weak and vulnerable in any of these moments. Churches in crisis need more than the generic comfort of acquaintances; they need friends who are not ashamed of them, who are willing to sacrifice time and resources to help. A word of encouragement, timely counsel, a public commendation, a financial gift, solidarity in the face of persecution: these are life lines to a church that otherwise would be left to flounder in storms alone.

Partnership with imperfect churches means imperfect partnership. Friendship toward imperfect friends means sacrifice. Just the place for a church like ours. Does a church need other churches? Every true church will be sustained ultimately by the Lord, His Word, and His Spirit, but the Lord works through the partnership of faithful but imperfect churches to uphold his Church, to conquer the gates of hell, and to proclaim the gospel of grace.

* This post originally appeared on Jon Payne's blog, To See The Glory.

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Jon Payne has been on staff at Sovereign Grace Church of Gilbert, Arizona since 2005. He graduated the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in 2005. Jon currently lives in Gilbert with his wife Lory and their 3 children. They are preparing to church plant in Austin, Texas later this year. 

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This quotation rocked my world this morning:

Without Christian hope we are left with a limp Christian existentialism in which immediate experience is everything. This may be a charismatic existentialism with highs and healing. It may be a conservative existentialism with freedom from guilt and reassuring orthodoxy. It may be a pietistic existentialism with leadings from God and peace in my heart. But they all lack the rigour to meet the demands of discipleship. In contrast, the New Testament calls upon us to look to the futurePorterbrook,Gospel Living,” 27.

I am amazed at how much of my life has been affected by the ebb and flow of life. Something exciting happens and I am happy. Something sad happens and I doubt whether I am doing the right thing. All the while, I justify myself by saying, “I am rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

In reality, Jesus is calling me to live in light of that passage, but also to live in light of what follows–namely, that salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed (Romans 13:11). Truly, the entire ethical section of Romans is couched in what God has done on behalf of man and in light of the salvation that is coming in the future.

When we realize that our lives are meant to point to Jesus. No, I mean that. Really point to Jesus, not merely saying it, but making decisions that will show the worth and glory of Jesus’ call on my life. Then, we will be able to sing the doxology that closes the book of Romans.

Too many Christians live their lives for the next great hype–a service that will rock, a healing that will come, a peace that will wash over us–or in a sterile knowledge that has answers to difficult questions. We too often have replaced our Savior with a benefit. Being a disciple of the Messiah means I follow the Messiah. I don’t replace him with an experience or an assurance stemming from somewhere else. I long for heaven and for Jesus’ very presence. That WILL come. . .once the moans of creation reveal the glory of the sons of God (Romans 8).

*This post orginially appeared on Matthew's blog, Off the Wire.

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Matthew is a Church Planting Resident at Crossway Community Church in Charlotte, NC (2012-2013). He attended The Bethlehem Institute in Minneapolis and received his MDiv at Southern Seminary in Louisville. Recently, Matthew successfully defended his dissertation (PhD) at Southern Seminary on the self-witness of Scripture. He plans to plant a church in the southeast United States that evangelizes, disciples, trains, and plants other churches. He is married to Ashley and has three daughters. You can read more from Matthew at his blog, Off the Wire.

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