The time is drawing near...

I realize it has been a decent bit of time since I last wrote, but that is not for a lack of material.  It has simply been that I haven't been able to get to the blog.  We have a great deal of things going on.  The family has started school (under the tutelage of their very capable and beautiful teacher!), the church plant is moving along rapidly, and along with that it feels like fall is quickly approaching (yeah for the cooler weather and open windows!).

On the family front, we are doing well.  We made it to Cleveland and even to Pennsylvania to see some good friends.  We are trying to squeeze in some late trips to Kings Island to make use of our passes.  We just had a "Back to School Splash Party" in our backyard on Sunday featuring a blow up slide and a 40' long homemade slip and slide that I must say rocked!  By the end of the afternoon it was torn up, but boy did the neighborhood kids have a blast.

The day before Erin and I got to go to the Western & Southern Open (tennis tourney) for the second year in a row.  We went with Erin's sister, brother-in-law, and brother to the men's semifinals and we watched Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both win their matches.  We even garnered a few minutes of "fame" by being behind the interview desk of ESPN.  I was right in between Brad Gilbert and Djokovic (there was a video on Saturday, but I can't find it now...oh well, guess the ten seconds of "fame" is long gone now). It was great to watch and just a great venue to be at with family.

On the church front we have been busy.  I have been working hard on getting financial and administrative things in order (bank accounts, incorporation, etc...), we have had two Informational Meetings, we passed out school supplies at a local apartment complex (which was great), and we are one week away from beginning Sunday morning worship with our core group.  I am working on various preaching topics and series, Life Group material, and much more.  It is keeping me busy and sometimes a wee bit stressed out, but I am trying to learn better how to trust God through the whole process.

On the personal and ministry front, tonight our Life Group is studying Psalm 37 and there is such a dramatic contrast between the life of the righteous and that of the wicked.  The language in this psalm has helped many for centuries.  I love how the Psalms speak to real life because I know that I need to hear over and over again the words:

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend (or cultivate) faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act...

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him...

The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

I could spend a great deal of time talking through this Psalm because of its richness in grace and the power of God, but I will move on because there is a connection with Mark 12:24.  In this text Jesus has been asked a question by the Sadducees to trip him up.  This is his response to them:

Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong,

because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?"

What an indictment against people who were "experts" in the Scripture.  The reality is they didn't truly know Scripture though because they didn't see Christ and his grace woven throughout the entirety of Scripture.  They didn't seek to know Scripture in order to know and experience the power of God, but to better themselves, or to be able to be right.  

I want to know Scripture because I want to know God.  I want to want that more.  God is the gospel and he is beautiful.  I want to experience that beauty more and more each day.  Pray for me.  Pray that I am patient to experience the best rather than settle for something else that doesn't really satisfy and isn't true power.  God is good and I want to know him and his goodness intimately.  Pray that for yourself too...may we be people who know the Scriptures AND the power of God!!