June 4

The Equipped Disciple class was last night and was so encouraging. I love being in a room with everyone from children to adults and from new believers to people who have grown up in the Word for most of their lives. It is a great combination. What I loved the most was our group and the honesty, vulnerability, willingness to grow, and wisdom of our leader, Chuck. As he states it, he is 'almost dead', although quite far from it if you ask any of us. One of the funnier moments of the night was when a girl in our group saw a picture of him from his late 20's, and said, "oh, you had brown hair." Apparently it will go gray over time.
The back to the basics approach of this class is great. I love it. How to memorize scripture. How to read the Bible. How to pray. How to ____. We propabaly cover it. But along with the basics it is great at digging into the scripture and looking at what we are studying for the week.
Ok, so this morning I was reading in John 14. This whole being disciplined and obedient is really being ingrained in me. in verse 23 it starts, "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." Does it really get more clear than that. Am I living in a grey world? I do not have any desire to be in that space. Not fully living in the blessings and the goodness and the joy the Lord brings, or the other end of the spectrum. Lord, sweep out all corners of my life. Let me trust you in every aspect. Let me follow you wherever you lead and to whatever you are calling me to. Help me to daily take up my cross. To daily fight the good fight and lean not on my own understanding, but to trust and follow you.
Assurance of Salvation. John 5:24. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be conemned; he has crossed over from death to life."