Oceans

I've taken a brief hiatus from blogging at the end of this semester; life sure has gotten crazy! I don't know how regularly I'll be writing nowadays, but I have been going back through my journal and rejoicing in the good work that the Lord has been doing!

I don't know if ya'll have had the chance to pick up Hillsong United's most recent cd, Zion, but I would definitely recommend it! One song in particular that has been a constant prayer of mine has been Oceans (Where Feet May Fall). 



The lyrics are simple enough, but the prayer that they contain is frightfully honest. Frankly, I'm a bit intimidated by the words, but I pray them earnestly, begging God to help my unbelief. The refrain that appears more than a half dozen times in the nearly ten minute song goes like this:

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.

Writing those words gives me goosebumps! Are you willing to pray that prayer? Honestly, are you? Are you willing to beg God to take you to a place that is so foreign and unknown to you, a place that you would never have gone yourself? Are you willing to brave the unknown with the only assurance being that God is with you. It's been quite the journey, but slowly I am choosing to believe God for the impossible, the crazy, and the seemingly insane. Jesus, let me walk upon the waters, let me get out of the boat like Peter. I will go, direct my feet to where you would lead me.
-Matt

Love

I'm engaged! to this lovely, beautiful, gracious servant of God, my bride-to-be Carissa Curtis.

Obviously a lot has happened since I have written last. The month of march was a bit of a whirl wind for me (us) and life hasn't really slowed down since! Many of you have already heard the full story, but succinctly I can summarize it in a brief paragraph:

We met through my roommate Chris and an organization called Impact at Texas A&M. Over the summer of 2012 we chatted back in forth (shout out to Twitter), and began dating in August. It didn't take long to realize that we had both found "the one" and marriage was on the horizon. We got engaged on the family spring break vacation in Granby, Colorado and the rest of the ride has been exhilarating.

Jesus has led us daily from our first date on August 20th, 2012 to this very day. It has been beyond incredible to see him work on both of our hearts as he prepares for marriage! We're both a bit rough around the edges, but the Lord has been at work in us so vigorously in these past few months. Through Carissa, God has revealed to me so much more of his compassion, his love, and his grace. I've been privileged to encourage her and spur her on in faith as well. She pushes me to Jesus, and that really is the glue that has galvanized our relationship. She's my best friend, my constant encourager, my beloved.

-matt

Was Dead and Now Alive

I don't have much to say, so I'll just let scripture speak for itself.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt… nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14  

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… But God… even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. Ephesians 2:1-2,5

I've been mulling over this scripture all morning. It's very simple, and beautiful. The only thing that changed between being dead and being alive was Christ's work for us. We don't try harder to be alive, we don't put our heads down and push forward, we accept the work of Christ and seek first His Kingdom.

-matt

A Lonely Candle

The Lord showed me a really encouraging picture this morning at church that I though I'd share. The picture was of a single candle burning in total darkness. Darkness's only objective is to snuff out the candle, but darkness itself has no direct control over the flame. You see, the only thing that can put the candle out is a lack of wick to burn. Without fuel, there can be no flame. If this is the case, the candle, us, has no reason to fear the darkness. There is no reason to let darkness incite fear in us, nor should we allot it to dominate our thoughts or our hearts. If indeed Christ reigns, our focus should be his victory. That enables us to burn bright. We fear no evil, for God is with us.

Practically, there is no reason to worry. Jesus is Lord and in the end will get all the glory he deserves. His truth will keep our candle lit, and as long as we fan the flame with scripture we can stand firm against the darkness. You see darkness can only distract us from feeding the flame. It only gains ground when we allow our flame to falter through ignoring and rejecting Christ.
So don't let fear and darkness have power over you, because Christ has equipped you with all you need to stand strong and thrive when darkness whispers lies, deceit, and wickedness. Check your heart with scripture and don't believe everything you hear, but rather believe what Scripture says. Darkness has no power over the Children of the Light. And that is precisely who we are.

Here's a link to Ben Stuart's sermon this morning, that conveniently enough (Thanks Holy Spirit) dealt with similar topics. Ben Stuart Fall 2012 Series | Sermons | Faithbridge

-matt

A Prayer from Paul

Pray this over your churches, small groups, ministries, and organizations:

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:14-21 

This scripture was so crucial to answered prayers at Impact Retreat in August and has continued to appear in my life this semester. Definitely worth sharing with yall. -matt

The Power of Testimony

This past season of my life has been exciting and challenging for me. I've learned much and continue to be amazed as the Lord reveals to me even the smallest of things. Something that I was reminded of yesterday and wanted to pass on was the power of the testimony of a believer.

I don't believe that I understand just exactly what  a testimony until this past spring.

On Psalm 27

I was looking for some encouragement from the Lord this afternoon and He led me to Psalm 27, and I just wanted to share a bit of that with yall.

The Lord is my light and my salvation —    whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid? (v1)

Take courage in the Lord. This world gives us plenty to worry about and if we're honest, we create a lot of the worries in our lives on our own. God is in control. I know that reminder was much needed for me this afternoon. When David is at his deepest moment of despair he commands his soul to "hope in God". I echo that prayer today. 

Risk Taking

"The tragic hypocrisy is that the enchantment of security lets us take risks every day for ourselves but paralyzes us from taking risks for others on the Calvary Road of love." - John Piper from Don't Waste Your Life.

The Welfare of Your City

I was super encouraged by Jeremiah 29:7 this morning which says this:

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

Celebrity Jesus

As I read through the beginning of Matthew 21 this morning, I couldn't help but laugh at the odd position that Jesus had found himself in. The obscure, homeless, Galilean peasant was now the center of attention in Jerusalem, the cultural hub of the day. The people are bowing at his feet and telling others "Jesus is here! Yes, THE Jesus!" In only a few years time Jesus has gone from marginalized to celebrity status. Everyone knows about who he is and what he's done.

Core Values

What are your core values?
Have you ever given that much thought?
Simply, what standard do you measure your life against. What do you want your life to look like? There are plenty of buzz words that I could throw out: service, passion, sacrifice, giving, grateful, adventure, God, others first, love, joy, etc...
If you've never considered core values, I would urge you to ponder it. It's nothing miraculous, simply something to measure the course of your life against what you would like to see in your story.
I use my values as a measuring stick. Right now I am sitting down and beginning to go through my summer to see how it lined up with my desires.

Think about it. Maybe you have three, maybe you have six. It doesn't really matter. As long as you are able to use them as a tool to steer your life in the direction you want to.

-matt

Obedience

After a rather intense week I've finally settled down enough to share input from my experiences.
God has began to challenge me to walk in obedience. God wants to use us, if our hearts are willing. Have you considered that He doesn't ask us to understand everything? Rather, He asks that we simply follow His instruction faithfully. Jesus himself led a life of obedience to the Father. That doesn't mean that He never asked God questions (will you take this cup from my hand?), but regardless of His desires, He wanted to do the will of God.

Who's authority means the most in your life? Are you obedient to your own desires? Or are you obedient to Christ's all-encompassing authority?
-matt

The Beginnings

I have recently started studying the Sermon on the Mount with my lifegroup this semester. This past weekend as I started to read the very beginning (Matthew 5:1-16), a question occurred to me that I hadn't ever though of before. Why does Jesus begin His teaching with the Beatitudes?

I've found this question fascinating. Why would Jesus beginning argue arguably His most famous teaching by gathering the disciples and beginning a list? This is a highly anticipated moment in Jesus's ministry, so why does He choose to begin it in this fashion?

I have considered several answers, but I want to stir your mind as well. What do you think? Why does Jesus begin the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes? Comment here or send me a message. Hope you find this thought provoking and challenging.

in Christ Jesus
-matt

A Word for this Semester

The Spring semester of 2011 is upon us, and we are about to continue further on the road of faith. We will be tested and tried, but never will we be without hope. Greater things are in store for us, and we must press in to the Father for our strength. Take this scripture to heart, and let the Word of the Lord guide you:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. - 1 Peter 5:6-10.

This is a promise from God, himself. No matter what you face this semester, God has already determined the outcome. Ultimately, God will lift us up. Victoriously we will approach the throne and we will boldly and confidently accept our place at His right hand. That being said, we must live with this end in mind. Knowing that we cannot lose, our fearless faith must rise to the forefronts of our lives. Stress and worry do nothing but disqualify us from the Gospel we claim.

Satan wants to scare you. The prince of this word has planted seeds of doubt and insecurity around. Even this very moment, you are being observed by the enemy. Do not live foolishly, but instead stand protected by the Word and a community of faith. It is within this community that we will receive live giving truth.

God is on our side, we have nothing to fear. Stress by definition is a fear of the future. God has determined how your future will play out. He knows your grades, your friendships, your job, and your very soul. You can't hide anything from Him, so give it all away. Humble yourself and let Jesus take all of you. Let Jesus carry you. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

-matt

A Stark Dichotomy

As I read through scripture again and again I find that the line between walking in righteousness and walking in sin is very clear. In John 1:5 darkness is reported to not even understand the light. 2 Kings 9:22 shows God's anger towards those who live in darkness. No peace can coincide with wickedness.

The bible calls followers of Christ to walk in a way that is completely different. Romans 6:2 asks this: "How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Read some of these passages for yourself and examine the vast difference between what God calls us to and how often we live up to that calling. Here's a hint, Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

I know this post isn't driven by many insightful words, but I ask that scripture speak for itself in our lives.
Read John 1, 1 John 4, Romans 3, 5:20-6:2.

Those are just some places to start. The difference between living in truth and living in darkness leaves a huge disparity. Choose today to be children of the light.

-matt

Joy

Hebrews 12::2 says this:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This verse has only just become clear to me this morning. The apparent disconnect between the abomination that is the brutal death of Christ and this so being God's glorious plan did not mesh well with me. This weekend I prayed for a passionate love to return to my heart. I prayed that the joy of Christ would consume me, and it has. Because of this joy, I now know a glimpse of what the writer of Hebrews was referencing.

As a Christian, we are commanded to always be joyful (1 Thes. 5:16). If you think about it, we have the God of Creation living inside of us, so what reason would we possibly have to be discontent? We lose joy when we submit to the lies of the devil and take our focus away from the Cross, from Christ himself.

The solution is this: Follow Jesus by living joyfully, cast off stress and anxiety cf. Psalm 94:19, Eccl. 11:10, Matt 6:34, 1 Peter 5:17. If you have joy, the world will notice.

John 10:10 "I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full."

Seize this promise!
John 16:33 "take heart, for I have overcome the world"
Christ has already been victorious, rejoice!


-matt

Undeserved

During my devotional time today I came across a few verses in the book of Romans that are rocking my world, so I thought I would share them with you. Romans 11:5-6 (NLT) says this:

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. 

Wow, did you catch the enormity of that passage? God has chosen to save people that don't deserve salvation. Grace isn't something that we can earn. I can't do enough to merit such a prize. Grace is a free gift. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Doesn't that blow your mind? We deserve condemnation and eternal hell, yet we have a Rescuer, Jesus Christ, the Lord!

Grace is free, and it always will be. Why waste time caught up in religion or rules? They don't make us right. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ. The violent eternal death that I have earned has been forever stricken from my future. The Cross triumphs over what is fair. God's grace isn't fair. We shouldn't get it by any measure of logic or understanding, but here we are. I stand here today a joyful recipient of the grace of God. That is awesome, and I don't throw that word around cavalierly.

Ask yourself this: Am I trying to purchase grace or am I responding to the blood of Christ poured over me for my restitution between myself and God?

thanks for listening,
-matt

Dive

I read through the Gospel of Matthew this week and I couldn't help but notice a continual pattern. Jesus' followers were willing to risk everything for Christ.

Joseph, upon discovering his future wife Mary was pregnant, obeyed the command of the Lord that came through an angel and married her anyway. When God came to him again and told him to flee to Egypt, again Joseph went immediately.

The first two disciples Simon Peter and Andrew, upon Christ's command to "follow me" dropped their nets and began to follow him. They were willing to leave their occupations, their source of money and livelihood, because Jesus asked them for everything.

Jesus tells Peter to come to him on the sea of Galilee. He responded by stepping out onto the raging sea to meet his Lord.

These are only a few examples of men who really grasped what it meant to follow God. I think the difference between them and the Christians of modern day is their boldness. They were willing to step out on faith and risk everything.

How many of you have heard something like, "I just want to know what God's plan is for my life"? This sentence in itself isn't bad, but too often with this question comes inactive people. Jesus has already given us plenty of instruction, but many of us perpetually sit at a crossroads.

Take a risk for the Gospel today. We might like a blueprint to our lives, but the odds are we aren't going to get one. Don't let your life hang in the middle, make a stand and be willing to answer the call of Christ.

-matt

Consume Me

What if all we are was given to God? What if we let Him consume us.

Oh the things He would do.

Watch this short video, let it speak to you.

-matt

Open the Gift

I'm really blessed to get the opportunity to share my summer with Abby and Danny Garnett, the youth interns at my church. This morning at our Junior High service Abby talked about taking the gift of salvation and doing something with it. After all, being a Christian is something that comes second nature to many of us - we just are, and we always have been. I echo here, Abby's challenge that she gave this morning: "Open the gift, dive into it, and experience God's plan for your life. Take the risk, it's worth it. I don't recall the name, but the lyrics to one of the worship songs this morning said something along the lines of don't tarry until you're all cleaned up because then you won't ever come. We're never going to have it all together, but we don't have to, just open the gift.

-matt