Greatly Commissioned

A text from my friend at 10:59 p.m. EST finished with these words: "...what is the thesis of the Great Commission, what purpose does it serve?"

This is one of the biggest things I have learned in the past few weeks. Ultimately, everything we do must be designed to honor God. I just want to share one aspect of the Great Commission that I have realized recently.

One of the reasons for the Great Commission is so that believers become more perfect in Christ. I cannot get saved and then just coast through my relationship with God for the rest of my life. I'll become stale and stagnant. I have to be giving out.

When I start reaching out to others with the Good News I begin realize my spiritual shortcomings and am forced turn to Christ in order to grow stronger in Him. I must be filled with Christ in order for His love to flow out of me.

The Great Commission compels me to learn about my salvation through faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. The more I learn about Jesus' love for me the more I cannot help but go out and share the love of Christ. Only when my life points to Christ can I begin to point others to Him as well.

God commanded me to go and tell. I must go and tell. Others love Him more as a result of their belief, I love Him more as a result of drawing closer to Him, and He is glorified as a result of my obedience.

Worship is a lifestyle. Not an event. Go, and praise the Lord. 

A Single Word of Encouragement Goes a Long Way

@daviDLBaral Absolutely. If motives, goals, and family are kept in given proper consideration and prioritization, it's incredibly rewarding.

— paul whitt (@pwhitt) January 19, 2012

Bury Me A Bruin

On March 23 2012 Bob Jones University revealed their official intercollegiate athletics mascot. Fog, lights, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, growling, cheering, yelling, crying, chills running up and down spines, and epic music all came together to create the most energetic experience I've ever been a part of at Bob Jones University. Best of all, I was part of the team that unfurled the new BJU logo when the mascot hit the floor. I was ONTHEFLOOR!

I figured that since we were making history I should definitely take my camera. Here are some of my favorite shots from last night.

Sammie, Mareena, and a creepy murse

 

Jon Clute is the most intense person I know

We had only been wearing these for about 45 seconds

I think this is Tabitha's "surprised" face

The Field House was packed to the rafters!

Getting ready for the unveiling of the logo

Like I said, there were a bunch of people there

The new banners in the Davis Field House

I think we were trying not to smile.
Also for some reason I did a lot of pointing last night

Paul and Sammie

The super-intense Student Leadership Council

I'll be a Bruin 'til my final breath

The Unnamed Mascot

Bury Me A Bruin

Hope

This is a poem I wrote in high school. I've been meditating on the principle of hope lately and I remembered I had written this for a competition or some other such thing. I have edited it slightly from the original form. 

What makes

Children shout with joy 

And 

       Run

             Down 

                       The 

                             Stairs

On Christmas morning?

Hope.

What causes

A young couple 

To 

    Pray 

            Without 

                        Ceasing

For a little one

Of their very own?

Hope.

What motivates

Those who sit beside the phone

Waiting 

            To 

                 Receive 

                              Assurance

Of safety for loved ones?

Hope.

What inspires

Men 

To 

    Stand 

              And 

                    Preach

To those 

Who need His Love?

Hope.

What brings

A lost soul 

To 

    His 

         Knees

                   Repenting

Of his sinful deeds?

That Blessed Hope.

What keeps

An old lady smiling

Even 

        As 

            She 

                  Slips

Into Eternity?

That Glorious Hope.

What holds 

Us responsible

To share 

With 

       Everyone

                      We 

                            Meet

This Good News?

Hope.

Five-Year-Old Questions

I had the opportunity to teach a Sunday school lesson to 5-7 year olds this past Sunday at a family camp. They were kids who went to church regularly, so I knew I had some Bible background I could work with. I decided to walk them through the Israelites being rescued from Egypt, wandering through the wilderness, fighting through the Promised Land, finally having completed everything the Lord had commanded them to do. I wanted to point them to Joshua 21:43-45 that tells us that everything the Lord promised His children came to pass. I wanted them to know that God keeps His promises to those who obey Him. That was the phrase we repeated. “God keeps His promises to those who obey Him.” Not really heady stuff right?

But in the process of reviewing the Israelites travels through the Wilderness someone mentioned the fact that Moses was supposed to talk to the second “water rock.” This stumped one little five-year-old girl. While the rest of the class kept traveling to the Promised Land, Annmarie was still standing next to the rock with water flowing out of it.

“Mister David?” she asked, “I thought Moses hitted the rock?”

“Yes, he did the first time. God told Moses to speak to the rock the second time, but Moses disobeyed and hit the rock with his staff.” I tried to get her back on track. “That’s why Moses didn’t go into the Promised Land, because he disobeyed God. Remember what we said? ‘God keeps His promises to those—”

“So if he spoke to the rock, did the rock use its mouth to speak back? Or did it just sit there while sound came out of the rock?”

Annmarie had me stumped. I finally resorted to looking at her solemnly and saying “Well, the next time you meet a talking rock, you’ll have to let me know whether it has a mouth or not.”