this has gotta be the good life

I just spent {almost} every waking hour with my staff team this week. We prayed. Planned tons. laughed til we cried. Ate cow stomach{well some of us}. We recounted all that God has done in us and in the ministry this semester. We praised God for what He is doing and building here in Tidewater.

We spent our times in the Word this week focused on Advent. The one particular devotional that struck me was about humility. weakness. Here is an excerpt from, "Come Lord Jesus Come" by Will Walker mixed with pics from our Christmas party last night.

God seems to nearly always use the weak, unassuming and humble to
bring His kingdom of peace. Abraham was an old man in the land of Ur.
David was a young boy in the pasture. Gideon was short-handed against
a great army. This is the story of the whole nation of Israel: “It was not
because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord
set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples”
(Deut. 7:7)

The fact that the angels announced the peace of the Messiah to the shepherds
instead of kings and priests is incredibly reassuring. God has made,
and will make, peace with the humble — those who are not dependent
upon themselves for righteousness or moral acceptance. It is those who
understand their lowly position before the Wonderful Counselor and
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace and come to
worship him, who will be saved.

Jesus taught this to his disciples (Luke 9:46-48; Luke 22:24-30). Paul and
the other apostles taught it as well (1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Philippians
2:1-11; 1 Peter 3:12-19; James 2:1-13). The connection between humility
and peace is at the center of the gospel message.
In response to the criticism that Christianity is just a crutch for the
emotionally or psychological needy, John Piper counters that it is not
only a crutch — it is an entire ICU. We were once dead in our sins and
trespasses (Eph. 2:1), naturally God’s enemies (Romans 5:10), and in need
of a saving God to bring us to life (Eph. 2:4-10). Those who do not think
they are sick will never get well (Matthew 9:12-13).
The season of Advent brings us peace because God has reconciled us to
himself through His Son. We experience this peace when we recognize
our humble state before the unassuming manger of the saving, loving and
good King Jesus. Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not
count equality with God a thing to be grasped, made himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being
found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8).
I'm thankful that God uses the weak...that he would use this band of 11 to share about Him here in Tidewater. We are so thankful for that gift from the Lord. I'm always struck by that one line in that popular worship song, "you use the weak to lead the strong." May everything I do be about raising up Christ.

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30