All Things for Good (Part 2)
Lesson 55
Romans 8:28-32

All Things for Good (Part 1)
Romans 8:28-32
Lesson 54

Understanding God's Will
Youth Ministry

The Spirit Helps Us in our Weakness (Romans 8:25-27)
Lesson 53

A Theology of Suffering (Romans 8:18-28)
Lesson 52

Subjected to Futility (Romans 8:18-25)
Lesson 51

The Suffering Child (Romans 8:12-17)
Lesson 50

Killing Sin (Romans 8:12-17)

Lesson 49:

The End

We all go through different periods in our lives. One of the things that I had wanted to do for quite awhile was to start a blog. I'm not really sure why, I guess I just had a lot of stuff bottled up inside of me that I wanted to say and I thought this was a good way to say it. So on August 30th of last year I did it - I created a blog and started writing. It's been a lot of fun and today is my 75th blog. However, it will also be my last one.

The fact is that demands on my time have changed over the last year. Between a full-time job and my responsibilities at church, I just don't have time to blog like I would like to. So I'm going to retire from blogging. I wanted to say 'Thank You' to everyone that dropped by and took the time to read what I wrote. For those of you that took the time to comment on my blogs, I just wanted to say how much I appreciated that. Knowing that someone was reading it and taking the time to comment really made me feel good. I probably enjoyed reading the comments as much or more than you enjoyed reading my blogs.

If I can, I want to leave one final thought with you.

I have a wonderful marriage. Kathy and I have been married for 26 years and I can truly say that I enjoy being a husband and I find fulfillment in that role. I have wonderful children. I have two great sons who have enriched my life tremendously. I enjoy being a father and I find fulfillment in that role. I have some unbelievable friendships in my life - so much so that I can't even express how much those friendships mean to me. I find fulfillment in those relationships as well.

However, I have become convinced through personal experience that you will never be truly fulfilled as a Christian until you are fulfilling your role in the Body of Christ. There is just something about being a living, breathing, working and contributing member of the Body that completes you as a Christian. Why? Because it is what we are called to. If you are not doing that there will always be an emptiness, a sense of unfulfillment in your life. So I want to encourage each of you to find your gift and begin to use it to edify the Body. Does is take more time? Sure. Does it take more discipline? Of course. Does it take more commitment? Absolutely. But I can assure you, you will never regret it. The effort is temporal, but the rewards are eternal.

So thanks for reading - now go Live the Eternal Life.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

26 Years in the Crucible

Crucible - A heat-resistant container in which materials can be heated to very high temperatures.

I've been thinking a lot this week about marriage. One of the reasons is that Kathy and I have been married 26 years today. I have learned so much over these 26 years. As those of us that are married know, marriage tends to bring out the good in us - but it also brings out the bad. Of all our relationships, marriage is truly the 'crucible' where we walk out our faith. Where else are two people thrown into a situation where every attitude, opinion and feeling is tested on a daily basis?

Just last week Kathy made the following statement to me:

"You need to practice what you teach".

She's right. I try and try to do the right things, and I can even do pretty good for periods at a time. But then a day comes when I am grouchy or frustrated or just having a bad day and things come out of me that I thought were dead and buried. When that happens, I usually take it out on her. I hate that. I hate the fact that I can't completely kill those things, and I hate the fact that she bears the brunt of it.

But this crucible continues to teach. And this past week I've learned again two lessons that it has taught me before, but it seems I need to learn again.

It teaches me just how much I need a Savior.

I am a changed man - I know that. I'm not like I used to be. But as long as I'm clothed in this earthly vessel there will never be a time that I can do it on my own. There will never be a time that I don't need Him. There's an old song by DC Talk that says it pretty well.

The disease of self runs through my blood
It's a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

Tell me, what's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior

It teaches me - through Kathy - what Love really is.

As always, I apologize and she forgives. That's what love is and that is how love acts. Through her I see love not just spoken, love not just explained on the pages of the Scripture, but love actually lived out.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. - Proverbs 10:12

Happy Anniversary, Kat. I love you.