Finally.

So I'm a seminary student. Finally.

Just finished a long day of orientation yesterday and it's official that I'll be part-timing (still job-searching) at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary this spring, taking New Testament I and II on Monday nights and all day every other Saturday for 2 months.

It's definitely a small commuter school (only like 20 people in orientation yesterday) and in some ways I like that. Hearing a lot of older, wiser brothers and sisters in Christ encourage us and pray for us was making me tear up. Goodness, on the first day I'm already crying haha. And one of the things that sticks out was what I believe the founder of the seminary said over lunch yesterday ... What a privilege it is to be a preacher of the gospel. Privilege. We're nobodies. I'm NOT freakin' awesome no matter how much my pride wishes otherwise. Yet, God calls us to herald the greatest news there is in the midst of a "twisted and crooked generation," full of brokenness, anger, hurt, and sadness. What a privilege that God would use such sinners such as us to speak of Him, represent Him, make an appeal for Him, so that others might be reconciled to Him.

Heh, first day is this Saturday. Homework is to read the gospel of Matthew and the only required textbook is my bible! Yay! I'm excited. I know there's a lot of hard work left to do and a lot of childishness left to die but I'll take it a day at a time ... It's all I can do in this weird transitionary stage of my post-grad life. Heh. If you catch this, I'd ask that you pray for me to grow in wisdom, discipline, in loving the Lord with heart, as well as my mind, for a posture of learning, and in the end, to grow strong in grace.

I was telling Augustine this yesterday, but I can't believe I'm even doing any of this, or that God's allowed me to do what I've done so far. I sin so much more than these highlights of a blog allow anyone else to see, yet God looks on me as holy, blameless, and above reproach before Him, and He woos me back when I want to run. Goodness, the gospel is good.
-Jon

Genesis 22 -> John 3:16

"I lift the knife to the thing I love most
Praying You'll come so I can have both
What I need is for You to touch me
What I need is for You to be the thing that I need"
-"Let Me Feel You Shine" by David Crowder Band

Urbana 2012 Debrief

Since my other post of AFC was seriously too long, I'm going to pinpoint my thoughts of Urbana 2012 to these points:

1) Will you trust Him?
-The most freeing thing for me was giving up all my preconceived notions and things I really want and going "Wherever you take me, I will follow. Even if that's to China. Even if that's to Wyoming. Even if that's not going into full-time ministry. " This one was a tough one but by grace, He's freeing me to want more of Him regardless of where or what that looks like.

2) The Call Confirmed (even more) to Full-time ministry/Pastoring
-Never been more clear about the call and was stirred at the role it can play in God's grand story.

3) The weight of Full-time ministry/Pastoring
-This stuff is actually gonna be tough. Like freal, feels like I'm dying but am actually being saved kinda tough. O man.

4) The awe and hope
-I can't believe I'm in this thing. Why would He let me? (What a privilege)
-This is for my specific path towards sanctification.

5) Trust Him in this season by actually doing something
- (Seriously? Business?)
-Be faithful to where He has you and what He's put before you NOW.
-You cant be all about that "YOLO" life everyday. Pray that God would grow you up and out of the childishness still in you.

6) "Does He have your heart?"
-In the end, you can't out-theologize this question. Ever.

7) "Sin no more."
-Hate your sin for the sake of your joy. Be serious about it. Do you want Jesus bad enough?


... Final Thoughts:  In the words of a friend who has no idea I'm quoting him in one of the blogs he posted back when he was a high-schooler, "I wake up and fail." Yet, if the gospel is true, if Christ really rose from the grave, there really is nothing left to condemn. There is no charge left to bring. There is no debt left to pay. I'm His. He's my abba, Father. And He knows what's best. Les GoooOoo

Okay, so Urbana 2012 ...

Man, that bus ride was way too long for me to try to type it up at this hour. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe I forget and resume this eventually lol.

It was pretty awesome btw.