God's grace made manifest through the family (Part 2)

Car Rides.

One of the things I have come to love most about being home is riding in the car with the family. For the most part it's pretty normal. For the most part we do what normal families do while riding in the van (or as normal as we can get anyways...). We sing along with the songs that play on the radio. We take naps. We take ugly pictures of each other while taking naps...you know those ones where the person is all passed out with their mouth open. We play "I spy..." (that is a lie. we haven't done that since i was in high school...). We do normal things.

But car rides have never been normal in that my parents have always tried to use that time to teach us about God. For as long as I can remember we've always had at least one Johnny Mac sermon in the car and if the radio or some other CD wasn't playing it was a sermon. We even listened and still listen to sermons on the way to church!

When I was younger I really didn't appreciate this as much as I should have. Once the sermon went on my earphones went in or I would try and sleep (I was such a pagan child!). For some reason (aka God's grace) the headphones eventually came out and I started paying attention and so did my sisters. I've learned a lot from those car ride sermons. I remember listening to JMac's "Prodigal Son" over and over again in the car because our whole family was so amazed that it wasn't just a story of a father forgiving a son, but it was a parable of sin and shame that clearly presented the Gospel.

I think that's when my other favorite part about our car rides came about. Well, that's a lie. My parents tried to get us to talk about "deeper" things when we were younger by asking what we learned in Sunday school or by trying to teach us life lessons. For instance, I clearly remember one time we went to Burger King drive thru and it was when the Pocahontas cups were out. We were going to get 2 of them and Kaity and I were staking claim on them before we got to the last pick up window. Neither of us wanted the Governor Ratcliffe cup. It was ugly and he was the bad guy. So we were bickering in the backseat. I remember my mom turning around, telling us to stop and then saying that they "didn't belong to us." We knew what that meant. We didn't pay for them. They belonged to Mom or Dad. But then Mom told us they didn't belong to them either. I was so confused. What the heck? Who did they belong to then? Mom said they belonged to God as did everything else in the entire world.

Looking back that was a pretty crazy illustration....but hilarious.  

Anyways back to what I like about car rides with my family. Singing is fun. Listening to sermons is encouraging. But what is the best part for me is the conversations that we have. They get pretty deep and theological. It's weird. I don't know how it started. But it's fun, everyone in the family discusses. It gets pretty crazy too, since we're all pretty passionate debaters slash we can get hot headed. Except Dad, he is the only one who is gracious in his responses.

The last time I was home we were in the car talking about where Jesus was on Saturday or rather where His soul was. I don't know if we came up with a definitive answer yet. Mom thinks Jesus was in Hell because He had to endure the full wrath of God. Kaity thinks that the cross was sufficient or Christ would not have been able to say "It is finished." I think I side more with Kaity...but regardless, these are the kinds of things we talk about in the car and at home.

Dad likes to play Devil's advocate and throw these crazy questions at us that really challenge our notions of God and make us really think about what we believe instead of blindly believing. When we were going through Job he asked us if Job would have still seen God as sovereign and good if God had not restored all his possessions to him at the end of the book? Would we see God as sovereign had he not? Or when we were studying 1 John and looking at the creation of Creation--namely man, he asked us, "If Creation was just a manifestation of the Father's love for the Son and the Son's love for the Father, doesn't that just make it seem like humans were just created for fun?"

I think I've learned and grown more from those few conversations I've had with my family than from the many I've had with friends I see everyday. 

Car rides are the best.

God's grace made manifest through the family.

After almost a month away from home and my beloved CCAC, I finally returned this weekend. I missed being home. Sleeping in my own bed. Having infinite amounts of ice cream at my disposal. The comfort of my own backyard to tan my pale self. Mostly, I like being home and spending time with the family (I know...I'm a homebody...and I am ok with that.) Messing with my parents and annoying my sisters brings me so much joy.

But all joking aside, being able to go home after a stressful month made me so thankful for my family. I was really able to see how gracious God has been to me in allowing me to be part of my family, as crazy and wild they might be. And so that has prompted me to do a short series. Primarily for myself, it will give me a chance to really examine and appreciate God's faithful, sovereign grace in my life made manifest through my family.

And so to kick it off, I will begin with the most recent manifestation--Allison's baptism.

One of my 3 younger sisters, Allison, "the third Harada", is four years younger than me. A sophomore in high school, she just went to her first prom and is just finishing up her 2nd season of swim on the varsity team. She's a super gifted artist with a "spunky" personality that few can handle and fully appreciate. And today she got baptized.

If you were to have met her last year you probably wouldn't have ever thought this day would have come unless some crazy divine intervention occurred. It was tough times for her and the family, but like I said, God is faithful and gracious. Today, my sister is not only alive physically by the grace of God but by that same grace she also has life eternal.

I asked her if I could post her testimony, so here it is. It's also here at the church website.

Hi, I’m Allison, for those that don’t know me, I been at CCAC for about 6 years, but I’ve been exposed to the Bible and church my whole life.  I didn’t really understand it all, and I surely didn’t see what a blessing it was, when I was younger. I called myself a Christian, but I merely believed whatever I was taught.  God loved me and I should love Him too.  I didn’t understand the significance of the Cross or the unfathomable measures of God’s grace, and it showed in the way I lived.  I didn’t live like Christ died for me, but instead like He owed me something.

 

Up until Jr. High, I had never questioned whether or not I was a Christian; I did good things.  Or rather, I never did anything too bad, and figured that that would be enough for God, that He should be happy that I wasn’t super bad.  However, as I first started to pave the way for the nickname “the rebel Harada” by mixing in with the wrong group, I asked myself if I really loved God.  I would hear sermons about how we should “be amazed at the glory of God”.  I wasn’t amazed, I wasn’t awestruck; but I didn’t want to believe I wasn’t a Christian.  So, I stopped questioning and kept on living my life with a hardened heart and a false, selfish Gospel that could never save me.  Though, I suppressed the doubt in my mind, God kept reminding me of His importance, though I tried to ignore it, as I struggled the next year.

 

At the start of high school, I immediately faced difficulty.  Everything seemed so much harder and I was inadequate and overwhelmed.  I felt lonely, tired and angry; I never trusted God enough with my life to not worry.  I began inflicting pain upon myself and it got to a point where I thought that suicide was the only answer.  I was in trouble, but my pride told me that I could get through it. So I wore a smile everywhere I went, pretending to be what I thought people wanted to me to be.  Sitting through classes, church, and Branching Out like nothing was wrong, all the while being truly miserable.  I blamed everyone around me for not being there for me, for not loving me, for me wanting to die.

So, I kept asking God why He was doing this to me.  Hadn’t I done enough for Him?  Wasn’t I good enough?  I loved Him, why didn’t He love me?  Somewhere in my head, I knew I didn’t love God.  I only loved myself.  I wasn’t thankful for the work He had done on the Cross, and the fact that He died for my sins meant nothing to me other than, as Allen says, a “Get out of Jail Free card”.  I was so selfish and prideful; I was living Ephesians 2:1 and truly “dead in my trespasses and sins” and it hit me like a train.  I didn’t know what to do, so I prayed a familiar prayer that I had once said with empty words and a shallow heart, this time with an understanding of my disgusting sin against God and a longing for His forgiveness and a life of following Him.  Purely by His grace, God broke me so that I could finally realize that He alone could heal me.  That to lose myself was to gain an infinitely greater Christ.

As my friend Katherine and I were preparing our testimonies to share with you today, we took a look back at our journals from when we were unsaved.  We both concluded that they were filled with “stupid stuff” like “blah blah whiny me me me”.  Oh, how I’d like to slap my unsaved-self.  Thankfully, God allowed me to recognize that I was selfish and I wasn’t good enough, no one is good enough, but GOD.  The words that Ps. Danny repeated over and over at Reality Retreat I had clicked at last. Everything that all the pastors had been trying to drill in my head finally clicked!  I comprehended the reality of the urgency they spoke with every Sunday and Friday, and I’m so thankful that they did.  I’m so grateful that God chose these men to lead me and continue to teach me, especially in youth group.  I don’t know what kinds of shenanigans I would have gotten into, or if I’d even be alive right now if it weren’t for that “but God”.  I’m now grateful for the trials that God put me through during that year and the pain I went through because He humbled me and brought me to Him.  CS Lewis said “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”  He is absolutely right, and I have found peace and joy in Christ, my Savior.

True Forgiveness.

From my favorite puritan, Thomas Watson. I love this man.

Question: When do we forgive others?

Answer: When we strive against all thoughts of revenge (Romans 12:19); when we will nor do our enemies mischief (1 Thessalonians 5:15), but wish well to them (Luke 6:28), grieve at their calamities (Proverbs 24:17), pray for them (Matthew 5:44), seek reconciliation with them (Romans 12:18), and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them (Exodus 23:4).

I'm so lame.

At the beginning of the quarter, my class finally set the theme for CCM Senior Banquet. As the verse for the event we chose Hebrews 12: 1-2, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangles u, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

We made save the date/pseudo-invitations to hand out at large group. I wrote the note on the back that explained the theme, why we chose the verse, why this was an important message for the seniors and why it was an important message to Christians as a whole. I was silently proud of what I had written. It was good (or I thought so anyways. Even now rereading it, I think it is...anyways)

But I am so lame.

Exercising patience has been difficult. Loving and caring for the souls of others seems like such a burden. Trusting in God's goodness and sovereignty has been hard. Ministry has become a tiresome thing.

I am so lame.

In seeking to find some sympathy for my tired and basically melancholic soul, I picked up Brainerd's journal. The book had been neglected since the beginning of this school year because the diary was long and Brainerd's nearly unfailing depressed disposition was not something I could easily relate to at the time. But these past couple of weeks, in need of a friend to mope with, I was reminded of Mr. Brainerd and revisited his diary.

I am so lame.

Reading Brainerd's diary has been one of the best things as I wallow. He was prone to depression, but his depression came from the sight of his own sinfulness. If anyone had the right to be depressed because of circumstance it was him. A missionary to the Native Americans, his life wasn't easy. He was alone. His horse was frequently broken or stolen. He was often ill. But, as much as I have read so far, he has yet to complain about those things. His sadness and sorrow come from not being godly enough, not hating sin as much as he should, not being able to serve in a way that would give God the highest glory, etc. etc. And here I am wallowing because I think ministry here is hard.

I am so lame.

Along with reading Brainerd, I've been listening to Christian biographies and I love Adoniram Judson. This guy lived with Eternity in mind. Trial after trial came into his life, whether that be the death of a wife, a child, lack of converts, sickness, or the like, but he still endured. All for the sake of Christ with Heaven in sight. And I am here complaining about these petty trivial things. Worrying more about what other people think, rather than how to best serve and glorify God.

I am so lame.

But God is so gracious and good.

So good, that He would bring to mind Brainerd and Judson and let their lives both rebuke and encourage me in this time. If I would have taken Hebrews 12:1-2 to heart and read to myself what I wrote on the back of those invites maybe my pity party would not have been so long. We glance at the saints and we gaze at Christ. Judson and Brainerd were both men who lived lives spent for the gospel and o that I would do the same. Christ, for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. His joy is the joy of saving sinners. Following Christ's example we find sanctification to be, not a burden, but a joy.

While I don't think this period of wallowing is yet over, I am thankful for it. I have been forced to examine my own heart, its motives and intentions. It's been a good reminder that sanctification is no walk in the park and that struggling and suffering produce godly character.

Over the summer a friend was telling me about how when a sheep would continue to stray from the shepherd, the shepherd would break the sheep's leg or something so that the shepherd would have to carry the sheep. And even after the wound began to heal, the still injured sheep would have to stay close to the shepherd because it was totally dependent on him. I want to be that sheep that is kept and stays near God.

If God has to break me so that I stay my heart on Him, then I want to be lame.

Here I stand.

I remember when we watched "Luther" in Branching Out, back in the day when the Reformation was just a thing from my AP Euro text book, I was less than amused by the film. Luther, smuther. Justification by faith alone. Blah. Blah. But now, I see Luther as awesome and when I listen to "Here I Stand", I get goosebumps and almost cry.

These next couple of days mark the days that Luther stood before the Diet of Worms refuting the papacy and bringing forth the Reformation. As I think of Luther and the countless others like him who have suffered for the faith, it makes me think a lot about the cost of discipleship. I love how God orchestrates things so that I will hear messages and read about the same things, so that the message is freaking pounded into my brain because if it's not He knows I will not get it.

So the cost of discipleship I heard at retreat from Allen, read about how Peter was willing to follow Christ in John 6, and then at CCM Dr. Harris talked about how through being disciples we are to be good stewards. As Christians the demand to follow Christ is great. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow me. 

It's not about our own works or anything we can do. We can't make excuses. We can't save ourselves. We turn from ourselves and cling to Christ.

John 6 is crazy. Christ feeds the 5,000 then calls Himself the Bread of Life. He tells everyone how eternal life is gained through Him. But the crowds get confused and they start to leave. Peter's response is so crazy. Christ turns to the disciples and asks them if they want to leave too, but Peter says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69) 

What does it mean to be a disciple? If all else failed, if all others left, would I stick with Christ? Would I still see Him as the sole provider of eternal life, the Holy One of God? Would I desire Heaven solely because God is there? 

Or would my faith crumble at the slightest pressure exerted against it and would I prove myself not a disciple?

I know how I want myself to answer those questions. No, my faith would not crumble. It would withstand the test. I would hold fast to my confession of faith.

But realistically and practically it doesn't play out. I don't suffer for Christ. It's not even that I don't suffer enough. I don't suffer at all. Nor do I oft think Christ to be my only sustenance, the Bread of Life. My faith is so so small! The price paid for my soul, so great, yet my so small is the cost on my part! 

I'm thankful that God is patient and gracious, that He would give me opportunities to reflect upon my own soul and the condition of my heart. What a joy and comfort to know that God desires my sanctification even more than I do myself (1 Thess. 4:3)! If called, as Luther was, to defend the faith, I hope I will say as he did, "Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen."

Loving Others.

"We need not climb up into heaven to see whether our sins are forgiven. Let us look into our hearts and see if we can forgive others. If we can, we need not doubt that God has forgiven us."

-Watson.

Single Minded. Wholehearted.

Spring Break. So short. But so great.

I was able to see my animals. The cat missed me. The bird loves me as does the dog. And my sisters they missed me and love me too...I hope. I got to sleep in my own bed that doesn't have a plastic covered mattress. I watched movies on video on demand and read. I was able to hang out with church friends and got to go to Sojourners and hear the Romans series that I've been missing so much!

It was a good break and everything I was able to do was such a blessing. But, I think the one thing that I loved most about break was the spiritual spanking I got from God throughout the week. It was the best. Towards the end of finals week I was struggling with somethings, namely loving others, and throughout spring break God seriously revealed to me the wickedness in my own heart.

The more I listen to sermons, read books, and study Scripture I am convinced that the only thing that matters is love for God. Our love for God should be what motivates and drives all that we do as Christians. Our love for God should spill over into everything and should move us to action. Prior to break, I looked at the Christians around me and seeing a general complacent and nearly apathetic tone decided that "Everyone hates God." Clearly they don't love Him. If they did they would be delving into the Word. If everyone loved God, then Outreach would not be the most neglected ministry. If everyone loved God, then their notions of Him and relationship with Him would not be solely based on their experiences. If everyone loved God, then they would never questions if this act or that is considered ministry, but they would see their lives themselves as ministry. If everyone loved God...

Over break I was digging through the huge book bag full of books that Dad got from Shepherd's (it was a lot of books.) and I came across one titled "Love or Die--Christ's Wake-Up Call to the Church" by Alexander Strauch. "How fitting", I thought to myself, "I will read this book so that I can own everyone after break. This is what you get if you don't love God. Death." O what a prideful and arrogant fool I am! And how gracious God is to show me my hypocrisy and sin. Freak.

I started reading the book and listening to one of Eric Chab's old sermons on "What love for God is not." And thus started the rebuke. Too often I think that things I do equate to my love for God. I turn into a Catholic thinking my works can somehow save me, that just because I might be able to do decently in Bible Trivia or because I can use big theological terms that those most certainly show that I love God. Mostly though what gets me is this, "Love for God naturally overflows into love for others." Freak. Whilst I was accusing everyone of hating God...I had this giant log in my own eye. I am so judgmental and quick to speak! I'll pick out your sin and see that as your one, primary, sole character quality. And I am not afraid to tell you either. I'll fight you about it and battle others as well. I'm a bossy, scrappy, fighter and I freaking have hate-o-rade flowing through my veins.

How's that for loving God? Freak. I am the worst. Seriously.

As the week progressed the spanking continued. Friday, I went to Branching Out (yes, even though I am 2 years removed now, I still go to high school group when I can.) and Allen preached on "True love for God is..." I just sat there and laughed to myself. Freak man. His last point was this "True love for God is in others". Loving your neighbor demonstrates that you know and understand God's love. Love God. Love others. The entire week before I was pointing the finger at others when I should have stopped and looked at my own heart and my own lack of love for God. Then, that entire week of break God held up the mirror so I could see all the warts and filth that covered my prideful, wicked heart.

And it didn't end there! Sunday, Audrey and I went to Grace. Crossroads was all about "A Life of Approval", the necessity and love of God in His discipline and the importance of being teachable. Audrey had been hearing my ranting and venting about "Everyone hating God" for the past couple of weeks. When Ps. Rick got up behind the podium he starting asking "Do you know what the number one discipline all Christians to have is? The one thing you should look for when looking for a spouse? The one character quality I want to instill in my boys? Do you know what it is? It's to be teachable." Right when he said that Audrey just nudged me and started laughing and laughing. Even before the preaching started, we sang "Beneath the Cross" (which has become one of my favorites) and that song freaking owned me too. It starts with the Gospel and then moves to how we should love others and how we should live.

Both Allen and Eric noted that Christ the greatest person...er being surveyed the greatest book, Scripture, and drew from it the most important thing. Love God and love others. (Mark 12:28- 34)

This past week was a good one. Defiantly sanctifying and humbling for sure. Freak. I just want to love God. And I want others to see Christ in me through my love for others and nothing else. Who cares how much doctrine and theology I know, who cares how worn my Bible is, how long or eloquent my prayers are if I do not love God. Freak. I just want my love for Him to be genuine, wholehearted, and humble, that my contentment would rest solely and completely in Him. So much so that were I to get to Heaven and it was perfect paradise but God was not there that it would seem like Hell to me.

Beneath the cross of Jesus

I find a place to stand,

And wonder at such mercy

That calls me as I am;

For hands that should discard me

Hold wounds which tell me, "Come."

Beneath the cross of Jesus

My unworthy soul is won.

Beneath the cross of Jesus

His family is my own--

Once strangers chasing selfish dreams,

Now one through grace alone.

How could I now dishonour

The ones that You have loved?

Beneath the cross of Jesus

See the children called by God.

Beneath the cross of Jesus--

The path before the crown--

We follow in His footsteps

Where promised hope is found.

How great the joy before us

To be His perfect bride;

Beneath the cross of Jesus

We will gladly live our lives.

The Sovereignty of God/FML, Old Age, Finals, & the Greatness of the Gospel.

I am certain that this will be one of the most scatterbrained/disorganized psychotic post that will ever grace this blog. I hope this will only be a one time thing. I am so antsy right now. The lack of sleep, coffee, and general excitement/ anxiety of finals week must be catching up to me.

FML. "EFF MY LIFE." Two weeks ago this terrible little phrase wiggled its way into my vocabulary as well as the CCM sophomore girls' as well. The stresses of BBQ, brother's appreciation, ministry, and generally school piled up and all we had to say was, "EFF MY LIFE." Such a small phrase. But, what a big and terrible meaning it has and I am not talking merely about the implied curse word associated with "EFF". The weight of those words is so much more than three letters or one four letter word can describe. FML straight up questions the sovereignty of God. FML says God, You made a mistake. God, I know what is best and this is not it. God, I do not believe that You work all things for good nor do I believe that You are in control of all things. FML is straight up heresy and blasphemy against the Father. Instead of having this knee jerk reaction to say "FML" to the stresses of life, I should ask myself, "Hey, how sovereign is your God?" and I am certain that that will shut me up in no time. How sovereign is my God? All sovereign. Sovereign enough to create Creation. Sovereign enough to command the wind and the waves. Sovereign enough for Mom to get cancer. Sovereign enough for finals week to be ok. Sovereign enough for salvation. FML has no right to be in the Christian vocabulary. How dare we cheapen the blood of Christ by lessening the value of our redeemed lives. So. How sovereign is your God?

Now on old age. I am old. It is official. I am twenty. The end.

On finals. I love finals week. Or this quarter I am really excited about it save the testing part. Studying has allowed me to get to know the 1st floor of the library very well as well as the CCM freshmen who live there too. I've also become a felon. The study centers are packed with people so we kinda mosey around looking for open classrooms and lecture halls. So, I am not sure if it is a felony. We are merely entering. No breaking.

The best part about this week though is that ELYSE IS HOME! My best fraaheennndd, whom I love. I hope we get to play.

And finally the greatness of the Gospel. At Lighthouse we've been studying the 7 sayings of Christ from the cross. It has been interesting. Today though, I loved the last song we sang. I love hymns and today the congregation sang so loud. It was the best. How marvelous, how wonderful is my Saviour's love for me! That one line should automatically eliminate FML for sure. Knowing that the Gospel applies to me automatically kills any thoughts of FML. How can my life be EFFed when I have been saved from the wrath of God through the atoning work of Christ on the cross for me. FOR MEE! So crazy.

He took my sins and my sorrows

He made them His very own

He bore the burden to Calvary

And suffered and died alone

How marvelous! How wonderful

And my song shall ever be

How marvelous! How wonderful!

Is my Saviour's love for me!

When with the ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see

Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me!

Do work, son.

In October of 1517, the great reformer, Martin Luther, posted his 95 Theses on the doors of Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany. He was fighting Catholic doctrine and religious practices, namely the use of indulgences--the idea that sin could be forgiven by essentially paying the Church. Salvation reseted not in the shed blood of Christ but in doing things to earn one's way into Heaven. Luther took a stand for justification by faith alone through grace alone.

Elyse and I have almost completed our study of James and while we haven't been able to discuss that much, as our schedules have been busy and incompatible, I know that the study has been teaching each of us a lot. Lately, I have been really convicted by passages like James 2:22, 24, and 26.

"You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works...You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone...For as the body apart form the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

James is not arguing Catholic dogma & religious practice, the need for penance and/or indulgences-- faith BY works. Rather, he is making a case for faith THAT works. James knows that faith cannot be earned. He is exhorting his readers to action that is compelled by Christ's work on the cross for them. 

Faith and works go hand in hand, one cannot be without the other. Evidence of salvation is works, doing things out of a love for God; not to bring about salvation, but because salvation has been granted to us. We recognize that salvation and justification are by grace alone, but a heart changed by the Gospel will be pressed to do things for God's glory.

It's hard for me to walk this fine line, believing and acting upon faith THAT works. Too easy is it for my heart to fall into either legalism or lawlessness. Legalism thinking I can do something to earn a better standing with God, telling myself i don't read enough. I don't pray enough. I don't evangelize enough. "Enough" is the worst word in the Christian faith. We can't do enough. Christ did enough and praise God that His righteousness has been imputed to us that we might stand before God justified. But, at the same time, in my wickedness and depravity I twist and rape the goodness of the Gospel and turn it into antinomianism, the idea that because I am freed from the bondage of the law & am covered with Christ's righteousness, I can do [or not do] whatever the freak I please.

People who genuinely have faith THAT works are hard to come by. "Christians" usually fall into one of the camps, either legalism or its polar opposite antinomianism. I know this side of Eternity no one will be perfect and I know that is why the Gospel is not only needed but treasured. But it still begs me to question, Where are all the godly men and women?

T.

John & Molly.

Today marks the day that John Wesley literally fell for his future wife, Molly. As the story goes Wesley was off on some preaching tour but was unable to complete it when he slipped on some ice and sprained his ankle. He cancelled his preaching thing and went to spend a week at Molly's so that she could care for him. Soon after the two were married. But not happily.

This past Sunday our sophomore girl class [finally] had our first single gender prayer meeting. We've been trying to get together since last quarter, but everyone is so busy that it has been difficult. I was starting to think everyone hated God/ the only reason why we all went to normal class prayer meetings were for the boys. Just kidding!

Anyways. For girl's prayer meeting we are going to study "Biblical Femininity" by examining 1 Peter 3: 1-7. Pray for us. It will be interesting, especially considering the scrutiny that this passage has suffered in our modern cultural context. I also think that this will be one of the best things we could study at this time. We're at (or we've been at) that age where the semantics of the term "woman" are crucial. 

"Woman". Not a girl. "Woman". Not a man. Feminine maturity & feminine... femininity.

So what does this have to do with Wesley's marriage? Wesley liked Molly because he thought she was attractive not godly. He thought she dressed nicely. Molly's fault was her unwillingness to submit. 

I hope that as we study 1 Peter that we will become godly women. Godly women  who attract godly men for the right reasons, are wise & discerning, and who above all love God.

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she will be praised."

T.