just like things fall apart... things also come together

I love spending time with God now. I mean, of course, I still get into that "lazyboy" mode and sometimes fail to do QT, but for the most part, I want to spend time with God, and I am never disappointed when I do! God is so good and really brings peace into my heart when I devote the day to Him. 

Today, I finally found myself back at Morningside listening to Pastor Mark's sermon, and it was so good. It definitely affirmed some stuff that I read in Boundaries. 

In short, I will jot down some stuff I learned, and hopefully, you will come to comprehend the mightiness of God as well =) Pastor Mark's sermon today was based on Matthew 16:13-20.

-We as humans think that we can see the knowledge of God on our own, but it's possible only by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

-Peter confessing that Jesus is the son of God is the hugest sin and is considered blasphemy in the mind of a Jew, so the fact that he admits that he thinks Jesus is the son of God is a huge thing because he would then be ostracized. So the question is, how does Peter arrive at this conclusion?

-There is a clear distinction between our natural and revealed knowledge of God. Even non-Christians can come to realize that God exists, but it goes no further. It's only when God reveals Himself to us that we can move deeper into our knowledge for God.

-Instead of seeing the world through the lens of the Bible, we look at the Bible through the lens of human intellect. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, it says that we cannot comprehend the mind of God in our own human understanding, also supported in 1 Corinthians 8:1-2. 

-We come to Christ because we are broken, and we must turn back to the scriptures.

-There is no other way to turn to God besides in humility.

-It's so easy to be humble on the outside, but we have to ask ourselves, "Do I get defensive when I'm criticized, or do I humbly accept my flaws, listen, and try to learn?"

******We can't control how others act or think, but we can control our own thoughts and actions to reflect God and give glory back to Him (this part reminded me a lot about the things I read in Boundaries- I love it!).

So that's all I took notes on during the sermon, and I'm sure I got some parts wrong, but I pray that as you read this, you will be encouraged and that God will speak to you. After all, God works in mysterious ways. We may think things are falling apart, but God actually uses our broken pieces to mold us into new beings. How encouraging! =)