So if you are friends with Jin on Facebook you know that we went to Boston yesterday. He checked in everywhere. But I'm going to let him post about that. It was a great day!!
So something we haven't written about yet is the ministry side of our jobs. Obviously as Christians every moment should be ministry, especially interacting with non-believers, but something cool that we get to do each week is Chapel Service. Its nothing fancy, Jin plays 2 worship songs on the guitar and either he or I will share our testimony. This past week, I shared my testimony. We had several families show up, 2 in particular that we had been getting to know so it was really fun to see them show up to Chapel.
So this week I shared about how I didn't have a clear understanding of who God was for many years but when I got to college I began to understand Grace and what it meant to be a child of God. But as I was preparing for this time it was interesting because I still don't fully comprehend how the God of the universe could love me and accept me as His child. I don't think I ever will until I get to heaven. Here is a really great article that Matt Chandler tweeted last night about this very topic. It really encouraged me and I hope it does you too!! God's grace changes everything and when I'm not focusing on that truth I lose sight of who I am. This past year was hard, for many reasons but I think a lot was due to the fact that I lost sight of this very truth. When you aren't constantly filling your mind with truth you begin to believe lots of lies about God and His character. That can turn even the most joyful person into a very unhappy person. I am thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life that put up with me this past year and I am thankful that God is in the business of reconciling sinners.
So I got my Bible out this morning and decided to find some specific scriptures that speak about God's grace and our new identity. Well that's what most of the new testament is about haha but here are just a few that spoke to me.
Ephesians 1: 3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[a] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood,the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[b] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
Ephesians 2:1-5 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But[b]God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—
Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Anyway, this is turning into a long post but just some things the Lord has been teaching me lately. Please pray for us as we seek to be authentic pictures of God's grace with the people that we meet in New York.
PS I chopped all my hair off today. I feel like the old me again :)
So something we haven't written about yet is the ministry side of our jobs. Obviously as Christians every moment should be ministry, especially interacting with non-believers, but something cool that we get to do each week is Chapel Service. Its nothing fancy, Jin plays 2 worship songs on the guitar and either he or I will share our testimony. This past week, I shared my testimony. We had several families show up, 2 in particular that we had been getting to know so it was really fun to see them show up to Chapel.
So this week I shared about how I didn't have a clear understanding of who God was for many years but when I got to college I began to understand Grace and what it meant to be a child of God. But as I was preparing for this time it was interesting because I still don't fully comprehend how the God of the universe could love me and accept me as His child. I don't think I ever will until I get to heaven. Here is a really great article that Matt Chandler tweeted last night about this very topic. It really encouraged me and I hope it does you too!! God's grace changes everything and when I'm not focusing on that truth I lose sight of who I am. This past year was hard, for many reasons but I think a lot was due to the fact that I lost sight of this very truth. When you aren't constantly filling your mind with truth you begin to believe lots of lies about God and His character. That can turn even the most joyful person into a very unhappy person. I am thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life that put up with me this past year and I am thankful that God is in the business of reconciling sinners.
So I got my Bible out this morning and decided to find some specific scriptures that speak about God's grace and our new identity. Well that's what most of the new testament is about haha but here are just a few that spoke to me.
Ephesians 1: 3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[a] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood,the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[b] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
Ephesians 2:1-5 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But[b]God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—
Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Anyway, this is turning into a long post but just some things the Lord has been teaching me lately. Please pray for us as we seek to be authentic pictures of God's grace with the people that we meet in New York.
PS I chopped all my hair off today. I feel like the old me again :)
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