Once again, it’s been about a year since I wrote anything, but here we go! Go ahead and play the video and listen along as you read.  This is from Hillsong United’s new album Zion…it’s pretty awesome.

Over the past couple of weeks, I feel like I have had the opportunity to truly experience some of God’s grace on me.  I have been doing a bible study called BSF, and after several years of doing some more topical studies related to Men’s Ministry, all of which I have enjoyed, it is awesome to be back into a deep study of God’s word.  As we work through the book of Genesis, I am continually amazed by God’s master plan and the continual mess that we make of this thing called life.  God planned the coming of His son to save us all from the beginning of time, knowing that we are all a royal mess.

As we enter into this Holy Week, we head toward the event that literally changed the world forever.  As I heard Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty say, “This is the man that time revolves around…” All of time is based upon life before Jesus and life after Jesus, for all of creation, but especially for us as believers.  Even as I type that, I think back to a line in my BSF notes that challenged me to live every day, and make every decision in the light of my decision to follow Christ.  In that moment there was incredible freedom and excitement, feelings that I desire each and every day, but easily miss out on in the midst of my day to day activities that keep my focus away from Him.

Cris and I have been watching The Bible series and have enjoyed getting to see some of the artistic interpretation of God’s Word.  As we watched last night, I particularly enjoyed the scene of Peter being called from the boat to meet Jesus on the water.  As he did so, the others around him were terrified and told him not to do it, but he followed the Lord’s command.  He followed all the way to a place where his feet would fail, and they did…  While it is easy to focus on his lack of faith in that moment, he had a mountain of faith in the moment it took to step out of the boat in the first place.  It is often so hard to take that first step because of fear of the unknown, or maybe even fear of the known things that I simply don’t like.  Peter did not fear when he first stepped from the boat…but his fear crept in on him in the middle of his experience with the Lord.

Not a single bit of fear is from the Lord.  Yes, the Lord desires for us to fear Him, but that is out of reverence.  We are to fear Him as Sam should fear me; fear of the authority, but completely and utterly covered and filled in love.  Fear without love is oppressive, but fear in love is protection and guidance.  My personal fears do not have an ounce of love in them.  They are usually surrounded by pride instead…

Throughout this Holy Week, I will be challenged to not look forward to the grace of Christ’s resurrection, but to try and understand the fear that drove the people to kill our Savior, only days after witnessing His miracles.  How often do I allow my fear to kill His grace-filled gifts for me?…