Life-Mentors, Grace-Parents, Spirit-Refreshers, and More

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Life-Mentors, Grace-Parents, Spirit-Refreshers, and More SCOTTY SMITH   "We loved you so much that we shared with you not only the Gospel but our own lives, too" (1Thess.2:8). "Faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice… and now lives in you" (2Tim.1:5). "I am so glad Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come… they refreshed my spirit" (1Cor.16:17-18)   Heavenly Father, it's always a good day to remember those you've placed in our lives as grace-parents in our journey and kindness-fountains in our vulnerability. Indeed, thank you Abba for mentors in life, rescuers in our wandering, refreshers in our deserts. They came (and come) to us in many "packages," contexts,  and at strategic times. Remind us of their faces, names, and blessing in our lives. Remind us of just how rich, loved, and blessed we are. Parents and surrogate parents… Sunday School teachers and Young Life leaders… Kind bosses and beautiful janitors… Neighbors up the street and angels from above… Tenacious roommates and coaches who loved us… Authors we'll meet in heaven and hymnwriters who open our hearts. Grandmothers who prayed and wept for us, and grandchildren who reveal your grace and joy to us… Old worn-out cassette tapes and Bibles with faded ink-notes… Friends who showed up and will not give up… Fishing buddies who care about hearts more than fish… And your kind-eyed children, Abba, whose laughter and listening are a kiss and feast for us. Thank you heavenly Father for being exactly that to us. Thank you for seeking and saving us. Thank you for those you've sent, send, and continue to use in our lives. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Thank you, and So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

New Don Carson Podcast

Releasing Weekly: Listen to Episode 1 Now

View in browser INTRODUCING THE CARSON CENTER PODCAST Grow in your knowledge of biblical theology with teaching from one of today's foremost theologians. Join TGC cofounder Don Carson, the distinguished emeritus professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, as he unpacks Scripture with clarity, depth, and engaging insight. Each episode of this new podcast features a rediscovered lecture unearthed from Carson's extensive preaching and teaching archive.   Listen to the first episode—from his mini-series on making sense of suffering—and subscribe now to hear future episodes of The Carson Center Podcast, released weekly. Subscribe Now LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 NOW Don Carson outlines six theological pillars for a biblical understanding of suffering.   Looking into the philosophical problem of suffering, he references David Hume's skepticism about God's goodness in light of pervasive hardship, and he challenges his audience to consider how to reconcile the existence of a loving, omnipotent God with the reality of suffering.   A faith that remains steadfast despite life's trials requires a deep trust in God's sovereignty and goodness, which can sustain believers through the deepest valleys of suffering. Listen Now ABOUT THE CARSON CENTER   The Carson Center for Theological Renewal exists to foster spiritual renewal around the world by providing excellent theological resources for the whole church—for anyone called to teach and anyone who wants to study the Bible.   Explore a wealth of theological resources available on the Carson Center website and subscribe to the newsletter to hear about future initiatives. Find Out More The Gospel Coalition, PO Box #1637, Columbia, MO 65205 Unsubscribe

“Jesus, You Live in Us. Please Love through Us.′

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH "Jesus, You Live in Us. Please Love through Us.′ SCOTTY SMITH "As I have loved you, so you must love one another" Jn.13:34. "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another" Eph. 4:32. "Forgive someone 7 times? No, more in the grace-realm of 77 or 490 times" Matt.18:21-22. "What is impossible for people is possible with God" Lk.18:27.   Dear Jesus, as I read these verses, the image of a power cord came to mind—one end of the cord is plugged into me, and the other needs to be plugged into a power source—perhaps a nuclear-grace power plant. Because the call to love others as you love us is WAY beyond our instinct, motivation, desire, and resources. Jesus, you have taught us that your life for us is where our salvation comes from. It's you + nothing, Jesus. You are our substitute to trust for 100% of our righteousness… "Whew!' And you also taught us that it's your life in us that is our hope of glory. Not metaphorically, but actually, you live in us by the Holy Spirit—and you're not leaving us. Instead, you will take us to heaven with you at the perfectly timed moment. Hallelujah, and thank you. So this leads us to one more glorious preposition, Jesus—through. In a profound, mystical, actual way, we can say with the Apostle Paul, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Jesus, you are our life (Phil.1:21), and the life you lived for us you now live in us. So live and love through us, Jesus. We're tired of making excuses for why we don't love well. We're weary of qualifying, minimizing, and excusing ourselves from the demands of love. So Jesus, love through us. Don't just empower us to love, love through us—actually, supernaturally, wondrously. It's not that we're "a glove and you're the hand." It's that we share a union with you that is real, not theoretical or metaphorical. Love through us Jesus, this very day. So Very Amen. Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

When It’s Decision-Making Time

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH When It's Decision-Making Time SCOTTY SMITH   "We make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" Prov. (16:9). "What he (Jesus) opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open" (Rev. 3:7).   Lord Jesus, life is filled with choices. Some decisions are as simple as standing in the cereal aisle of Publix and going with the buy-one-get-one-free option. The choice to eat moist carrot-cake is a no-brainer too. Some decisions just require sanctified common sense: "Should I change the oil in my car once in a while?" But other decisions rob us (and others) of sleep, give us heart knots, and fuel our second guessing. Our Scriptures of the day remind us our choices aren't sovereign and ultimate, only you are. Make this truth clear, sweet, and freeing to us, Jesus. As our good Shepherd, you aren't pulling for us from afar, but are guiding us up close. We rest in your step-determining, door-operating sovereignty. Jesus, we know you always lead us in keeping with your Word. We know you call us to seek the counsel of those who love you and love us. We know you lead us by the peace-giving voice of your Spirit. We know you lead us by the providence of circumstances over which you are Lord. If these (Word, counsel, Spirit, providence) are 4 harbor lights, line up the harbor lights as we navigate changes and big decisions in front of us. We know we can't make people happy or holy, so help us with the feedback we get—that which we seek and unsolicited opinions freely offered. And Jesus, help us—the feedback-givers, to be self-aware, kind, and patient. In our time-framed decisions, what will honor you the most, Jesus? What choice is most in keeping with the truth and rhythms of the Gospel? Are we running from something for which you haven't given us running shoes yet? Are we seeking, seeing proverbial "greener pastures" that, like all pastures, turn brown in time? May your peace rule in our hearts, as we discern and decide. Hallelujah, our lives aren't tied to making the one, right, perfect decision… but in trusting the only, right, loving Lord—and that is you, Jesus. So Very Amen. Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

“Crazy” by Being Controlled by the Love of Jesus

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH "Crazy" by Being Controlled by the Love of Jesus SCOTTY SMITH "If it seems we're crazy, it's to bring glory to God. And if we're in our right minds, it's for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us." 2 Cor. 5:13-14   Lord Jesus, first of all, thank you for a new week—a week you have made, over which you rule, in which your will be at work in our hearts and every place in the cosmos. If we were to make a list of reasons for why we have more hope than heaviness, more encouragement than the "blues," and more peace than anxiety, your great love for us would be #1, #2, and #3. Your love is the resolution to relentless ache in our souls for connection and intimacy. Your love gives the redemption for the deepest sadness and most shameful parts of our stories. Only your love is better than life, Jesus. We want what Paul celebrated in this passage. "Christ's love controls us"—Paul wasn't merely "warmed," inspired, encouraged by your love. He was taken in and taken over. So much so, some people thought he was "crazy"—perhaps because of his freedom to suffer with joy, live so generously, and forgive so quickly. Do the same for us and in us, Jesus. This kind of "crazy" is actually Gospel-sanity. What would that look like? Your truth would define us more than people's approval, the devil's lies, and our culture's agenda. Your goodness would be our feast and freedom—the most satisfying reality in our lives. Your beauty would take our breath away, then give it back so we can live and love to your glory. All of this looks so inviting, Jesus—even if it's a bit overwhelming. But do every bit of it, all summer long. So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.