God Never Had to Launch a “Beta Version” of Anything

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

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH God Never Had to Launch a "Beta Version" of Anything SCOTTY SMITH "My purpose will stand, and I will do ALL  that I please." Isa. 46:10    Heavenly Father, on this August Saturday, we rejoice and rest in you as the entire alphabet of sovereignty—from Aleph to Tav (Hebrew), Alpha to Omega (Greek), and A to Z. You are purposeful, and your purposes will stand. You are full of redemptive desire, and whatever pleases you will come to pass—no exceptions.    You have never launched a " Beta version" of anything. Instead of "trial and error," you specialize in providence and perfection. The past holds no " Oops" for you. The present holds no sweat. The future is pregnant with every good thing you have planned for us in Jesus, and for the entire cosmos. Whew… we can take a deep grace-breath.    Father, this is so encouraging and humbling—even as it brings with it a good measure of mystery and the call to trust you more. Though we lapse into toddler-like whining and cynical unbelief, in our most Gospel-sane moments we know you "make everything work out according to your plan" (Eph.1:11).    Though our good plans change, your eternal ones stay bedrock and "bankable." Everything in this world that is causing us distress, dismay, and disgust is temporary. For you have set an end date on all dying and death, all mourning and wailing, all wars and "fussin'", all heartaches and heart disease, all political madness, and every malignancy. You are not making "lemonade from lemons;" you are making all things new through Jesus. Hallelujah!    Abba, here is our favorite "quartet" and may their 4-part harmony fill our hearts: Bass – You are God, and we are not. Tenor – The Gospel is true good, and beautiful. Baritone – We are yours by faith and grace. Lead – Jesus is Lord and is coming back right on time. 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.

A BIG-God-Theology + Gospel Resolve

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

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH A BIG-God-Theology + Gospel Resolve SCOTTY SMITH " Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine." (Dan.1:8)    Dear Father, the older I get, the more I'm convicted and encouraged by the life of Daniel and his exiled friends—but more so, I am hyper-encouraged by the way you reveal yourself in this book. May the Gospel bring us all greater freedom to live and love as Daniel and his friends did—with passion, freedom, conviction, and HOPE.    As you know, Abba, I used to read the book of Daniel only as a survival manual for life in a scary, godless world. But it's actually a thriving manual—a book written to give us a BIG-God-theology to live and love to your glory. One Day the entire earth will be filled with the knowledge of your glory, Abba—including Babylon, Russia, Ukraine—even my home state of North Carolina.    Hope—(not hysteria, hyper-ventilating with fear, or hiding) is the calling you have given us—we who have been rescued, redeemed, and "rewired" by the Gospel. So, with a better understanding of the Gospel, here's my prayer, Father: Fill me and my friends with "Gospel-Resolve"—the 100% opposite of self-reliance.    Give us great joy and faithfulness in living out the cosmos-transforming promises of the Gospel. Since Jesus is the emphatic "Yes!" and fulfillment to every promise you have made (2Cor.1:20), we resolve to love Jesus with everything we have and are—filling our minds with Jesus' thoughts, feasting on his incomparable goodness, and seeking to behold more and more of his staggering beauty.    Strengthen us Abba to say No to everything that will diminish and divert our love from Jesus—all overt and covert attacks on our adoration of and devotion to Jesus (2Cor.11:1-3). Free us to say Yes to everything that will increase our knowledge and experience of Jesus' every-dimension love (Eph.3:18-19). 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.

What Might Revival Look Like?

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

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH What Might Revival Look Like? SCOTTY SMITH    " I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me." Song of Songs 7:10    Lord Jesus, the Song of Songs has never been one of the most underlined books in my Bible. It's always seemed a bit odd to me. But the more I look for you in ALL the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27), the more I'm drawn to its startling, scintillating, (dare I say it), sensual imagery. To read Song of Songs is to tap into our deepest longings for intimacy, playfulness, passion, and delight—all of these are an expression of knowing and being known by you.    Indeed, you are the great "Lover" of whom this book speaks. In our best moments, our love for one another is a mere taste, hint, and whisper of the way you love us, Jesus. And we are the "Beloved"—the Bride upon whom you've set your deepest affections, and for whom you've given your very life.    This isn't the Gospel I grew up with, but this   IS the Gospel. To be desired is to be wanted, pursued, and enjoyed. It's to be seen and accepted, known and nourished, remembered and cherished. ALL of this is promised and provided in the Gospel. We believe; free us from our unbelief.    This isn't a silly and sentimental use of the Bible; it's profound and transforming—an echo of the life of Eden, and a preview of the relationship we will enjoy with you, and each other, in the new heaven and new earth. Jesus, it's one thing to rest in your finished work; but another thing to be alive to your present desire for us and delight in us. By your Spirit—thrill, enliven, and renew our heart-relationship with you, Jesus. If this is what is meant by "Revival," then bring revival, Lord—to our hearts and to your church. 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.

TGC Collective is growing—will you go further with us?

We've been moved by the response and inspired by those asking how they can take their support even further.

View in browser Dear First,   Over the past few weeks, we've invited friends of TGC to join TGC Collective, a brand-new community of monthly partners who believe in our mission and have become part of the movement to support our global impact.   We've been moved by the response and inspired by those asking how they can take their support even further.   "What if I want to do more?"   If that's you, if you're looking for a deeper way to come alongside our mission to renew and unify the church, we'd love to invite you to consider joining TGC Collective with a monthly gift of $50 or more.   Your support at this level strengthens every corner of this ministry: Equipping pastors and church leaders with trusted biblical resources Bringing theological clarity to a confused culture Creating tools that help believers stand firm in gospel truth Providing consistent, year-round support for the global church To show our appreciation, we've prepared a few special gifts we'll send to partners throughout the year. These are curated with care and designed to encourage and equip you as we walk together in gospel ministry.   Together, we can help renew and unify the contemporary church in the ancient gospel for generations to come.   Thank you for considering this deeper step. We're grateful to walk alongside you. Join TGC Collective Today In Christ, Mark Vroegop President The Gospel Coalition   Want to talk before committing? For more information about TGC Collective, contact Heather Moseman at heather.moseman@thegospelcoalition.org or 281-759-2318. The Gospel Coalition, PO Box #1637, Columbia, MO 65205 Unsubscribe

What Do You “Over-Want”? Here’s My List

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

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH What Do You "Over-Want"? Here's My List SCOTTY SMITH "Jesus said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed'" (Lk.12:15)   Jesus, the Scriptures are filled with warnings, images, and stories about mishandled desires, good longings getting hijacked by selfishness, and the emptiness of living a restless, driven life. You "nailed" this issue and "upped the ante" when you gave us the warning about guarding against "ALL kinds of greed." When we think of greed, we usually think of it as a money issue. It's not; it's a heart issue. For there are as many "currencies" for which we can be greedy as there are vacuums, holes, and wounds in our hearts. Jesus, when knowing you isn't "enough"—when I'm not content with you and whatever you choose to give me, I can crave all kinds of "stuff" and scenarios. I can "love to be first" like Diotrephes (3Jn.1:9)—first in line, first to be appreciated, first at my favorite fishing spot, first off the plane … first, first, first. Other times I fantasize about having the flexibility of a yoga master, the memory of an elephant, the eyesight of an eagle—so I can more easily tie flies on my fly-fishing leader. Sometimes I over-want to be right, Hugh Grant's hairline, conflict-free relationships, and the metabolism of a French Alps cyclist so I can eat all I want and not gain an ounce. In some seasons and stretches—I'm "greedy" not to get, but to get rid of heart-hurt, unrealistic expectations, and any president that doesn't make me happy. I am a mess, but (hallelujah) I am your mess. Jesus—more, and more so than ever, be my heart-treasure, my utter satisfaction and "portion," my contentment, inheritance, and joy. Only your love is better than life. Only you are enough. 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.

Overflowing with Hope, Joy, and Peace—Please, Jesus

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

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Overflowing with Hope, Joy, and Peace—Please, Jesus SCOTTY SMITH "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13   Lord Jesus, I woke up angry over Russian's ongoing pillaging of Ukraine, heartbroken about friends' (plural) battle with brain cancer, weary of the political immaturity and shenanigans in my own country, and sensitive to how many friends in vocational ministry are spent and in need of a Holy Spirit visitation. But I also woke up to you, and this heart and gut centering verse. So, dear Jesus…    Fill us with hope... the incomparable hope of the Gospel. If we could see, taste, and smell the future you have secured for us, our fears would shrink, our worries would wilt, and our endurance would be recharged. All the brokenness, evil, and madness in our world will be eradicated—for you have defeated all of it and secured the Day of all things new. Fill us with joy... because you pray for our joy (Jn.17:13), and your joy is our strength (Neh.8:10). What kind of joy? The joy of knowing you are with us, for us, and in us. The joy of knowing you love and delight in us just as much as our Father loves and delights in you. The joy of envisioning the Day the entire earth will be filled with your glory and beauty. Make it soon, Jesus.  Fill us with peace... not the peace the world gives, but your peace (Jn.14:27)—the peace that passes all comprehension because it has no comparisons. The peace of knowing you are sovereign over the world's kings, our kids, and every crisis. Peace with you, peace by you, peace in you, the peace of living under your occupied throne and loving smile. Thank you, Jesus, 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.