Seeing Sin for What it Really Is

The past few weeks I have been reading The Mortification of Sin by John Owen. It has been so convicting and challenging. It's funny how the Lord seems to teach me something specific over a period of time through His Word, books, people, and circumstances. In the few weeks leading up to Hilton Head and since I have been here the Lord has been showing me the seriousness of my sin. I have begun to see specific sin patterns in my life and to develop an intense desire to put my sin to death so that I might not grieve the Holy Spirit. The Lord has also been showing me my need to invite close friends into my life to correct and rebuke me in love. I love Hebrews 3:13, "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." So often we are blind to the sin in our own lives that others see clearly.

A few excerpts from The Mortification of Sin that have challenged me the most are:
"...always be killing sin or it will be killing you."

"A person who seeks peace on any account and is content to live away from the love of God in this life, so long as it does not mean a final separation, shows that his love for sin exeeds his love for God." -->In what areas does my love for sin exceed my love for God?

"Do I count fellowship with Him of so little value that, for this vile lust's sake, I have hardly left Him any room in my heart?"

I am so thankful for the Lord's patience and compassion towards me. I long for the day when I will know God fully and will experience Him completely.

Here's how you can be praying for me while I'm in Hilton Head:
-Pray for the outreaches we will be having every Saturday, that every student would form relationships and have opportunities to share the gospel.
-Pray that I would begin my job soon and that I would be a light to my co-workers. Please please be praying for this, I long to be able to share the gospel with them but I know that it is going to be a challenge during the business of waitressing.
-Pray that I would be intentional about the time I have here: spending a lot of time in the Word and bulding meaningful relationships with my fellow teammates.
-Pray for Crosspoint Bluffton and their next preview service in a few weeks.

Finally, here's a few fun pictures from the past week in Hilton Head:

Crosspoint Bluffton's first baptism


Peg came to visit, what a blessing :)


I get to spend all summer with these amazing, Godly women :)


We're trouble!


April and Ronnie at a block party outreach


Crosspoint Bluffton's focus is going to be reaching out to families with young children


Tara and I at our bowling social