A Sunday Afternoon Post

Today was my last day teaching 2nd grade. It was a great blessing to see some of the impact the Lord has given me with the children. I've been with my 2nd graders for two years, so Ive seen some of them just grow and mature. I've been blessed to have earned the respect of most of them after many months work. I am going to miss them SO much - I know many of them are not saved and I just feel a burden to see them come to Christ. I hope some day some of them will come to me and tell their testimonies of God's salvation. I do trust that my Father will grant salvation to some of them. What a blessed day it will be to hear the work of my Lord in their lives. Maybe in a year, maybe in five years, maybe when I'm much older. It saddens me so much to not be able to teach them the Word, but I have great hope that the Spirit that causes change and growth is going to work!



My kids are so dear to me, I've been so blessed to have taught them for so long. We often think of serving as doing things for God, as blessing others. But, the Lord has used my service in teaching these kids to bless me so abundantly! In being faithful to serve each Sunday Ive seen the Lord give grace to persevere and provide energy. In being faithful to discipline the children when its hard Ive seen the Lord change hearts through his Word. Life is difficult, life is hard, adults are caught up in the worries of today. The business and academic world are abstact and brutal. But kids are honest, kids are joyful, kids are forgiving. What an amazing joy its been to work with them! I have learned so much through having to teach the Word almost every week. Studying Scripture to teach, meditating and praying for the lessons has taught me so much about the Lord and about his works. I've been challenged, convicted, and encouraged by the lessons I've had to prepare. God has so faithfuly used the Word to work in my own life as I've sought to share it with my kids.

I will now be helping out with leadership in kids ministry. When I announced to my class that I'd be leaving the classroom to help oversee the ministry my little brother Jared stood up and gave me a fist bump and said, 'That's awesome Mr. Matt, be a leader.' I was encouraged by that. I won't get to interact with the kids much, but hopefully what I will be doing will impact many of their lives. And eternal impact is what's important.

Had lunch with my brother. We just spent a good time talking about the future and life. Life is busy, life is now. But, God is with us today and gives so much grace always! It was good to be encouraged by his example of steadfastness, perseverence, prayer, love. I am very, very thankful for my brother. I am truly blessed by the Lord to have a friend who offers encouragement based on the Word, who loves in Christ, and whose main desire is to see the Lord honored with his life.

To finish... work hard for the glory of Christ! What we do today has eternal consequences. May the Lord bring salvation to the kids who are lost, and bring maturity to those who are saved!

In the Beginning of the End

Well, two weeks down.

Its been quite a while since I've posted here. About 8 months. Wow, no one is probably checking anymore, but I thought I'd write anyway.

I finished my second week of what will, Lord willing, be my last semester in grad school. Its going to crazy. About 75 books, 2 extremely difficult tests, and a multitude of ariticles, papers, and assignments. So far this has been a very awesome semester of homework, though. haha! I'm taking classes on modern German history, Byzantium, nineteenth century world, and taking my tests in modern American and Soviet. In each I get to look at church history! Its so incredible! In what seems like such a field dominated by secular interests I have seen Christ honored in each of my classes in readings. German: God's providence in the translation of the Bible into the vernacular, and the rediscovery of Biblical salvation. Byzantine: despite the hypocracy and blaspheme of the time, the Lord still honored his name in various ways. World: I get to write a paper on English missionaries in South Africa, New Zealand, China, and India. In my research I'm reading 1800s journals of missionaries seeing the mighty hand of God working to bring children to himself. Soviet: the good old Soviets tried to kill god. They failed. God is alive and powerful. Modern US: I get to study church history from 1865-present. Despite the liberal theology that has grasped our faith today and despite the arguement that there are more atheists and less believers - God has preserved his church and true believers through each and every generation.

I think of Eph 3: Now to him who is able to do far more adundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Oh the blessings of studying history! Who can claim that it is dull? It is the workings of our great God who is constantly revealing himself to generation after generation of those saved by grace. History is not fatalistic - it has an ending. Its ending is the complete glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In church I am moving towards ministry towards teachers instead of the children. As of today I will no longer be teaching regularily. Oh, I had a blessed 'last' day of teaching! God is good! My children asked me some amazing questions, and God gave me wisdom and passion to answer their questions. We talked on the giving of the Word, the preservation of the Word, the humility of Christ, and the judgment in the end days and the glory that will given to Christ! Kind of broad, but the Spirit was moving the lessons along so well. I have seldom seen the children ask questions like today, and I have seldom had verses and answers come to powerfully. God was at work today! We made palm branches in class to act out the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. My brothers and sisters reading this - please ponder how utterly amazing it will be to honor Christ in all his majesty when he returns!

There have been trials and hardships this month, the rejection of Christ by several of my friends, sickness, business. But, God is a faithful fortress and shield and a help and a rock to those that run to him! Psalm 18.

Solo deo gloria.