Apply the Messages (Shave Your Head)
Jun. 6 2007
So I’m sitting here sifting through old emails about the 07 conference. To say that God blew away our expectations is the understatement of a lifetime. Wasn’t God so good to us to meet us in worship and to instruct us from his word?
Now we get to enjoy it even more by stewarding the teaching we received. Let’s be doers of the word. So how are we going to apply what we’ve learned?
Well, I immediately applied the teaching by shaving my head. Yep, shaved it all off. CJ said something about men not having comb-overs. Now to my credit I did not have a comb over. I had a “foam over.” It’s a “push all the hair you have left forward” over. I figured I needed to shave my head again when my close friend Kerrin called me Donald Trump. That was painful.
Right now the message I am in the midst of applying is Pipers message on personal obedience. I was cut to the heart when he talked about those who try to pay back God for his grace. That was me to the core.
So now step one for me every morning I wake up is to remind myself that I am a debtor to mercy and that the greatest way I can pay him back is to ask for more grace. Wow, that was a powerful moment for me.
The next step for me is to pray and ask God how specifically I try to pay back him for his grace. Is it through my pursuit of sanctification? Is it through my good works and acts of obedience? Is it in my evangelism or spiritual disciplines? I don’t know specifically how it does motivate me but I am really looking forward to God’s spirit making it clear. I’m already experiencing the peace and joy of trusting in Christ and his work. The gospel is so amazing.
So here is my encouragement as far as application: Pick one message this weekend to listen to again. Take out a pencil. Listen. Write notes. Ask God to lead you to one bit of truth you want to apply to one bit of your life. Then at an appropriate time tell a friend about your plan.
Application is great. Doing the word is where pleasure is cultivated and joy is to be had!
-eric