As a teacher, the greatest emphasis in our lesson preparation is spending time in heart preparation. I found these words from Pastor C. J. Mahaney to be especially helpful this week:
I received another recent expression of thanks from a man who concluded his letter with these words: “I am amazed by the power of the gospel over and over, and have increased in my own love of the Savior. I can’t believe that I have been saved from what I deserve.” Amazed by the power of the gospel, over and over—can you say those words about your own experience as well? Do you continue to find your salvation an incredible miracle as you recall the judgment you genuinely deserve? If not…what can bring about a change? What is it that can make the gospel of God and His grace more deeply and consistently amazing to us? In our busy lives, how can we more often be gripped by gratitude and enflamed in passion for the Savior…and cast off lukewarmness and dullness in our spiritual experience? For me, grace is never more amazing than when I’m looking intensely at the cross, and I believe the same will be true for every child of God. There’s nothing more overpowering and captivating to the soul than to climb Calvary’s mountain with childlike attentiveness and wonder, with all the distractions and wrong assumptions cleared away.
(Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, copyright©2006, pages 20-21)
(Image courtesy of Graur Codrin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
