Yes, I was nervous.
I scrolled through the sermon notes on my phone. Worship. Scroll. Sing. Scroll. Pray. Scroll. Click. Off. I had come full circle. I had become that guy. That guy I looked up to in my youth with wide-eyes and fascination, hanging on to every word from his mouth - that crazy guy up there shouting about Jesus, baptizing the youth in the name of the spit, saliva, and sweat. That guy. These are the moments I can physically feel the end of my limits and the only way forward is to fall forward. The rest is trusting in God to do the rest.
I was incredibly blessed by the ministry at Inland. I saw how important the leaders' roles are in setting both a spiritual tone and gravity in the ministry. I also realized how much more work there is to be done in building up a group of wild jr. high students. There's a WHOLE WORLD out there. I am definitely inspired and excited to bring what I learned back home. I learned and received much more from them than I gave. All I can say is, "Thank you." Seriously, so blessed.
Fresh fire. Fresh breath. Fresh eyes. Fresh new chapter.
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
