“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’” Jeremiah 1:7

Every one of us has a counter-argument to the call of God. “No, Lord. I am only a _________.” But what God said to Jeremiah he says to you: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). You don’t define yourself. God does. And he never has a trivial thought. He’s not capable of it.

God also said, “To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8). You have been sent into this world by God. You have a mission. He handmade you for it. He is with you every day to deliver you. Do not be afraid.

To fulfill your destiny, you don’t need to mimic someone else’s identity, someone who seems to matter more than you do. The you that you are by creation and redemption in Christ – that basic you is not fundamentally a problem; that you is fundamentally a strategy.

Being who you are is a privilege from God. Trust him. Rise up and serve him, as only you can. (Ray Ortlund, You)

by Richard Shin

The quote above seems timely as the Eastbay church plant is about to begin and as many consider the Los Angeles plant as well.

Here are your weekly links.

• It’s Pastor Appreciation Month. You won’t find it in your typical calendar, but it’s a much deserved form of recognition for the shepherd who labors for their flock. In honor of the pastor, Deep Roots Library is giving away free books. There’s an encouraging video that introduces the the giveaway. Be sure to go here.
• This past Tuesday, the Pew Research Center released a study on the rise of secularism and the decline of protestant Christianity. It’s a sobering reality that we are now a minority.
• Many would argue Jonathan Edwards was the greatest thinker our country has ever produced. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to share his works easily on your phone? Well, there’s an app for that.
• Nathan Busenitz has an article on the differences between the Roman Catholic Church and protestant Christianity regarding soteriology, the study of salvation. See the side-by-side (actually, top-down) comparison between the two ideologies and the corroborating evidence for each one.
• David Powlison, a leading figure in biblical counseling, has a series of Q&A going on the CCEF blog. So far there are two articles (part 1 and part 2).
• Since Phil Johnson’s departure from the Internet, Team Pyro has been posting his “best of Phil” weekly series. Here, he talks about having the right kind of passion. Do you know what that is? If not, you should read this.

That’s it for now. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Coram Deo