A New Start

In the last few months I have noticed some changes in my heart.  Some things that were not important to me before now seem critical.  Some things that I had never noticed before are now visible.  I feel like I have been asleep and now I am waking up.  And it all began with a "Why not?"

After our church split, a group of people who had left along with us, started a small group with the vision of studying God's word and reaching out to those in need.  That sounded like a nice way to get involved in the community as well as have Christian fellowship during the time where we were searching for a church, so we said "why not?" 

In this group we started watching the Radical series by pastor David Platt.  I began really studying some of the harder things that Jesus said during his ministry on Earth.

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:33

To those who do not feed the hungry and clothe the naked, Jesus says, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." - Matthew 25:41

Now before anyone gets nervous, I do not espouse a works-based Christianity.  Nothing you can do, no amount of feeding the poor, can ensure your salvation.  Salvation is by faith alone.  However, I started asking myself - how can I claim to know God and ignore what Jesus said just because it is difficult?

Before I started this study, I knew you were supposed to be generous and help those in need, but I never realized how important it is to Jesus.  I never thought of it as a sin of omission.

Through this study I feel like my eyes are being opened.  God is taking me through a journey of sanctification and it has only just started, but I want to share it.  Hopefully my journey will not end with Radical; I pray that God will strip away my blindness and give me a glimpse through His eyes.  So my purpose for this blog is to share what I am learning, sort through difficult concepts, and raise awareness for God's causes.  However, since this is my blog, I reserve the right to periodically post a recipe or a life update, or a funny story. Because I can.

To end, I will share with you a song that has spoken to me and inspired the title of this blog.

Looked down from a broken sky

Traced out by the city lights

My world from a mile high

Best seat in the house tonight

Touched down on the cold black tar

Hold on for the sudden stop

Breathe in the familiar shock

Of confusion and chaos

All those people going somewhere

Why have i never cared?

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so i can see

Everything that i keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the one's forgotten

Give me your eyes so i can see

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath