June 20th Already?

Sorry I haven't been updating much, things have been pretty crazy here. In a good way mostly. I've been working at McDonald's as I said last time. The work isn't really hard and it's actually pretty fun a lot of the time, it's just that I've never worked a full time job before. So that's the only real physical struggle with the job; it's just constant work. I love it though. I really do enjoy working hard, even if I complain about it a little. I enjoy the feeling of having accomplished something and actually worked for my wage.
I was working at McDonald's with my roommate Robert, but unfortunately Robert was fired due to a poor attitude and has subsequently left Beach Project. Please keep him in your prayers that God would work on his heart and help him to have an attitude in line with the gospel. Living with him wasn't exactly easy, but it was a good experience. The Lord really used his presence to expose sin in my life. It really clicked when the preacher from Safe Harbor Presbyterian (UNA's church) paraphrased one of Jonathan Edwards' resolutions as "Resolved, whenever I see sin in another's life to use it as an opportunity to examine myself and repent of that same sin." So in living with Robert, the Lord was gracious to expose a lot of pride and sin in my own life.
Pride seems to be a big issue with me so far this summer. I'm learning a lot of how to be more of a servant to others and put others in front of myself in a real way and not in a way where I really want to be praised from my humility. The words from Surrender All by Sovereign Grace Music are my prayer for this summer, "Take all my cravings for vain recognition, fleshly indulgence and worldly ambition. I want so much Lord to make You the focus, to serve You in secret and never be noticed." I'm seeing more and more of how wretched I am, but the gospel seems sweeter everyday.
Besides the whole ordeal with Robert, everything's really great. I'm enjoying it a lot down here. Tonight we're having a project dinner, then D-Group, then going to a relationship seminar which I look forward to very much. I hope you're all having a grand time and that the Lord is bringing you closer to Himself.

I Am What I Am

Well, today is Friday, June 3rd (my birthday). We made it down Wednesday with no real difficulty and got all settled in and met our roommates. I have four roommates: Robert Yarborough, Will Richardson, and Matt Wambles who is our room leader. On Summer Beach Project there are many levels of leadership. I am at the bottom tier, a disciple. Above me is my room leader who serves as our discipleship leader and big brother type person. Above him is our team leader who serves as the discipleship leader for all the room leaders in our team. The you get into the staff.
It's been a lot of fun so far. Wednesday night we just kinda got to know each other and had a scavenger hunt. Then Thursday we began job hunting. Robert and I got a job at a McDonald's in a Walmart in Destin. I'm looking forward to beginning work. Then later that night we had a rally with a talk by the project director Seth. Seth gave a talk on the theme verse for Summer Beach Project is. Our theme verse for the summer is 1 Corinthians 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me". It was a wonderful talk on what the grace of God in the gospel is and how that relates to our identity. We often times find our identity in our possessions, our personality, our family, or a million other things, but as a Christian, who we are ought to be based in and wrapped up in the grace of God in the Gospel. We ought not to say, because of my personality I am who I am, but by the grace of God I am what I am. I'm looking forward to hearing more on this topic and applying it throughout the summer. 
Please keep me in your prayers this summer as I seek to love God more, seek to love the guys in my room more, seek to serve them more, seek to make God's name more known.
May the Lamb who was slain receive the full reward of His suffering!

And We're Off

I'm so excited about Summer Beach Project happening today. It's been a crazy year at UNA and I'm very thankful the Lord led me to visit Redeemer Presbyterian, that He led me to sit next to my friend (not at the time) Jacob Oldfield, that He led him to talk to me about Campus Outreach, and that He brought me there and introduced all sorts of amazing people into my life. And of course that chain of events led to me getting up this morning at 4:30 to ride for 8 hours down  to Florida for Summer Beach Project. I can't wait to be a year down the road from today and see God's amazing sovereignty and wisdom as He works this summer to make Himself known to me more and to make Himself known to others through me. I'll keep this blog updated throughout the summer, hopefully regularly. Keep me in your prayers and may our Lord bless you all.