This is the first post of this sort on our blog. The way you can interact with others is to follow the blog entry from top to bottom and then post a comment about what you read. Each entry will be a devotional done by one of our pastors.  Here is how each entry is broken down.  Since we are dealing with God's Word we begin by reviewing the possible outcomes of our interaction with God's Word.  We call these our expectations.  After we meditate on the various expectations we should have as we approach God's Word we then pray to God using the IOUS format (thanks to desiring God). When we are finished praying we read the passage and then jot down our thoughts. After that we revisit our expectations and see which ones God has fulfilled in us with the particular passage we read. The pastor will post his interaction with the passage and you can contribute through your comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Date: May 25, 2010

:Expectations:
1. Convict me of sin. 2. Call me to serve.
3. Command me to change 4. Cause me to praise
5. Challenge me to sacrifice. 6. Compel me to pray.

:Prayer:

I - (Incline!)

Our souls need an inclination toward God and His Word.
Ask God to take your heart and create desires
that are not normally there (Psalm 119:36).

O - (Open!)
We need to have the eyes of our hearts opened
so that when our inclination leads us to the Word,
we see what is really there, and not just our own ideas (Psalm 119:18).

U - (Unite!)
Our hearts are badly fragmented.
Parts of it are inclined, and parts of it are not.
We long for a united heart where all the parts say a joyful Yes!
to what God reveals in His Word (Psalm 86:11).

S - (Satisfy!)
What we really want from all this engagement
with the Word of God and the work of His Spirit
is for our hearts to be satisfied with God.
(Psalm 90:14)

:Text:

Ephesians 3:8
To Me the least of saints this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

:Thoughts:

The riches of Christ are certainly unsearchable. As I think on the unsearchable riches of Christ the depth of His mercy and grace seem all the more glorious as I contrast them to myself, the least of all saints. How can I, a servant of such a generous God, any longer content myself with the things of this world? How can I not be about "my Father's business?" To me, and indeed to all those that God has called out of this world, God has given the privilege of preaching the gospel (the unsearchable riches of Christ) to the world. I will try to always have the unsearchable riches of Christ in mind so that I will be more inclined to preach those riches to others.  After all God has been merciful to me, a sinner (Luke 18:13)!

:Expectations Met:

1. Oh Lord forgive us when, by our actions and lusts, we diminish the value of the gospel.
2. Help us to serve by being faithful in passing on what we have received so freely from You.
3. Father as you have shown us our need for change we pray that you give us the strength to fulfill that which you command.
4. Father, we praise you for the gloriously wonderfully unsearchable riches that are ours in Christ.