This past Sunday, our whole family sat on the couch, nursing colds and exhaustion. Instead of going to church, we watched Mark Driscoll’s recent sermon about the 3rd Commandment. As always, listen until the very end. Your heart will melt, throb, kneel, and wonder… in reverence for God.

Not related to the 3rd Commandment: One part of his sermon inadvertantly addressed my fear of teaching the Bible.

Driscoll showed a photo of himself several years ago, preaching a sermon series called “Vintage Jesus”. In the photo, he was wearing a T-shirt with the word “JESUS” on it and a screen printing of a man’s face (presumably Jesus). He said that, since that sermon, his conviction about reverencing Jesus has grown so much that he wouldn’t wear that T-shirt today. (And not just because it doesn’t fit him any more.) He humbly explained that Christians are ever-growing, and that God gives us grace so to keep learning.

Driscoll’s example was particularly sweet to me as I prepare a chapel talk for the Christian high school where I originally taught something totally wrong from the Bible. Yup, as I embark on this venture with God, my first opportunity “just happens to be” a return visit to the place where I got spooked about teaching the Bible in the first place.

Eight years ago, I promised myself I would never teach at Chapel again because I felt wrecked for teaching something so blatantly wrong to impressionable students. But, God has poured His grace into my heart and shown me that it’s not the end of the world. What I’ve forgotten is that in the same hour of misspeaking on God’s behalf, I was able to correct the wrong teaching in front of the students and take full responsibility for getting it wrong. I emphasized the truth so that they wouldn’t be confused. They asked some questions and then… they were over it. They probably haven’t thought about it since. But sheesh, it’s taken me a bit longer to shake off. The staff are happy to have me return (and would have been happy to have me back the day after I messed up… they are so gracious).

I believe that this is the door that God has opened for me. So, here I go.

Would you pray for me as I walk in the grace that God gives to each of us?

It’s the grace to learn, to grow, and to move forward victoriously in Christ.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” 2 Corinthians 2:14