Are you living the Gospel Explicitly?

I just finished reading the book Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler,  I highly reccomend this book. The book is a great read that can challenege you. Matt Chadler is one the greatest Bible preaching preachers in America today.
The word Explicit does not mean vulgar or unclean language that we see music ablums title as explicit due to thier vulgarity.  The word Explicit actually means to be clearly stated, or to make clear.  The Main point in this post is to challenge you to think is your life stating the gospel clearly for others to see.
Chandler breaks the book into two main parts. One of them being the Gospel on the Ground, and the second one being the Gospel in the Air.  The ground really hits who God, Man, Christ, and the response to that are.  The Air talks about the works of the latter.   The main thing I want to bring up is there is a danger of focus on just one of these things and not the other.   Yes it is important to focus on  who God is, and where we are, and that we are washed and clensed by the redeming blood of Christ.  We are not called just to focus on those things and keep them to ourselves.  I am a big fan of grace, God saved me from my sin past present and future, eventhough I was deserving of death. He chose myself and fellow believers before the foundation of the earth, to be adopted as his children through the redeeming works of Jesus Christ. I am very reformed in my belief, my close friends know that about me.  But it does not change the fact the Jesus' last words to his Disciples  was to go make disciples.  We are called to spread the gospel.  If you are truly a disciple of Christ you are to make Disciples. Because Disciples make Disciples   it is just a fact!   Sometimes we get to caught up in the works of serving people and caring for them that we do not tell them about who Jesus is and his redeeming work.  Some of us think if we do everything God tells us to do that can merit for our salvation.  (Phariasees thought this)  NEWS FLASH  we are not saved by our works!!!    Paul writes in Ephesians 2 (my favorite chapeter in the Bible)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 NIV)
Our works do not save us, we are saved by the Grace of God throught the redeeming works of Christ.  We do works because we are saved. we are not saved because we do works.
My main challenege to you is to read this book.  Also remember why you are doing the works that you are doing   remember who God is, and he saved you when you were dead in your sins. Spread the Gospel.  May you life clearly Explictly explain the Gospel to the world around you.

Well im back

Wow! I created this blog years ago with the intentions of it becoming a new hobby. Well with the business of school, during that certain period of my life, my life as a blogger died.  Well i have decided to start again.

So life since my last blog then we will get into some serious stuff. I Graduated Ouachita Baptist University, where I earned my degree in Christian Studies. I have been out of school since May. I also now have a full time job where I am the Student Pastor. I  love my job!  I also love my Alma Mater, Ouachita was my dream school from the time I was just little kid. All of those dreams came true as I got an amazing theological education, from some of the brightest, most caring, wonderful Professors on this planet. I was blessed with two years of studying under them. I feel like they have equipped me greatly in ministry. If you are looking to major in Christian Studies in college I recommend you check out Ouachita Baptist.

Now to my life now. As I drink my cup of coffee and ponder what to write about, I have decided to tell you a little about my ministry.  I have been the student pastor here for a little over two months. The major thing I want to blog about is our new theme and what it really means. So for about A week I created a logo and pondered the name of the student ministry. I had already picked out the verse


Yes,  Lord , walking in the way of your laws,    we wait for you;  your name and renown  are the desire of our hearts. (Isaiah 26:8 NIV)

Then I pondered the name of the theme. I came up with the word Illuminate. So the ministry is now called Illuminate student ministry. With Isaiah 26:8 as the key verse.   This verse really hits that we live the way that will glorify God, the way that he has called us to live.  The number one desire of our life should be to live and to glorify God with all that we are.  For his glory and to make his name famous should be our desire.

My last semester of college I was reading a book by Jim Badke and he said some words that really resonated with me. Badke  wrote "So you are a Christian you say? But are you someone that the word describes as a Christian or are you someone that describes Christ to the world?" I pray that myself and my students and you as well, will become someone who describes Christ in this Darken world.   Not to be the watered down american view of a "Christian" but to be what the bible calls us to be, which is to be a Disciple of Christ. Truly following him.
And lastly why the word Illuminate? Well the Idea of this word comes from a great musical artist Phil Wickham. He says if God is the sun then he wants to be the moon.  Here is a little bit of science for you.  The moon does not produce light in and of itself. What the moon truly does is reflect the light of the sun. It is used to illuminate the sun's light in this dark word (or night time). So I challenge my kids, you, and myself  to become like the moon. Not reflecting the Sun but reflecting the SON who is Jesus Christ. We illuminate who Jesus is to this world that we live in.  
The last quote and thing I will leave you with comes from one of the biggest spiritual and all around influences in my life. This man told would tell me these words "you may be the only Jesus that some people have ever known."-Jim McMickle (my father)   So life the way that people will see Christ through you.
Thank you for reading
DJ McMickle.