I’m reading His Excellency by Joseph Ellis, a biography of George Washington. I highly recommend it.

Addressing Army officers on March 16, 1873, Washington paused before his speech and said the following:

“Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray, but almost blind in the service of my country.” pg. 144.

This got me thinking. Washington was obviously a very committed man. I started wondering: what am I willing to do in the service–not just of my country–but of my God? More importantly, what am I willing to give up to better serve the Savior?

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I want to clarify for you some of the details of the year-end event that is happening THIS SATURDAY EVENING, June 11. I can’t wait! We’re going to honor some people and review God’s faithfulness to us in the past year. Here’s what you need to know:

• We’ll get started at 6:30pm. There WILL NOT BE pizza and ping-pong beforehand.
• We’ve decided to make this an ice-cream sundae party. We won’t be serving dinner, so please eat before you come.
• Weather permitting, we’ll play soccer, volleyball, and/or ultimate frisbee. Please come dressed for it! Of course, ping-pong and foosball will be available, too.

Thanks! See you on Saturday!

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Ever think you’ve done something that deserves some recognition? Here’s a quotation to remember for the next time it happens:

“When we have done anything praiseworthy, we must hide ourselves under the veil of humility, and transfer the glory of all we have done to God.” - Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, 17.

What have your parents done to help you grow in humility?

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I just came back from a friend’s wedding in Denver. It reminded me of a trip I took with a friend a few years ago. We drove from Fairfax to Denver, 28 hours straight through.

The funniest thing we saw on that trip was a billboard on the side of a grain elevator out in the middle of nowhere. It said, “Happiness is a crock of beans.” Not much to do out there, I guess.

What’s the longest road trip you’ve taken, and what was the funniest thing you saw?

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“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:15-16.

This is a verse we looked at this morning in Leadership Development. You’ve all grown this past year, and the question is: where will you be when school starts in September? There’s no standing still in the Christian life; you will have either grown in godliness or lost ground. What’s it going to be?

We came up with some ideas for how to use this summer to grow in godliness and “make the best use of the time.”

• Start with a plan. No one drifts towards godliness. Ask your parents what you should do.
• Consider making a schedule. Then, make yourself accountable to your parents for your schedule. (Remember: accountability is something you do to yourself!)
• Read your Bible. Meditate on it. Memorize it. Memorize big chunks. Want to know how to memorize chapters or even whole books of the Bible? John Piper recommends a method in When I Don’t Desire God that I’ve used; check it out on page 122 of the book, or find it here.
• Pray hard. Start a list of people to pray for.
• Serve! Ask your parents how you can be serving around the house.
• Fellas, look for ways to grow in leadership. What can you do to exercise humility, initiative, and passion?
• Other ideas: preach the gospel to unbelievers, keep a journal, get advice from parents.

What are you going to do this summer to “make the best use of the time”? Don’t respond here until you’ve asked your parents about what they think you should do to grow in godliness this summer.

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Ever wonder what your house looks like from a satellite? Google Maps allows you to view any map as a satellite image. Just type an address into the search window and you’ll get a map. Click ‘Satellite’ to get the bird’s eye view.

Click here to see what Sovereign Grace Church looks like from the air. Take a good look at the parking lot in this photo - must have been taken on a Sunday morning.

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Over the next three months, the Summer Reading Challenge is in effect. The idea here is to challenge you to use your summer months constructively and to broaden your horizon a little bit. This summer: I want to introduce you to my friend John Owen. If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ve seen him from a distance. This summer, you get to get acquainted.

Why would we pick an old dead guy? Here are a few reasons:

• We live in a day and age that has all but forgotten the meaning of sin. We need to be instructed and reminded.
• The Puritans were notable in their understanding of how the heart works and how seriously they took sin.
• Owen stands out among the Puritans as clear, compelling, and thorough on this topic and many others.
• Owen is also quite gospel-centered and often reminds us of our need for a Savior.

A couple of tips on reading Owen:

• Read aloud if can.
• Read with a pen in hand. (See my May 16 post.) Star stuff, underline, and write notes and questions in the margin.
• Read slowly and re-read.

So, here are the details. There are two parts to this, and you must do BOTH to complete the Summer Reading Challenge.
1. Choose one of the following:

• Read “Mortification of Sin” (pp. 1-86) of Temptation and Sin by Owen. OR:
• Read ALL of Sin and Tempation, by Owen, edited by James Houston.
• JUNIOR HIGH OPTION: Read ALL of The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard.

2. Read at least one chapter per week of John Piper’s Seeing & Savoring Jesus Christ.

You have to be done by the retreat: August 24. If for some reason you can’t come on the retreat, that’s fine. Just see me or email me before the retreat to tell me that you finished.

Final bit of motivation:
“John Owen’s treatises on Indwelling Sin in Believers and The Mortification of Sin are, in my opinion, the most helpful writings on personal holiness ever written.” —Jerry Bridges.

So, who’s in?

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FOR THE LADIES…
Coming soon: the Girl Talk Blog!

Yes, Nicole and her mom and sisters are creating a Girl Talk Blog. Here’s what it’s about:

Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters are always talking to each other, and now they want to invite you to join their conversation. Their new weblog: ‘Girl Talk: Conversations on Biblical Womanhood and other Fun Stuff’ premieres this month on June 20.

Women of all ages and seasons of life—from preteen girls to single women, from the newly married to grandmothers, and everyone in between—can benefit from Carolyn’s wise counsel, read interviews with other authors, and of course share in the fun and laughter. Most of all, Carolyn, Nicole, Kristin, and Janelle hope you’ll find renewed joy in the gospel and the high calling of biblical womanhood.

Check back here often and I’ll post the address as soon as the blog is up and running!

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