i was thinking yesterday that i'd really like to go over the stuff from engage. it really cut me to the heart, and it's already faded into blurred half-memories.
which isn't the best.
i also need to clean my desk. i tried to find my notes from engage, and my workspace is exploding with paper. ee.

driscoll's first talk.
worship is both gathered and scattered. i can't quite remember, but i think he meant that we worship when we gather together, but we also worship when we disperse into the workplace and ascribe Him all the glory in everything we do, whilst witnessing to others through that.
1 cor 10.31: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
on a side note, i was chatting with a friend last night about something that's been on my mind quite a bit. about how the EU has a culture of not caring about studying. of course, there are great ministries to be involved in at EU. but when that means that people begin to be sloppy, and lazy, when it comes to their studies... i think it discredits them to their tutors and their classmates, and sends the wrong message about who God is. cultivating faithfulness in whatever circumstance you've been placed in is really important if we are going to reflect God to those around us through our lives.

back to driscoll. i love the doxology at the end of romans 11. he drew the link from v36 which i'd never really looked at in that way. 'For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!' TO HIM are all things. ALL THINGS. that we can bring Him glory in ALL THINGS should really shake up our mentality towards our work.

he introduced this equation, that glory + sacrifice = worship.
who or what is in the position of glory in your life, and who you make sacrifices for is a pretty accurate indicator of what you're worshipping.

the Trinity is unceasingly pouring themselves out to one another. we are made in His image. we are made to give ourselves away.

our deepest desire. when the Hly Spirit takes up residence in us, because He has been pouring Himself out for Jesus for all eternity, He inclines us to do the same.

driscoll pointed out that we often create functional saviours for ourselves, to get us out of a particular hell and into a particular heaven. e.g. from singlenes to a relationship. the exchange for a lie of the truth spoken about in romans 1.

1. what do you long for most? we often worship good things as God things. we invest in things and expect them to provide a satisfaction that they never ever could.
2. where do you run to when the bottom drops out of life?
3. what makes you angry with God? Yahweh doesn't exist to serve our false gods. He doesn't exist to provide us with all our distorted desires. so when we get angry with Him for not giving us those things... we need to remember that He alone is what we will find our satisfaction in. that His glory is what we were designed to worship and delight in.
4. what do you make sacrifices for? where is your time spent? all for leisure? do you have a sabbath? where is your time, money and emotion invested?
5. whose approval do you seek? we should have eyes for only one Person and one Day.
6. what makes you happiest? even amidst suffering, the Spirit enables us to joyfully worship.

his next talk was on john 6. i can't be bothered to write all the things he said, but a few points...
that when adam and eve were naked and felt no shame, he suggested that people often mistake shame for excitement. that sometimes sin IS an adrenaline rush.
that satan baits our hook with whatever will reel us in.
that our first experience will set the normative trend, and set in motion a pattern. that what is normative shapes your desire. it's as though we're thirsty, but drinking from the toilet.
that when you idolise your spouse, it will destroy them. God never fails, never sins, is always perfect. YOUR SPOUSE IS NOT. you effectively put them in an impossible situation because they will never measure up to what our hearts were designed to worship - Beauty, Truth, and Perfection. being like Christ is towards the Church.
that marriage is sanctifying. to make you holy, not just happy.

a few questions were asked...
the difference between the accusations of Satan and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, is that Satan mimicks God and confuses those with a tender conscience, exchanging conviction which compels repentence, for condemnation which is simply guilt. that conviction is the Father disciplining, and condemnation is Satan whispering 'you're no good'. we need to be aware of his schemes if we are to not be tricked [2cor2.11] in this spiritual battle [eph6]. we need to immerse ourselves in God's Word, so that we might KNOW the sound of His voice.