What I'm Grateful For in 2023
At the end of December 2023 on the weekly podcast with Benjamin Kreps, I spoke about how good God has been to our family of churches over the last year and recounted a few of these blessings that I’m so grateful for. Here’s a summary of what I shared with Ben. To watch or listen to the full podcast or read the complete transcript, see the link to the podcast below.
I'm grateful for the pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches who have a clear commitment to gospel centrality reflected in a gospel culture that is captured in our seven shaping virtues: humility, joy, gratitude, generosity, encouragement, servanthood, godliness. It is really the fruit of the gospel and God's power at work in us through the spirit to transform us and make us more like Christ. It's an amazing work and God deserves all the glory.
I’m really grateful for the number of new Christians, new believers, that I've met in Sovereign Grace churches and it's such a joy to interact with them. And you can see the impact that has on a congregation that someone new in Christ is among them and their own love for Christ affects all the others who have been loving Christ for years and it just makes it exponentially greater.
Another thing I'm grateful for is how God has continued to give us opportunities to plant churches and partner with churches throughout the world. We have churches in about 20 different nations now. And it's just been a wonderful season for us to expand globally and to see how God is using our churches throughout the world to advance the gospel. Another evidence of that this year, our Council of Elders voted that Mexico become the first ecclesiastical nation outside the United States.
I thank God for the young people in our churches. I see younger generations of people, the teen years into the twenties and early thirties, who really love Jesus and are excited about the work of the gospel and love their Sovereign Grace churches. It really is encouraging to see and evidence that we might be a multi-generational family of churches, by the grace of God. So I'm very grateful to God for the young people in our churches.
Another thing I'm grateful for is the pastors of Sovereign Grace who faithfully preach sound doctrine and build their churches on sound doctrine. And that's not easy to do right now in this cultural moment. So not only for the theological precision in preaching, but the courage to preach it. And brothers, pastors in Sovereign Grace, you have done that well and I thank God for you. And it’s just one of the many evidences of the grace of God on your lives.
I'm also grateful for our commitment to build together relationally as a family of churches. When we codified the BCO and approved it in 2013, we became a denomination. But since then we've continued to build relationally. And I think that's always marked us. And it's something that makes doing gospel ministry together sweeter and just so much better. And so that is the grace of God on our lives. It's another expression of his goodness towards us.
I thank God for the wives of the pastors in Sovereign Grace Churches. These ladies are the real heroes in Sovereign Grace. Not because of how they selflessly serve in their homes and also in the church, but how they also pray for their husbands, encourage their husbands, and speak truth to their husbands. And so I'm just very grateful for their love for their husbands, service to them, and willingness to speak truth to them. And that has only strengthened us.
One other thing; I want to express gratitude for you, Ben. Thank you for doing this podcast with me yet again another year. I believe we've probably recorded 50 podcasts this year, and I just thank God for how you make it so much better. And thank you for making the time and the effort to do this. We both have said that we do this podcast to serve the pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches and I'm so glad I get to do that with you. So thank you.