Grace amazing. God amazing. God is choosing to use our fellowship and it is such an glorious reality that He is using us to REVEAL Himself, His life, His purposes and His ways. We have this incomprehensible treasure that is held in us, as a jar of clay. It is absolutely crazy that God fully intends to use us to show that His all-surpassing greatness is for His glory alone and not for ours. We are fixing our eyes and our hearts and our passions and our purposes on God's great glory. His glory far outweighs any small aspiration or trouble or persecution or pain or suffering or sorrow that I face on this planet. (2 Cor 4.7 - 18)

You know, I really did not realize that this weekend was going to be an amazing celebration of God's grace in the life of EBC. We celebrated Christ! Christ has been....

- free to use us in Port St. Joe. We stepped into a move of God and reached kids... families...and encouraged a church (Faith Bible Church). We are praying that God will live and move and have His being in the life of this church. They are broadening vision and taking steps to reach the next generation. Pray for Faith Bible... for Michael and Audra as they lead.

- free to amplify His name in Brazil. The team has returned... a house church is planted in the interior. The vision is not clear. God's heart to reach this part of the world is clear. I cannot wait to process with Bruce and Rhonda in days to come.

- free to send a team to England Thursday. More kids. More families. More fun as Christ is magnified through a Vacation Bible School. Pray for Grace Fellowship as they host a beautiful and Christ-exalting VBS.

- free to grow and to change and to deepen our students in the knowledge of God's grace and truth. Perhaps my favorite line of the entire weekend was written by one of our students as she described the last night on the mission trip. She said, 'a group of us gathered and chilled on 72 verses that were recorded. Our favorite verse was from Philippians, that we would 'become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in which we shine like stars in the universe." She said that we also liked... and she typed about 15 other verses and 10 or so books of the Bible. I LOVE our students!

- Finally, Christ felt free to display His life and His transformation through baptism. Baptism amazes me. To be immersed in; made new by; freed by; saved through the blood and water of Jesus Christ is simply overwhelming. He is good. He is good. His love endures forever!

May we find such satisfaction as we reveal Him. Christ alone.

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark