Good Morning, Blogging Family! This past weekend, we were incredibly grateful to share our testimony in a breakout session at ICPF USA‘s NorCal conference. We learned about this organization through a friend at church who has been involved for most of her life, first as a student and now as Media Director for the NorCal chapter. The theme for this year’s conference was “Unshakeable,” and the key verses were from Hebrews:

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,  for our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28-29

It was a blessing to meet brothers and sisters from not just around the country but around the world, yet experience the sweet and nearly instant bond of fellowship that occurs in the family of God. We were greatly encouraged to see so many families worshiping together, and also meet people from all life stages and backgrounds. As always, our favorite part continues to be hearing testimonies of God’s faithfulness and power in the lives of those we meet!

It has also been encouraging and convicting to meditate on Hebrews 12:28-29 in preparation for the conference. One truth that the Lord continues to impress on my heart (but that did not make it into our talk!) is that our gratitude and worship is based on receiving the kingdom of Heaven. God’s kingdom hinges on His promises, not our perfection. While it is true that He does use us as instruments to accomplish His will in spreading the gospel and building His church, Christ’s atoning work on our behalf was finished 2,000 years ago. Furthermore, even the spread of the gospel and the preservation of the church depend ultimately on God’s Word and Spirit being active. And because of this, in even in the most challenging seasons of our lives, our identity is first “receiver,” then “partner.”

We continue to be so grateful for opportunities to share what God has done and worship with brothers and sisters in Christ from many different backgrounds. Thank you as always for your prayers and we hope this can encourage you as well!