Have you ever thought, at a deep level, about the

things for which you are thankful? Each time I've seen a list, it

is usually composed of materialistic items and it is not typically

very deep. Many times, it is from a 30,000 foot view. I travel a

lot by plane and, I have to admit, I like the view from 30,000

feet. It is beautiful and it allows me to see things in a way I

normally cannot. There is definitely value in that. The problem

with the 30,000 foot view, however, is that I am out of touch with

what is going on below. I am away from the action; I am removed

from what is happening on the ground. We weren't meant to live that

way. We were meant to live in the thick of the ugliness of this

world. If we are following Christ, we will not be happy trying to

stay above the reality of this world. We will want to engage the

world along with all the pain and turmoil that comes along with it.

We will want to engage the world for Christ. This Sunday, we are

going to look at how hard that can be. I am going to lay out the

biblical strategy for how we deal with some very important truths.

I hope you will join me as we lift our Savior on high and rejoice

in His goodness.