...all things were created through him and for him.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV)

My perception of time is awful, especially when it relates to my growth in understanding theological truths, and so I really can't tell you how long it's been but for some time now (maybe a year or two) I have been growing in my awareness - at least intellectually and thankfully somewhat experientially - of the reality that "all things were created through [Christ] and for [Christ]."

This God-revealed reality has far reaching implications for all of life. I thought about listing several facets here but really it is best summed up in the phrase all of life.

Specifically, for myself, one thing it has profoundly affected is my understanding of and the direction pursued in ministry. Even more particularly, in preaching and teaching and pastoral counseling.

Several years ago I read Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching and though I would have told you that it was an excellent read and commended it to all, I really can say, looking back, that I didn't quite get it. More recently, the means God has used to "open my eyes" to the need for Christ-centeredness has been: reading the Puritans (especially Owen and Edwards), the preaching of Dr. Arturo Azurdia (especially his two part sermon The Ultimate Hermeneutic), the lectures of the late Dr. Edmund Clowney and the not so late (i.e. still living) Dr. Tim Keller on Preaching Christ in a Post-Modern World (available through RTS at iTunes U), Dr. Kim Riddlebarger's series entitled Amillenialism 101, and the book I am presently reading Him We Proclaim, authored by Dennis E. Johnson.

That said, this is the purpose of this blog. To share my mediations on christifying (a term I borrow from Bruce Waltke - oh yeah, add him to the list above) all of life. It will no doubt be updated very sporadically - especially when I get back to work (I work full time concrete construction when the season and economy permits). I have attempted to blog several times before and it never pans out - time really does not permit it for me it seems. But, Lord willing, I will keep this one alive and simply update it whenever I can.

In Christ,
Matt