Visit From Friends

This past weekend, my good friend Nathan White and his wife Courtney (pictured on the right) visited Abby and me at our home in Auburn, Alabama.

This was a great time with friends- among other things, we went to see the new Chronicles of Narnia movie (a great review of this movie may be found on the blog of Christian musician Steve Camp), we discussed eschatology quite a bit (this conversation was prompted by comments on a recent blogpost by Tim Brown, who is an elder at a Reformed Baptist church congregation), and we worshipped at Grace Heritage Church, where Abby and I are blessed to be members.

Abby and I are very much thankful to God for the friendship of Nathan and Courtney White. I met Nathan "accidently" (that is, completely by God's providence) one night at Borders Cafe when he was visiting a Bible study group that met there and I was invited into the group by a friend of a friend who recognized me as I was sitting around studying for college. Nathan asked some very difficult questions and was challenging the views of other members of the group that turned out to be more based on tradition than on Scripture. Nathan then invited me to a weekly Bible study at his apartment. I began attending that Bible study and became close friends with both Nathan and Mark Jensen. Eventually, I began attending Grace Bible Church with Nathan and Mark. Mark and I became roommates for a year before I was married and Nathan and Mark were two of my groomsmen at my wedding.

One thing in particular that I enjoy about my friendship with Nathan is that time spent with him and his wife truly seems to be "redeemed". That is, a great deal of the conversation this past weekend was centered around the Person and Work of Jesus Christ or on understanding different sections of His Word to the glory of God. Nathan and Courtney have by their words and example truly challenged Abby and me in our study and application of the Scripture. If anyone reading this blog does not have friends like this, I encourage you to pray for God to send you friendships that can strengthen you in your faith and to seek out quality friendships for the upbuilding of His everlasting kingdom.

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV)

Please keep Nathan and Courtney in your prayers as Nathan has the strong desire to preach and to pursue a biblical education at either Southern Baptist Theological Seminary or Master's Seminary.