As I have been planning for this teaching series I have been deep into science. Science is not my first love (hahaha). But as usual, preparation for teaching always challenges me and always changes me.

Last week we laid the groundwork for this series The Flood. The groundwork is pretty straight forward. God gave us the writings of Genesis in the Old Covenant as history. History is all about names, dates, times, events. Genesis gives us this basic framework. Its purpose is not to answer how, as much as who and when. A who and when as written in Genesis… of which Jesus gave His full approval and in which Jesus had complete confidence (perhaps the greatest argument for Harley believing Genesis as history too).

Ok… so for this moment right now. How has the flood impacted me at this moment?

At this very moment I want to:

…Be able to paint portraits and landscapes that move the observer to another place and time.

…Be able to build things with my hands that are creative, functional, and lasting.

…Be able to write short stories, essays, non-fiction books, and novels which cause readers trouble and personal conflict when it is time to stop reading and lay the written work down.

…Be able to teach in such a way that the attention of people is captured, the message is clear, next steps obvious/taken, and lives are changed.

…Be able to play the guitar and the piano as a creative expression and outlet.

…Be able to sing beautifully (it should be so simple… I was born with all the equipment I need… but it’s not simple).

There are so many things I want to be able to do and do well. I want to express myself creatively and do these things with excellence. But I can do none of the above things with excellence.

I better decide what I can do. I better decide what I should do. I better decide what I must do… just a few things… with precision, excellence, and with my all, because I don’t have time to waste and time is running out.

And this is where the flood comes in for today… at this moment. I have so many things I want to do but I can only make a few things a priority. I need to follow Noah’s lead here.

If I must choose… (and I must) I want to follow God closely like Noah. I want to be excellent at staying VERY close to God. Genesis 6:9 “…he (Noah) walked in close fellowship with God.”

If I must choose… (and I must) I want to be excellent at doing what God asks me to do. I want God to be able to say of me, “Harley did everything I commanded.” God said of Noah in Genesis 6:22 “So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.”

Perhaps everything else falls much further down the list. Perhaps these two things must become my goal. I must become excellent at doing these two things. Had Noah not been excellent at these, his name would not be part of the history of the world recorded in Genesis.