During the last quarter of the Seminary year, the graduating Seniors preach their last sermon as students. It’s always a special time in which they share the things they have learned during their time here. Today it was Josue’s turn to preach in chapel.
He shared about this verse: Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13
He said something that I thought was very good. “We often think that by hiding our sins we will prosper, but the reality is the exact opposite.” He also said that we let fear, pride, and shame get in the way of confessing our sins to each other.
When I interviewed Josue for Professional Orientation to Youth Ministry, I asked him the question, “What would cause you to be out of the ministry in 10 years?” He responded, “If I don’t live a life of confession and accountability.”
He’s onto something. We all need to build accountability into our lives. We need people who are willing to ask us the difficult questions. We need to be open and honest about confessing our temptations and sins. If we aren’t willing to do this, Proverbs is clear: We will not prosper. But if we DO confess our sins, we will receive God’s mercy.
I’m glad that Josue reminded us all of this today. His question of how will we be remembered makes me think that we are dependent on God’s mercy for everything. We live because of God’s mercy.
Josue’s final question to his classmates was this: Are you pursuing success or God’s mercy? That’s a great question for anyone.
Before the Seniors preach, Daniel Jimenez, the director of the Seminary prays for their lives and ministries. Will you pray for Josue and his ministry to young people in Monterrey?
