Al Robertson

But it's funny.

It's funny you think about where you started, Matt, with Hebrews 12, for the joy set before him, he endured the cross.

And I think that's so connected to...

spiritual formation, becoming like Jesus.

When I started college ministry in the town that you guys are in now, we actually live in North Carolina now, but we planted a church right on ULM campus.

And I remember this moment of like, I don't think that the full gospel that we're presenting here is enough because it was only about justification and not being healed progressively from the power that sin has over you.

And I'm looking at a group of 70 college students and I'm like,

the message I was giving them was come to Jesus and then grind it out for 80 years.

And then one day you get to go to heaven.

So I had all kinds of eschatological problems with that.

Hopefully you'll make it.

Yeah, you grind it out.

But I didn't understand what is that joy that was set before him?

You mentioned it was his love for us, but then we have a joy set before us as well.

And I read a book by a guy named Desire in the Kingdom.

I can't remember his name now.

James K.A.

Smith.

And he talked about humanity like we typically approach humanity at our cores.

We're thinking machines.