What brings you to give thanks to God? As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, it is this passage of Scripture that sparks my gratitude:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20, NIV)

As a teenager who sensed God’s calling to vocational ministry, I had the privilege of beginning a friendship with Dr. Vance Havner, whom I describe as “a prince of preachers from a previous generation.” We share a calling, a need to rise early to be with the Lord, and a love of walking—briskly. Dr. Havner’s prophetic voice came cloaked in a pastor’s heart; I was blessed by knowing him.

The following paragraph is Vance Havner’s perspective on Galatians 2:20, titled En-Christed:

Strictly speaking, there is only one Christian life and that is Christ Himself, but He lives it again and again in all who receive Him. The Christian is en-Christed and what possibilities that suggests! We all have received His fullness—His wisdom, His health, His love, His power—all of these are released in us according to His Word, His will, our need, and our faith. We are still personalities, not robots, and, to the extent that we trust and obey, we may have all we need to do His will as long as He wants us to do it. Some want more than is His will and many live with far less than they might have. Make it your prayer and pursuit that Christ may live in you to the fullest extent of His purpose for you.

The source of power in God’s house comes in a 2:20 plug—Galatians 2:20, that is. Are you connected? Do you dare?

I’m proud to be your pastor!

P.S. One final “Havner-ism, his inscription in one of the books he gave me: “Don’t just stare up the steps . . . step up the stairs!”