OK, so I know I intended to post about Dr. MacArthur’s sermon. But just now I was listening to Micah Lugg’s sermon from SP’08, and that was even more relevant, so I’m postponing the earlier one again.

I’m not really sorry, truth to tell. This is so important to me, and it might be to you too, so I’m just going to get it out there.

Micah preached this sermon last spring as part of Something-or-other Week, where three graduating Bible seniors preach in chapel. Just now, as I was listening to the chapel podcast, it was like I’d never heard it before. (Maybe I never did, actually: my attendance was a bit spotty that week, if I remember correctly.)

Right about 25 minutes in, he starts expositing "let us throw aside every weight", and he’s talking about things we do, songs we listen to, movies we watch, games we play (although he didn’t mention this, he should have). Specifically, things that may not be sinful — get that, they may not be sinful — but that distract us from chasing Christ. For example, just yesterday, I played several hours of generally harmless online games (e.g. Minions). But the problem with that isn’t that it’s sin, but that it takes my mind off Christ, and not just for the time I spend on it. I’m usually unready for service for several hours after I play, or after I watch a movie, or sometimes even after I read a book.

At this point, God’s sense of humor kicks in and He says, "Nathan, are you sure you get this yet?" So what do you think the subject of tonight’s Christmas Eve sermon at my church was? Bingo, following Christ without distraction.

So, I’ve pretty much decided that until further notice, I’m not going to play computer games without some other reason. I’m also going to take a hard look at the books I read. I don’t want to do something for fun that’s keeping me distracted from the God who created pleasure.