Introduction

Thank you for checking out my blog.  I have never done this before, so bear with me :)  My goal through this blog is to share scripture that God has been speaking to me through.  I often make posts on Facebook, but this seems like a more appropriate forum, in that I will have more than 250 characters to explain what the Lord is teaching me.  I'll start with this short introduction of myself, and will make my first official post within the next few days.  I also encourage conversation, so please post below with any questions or comments you may have.

My name is Matthew Hagemann and I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I work as a software engineer to pay the bills.  At home I have a wife, Laura (married 7 yrs), and two sons, Caleb (4 yrs old) and Joshua (1 yr old).  I love the Word of God, and have a passion for sharing it, and teaching people how to properly interpret the text for themselves.  I graduated from Ravencrest Bible College in 2004 with two certificates, one in Biblical Studies, and one in Leadership Training, and have led corporate worship for 12 years (3 years vocationally).  I came to know Christ almost 20 years ago, and my walk has been marked by gradual growth from then on.  These past 2 years have been a new season of growth for me, in which I have felt a special calling of complete abandonment to the Lord, and have grown much deeper in my relationship with Him.  Two things that have really accelerated this growth have been spending extended time in His Word, and spending a lot of time around solid brothers in Christ, mentoring and being mentored.  I have a deep passion for discipleship, and believe that this is the primary way through which God intends to grow the church.  Yes, through sharing the gospel, but it is much more than just a passing witness.  It is coming beside others and helping them grow deeper in knowledge and depth of insight, and helping them cultivate a heart that loves God and His Word.  The Christian life was never intended to be lived alone.  We (the Church) were built to function as a body.  We're yoked together to love, encourage, help, keep accountable, teach, learn from, and even (when necessary) rebuke each other.  We are His bride, and He has a special purpose for us as a whole: to share His light with the world.  Let's do this thing together!