Turnaround

21 Day Fast

2010-01-15T06:10:00.001-08:00

I've been in the midst of a 21 Day fast with my congregation. This is the 10th day of this fast, and it is the most challenging I've done so far. I started fasting by giving up sugar, desserts, etc., but after three days of that, I decided that wasn't enough of a challenge. I wanted more from this fast, and that doesn't come without more of a sacrifice. This fast is from sunup to sundown. It doesn't sound like much, but it is more difficult for me than I thought. I like to "graze" all day, eating a little here and there, in addition to lunch. Well, with all the grazing gone, plus lunch, it has made for quite a challenge. I get full faster when I get to eat, especially in the evening, but also get hungry much sooner, so each day has gotten more difficult. But while I get hungrier physically, I am also getting hungrier spiritually.

What has happened so far? The Bible says we walk by faith, not by sight, and though I cannot see anything physically, I do sense a great deal going on that I cannot see.

I'm also encouraged by the fact that there are 100's of churches all across the nation fasting right now, too. Historically, some amazing things happened when churches begin to get hungry for God. We are going to see some awesome things happen, both for our church and for this nation.

Fasting brings breakthrough, a breakthrough that doesn't happen any other way. Join in.

Christmas Eve worship

2009-12-23T17:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve at our church, CrossRoad, is particularly beautiful. The sanctuary has the high ceilings, with Christmas lights all the way around it. The front has three trees decorated with lights. The aisles are lined with ornamated wreaths and lights, it looks amazing. And we have a wonderful, meaningful worship service planned, around the theme of "A Unique Gift". The music is a combination of the classic carols and modern worship. If you're in the area of Gardena at 6pm, it would be well worth the time. We're waiting for you.

Christmas shopping

2009-12-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

The kids are out on break from their school, CrossRoad Christian Academy. I've gone Christmas shopping the last two days with Bryson, my 4th grade son. Bryson has this unique ability to say some rather funny, and often profound things. As with all my kids, I just thoroughly enjoy being with them, which is a big part of why I coach soccer, I want have experiences with them that they'll always have as memories. I learned it from my dad, and I'm passing it on to them. There is no way I'm going to be an absent or rarely around dad.

Two days ago we started his shopping. We went all around the mall, looking for just the right gift. He immediately found what he wanted for his little sister, but found the going more difficult for his older brother and sister. He isn't indecisive, he is very conscientious, knows what they like, and wants to make sure he gets that. While we were shopping the first day, he turned to me and said, "this is the best day of shopping in my whole life. We've gotten to go everywhere I wanted to go!" I just laughed, then told him I was glad for that. I love for moments like that. We're creating memories for a lifetime.

By the way, we did get done with shopping, but it took one more afternoon and alot of looking. He knows what he wants.

Dad's goalies

2009-12-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

This is Justin diving for a ball during a soccer tournament a couple of weeks ago. Both my boys are amazing goalies, not alot gets by them. I think goalies are incredible, and my goalies are among the best!! More pressure is on the goalie than any other position, it is a difficult place to play. There aren't many kids who can handle that kind of pressure. I appreciate our friend, Elisabet, taking the picture and sharing it with us. It is a way cool pic!

Celebrating the Preschool

2009-12-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

December 11, 2009

“Honor one another . . .” Romans 12:10

Dear Church Family,

We celebrated a milestone last Sunday during worship service. It was 30 years ago this week that the CrossRoad Learning Center, our preschool, began ministering, with Carol Anderson as director. Thirty years later and Carol is still devotedly serving as director. Not often do we see that kind of faithful dedication to a ministry or position, yet Carol has joyfully greeted hundreds of children and their families with that beautiful smile and cordial hello as they’ve walked in the door. And of course, that contagious laugh is heard quite often as she experiences the life that each of the preschool children bring to her day. So we had the privilege of honoring this faithful servant for her many years of dedication to the preschool ministry, and I want to give honor to her again for all her hard work. On behalf of the hundreds of lives you have touched with tender loving care through God’s hands, thank you for you care, love and support. Thank you for making the dream of ministering the preschool children and their families a reality for over 30 years.

This Saturday (December 12) we’ll be going out and ministering in our neighborhood. We’ve got a little something to bless our neighbors and an invitation to Christmas Eve service. We’ll be meeting at 9am and distributing the gifts to about 1000 homes in our area. We ought to be done in about an hour. If it rains, we’ll have the gifts and a map of each area available for you to pick up on Sunday. There will also be a few extras for you to take into your own neighborhood, too. These gifts have really made an impact on the lives of our neighbors. Thank you for making a positive difference for the cause of Christ in this area.

There were three Christmas programs this week with our schools CrossRoad Christian Academy and CrossRoad Learning Center, and all three were outstanding! The children did an amazing job, the message of Jesus went out loud and clear through the music, dance and drama. And of course, the kids were adorable! You can be proud of what our schools are doing in academics and in the spiritual upbringing of so many children. Continue to pray for God’s blessing on the Academy and on the Preschool as they impact this area for Christ. And let your friends know we’re here and ready to serve them, too.

We’ll continue with the theme of Hosting Heaven this Sunday. I especially want to focus on “Familiarity breeds apathy.” You’ll find out more on Sunday. God bless you! I’ll see you then.

Pastor Scott
Lead Pastor
CrossRoad Ministries

back at it

2009-12-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ok,
after waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long, I've decided to start blogging again. Somehow I want to connect this to like my incredibly talented friend, Charley. He is the guru of fine blogging talent. I hope the four people who were reading this before start reading it again, too. Nothing like a good following to get the writing process going.

Updates

2008-09-25T10:43:00.001-07:00

To the 28 people who read my blog, I actually posted something about Sarah Palin in May in reference to her new baby, before she was a VP candidate. You can go back and read it here.

I am now on Facebook, and so is Traci. We are in no way technologically savvy, but we are making progress.

The church is currently going through a series on Honor. It has changed the way I see life, and how significant honor is in Scripture (Romans 12:10, "Honor one another above yourselves"), and how much God places a priority on Christians honoring those in authority over us, political leaders, spiritual leaders, corporate leaders, etc. I do not believe Christians have done a very good job of honoring, one another as well as leaders.

Finally, my two boys are sick right now, and have been struggling for a while. I'm blessed by the number of people who are praying for them, and grateful for their concern. Bryson said something, though, that was just a Bryson kind of statement. We had gone out for yogurt and were returning home when Traci asked if anyone needed anything at Target. We had decided to stop by there on the way back. A couple of things were mentioned, then Bryson exclaims, "and I need a get well card!"

Facebook saga continues

2008-08-14T10:08:00.001-07:00

I'm amazed at how many of my friends are on facebook. I got a note so I could change my password yet again, hopefully to something I'll remember, and when I logged in I got this list of 4000 potential friends I could connect with. Well, maybe not 4000, maybe just 40, but it was still alot. Some I didn't know, but there were quite a few I did know. This is quite incredible. I'm sure there has to be a sermon illustration in here somewhere.

Facebook saga

2008-08-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

Now I have a book about Facebook, and have read the first 30 pages or so. There aren't enough pictures, but I'll get by. I found my log in and password, though. All I need now is a round tuit so I can join the world of Facebook people. What do they call themselves? Facebookers?

By the way, don't all these passwords drive you crazy? I have to have a password for everything. There's even a password for this pastor's web site I got on. What in the wide world of sports do I need a password for that? There's not any secretive stuff on there. I don't even think I can order anything from there. Needless to say I don't get on that web site anymore. I can't find my password, or even remember it. I came up with one so secretive not even I know what it is.

Facebook 2

2008-08-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have decided to figure this Facebook thing out, so I bought a book. The solution is always to buy a book. Now if I could just remember what my password is. . .

Facebook

2008-07-31T17:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, I've had yet another friend invite me to join them on Facebook. That's all well and good, except I don't know what I'm doing. I think I'm going to have to finally get a Facebook account, or whatever a person gets. I was quite excited when I got a blog, but a blog is now so yesterday. I don't even have a myspace, and it's so yesterday, too. Maybe I'll add Facebook to one of my goals to accomplish for the summer. Anyone care to help? Anyone? Anyone?

Freddy Fender is still around?

2008-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

I went to get my haircut on Thursday. My barber is a great guy named Louis. He’s part of a lost art, a true barber. He still uses mostly scissors, is incredibly fast, and still shaves around the trimmed areas with a straight edge. He really is a throwback to a bygone era. He’s been in our area for almost 30 years. Every time I come in he tells me about some man who came in who had gotten his haircut from Louis when he was a little kid, and now he has kids the same age. A great guy with a great sense of humor, kind, considerate, and very good at what he does.

The last time I went in, though, he played this music that I really could have done without. One of my great fears is that Freddy Fender will make a comeback (ok, maybe not a great fear, but a fear nonetheless). He’s one of those stars that needs to stay in the past (and honestly, I'm not sure why he was ever a star in the first place). Never heard of him? You’re not missing much, in fact, count it a true blessing from God. His one great hit was “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”, and yes, that was the first song played on the immortal CD Louis had. Ah, but it gets worse. The next song was Freddy’s rendition of B. B. King’s, “The Thrill is Gone.” Suffice it to say if Freddy had cut that song first, no one would have heard of it. Then I was privileged to hear Freddy’s version of the “Wichita Linemen”, an old Glen Campbell song. Yes, I was on the verge of tears, but they were not tears of joy, or tears due to an incredibly moving song. It was incredibly moving, I wanted to move right on out of there. After that, I tried with all I had to block out any other songs. It worked. I guess growing up with three sisters and learning to block them out has paid off. "God uses all things together for good to those who love Him. . . " Yep, it's true.

My Son and the 4th Grade trip

2008-05-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of going with the fourth graders at our school, CrossRoad Christian Academy, on their Sacramento/San Francisco trip. This is Justin looking out over San Francisco bay. I enjoyed the trip with him immensely. He is a great kid, and I'm not just saying that because he's mine, he truly is. The fun was trying see the trip through his eyes, what he thought was important and interesting. The highlight was when he leaned over next to me, while riding on the bus, and said, "Daddy, I'm sure glad you came." Those are moments to remember.

Here is Justin with some of the other 4th grade boys, and one of the starting basketball players for the Utah Jazz. He happened to be walking through the Oakland airport, so we stopped and asked to take a picture with him. He is reallllly tall. Karolinko (don't know his first name) was kind and cooperative as we got the kids together for the picture.

Theology

2008-05-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Ignorance of God – ignorance both of His ways and of the practice of communion with Him – lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today. J.I. Packer

Down's Syndrome

2008-05-08T10:09:00.001-07:00

There is a great article about the governor of Alaska. It seems she just had a baby, but this is a very special baby. Her son has Down's syndrome. When she found out he had down's syndrome, and given the option of abortion, she and her husband never hesitated. Of course they were going to keep him. It's an Inspirational story written by Albert Mohler. check it out:

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1144

Whatever works

2008-05-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

I read this in "Us" magazine last week. Yes, I did read it, and they have this really neat section of quotes, so here it goes:

I’ll use whatever works. I’m not a follower of this or that religious leader. Ashton Kutcher on Kabbalah and faith

I saw a picture of Ashton a while back with a "Jesus is my homeboy" shirt on. He seems to be like much of our society, whatever works this week is what I'll do. By the way, I'm not knocking Ashton, I think he's really funny, he's just not someone I would want to follow theologically. I did qoute this in my sermon this week, though.

I believe I'll keep my faith where it is. I am a follower of One. He is alot more reliable than "this or that".

random stuff

2008-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

The "coexist" theme didn't go well. I appreciate those who wrote, and I'll use it as a reference when I get to that sermon. I guess no one else had any opinion.

The "We Believe"series is going well. I'm thrilled with the content and the sermons, especially those preached by the other guys in the church. I'm also excited that we've finally gotten our sermons onto MP3 format (thanks, Charley), which are then put onto CD's. Eventually we'll get a link so that people can download the sermons from the soon to be done web site.

The church is going really well. I'm proud of the number of people who have gotten involved and what they are accomplishing. God is good.

Soccer never ends. Justin is on a "select" team, kind of like an all-star team. He's really good. The coach does a fantastic job with the boys, I've enjoyed watching and learning from him. But he keeps finding tournaments to enter. We've got another one in two weeks, one on Memorial Day weekend, and he's found a tournament the weekend of July 4. The next season will start the end of August, so maybe the July tournament will be the last one till then. That leaves about 6-8 weeks between seasons. Unless, of course, if you count the soccer camps in August. . .

The Lakers look amazing. It's fun watching them. This is the one time of year I can get Traci to watch basketball.

Coexist

2008-04-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

I've been quite intriqued by this bumper sticker. There are an increasing amount of them showing up out here in LA. I got on a couple of web sites dealing with "coexist" and found these quotes:

I am so happy to be sporting a bumper sticker that says very simply all that i believe in. Your service was great, you were communicative, and the item arrived in great shape. Everyone asks me where I got it and I have directed them to the website.~ Portland, Oregon (2007-04-04)

Wow! What a super bumper sticker. It is of such higher quality than a normal bumper sticker. It's on the back of our Prius, Jane. We ordered ten of them and pass them out to people who like them. Thanks!!~ Clair, CA (2007-04-05)

This quote is from a "coexist" web site in the UK:

"God has given us many faiths but only one world in which to co-exist. May your work help all of us to cherish our commonalities and feel enlarged by our differences."Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations

I'm thinking of using this in a sermon soon. What are your thoughts on it? How does this fit with a faith in Christ?

Community of Believers

2008-03-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

I read this great quote from a book called, "The Gospel According to Starbucks" by Leonard Sweet. I'm enjoying the book, and not just because it's about a coffee shop, but because the author's observations of society through, of all things, coffee and the rise of coffee shops as a place of community.

Here is the quote:

Community with God is never a mass, but a body, and in a body every member has a unique role and identity. In a mass there is duplication and replication, but not in a body, where every part is a miracle.

Amen to that! I wish I had read that quote when I did the sermon on community and reconciliation, it would have been in my sermon. That is the way our church is seeing ourselves and our diferences, every part of the body (the local church) is a miracle.

Pastor's note: ministry of reconciliation, March 2

2008-03-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

For those who couldn’t be here on March 2 and are earnestly wanting to know what the “ah-ha” moment was, we will be putting the sermon on CD, which you can have, or you can read some of my thoughts and notes from the sermon on my blog (http://braveturn.blogspot.com/). The “ah-ha” had to do with the foundation of our church and who we are. I believe that each church has a unique calling, in addition to the obvious calling of making disciples for Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) and bringing the Kingdom of God to an area (Matthew 6, etc.). The calling of CrossRoad fits within that framework of discipleship and revealing the Kingdom of God. What is that calling? To show that in Christ people from every language, tribe, people and nation (Revelation 7:9) can serve and love one another. I just read this week about a young man who was gunned down in his neighborhood, just a few houses from his home. Why? He was a different color from the ones doing the shooting. There is an increasing amount of gang violence in a neighborhood not far from here. The battle lines have separated along color lines. And that story could be told over and over again, throughout our county and other cities and counties around the world. No amount of legislation, government intervention, political rhetoric or pleading from individuals has been able to eradicate a centuries old problem: separation because of color. How do we overcome that kind of hatred and fear? By demonstrating the power of the Gospel and loving one another in the midst of our differences.

Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one
and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing
the law of commandments and ordinances, that HE might create in Himself one new
man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in
one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”

How does that fit with us? We are the visible demonstration of the power of Jesus, who destroys the dividing walls of hostility. He shatters the differences and unites us around our God. Isn’t that His prayer? (“I pray that they would be one even as we are one.” John 17)

Why put a sermon on unifying the community of CrossRoad in the midst of a sermon series on sin? Because it is a sin for a community of believers to highlight differences rather than walk in the oneness of Christ. That doesn’t mean we choose not to disagree, but that in the midst of the disagreements we realize that there is a bigger purpose, the cause of making Jesus Christ known to our world. The great tool for making Him known is when we, as believers, from so many different backgrounds, ethnicities, ages and personalities love and serve one another (John 15).

The "Ah-Ha" Moment continued

2008-03-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is continued from my sermon on March 2:

Let me make this painfully clear: causing or being a part of a division in a church is a sin. In reading the letters Paul wrote to several churches, one of the major issues in churches was separation or the causing of division (1 Corinthians 3:1-5, Galatians 5: 20, “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions”, Titus 3:10 “Warn divisive people once, and then warn them a second time. After that, haven nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.”). It is a sinfully natural thing for people to seek to separate others, being attracted only to people who think like you, or to rally others to a cause that pits one group against another. Division and separation, dwelling on an “us and them” mentality, is normal, easy and WRONG. It is the opposite of the heart of Jesus Christ and the building of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, “I pray that they be one even as we are one.”

The "Ah-Ha" Moment

2008-03-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is from a sermon I preached on March 2, 2008. This is the Scripture I started from, and included some others later, that I can put in future posts. The notes below are not the beginning of my sermon, but pick up after the introduction.

Ephesians 2:14 (NIV) For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

We’re going to look at many Scriptures today, but there is a reason for that. I want you to see a common thread that runs throughout the New Testament, a theme that God intended to have happen from the time of Abraham. Some are going to be offended, some will amen, if only silently. What I am going to teach you today is a core belief for this church. I believe CrossRoad is in a unique place at a unique time, called to exemplify what God wants to do through His church.

Here is the paradox in coming to Christ: you lose your identity and you don’t. Let me give you an example: the example of marriage. The Bible is clear that at the marriage the two shall become one flesh. A man and a woman are made complete, or one, in marriage. Up to that time, “it is not good for man to be alone”; we are incomplete. My identity, who I am, is not fully revealed or known until marriage, at least that is the ideal. For us, it is no longer Scott and Traci separately, but Scott and Traci together. Seldom is one mentioned without the other. We lose our identity as a single person, so we lose some sense of who we used to be.

Traci becomes the key to unlock parts of who I am that would never be revealed apart from her. Becoming a husband, I lose some of who I was, but what I gain far outweighs what was lost. In fact, what I gain, I would venture to say, is far more redeeming or beneficial, to myself and to others than what was lost.

Yet, who I am is not forever lost. I am still Scott. Traci and I think very similarly on many issues, most often seeing situations the same, but we also see things very differently on other issues. And that is the richness of our relationship.

The Key: life is no longer about me. I no longer look at situations with the “what about me” lens. I now look at life with another set of glasses: others. That doesn’t mean that all of my life’s motivation is about others, I wish that it was, but I am on a path to become more like that, which is to become more like Jesus. And that is not to say that everyone who gets married has their lens changed, I’ve seen many who never get beyond the “what about me” lens.

Kids change our lives even further: we become even more focused on others. A whole new reality takes place. We realize that our lives must be to make the next generation better, to help them go farther than we went.

All the more do I change when I become one with Christ. I take on a new identity. I take on more of His personality, who HE is and what He would do. I lose my identity as far as the worldly nature is concerned, but I also gain who I am really like, a nature intended to be like Christ.

Now for us as a church. When we come to Christ, we lose and gain in the Church, or community of believers. We take on a new corporate identity, or community identity is in Christ to replace the former identity as an individual. We take on that new identity, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. and in that new identity, we are given a new mandate: the job of Jesus, reconciling to one another and reconciling others to Christ. Again, the motivation is no longer about us

Here is the “ah-ha” moment. The richness of our congregation, not in terms of finances, but in relationships, is portrayed in our differences. Our differences, ethnicity, background, age, and personalities reveal and reflect the very essence of God Himself. God is diverse, He likes diversity. It takes all of us together in our diversity to begin to give expression to the vastness of who God is. That is not to say that we are the end all of the reflection of God, far from it. But together, we show a glimpse of the breadth and magnitude of our God.

Our differences bring out parts of our personalities that would never be revealed otherwise. Sometimes some negative things are exposed: our prejudices and judgmentalism, and our pride, to name a few. Those things need to be exposed, though, for what they are, sin that keeps us from God. But what can also be revealed in our differences is goodness, and the incredible capacity to love and be loved, which brings us closer to God. Loving others in spite of our differences expands our capacity to love and helps us better grasp the very heart of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. . . “

By the way, let me reiterate what really is obvious to us all, but sometimes we needed to be reminded of it. Even if everyone here looked exactly alike, were from the same area of the country, were from the same political bent, and even liked the same pizza, eventually there would be differences, either real or manufactured. And we would have a choice whether to highlight the differences or the agreements. Our sin nature is naturally attracted to criticizing and dwelling on differences, and that nature must be overcome by the new nature we have received in Christ.

I closed with this verse, which is on the wall of our lobby:

Revelation 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

The Goal is to look like heaven: every language, tribe, people and nation. We are looking more and more like that.

Happy Birthday, Traci

2008-03-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

It was Traci's birthday last week (she's with Bryson in this picture). She was

overwhelmed with the number of flowers and cards she got from people in the church. I was really surprised, too, but really shouldn't have been. The church has been very gracious to us, especially this last year. This is a group of people who have stayed true, faithful and prayerful for us. They are a very caring, kind community of Christian believers. The pastor's wife is often overlooked in most churches, and I believe it is the most difficult job in the ministry. Traci isn't overlooked here. The church realizes how significant she is, both to me, and to the community of believers. And for me, she has been an amazingly strong, loyal, wise and supportive wife and a really cool Mom. I enjoy watching as she interacts with our kids. She loves them and they love her. I am constantly in awe of her. She is my hero.

Sin and Repentance

2008-02-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

I'm doing a series of sermons on sin, which any pastor would approach with some concern. I had a friends email me that his pastor preached on sin and got all kinds of nasty phone calls. Ouch! But, as one of my professors in seminary would say, when preaching to people, don’t give them “half a loaf”; preach the whole gospel—even the discomforting parts. The discomforting parts are the ones that set us free, free from the sins in our lives that keep us from the best God has for us, and ultimately destroys us.

The response of the congregation is overwhelmingly positive. They are ready for more of God's presence in their lives.

This is an amazing quote about sin:
"Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness to God."
Thomas D. Bernard

I've used it the past two weeks, and will probably use it throughout the series. I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in the congregation. How can it not be amazing when there are a whole community of people who are ready to repent of sin and are passionate about more of God in their lives?

Quote of the Day

2008-02-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

Don't use the conduct of a fool as a precedent.

The Talmud

memorable quote

2008-01-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

I got this from a friend:

Save the earth, it's the only planet with chocolate!!

This is the Year

2008-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is what I wrote to my congregation, some of the material is from a sermon I preached on Jan. 6.

This is the Year. . .

That’s what came to me as I was praying about the sermon for January 6. This is the year. Not to sound overly spiritual, but I could feel the presence of God as I began to dwell on that phrase. I believe God really wants this to be the year for every one of us. Why? Because God wants the best for us. He believes in us and knows our potential far better than anyone. He also knows the dreams within us, since He was the one who placed them there! He has the best for us, we often refuse to embrace His purpose due to our fears.

Mark Batterson, in his book, “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” says this about fear:
What’s interesting is that psychiatrists posit that we’re born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. That means that every other fear is learned. And more importantly, that means that every other fear must be unlearned.

This is the year that God sets us free from those fears that have paralyzed us. Stop letting life pass you by as you continue to only “hang on”, or as you continue to wait for the “perfect time” to do something, i.e. “when things slow down”, “when I get things together”, or “when this or when that happens”. Stop it, stop with the excuses. No one ever excused their way to success. And as long as we’re on the subject, stop whining, too. Everyone has road blocks, trials, and things to overcome. Those who have been successful could list off their roadblocks too, they just refused to let those things defeat them. We are not made to “hang on”. When we became Christians God began His own rewiring process to set us free from the shackles of our excuses and fears.

Start by getting rid of the neigh-sayers, the excuse laden, critical, judgmental, negative-filled people from your life who continue to perpetuate your situation. Their purpose is to keep you down, not build you up. Find the “I believe in you” people and surround yourself with them. Find them, spend time with them; let them speak into your life. And dwell on the power of God’s Word. Let the Word of Life soak into your life, too. Be transformed by God’s word (Romans 12:1-2). God’s word can change even the most fearful, excuse-filled person.

Isaiah 8:11-14a: The Lord has said to me in the strongest terms: “Do not think like everyone else does. Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you. Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe.”

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joys (plural, meaning continual); in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

This is the Year. Just do it.

Rose Parade Adventure, Marines

2008-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

One more thing about the 2008 Rose Parade I forgot to mention. As the Marine band went down the street they received a standing ovation. I watched as they approached, each section rose to their feet, cheered and clapped as they marched by. I could not help but be touched by the display of support for the young men and women who choose to defend our country. I heard from a friend who was also at the parade, stationed about a half mile from us who said that the Marines received the same ovation from his group, too. They deserved that and more.

Rose Parade Adventure

2008-01-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

This is the 17th year that we've been in So. CAL, but the first year that we ventured out to go to the Rose Parade. It was fantastic! We had front row seats to the extravaganza. I read in the local paper that we were part of a crowd in excess of one million along the 5.5 mile route. The crowd was very orderly, and peaceful around our area. We did see a few protesters, but nothing substantial.

The Hare Krishnas were there chanting down the street, which was quite hilarious. They are always good for a little entertainment. They were supposed to be in "worship" but were paying more attention to the crowd as they danced and chanted. I'm not sure how worshipful they really were.

The first picture is us, along with our friends, Leslie and Debbie (Leslie is the new associate pastor) waiting for the parade to start. We got up at 4:30AM, and arrived at our position about 6:20. Then the wait, but with an eclectic crowd, the waiting became very interesting.

We have lots of pictures of horses (like that's a surprise), but I'll only post one, the one with the Clydesdales. Really cool.

These are some of the award winners. The television cannot do justice to the incredible design and flower arrangements. We were in awe of the work and beauty of each one. There wasn't a bad float there. The bands were fantastic. And did I mention there were alot of horses?

The best part was the reaction of our kids. They loved it! I had Michala on my lap through most of the parade. She pointed over and over to different parts and waved to almost everyone there. Oh, and yes, Sesame Street was there, which she really liked. Bob from Sesame Street was on the float, too! That guy has been on Sesame Street since I was a kid!

Ok, I changed my mind. Here is one more picture of horses, just for your benefit. And, the guy in the front of this last float is Jack Hanna, the animal guy. He was on the phone while waving. I guess he's a busy guy.

This was well worth the early rising, driving, fighting the crowd and traveling home. We may have to do this again! Alissa thinks she and Dad need to help reserve the spot next year (which would involve staying all night). Maybe so.

Another Christmas observation

2007-12-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas I was going to work out at 24 hour fitness. I walked and began to talk to the front desk person and ask about her Christmas. She asked how mine was, to which I replied, "wonderful!!" She said, "that's great, because you're the first person to tell me that." She went on to say that the others she's talked with all had something negative to say about Christmas.

I'm shocked! I know that some struggle at Christmas, and there are always the "bah-humbug" group, but are there that many who do not like Christmas?

Christmas observations

2007-12-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I love this time of year, and this year has been especially enjoyable. There is an observation of the music I've heard over the past month. In the LA area, there are two (that I know of) radio stations that play Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Christmas. I really like all the music, old and new, so I listen often. Here is what I've noticed: almost everyone in the music industry has a Christmas CD, and many I would never associate with Christmas or anything that has to do with Jesus. Yet, many of them not only have Christmas CD's, but sing some of the great carols that have to do with Jesus. Amazing. Here are a few:

Jethro Tull? Somehow I would have never guessed. And Rick Springfield? Is he that desperate to put out a CD? Patti La Belle I could understand. Even Ringo Starr, Twisted Sister and Bare Naked Ladies had Christmas CD's. Strange but true.

Josh Groban I put in there, not because that surprised me, but because I'm surprised at how popular it is. Everyone is playing his stuff, and his stuff is good!

What Christmas CD surprised you? Or better yet, which weird one did you get and listen to?

Church of the Week

2007-12-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Check out the KKLA web site. Our church, (CrossRoad) received the honor of being the “Church of the Week”. Click on “church of the week” under “Quick Links” in the middle section and you’ll see a picture of the church, Sunday service and me with the representative from KKLA. I got to be interviewed by Frank Pastore on Monday during his show. He is a great interviewer, I felt very comfortable talking with him.

I'm very proud of this church and what is going on. So many have stepped up to take leadership positions in vital areas of ministry in the last two months. The presence of God is more powerful than I've felt in some time, and others are saying the same thing. There is great anticipation for the future and what God will do. The honor of "Church of the Week" really signifies what is happening. God is good.

Fall Festival

2007-11-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures from our Fall Festival. It was fantastic!! What I enjoyed the most was seeing so many new people from the church getting involved AND having a great time! There is a new enthusiasm here. This is a good church, filled with people who believe in the mission to reach this neighborhood for Christ and are enthusiastic about being here. God is good.

Lessons Learned from the Office Flood: Trials and Testing

2007-11-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 17:7-8

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

That's the Scripture verse I received last Sunday at the beginning of our worship service. I recalled that it had been a year since my office was flooded, and it was truly like a year of drought. BUT, the message I received was: the year of drought was over. The last few weeks have reflected that, including our annual fall festival (our alternative to Halloween). I haven't seen the Fall Festival run this smooth in years, and that was confirmed by several, including a person who doesn't come to the church, but has attended the Fall Festival for 7 years. He said it was the best run Festival he has attended.

The year of drought is over. I've seen new people get involved, others start ministries with great enthusiasm, and a joy in our worship times together that has been sorely lacking for a long time.

Office flooding anniversary

2007-10-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is the one year anniversary of the flooding of my office. There was this southern California rain storm (which is unlike anywhere else, because anything that gets the pavement wet we consider a rain storm) and the run off from the church roof went down through a drain pipe that broke right over the top of my desk, ruining my desk, the chair, the carpet, the ceiling, and some of the book shelves.

The office was redone, making it an office I'm much more comfortable in and so it seems, does everyone else. It's much more warm and comfortable.

But the flooding of my office had great symbolic meaning. . .

What to do next

2007-10-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't added anything for well over a month. I keep waiting for the perfect time, and of course, it doesn't come. I just finished a series at church on Nehemiah, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book has become a great encouragement to me in seeking to walk in God's direction. I thought about blogging on Nehemiah, since I've got so much material, and may still do that. This week we start a series on Ruth, another great Old Testament story with powerful implications for us as we walk with Jesus. I could blog about that. The story reminds me of the promise in Romans 8, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purpose."

I did the series this summer on God's will, and that promise also fits that. I do not always understand His ways, my call, and the call of all who name the name of Jesus, is to remain faithful and obedient.

There is this great blog by a pastor in Washington DC. He's doing some very innovative things in trying to reach this generation for Christ, and in addition to that they have a fantastic looking coffee shop! He blogged about a new book called "Deadly Viper Character Assassins" (October 16 entry). Not only do I like the title of the book, its a great subject, walking in integrity.

Charley is in rare form again, observing the return of Pope John Paul II. You should check it out.

Alright, I'm back at this again. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, whether a series, or just random thoughts, my blogging is back. I enjoy it too much to not continue. more later.

Saying Goodbye

2007-09-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Tony and Theresa (the couple on the right) have been friends of ours for years. Back when we were in MI, Tony and I had talked about serving together in ministry someday. The Lord graciously gave us that opportunity, and for the last (almost) six years both of them have faithfully served our church. Tony's desire is to serve as a senior pastor somewhere, and that prospect has opened. They are on their way to WY now. I watched as the truck pulled out this morning. Traci and I are happy for them, but saddened at the loss of the time we have together. Our friendship will continue, but now it must be long distance.

Our kids have practically grown up together, and Justin's best friend is one of T and T's daughters, Alyssa. He hasn't been taking their move too well. It's part of the painful life lessons of having to say goodbye, something all of our kids have had to learn.

2007-08-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from our summer unleashed FREE car wash. We do this every year as a service to our community, to share the love of Jesus in a practical way. The church always has a great time, as you can see. I think we started soaking one another earlier this year than in past years. As in past years, we had those who tried to pay us, and those that were stunned that we washed their car, fed them (hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, drinks), and did all of it for free.

This is a great church, a serving church, and a community loving church. I'm grateful to be their pastor.

God's will 6

2007-06-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways” (Isaiah). Absolutely true. I don’t believe that whatever I think is what God thinks. I have been proven wrong too many times to count. But that can also be said to those who say “I just trust God’s will”. Because they don’t believe someone can be healed, then God must not want it.

The bigger issue is: how do we so immerse ourselves in our relationship with God that we do increasingly think His thoughts after Him, rather than our own earthly ideas?

“Pray without ceasing” for this is God’s will for your life. Immerse is the right word. Immerse ourselves in His word, think His thoughts (meditate on the word), worship, talk about Jesus to others, let God dominate your thinking.

I don't have this whole thing figured out, not by a long shot. But I do believe, again, that His will on earth as it is in heaven is, in some way, attainable, or Jesus would not have taught us to pray that.

I believe we spend far too much time dwelling on circumstances and what we think, rather than God's Word and what He says.

God's will part 5

2007-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Let’s get down to the issue. Praying for God’s healing involves much more than what many of us are willing to give. So we then pray God’s will and we don’t have to do much else. Oh we pray, and some even pray a lot, but we don’t pray in faith. We really don’t believe God can do what we’re asking. Or maybe somehow we’re just not worthy of receiving. That’s pious gobbly-gook. None of us are worthy, so get over yourself.

Let’s start getting passionate about “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If there is no sickness in heaven, why would we ever accept that sickness is the “will of God” here on earth? You can argue all you want about sickness, and that good people haven’t received healing and have died, God doesn’t always heal, etc. All of that is true. But think about this. We’re arguing from our experience, not from Scripture. Does our experience nullify the truth of the Scripture? The Bible says that God wishes all men to come the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but not all do. Does that, therefore, mean that salvation through Jesus Christ is not true?

It is a fact that not all are healed. In my own prayer time, more have not been healed than have been healed. Do I then give up? That’s what too many of us do. Which goes back to my earlier writing, we then claim “God’s will”, and cease from fervent prayer, or from prayer that is said in faith.

The Scripture says you and I can pray down on earth as it is in heaven. “Lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” Jesus said on many occasions, “Your faith has healed you.”

We superimpose our experience onto the Scriptures rather than letting the Scripture form our theology and belief system.

God's will

2007-06-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here is an illustration of praying with faith, and praying God’s will:

Luke 18:35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." 38 He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

The blind man’s response in the NIV doesn’t give justice to what the man said. The NAS says, “And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” That is a man of passion!

Notice he didn’t say, “Lord, if it be your will”, or “Lord, I humbly beseech thee for healing, but only if you wish it,” or even, “Lord, I just want your will done.” No, he boldly and with great abandon proclaimed “I want to see!”

He would have had trouble fitting into a polite Baptist prayer meeting.

What would have happened if he has listened to the crowd? Nothing, absolutely nothing. But at least the crowd could have said, “well, God’s will was done.”

And the crowd would have been wrong.

The way Jesus taught us to pray God’s will is not the way we use God’s will.
Stop playing life (and prayer) safe. Start praying more than God’s will.

Start pursuing God’s will: that His Kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven.

Excuses for God's will

2007-06-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Let me recap the last few days:
The prayer, “God’s will be done” is probably prayed more than other phrase. There is a time for that, and there is a season when that needs to be done. I know Matthew 6 says, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. We focus on “thy will be done” and not on the description of “thy will”, which is “on earth as it is in heaven”.

Why do we pray “God’s will be done”?

Gets God off the hook if it didn’t turn out the way we wanted
Keeps us from praying with fervency and persistence
Keeps us from really seeking His will
Keeps us from understanding His will
Keeps us from pursuing His will
Keeps us from praying at all
Keeps us from building our faith
Keeps God at a distance, where (often) we’re more comfortable. (to pray with more passion means we have to pursue God, we have to hunger for Him to invade our lives. Many don’t want to do that, because God is much safer at a distance, see Exodus 20:18-21)
Keeps our image, reputation and pride in tact.

People who are in love and pursue the one they love do so at the abandon of their reputation or image. They lose all perspective of what others think of them.

The ones who passionately pursue the "on earth as it is in heaven" part of "thy will be done" are the ones who receive the blessing. God becomes more important than dignity or reputation.

God's will and prayer

2007-06-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

I talked about praying “God’s will” is not really what Jesus taught yesterday. Is God’s will all that mysterious? Is it so unknowing, unreachable and unfathomable that we have to resign our prayers to “may your will be done”?

Right away, you think of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). In the midst of the prayer, Jesus even taught us to pray, “Thy will be done.” Yes, but what is the rest of the phrase? “. . . on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus defines God’s will by saying that if it’s done or not done in heaven, that’s the way it’s supposed to be here. We, therefore, have permission to pray accordingly, with confidence. Maybe His will isn't as difficult to discern as we might think.

Let’s get specific. Praying God’s will in reference to healing is used too many times to count. I include myself in that group, because I’ve often prayed the same thing. Sometimes the prayer is said because I truly don’t know what else to pray. In standing before a person who is terminal, with the last breaths coming, what else can be prayed? (Forgive me if that sounds like a lack of faith).

Far too often, though, the prayer is prayed because of a lack of faith. We really don’t believe that God can and/or will do something about the given situation for which we are interceding.

God's Will

2007-06-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

I want to do this series on “God’s will”, and specifically in reference to how we pray. The term God’s will, or our praying that God’s will be done is used often in the midst of prayer, especially Christian prayers. Somehow, praying God’s will makes us more spiritual. When we pray His will be done we believe we are accepting whatever God chooses to do in a given situation. We feel really pious and spiritual because however the situation turns out we have “accepted His will”. Others then respond, “Yes, may God’s will be done.” Our spiritual work is done so we can go home from our prayer time or prayer meeting and pay little if any attention to what we prayed. Praying God’s will gets us off the hook of ever having to pray again or to pray with any type of fervency. (Yes, there are those who do pray with passion when they pray God’s will, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.)

Praying "God’s will" may be religious, and make us feel good, but is that what Jesus taught?

more on that next.

John Wayne movies

2007-05-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

I've got several lists that I've been working on every now and then. Here is my first list. These are my favorite John Wayne movies, in no particular order. His 100th birthday is this week. Horses, cowboys and more horses, can't do much better than that.
a. True Grit
b. The Horse Soldiers
c. The War Wagon
d. The Green Berets
e. The Cowboys
f. The Train Robbers
g. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
h. Fort Apache
i. The Alamo
j. The Sands of Iwo Jima
k. Rio Bravo

Self-Esteem, Therapeutic Culture

2007-05-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

I pulled this article from one of the pastoral information emails I get. I thought this was very interesting. Attending a church to serve has taken a back seat to "what's in it for me". The article illustrates that point.

"In a column for ChristianPost.com, Michael Craven writes: "Christopher Lasch points out in his important book, The Culture of Narcissism, 'The contemporary climate is therapeutic not religious. People today hunger not for personal salvation, but for the feeling, the momentary illusion, of personal well-being, health, and psychic security.' Following the eclipse of the Christian worldview that once shaped American life and culture, the 'therapeutic' revolution of the sixties emerged to convince us that 'personal happiness' was the ultimate goal of human life. This idea has only further encouraged the individual self to elevate his or her needs and interests above everyone else's.

"By replacing the former religious culture with today's therapeutic culture we have unwittingly created the most narcissistic generation in American history. 'For a multi-university study released this year, 16,475 college students took the standardized narcissistic personality inventory . . . Students' scores have risen steadily since the test was first offered, in 1982. The average college student in 2006 was 30 percent more narcissistic than the average student in 1982.' (WSJ)

"What precisely is this narcissism I speak of and how does the therapeutic sensibility contribute to its formation? In short, the advent of Freudian psychotherapy sought to liberate men from what it saw as outdated modes of thinking about such things as love, duty, self-sacrifice, and submission to higher authority. Under the Freudian premise 'mental health,' which becomes the highest human goal, was defined as 'the overthrow of inhibitions and the immediate gratification of every impulse.' Each person's own desires and wants were given primacy over and above everything and everyone else, including God. Doing so, we were told, would make us 'happy' and nearly every aspect of contemporary American culture has combined to reinforce this message.
"By contrast, the Bible defines love as subordinating your needs to those of others; that we have a God-given duty to serve and assist others, that self-sacrifice is the ultimate demonstration of this love, and that we are to submit to authority in the same way we submit to God.

Furthermore, happiness is NOT the central aim of human existence -- knowing and glorifying God is, and from this flows something much deeper than temporal happiness: joy, which endures beyond circumstances, producing true contentment."

Too Serious

2007-05-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

Church people often take life way too seriously. I had a friend send this to me, and I've got to link it for you to read. This is from a blogging pastor in another area. But there is a warning, if you get easily offended or have little sense of humor, then pass.

http://www.johnlaeger.typepad.com/johnlaegercom/2007/05/rotflmbo.html

Innovation: Church Party

2007-05-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

Innovation: (From Wikipedia) Innovation typically involves creativity, but is not identical to it: innovation involves acting on the creative ideas to make some specific and tangible difference in the domain in which the innovation occur (emphasis mine). For example, Amabile et al (1996) propose:
"All innovation begins with creative ideas . . . We define innovation as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization. In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation; the first is necessary but not sufficient condition for the second". (p. 1154-1155).

I enjoy change, but not change for the sake of change, but change with innovation in mind, the desire to create or make new. With that innovation in mind, and a desire for our two services to get to know one another better (and for that matter, for those within the services to get to know one another better) we cancelled our two worship experiences and had a party on Sunday morning. The pictures above were what the tables looked like before everyone started coming.

We had a fantastic time! Part of being in a local body of believers is fellowship, so that's what we did. We laughed, sang, ate, prayed and shared communion, and did all of it together.

I believe we did exactly what the definition says, we acted on the "creative ideas to make some specific and tangible difference in the domain in which the innovation occurs". Isn't being creative and innovative alot more fun, and add LIFE to a church?

Jesus and Lifestyle Changes

2007-05-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

This was the introduction to my sermon last week. This was the last week of our series was called "Revolution".

Jesus came and brought a revolution, a revolution not just of ideas but of an ideology. He brought not just a different way of living; He said this is the only way to truly live. He didn’t bring a way to get to God; He said He was the only way to get to God. He didn’t just say here is how to live in this world, He said if you follow me you will no longer be of this world. He brought a way that didn’t end with death but conquered death. He made eternity reachable. He brought a revolution.

In the words of Dorothy Sayers:
"To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies."

Christianity has the most radical, dangerous, message of life, calling us to a radical, dangerous, daring earth-shattering life, but too many of us live a life of hum-drum, safe and tedious days. Is that really the call of Jesus? Not according to the Bible I read.

Saved or Lost

2007-05-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this bumper sticker when we were on vacation in Monterey, CA a few weeks ago that said, "I'm not lost."

I figured it was a take off of the "saved" bumper stickers that Christians use.

I was irritated at first, and thought about the arrogance of that statement. What if he (or she) is wrong(which I believe they are wrong)? What if what they are doing isn't enough at the end of their life to get them to heaven (assuming heaven is their goal at death)?

That is the generation we deal with, though. And what I am realizng is my own self-righteousness that judges his prideful attitude rather than what I believe Jesus would do, cry out for their salvation.

Everyone reaches the "dead end" at some point. Am I living the kind of life for Jesus that reveals to the "I'm not lost" group not only their lostness but also their answer?

Google/Blogger Irritation

2007-05-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Has anyone had problems with their blogger password? I haven't been able to get on for the last three days due to an inaccurate password, which was the same password I've been using for almost two years. It was extremely irritating. I was ready to bail, but couldn't even get in to my account to let people know I was moving web sites. Justin, my son, has had the same problem with his password. The account keeps rejecting his password. We "updated", which really meant that we put the same password on twice.

Yes, I have considered that it might be the user, but rejected that, since, as I said earlier, I've used the same password for quite a while.

Aftermath, a worship experience

2007-04-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

We had our first "Aftermath" worship experience Sunday night. I am so excited about what we're doing! This is going to be a worship service unlike any other I have been involved with or even attended. We had an artist painting during the whole worship service, a huge piece of butcher paper for anyone to write their thoughts, poetry or even sketch as part of their worship, too. Tiffani did an outstanding job with worship (she is incredibly gifted in worship as well as so many other things). And Charley, our worship leader, did what Charley does so well, sit down, teach from the Scriptures, and make it so understandable. I learned a great deal from his teaching (I have grown to appreciate Charley the more he is here. He has given me pearls of wisdom on several occasions when we've talked together).

Sunday night at 6PM. A worship experience unlike any other, worshiping the God of all Creation, The One who is worthy of all our Worship, Jesus Christ

Starbucks and the future

2007-04-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

I was hanging out, doing some studying and drinking coffee at one of the 503 local Starbucks in the area, when I read one of their posters (advertising Brazil coffee):

I have partnered with Starbucks for 10 years so that we can grow
high-quality coffee for the next 100 years.

Great thought, great planning, to invest in the future.

New Worship Service

2007-04-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

this is our newest worship service, or experience. We're beginning it this Sunday, April 22, at 6PM. The worship service came out of a desire to reach people in our area (primarily young adult) that are more of the artistic type. Here is the info:

The Aftermath is a place for the misunderstood, the extremely understood, the miscreant, and the goody-two-shoes. The Aftermath is not your grandma’s church service. It is a worship experience that strives to be different, a different type of church service; a place for those who have never felt as if they belonged and those who have always belonged. Each week, we will look at Christ's words in different ways from the mold of many other churches. Every service a new band will lead worship, each week we will find new ways to experience Christ's Glory in new and old ways. The Aftermath Staff is excited to delve into this new type of evolving ministry that LOOKS AT THE SAME GOD AND THE SAME TRUTH IN NEW WAYS. We want to be culturally relevant and keep Christ the forefront of our lives.

purpose of life

2007-04-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this book called, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day," by a pastor of a church in Washington DC. His name is Mark Batterson. The book is a great read (the blog is really good, too), and one of my favorite quotes is this:

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop criticizing and start creating. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences.

Too many of us play everything too safe. Jesus said "I have come to give them life abundantly", and abundant LIFE is not found in safety.

Jesus and Revolution

2007-03-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

I like this quote from a book called, "The Barbarian Way". I'm continuing a series at church on change and being a revolutionary. I am frustrated with the way the Church (the body of Christ) has portrayed Jesus and the radical message of salvation. To experience all that we can in our relationship to Jesus, it will involve a radical change of who we are and what we do. Most (American) Christians never get beyond "I'm saved."
He wants us to surrender our lives to Him and follow Him into the unknown. And if it means a life of suffering, hardship, and disappointment, it will be worth it because following Jesus Christ is more powerful and more fulfilling than living with everything in the worlds minus Him. Erwin McManus

Jesus the Revolutionary

2007-03-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

Jesus brought a message that was so different, so earth-shattering, and so challenging to the status quo, that people wanted to kill Him. Not just the religious establishment, but “normal” townspeople either wanted Him gone, or worse, they attempted at one point to throw Him off a cliff outside of town. Jesus led an uprising against a self-centered life. Why is it that the world-shattering, life changing message of Jesus has become hum-drum and mainstream?

The church must embrace and enhance change. We have to be the instigator of change rather than the anchor.

2007-03-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

This was sent through a pastor's sermon illustration email I get weekly. Quite and ironic story:

How can you have a good anti-poverty summit with a bunch of poor people hanging around?

That seemed to be the problem for the World Social Forum, an anti-poverty event recently held in Nairobi, Kenya, according to the Feb. 10 issue of World magazine. Event organizers refused to help a crowd of hungry street kids who asked for food. In response to such treatment, "dozens of languishing street children broke into the five-star hotel's food tent and gorged themselves on cuisine meant only for the anti-hunger elite. Each plate of food in the hotel sold for roughly $7 in a nation where many live on less than $2 every day. After a series of protests by street children as well as other locals, the organizers relented and agreed not to charge for the food."

The New Blog

2007-03-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

Justin, my son, has decided to get into the blogging thing. My dad and I farmed together to bond, I guess the next generation blogs to bond together! His blog is called TheFire. He chose that name because Jesus is the fire of his life. How can I not be excited about that!! Check out his new blog!

The Local Church

2007-03-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am closing out a series on commitment to the local church. This has been a series near and dear to me, because I believe that the local church is near and dear to Jesus. He loves the church, and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). Here are some quotes I have from that series:

Many Christian have been infected with the most virulent virus of modern American life, what sociologist Robert Bellah calls “radical individualism.” They concentrate on personal obedience to Christ as if all that matters is “Jesus and me,” but in so doing miss the point altogether. For Christianity is not a solitary belief system. Any genuine resurgence of Christianity, as history demonstrates, depends on a reawakening and renewal of that which is the essence of the faith—that is, the people of God, the new society, the body of Christ, which is made manifest in the world—the church. . . there is no such thing as Christianity apart from the church. --Chuck Colson
“Failure to cleave to a particular church is failure to obey Christ.” Chuck Colson
if the Church is going to produce the kinds of exceptional people that provide a satisfying and attractive example to a watching world then our Christian faith must be more deliberately, intentionally and inextricably communal." Tod Bolinger, from It Takes a Church"

Church and Change

2007-02-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

These are some quotes from a pastor I have great respect for, Bill Johnson, who is in Redding, CA:

The Church is often guilty of avoiding creativity because it requires change. Resistance to change is resistance to the nature of God.

Religion is not only boring it is cruel. It takes the breath out of every good thing. True holiness is refreshingly good.

My Valentine

2007-02-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Eighteen years ago I gave Traci an engagement ring, the second best decision I ever made (accepting Jesus is obviously first!). I have always said I got the best Michigan had to offer, then moved away. She has strength, character, wisdom and class like no one else. Traci defines what a Godly woman truly is. Happy Valentine's Day, love of my life!!

Change quotes

2007-02-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some additional change quotes to think about.

People often look on change with a sense of anxiety and fear. They want thing to stay the way they are, or they try to recapture the good old days.
--Charles Bumstead

Change your environment before it becomes boring. --Ulrich Diedemayer

Facing the Giants

2007-02-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

We saw one of the most inspirational movies the other night. You have to see this movie, whether you like football or not. Traci, my wife, doesn't like football, and she even liked the movie. It is clean, encouraging, and spiritual without being preachy. I'm even thinking of having my staff watch it for one of our meetings! What encouraged me the most was the never give up attitude, and realizing that often when we do give up, it is so close to our breakthrough. The coach was on the verge of giving up when someone gave him a "word" from the Lord. That word of encouragement was what he needed to keep going. That's when the movie really picks up. Anyone who needs encouragement needs to see this movie.

In the words of Churchill, "never, never, never give up."

soccer champion

2007-01-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

The outcome of Justin's soccer weekend was this: two games on Saturday, both wins, 4-0 and 3-0. Justin even scored one of the goals, and was instrumental in the scoring of at least three others. He is an outstanding passer, and no, I'm not saying that because I'm dad. He really has an ability to see the field better than most kids his age. But it wasn't just a few who played well, which is the norm, they all played an amazing game. I think they stunned the first team, who was the #1 team in the San Pedro area. So much for my last post that said they struggle on defense.

The stage was set for the rematch with a team that had beaten us in the seeding part of the tournament, and lo and behold, it was the peanut butter team (see Jan. 19 post for more details). They had the game on Sunday morning, which left me out. It's the first game I've missed all year, and it was quite difficult. I got updates throughout the game from Traci, the final score was sent through text message. The outcome, after a tie at the end, and two 5 minute overtimes, Justin's team won, 3-2. That makes them the #1 team in our area, made up of 5 or 6 different regions. It was an incredible ending to a memorable season.

Soccer and peanut butter

2007-01-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

Justin's soccer team has gone on to regional playoffs after winning the North Torrance league. His team, the Green Agents, are quite an offensive power, but lack some on defense. One of the teams last week had some special play that the coach signaled the team to run when he said, "peanut butter." I noticed he had called it several times. I also noticed that his team got injured alot. The kids counted at least seven times one of the other team got injured, going down, forcing the coach to go out and check on him. One kid sure seemed to get hurt alot, I think he went down three times or more.

Someone began to link the two events, the "peanut butter" play, to the injuries. The person deduced that the "peanut butter" play was "someone get injured." We outplayed them, but ended the game in a tie, 1-1 because we simply ran out of time. The clock keeps running, even though a kid is hurt. Take 2-3 minutes off the clock every time there's an injury, and almost half the game is gone. Our coach protested, but we don't know the outcome yet. We do play this Saturday at 8AM. Hopefully there's no "peanut butter" play, and our kids play to their potential. If so, we'll be going into the semi-finals of this region!

Change is hard work

2007-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is something I had copied a few years ago from a Christian web site.

For Centuries, people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all times and surely he could not be wrong. All it would have taken was for one brave person to take two objects, one heavy and one light, and drop them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one steeped forward until nearly 2000 years after Aristotle’s death. In 1589,Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the leaning Tower of Pisa . Then he went to the top and pushed of a ten-pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same time. But the power of belief in the conventional wisdom was so strong that the professors denied what they had seen. They continued to say Aristotle was right, reinforcing the observation by Niccolo Machiavelli in his book, The Prince, that: “there is nothing more difficult to take hand, more perilous to conduct, or more certain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of the new order of things.”

I can't top that last quote from Machiavelli!

Church Growth

2007-01-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting insight on church growth:

Study: Growing Churches Have More Men and Drums

Churches with rising attendance numbers have a lot in common with one another - a lot more than denomination, location, or even theological approach. According to a new study, success stories often involve men, drums, a joyful environment, and a concerted effort not to be too "reverent."

That’s the conclusion of a December report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, a nonprofit research group at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn. While most US churches continue to be predominantly of one race and to count more women than men in their pews, the HIRR survey of almost 900 congregations found growth is most likely when:

• A church is multiracial.
• Men make up at least 60 percent of regular participants.
• Leaders describe worship as “slightly to not at all” reverent.
• Drums or percussion are always used in worship.
Such innovations make churches exciting places to be, says report author Kirk Hadaway. It also explains why atypical churches, which are prone to innovate, often lead the pack in growth, he adds.

“If it’s not uplifting, interesting, provoking ... it’s perfectly acceptable in American society to not go [to church] anymore,” says Mr. Hadaway, director of research for the Episcopal Church USA. “Churches that are providing a more uplifting worship experience and community are those that are growing. And those that do it well are not typical anymore.”

For many congregations, learning to grow is a matter of survival. Six mainline denominations, all of which have been losing members for 40 years, saw worship attendance figures drop by as much as 12 percent between 1999 and 2004, according to a November report from the Presbyterian Church (USA). The United Methodist Church (UMC) lost about 34,000 weekly worshipers, or 1 percent, from 2004 to 2005.

Adventure and Change

2007-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

We need to sacrifice the stability of the past in order to reach the opportunities of the future.

Change: In essence, over the course of time, the drive for self-preservation overwhelms the desire for true growth. The Second Coming of the Church, George Barna p. 46

Churches are notorious for keeping the status quo. Status quo is boring, dull, and lacks any creativity. And besides, it is making the church of Jesus increasingly irrelevant. Jesus is anything but irrelevant, and we need to show that.

Change quotes

2007-01-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

My favorite Spanish proverb:

The dogs do bark, but the caravan moves on.

"Change" Quotes

2007-01-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

I've been reading "Small is the New Big" by Seth Godin. I really get a kick out of his thoughts and writings, entertaining, sometimes funny, great observations and very thought provoking. Here is one of his quotes on change, and change is one of my favorite subjects.

Competent people resist change. Why? Because change threatens to make them less competent. And competent people like being competent. That's who they are, and soemtimes that's all they've got. No wonder they're not in a hurry to rock the boat.

Seth's observations could so easily apply to a church. We keep doing the same thing because we're competent, never mind that the world is constantly changing, and we're not keeping up. The church's message of the good news of Jesus doesn't change, but how we present has to change. Why is the church, serving a God called "Creator" so uncreative and slow to change?

Jesus is the Reason

2007-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

I haven't taken the time to put this on the blog for Christmas, and now Christmas is over. But even with Christmas being done, this is worth the read. My kids bless me.

Bryson made a card for Santa Claus that we put by his cookies on Christmas Eve. On the front he has a picture he drew of Santa, the stockings and chimney and a tree that has some ornaments on it and says, “Jesus” and “Joy”. At the top he has “from Bryson.” Inside the card, though, has his message in 1st grade writing:
“Dear Santa thank you for working hard for us. Thank you for the toys. But we still know that Jesus is the reason for seasons.”
He skips down in the card and finishes with “Happy Birthday Jesus are (our) God.” He is my theologian. I think he has an understanding of the Scriptures and the message of Jesus that are beyond his years. Kids are often better at understanding truth than adults are.

Chiefs and Raiders

2006-12-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

This has nothing to do with any post the on fruit of the Spirit. I'm just thrilled wiht the fantastic year the Oakland Raiders are having. What are they now? 2 and 13? Yea, I think that's it. Even if the Chiefs don't make it to the play-offs, and they have little or no chance of making it, the Raiders are at the bottom of the heap. This is a great year for Pro Football!! May every year be this good.

Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

2006-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

God make me good, but not yet. St. Augustine

Isn't that the cry of too many of us?

Satan is out to get us to believe other than the truth of Scripture, that God is absolutely good and absolutely faithful. Every crisis, struggle, sickness, and trial are all to get us to believe that God is not true to His word. It is to get us to believe that God is neither, and we are on our own in the crisis, or that God would even work against us. But, every crisis, struggle, sickness and trial is an opportunity for God to show again that He is good and faithful, and those attributes are best seen in those type of circumstances. But what does the Bible teach? Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.

Here is one of the best quotes I've ever read on being good. It is from another pastor's blog:

This is the secret of the Kingdom: The only way to be truly good—good like God, good—Kingdom-transformed good—is not to focus on being good, it is to focus on belonging to God. In every part of your being giving more and more over to the one who will make you more and more like him. Tod Bolsinger

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

2006-12-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

Psalm 27:13-14 Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

The theme of patience is difficult. It's like waiting for a blogger to get around to adding to the theme he started but hasn't written on in about two months.

Part of patience is waiting for God to act. What I am learning is that the fruit of the Spirit is most often perfected in the midst of conflict. The fruit is mentioned in book of Galatians (Galatians 5), written to a church in conflict. Waiting for God to act, even after a move of obedience is patience building.

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

2006-10-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

Peace is such a broad topic, and I cannot do the subject justice in a single segment. Peace comes from the Hebrew word, shalom. Shalom is defined as wholeness, contentment, prosperity. It literally means to make whole. It means to be healed, body, mind, spirit.

Mark D. Roberts, in his blog, defined peace of Christ well. He said, “

In a nutshell, the peace of God is a by-product of genuine koinônia. If you want to experience more peace, invest yourself more fully in intimate fellowship with God and God's people."

As I’ve pointed out in previous posts, the fruit of the Spirit is perfected in community. In an age when people are leaving the church, whether “good” reasons or not, they are leaving the very thing that Jesus designed to perfect us. It is impossible to fully experience the peace of Christ apart from fellowship His people.

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace" (Col 3:15)

Loving one another

2006-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1John 3:16

In the last segment I wrote about the need we have to love those within the body of Christ. Jesus Himself commanded that we love one another. I believe it is easier to be a Christian and NOT be in a church. (But, it is not better!!) Why? Because then you don’t have to love the person next to you! You can have these lofty ideas of Christianity, and even rail against the organized church. They’re hypocrites! That’s not real Christianity. God didn’t make the church! The lists of complaints go on and on. There is one slight problem. The Church (those who are committed to Christ and attend some type of organized church) still exists, and has done so for centuries, in spite of the naysayers, who think they’re on the “cutting edge” by saying The Church is in the last days. That also has been said for centuries, yet The Church still marches on.

So if The Church still exists, we then need to examine what God intends for it. Here is one of the points I had in the last sermon: if you are a committed follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to a church, a committed group of believers. There are no lone rangers. Jesus said this is how the world will know you are my disciples, if you love one another. In other words, love the others that are also committed to the cause of Christ, especially those in your church! Why do we need to be part of the Community? Because the Community is a reflection of the image of God, and only within the Community can we become what we were made for. ALL OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS PERFECTED IN COMMUNITY, AND WILL NOT FULLY MANIFEST IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT. YOU AND I WILL NEVER KNOW THE FULL POWER OF GOD APART FROM COMMUNITY.
I am a pastor tired of people leaving because they don’t like what someone said, how leadership is leading or even what the pastor did. If you have left a church due to some kind of issue, go and make it right. Make it right with the pastor, leadership or the other person. It’s not only Scriptural; you will miss out on a blessing that comes from obedience and faithfulness, and doing that will be a whole lot healthier for you! Be The Church, truly love one another. The world will be changed, your neighborhood will be changed, your family will be changed, and you will be changed. There really isn’t another option.

Proof of being a Christian

2006-10-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

This is a note I sent to my congregation this week. I’ll post more Scriptures that support the fact that loving the body of Christ is 1) an evidence of being a Christian, and 2) what people who do not yet know Jesus are looking for as evidence of being a Christian. How can Christians possibly proclaim that God is love and have any credibility unless we love each other?

Dear Church,
By this will all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

The themes for the sermon series this fall has been the fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” Last week we talked about love.

Jesus said a very interesting statement to His disciples on the night he was betrayed. He said “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).” I’ve always taken that to mean that we were to love people. That’s true, but Jesus was specifically talking to the twelve disciples and He told them that if THEY loved each other, the world would know they were His disciples. It’s as if He said, “look, if the twelve of you can really love each other, the world will know that what you’re living and telling is the real thing.” He was saying that to a group of guys who had lived with each other for 3 years, walked together, ate together, worked together and ministered together. They knew the good as well as the bad about each other. They probably didn’t get along that well at times. This was a very diverse group, from those who rebelled against Rome to those who worked for Rome. There were those who loved others and those who wanted to call fire down from heaven and consume villages. There were those who were content with being part of the group, and those who wanted to be in charge. The Scripture is clear that this was not a group who always got along with each other.

The point is, sometimes it is easier to “love the world”, the nameless people “out there” we don’t know, than the ones sitting in the pew right next to us, or near us. That is why, I believe, Jesus didn’t say anything about proving to be His disciple by loving the world, He said love the person next to you with an unconditional love. That’s how the world will know you Jesus is the real deal. Do you love the people in your church? All the people in your church? Jesus didn’t leave another option (Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1John 4:20-21). For us to make Jesus known to a world indifferent or hostile to Him, we must prove His love by loving each other. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:20), and in this case, others will know us by our love for one another. Do you need to make a change? Are there some people you have to get things right with? Don’t wait. Prove yourself a disciple of Christ. I’ll see you Sunday.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Dog the Bounty Hunter and Jesus

2006-10-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows is “Dog, The Bounty Hunter.” He is passionate, hilarious, a man’s man, and he loves Jesus! There was a statement made last night that was one of his best. His wife, Beth, was trying to find clothes for him to wear. She was extremely frustrated as she shopped for him because he only wears about “two out of ten shirts” she ever picks out. She returns home with an armful of shirts and has Dog try them on (or at least look at them), and he turns all of them down but one. He told her, “you only got one out of ten shirts right this time.” Then the greatest statement of the show,
“I won’t wear anything (shirt) with a name on it except Jesus and Harley Davidson!”

You have to like a guy like that.

Favorite Football teams

2006-09-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed football, and have looked forward to the season, like any football fan, for some time now. About July we begin to get the stirring, and when September hits we're ready.

I have two favorite football teams, one is the Kansas City Chiefs. I've faithfully followed them through good years and bad, and there's been more bad than good. The team lost on Sunday, but I knew this was going to be a tough year, with a new coach and new schemes to run. The bummer is losing Trent Green this week. He is getting up in years for a football player, and doesn't have too many years left before retiring. Still, this should be an exciting year, at least for the offense.

My other favorite team? Anyone who plays the Raiders. As passionately as I root for the Chiefs, I just as passionately root against the Raiders. They have a reputation for playing dirty, and for good reason. So it was with great joy I watched as the Chargers spanked the hapless Raiders. The satisfaction with seeing them lose far outweighed the disappointment with the Chiefs loss. If the Raiders play like they played against the Chargers, it's going to be a very good year!

Lessons Learned from Mel, part 2

2006-08-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

2. Our need for community. I am more and more convinced in our need of others. God created us to be in communion or community with others. We are not designed to go through life alone. What specifically applies here is our need for accountability, for someone in our life to straighten us out when we are off-kilter. There is a proverb that says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Faithful are the friends who will take my anger to tell me the truth, to tell me where I am messing up. I don’t know whether Mel has friends like that or not. That he has said the things he said about Jews would tell me if he does have close friends talking to him, they are too like-minded. We have to have friends that will disagree, and have opinions other than our own, so we together can help each through our areas of weakness.
3. Our need of prayer. I’m building off of the theme of community. We need accountability, but we also need to be in a group who will love and protect us unconditionally, and that includes praying for one another. If Mel was a “target”, which I believe he was ( I am not giving him excuse for his behavior, though!) he needs prayer. Those who are willing to take the hits and ridicule of others to proclaim the name of Jesus as Lord are targets of this world system. Since they are targets, it is the obligation of others, like you and I, to pray for those “on the front lines”, so to speak. We cannot leave our leaders and spokespersons unprotected. Whether you think he is or is not your spokesperson is not relevant.

I had friend tell me this week that they had noticed that any person in the news who claims the name of Jesus, a big target is placed on you. I would agree. Again, there is no excuse for Mel’s behavior, but there has been a target on him since the making of “The Passion of the Christ.” I have no doubt that there are many who have anxiously awaited this day, to bring the director of “The Passion” down into the gutter. That proves two things; we desperately need the grace of God. I am grateful that it is His grace that saves me, not my own righteousness. And the second point, those who have need to bring others down, are only bringing that person down to their level. That doesn’t say too much for those relishing in Mel’s disgrace.

He needs prayer, and he needs the love of a community who will stand with him in the midst of his sins and errors. In fact, we all need that. “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Mel Gibson and Christianity: Lessons learned from Mel

2006-08-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Part 1
I’ve been a fan of Mel for years, going back to the first Lethal Weapon. Some of my favorite movies were done by him (Braveheart, We were Soldiers, The Passion of the Christ). He is a creative, talented man, able to masterfully tell a story on film that captures my imagination and inspires me to see beyond myself. Creative genius and an ability to inspire does not necessarily equate to ethical or moral fortitude. History is filled with those who did not live out the moral or religious standard they espoused.

I was shocked and disappointed by his actions the last week. Not just that he was drunk, but that he was driving drunk. He’s a husband and father. How can one who is a husband and father willingly put the lives of others in jeopardy by his driving? And in addition to that, there are the things he is alleged to have said about Jews that were not just stupid, but outrageously bigoted and far removed from the Christian religion (Catholic) he claims as his own. (The Jews are still God’s chosen people, but to expand on that thought is for another time).

Lest you think this is yet another tirade on Mel, it’s not. In reflecting on the incident, there are three lessons that can be learned.
1. But for the grace of God go I. Jesus said, “He who is without sin can cast the first stone.” Often people use that for an excuse to sin and do whatever they want, but I’m not quoting that verse for that reason. I am acknowledging that I, though a follower of Christ, being redeemed by His sacrifice on the Cross, am still a redeemed sinner. The apostle Paul wrote about this very issue in Romans 7:
a.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

No, I don’t have trouble with being a drunk or a bigot, but I am no less capable of sin, and therefore no less in need of God’s grace.

Vacation 2006 pictures

2006-08-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here are more pictures of the vacation.

Vacation 2006: Lake Tahoe

2006-08-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

We had some friends give us a time share week, and we chose to go to Lake Tahoe for vacation. Neither Traci nor I had been there before. It was a fantastic choice. The lake was beautiful, the trees majestic and the lifestyle considerably slower than LA, not to mention the temperature and humidity, which was much more comfortable than LA, too. And we of course found an excellent coffee place that roasted their own beans fresh, which was a blessing, too. Here are a couple of pictures of the week. I had asked the kids what the highlight was, and one of their highlights was getting to see the neighborhood bear on two different days. He's here rummaging through the garbage looking for something to eat. We got within about 20 feet of him, but he didn't really care.

Their highlight was also the clearness of the lake. None of us could get over how incredibly clear it was. They had a great time swimming in it. Bryson kept diving down into the water to get rocks, and found one that was heart-shaped, which he promptly gave to Mom. He then found some other rocks, treasures to him, and gave them away to her, too. He later told me that one of his highlights was getting rocks for Mommy. He is quite a romantic at heart. Maybe he picked that up from Dad.

outreach directions

2006-07-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here is our family pastor, Tony (the one in the straw hat) giving directions to some of our outreach team members. It is quite ironic since Tony is not the person one would really want to get directions from. He did do well this time, though! I'm enjoying seeing so many people from the church getting involved in giving to our community.

LA farmer II

2006-07-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of the fact that I can get things to grow, even in LA. This the corn, two weeks later than the previous picture. It's just beginning to tassle. Most of the corn is about six and a half feet tall now.

the LA farmer

2006-07-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the corn I'm growing in my backyard. Being a former farm boy, I love to grow things, but with our limited space, this is all I get to do. I'm going to take a picture every week of my kids standing in front of the corn, so we can see the changes. There is actually green beans in back of the corn, which is doing very well, too, though you can't see it. Beans are my youngest daughter's favorte vegetable, so we have to grow it, too. But that's all, folks! We don't have room for anything else.

Saturday Outreach: Church has left the building

2006-07-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from last Saturday's outreach. This is the third week of the outreach this summer. The first picture is two friends with their SU3 t-shirts on, who love to give out gifts! Kids are an integral part of our outreach. They've got energy. There were 40-45 people who came out that morning to give away gifts, and talk to people about Jesus. The enthusiasm of our "servants" is contagious. There were more who went out than were in the picture, but they were so excited to leave, they didn't even wait for the picture to be taken!

We had another person (2nd week in a row this has happened) who said, "oh, you're from CrossRoad" as soon as one of our servers gave the gift. That's music to my ears. We do love our neighbors, and want to reach them. The church is doing an outstanding job of ministering here. I'm looking forward to this being our best year of reaching others for Christ that the church has ever seen.

The church has left the building

2006-07-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd year of our outreach to the community. I borrowed a slogan from another church in Ohio for this year's theme: "The church has left the building." The church is called to do ministry in the community, not expect the community to come to us, so we're going out. We're reaching over 1800 homes in our area with three different gifts. The last two weeks we've given out American flags. Even Uncle Sam got into the outreach! And of the 40 or so who were ministering last week, almost half were children! When one person asked about putting a flag in a neighbor's yard, the neighbor responded, "Oh, you must be from CrossRoad (the name of the church). We're developing a name and reputation in the community, that of giving. And isn't that a Jesus kind of thing to do?

Church Description

2006-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent description of our church, the ministry, and the very essence of who we are and what we do. The post was written by a friend, who is one of our elders, and is currently going to seminary at King's Seminary in Van Nuys, CA.

The church in which I fellowship is called CrossRoad. We are located in the city of Gardena, California. Denominationally, we are a part of the American Baptist Churches, USA. Doctrinally, we are a charismatic Baptist church, believing that all of the gifts of the Spirit are active and for today. As Baptists, we do maintain certain distinctives specific to our heritage, including baptism by immersion and the priesthood of all believers.

As an American Baptist church, we have the freedom to operate our church at our discretion at the local level. The local body is pretty much the entity that decides how the church will be run and what the distinctives will be for that body. We do maintain an elder board, of which I am a member. However, the elder board mostly deals with the operational aspects of the church, while the Pastors of the church deal with the doctrinal and ministerial direction of the church. The elders would only involve themselves in doctrinal issues if the Pastor were to perpetuate heresy! Thankfully, this has not happened!

Our church, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, has two very special legacies. It is a church that has had many of its congregants called to full-time mission work in various parts of the world, and it is a church that has had a very special healing ministry as a part of its heritage. Much of the philosophy of ministry that our church holds to is based upon these two legacies.

Our Mission
The mission of our church consists of five emphases. It is:
“Joyful Service through:
Family –a place to belong,
Missions – reach beyond,
Ministry – blessed to serve,
Discipleship – learn to believe,
Worship – bringing my all.”

Though we have congregants of all ages, we are very family-oriented. Children are a very strong emphasis in our church. We have large children and youth ministries, and we also have two affiliated schools on our campus that serve pre-school through the 8th grade. These two schools alone minister to a little over 400 children. This is significant because it is larger than the total membership of our church!

Our church also strongly believes in mission. As previously stated, we have had many who have been called from our body to become full-time missionaries in countries all over the world. But we are not limited to world missions. We also strongly believe in ministering to those around us in the mission field of everyday lives. In the past our church has implemented the “Every Member a Minister” philosophy of ministry, encouraging everyone to go out and serve others. We have also implemented new and exciting ministries geared towards serving those in our immediate community. More will be discussed concerning this later.

Ministry is an extremely important part of CrossRoad. As previously stated, we encourage everyone to serve in ministry in some capacity. This is not because we believe it to be a good idea or because it helps the flow of the church. This is because we consider it a blessing to serve others and because we believe that serving others flows directly out of the heart of God. John 13:12-17 is a moving passage that describes one of Christ’s final acts before He went to the cross. In this passage, Christ set aside His “title” as the Son of God for the “towel” of servitude. In his darkest hour, He chose to serve others. In verse 15 of this passage Jesus indicates, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you, “ and then He concludes in verse 17, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” A previous sermon given by our Pastor was entitled, “Grab a Towel,” based upon this very passage.

Another important aspect of the ministry of CrossRoad is discipleship. We believe that it is of utmost importance that individuals not only come to a saving relationship with Christ for salvation, but that they also continue in that relationship through continued learning and growth. Thus, we have a number of Bible studies and Sunday School offerings to encourage that continued growth and personal discipleship.

Finally, our church is strongly centered upon worship. We believe in worship through praise, worship through study of God’s Word, and worship through service to others. Our philosophy is to cultivate an attitude of worship in all that we do. We offer two different worship services that congregants may attend. The first service at 8:30am is a more traditional service with the singing of hymns and a very structured flow of worship. The second service at 11:00am is more contemporary, with modern praise songs being sung and more of a freedom in worship as the Spirit so leads. Often, praise time can take as long as 45 minutes to an hour before a sermon is ever delivered.

Our Vision
The vision statement of the church is: “To reach our neighborhood with the good news of Jesus Christ by doing what Jesus did: healing, serving and loving people into Christ's Kingdom.” If the mission of the church dictates the “what” of our ministry, then the vision of the church dictates the “how” of it. Our aim is to reach those around us with the wonderful news of Christ, and we do this through healing, serving, and loving.

It has been said that when God refers to the necessity of His children being “holy,” what he is saying is that His children must be “whole.” However, in order for them to truly experience this “holiness,” they must first receive healing from God. We believe that healing from God refers to complete healing. That is, it is a healing that is physical, spiritual, and emotional. We faithfully pray for the sick that they may be healed, as mandated by James, believing God for His promises of restoration.

As previously mentioned, serving is an integral part of who we are as a church. We encourage all our members to go out and to serve others because that is precisely what Christ did and what He calls us to do as well.

We also believe that loving is of utmost importance. We are first to love God, and then our neighbor. We believe that by demonstrating God’s love to others, we are reflecting the very love of God Himself.

Finally, though many ministries are called to different foci, we strongly believe that the ministry of our church is called to healing, serving, and loving the people of our immediate neighborhood. The past two summers, our church has undertaken a bold new outreach to our neighborhood, which has resulted in many new faces stepping through our doors. This year will be the third year of our “Summer Unleashed” program.

Unofficial Theme Verses and our Philosophy of Ministry
There are two verses that our church has unofficially adopted as its theme verses: Isaiah 56:7 and Revelation 7:9. Isaiah 56:7 reads, “These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.” Revelation 7:9 reads, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”

We believe that worship of God should always be a joy-filled experience. There is a banner in our church that reads, “There is joy in the house,” and this is reflective of how all our worship services are put together. All that we do is centered around sharing the love and the joy of Christ. Whether it is a Sunday morning service, a marriage, or even a funeral, the goal is always to provide an experience of God that is filled with joy because we believe that is God’s desire.

We also believe that church should be a place in which there is unity. Christ came to reconcile the world to Himself, and the world is filled with many different kinds of people! This is why the wall of our church lobby has the verse from Revelation 7:9 painted upon it for all to see. As our Pastor often likes to remark, “We believe that church should be a place that looks a little bit like heaven.” Thus, it is a place in which you can see people who represent many different nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. It is not unusual to look to our congregation and see people of many different ethnic backgrounds seated side by side, including White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian. This is an amazing feat for our church to accomplish at a time that is still considered by many to be “the most segregated hour in America.”

If I had to answer the questions, “What informs the ministry of CrossRoad?” and “ What is the focus when putting together services?” then my answer would definitely be that it is the joy of the Lord. It is through the joy of the Lord that we offer healing to individuals through Christ. It is through the joy of the Lord that we serve our neighbors and it is through the joy of the Lord that we love one another because He first loved us. Indeed, it is through the joy of the Lord that we all come together and that our worship truly can be “just a little bit like heaven.”

The Da Vinci Crock, er, Code

2006-05-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

I received a paper from one of our college students at the church who had written a great paper on “The da Vinci Code.” It’s a great paper, and she had one quote that caused me to laugh out loud. It was a quote from Mark A Finley, with the Adventist Church, who said, “'The Da Vinci Code' is a suspense-filled, spine tingling read that blends fiction with fiction.”

The other good quote is from Roger Ebert, who wrote this about “The da Vinci Code” when reviewing the movie: “Dan Brown’s novel is utterly preposterous; Ron Howard’s movie is preposterously entertaining.”

Is Dan Brown’s book and the movie by the same name a threat to Christianity? Not if you take the advice of the movie advertising and “seek the truth.”

Managing Change

2006-05-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to do something, even if it's wrong.

I had a professor at seminary tell a class that, it stuck with me. I know I can get so paralyzed by analysis, gathering information, that I don't make any kind of change at all. With my perfectionist tendencies, I can keep working on getting things right and never move. Analysis is good, but there comes a time when we have to move on.

But I find that I'm not alone, especially in a church setting. We don't like anything to change, even if it's worn out furniture, paint, etc. The church can be filled with those who are the keepers of the status quo. We might offend so and so, because they donated that, or they painted that, built that, and the list goes on. "The former pastor liked to do it this way." When I was a youth minister, I replaced a youth minister who had been released at a church. One of the youth told me, "that's not the way Mark (former youth pastor) did it." My reaction: "I'm not Mark."

I like this quote: The church that fails to change fails to impact the culture of change. It becomes a dinosaur, a memorial to a world that no longer exists. That which is to be the salt of the earth turns tasteless, and its light flickers dimly if at all. Aubrey Maphurs, “Planting Growing Churches”.

There are enough dinosaurs.

Change is good!

2006-05-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult things to get a church (or people, for that matter) to change. Few people really like to change. They like the status quo, whether it is beneficial or not. This quote is one I use often in reference to change:

Galbraith's Law of Human Nature: Faced wtih the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof.

I like change, in fact, I get uncomfortable when things have stayed the same too long. Which is one of the reasons for the name of the blog, it has to do with change. Embrace change, for it shall happen whether you like it or not.

Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Favorites list: Kentucky Derby winners

2006-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is Secretariat, winning the Belmont Stakes.

I have wanted to do some fun stuff on Fridays, so with the Kentucky Derby coming up, I'll start with that. I love watching horses run, especially these big races. I'm not really a horse racing fan, but there have been some horses through the years that have been stand outs to me, so here they are, in no particular order.

My Favorite thoroughbreds ( in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby):
Seattle Slew: cool name, great horse to watch
Secretariat: I remember watching the last leg of the Triple Crown, and seeing him pull away to an over 30 length lead, it was phenomenal.
Riva Ridge: the first horse race I remember watching. He became my first favorite.
Funny Cide: great story of a "everyman" horse, trainers, and owners who made their dreams come true
Affirmed and Alydar: these two had epic battles all through the triple crown races, so I had to put both of them together.
Man O’ War: first great horse of the last century. I remember reading about him when I was growing up.
Whirlaway: I just liked the name.

Sea Biscuit: loved the movie, the horse with the big heart

Listening and Prayer

2006-05-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

One of my dream trips would be to do what this guy is doing, riding in the mountains. When I was growing up, I would often ride alone for long stretches of time (although where I rode, in Kansas, it looked nothing like this picture!)just to think, pray and listen. The older I get, the more I realize why Jesus gave us the example of going to quiet places to pray. We need down time or alone time, time to contemplate and more importantly, to listen. I just read an article from a business leader who emphasized the importance of taking alone time and contemplating. As a Christian, I know there is more to contemplation, I have to listen to what I believe the Lord is saying. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." Its hard to hear Him when we're too busy to listen.

prayer of agreement

2006-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18:19 If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for your by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

The word “agree” is derived from a root from which we get the word symphony – to be of one mind and purpose, or to be in harmony. Harmony comes when we line our lives up with the desires of the One we serve, Jesus Christ.

Generally, we’re all for agreeing, as long as someone realizes I’m right. It’s more difficult when others don’t see the brilliance of my insight. Alright, I’m being a little facetious, but that’s what many think when this Scripture is quoted. But that’s not the point. There is power in people agreeing together, and even more so when the agreement lines up with the ways of God. Jesus taught us to pray, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The point is, what I want needs to line up with what God wants, and He wants heaven to invade earth. He wants to radically change people so that they take on the characteristics of Himself: to love and serve. Prayer is, as Karl Barth said, an uprising against the disorder of the world. The prayer of agreement, especially to be in harmony with what God desires, can and will change the world.

national day of prayer

2006-04-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. Karl Barth

Next Thursday, May 4, is National Day of Prayer. I enjoy praying, and remember some very powerful prayer meetings over the years. Last year we hosted a gathering of several churches to focus on praying for our nation. It was a memorable evening. In the next week, I’ll blog on some of my favorite quotes on prayer, adding some comment. The American church puts far too little emphasis on the power we have as Christians in prayer. Prayer truly does change situations, events and courses. Please set aside time next week to pray for our nation, and for the state of the body of Christ in America.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

Spring Break

2006-04-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

I’ve taken some vacation this week. The kids had their Easter/Spring break, and I wanted to spend some time with them, as well as Traci. It wasn’t enough time, though. I love playing with them! The boys are both good baseball players, so we spent quite a bit of time doing that. I’ll blog more next week, when I’m back into the work thing. Right now I have to go play baseball.

Horses

2006-04-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading "Funny Cide; How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a bunch of high school buddies took on the Sheiks and Bluebloods. . . and won". As you know, anything with horses has got to be good in my eyes, and this was no exception. I remember watching Funny Cide run in 2003, but didn't realize the story behind it. This is a great story about a group of people who wanted to live life to the fullest, and went for their dream, to own racehorses and actually win! The odd part of their dream was this: they were not stereotypical race horse owners. After Funny Cide's winning of the Kentucky Derby, one of the "typical" racehorse owners (referred to as "bluebloods") was overheard saying, "one of the owners (of Funny Cide) is a school teacher!" The audacity of her!

I love it when typecasts are broken!

Good Friday

2006-04-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

With this being Good Friday, I was thinking again of the movie, "The Passion of the Christ". Even though it was done two years ago, and it's been a while since I've seen it, the images of Jesus suffering still stay with me. I remember watching the lashes He received and wanting desperately to yell at them to stop. The worst part of that being the realization that the beating was for me. I'm glad the story doesn't end with Jesus on the cross, though. It ends with an empty cross and an empty tomb, because He has risen. I pray that is the message that is proclaimed loud and clear on Sunday.