Pilate on Trial | John 18:28-40

The Gospel of John is a unique and powerful account of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Written by John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, this gospel presents a deep and thoughtful perspective on the person and work of Jesus. Unlike the other three gospels, which are known as the Synoptic Gospels and focus on Jesus' actions and teachings, John's gospel emphasizes the spiritual and theological significance of Jesus' life and ministry. For this series I will write some of the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Pilate on Trial | John 18:28-40 

John 18-21 primarily focus on the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. John 18 focuses on the unfair, unjust, midnight trail of Jesus. The first half of John 18 focuses on the Jewish part of the trial while the second half focuses on the Roman part of the trial. In our passage today we will see Jesus brought to the second phase of His trail. In our text Jesus is brought before Pilate for the Roman part of His trail. To best understand our passage today we need to put on the lens of a first century lawyer. Understanding the legal system of the first century will help us understand this passage best. Think about the sermon and work through these questions as a group. 

1) Every healthy society has good rules. If you look at the safest cities in the world it is because they have good rules in place. What are some of the safest and least safe countries in the world? Talk about the difference we see in these places. 

2) We learned three parts of Jesus’ trial were illegal: It was done through treachery and without the appropriate paperwork, It started with a private hearing from Annas the High Priest, and it broke Jewish Law. How does knowing this make you feel? 

3)Read John 18:28-32. History never painted Pilate as a compassionate man but it seems he wanted nothing to do with the trial of Jesus. Read Matthew 27:19, Mark 15:1, and Luke 23:13-16. What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ innocence? 

4) The Jewish leaders brought charges against Jesus. Read John 4:25-26, 5:16-18,  and Matthew 22:15-22. Jesus claimed to be God, healed on the Sabbath, and talked about tax laws. Are these charges worthy of death? Why or why not? 

5) Read John 18:32-38. Pilate engaged Jesus in a conversation that was dripping with legal sense. This interaction teaches us about the legal trial Jesus endured. Where does this passage give you the hope of heaven and Jesus’ coming Kingdom? 

6) Jesus told Pilate that His Kingdom was a from another place. Take some time in your group to talk about what matters most to kings on the earth (land, people, taxes, ETC) and what is Jesus’ primary focus of His Kingdom? 

7) Jesus said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” What does the Bible teach us about truth (Exodus 20:16, Titus 1:2, John 14:6, and 2 Timothy 2:15)? Think about how our world would be different if everyone told the truth. How has the truth of God transformed the way you live your life? 

Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

Deny Everything | John 18:1-27

The Gospel of John is a unique and powerful account of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Written by John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, this gospel presents a deep and thoughtful perspective on the person and work of Jesus. Unlike the other three gospels, which are known as the Synoptic Gospels and focus on Jesus' actions and teachings, John's gospel emphasizes the spiritual and theological significance of Jesus' life and ministry. For this series I will write some of the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Deny Everything | John 18:1-27

John 18 begins a new section in the Gospel of John. This section starts the path to the cross for Jesus, the resurrection, and the reinstatement of Peter. In our text today we will see that Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of His arrest. It must have been a frightening night for the disciples to witness the arrest of Jesus. In John 13 we read that Judas left the Passover meal to hand Jesus over to the Religious Leaders. During the arrest we see Jesus intentionally protect the disciples to keep them safe. While Jesus is in an unfair, unjust, midnight courtroom is when Peter denies Jesus. He leaves the situation broken and in tears. 

1) In the sermon it was said that Peter was taught to deny anything the Roman empire asked him about. What is something that your parents taught you, good or bad, that you still fall back on to this day? 

2) Read John 18:1-7. Judas knew exactly where Jesus would be and choose to intentionally betray Jesus. Think about a time in your life when you were betrayed. How it feel? What emotions did you experience? How did you get through it? 

3) During His arrest Jesus stood up to protect the disciples (had John 18:8-9). Using your voice to protect others can be bold and scary. Share a time when you spoke up to protect others or when you did not speak up but kept quiet. 

4) Peter acts rashly and almost kills a man (read John 18:10-12). What do you think made Peter act in this manner to try to behead one of the soldiers? How do you think you would act if you were in the garden that night? 

5) Read John 18:15-18). It’s late at night and Peter denies Jesus. In what situations are you tempted to hide your faith to protect yourself? Do you feel adequately prepared to share your faith when the right time presents itself? (see 1 Peter 3:15-16). 

6) Read John 18:19-24. While Jesus was being falsely accused He was slapped in the face for His reply to the High Priest. What does this slap say about our culture? Where in culture do you see people trying to push Jesus out of things? 

7) Peter ends up denying Jesus two more times (read John 18:27-27). Peter made a mistake but it seems to be out of self-preservation. What can learn about Peter’s situation and the words that come out of our mouth? 

8) Close your time in prayer. Pray for strength to invite a friend to meet Jesus. 

A healthy marriage focuses on comforting each other

Last month Charity and I had the privilege of sharing on marriage at Coastline. It was a super fun morning to teach with Charity. This year we hit 18 years of marriage. We're the first to share that we're not perfect but we're also not quitters. We intentionally invest in our marriage. One of those ways is to comfort each other.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

    But how can one keep warm alone?

Ecclesiastes 4:11

When Solomon wrote this he was specifically thinking about the cold desert nights in Israel. He was thinking that if two people lie down together they can share their body heat and survive the cold desert nights. There is an aspect in this verse of the comfort that a marriage provides to people. 

Now, most guys read this verse and think that Solomon is talking about sex. I can assure you he is not talking about sex. Guys, almost anything can be sexual for you. Last night your wife said: “Can you help me load the dishwasher?” In your mind you thought: “You bet! I’ll help you load the dishwasher.” Your mind immediately went to sex and she just needed help in the kitchen. 

This passage is about comfort. I’ve found marriage provides an amazing comfort in a confusing world. Earlier I shared that marriage was God’s idea. God knew that we would face daily challenges and need someone to share the load of those challenges with. 

Some of you stay home with the kids all day long. When your spouse comes home you simply want to talk with someone about something else than Paw Patrol and dirty diapers. You want adult conversation. Marriage provides that comfort. Some of you work outside the home all day. You want to come home and ask your spouse for ideas on how to manage your team. You’re having an issue with your boss. He wants you to work on a project and it's all you’ve ever dreamed up but you want to discuss this with your spouse. We converse with our spouse because it provides us comfort in a confusing world. 

I appreciate what the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Ephesus (read Ephesians 5:33). I don’t think it’s my role to tell anyone’s wife that she must respect her husband. The Bible has clearly told you. But I do feel it’s my passion to help men to love their wife. I long to see more healthy marriages in our church and in our community. I’ve used this illustration for years in pre-marital counseling. When a husband attempts to move closer to his wife, he doesn’t get closer to God. But when he applies this passage and focuses on loving God and loving his wife, he gets closer to God. Hopefully she is focused on loving God and respecting her husband. The end result is a closer relationship to God and your spouse. I love this quote: "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." —Mignon McLaughlin

Can we have some real talk here? Some of you are feeling beat up by the world right now. You’re struggling with rising food costs, kids tearing through shoes, your gas bill, your boss, and much more. You are exhausted with all the responsibilities you have. Some of you single parents are really struggling in this season of life. You might even want to quit. 

Instead of running away from your spouse, getting your head, or being silent, will you please let your spouse comfort you? She can’t fix your problems, you need to get on your knees and beg God for that, but she can comfort you in this time. This is for everyone. Here is a simple question that Charity and I ask in our home: “Do you want me to fix that or just listen?” There are times that guys go into solve mode when we simply need to listen. We show comfort in our relationships when we listen to each other. 

Judges 6-8 Small Group Questions

Our church is doing a twelve-week sermon series through the book of Judges called: "Flawed Heroes." We are studying the Old Testament book for a couple reasons. One is that Judges is a book of flawed heroes and none of us are perfect. The book reminds us that God is the divine hero of the story. Judges is a period of transition for Israel, a transition from God as their leader to a monarchy. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions ::: Gideon ::: Judges 6-8

Israel experienced forty years of peace after Deborah but fell back into their old habits of sinning. For seven years they were oppressed by the Midianites. The Midianites would come and raid the land of Israel; stealing food and livestock was a normal occurrence. God called Gideon to be the next leader. Through a series of God-inspired events, we read that God give Israel the victory over what scholars think to be an army of 120,000+ soldiers. Initially Gideon was a humble servant but the battle went to his head and he became prideful. The end of his life is a disaster; he is worshipping the false gods he torn down and making a golden ephod for worship. 

1) Think about a time in your life when you felt oppressed by external circumstances; it could have been a school project, a demanding supervisor, an unwelcome family addition or more. How did God show up when you needed Him? 

2) Read Judges 6:25-32. Gideon obeys the command of the Lord to tear down the altar to the false gods his tribe has worshipped. What are some false gods that we currently fall into worshipping in our culture? How do we eradicate them? 

3) There are times we can follow Gideon’s lead in being faithless to God (read Judges 6:33-40). Do you think it pleased the Lord for Gideon to put God to the test in this way? Have you ever laid out a fleece for the Lord to answer a prayer?  

4) Thinking about you prayer life, where do you need God to act in a mighty way? Read Luke 18:9-14 and talk about the difference in the two men that Jesus illustrated. What can we learn from this story about prayer and God listening?  

5) Gideon finds out that his army is too big for God to use. Someone once said we have everything we need to accomplish everything God has called us to accomplish. Where have you lacked faith in trusting that you have all you need right now? 

6) Read Judges 7:19-25. It was obvious that God had given the Midianites over to Israel. Why do you think Gideon had the people shout his name when they smashed their jars? Where do you look for praise from others instead of looking to God? 

7) The conclusion of Gideon’s life is a sad event. He returns to idol worship (read Judges 8:25-27). The story has a thread that reminds Israel of Aaron and the golden calf (see Exodus 32). How come we are so quick to turn back to idols?

Close your time in prayer. Talk about who you will invite to Coastline this week 

Judges 1 Small Group Questions

Our church is doing a twelve-week sermon series through the book of Judges called: "Flawed Heroes." We are studying the Old Testament book for a couple reasons. One is that Judges is a book of flawed heroes and none of us are perfect. The book reminds us that God is the divine hero of the story. Judges is a period of transition for Israel, a transition from God as their leader to a monarchy. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions ::: Take the Land ::: Judges 1

The book of Judges is thought to have been written by Samuel the prophet. It is an account of the Israelites settling in the Promised Land. They settled in two different ways. First, they began to live in the land flowing with milk and honey that God promised to them. Secondly, the settled by not driving out the inhabitants of the land. We will see that the occupants of the land will prove to be a snare to them and lead them to worshipping false gods. Chapter one serves as an introduction to the entire book. We must look back to see that Joshua led the people after Moses brought to the edge of the Promised land. One theme will arise in the book: God wants Lordship over all areas of our lives, not just some areas

1) Neal started the sermon with the story of the conquistador Hernando Cortés and his fascinating leadership decision to burn their ships. Share about a time when you made a brave move that required 100% commitment. 

2) The book of Judges begins with the life of Joshua. Joshua and Caleb were the only two men born in Egypt that entered the Promised Land. Read Numbers 13 and discuss their faith. Discuss how they viewed things versus the other ten spies. 

3) Read Judges 1:1-3. Israel wanted to hear the voice of the Lord. Read 1 Samuel 3:1-12 and Psalm 46:10. How do you go about learning to hear God’s voice?

4) Read Judges 1:12-18. We read about Aksah and her brave faith. The Bible is filled with stories of brave faith. Read Matthew 14:22-36. We see Peter express his trust in Jesus with action. Where is God asking you to be brave in your faith today?  

5) In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us about asking God for our needs (read Matthew 7:7-12). Share a story about a time when you asked God for something and He came through with meeting your needs. Now share something you are currently asking God for with bold faith. 

6) Look at Judges 1:19-36. Much of the final half of this chapter is an example of Israel having faithless faith. That is not the entirety of the Old Testament. Look at Hebrews 11, as a small group, and talk about the examples of faith we read in Scripture. 

7) The failure of Israel to fully take the land reminds us of the times we experience heart-hearted discipleship. Neal encouraged us to not stop short of what the Lord wants to give you. What one thing can you do this week to grow in your faith? 

Close your time in prayer. Talk about who you will invite to Coastline Online? 

Miss the worship gathering? Check it out here

Jonah 4 Small Group Questions

Our church is doing a four-week sermon series through the book of Jonah called: "Running to God." We are studying the life of the prophet Jonah and what it looks like to run to God even when we don't want to. The book of Jonah is small in size but deep in theology. We read about the unending, gracious, merciful love of God. We see that God is unwilling to give up on anyone and longs for all people to know Him. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone

Small Group Questions ::: A God who cares ::: Jonah 4

The book of Jonah is small in words but deep in theological truth of the love of God. It begins with Jonah fleeing from the Lord and turning to obedience to God. The book concludes with a melancholy prophet seemingly focused on selfish desires. Many times the book of Jonah isn’t read through chapter 4, but we must discuss the emotional state of Jonah as he relates to the great compassion of God. Jonah leaves the city of Nineveh and watches the great city. At this point God asks two questions of Jonah and provides an object lesson to help Jonah see the great love of God. The book ends rather abruptly as Jonah has no response to the great love of God.

1) Neal shared a couple of stories where his kids learned to do the right thing with his guidance and then began to act on their own. How have you learned to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord?

2) Jonah confesses that he knew the character of God (read Jonah 4:1-3). Jonah knew that God was gracious and compassionate (Exodus 34:6, Nehemiah 9:17, & Psalm 145:8). Share about how you’ve seen God’s character in this manner.

3) Some scholars think that Jonah was setting up a location to watch Nineveh burn. Read Genesis 19:1-29 to learn about Sodom and Gomorrah. Discuss how one city was destroyed and one city was spared in different time periods.

4) Read Jonah 4:4-8. Jonah appears to be angry at God for acting in compassion. Compare the state of Jonah here with Peter in John 21. Peter was restored to ministry after denying Jesus. Do you relate more with Jonah or with Peter?

5) The Bible calls believers to invest themselves into growing others believers (read Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 16:1-5, Ephesians 4:2-24, & 1 Thessalonians 1:5). Who are you intentionally investing your life in to help them grow in the Lord?

6) As the book of Jonah nears the end we see God’s great concern for this Nation (read Jonah 4:9-11). What is something in our world that you are concerned for (It might be a people group, an organization, or a personal calling)?

7) It is evident form our text that God has a desire for all people to know Him (read John 3:16, Acts 20:1-6, & 2 Peter 3:9). What role are you currently playing in to help more people know about the great love of God?

Close your time in prayer. Talk about who you will invite to Coastline on Sunday.

Mark 1:1-15 Small Group Questions

Our church is currently studying the book of Mark. For twenty-eight weeks we're walking through the book and talking about the action-packed story of Jesus. Mark was more concerned with what Jesus did than what Jesus said. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions ::: The Beginning ::: Mark 1:1-15

The gospel of Mark was written by John Mark who was a helper of Peter and Paul. History tells us this was the first written account of Jesus of Nazareth. We think the account was written between 65-75 AD. The gospel account is fast-paced and quick moving. As we study this book keep your eyes open for all the descriptive words (Jesus went, Jesus moved, healed, preached, and prayed). Mark originally wrote this account for a Roman audience. Take some time to look further into the introduction of the good news of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. 

1) Read Mark 1:1. The gospel account opens with a theologically rich statement about the person of Jesus Christ. We read that this is the “Good News” of Jesus. Why do you think so many people argue about Jesus instead of sharing the good news? 

2) Mark quotes two of the prophetical statements about John preparing the way for the Lord. John’s role was a messenger to announce the coming of the king. How did John go about making this announcement?  

3) John was the son of a Priest (Luke 1:5) and played the role of a prophet. The prophet typically didn’t wear the kind of clothes John wore and stayed closer to the city where the people would be. How can we fall into judging the way people look without getting to know them before hand? 

4) John understood the holiness of Jesus by stating that he was unable to untie his sandals (read Mark 1:7). In what ways do you revere the holiness of God and in what ways have you neglected the holiness of God in your life? 

5) In the Bible the desert represents not only a physical place but a place where God meets with His people. Read Exodus 3 and 1 Kings 19:1-18. What are some similarities in these stories that we learn about the love of God?

6) At the baptism of Jesus, God the Father offers a great affirmation. Share one way you have found success in affirming your children. (If you don’t have children, how would you like to work on this?)

7) Read Mark 1:15 and talk about the message Jesus preached

8) Share with your small group about who you are praying for on your “You Belong Here” card. Close your time in prayer 

Ruth 3- Small Group Questions

Our church is currently studying the book of Ruth. For four weeks we're walking through the book and talking about the redemptive story of God. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions…Trust and Obey…Ruth 3

The book of Ruth is a pearl in a dark time in the history of Israel. Ruth and Naomi arrived back in Bethlehem with their heads down and hearts empty. As the story continued we read that God blessed them through Boaz. Boaz showed unending kindness to the women who were in need of food and family. As we approach chapter 3 we see that Naomi is ready for this relationship between Ruth and Boaz change from scavenger and landowner to something more. Ruth acts in obedience to all that Naomi instructs her to do and Boaz responds in character and integrity. The entire story in Ruth 3 takes place in the nighttime hours but God continues to shine His light in the darkness.  

1) The sermon began with the story of Naaman and his initial hesitation to obey what Elisha asked of him (You can read the story in 2 Kings 5). Share of a time when you obeyed what God asked you to do and how it turned out. 

2) Neal taught us that God blesses our obedience. Ruth was obedient to all that Naomi instructed her to do (read Ruth 3:5). What is something God is asking you to be obedient in your life right now? Explain the emotions involved in this choice.   

3) Knowing this was a dark time in Israel’s history, it was typical for women to prostitute themselves to men at the threshing floor. Talk about the character and integrity of Ruth and Boaz and the importance of remaining sexually pure before marriage. (Ruth 3:11, Ruth 2:1, Hebrews 13:4, Colossians 3:5, and 1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

4) Boaz was a man of action. He woke up early to follow through on what he committed to do in his relationship with Ruth. Do you find yourself being more motivated or more of a procrastinator? How can you improve on getting things done in a timely basis? (These verses might help Matthew 5:33-37 and Ecclesiastes 5:4) 

5) Read Ruth 3:1 and 18. It’s evident that Naomi has a strong love for Ruth. How is your relationship with your parents or children and what can you do to improve that?   

6) In Ruth 3:15 Boaz measured a large amount of grain out for Ruth. Why do you think Ruth said it was meant as a gift for Naomi? 

7) The relationship between Ruth and Naomi is not your typical family relationship. When you think about the family of God, who are you investing your life in and who is investing in your life to help you be obedient to God? 

Close your time in prayer 

Ruth 2- Small Group Questions

Our church is currently studying the book of Ruth. For four weeks we're walking through the book and talking about the redemptive story of God. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions…Head down, hands full…Ruth 2

The book of Ruth is a pearl in a dark time in the history of Israel. During the time of the Judges the Nation of Israel had a rollercoaster relationship with following the Lord. Ruth models a great commitment by leaving the gods of Moab to follow Naomi. God has restocked the house of bread and Ruth arrives just before the barely harvest begins. Once in Israel she finds herself on the lowest rung of the social ladder. God’s plan was always for the Kingdom of heaven to be multiethnic. In this chapter we see Boaz model radically generosity to a widow in desperate need of someone to show her kindness. Go through these questions to help you understand this story more fully.

1) Pastor Neal started out the sermon by sharing a story of a time in Africa when he surprised some kids (and scared a few). In Ruth 2 we see how surprised Ruth was by the generosity of Boaz. When has God surprised you in a good way?

2) Read Ruth 2:1 and Judges 6:12. In the Hebrew language the phrase used to describe these men is similar. But when we read about the men they are different. How is Boaz different from other men of that time and men in Israel’s history?

3) When Ruth asked Naomi to let her go to the fields and gather grain for the two of them see was hoping to find favor in the eyes of someone (Ruth 2:2). Discuss what it would have been like to be a foreigner in Israel looking for food and the desperate situation Ruth and Naomi found themselves with no family to care for them.

4) The author makes is seem like chance that Ruth arrived in the field of Boaz, but upon further study we see God’s hand of guiding from Ruth’s desire to find a place where she could provide for their needs. Read Luke 18:1-8 and Matthew 7:7-8. How do these verses connect with Ruth 2:6-7 and God’s provision?

5) Ruth 2:8-9 talk about the generosity of Boaz and the protection he provided for Ruth (a widow) who was in desperate need of help.  The New Testament instructs us to help widows (read James 1:27). Who can you help this week?

6) Read Ruth 2:10-14. Now talk about how Exodus 22:22, Proverbs 19:17, and Deuteronomy 23:16 are all related. What one thing will you commit to doing, this week, to help out someone in need?

7) As the chapter ends (read Ruth 2:19-22) we see Naomi bless Boaz. Who can you bless this week? Write a letter, send a text, or call this person and bless them.

Close your time in prayer

Rejoice in suffering

Have you ever been around someone who seemed to be in tough, desperate, or even hard times… but they had the joy of the Lord exuding from their life?

About eight years ago I was in a situation that caught me off guard. I was preparing to bring a team to Mexico to help build a church. I wanted to take a pre-trip to see the site, learn the land, and meet the pastor we'd be serving. I don't fully remember his story but recall that this pastor had faithfully prayed for a piece of land for years.

We went to see this piece of land and it wasn't what I thought.
The site had been empty and the neighborhood turned it into a local garbage dump.
I was shocked to see the condition of the land but this pastor was thrilled at what GOD was doing in his community.

The pastor talked about the site with our team.
He shared his vision to reach the community.
He shared about the spiritual climate of the area.
He told us how thrilled he was that the dump site would one day be a church that praised our Lord.

I hoped in the truck and headed back to Vegas. We were told that over the next month the land would be cleared and a foundation laid.

Our leadership team returned home and got a team of twenty-five people ready to come and help. Now I have to be honest, I was leery that the site would be ready for us, but when we arrived what was once a dump was ready for a GOD to build a church. Our first morning in Mexico we held a worship gathering on the land. I love that the pastor had the foresight to begin the time with praise. I might have just started working.


That week we erected walls, painted, and roofed the new location.






We invited the community and had a huge party.


What once was a dump was now a house of worship.

Sometimes things aren’t always the way we see them.

The pastor in Mexico taught me about seeing things the way God sees them and not the way I see them. He rejoiced when I thought it was time to suffer.

Now let me share one last thought. All of this wasn't possible with one person. This took a group of people, vision, determination, smarts, knowledge and more. It would be a miss to not share the team pic from Las Vegas that played a role in working alongside the team in Mexico to help make this a possibility. I'm so thankful that each of these people allowed me to serve alongside them a decade ago!

Coastline Grand Reopening

You’re invited to our GRAND REOPENING worship gatherings on Sunday March 3, 2019 at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM. Both gatherings will feature dynamic worship, engaging teaching, and a fun kids’ ministry from birth to fifth grade. We’ll also have bounce houses for kids, food for everyone, and corn hole on the quad between the services.

Coastline opened its doors in 1922, and for nearly 100 years has faithfully communicated and demonstrated the love of Christ both locally and globally. The past several months we’ve seen God do a new thing and move in fresh ways in our faith community. People are finding hope in Jesus, experiencing belonging through community and receiving guidance for life situations. We want you to experience this too!

Join us at our Grand Reopening! We’re putting on a big celebration to let our city know that there is a place they can come to find community, ask tough questions, and discover hope through the truth in the Bible.

Everyone is welcome! We can’t wait to see you on Sunday, March 3!

426 S. Mills Road
Ventura CA 93003

The Path to Maturity

It was July of 1961 and the 38 members of the Green Bay Packers football team were gathered together for the first day of training camp. The previous season had ended with a heartbreaking defeat, late in the 4th quarter, to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Green Bay players had been thinking about this brutal loss for the entire off-season. Now training camp had arrived and it was time to get to work.

The players were eager to advance their game to the next level and start working on the details that would help them win a championship. Their coach, Vince Lombardi, had a different idea. He began a tradition of starting from scratch, assuming that the players were blank slates who carried over no knowledge from the year before… He began with the most elemental statement of all. “Gentlemen,” he said, holding a pigskin in his right hand, “this is a football.”

Lombardi was coaching a group of three dozen professional athletes who, just months prior, had come within minutes of winning the biggest prize their sport could offer. And yet, he started from the very beginning. Lombardi's methodical coverage of the fundamentals continued throughout training camp. Each player reviewed how to block and tackle. They opened up the playbook and started from page one. His team would become the best in the league at the tasks everyone else took for granted. Six months later, the Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 37-0 to win the NFL Championship

There were players in that locker room who probably thought their coach was crazy. These players were some of the best in the world. Think about what Vince Lombardi did for the Packers. How would you respond if that was done for you spiritually?

In my opinion the church can loose it’s focus. For the last year, our church has been working hard at getting laser focused.

Very few people have experienced a clear pathway to spiritual maturity. In fact, the path to God is not always a straight line. Believers experience twists and turns, confusion and frustration, joy and fulfillment.

When people go to the gym they hire a trainer to help them accomplish their goals. People seek the advice of a financial planner to help them get to their desired location. The roadmap for Coastline is intended to do the same for each of us. It involves four steps that we will look at: gather, grow, serve, and send.

Gather

We gather because that is what the early church did

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46, 47

The early church once met in the synagogue because following Jesus was a fulfillment of their Jewish heritage. They found the hope in the coming Messiah just like many of us have found. Men and women found the truth in God’s word and it gave them direction in following God. We gather just like the early church did. We gather in a different location than a synagogue but we still gather.

This gathering is an easy first step for many people who are curious about Jesus. This gathering is a safe place for broken people of all ages and stages of life to find Jesus. This gathering has an invisible sign outside that says, “everyone is welcome.” This gathering has an invisible sign outside that says, “come as you are.” This gathering has a warmth and comfort to it that people are longing to find. When we gather here we do so to learn from God’s word, to praise Him, to turn our attention to heavenly things and understand His goodness.

We long to be a church that unchurched people love to attend. Did you know it’s Biblical for people who meet Jesus to bring their friends to meet Jesus also?

 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. John 1:40-42

The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon and bring him to Jesus. Who can you bring to meet Jesus? It’s Biblical to help people find Jesus. We’re not looking to be the biggest church, we’re just trying to help more people find the hope, love, compassion, and salvation we’ve found in Jesus. There are people who are looking for the coming Messiah just like these men were.

We’re going to use the same message the early church used. The method might be different, but the message hasn’t changed.

Grow

After you’ve been to a gathering make a commitment to grow spiritually. One of the primary ways we see people growing in their faith is moving into a small group. This is a big spiritual growth step. Flip back to the book of Acts to see what a small group looks like

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

The focal point of growing is doing life with other people. There is a devotion to the teaching of God’s word. There is a commitment to spending time with other believers and growing in prayer. These are some basic components of growing in Jesus.

We live in a time of increasing Biblical illiteracy and being involved in a small group is a way to combat this. Groups help you open your Bible on a regular basis. Groups give you a safe place to share prayer requests with trusted individuals. I believe, with my whole heart, that if you will commit to being in a group for ten weeks it will change your life forever. Your marriage will be stronger, you faith will be stronger, your passion for Jesus will grow, and your confidence in Scripture will increase because you are going to know God more!

People gain confidence in God and His truth by studying His word with others.

I’ve been following Jesus for over eighteen years now. The first group I was in was a men’s group who really shaped my faith as a young man. Those men taught me about prayer and Scripture memorization; they shaped my future for Jesus. When I got married, Charity and I attended a small group focused on marriage. It was refreshing learning from couples who had been married for ten, twenty and thirty years. I can still hear those couples saying, “You guys could be our kids.” And we needed to learn from them.

Serve (John 13)

After you gather to worship and start growing in your faith there is a natural progression to serving others. Quite often people think of serving in the negative sense. It can sound like something that is below a person. Let me remind you about Jesus

"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

Jesus spoke of His eternal Kingdom when a mother asked that her two sons sit on the right and left. It seems this happens frequently, we have half the information but what all the benefits. God had already determined who would sit at the right and left of Jesus, it wasn’t a debate. Jesus needed to remind His own disciples that He is a servant.

For you and I, serving is the next logical step in growing in our faith. When I was a young man and had been attending church for a few years I began serving. I began serving in a classroom full of four year olds. It was a joy! I had so much fun serving those kids. They gravitated to me and I learned about the love of God. Their kindness and acceptance began to transform a former drug dealer. Serving taught me more about the love of God than I think I taught anyone.

You might wonder why we want to see people serve. First, we think it’s Biblical. Second we are a non-profit. Third, we think you will find fulfillment in life when you serve others. Fourth, we think God created you to serve others.

Send (Acts 1:8)

The next part is not the final part. There is no end to our spiritual growth here on earth. The next part is an obedience to the words of Jesus

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Jesus gave the disciples a clear direction on what to do. After saying these words, Jesus ascended to heaven. Let’s talk about a realistic plan of action for those of you who are ready to be sent. I’m aware that not everyone will grow to this point in their spiritual growth, in fact, I recently heard that 90% of Christians will never share their faith. Ninety percent of people won’t share the hope that changed their life.

Let’s look more at what Jesus instructed. Jerusalem was the center for many of these men. Jesus was essentially saying, “Start right here. Start right where you are at.” I give you the same encouragement today. Start sharing the love of Jesus with those closest to you. Start in your neighborhood, your home, your work place or your school. You don’t have to be a trained evangelist to share your faith. But the hope is that since you’ve been gathering, God is working in you. Your small group has helped you grow in your faith. Through serving you’re looking more like Jesus. Now you can confidently be sent to tell others about Jesus.

Once you’ve shared the love of Jesus with those closest to you we want to see people start serving in our community.

From there we long to see people invest more into helping people find and follow Jesus. We have a handful of mission partners who are in the state of California.

After this, we’d love to see people go global. We’d love to see every person get on a plane once every five years to serve the world. This follows the progression Jesus gave us in Acts 1:8.

Finally, when we think about being sent, God might do something a little more. We want to be a church that plants churches. We are praying that in three to five years God will let us plant a church somewhere in Ventura County. We don’t have all the details. We don’t have a plan. But we have a vision and a passion.

We long to find more people with the Coastline DNA who can be sent to start healthy churches. We long to see Ventura County have more healthy churches who are focused on teaching God’s word.

Conclusion

When we think about a pathway to spiritual maturity, this is a life long commitment. Following Jesus will be the best commitment a person can make. Think back to the locker room talk Vince Lombardi had. He took professional players though the basics and they won. Let’s focus on the basics so we can grow in our faith. The path to growth is not like McDonalds.

The path to growth is a lifelong process. This is why I want you to commit to a life of spiritual growth. Commit to a life of looking and smelling more like Jesus. This might take a while. It might be slower or faster than you thought. It might be harder or easier at times. You might hit road blocks. But don’t quit.

“If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down. How do we know? Because that's what first century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it." -Henry Blackaby

This is Us- Sermon Series

This is Us is one of my favorite shows on TV right now (ok, it's my favorite). The story is fresh, compelling and raw. The characters are normal. They have struggles. They are dealing with the daily problems of life.

Our church just finished a seven week teaching series on our core values. Instead of calling it our core values we called it: "This is Us". The sermon series was a huge hit!Understanding the show is what lead to us doing a sermon series by the same title. About a year ago God led us to Ventura to revitalize a church that was in trouble. I didn't realize how bad things were until we got here. I was in a conversation with a guy who told me, "I thought the church was going to close the doors." Those things happen at churches, but God loves this place too much!

Our leadership dug in, gave more and invested more to seeing Coastline move into the future as a healthy church. We casted new vision, restated our core values and simplified our mission to be laser focused.

The core values were crafted in team unity. We looked at our core values that had great intentions but were outdated. They used language that wasn't really how people talk. During the process someone said, "Our old core values were written in the King James Version of the Bible and the new ones are written in the New International Version." Those are the kind of values you want! Core values that anyone can read and understand.

Here are the Core Values in no particular order except we always think "We Put God First" needs to be on top. Understand this, these core values are the best version of ourselves as a church community. We are not perfect but strive for this!

We put God first.

Our church is committed to the God of the Bible. He is our ultimate authority. He is the object of our worship. We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and live our lives in obedience to its truth.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 22:34-39, 2 Timothy 3:16

We build people up.

We are a fun, welcoming, loving and encouraging church community. We want to help everyone take the next spiritual step to grow in their faith journey. We invest ourselves in the lives of others because we think that developing servant leaders matters.
Deuteronomy 34:9, John 13:34-45, Ephesians 4:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:2

We do life together.

We believe that God did not create anyone to be alone so we do life together. We think life change happens best in circles rather than in rows. Jesus established the church so that we may help, encourage and love each other as we follow Him.
Genesis 2:18, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:46, Hebrews 10:24-25

We are outreach focused.

Our church does not expect people to seek us, therefore we intentionally pursue people who are far from God. We are committed to doing anything, short of sin, to help people find Jesus.
Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 5, Luke 15, Acts 2:47

We pray bold prayers.

We know that God is awesome and capable, so we make “the big ask” of God in our prayer life. We come to God with a bold list of prayers and take time to actively listen to Him on a regular basis.
1 Samuel 3, Mark 1:35, Acts 12:5, James 5:16

We are multigenerational.

The church is meant to be multigenerational. We think the best way to keep the love of God fresh in our hearts is to place a high value on kids, students and families. We intentionally invest in the next generation.
Joshua 24:15, Proverbs 22:6, Mark 10:13-16, 1 Timothy 4:12

Grace happens here.

We understand that we do not deserve the grace of God but God’s grace is experienced and extended to one another here. This is a safe place to meet with God and learn about the great things He has done for each of us.
John 8:1-11, Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Timothy 1:9

Pilot Version

On Easter Sunday our church launched a seven week pilot version of two worship services. The church has a history of having multiple services to reach more people in the community but prior to my arrival the church had been on a slow decline.

The launch of a second service took place on Easter but it was birthed in dream well before that. Staring in October I had been praying bold prayers for God to help us to reach more people. Our staff had been praying for God to give us a God sized goal to help more people find and follow Jesus.

On January 21, 2018 we called a special church meeting. Our staff took different parts of the vision and talked about the great opportunity we have to reach more people in Ventura County. Then on Easter Sunday we launched the pilot version.

The idea of a pilot version came from my new friend Mike Hickerson. Mike leads a fantastic church in Ventura. I told him I wanted to go to two services and he suggested doing it from Easter to Mother’s Day to give it a try (Thanks Mike for pushing me to live by faith). We gave it a shot and here are seven lessons we learned:

1. We have an invite culture

When you read the Gospel of Matthew and John, you will see early on that the one of the first thing the disciples did was find someone and tell that person about Jesus. Our church was a pillar in the community and had an invite culture. For a number of years this wasn’t the case, but God is refereeing that in us! Great job Coastline! Keep up the invite culture.

2. Our people love to serve

During our meeting in January we asked our church to serve and they blew our mind! We had over 70 people fill out a card to serve. Now that sounds cool, but guess what? They served! We connected those people into service opportunities. One of the best ways to feel alive is to serve others.

3. We have some kinks to work out to make this last 

My deep hope was to keep two services going. The truth is, we have some kinks to work out. We need to figure out how to make this more sustainable and that is what our summer break is for. Sometimes we need to slow down to speed back up again.

4. We have gaps in our system

We realized that our volunteers systems are far from perfect. They are good, but good is the enemy of great. These gaps means that things get dropped or that crevices are created and are hard to cross. We are detailing out these gaps and working on improving them to help more people find and follow Jesus.

5. Guests love Coastline 

We meet so many great guests here at Coastline. We don’t call people a visitor because a visitor isn’t really welcomed at your home (think about the person who was trying to sell something and stopped by right as you sat down for dinner). We have guests, invited guests!

6. We need to engage more people outside of the weekend service 

Sunday morning is cool, but it’s not 1960. People don’t just come to church. We want to engage people in our community so that they will long to be in a Biblical community.

7. This was a success 

One of the things we have to know (I’m talking to our church) is that this was a success. It was a huge success! God moved in great ways in these seven-weeks and He will continue to move in our church. Part of it being a success means we are going back to two services in the fall.

Going to two services was always an experiment. In my heart, I longed for us to stay at two services. In my head, it makes sense to move to our summer worship service time to prepare our church for two services in the fall.

The next time you want to try something new at your church just call it a pilot version. This pilot version was always an experiment. We tried something new and learned at least seven things. In reality we learned a lot more, we just didn’t think you wanted to read the list of 23 things.

Here are some final thoughts: 
We went in with the expectation to learn
We are willing to make small and large changes to reach people for Jesus
In our second service we came close to hitting the 80% rule (this means we are close to needing two services)

Starting August 26 we are going to two identical worship services and we hope that you will be our guest!

Mom Talk 2018

This was my first Mother's Day as a lead pastor. As I was planning out the preaching schedule (something us pastor's do) I got to Mother's Day and wasn't sure what to do. I began praying and thinking about the whole morning. One of my first thoughts was, "I'm not the best person to share on Mother's Day."

The more I prayed about the morning I began to get an idea. I shared this idea with our elders and asked for prayer. The idea seemed to stick and we moved forward. The initial idea was to have a panel of three mother's, in different stages of life, share with us. I would interview them and ask them each a few questions.

I shared the idea with our staff team and everyone seemed to like it. During the discussion someone suggested we call it: "Mom Talk" and the idea stuck.



As we continued to plan we thought it would be best to have this more like a round table discussion.

I began writing out questions that I thought people would want to hear about. I started with a list of about ten questions and sent it to the three moms who accepted the invitation to speak. From the list of questions each mom choose two and helped me improve their questions some. Here are the six questions I asked:

1. What has been the most challenging stage of motherhood?
2. What advice would you give to someone who has a child who has walked away from the Lord? 
3. How did you encourage your kids to love Jesus at an early age?
4. What advice would you give to a first time mother? 
5. What are some ways the Bible helps us honor women and their great contribution to society? 
6. What part of being a mom has made you feel the most vulnerable or weak?

You can hear the entirety of the message right here. 

A God-sized goal

At the end of last year I began asking God for a vision for our church. I wanted a God-sized goal, something that if God didn't show up it would never happen.

I began writing notes in my journal. I stayed up late in bed asking God to speak. I didn't want to just say some goal and it not be from God.

At the beginning of the year I began to get a sense of what the goal would be. I started talking with some of our staff and Elders about reaching more people at Easter. See, we've been working on relaunching Coastline Bible Church. We haven't done an "official" relaunch date but are working on restoring the church to what God wants it to be.

I'll shorten the details of the entire process but share the God-sized goal we came up with:
To be a church of 400 people worshipping Jesus in two identical services on Easter Sunday 2018

In early January we called a special meeting to share the God-sized goal with our church. It would take all of us pitching in. It wasn't something I could accomplish on my own. See when I got to Coastline we were a church of about 160 people on an average Sunday. Within a handful of months we broke 200 for the first time. Then on Christmas Eve we hit 280; God was working in the hearts of His people as we cast a new mission and direction for the church.

The afternoon we cast the goal someone in our church asked if we would have a class to help people share their faith. Her question was great! A previous elder said he would teach the class. After two classes on Sunday morning and being invited to three small groups we had trained almost 80 people on how to share their faith (that is almost half of our regular attendance!)

Now what you're waiting to read. Easter Sunday came. We had trained dozens of leaders for the increase. We doubled our volunteer base so we could launch a second service. We slotted a huge breakfast to keep people around and talking. God showed up on Easter. We had a number of people accept Christ as their Savior. When the count came in, we reached 383 people on Easter Sunday.

Our church swung for the fences and we hit the wall! It was a huge win. People were and still are rejoicing in all God is doing at Coastline. I'm sharing this not to brag on me, but to brag on God and all the amazing people here at Coastline. Keep seeking Jesus.

Our mission is to help people find and follow Jesus. Our prayer is similar to that in Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31)

Pray for the 100,000 people in our city that aren't in a relationship with God.
Pray for the over 700,000 people in our county that need to hear the truth of Jesus.

We are going to keep swinging for the fences to help more people find and follow Jesus.

A story about a meeting in hell

Dr. Clarence Macartney told a story about a meeting in hell.

Satan called his four leading demons together and commanded them to think up a new lie that would trap more souls. “I have it!” one demon said. “I’ll to earth and tell people there is no God.” “It will never work,” said Satan. “People can look around and see there is a God.”

“I’ll go and tell them there is no heaven!” suggested a second demon, “But Satan rejected that idea. “Everybody knows there is life after death and they want to go to heaven.”

“Let’s tell them there is no hell!” said a third demon. “No, conscience tells them their sins will be judged,” said the Devil. “We need a better lie than that.”

Quietly, the fourth demon spoke. “I think I’ve solved your problem,” he said. “I’ll go to earth and tell everybody there is no hurry.”

It’s easy to fall into this lie that there is no hurry to share the truth of Christ. It’s easy to fall into the lie that someone else will tell you friends, neighbors and family about Christ. It’s also easy to fall into the lie that you can wait to make a decision to follow Jesus. Today is the day to look for the opportunity to share your faith.

Let me tell you, there is a hurry to tell people about Jesus. Our church has been studying the book of Acts and The Apostle Paul was ready to share his faith throughout this book in the Bible. He models to us the need to be ready to share the hope of Christ. He was ready in season and out of season. He shared the truth in the synagogue, the marketplace, temple and the courtroom. If you’re ready to share the hope of Christ, God will give you opportunities.

In just four Sunday’s from today we will celebrate Easter (not just at my church but at your church and in your city). We’re taking a giant step of faith and adding a second service for seven weeks (pray for us). There are many people who are in no hurry to make a decision about Christ but I'm inviting you to make a hurry about it. Today is a great day to be ready to share the love of Christ.

Use the template that Paul used in Acts 26 to share your faith:
1) Talk about your life before Christ
2) How you met Christ
3) What changed in your life afterwards

The pain of gossip and rumors

Think about the last time someone asked you a question that totally caught you off guard. The biggest time this happened in my life was during my first year of Bible College. One, while on break a classmate came up to me and asked me if I was selling heroine. As you can image, I was in shock! His question stumped me. In my past I had sold drugs, but I’d never touched heroine.

The problem is his question was less of a question and more a declaration that I’d been selling. In his tone if felt like I was already guilty and needed to be proved innocent.

I tried as calmly as I could to ask him where he heard this. The question of me selling was more than frustrating but his response was infuriating. He told me that another class member had told him and she was scared to confront me. To be completely honest I shut down and was so angry. It was one of those times in my life that I couldn't think straight I was so upset.

My life had completely changed with Jesus and the last thing I wanted to do was touch drugs again. I was working a job, waking up early, going to school in the morning, work in the afternoon and back to school at night. If I was selling heroine I wouldn’t be holding that schedule or working the low paying job I had been working. I wouldn't have been living in a small apartment and driving an old truck. It wasn't just a financial insult, it was the thought of my past trying to steal the future God had for me. The main insult felt like an attack on my character, and that hurt the most.

I excused myself from class that morning to talk with one of the leaders of the school. See before I met Jesus I would go and handle conversations like this in person but no one was telling me the source of the rumor. My initial intention was to go to the person's home and have a conversation with them. An in all honest, my words would have been few. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but this is me being vulnerable.

Finally the leader was able to figure some things out and it came to be that a guy I had never met heard a rumor about me and told this girl in our class during a Bible study. He confused me with another person and blew the whole thing out of proportion. You know how it came out? He shared during the prayer request time of Bible study.

This instance in my life reminds all of us have badly misinformation can hurt a person.

Think of the pain that rumors cause people. Reputations are ruined by rumors. Marriages are destroyed by miscommunication, relationships are severed with poor information and churches are destroyed by the small spark of a lie. When you think about your life, how have rumors hurt you? Maybe you’ve been the victim of a painful rumor just like me. We’ve all seen the personal impact of how rumors impactor lives, our family, a love one or the local church in some cases.

On Sunday I taught on Acts 21:17-22:29 about the pain of rumors. Paul was a misunderstood man who almost lost his life due to a misunderstanding. You can read the passage in Scripture and find out that a small amount of legalism had snuck in the church, it went unchecked and then started a mini-riot at the temple.

When we read about Paul's expeditions and experience we see that he lived boldly in Christ. This week I encourage you to live boldly in Christ. Be a truth teller and not a lie creator. Don't spread words that you know aren't true. Talk to a person and not about a person. Be a person of your word and work towards unity. We need more unity now!

At our church we make sure rumors don’t have a leg to stand on. We’ve all seen the pain that rumors can cause in our personal lives and in the life of the church. Rumors cause drama and drama tends to cause pain in the lives of those involved.

Listen to this Proverbs from God’s word: “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” (Proverbs 26:20). The way to stop rumors is to commit to being a truth teller. Most of us have probably thrown a log or two on a fire at one time, I know I have. I invite you to change that. I want to invite you to be a truth teller instead of a rumor spreader.

As a pastor, I have the opportunity to talk with hundreds of people. And sometimes people come up and tell me things about other people. Instead of falling into the trap of siding with the person speaking, I try to say something like, “That doesn’t sound like so and so.” Or, “My experience with that person has been very different.”

If you’re tempted to fall into gossip and rumors, think about the repercussions on the other person and how you’d like to be treated. Remember the words of Christ, “ Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31). Make a commitment to be a truth teller.

Coastline Vision Meeting

Almost a year ago to the date, Charity and I hopped in our car and drove south from the San Francisco Peninsula. We arrived in Ventura on a Saturday and had lunch with the pastoral search team at a local pizza place. That night we had time to pray and process what God might be calling us to next. The next morning we attended our first service at Coastline Bible Church. We immediately felt a connection to what God was doing here. We loved the community, the worship and how friendly everyone was to us.

As I look back on that first visit, it amazes me that this coming Sunday we will be sharing the next steps we feel God is calling us to as a church. Over the last several months I've been in prayer and constant conversation with God about the vision for Coastline. (The mission explains why a church exists; the vision clarifies where the church is going in the future.) Last month I presented a God-sized goal to our elders. After much discussion, we unanimously voted to move forward with this vision. For the last several weeks our staff has been working on the strategy for this and preparing to share the vision with you.

This Sunday, January 21, we are going to communicate that vision in a special meeting right after our worship service. We want to get this vision out to you as soon as possible so we can all be united on where God is calling our church. I wish that I could write it out in this email, but you will hear it soon enough.  Please mark your calendar and make it a high priority to join us this Sunday at our vision meeting.

Leadership Transition

During my time in ministry I've seen some great leadership transitions and some train wrecks. The first transition I saw is one I will never forget. I was serving at a church and we were looking to hire a new Junior High Pastor. We interviewed a great candidate and it seemed like things were heading in the right direction. I was told we hired the guy and then quickly informed that we hired him as the Student Ministry Pastor and not the Junior High Pastor. I was a bit confused and learned that my beloved boss was being demoted and would eventually leave the church. Shortly after an opportunity came my way and I also transitioned away from the church.

I've also seen some great transitions. When I was called to serve at SHCC in Henderson, NV I served with a dynamic team of leaders. About nine months into my tenure there my good friend Rob Hall asked me to step up and lead our entire Student Ministry. I was thrilled for the expanded role. Rob and I had a long handoff where we co-led the ministry for a few months, shared preaching, did summer camp together and casted vision to our leaders. I led that ministry for six more years and saw God do great things!

These are just two examples from my life.

I've talked with friends who have been on both sides of the coin in leadership transition. I've talked to guys who came to a church and the last guy did them no favors in the transitions. I've also talked with friends who had great handoffs with Godly leaders. I've consoled friends who have lost dear friends when leadership made quick moves and talked with other friends who were frustrated at how slowly their church responded to a needed change.

A few months ago Willow Creek Community Church announced a leadership transition. Twitter was full of positive and negative comments. Friends in ministry talked about the announcement. Influential writers shared their opinion about the transition. Friends texted me to asked my thoughts about what Bill had announced.

For a while I've held my thoughts to myself and the few people I've spoken with. I thought they weren't entirely important but continued to dwell on them. Have you experienced something like this before? I topic came up and you need some time to figure it out? You wanted to process, internally, what you were thinking?

When I think of my experience with transitions in leadership here are my thoughts:

1) Internal leadership transitions seem to be better than external

For how big of a platform that Willow Creek has, I think their decision for an internal transition was a great call. I highly respect Bill Hybles and his leadership. He talks about hiring people with Godly character, who are competent in their role, and find chemistry with those you work with. After talking about this for years he added something new. He talked about putting people in the right climate. By them choosing an internal transition they knew their team already loved the area!

When serving in the Bay Area I worked at an amazing church. We had some internal transitions from young people who were interns coming onto full-time staff. By having an internal pipeline of leadership we knew what we were getting. This was a big take-a-way from my time in the Bay Area. I really enjoyed working with our team and seeing us promote people from within.

2) In the future I think we are going to see more churches led by a plurality of Godly leaders

As I think about church transitions, and now I want to talk primarily about the lead role, I think we are going to see more churches moving to a plurality of leaders.

Think about North Coast church in Carlsbad. North Coast has led the way in a plurality of leadership. From what I know, they have four lead pastors. I don't know any of these men personally but have learned from two of them. From what I gather, two are the primary communicators but I'm not sure what the other two men do (I'm sure it's great work like executive pastoring).

When I think about my generation there is a shift. We enjoy working in teams. This morning I was walking my daughters to school when my oldest said: "Dad we're doing a project on the Native Americans but I don't like it. At my last school we worked more in teams, here I have to do it on my own." She gets it! Working in a team is more fun, more collaboration and more ideas.

Read this information from the Barna Group on the average age of a Senior Pastor:

When George Barna published his 1992 findings in Today’s Pastors, the median age of Protestant clergy was 44 years old. One in three pastors was under the age of 40, and one in four was over 55. Just 6 percent were 65 or older. Twenty-five years later, the average age is 54. Only one in seven pastors is under 40, and half are over 55. The percentage of church leaders 65 and older has nearly tripled, meaning there are now more pastors in the oldest age bracket than there are leaders younger than 40.

I'm not opposed to leaders in their fifties leading churches, please don't hear that. I do think that we are going to see a shift and I pray it involves people of all stages of life. The church is longing for fresh vision and fresh leadership.

3) A long hand off helps prepare the people

When I think back to one of the most successful transitions I was a part of, I think the length of the handoff helped. Now I could see a handoff taking too long. If you are curious to know more about this, I encourage you to read Transition Plan by Bob Russell. I call this book a "plane ride read." You can read it quickly and talk with others about it. In the book, Bob talks about his transition with Dave Stone. I appreciate the time they worked together, the commitment they have to the local church and the openness in the handoff.

When the leadership of a church are open about the plan it allows the people to think more about the plan. When their is more time to discuss, there is more time to prepare, process and pray. I like to think about raising up young leaders today to lead churches tomorrow. One of my life goals is to invest into young leaders and raise you strong followers of Christ.

When you think about transition in a church, what would you add to the conversation.