Christ the King :: Small Group Questions

Coastline Bible Church is doing a five-week sermon series called: "Searching for Christmas." As we approach the Christmas season we wanted to take a look at some of the most famous words ever spoken about Jesus. We might be familiar with the New Testament accounts of Jesus but what if we looked back, hundreds of years earlier, to the prophecies spoken about Jesus. 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 ::: Christ the King ::: Isaiah 9

The Christmas season is filled with a variety of emotions. Single parents might be trying to add an extra shift so they can afford that special gift for their child. A couple might be trying to balance the calendar in anticipation that family will be visiting. Or a student might be working their hardest to figure out how to surprise his/her parents on Christmas Eve. With the current climate many plans are in limbo, canceled, or on pause. It seems that some people are affected greatly while others aren’t feeling the impact as badly. As we study Isaiah 9 we read that the coming Christ will bring light to the darkness we’re experiencing. Isaiah gives four attribute names to the Son of God. Take some time to study the following questions together.  

1) One of the most watched Christmas movies of all time is Home Alone. Kevin is left at home while his family travels to Paris. Once they realize the mistake, the family is in distress. Are you feeling any distress this Christmas season? 

2) Isaiah let God’s people know that they no longer need to walk in darkness (read Isaiah 9:1-2). Talk about how Jesus has set you free from dark behaviors you participated in and has brought you into His wonderful light. 

3) Jesus said that He is the light of the world (read John 8:12). Jesus also told us that we are the light of the world (read Matthew 5:14-16). What are we doing to actively shine the light of Jesus this Christmas season? 

4) Read Isaiah 9:6-7. This is one of the most famous prophecies about Jesus. Read the four names that describe Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. What role of Jesus do you need right now? 

5) Focusing on the first two names of Jesus. Neal taught us that Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor and not a consoler. We also looked at Jesus being a Mighty God. Read Matthew 8:5-10, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 7:11-17, and John 8:1-11. What account about the power of Jesus sticks out most to you? 

6) Focusing on the final two names of Jesus: Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. How do you relate to God as Father? (read John 8:42-47 and Romans 8:14-17). Where do you need Jesus to bring peace in your life this Christmas season? (Read Mark 5:21-34, Luke 24:36 and John 14:27) 

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

Transformed

My life was transformed just over eighteen years ago. It wasn't by my doing but by my surrender. I had made a ton of unwise choices but God transformed me. The Bible talks about being transformed. The Bible speaks to the life change God offers.

In the Gospel of Matthew we have an account where Jesus was transformed. Matthew starts with some basic details of time and location

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. Matthew 17:1

Jesus was currently in the northern region of Israel. He has taken the disciples on a quick getaway but the group has narrowed down. Jesus was intentionally investing in these three men: James, John and Peter. It’s been six days since Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah and they are in a new location.

Jesus led the boys up on a high mountain. Jesus only choose a few of them to go to this high mountain. Some scholars think the mountain was Mount Hermon. It was close to the region they were in and it would have made sense for them to go there.

Jesus wants these men to think more about eternity than this life

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Matthew 17:2-4

Imagine if you went on a hike with a few of your closest friends, and then one of them started shining like the sun and His clothes changed to the brightest white you’ve ever seen. To make the situation even better, two historic pillars of the Jewish faith show up and start talking to Jesus. Then one of your friends, who always speaks before he thinks, starts talking about setting up some tents and camping there for the night. How would you ever be able to explain what happened?

Thankfully, Matthew explains what took place on the mountain that day. Jesus is transfigured before His friends on the mountain. The change that happens to Jesus is two-fold; there is an inner change and an outer change. The inner change was visible in the fact that the face of Jesus now shone like the sun.

The outer change was seen because His clothes became as white as the light. Jesus was finally showing a glimpse of who He really was. This is one instance with two visible changes that Matthew is able to share. Matthew uses this word transfigured to describe the change that happened to Jesus. Jesus was definitely changed and it showed in His appearance— His face shone like the sun! We don’t see any inner change, just these changes in how the disciples saw Jesus.

Something also happened to the clothing of Jesus. Matthew writes that Jesus’ clothes became as white as light. White is associated with holiness; angels are always depicted as wearing white, and women wear white dresses on their wedding day to represent purity. This should make us think about the holiness and purity of Jesus.

These changes makes what happens next so spectacular. Right as Jesus’ appearance changed two men appeared; Moses and Elijah. Moses lived about 1400 years before Jesus was born (Deuteronomy 34:7). Moses is most known for leading God’s people out of captivity and through the Red Sea. He led them into the desert for forty years and brought them to the edge of the Promised Land. If you’ve been around church for any length of time, you’ve most likely read about Moses and how much He did for God’s people. If your church experience is new, I highly encourage you to read about Moses’ life in the Old Testament.

There is another man in our story and his name is Elijah. Elijah was a prophet for the nation of Israel. He did some amazing things like: he told the sky when to rain, he healed a little boy who was dead, and he also met with God on a mountain. The Bible tells us that Elijah never tasted death. He was walking in the desert one day and was taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12). There one minute and gone in the best Uber you’ve ever ridden in. This is how I want to die!

So here we have these two men who were historic men of Israel; two men who loved God and followed God. Two men who represent the Law and the Prophets, standing with Jesus on the mountain. Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the prophets. Jesus is hanging out with the two major representatives of the Jewish faith, and then Peter blurts out something about setting up camp.

You have to think James and John looked at him and were like, “What are you saying? How are you going to make this happen?” It’s probably at this point that Peter looks around and realizes what he’s said.

God wants to transform us! Not exactly like Jesus’ transformation, but a transformation from God. When a person places their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, an immediate change happens. Think about the change that happened in Jesus. You might curious about Jesus because you’ve seen a friend’s life transformed. Your friend once partied and swore like a sailor, but they started goiter to church, met Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has transformed their life. You’re reading this because you want to know about this power! You want to know about this man Jesus who transforms lives.

Some of you are reading and you are the transformed people. You surrendered your life to Jesus and stopped living for yourself. Your life was heading in one direction, but the Lord intersected your course and convicted you of your lifestyle. You have experienced this inward and outward change we just studied. You once thought one way but Jesus has transformed you to His way. There is an external change that has occurred too! Your countenance has changed and you’re joyful because of Jesus. Keep living as a transformed person.

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.

Explain | Reason | Prove

At the conclusion of Acts 16 Paul and Silas left Philippi to continue preaching the Gospel throughout Greece (Acts 17:1-4). Paul and Silas traveled 100 miles south, on foot, from Philippi down to Thessalonica. Thessalonica was a business center in Macedonia. Going from Philippi to Thessalonica was a wise move for Paul. It was Paul’s custom was to find a larger city where he could share the Gospel. From the larger city he would strategically reach the surrounding area with the Gospel. It’s a brilliant plan to help the Gospel reach as many people as possible.

Luke gives us a snapshot of the ministry in Thessalonica. When we read the letters that Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica it appears that he spent months with them. But in Acts, Luke only accounts for about three weeks in the city. And much of the ministry is dedicated to reaching the Jewish people. Throughout the book of Acts we’ve seen that it was Paul’s custom to first go to the Jewish synagogue to preach the Gospel of Jesus. Paul was warmly welcomed into synagogues and was regularly invited to preach. This gave him the ability to share the good new of Jesus with his fellow Jews.

In Thessalonica Paul spent three Sabbaths sharing about Jesus the Messiah. We read that this ministry in Thessalonica was fruitful! Some of the Jews believed and they joined the brothers in their ministry. Note the words associated with Paul’s ministry there: reasoned, explained and proved. Let’s look at each of these words briefly.

To reason with a person is to have a logical conclusion to a matter. In this case Paul would use the Old Testament Scripture in hopes the Jewish people would come to a logical conclusion that Jesus is the Messiah.

After he reasoned with them he would explain that Jesus had to suffer. Some Jews expected Jesus to come as a conquering king. They knew the Messiah would come from the linage of David and therefore expected Him to be a king like David. They expected the Messiah to break the Roman oppression and free them again. Their thinking was too small. Jesus didn’t come to simply change the government but to give us freedom. Jesus wasn’t focused on an earthly kingdom but on an eternal kingdom! The Jews wanted a conquering king, not a humble servant. Therefore Paul needed to explain the Scriptures to them.

Finally he would take the time to prove all of this. He would most likely turn to the Old Testament Scriptures, the passages they were familiar with. He would go to the Psalms, Isaiah and Deuteronomy. It would also make sense for Paul to explain the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ. This would complete the picture Paul was painting for the Jews to understand the truth of Christ. He wasn’t cramming this down their throat but proving it from God’s word. I imagine he was also praying for the Holy Spirit to reveal it to them.

If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, could you reason from the Scriptures to those who are far from the Lord? Do you know how to explain what Jesus came to accomplish? Are you familiar with the Gospel and able to prove it to others?

If you’re not, it’s ok. Continue to study God’s word every week so you can reason, explain and prove that Jesus is the Messiah. At our church we open God’s word and go through it so we are all more prepared to reason, explain and prove that Jesus is the Messiah. But you can also study it more on your own.

Under the Overpass- Book Review

Book Title- Under the Overpass

Author- Mike Yankoski

Publisher- Multnomah

Pages- 223

Quotable- The words "Jesus loves you" take on a whole different meaning when you're down and out. You hear them differently. You need them more. Just saying them to the next desperate person you meet could change his day. Wrap those words in a friendship, a home-cooked meal, bus fare, and you could change his life.

About 8 years ago someone gave me this book. I was smack in the middle of seminary and rebelled against reading anything that I didn't have to. In fact I rebelled longer and this book sat on my shelf. One day I felt compelled to read it. You can call it destiny, God or what you like. It might have been that I kept seeing homeless people and needed something to think about with them.

I pulled the book off the shelf knowing it would break the monotony of the reading I had been doing. It would provide a time to read about homelessness as Ventura has a much higher population than where we were in San Mateo. Having met Mike a few years back I felt like I was traveling with him. He made a conscious decision to leave a great Christian school to become homeless for about five months. Let that sink in...

This book tracks his journey of homeless from the Streets of D.C. to the beach of San Diego and all in between. The sights they saw, the violence, the drug use, and the generosity. The streets are a rough place and if you prefer to not sleep with cockroaches and rats it might prompt you to do something to help out. Mike talks about eating food out of a trash can and his faithful companion Sam. The book is riveting and was tough for me to put down at night.

Mike shares his experiences with Christians who are rude, vocal and disrespectful. In one church they attended he notes that no one sat within 30 feet of them. He does acknowledge that they smelled horrible and looked bad (sleeping in the streets will do that). It confronted me and how I would act if that happened in our church on a Sunday morning.

The book has prompted me to reach out of my comfort zone (something I did more frequently before kids) and engage with the least of these. Homelessness is a problem and someone needs to engage with people to tell them that Jesus loves them. This book has given me the confidence to connect with others I once might have turned my back to. I hope you'll read it and do the same.

Mount Hermon Q&A 2017

Last week I had the joy of being at Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon is a wonderful camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The location is beautiful, the staff is awesome and it’s a place where God is at work.

For the week I was speaking at Pondy we taught on Luke 15. The theme was awesome and you can see some of it here. While at Mount Hermon there are two days where students can sign up for different activities. Some of these include: jazzercise, laser tag, high ropes, pool time or Q&A with the speaker. In the past I’ve been a part of this but had only a handful of students show up. This year I had close to forty students involved in both days (Tuesday had a higher attendance than Thursday).

After the session I wrote down some of the questions I was asked and wanted to share them here:

What is the meaning of your tattoos
This question came up in both sessions. I took the time to talk through each of my tattoos and the meaning. I pointed out the handprint tattoos for my kids. I showed the heart tattoo for my wife. I talked about the significance of having Isaiah 52:7 on my feet and more.

Who is your favorite character in the Bible
I love Peter. I love how Peter follows Jesus that day on the shore. I love the questions he asks. I also love how he denies Jesus, is restored on the same shore where he was called and then becomes of the main leaders of the early church. I can relate to Peter and his passion. I can relate to coming to Christ at an early age and following Him.

What is your favorite story in the Bible; Old Testament and New Testament?
My favorite Old Testament story: I went with two. I love the story of Joseph. There is so much redemption and forgiveness in there. I also love the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. I love how these guys stand for God in the face of death.

In the New Testament I love the story of Peter walking on the water. He is freaked out when he sees Jesus walking on the water, in the storm, and then asks Jesus to call him out on the water. Peter is walking on water until he sees the wind. I shared how things in our life go great until we take our eyes off the Lord.

Top three favorite worship songs
What a Beautiful Name- Hillsong Worship


No Longer Slaves- Bethel Music


Your Great Name- The Eagle and Child


Who are your favorite bands
Hillsong Worship
The Eagle and Child
For All Seasons

What is the best thing that happened in your life? 
Next to meeting Jesus, the best thing to happen to me was meeting my wife. Charity is such an encouragement in my life. She laughs with me, supports me and prays so much for me. (A follow up to this was to tell the story of our engagement)

What is your favorite Bible verse?
Romans 8:31
This was the first Bible verse I memorized after fully surrendering my life to Christ. It reminds me that no matter what is happening that God is for me!

If you could be stuck in a movie what movie would it be?
I went with Frozen. I wanted to go with Talledaga Nights but figured there was no chance I could snowboard in that movie.

How did you choose your children’s names?
We went with Sophie because it means wisdom.
Leah means “delicate eyes”.
Isaiah is Charity’s favorite male name. She always wanted to name her son this.
All of the names are Biblical. Sophie is in the Greek Bible while Leah and Isaiah are both Old Testament names.

This is just a sample of what came my way. Overall it was a great success and time with the students. Obviously some students had more questions than others but I think it helped them to get to know me more.

Israel 2017- Day Two

This morning I woke up to the sound of the Sea. It was the Sea of Galilee. I saw it at dawn and the sun beginning to rise over the Golan Heights. After breakfast we loaded into the bus for a full day of travel, sight seeing and being in awe of this beautiful land.

The Sea of Galilee 

The first adventure we took this morning was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The Harbor was directly across the Sea from our hotel in Tiberius. Since it was a little windy this morning the captain chose not to sail across the Sea of Galilee. I was a little bummed on that but understand.

Some facts our guide shared about the Sea of Galilee:
24 kilometers from North to South
12 kilometers from East to West
45 meters deep

It's hard to explain all my thoughts from standing on the lake, it's going to take time for me to process them. As I stood there I thought about Jesus walking on water, I thought about the feeding of the 5,000 that happened right there and about how much of Jesus' public ministry took place right in this area. I didn’t speak much on the boat ride (that is odd for me) but simply thought about the area. It made me think about my own walk with Christ and how this trip is strengthening my faith and encouraging me.

Gadara/Kursi 

After being on the Sea of Galilee we went to Kursi. This is the location where it is believed that the demon possessed man met Jesus (Mark 5:1-20). The location has the ruins of a monastery that was built in that area. The exact area is unknown but you can see how they are close to the correct spot. The hills are steep and I could imagine seeing the pigs rushing down into the water. Unfortunately the water is much lower today than it was 2000 years ago so this changes the entire layout of things.

Korazin 

Just north of the Sea of Galilee sits Korazin. This is a town where Jesus visited and was saddened by what He saw.

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
Matthew 11:20-22

It was hard for me to picture this town. It was above the Sea of Galilee but I couldn’t imagine living there. It is far from water but the view is spectacular. It could be a great location for farming or a middle spot to stop as you go further North in Israel.

There is the ruins of a synagogue here. The great thing about these locations is there is so much history that it has been preserved. You can walk around these communities and see the ruins and visualize what it could have been.

Tel Dan 

After Dan was given their allotment in Israel they didn't exactly like it. They decided to send a group to find a land more suitable for them. Most of the tribe of Dan ended up relocating to the Northern point of Israel. Their relocation was a snare to them. It open up a door to sin. Instead of closing the door to sin they kept opening it more and more.

This is the location where Jeroboam seduced Dan into idol worship. Their is the remains of a false altar that was meant to be a model of the altar in Jerusalem. Instead of going to Jerusalem to worship Jeroboam created this altar to keep the people of Dan loyal to him. In his attempt to keep their loyalty, he led them away from the Lord.

Caesarea Philippi

This location is where Peter confessed Jesus is the Messiah. It's located at the very top of Israel. We didn’t visit the modern town here but saw the location, on the outskirts, where Bible scholars think the conversation between Jesus and His disciples occurred.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Matthew 16:13–20

The location is a ruin where idol worship was practiced for about 600 years. When Jesus has this conversation He is looking at a place where idol worship was alive and being practiced on a regular basis.

The Sermon on The Mount

Many people are familiar with this sermon. It was where Jesus gave His first sermon. It happened on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We visited the site where it’s believed that Jesus gave this sermon. The landscape would be ideal for giving this message. It’s on a hill and perfectly situated for natural acoustics.

There is also a monastery here and some orange trees super closer. The church on the site was super packed. I could tell there were more Catholic people entering this location by their actions in the building. I was impressed with the dedication and heartfelt worship I saw here.

I really wish we could have spent more time at this location, in fact I’m thinking about going back tomorrow with Charity when she gets here.

Capernaum 

This is the location where Peter’s mother-in-law lived. In an attempt to preserve the home, they built a church above it. I kind of understand the thinking but also think it ruins the location. The original home is in the middle and it’s thought that in the second century the home was expanded to the second wall.

This home was right on the sea. It was also fifty feet away from the local Synagogue. When I read Mark 1 and saw where Jesus was in the Synagogue and  then went to this home I thought the distance was much further. It wasn’t far at all. The water is only another 200-300 away from the home.

The Synagogue has been rebuilt at some point with marble stone. It looks very nice but is still not in perfect shape. The places make you use your imagination to think what they would have looked like.

Overall, today was a huge day! I want to experience more of this place and take more time to take it all in. Writing these thoughts, while they are still fresh, has been very helpful to me! I hope you’re enjoying.

Work is a blessing, not a curse

In our Young Adults ministry we just started a new series called "Work Matters". In this series we're looking at how important our work is. Work should be a blessing but far too many people consider it a curse. In fact, most Christians think that work is a result of the fall but look at Genesis 1

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

In the very beginning God created mankind in His image and tasked them with ruling over what He had created. The crown of God’s creation is you! Humans are created in God’s image and tasked with ruling over what God created. The Hebrew word for rule is וְיִרְדּוּ֩ (yir-dū) meaning to rule or tread or have dominion over. After the whole created order is almost finished God creates human beings, He creates them in His image and then passes the responsibility of caring for all the animals over to them. What a privilege! God has spent almost six full days of creating and then passes the responsibility over to us; how He trusts us.

The the Bible moves into what is almost Hebraic poetry in verse 27. There is a repetition of verse 26 here about God creating man but no repetition of the need for men and women to take care of the created order. We move into verse 28 and get to the first blessing in the Bible. The first blessing is to procreate, subdue the earth and rule over it. We see the Hebrew word for rule again in this verse but there is another word. This time we’re commanded to subdue the earth. The word subdue is the Hebrew word וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ (kib-su) meaning to subdue or bring into bondage. But when you study the word it’s not a command to rule/subdue with a heavy fist.

When we look at what the original language shares we find that the work of ruling and subduing the earth should be one of a blessing and done with a caring demeanor. It’s a role to care for what God has created and to tend to the created order. Essentially our work should be a blessing not a curse. How come its far too often the other way around? How come the work you do seems to be a curse in your life and not a blessing?

Did you know that over half the people in America aren’t satisfied with their work? In an article Susan Adams wrote for Forbes about two years ago she lays out some stats on job dissatisfaction. 52.3% of Americans are not satisfied with their job. This percentage has been slowly increasing ever since 1987.
The main factors are that contribute to job satisfaction are: experience, including job security, wages, promotion policy, vacation policy, sick leave, health plan and retirement plan. She also lays out that those who make over $125K are more satisfied than those make $50-75K (I feel like I could have told her that). One final stat she laid out that is interesting is that men are more satisfied in their job than women. She doesn’t provide much detail in to that stat, making it tough for us to analyze more.

When I think back to my first job I can totally remember it being a curse. Many of you know I grew up in the mountains of Big Bear Lake down in So Cal. When I was about 14 or 15 I would do odd jobs for people to help make money. I would go to people who had second homes, or vacation homes, and help them out in the summer months and winter months. In the summer I would do yard work; planting flowers, raking pine needles, or trimming bushes. It was hard work. I would come home sore, sweaty and bruised from the labor. Then in the winter I go around after snow storms and shovel people’s driveways. It was hard labor and I felt like I never was paid enough for how hard the work was.

What as your first job like? Was it a blessing or a curse? Did you enjoy the labor or was it detestable to you. How about your current job? Do you enjoy the work you preform? Is it tough but you find it enjoyable? It might be hard work but when you really think about it, the work is enjoyable. Maybe you enjoy your job for the work but the people you work with make it even better! You’re on a great team and you look forward to being with them. Maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe you love your work but not so much the people who you work with. You could find a colleague to be a challenge to be around or a lazy person!

No matter what your feelings are to work, the work you do matters! Another way to say it is, the work I do matters; make it personal. The job you preform matters to God. It’s your Biblical mandate. It’s a command in Scripture that you are to work and it’s also a blessing to God. You might have thought that work is a curse but it was never meant to be a curse. Hopefully studying these first couple verses helps you understand the plan God has for your life and the 1/3 of your life that is spent on work.

Summer Reading Idea

Summer is usually a time when our normal schedule is thrown out the window. Think about this with me.

Students- you are on summer break. Whether a junior high, high school or college aged person you are on break. That means: no reading, no going to classes, no homework and no opening your locker on campus.

Adults- you are loving the warmer weather. People are traveling more and you are seeing places you've never seen on your Instagram feed. You're roommates may be out of town or you might have an old college friend visiting you this summer.

Parents- you are still waking up early because your kids don't know how to sleep in. You're trying to figure out what to do with your kids. You're creating awesome adventures with your kids or dreading some days when you have no plans.

Grandparents- you might have the grandkids for a week or two this summer so that your children (who are adults now) can get a break. You are loving the change of pace and the new routine of having the little ones around.

No matter what stage of life you find yourself in we can all agree that summer brings about change. With this change that means we may find it tough to have a Bible reading plan. What if this summer you made a commitment to read two Gospel accounts in the Bible? What if you said, "I'm going to read Matthew and Mark"? You may not read every day but you can sure try your hardest.

The Gospel of Matthew is 28 chapters long and Mark is 16 chapters. That means 44 days of straight Bible reading. You might miss a day or two here and there but you could finish both of these books by the middle of August with no problem. It would require about 5 mins of reading a day. Did you hear that? Five minutes of reading is all it would take to read one chapter a day! Make it even better and use the YouVersion Bible App to help you out.

Take a summer reading challenge and start reading God's word today!

My worst nightmare- getting drunk

People have told me that we all dream when we sleep. Sometimes I remember my dreams and sometimes I don't. Last night I had some crazy dreams. Not scary, but very interesting as to what I was dreaming about. For example, I was driving around in an old VW Bug with a poodle on a leash that was running in the snow trying to get to church because I was late to preach. Not sure where that came from at all.


There are times I have great dreams where I see my old friends who have passed away.
Other times I'm shredding 3 feet of fresh pow and every run I get fresh tracks.
Other times I'm catching a huge fish. I mean a monster! It's so hard to reel in but always the biggest fish anyone has ever seen.
But most mornings I just wake up, rub my eyes and get out of bed. It was another dreamless night.

There are the few mornings I wake up in shock and brokenness. My heart is racing. Sometimes I'm a little sweaty and confused. I wake up and it takes some time to grasp the difference between dream and the reality I've just entered. The dream, no nightmare, is so real that I think it happened. Its not always the exact same but it always has the same thread.

It goes something like this: I'm hanging out at a party or a bar. No one ever offers me anything to drink, I just have it. I drink it all. Then I drink some more and some more and some more. Sometimes I am drinking or sometimes I am just drunk in the nightmare. I may get in an argument or a fight. When the night is over I have lost it all. My family is gone, my relationship with God is done and my peace is gone. I can never seem to find my family again. I long to see them but can't find them. I have this feeling that I used to live with. It's an empty feeling. A feeling of my own selfishness desires. It's the only way to describe that is why I call it my nightmare.

After fifteen to twenty seconds of being awake I come to my senses, see my wife in bed and know it was another nightmare. The nightmare is a stark reminder of my past. I've been sober for sixteen years now but it seems the pain of my past decisions still haunts me.

I try to think of the positive in the situation. In the end it is a good reminder for me. See I believe there is a spiritual battle out there. The battle is for my soul. The nightmare is a reminder of this battle. In the battle I need to fight against the unwise decisions of my youth and focus on the life change Christ has done in my life. Its a reminder to never let me nightmare be my reality again.

Helping people get connected

One of my passions for people is to help them get connected in the local church. God has placed me in a large church setting and let's be honest, this can be tough. People walk into our church and think, "This place is big." After that I believe people either think about how to get connected or are thankful to be able to grow in a setting where they can just sit and learn.

Knowing how tough it can be to really get connected in a large church in a large area we started something new about nine months ago. We call it our New People Dinner. Since it was a new event for us we needed to make a plan. Our campus staff got in a room with a whiteboard and began to sketch out what the day would look like.

We knew we didn't want this to be something that didn't feel organic. We didn't want it to be too scheduled but we wanted a good plan so we could accomplish helping people who are looking to get connected. We came up with the whiteboard dream to the left and since then we have tweaked and made this better!

After doing three of these we have learned a ton. We've learned about location, timing and who needs to be there. We've learned about how to invite people and how some people will just come on the day of. Every two to four months we send out an invite to anyone who has filled out a connection card that says something like this:

You’re Invited!

Finding a church community is a big choice. We also know that the larger the church, more difficult it can feel to connect and we want to help out. We’re hosting a dinner for our new guests to CPC Foster City. This will be a time for you to meet our campus staff and Elders. Our hope is to provide an opportunity for us to connect, for you to learn a little more about CPC and for us to have a meal together. Children are welcomed. Will you join us on Sunday April 17 from 4-6pm?

After we send the invite out we wait for the day to come so we can hang out with people who are new to our church. This has been a great time to connect with people and learn more about people. Whether your in a big church or a small church people are looking to get connected.

Don't forget this: "People want to be known and loved." -Vicki Pettingill

Belonging to Christ

On Sunday I preached a message on Romans 7:1-6. It was titled "Belonging to Christ" and I looked at the difference between being married to the law and belonging to Christ.

This was a great text for me to preach because I've never been able to keep the law. I have a long history of not being able to keep the law! I was fifteen years old the first time I was arrested. I was accused of doing a drive-by-shooting. I was pulled from the back of a car and had a shotgun firmly pressed against the back of my head while on my knees in the middle of the road. I didn’t do a drive-by-shooting, I know all criminals say they didn’t do it, but I was just a fifteen year old throwing fireworks out of the car.

Watch the entire sermon to hear the whole story and what's changed in my life...

11 Years of Marriage

On January 7, 2005 I married my best friend!

We met as interns at Eastlake Church in South San Diego
I asked her to marry me on the beach in Carlsbad
We got married in Encinitas
Two days later we immediately moved to Vegas to serve at South Hills
We had two kids
Moved to San Mateo to serve at CPC
Just had another kid
And celebrated 11 years of marriage!

When I look back on our lives there are too many thoughts to write down here but here are a few I'd like to share.

We've traveled

I was trying to do the math on how much we've been blessed to be able to travel together. Here is what I came up with so far:
We've visited 6 different countries (Mexico, Canada, Burkina Faso, Italy, Jamaica, The Bahamas)
Set foot on three continents together (North America, Europe and Africa)
Traveled to 12 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Florida, New York, Atlanta, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Hawaii)

And this year we  celebrated our anniversary in beautiful Half Moon Bay, CA. We stayed at Oceano hotel and had dinner at Flavor. It was a great time to hang out, chat and enjoy our marriage. We took some time to look back on life and thank God for all we've been able to do together.

We've laughed
One of the things we've done most together is to laugh. Sure we have our times where we disagree on things but we'd rather laugh together. Sometimes we laugh at each other for silly things we've done. Sometimes we laugh at movies. Sometimes we laugh at the crazy things our kids say or the silly decisions we've made but we sure do laugh a lot and that has kept us in good spirits!

We've multiplied
We were reminded of this fact again this year because we brought our little Isaiah with us on the trip. For the most part he did really well and is the best third wheel ever. We have been very blessed to have children in our youth. We have friends who have struggled with pregnancy and experienced infertility. We are so thankful for the children God has given us!

Thanks for all the fun times Charity! Looking forward to many more.

The Combination of Prayer & Hard Work

This summer my church studied the life of Nehemiah. Nehemiah lived roughly 450 years before Jesus. Nehemiah was an Israelite. He was most likely born in the city of Susa, the capital city of Persia during the exile. We know he served under King Artaxerxes and received heart-breaking news about what had happened in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah didn't ignore the news, he didn't share it on Facebook or create a cool picture to post on Instagram and then move on with his life.

A commitment to prayer
When Nehemiah learned about the condition of Jerusalem, it broke his heart. Nehemiah wept, fasted and prayed for the city of God (Nehemiah 1:4). From reading the Bible it doesn't appear that Nehemiah prayed for Jerusalem only once. It doesn't seem like he stopped praying after a week or a month either. Nehemiah had this intense commitment to prayer:

"Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah 1:11

Reading the first chapter of Nehemiah you get this sense of a deep commitment Nehemiah had to prayer.
Nehemiah doesn't complain to his friends.
Nehemiah doesn't turn to a bowl of ice cream to console him.
Nehemiah doesn't become apathetic and simply watch TV.
Nehemiah makes this huge commitment to prayer. But it doesn't stop there.

A commitment to hard work
After months of praying (about 4 months). Nehemiah takes a step of faith and asks the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and help rebuild the city. Take note, this is the same king who shut the project down years earlier and Persian kings weren't known for changing their mind. But because of his commitment to prayer, God moves in a huge way!

Nehemiah receives permission to return to Jerusalem. In ancient terms, we’re talking about a four month journey full of danger and potential for disaster. So this is no small deal to travel for four months on horseback. Nehemiah didn’t fly first-class because he worked for the king. After arriving in the city he inspects the wall (by night) to come up with a plan of how to rebuild the city.

Now comes the hard work. Nehemiah must inspire a group of un-inspired people to take part of a massive rebuilding project. After facing relentless opposition Nehemiah pressed on to rebuild the wall. Finally, with calloused hands and their faces covered in sweat the wall was completed!

The book doesn't end there though. There is a huge revival. The city is repopulated the God's people worship in an awesome way. If you've never studied the life of Nehemiah I highly recommend it.

Impacting
Studying the life of Nehemiah has been impacting to me. I've been trying to figure this balance of hard work and prayer. In the last couple years I have had a sense that as I work harder I want to pray more. To be honest, I see myself working harder. I am more familiar with pastoral ministry but by no means am perfect.

What happens when you work more though is you can begin to think it all depends on you. This is the opposite of what I'm aiming for. My hope is the outcome of my efforts is a reflection of my prayer life. The question the life of Nehemiah has left in my mind is, "How can I have a strong commitment to hard work and prayer?"

Guarding Your Life

This summer my church has been studying the book of Nehemiah. The life of Nehemiah has inspired me! Let me share some of his story. Nehemiah had received his brother’s report about Jerusalem while he was living in Susa. King Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah permission to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. It only took fifty-two days to rebuild the wall. From the time he first heard about the problem when he was in Susa until the wall was completed was only nine months. Nehemiah’s job wasn’t to just rebuild the wall, but to establish the people of God as a mature community of people living within the walls of Jerusalem. Basically he was called to Urban Renewal.

After the wall is rebuilt Nehemiah is called to establish God's people in the city of Jerusalem. Now that Nehemiah has men, he can trust, in the leadership roles he gives them directions to keep the gates shut (read Nehemiah 7:3). I find it significant that he puts such an emphasis on keeping the gates shut and having men there to guard them. 

Its almost like Nehemiah has just established the first neighborhood watch program. His actions reveal that Nehemiah was still concerned about Jerusalem. There was still a possibility of invasion from the enemy who opposed the rebuilding of the wall. There was another invasion he is concerned about also, a more subtle invasion. This was the invasion of thoughts and ideas coming through the gates that could undermine the work of God.

Let me ask you a few questions. Are you guarding the gates around your own life? Do you have things you just won’t let in? Sure, you lock your doors to keep your home safe at night. You lock your car so no one steals it. But do you have gates on your phone to protect your walk with the Lord? Do you have gates on your conversations at work with people of the opposite gender to protect your marriage from adultery? Do you have gates to prevent yourself from falling into addiction? The reason we don’t put up gates is because its hard work!

Let me get personal on the need for gates in our lives. You might know that I have an addictive personality. I started drinking alcohol at the age of 13. I’ve been arrested multiple times for alcohol related instances, the first being when I was 17 years old. When I was 20 I surrendered my life to the Lord and made a commitment to follow Him. I knew that meant I needed to give up alcohol, I needed to put up a gate in my life to keep alcohol out because I am not the kind of person who can have just one drink. This has been a gate I’ve had to reinforce, lock shut and fight to keep in place. There have been many times that I wanted to have just one sip but I know, if I start drinking again, sooner or later I’m going to end up back in jail.

I’ve keep this gate up for 15 years now and have to fight daily to keep it in place because its still a struggle for me. I have other gates up too, gates to keep porn out, gates to stay away from gambling, gates to avoid overspending because I’ve seen how destructive these temptations have been for me. When talking about gates in our lives, I’m not saying we shut ourselves off from the world but we do guard ourselves from the impurity of the world.

God’s Not Dead: Movie Review

The other day at church a man told me, “You gotta watch this movie, I’ve already watched it 5 times!”

If I’m honest, I’m a bit skeptical when someone tells me ‘I have to watch something.’

It was a Sunday night and we had a long weekend so we decided to pull out the iPhone and see what Redbox was slinging that night. Right away there it was. It was like it stood out. It shouted to us in its quiet voice, “rent me, rent me!”

We reserved God’s Not Dead, made some popcorn and sat on the couch. While the movie began I realized it was going to be a slow starter. Slow starters aren’t too bad, except when you’re tired. Once the movie hit its stride it was obvious this movie was going to impact my heart. 

This movie tells an all true story of the many responses, attitudes and feelings toward Jesus Christ. This movie, in my opinion, is unapologetically Christian. The main character is a young man who runs into a dilemma his first semester of college: his professor hates God.

Throughout the movie you begin to see the pieces come together and hear the stories of where people are at with God. The young man takes a bold step when the professor challenges him to prove God is not dead.

Without wanting to give too much of the movie away I am going to recommend it to everyone to see. Instead of only recommending this movie to Christians I think its a good movie for everyone to watch. It addresses a pastor who is loosing his passion, a woman caught in an unbalanced relationship, a woman who finds out she is dying of cancer, a professor who hates God, an African missionary and a mother battling Alzheimer’s disease. 

If you don’t have plans tonight, or tomorrow night, go to Redbox and consider renting this movie. The worst cause is you will think about your faith!