number 3?

While not exactly the hand of God, seeing Floyd Landis in le maillot jaune (yellow jersey) in this year's Tour de France today has made me very happy. After seeing prerace favorites Jan Ullirch and Ivan Basso (Tour favorites) yanked because of a dping scandal and Alejandro Valverde crash out of the race with a broken collar bone early on, I've been looking for a brighter spot on this year's race. Those of you in SLO might remember Landis coming through town as the race leader and eventual winner of the Tour of California. He went on to win two more races this season--the Tour de Georgia and Paris-Nice. He's had a great year so far despite suffering from a terribly damaged hip joint. Right now he stands as this year's favorite to win. If he does he will be the third American in the 93 year history of the Tour to win after Greg LeMond (3) and Lance Armstrong (7). Go Landis!

marking the hand of God

Marking the hand of God, or identifying God at work, is one of my favorite things to do. Our church staff relates where we have seen God moving each week at our staff meetings. I love asking our college leadership this same question. When I share ways I've seen God at work it helps me to pay attention and reflect on incidents that I might normally miss. When others share their observations, I am encouraged and lifted out of the daily grind of task I need to complete.

One of my heroes is C. H. Spurgeon. He was a man of the Word, a bold preacher and I am always impressed with the way ministries grew up around his church under his leadership. Often I turn to his Morning and Evening devotional for some food for my soul. Earlier this week I came across a reflection on Psalm 103:2 that focused my attention on God's blessings and hand in my life, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Enjoy...

“Forget not all His benefits." Psalm 103:2

It is a delightful and profitable occupation to mark the hand of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to observe his goodness in delivering them, his mercy in pardoning them, and his faithfulness in keeping his covenant with them. But would it not be even more interesting and profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives? Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least as full of God, as full of his goodness and of his truth, as much a proof of his faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of any of the saints who have gone before? We do our Lord an injustice when we suppose that he wrought all his mighty acts, and showed himself strong for those in the early time, but doth not perform wonders or lay bare his arm for the saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review our own lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God. Have you had no deliverances? Have you passed through no rivers, supported by the divine presence? Have you walked through no fires unharmed? Have you had no manifestations? Have you had no choice favours? The God who gave Solomon the desire of his heart, hath he never listened to you and answered your requests? That God of lavish bounty of whom David sang, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,” hath he never satiated you with fatness? Have you never been made to lie down in green pastures? Have you never been led by the still waters? Surely the goodness of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave his mercies into a song. Let us take the pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise and make them into another crown for the head of Jesus. Let our souls give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as came from David’s harp, while we praise the Lord whose mercy endureth for ever.

As I wrote yesterday, I see God at work in David's life in huge and small ways. How about you, where do you see God at work?

four on the fourth

I'm a week behind on this blog post, but I can't let the Fourth of July pass without celebrating my little David. He turned four years old last Tuesday (4th of July!) and each birthday is a celebration in our family of God's faithfulness, sovereignty and care. Four years ago our little guy was born with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. We grieved, we rejoiced and we didn't know what to expect from this little boy.

He came home to us three weeks after his birth taking all his nourishment through a G-tube. That very first day the Lord directed me to John 9:1-3, "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.'" We have seen God at work in David over and over again in his short life. As you look at these pictures, you'll see the first is David with his Curious George (given by his proud dad!) the first day of his life. The second picture is with the same Curious George--how far he has come!

Since we've moved here to the Central Coast, David has begun to sit up regularly and is now scooting all over the house on his bottom (In honor of our friends in Russia, this is known as the "Misha Scoot" around our house). He has no G-tube and is even beginning his first stages of self-feeding. Soon he will join the ranks of other big boys and big girls and begin his first year of preschool--we can't believe our little guy has come to this stage already! Scripture tells us to "Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." Some of you have wept with us along this journey. We invite you to rejoice with us at this stage of the journey!

back in the saddle again!

I know some of you were worried about the recent demise of my Specialized Tarmac frame...trust me I have been too. More than one tear and anxious moment has been shed over the loss of my friend with whom I have ridden over 2,000 miles in the past 6 months. If you ride, you know what I mean. If you don't, well, you probably don't.

Suffice it to say, the good folks at Art's Cyclery and Specialized worked out a "crash replacement" frame deal for me (yes, it was a good deal, but still painful!). I've been out on it a couple of times now and am loving every minute of it. I even got to take the inaugural ride with one of our Grace missionaries, Mike Grainger and Scott Morton.

Anyway, I know there are some of you out there who were afraid I'd stop shaving my legs and that I'd lose that funny little tan spot on the backs of my hands--don't fear, all is well again!

the gospel for real life

As I counsel people it seems to me that I often find myself pointing once again to the power of the cross and our hope in the Gospel to transform us. I've been convicted for a long time now that the Gospel is not just for the unbeliever, but for the life of the believer as well. I'm continually looking for a good book to recommend that will get people started and take them further down the path of the Gospel in their lives. At this stage I'm surprised how often I find myself recommending a particular book by Jerry Bridges, The Gospel For Real Life. I've read it with some guys I've discipled and it seems to be relevant to so many situations I come across. Instead of limiting my recommendation of this book to those I meet with one on one, I thought it might be a helpful resource to recommend more broadly. The back cover summerizes the book well...

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the door to eternal life, but what difference does it make once we're inside God's kingdom? Jerry Bridges says the gospel is the very lifeblood of our walk with God. Without doubt it is the key to our salvation, but it is also the power for our daily progress in holiness. The Gospel for Real Life will help you.

• Experience freedom from the grip of sin and know the joy of pursuing holiness
• Revel in God's acceptance of you and participate in His grace as a daily reality
• Expose the subtle acids of legalism in your life and enjoy the liberty of the cross
• Discover how to "preach the gospel to yourself daily" and so partake of its continuous transforming power
• Carry the true fullness of the gospel to a desperately needy world around you

new grace beyond blog

With so many of our students away on missions trips and projects this summer, we thought it would be a great idea to provide a way for us to stay in touch and hear about the Lord is doing through our students all over the world. I just invited all our student missionaries to log in and begin posting about waht they're doing and what God is doing where they are. Check out Grace Beyond in the coming days to read what your friends are up to. Log in to interact and dialogue about what God is teaching you too! Ask questions! Share random thoughts! If you are a Grace college student who is serving somewhere this summer, you're invited to jump in and post too. If we missed you somehow (please please forgive!), email me (steve@graceslo.org) and we'll take care of you! The world is flat, so let's take advantage of it.

dodgers or giants?

Let the debate begin! On Saturday, July 8 the college group is heading down to Dodger Stadium for a baseball game. Is it a Giants game, or a Dodgers game? Having spent 8 years in Southern California I wish it were an Angels game myself, but things being as they are, I'm calling it a Dodgers game! We have 30 tickets, so we should have a great time together. The cost is $20 (covers ticket, gas, parking, etc.) and you can sign up and even pay online to reserve your spot (click here). We'd love to see you out of towners join in, so we're trying to make it easy on you to sign up in absentia (that's Latin 'cause you're educated college folk! It means 'cause you're not around').

You will need to have registered yourself in our online directory. If you haven't done so yet, take a minute and check it out by clicking here!

Grace College Missions

We've had the priviledge oif sending out a number of our Grace College students (some now graduated!) out to a number of short term mission fields this summer. We're looking inot creating some kind of online community so they can log in and all of our group can log in from wherever everyone is this summer. This will help us stay conencted and enable us to pray for one another. More on that to come, but for now here's prayer requests from Brain Wong and Matt Esswein who's traveling in Africa right now with his family.

Brian Wong:
Hey Everyone,

This is probably going to be my only e-mail before I head out for training on Sunday (6/18) in San Diego. We'll be down there for a week until we head out of LAX on the 25th. Lord willing, we'll be back August 17th.

If I get the chance, I promise I'll send out an update e-mail, though I can't actually promise that I'll have the opportunity. Please bear in mind that I won't be able to be very explicit in the statements I e-mail so bear with me. But until I have the opportunity to actually send an update with more specific prayer requests, please pray for the following:

• The Team: Team unity and bonding. I'm praying for an awesome team, while keeping in mind that sometimes the best learning and growth occur in situations with teams that aren't so great.
• Boldness: God is faithful to provide ample opportunities to share. Often times my problem is a lack of boldness in taking those opportunities.
• Health: I'm praying that I'll serve God both in sickness and in health.
• Focus: I pray I'm not distracted by anything, whether it's my team members, my students, or anything else. I want to stay focused on the task at hand.

Also please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested. Also feel free to ask me to add them to the list for future reference.

Yours truly,
Brian
----------------------------------------

Matt Esswein:
Some of the specific ways you can be praying for me are;

• courage and assurance from Christ through tough emotions and seeing my family in a tough place
• quality communication and an overall FUN trip within my family
• the Holy Spirit to speak at the conference to encourage, inspire, and heal us and the people we are speaking to
• words to say, scriptures to share, and stories to tell
• quality rest and overall health amongst the busy schedule and questionable food

Grace and peace,
Matt

The Real DaVinci Deception?

In walking by a copy of DaVinci's The Last Supper the other day I couldn't help but make an observation that has, up to this point, alluded me. You see, with so much attention directed toward the female-looking Apostle John on the left side of the painting, most of us have missed a far more notable figure on the right. You'll note that most of the apostles in the painting have facial hair with the exception of John and this other apostle (someone who knows art help me out here--who is this one in the painting?). Then it hit me--is it possible that Dan Brown, in his DaVinci Code, is actually pulling a fast one on us? I mean, according to him, he has revealed the secret that will destroy Christianity as we know it. I submit to you that the DaVinci Code is really just a diversion tactic. If you look carefully at the paitning and a picture of Drew Barrymore, you will find there is an undeniable similarity. We know from teh film Everafter that DaVinci and Barrymore met--even that he did a head study portrait of her. I submit that the real DaVnci Deception is not about the identity of Mary Magdalene, but rather that Drew Barrymore is in fact somehow tied to a greater conspiracy than any of us has yet imagined. Was her great-great-great-great-great-great-et al. grandmother Mary Magdalene perhaps? Has DaVinci picture Barrymore's late ancestor Martha, a devoted though overworking, disciple of Jesus? I haven't had time to search the Gnostic Bible yet for textual support, so I can only speculate at this point. Nevertheless, I invite you ponder this, the Real DaVinci Deception with me...

scattered thoughts

Wow--too long since I blogged last! This has been a hectic, exhausting and strangely renewing quarter for me. Here's some thoughts running through my tired head...

• The 75th Anniversary has challenged me in teh areas of prayer, evangelism, life-purity, priorities, God-sized vision, the importance of relationships, how we aren't first ones to walk the earth and anticipation for the future chapters of God at work among other things...
• Summer: Dodger/Giants game, hikes, beach days, Spirit West Coast, New Orleans Relief Trip, Leadership Backpacking in the back country--totally excited about all this; overwhelmed in the details (see my use of a semi-colon? that's 'casue this is a college blog!)
• Lots to do, lots to do, lots to do (notice the unhelpful repetition of useless yet anxiety producing words here--real insight into my current metal state)
• I think my bike frame has bitten the dust--I think I'm going to cry over this one--seriously.
• I see God working in our Growth Groups, missions, community ministry, youth, children's ministry, college, among our staff--I want to grasp teh Lord's vision for the days ahead and lay myself at His feet for His purposes.
• Can't wait to get into a stack of books sitting on my shelf to my right.

Not profound, but it's where I am. It's been too long since I logged in, so here I am again!

God's heart for the community

Our 75th Anniversary Celebration began on Easter as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus and sang out All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name as they did 61 years ago. This past weekend we celebrated all that God has done through Grace over the years to reach the larger community here on the Central Coast. From reaching out to the local servicemen, to reaching out the jails, to our current ministries in Juvenile Hall and the Overflow Shelter, Grace has been reaching out to live the Gospel in this community for 75 years. We heard from Pastor Scott as he showed us God’s heart for the poor, the broken and the outcast. Mike Yankoski, author of Under the Overpass, shared his experiences living among the homeless during his days in college. In addition to this, Grace hosted a BBQ luncheon for the poor and homeless in our community last Saturday.

As I was gearing up for last weekend, I couldn’t help but notice something very particular about the Lord’s instructions to the Israelites concerning the feasts He appointed them to celebrate. In Leviticus, a book full of Levitical Law and instructions, the Lord clarifies some of the specifics about how the national feasts are to be carried out. In chapter 23 we are told that the 14th day of the 1st month is an appointed time of rest and celebration—it is the Lord’s Passover. Then, the next day is to be the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, which is to last 7 days (vv. 1-8). The Lord goes on to give more explicit detail, directing the Israelites in the specific ways in which they are to harvest the crop at this time (vv. 9-14). Then He makes clear the offerings and sacrifices that are to be made—bread, lambs, a bull and rams. And yes, they are to rest from labor (15-21).

It’s the next verse that catches my attention though. In verse 22 we see God’s heart for the poor and the needy in in society. Even as the Lord instructs the Israelites to extravagant sacrifice, He lays down instruction for the poor of the community. The Israelites, recognizing that their harvest comes from the hand of God are not to hoard the fruits of their labor to themselves, but are to share with those in need. As they celebrate the mighty acts of God—their redemption from slavery in Egypt and God’s provision for the people, they are to hold that provision with an empty hand. The people of God are to share and freely give of that which they have freely received.

This weekend we began our 75th Anniversary Celebration in earnest. Perhaps it’s fitting and even appropriate that a celebration of God’s faithfulness and blessing all starts with an opportunity to bless others through a tri-tip BBQ luncheon for the poor and needy of our community. The Lord has given Grace so many resources and opportunities over the years. He has enabled our church to grow and to give back to our own community, to those who have suffered devastation in our own country and those who have suffered around the world. This past weekend, we celebrated God's faithfulness through serving and loving those for whom God has a special place in His heart.

May we take the time in the days, weeks, months and years ahead to look the homeless in the eyes. May we talk with them as those created in the image of God. I was struck by practical ways we can reach out to those in need by giving away socks, gift certificates, soft granola bars and water bottles. May we incarnate the love of Christ to any and all we meet!

time away

Alright, I admit that it's actually been a week since I got back from vacation, but with preaching yesterday and all the stuff waiting for me after a week away, I just didn't get time to blog last week. Right before all you Poly-ites took off for Spring Break, I took my family away for some vacation in the snow at Shaver Lake and rain in Fresno (who wouldn't want to vacation in Fresno??). It was the first time David and Matthias got to experience the snow--Matthias loved it (until he slipped on an icy patch), David...not so much.

As you can see form the pics, David took the opportunity to show off a little. He was sitting up all by himself and even standing and taking a couple steps (Lisa isn't holding him here!). Matthias was all about mastering his stair workout--and dressed for the part! Lisa enjoyed laying low with her boys and the dinner-theatre show we attended in the Tower District in Fresno. They did a good job with Beauty & the Beast and thanks to the grandparents; we got to make it a date night for us.

And me? Well, most of you know I love riding my bike these days. I had big plans to ride everyday of vacation so I might be able to hang with Greg K. and Scott Morton. I managed to get in a couple good rides, but between the weather (snow in the mountains and rain in the 'Sno) and getting lazy, how did I spend my time? Well...let's just call it quality time with my boys! This was our first real vacation since starting here—it was great to get away for a few days, though I have to say, it’s great to be back home too!

reflections on god's faithfulness

Last time I shared some thoughts on Deut. 16:1-21—the Feasts of Passover, Weeks and Booths—Reminders of God’s acting in Israel’s midst . This week I’m drawn to this question, “What do these stones mean to you?” This is the question the Lord told Israel their children would ask one day when passing by a monument of twelve stones they had taken out of the middle of the Jordan River in Joshua 4:1-7. I’ve heard it said that one generation experiences the Lord, the next generation assumes the Lord and the third generation abandons the Lord. These stones were to be a fresh first-hand experience of the Lord to the succeeding generations.

The Lord brought Israel through the Jordan on dry ground. The Lord had not only delivered them from slavery in Egypt, but He had brought into the Promised Land. God commanded Joshua to instruct the tribes to each send forth one man in to the River and to pick up a stone from under the feet of the priests who stood holding the Ark of the Covenant, “from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down where you lodge tonight.” (Josh 4:3) Consider the scene for a moment. God is holding back the waters of the river, the priests are standing holding the Ark, Israel is on it’s way to destroy Jericho. There is business to attend to. The pragmatist in me says, “Forget the rocks, let’s get going here. We have things to accomplish for the Lord!”

The Lord though sees it differently. He knows how we humans forget. He knows this is a momentous occasion that must be remembered for the sake of Israel’s future faith. It’s not enough to just let the moment pass in the midst of the hustle and bustle of ministry. So He commends them to take these stones to set up a monument. Why? So that one day they would walk by with their kids—many not yet born—and the inquisitive young mind would look to his dad and ask, “Dad, what’s the deal with this pile of rocks?” The father would tell his son how he had crossed the river on dry land the day the Lord cut off the waters. Grandfather would tell grandson of his experience. Father would tell son of his own grandfather’s experience.

This monument was to be a sign form one generation to the next that would testify to the mighty acts of God in their midst. It would remind the first generation that it really happened. They would be forced to remember and testify to their own experience of God. It was an opportunity for following generations to experience the Lord firsthand themselves—to keep them from assuming the Lord.

During the 75th Anniversary we will looking afresh at various stones that have been left. Some that we aware of—perhaps some that have been forgotten. Their are some in our midst who were there, who can tell us what these stones mean to them. There are others who heard the stories firsthand. There are others still asking the question, “What do these stones mean to you?” 75 years is a momentous occasion that must be remembered for the sake of our own future faith. It’s not enough to just let the moment pass in the midst of the hustle and bustle of ministry. Let’s take this opportunity to erect a monument ourselves so that our children and grandchildren—those who celebrate 100, 150 and 200 years—will ask “What do these stones mean to you?”

why celebrate 75 years?

The closer we come to the the 75th Anniversary, the more I am convinced of the power of this time of remembrance and celebration and ministry to reform and renew our lives individually and corporately. In a recent discussion with Ted Malley I was reminded that I need to continually keep the purpose of the 75th before us all that we might might be stirred to action because of God’s faithfulness. Thank you for the humble reminder Ted! I think this is true for you our students especially as your time at Grace tends to be shorter. The purpose of the 75th celebration is to look back upon God’s faithfulness to past generations that we might reorient ourselves in the present and continue a legacy of faithfulness for future generations. Remembering what God has done reforms us in this moment the Lord has given us that we might pass the baton to others.

Since that conversation I have spent time in reflection and prayer over how to keep the biblical nature of such a celebration before us. I’ve decided over the coming weeks to share a passage of Scripture each week that is relevant to remembering God’s faithfulness. In addition to the passage, I will write a brief devotional thought on it to cause us to reflect on God’s Word and His steadfast loving-kindness toward us His people. I have been richly blessed through this exercise already and am eager to share some of what God has revealed to me.

Before I share some thoughts this week, I commend the following passages to you all to reflect on God’s call on our lives to remember and reflect on Who is and what He’s done:

• Genesis 9—God’s covenant of the rainbow which symbolize His covenant of mercy and grace toward every living creature.
• Exod. 12:14-32—The Feast of Unleavened Bread which celebrates Israel’s redemption from slavery.
• Exod. 31:12-18—The Sabbath commanded as a covenantal reminder that the LORD is Israel’s God—the One who created the world.
• Numbers 15:37-41—Tassals placed on the Israelites clothing that they would remember God’s commands.
• Deut. 16:1-21—the Feasts of Passover, Weeks and Booths—Reminders of God’s acting in their midst.
• Josh 4:1-13—Memorial stones that commemorate Israel’s crossing of the Jordan. A physical reminder so that their children would ask “What do these stones mean?”
• 1 Chron 16 (note esp. Vv. 7-36)--The Ark is brought to Jerusalem with celebration of God’s glory, delivery, covenant, provision of the Land, creation and everlasting loving-kindness.
• Neh. 1:4-11—the memorial power of God’s Word to point His people to Himself.
• Psalm 42—Remembering God’s faithfulness in the midst of trouble, harm and distress.
• Psalm 77 & 78 (A powerful duo!)—77—Remembering God’s mighty deeds in the face of feeling forgotten by God. 78—God’s mighty deeds of redeeming His people despite themselves—God’s faithful loving-kindness is certain!

Reflections on God’s Faithfulness
Throughout the history of Redemption God has used memorials and celebrations to stir His people to renewed and continued faithfulness. May the 75th do the same for us! I was particularly struck by Deut. 16:1-21—the Feasts of Passover, Weeks and Booths—Reminders of God’s acting in their midst this week. We may ask if God’s people should make such a big deal and throw lavish parties to “remember God’s faithfulness.” Deut. 16 speaks to that very issue. Here are three God-ordained lavish parties designed for God’s people to remember His faithfulness.

The Feast of the Passover was intended to recall the specific events by which Israel was redeemed from Egypt. For seven days the people were to eat unleavened bread to remind them of the fearful haste with which they left Egypt. Then they were to sacrifice the lamb and eat it.

The Feast of Weeks followed the Passover as a feast of thanksgiving. The point here is for the people to remember their former slavery in Egypt and to bless the needy—the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows. The people were to bring an offering in accordance with their blessing—no determined amount!—with which to feast and joyously celebrate God’s good gifts to them. While the Passover is a solemn affair, the Feast of Weeks was an extravagant party in which all the people rejoiced.

Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day camping excursion to remember God’s provision during Israel’s time in the wilderness. Again, this was a happy celebration for God’s people to celebrate His sovereign provision. Again the needy are pointedly to be remembered in this occasion. Israel is commanded here to annually rejoice in acknowledgement that their blessings are from God. For seven days they were to feast and be full of joy because of God’s provision.

As I think of the 75th—from our special weekends to our celebration dinner at the end—I think of it’s parallel to these feasts. May we remember how God has delivered us from our slavery to sin and death. May we remember our own neediness and God’s intervention for us that it may spill over to others. May we rejoice and celebrate the Lord’s provision of our property, the facilities, financial blessing, ministry opportunities and the resources with which to pursue them for 75 years! May this serve to stoke our own faith in our generation. May the Lord be pleased to empower Grace so we continue to see lives, families, our community, and the world transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

May our college-age community join in with us!

winter camp

I keep hearing that many in our group just couldn't picture what winter camp would look like...so, I thought I'd give you a picture (or a few!) of our time away last weekend. We headed up to Camp Oakhurst Christian Conference Center (about 1/2 hour south of Yosemite) and were challenged to "Make it Count"--to make the most of the time God has given in our college days.

We got up there Friday night and found snow on the ground and snow in the air as we headed to the Pizza Factory for dinner and hang time together as a group. We got into topics like, Why is pizza greasy anyway? Which is better with pizza--Rootbeer or Dr. Pepper? (any votes?) How do you drive in the snow (thanks Tim for your insights from growing up in rural Washington!) Is "Q" a reliable and legitimate document source theory for the creation of the New Testament? How does the Gospel of Thomas relate to the four canonical gospels? Can we reasonably draw the conclusion that Jesus was Messiah from Mark's Gospel? As you can see, discussion from the mundane to the profound!

Next day we headed off to Yosemite for an adventure together, but were thwarted by the need for chains--even on Josh's burly four wheel drive work truck. So we "settled" for some time in the snow at Tenaya Lodge insitead. "Way better than Yosemite" was the consensus. How often do you get to take out a 250 foot piece of plastic and run eight people down the side of a hill where everyone (from 2 to 55 years old) becomes a little a little kid laughing and trying to go just a little faster? Snow ball fights and races were incredible (so was the Seattle's Best coffee afterwards!).

When the Group from EV Free, Fresno joined us we played some great icebreakers together (they have a girl who's majoring in this stuff!) and had some fantastic worship and tiem in God's Word. Nic Pope challenged us to make college life count by living a life of faith (He took us all the way back to Creation and God's call on Abraham!), hope (he shared powerful personal testimony of losing his dad as a little boy) and love. We had a great time together.

i'm third

A while back I posted about my own struggle to live out my faith. I'm struck every time I read Jesus' words in Matthew 6...

Matt. 6.25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
I came across these words again in my reading this week following Pastor Tim's message on Sunday where the Lord challenged me again with this issue of my faith. (I was so caught up in what the Lord was telling me I genuinely almost forgot to get up after the message and share the Ministry Updates!) If you haven't heard the message from Sunday, go download it form the Grace website and give a listen.

Tim preached on Matthew 17:14-27--the scenes that follow the Transfiguration of Christ. There is too much for me to blog all that God is teaching me from this text, but here's a few disjointed thoughts going through my mind this week:

• Jesus again uses the term "littlefaith" here (one word in Greek--see also Matt. 8:26; 16:8). Tim highlighted that Jesus isn't rebuking the disciples for the quantity of their faith--he tells us clearly in the same verse, "if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Mustard seed faith is tiny in terms of quantity. Jesus is addressing the quality of their faith. In light of Matt 10:1 Tim drew out the principle that "What Jesus calls us to do, He will give us the power to do, in response to our faith." It's that last bit of the statement that I am so challenged about. He has given us a conduit, through which, to receive His power--trust, dependence and reliance upon Him.
• To rehash the notes, "Living by faith involves ASKING, ACTING and ACCEPTING." While I have things to learn at each point, it's the acting that has my attention right now. I have seen faith as very passive at times in my Christian journey. Right now I see it as much more demanding and vigorous however. Tim used the analogy of running, but I'm going to default to cycling. I was reduced on the road recently by the force of the wind against me. I felt slow, bummed out and like I wanted to quit. The reality is that my legs were getting strengthened with every turn of the pedals. When we submit ourselves to the Lord and seek Him and trust Him in the midst of difficulties--or even in the midst of great circumstances--and we trust Him, our faith is strengthened. But we must use it otherwise it will atrophy like our muscles. We must take action and put ourselves out there to exercise our faith--in ways that are big and small.
• Finally, looking at 24-27 I was again knocked on my backside by Jesus' example of humility. Tim makes this comment periodically that bugs me to my core, "We're free to give up our rights." He asks, "What are you clinging to?" Nothing. Just my 'right' to a comfortable life, in a nice house with nice cars, plenty of sending money so I can buy what I want when I want it. All I want to hold on to is my 'right' to be liked, respected, seen as spiritual, wise and discerning. Oh yeah, one last tiny little thing, I mean, I do deserve to be able to make a major worldwide impact that will go down in history for the sake of Jesus right? I mean that's why I'm here right? OK, hopefully the megalomaniac in all of you can relate to what I'm saying, otherwise I'm serious trouble! "When we known we're God's sons, we're free to give up our rights." Jesus gave up His rights (and they were real not imagined like mine and yours). Why? He knew whose Son He is. I need to remain grounded in whose son I am.
  

i know i'm not, But i know I AM.

- Lou Giglio

humble progress

While Pastor Tim is probing the intellectual depths of our artistic insights (by the way, I think the picture has something to do with Matthew's context--the glory of the Transfiguration and the ensuing scene with the disciples inability to cure the demonized boy...but don't tell him I said anything!), I had my bike ride from Saturday on my mind! I'm far less profound than him! In all my pride I have to boast that I reached a new milestone (literally!) last Friday--I did a three-beach tour on my bike. I hit Morro Bay, Port San Luis and Pismo in one shot and reached a new record of 55 miles in one ride. It was a beautiful day (too windy though!) and I found myself praising God for the majesty of His Creation (If that's what He can make, what must He, as the Creator be like!). If you didn't get outside last Friday, all I can say is, I feel bad for you.

So there I was on my best ride to date, moving along at a steady 22mph, and feeling great about the ride and myself. I was riding south on Higuera toward the freeway frontage road and began to think about how good I'm becoming again on the bike. (You might be wondering where I got the "humble" part of the progress about now!) Right as I was thinking this and feeling really good about myself I went under the freeway overpass and heard someone call out "LEFT!" behind me. Almost immediately a guy went by me as if I were standing still. He didn't look winded, or even like he was trying. Between a tiny decent and a little tail wind (and a dose of invigorated pride) I got up to 26mph. He continued to move away from me, though a little less quickly. It was about that point I remembered that it's just good for me to be on my bike getting a little exercise. It's so easy to be competitive and so easy to let our pride rear up. At the end of the day though I'm pleased I rode a little further than last time. I'm delighted I'm riding at all. Best of all, I got to be surrounded by God's creation and to reflect on Him.

body life

Last night's baptism service was amazing. I tend to find myself thinking of a baptism service as kind of like the vegetable of church life. It's good for you and all, but when push comes to shove, it's easy to allow other things to take priority. As I sat there last night listening to people share their testimonies it was more like eating the center of a warm, gooey cinamon roll with that tastey white frosting on top! Why do I think in such analogies you may ask...I don't know! Don't overanalyze it, just go with it. The point is, it was some of the sweetest time I can think of being together with the Body of Christ I can think of in recent memory. Let me share a couple stories that stuck with me.

Lindsay, a sophomore in high school, share how she has signed up to be baptized 5 times, only to find out she had a to have another surgery on her foot (Lindsay has had an ongoing issue with a broken foot). She shared how the Lord has taught her that suffering is a real part of living as a Christian in this world. SHe read 2 Cor. 12:9-10 for us, "9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

There was Tim too. A man who has attended Grace Church for 18 years. 2 years ago, in the midst of a life focused on success, the Lord broght his job to an abrupt end. Through this experience he was convicted of his need for Jesus and gave his life to Christ! The Gospel changes everything.

Cameron is a college student who was driven to make an impact that would hcange the world through aerospace engineering. God, through a unique set of circumstances, brought him to the Bible where he was convicted of the foolishness of his pursuits. He gave his life to Christ and is now leading a Bible study.

These are just quick sample stories where the power of the Gospel to change and sustain lives is tremendously evident. I didn't do a great job promoting baptism in college ministry and after last night, I particularly regret that. Here, in the midst of our series on the Church, we missed one of it's unique expressions. Where else do people gather to watch others get symbolically dunked underwater in response to their beliefs? We prayed, we heard testimony of the living God changing lives, we worshipped and were challenged and encouraged. If yo've never been baptized, I want to challenge you to begin thinking about it now. When we have another baptism service in a couple months, consider getting into the water! If you've been baptized, next time come and celebrate and worship with the church family. Grab some friends and make a night of it--you won't be sorry!

end of the spear

On Friday the movie End of the Spear comes out. It’s the story of Mincayani, a Waodani tribesman from the jungles of Ecuador. When five young missionaries, among them Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, are speared to death by the Waodani in 1956, a series of events unfold to change the lives of not only the slain missionaries' families, but also Mincayani and his people through the power of forgiveness. It's a testament to the power of the gospel to bring change. This is one of the most famous and inspiring stories of 20th century missions. It was made well known through Elisabeth Elliot's best selling book, Beyond the Gates of Splendor. I've been looking at their web site and it looks like they've really tried to stick to the truth of what happened. Apparently Steve Saint, Nick Saint's son, worked with them to help ensure the accuracy of the movie. He's quoted as saying, "In honesty, seeing it, its more of 'A True Story,' than 'Based on a True Story.'" I also thought it was interesting that originally the Waodani people did not want to cooperate with the making of the film. Steve Saint shared with them what happened a few years back at Colombine High and they saw our culture as needing to hear their story!

I can't vouch for the movie as I haven't seen it yet, but Lisa and I are planning to see it soon. I hear it will be playing down in Arroyo Grande. If any of you see it first, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

back to blogging!

OK, I'm getting posts on the blog asking if it's dead and my friend in Russia just emailed about the blog and I realized I really haven't posted anything in a month! It's ironic that my last post was on getting things done! I am making progress though. I'm in the transition pains of switching from one very ineffective way of doing things to a much more effective system. I'm halfway between right now, so you can imagine where that leaves me!

Our family had the opportunity last night to speak at a "Get to Know You" night with the Jr & Sr. High groups. Lisa and I shared how we came to Christ, about my calling to ministry, how we met, married and had two kids and we shared some of David's story. The boys were the hit of the night--Matthias shared some mighty words of wisdom and hammed it up for everyone! It was a blast.

Matthias is sharing some office time with me this morning while his brother is at therapy. He wants to try his hand at Blogging, so here goes...

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You see how wise and learned he is--not bad for a two year old! (His birthday was Sunday.) Think about this--were you Blogging at two years old?