Change

I have been considering a blog change.

http://thehousebeautiful.wordpress.com/

We Really Know How to Worship Stuff

Bike Riding

If only I had these mad skills.

Oh the Sweet Possiblities

I got this from Dave Barry III. Thought it was really interesting.

Gospel Transformation

I have begun working through a new Bible Study called "Gospel Transformation" Here are some quotes:

The Gospel cannot soak deeply inside of us unless it is addressing our ongoing need for it.

The result is a wonderful freedom to forget about ourselves and stop wondering whether we have enough abilities, knowing that god uses and empowers the weak.

Our lives are a conflict of stories.

Thank You!

12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

The Head and The Heart

A New Church

Is this the new church for the 21st century? Is this just the beginning of the new landscape of the Bay Area? This is a powerful statement as to what is most important to us. It will be interesting to see what Google and Facebook do to match it.

Church

What is it about church that jumps in my heart and doesn’t let go? Why do I care so much? I suppose when you realize something saves you it becomes really personal to you and whatever instinct you have to protect it kicks in really good. I can say I would not be the person I am today if it were not for a community of people gathered together to share the gospel.

I think about that first church community I was a part of a lot. There are several things about them that strike me:

First, is that they a passion for youth. The church itself was dedicated to serving the children in the body and the community. I have been a part of many churches split on one out of two of these directions. Some want to focus on bringing in the lost at the sake of the body while others want to keep out the lost to protect the body. The gospel message of Christ doesn’t choose between the two. As difficult as it may be the body of Christ must take care of itself through putting itself out into the community in meaningful ways.

Second, they loved to teach about Jesus. One funny thing for me is that I have ended up in a different place theologically than the church of my youth, but not my passion to teach the love of Christ. I have no doubt in my mind and heart that those who formed the core of that church loved Jesus with every ounce of their potential. They were not perfect but they served the perfect one. It showed in their constant attention to my life, their desire to see me thrive, the celebration of events in my life, the way they cared for my friends, their love of teaching the Bible, their passion to drive core theological truths in my mind and heart. I never doubted their center was Jesus.

Third, they loved to have fun. Oh how many churches fail to make this simple leap. It is a sadness in my heart that people would not see the great joy in living the Christian life. Our Savior is the inventor of exciting, thriving, thrilling, demanding, and experienced life. He wants us to live fully. He wants us in the course of striving after Him to learn how completely fulfilling he can be. He wants us to enjoy the life as we live it towards Him.

The church is our gift from Christ. It is not meant to be our punishment. If you make it punishment stop. If you make it about you stop. Instead be one who seeks to make it a deeply passionate love affair with the Savior of your soul.

Conversion

I gave my life over to Jesus about three decades ago. I didn’t know what I was really doing. I had no clue that the Holy Spirit was working inside of me. I don’t know if it was working inside of anybody else. I still remember the person who shared the gospel message, the essential gospel message. He talked about feeling the rhythm of music in his legs, but not in his arms. He was a drummer.

The rhythm needed to move from his legs to his arms. He couldn’t play the drums if he couldn’t make that transition. He said the same thing happened in his life. He grew up with the rhythm of the gospel in his mind. He knew it in his mind but he had difficulty transferring it to his heart.

Today the gospel hasn’t changed from that campfire experience about thirty years ago. Every day I am seeking out that rhythm. I want to make that transfer from my mind to my heart. I think both are important, the mind and the heart, but that transfer is key. It is the Holy Spirit working inside of me delivering through the layers of sin that try to keep it out.

Jesus I pray you continue to allow my heart to know the way my mind knows. Allow your Spirit to work in me.

Love is Not Hell

The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. The Four Loves

God's Reaction to Violence

My thesis is that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance…My thesis will be unpopular with man in the West…But imagine speaking to people (as I have) whose cities and villages have been first plundered, then burned, and leveled to the ground, whose daughters and sisters have been raped, whose fathers and brothers have had their throats slit…Your point to them–we should not retaliate? Why not? I say–the only means of prohibiting violence by us is to insist that violence is only legitimate when it comes from God…Violence thrives today, secretly nourished by the belief that God refuses to take the sword…It takes the quiet of a suburb for the birth of the thesis that human nonviolence is a result of a God who refuses to judge. In a scorched land–soaked in the blood of the innocent, the idea will invariably die, like other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind…if God were NOT angry at injustice and deception and did NOT make a final end of violence, that God would not be worthy of our worship. ~ Volf

The Hobbit

I am excited about seeing this movie. If anything like the others instant classic!

Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands

Today's Reading
"They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together." ~ Mark 14:53

Reflection
Far too often we take matters into our own hands. We plot, gather evidence, invite others to join our cause, and eventually make the attack. Instead of slowing down and turning to God, we use every human effort to get our way.

The Jewish leaders made the mistake of trusting themselves and not God. Instead of following the rule of law, the Jewish rulers sought to capture, sentence, and destroy Jesus as they saw fit. After all, Jesus was threatening the entire religious system of the day. If we don't "do something," all will be lost... our power, authority, and life as we know it.

The Jewish leaders, under the cover of darkness, took matters into their own hands and passed judgment upon Jesus. They set decorum aside and did what was right in their own eyes. Judges were to conduct and conclude capital trials during daylight. Further, trials were not to occur on the eve of a Sabbath or festival day. Pharisaic rules required a day to pass before a verdict of condemnation could be issued.

Likewise, the Sanhedrin (court of justice) should not have met in the high priest's palace. The spirit of Jewish law opposed condemning a criminal on his own admission, but the Sanhedrin treated Jesus' words here not as admission of a crime but as a crime itself--blasphemy--to which they themselves were witnesses, obviating the need for other witnesses. Finally, whatever else may have been illegal, the physical mistreatment of a prisoner certainly was; this would have shamed Jesus as well, for such treatment was inappropriate to the status he had claimed.

We too can take matters into our own hands when our little "kingdom of self" is threatened. Do we look to God as our solution, seeking Godly wisdom, looking to God's Word for guidance; or do we control every situation trying to manipulate others to gain what we want the outcome to be? Do we lord over our spouses, associates, and family members rather than trusting God to make the changes in their lives? If we forget whose servants we are, we can easily fall into idolatry, vying for the power and honor that rightfully belongs to God alone (Mt 21:38).

Response
When is the last time you took matters into your own hands and tried to play god instead of trusting him?
What was the outcome?

About The Author
Gary Middleton is a teacher at Cal High and came to Canyon Creek because of the testimony of high school students attending here. He has have been richly blessed through the teaching and followship at CCPC.

The Fullest Measure of Love and Forgiveness

Abba father," he said," everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.
Yet, not what I will but what you will."
~ Mark 14:36

Reflection
Jesus left the upper room after revealing that He would be betrayed to the chief priests and that the disciples would deny being His followers. Jesus needed to prepare Himself for the events that had now been set in motion. He sought the solitude of the Garden of Gethsemane to connect with His Father through prayer and meditation.

Jesus was mere hours away from fulfilling His destiny, His purpose, His story. The fullest measure of strength, obedience, compassion, and forgiveness would soon be demanded of Him. Lovingly, an obedient Son called out to Abba, His Father. Jesus asked if this cup bearing the weight of the sins of all mankind might pass from Him. The Son submitted to the Father.

Jesus was determined to fulfill His Father's will, sacrifice on the cross. By trusting in the Father and committing to obey God's will, the Father strengthened Jesus to become and bear my sin, to face pain and rejection and condemnation. Can you imagine the battle fought during Jesus' three days of death and being totally separated from the Father?

My sin weighed heavily on God's heart. Adam and Eve's first sin broke the intimate bond man enjoyed with the Creator. At what cost could my sins be redeemed, be forgiven? Only the shed blood of the sinless and perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ, would forever satisfy the debt for all my sin. Roman soldiers may have placed Him on the cross, but it was my transgressions, my sins that nailed Him there. It was His love for me that willingly kept Him there. The sacrifice of God's very Son was demanded to forgive my debt and heal my brokenness. What Adam and Eve broke in the Garden of Eden, Jesus Christ began healing and restoring in the Garden of Gethsemane. He finished it on the cross and rose victoriously three days later.

Jesus had prepared the disciples to spread His message. Jesus now entrusted this mission to them. At Gethsemane He asked God to continue to protect and bless His followers. Jesus prayed for future believers who would come to know Him through the disciples' work.

Response
How would my life be different if I grasped these key points?
· Crown God the Lord of my life. Beyond just acknowledging God's existence, I must yield myself, submit myself in obedience to His purpose and will for my life. I must strive each day to allow Him to reign supreme in my heart and in my life.
· Just as Jesus sought the Father in Gethsemane, I, too, must surrender my struggles, my hardships, my hopes to God and His purpose. I must place my full trust in God who created me and loves me and reigns over all. Jesus' victory on the cross began when He fell on His face and knees in prayer in Gethsemane. I will pursue God's heart through prayer and study; I commit to listen intently and obey confidently as He speaks to me.
· I must step up to share my faith and serve others in love, compassion, obedience, and forgiveness from God. Jesus entrusted this mission to me as His follower.

About the Author
Joining the Canyon Creek family in September 2009 with his wife Sue, Bill Locke serves as a Sunday night small group leader and enjoys singing with the worship team and choirs. Daughter Chelsea enjoys serving as lobby host and greeter! They enjoy being together and traveling together.

Today's Reading
27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.
~ Mark 14:27-31

Reflection
Early in the evening of the Passover, Peter swears his allegiance to Jesus saying, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." However, before morning breaks Peter denies he knew Jesus on three occasions. Consider two questions: why did Peter's attitude towards Jesus change within a few hours? and why do we (like Peter) deny God when faced with pressures from others in our community and culture?

To understand why Peter's attitude changed leading him to deny Christ, we first need to understand the culture of the day. At this time, the Romans had been ruthlessly ruling Jerusalem for over 60 years, causing many Jews to hope for the prophecies of a militaristic Messiah to be fulfilled (refer to the prophesies of God's second coming mentioned in Joel 2 and Isaiah 9). These prophecies called for a Messiah to remove the foreign government and rule as king forever on earth, but the Jews did not understand that these prophesies would not be fulfilled until Jesus' second coming. When Peter learned that Jesus was not the militaristic Messiah, he did not want to be associated with the way Jesus was accomplishing God's will. Peter was willing to give up his life for Jesus, but only on his terms.

Why are we like Peter at times and do not have courage to trust in God's ways? Francis Chan, a pastor in Simi Valley, says that many of us have great ideas as children on how we can serve Christ, but as we grow up people/culture calms us down. We are on fire for God when when we first learn of God's grace, but over time, we become scared to share our faith publicly. Like Peter, we may be afraid of being ostracized or discriminated against. Or more simply, we may just be afraid of being politically incorrect. Jesus never promises that following Him will be easy, but He does tell Peter in Mathew 19:28, "in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones...And everyone who has left houses...for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

The life of Peter gives us hope that through God's grace He can change our motives and give us courage. After Jesus' resurrection, we see Peter's change of heart and actions. Peter and the other disciples were arrested for teaching the word of God and brought before the same council that condemned Jesus. This time Peter boldly proclaims he is a follower of Christ (Acts 5). The council had them flogged but the disciples rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

Response
1. What do you feel God is telling you to do that you may not have the courage to do? Are you willing to suffer for Jesus' name?
2. Was there a time in your life when you had a plan for life, but God had a different plan? How did you respond?
3. What would your life look like if you trusted God completely?

About This Author
Ben and Tricia- We joined CCPC shortly after getting engaged in 2008 and have become very involved in the 20's/30's group, which is growing as it is grows us in our faith. God is currently teaching us how to trust more in him as we seek to truly show His love to those we meet every day.

The Most Incredible Video

Simply Beautiful

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

The Lord's Supper

Today's Reading
17And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." 19They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" 20He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

22And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 23And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
~ Mk 14:17-26.

Reflection
The Lord's Supper has been made the subject of many artistic creations. The interpretations may be different, but the message is the same. This supper was not only instruction to do this in remembrance of him, but that someday we will enjoy this meal in Heaven with all of God's redeemed people. His body is represented by the bread broken just as his body was broken to save us. The blood reminds us that his blood was poured out for us but it also represents the covenant he made to all who believe in him. (If we believe in him, and have faith in his word, we will be saved.) By celebrating this meal we will be reminded of this promise.

He also makes it very clear that anyone who betrays the son of man would be better off not to have ever been born. Believe and be saved, don't believe and you have nothing-no life, no future, no hope. What a powerful statement! As believers, we believe our only future is the one with him in Heaven. If you do not go to Heaven, there is nothing. Our lives, no matter how long, are but a speck of dust in the universe and a very brief moment in time. So when he refers to "better off not ever being born" I think about all those people who have had the opportunity to hear Christ's message and deny it for this brief life we live today. Refuse to have faith in his word and you will have no future with God once this life is over.

I pray often for my older sons because while they were growing up, I was lost in my faith. As a result, I did not provide the Christian foundation and education that they should have had. We went to Church at Easter and Christmas and rarely at any other time. The foundation was weak but they did hear the message of Christ and both were baptized. I know that our Lord stands by the covenant he made with us at the last supper, so I know there is hope for them. I know that in my own life experience, I strayed from him, but the Spirit tugged at my heart and brought me back. Although I tried to deny it, I knew in my soul that by denying my faith, I would have no future with him. So I believe now that he will tug at their hearts as well and bring them back to him.

Response
1. Was there a time in your life that you denied the Son of Man?
2. What brought you back to the Lord's covenant?
3. Do you remember a time when the Lord tugged at your heart?

About the Author
Joyce Feldman has been a member of CCPC for approximately 2 years, but has been attending for 4 years. Previously, she was a member of CPC in Danville. She is a local insurance agent, lives and works in San Ramon, is married to Bruce and has three sons ages 32, 30 and 13.

Are We Giving Sacrificially to Jesus

Today's Reading Mark 14:1-11
The Plot to Kill Jesus

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.


Reflection
In Mark 14:1-11, we are given the story of a woman named Mary who arrived, uninvited, at Simon's house where Jesus was dining and came to him with a jar of expensive perfume worth a year's wages. Mary broke the jar open and poured out all of the perfume on Jesus' head and feet. Upon seeing this, those present rebuked her for her extravagance, for not being more strategic in her use of this valuable perfume. Mary's actions were out of love for the Christ, not an obligation to tithe her money.

How often in our lives today do we demonstrate sacrificial acts of love towards our Savior? For most of us, the answer is probably not that often. Our charitable giving is often more of an obligation or budgeting exercise that an act of love: 10% to the 401k, 10% to the college fund, and oh, 10% to our tithe. While we may be giving our resources to God, are we doing it because we love him or are we doing it as an obligation?

We have had the opportunity to travel throughout the world with World Vision, whose mission is to share the love of Jesus by addressing the root causes of poverty with a focus on children and women. Every time we visit families who have been touched by this work, they offer us extravagant gifts of gratitude. In Ghana, a goat and a bag of yams; in Mongolia, a meal of mare's milk and goat cheese from a family living in a tent; in Ethiopia, a traditional coffee ceremony and traditional clothing from a AIDS relief group; in Zambia, a parade and a meal in the home of four orphans and their grandmother. Each time, we are tempted to say "You shouldn't have, this wasn't necessary" just like those who chastised Mary. We so easily miss that these gifts aren't for us; they were gifts of gratitude to God. How quick are we to say, "Keep the goat, sell it in the market and use the money for something you need"? These people, living in desperate poverty understood what Mary did and felt compelled to make their own extravagant gift.

How can we learn from the acts of gratitude shown by the poorest of the poor? How can we make sacrificial gifts of love to Christ today? In Jesus' own words, Mary "did a beautiful thing," she "did what she could." Do we even do what we can or do we do so much less than that, just enough to hit our 10% line item? In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says that whenever we do something for the "least of these" we do it for Him. We have the opportunity to show our love and gratitude towards God by demonstrating acts of sacrificial love to the "least of these," to those who need help, who need the love of Christ in their lives.

Response
1. What would you say if someone you know emptied their 401k to care for the poor, or sold their car to support missionaries? Would you tell them that they were going a bit too far, that they didn't really need to give these up as long as they give at church each week?
2. Giving sacrificially looks crazy - as crazy as pouring a $75,000 bottle of perfume on someone's head. Are you ready to do what you can with what God has given to you; are you ready to give sacrificially to Jesus, the Savior who gave his life to save ours?

About the Authors
Kirsten and Andy Stearns have recently relocated to the San Ramon area from New York City. Kirsten is a Program Director at World Vision and Andy is a Director of Business Development with American Express and both have a passion for serving the poor around the world.

Chosen to Bear Fruit

15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.
~John 15:15 -17

Reflection
I struggle frequently, as I'm sure many Christians do, with the questions, "What is it that Christ has planned for me and what should I be doing to contribute to His plan?" In this passage, Christ answers these questions for the disciples during the last supper. Jesus has three messages: 1) He chose us as friends; 2) He wants us to bear fruit; and 3) Love each other.

Friendship with Christ: It is important to always keep in mind that Christ has chosen us, not the other way around. Yes, we must accept the sacrifice and grace that He gave on the cross, but as a free gift and not something that is earned. If we see Christ as only a master that we must serve and not also as a friend that we can love and enjoy, we can lose sight of this free gift that was given out of unconditional love.

Bear fruit: The image of the vine and the branches is often used to symbolize how we must depend on Jesus to accomplish His plans. Just as a grape vine feeds and provides vital nutrients to its branches so they can produce fruit, Jesus (the vine) has given us (the branches) everything we need to grow (bear fruit) for His kingdom. We bear fruit when we share God's word and exemplify His teaching in our actions and deeds. Again, He chose us, and this is important, as the fruit cannot produce the vine. No matter how many good deeds we perform, we cannot earn our own salvation nor produce it in others.

Love each other: Why does Jesus care if we love each other? The answer is His love for us and His desire that we share eternity in heaven. Jesus was the perfect model of love, one that He commands us to emulate. In Luke 10:26, when Jesus was asked how to gain eternal life, he replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" We are commanded to love God AND our neighbor. The Lord desires that we not only love Him unconditionally, but that we also love unconditionally those whom He loves-which is everyone.

Response
Recall the last long conversation you had with a friend.
1. What qualities in that friendship can you bring to your relationship with Jesus?
2. Can you "bear the fruit" that Jesus desires if your objective is to earn a reward?
3. Do others approach you when they are in need? Why do you believe this is or is not the case?

About the Author
Brendan St John and his wife, Jessica, started attending CCPC in 1999. His favorite experiences with Canyon Creek are the Wind Festival and Small Group Ministry. They have three children, Adelaide (11), Tristan (8), and Spencer (6).

Laying Down My Life

12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
~ John 15:12-13

Reflection
Jesus tells us to love each other and then clarifies what that looks like by saying the greatest way to love one another is to lay down your life. What does Jesus mean by this? When Jesus laid down his life on the cross it meant we had a way to be forgiven from our sins. Romans 3:23-24 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." He laid down his rights and instead put our needs before his own.

In our safe, suburban San Ramon Valley, how do we lay down our lives for others? I think the biggest way is by forgiving them. Are there people in your life who have hurt you or offended you? Jesus calls us to love and forgive everyone. As Tim Keller writes in The Reason for God, "forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering." Keller states there is a debt that you are absorbing and you are taking the cost of it completely on yourself instead of taking it out on the other person. It can hurt terribly but this is what Jesus did for us. He suffered so that we could be forgiven.

The strength and desire to forgive should come from an overflow of our love for God, not because it's something we feel we should do in order to be a good Christian. I identify with this quote from Francis Chan's Crazy Love: "The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him-and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by." I need to remind myself daily of the great cost of Christ's sacrifice! He died for me! Our response should be gratitude that overflows in love and causes us to want to follow Him. This love for God gives us the strength to live as He did and forgive others.

Another way to lay down our lives for others is to put their needs before our own. In Philippians 2:3-5, Paul writes, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." Whether that be something small, like letting someone in front of you in traffic or in the grocery store, or as large as sharing credit for a project at work or paying for a school or orphanage to be built in a third world country, we need to think of others' needs more than our own. That is not something that comes naturally. We need God's help.

Response
1. Is there anyone who you need to forgive?
2. How can you put others needs before your own today?
3. Pray for God to reveal himself to you and for you to realize how much you truly need God.

About the Author
Jen Scales Morlan married Brian Morlan in May 2009 and they live in San Ramon. Jen has been helping with the high school youth group since 2004 and looks forward to going on another Mexico trip this year. She and Brian are a part of the 20s/30s group and participate in a small group. Jen works for Allstate Insurance as a Senior Claims Service Adjuster.

Abiding In The Vine

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
~ John 15:5-11

Reflection

Abiding in the Vine in order to bear fruit means continuing in Jesus in order to accomplish His will here on earth. In practical terms, how do I do that?

When I asked myself that question, I was reminded of the fundraiser for the Valley Pregnancy Center just a few weeks ago. When I arrived at church, I took the baby bottle, put in a $20 bill and gave it back right away that same morning. The next day, God told me that I had clearly missed the point. Now, I don't hear God's voice audibly, but I suddenly realized what God wanted. The point, I believe now, was that each time I dropped in my change, I would be reminded of why I was doing it and who it was for. And each time I could have prayed, even just a small prayer, for the people involved: the young woman with the crisis pregnancy, the unborn child of God, and the young man whose life was also changed.

Truly I was not abiding in Jesus. I was going through the motions of being a good Christian, doing my obligation, but not bearing fruit for Jesus. I was checking it off my to-do list. I was doing it for me. Talk about a dead branch! I was missing the peace of knowing that I was obeying God, being closer to God, thinking about Him, opening myself up to what He wants me to do. I was missing the blessing of caring about other people, and they were missing the blessings of being prayed for.

Abiding requires asking Jesus, "What do I do next?" It requires that we listen for His answer. Don't just ask the question, automatically rely on Him. Jesus wants to be fully in our lives, to the point where we don't have to remind ourselves that it is natural to think of Him first. Abiding means that Jesus moves in and takes up residence.

He wants us to love him. He wants us to do his will. And doing that brings joy, not only to us but to everyone we touch and, most of all, to Him.

Response

1. Pray through your to-do list, asking Jesus for guidance.
2. Then watch and listen throughout the day for the Lord's response and the blessings of bearing fruit for Him.

About the Author

Bobi Vieira and husband, Bob, have been attending Canyon Creek Church for 13 years. They have two grown children, Liane and Andrea. Bobi has been a volunteer for Gospel for Asia, working mission events in Northern California for the past five years.

First Things First

28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
~ Mark 12:28-29

Reflection

When Jesus answers the teacher's question, He says loving God is the most important commandment and loving your neighbor is a close second. Is this order deliberate? Is it possible to love others without first loving God wholeheartedly? Our experience says, yes. People who never love God can still love children, husbands, wives, mothers, siblings, friends-all the same folks that Christians love. Christians should recognize, however, that human love, without the power of the Holy Spirit behind it, is a mere shadow of what God intends.

True love, like true faith, is a product of the Holy Spirit. When I came to faith, I accepted the Holy Spirit into my soul. His presence transforms me into God's child and begins to mold my character and will. The Spirit pours God's love into me, empowering me to love as God loves.

1 John 4:7-8 explains this: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

And, Romans 5:5 is similar: And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Knowing this, it becomes easier to understand why God expects us to love our enemies and to be perfect (Matthew 5:43-48). That's exactly how God operates! He loves sinners perfectly by sending His son Jesus to the cross to die on our behalf (John 3:16). We will not be perfect until we reach Heaven, but our mission as believers is to keep striving toward that goal by loving as God loves, and thus making Him visible to others. Oswald Chambers says in My Utmost for His Highest, "The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness" (p. 264).

Response

1. Do you have first things first?
2. Have you first allowed the Spirit of God to pour God's love into your heart?
Or are you trying to love others on your own power?

About the Author

Renee Olsen and husband Jim have been members of Canyon Creek Church since 1993. They have two adult children, Joanna and Joey (who is married to Lindsey). Renee is a professional editor who helps maintain the church web site. She has led many small groups over the years and is trained as a Bible Study Fellowship teaching leader.

Why Jesus is our victory and not one another.

The Greatest Commandment

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Reflection

I know that loving God is important, and here Jesus tells me it is the most important commandment He has given us. It sounds simple enough, but anyone who has loved or been loved has some history of disappointment, hurt, sorrow, or betrayal in a personal relationship. We can become defensive in relationships because of past hurts. I know I have.

God doesn't want defensiveness. On closer examination this commandment requires a complete surrender of our internal life. God is requiring a fully devoted, all-encompassing kind of love. Loving God is a refining, purifying experience. Biblical love is a decision of the will. It means loving God when you feel there is no love in your heart for anyone. It is a dedicated, intentional, committed love. We have to trust Him. Hardened hearts fall into trouble.

There was a time in my life when I was fighting cancer. I was between treatments, having just finished chemo and waiting for radiation. My doctor gave me a longer break because my first grandchild was due. Calvin was born with some life-threatening heart issues and was airlifted to Stanford for surgery when he was four days old. My brain couldn't remember any Scripture to calm myself at the hospital, but the Holy Spirit brought this phrase into my mind: "I know my God is just." I repeated it often in the confusing, exhausting days that followed. I wasn't relying on my feelings about God to trust Him. I was choosing to rely on what I knew about His character. I knew that whatever the outcome, God was just, and that could never change.

Loving God helps me get closer to an understanding of who I am and the God I belong to. He wants true intimacy from me, not my defensive, "I can take care of myself!" kind of thinking. In The Sacred Journey, Frederick Buechner says that you can survive, grow strong and even prevail on your own, but you cannot become human on our own. As we come to an understanding of how to love God, things fall into place. We begin to understand our humanness as God defines it.

God created us to have a deep, intimate, God-glorifying relationship with Him. That won't happen until we are satisfied with Him. There is a lot of competition for ways to feel satisfied in our culture, but they are imitations of the real thing. We need to be truly and deeply satisfied by God alone.

Response

1. With my heart: Am I desiring God as intimately as He desires me?
2. With my soul: Am I striving to identify with Christ or the world today?
3. With my mind: How am I doing with surrendering my mind to thinking Biblically?
4. With my strength: Am I able to acknowledge my weakness and find the source of my strength in God?

Pride and Humility

Today’s Reading
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
~ Mark 10:35-45

Reflection
Do you wonder where James and John got the audacity to ask Jesus to place them at his right and left hand in his glorious rule!? It appears that the human nature of prideful, self-interest, so prevalent in our 21st century existence, was alive and well even during the time of Jesus’ earthly life 2000 years ago. It is amazing to think that the apostles, who walked with Jesus and witnessed his Godly character of servitude, were still driven to attain positions of authority over others, and to achieve prideful recognition instead of humbly serving one another.

In our society, conceit and pride is too often synonymous with success. Earthly achievements often lead to an inflated self-view. This focus on “self” frequently is followed by destruction – the list is many: Tiger Woods, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, former presidential candidate, John Edwards, and the list goes on. This affliction of our human nature does not touch only the rich and powerful, but resides in us all. It is a trap that we as Christians, can be lured into, particularly with today’s societal pressures and self-centered culture. I have seen the affliction in myself many times over the years, particularly in my work life. I have caught myself looking down at a co-worker or business acquaintance, making a judgment based on MY perception of their value or ability in certain situations.

In his book Mere Christianity, author C.S. Lewis states that the greatest sin of all is pride (or self-conceit), and its opposite virtue in Christian morals is humility. The important point to remember is that pride exists in all of us, and we must constantly strive to be humble, serve our fellow man, and do everything for the glory of God. I have found that I am most humbled when I look at my existence here in the San Ramon Valley. It is very humbling to have the realization that purely by the grace of God (and nothing of my own doing), that I was born in a country where wealth and opportunity abound, instead of one of many countries where severe human oppression or poverty rule.

In the words of C.S. Lewis, “As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

Response
1. Have you been in a situation where you have been humbled by a leader or mentor? What did you learn through that experience?

2. Today, do you think you are looking up with humility or down with pride?

Jamie Williamson spent his childhood and college years in central Illinois, and has now lived in San Ramon for roughly 16 years. I have been married to my wonderful wife Susie for 27 years and have three children, Emma (22), Alex (20), and Annie (19). I have been a member of CCPC for more than 10 years, and my favorite hobbies are golf, reading, travel, and watching the Giants win.

Assurance of His Love

32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." ~ Mark 10:32-34

Reflection
Having already twice predicted his death (Cf. 8:31; 9:31), Jesus in his final prediction reassures his disciples (and ourselves) that he was fully aware of his fate that lie ahead. First, in Mark Chapter 8, Jesus claims that "he must be killed and after three days rise again." Again in chapter 9 Jesus says, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." Yet in this last prediction, Jesus not only offers a more vivid account of his imminent death, but also a profound insight into the vast assurance of his love for us.

Mark is my favorite Gospel. This in part because it's the shortest gospel, but mainly due to the portrayal of Christ as a man of action. Mark's constant use of words like "immediately" convey a sense of urgency as well as purpose in all that Jesus sets out to accomplish. This most certainly is the case in this passage, as Jesus is walking ahead, leading the pack with a resolute determination to complete his mission. Fully aware of the brutal reality that had been foretold (Isa. 53:1-12), yet still having decisively set his face "like a flint" (Isa. 50:7) in his journey towards Jerusalem. What is Jesus so determined to accomplish? Mark 10:45 lays this out clearly. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The description of the disciples and crowd following Jesus as both "amazed" and "afraid" reveals the magnitude of this situation. Having already described the cruel death that awaited him, no wonder his followers are in shock that he was unwavering with his resolve. Especially given his own awareness of the violent and graphic nature of his condemnation. In this last prediction, Jesus is the most detailed about his death. Specifically mentioning that he would be mocked (Luke 23:11), spat upon (Mark 14:65), and flogged (Mark 15:15). The term "flog" or "scourged" means to beat severely with a whip, and was the reputable beating given to those condemned to death in the Roman judicial system.

What could possibly drive someone to this end? How could anyone definitively and willingly enter into this indescribable suffering? On the cross, Christ endured a torment and cosmic rejection beyond our comprehension. As the only worthy substitute, he bore the exclusion from God that the human race deserved. And he could have stopped it! He could have ended the torture, the rejection, the suffering, the abandonment, at any moment. All he had to do was give up on us, and walk away. Yet nailed to the cross dying, bleeding, agonizing, and staring down at those betraying him, in the greatest act of love in all history, he stayed.

Having known what lay ahead, Jesus still remained steadfast to suffer in love, never letting go of us. Even hell itself could not separate his love from us. No matter what hardship comes our way, we know it can't be that God doesn't love us. The reassurance is at the cross. I have come to believe this incredible story is true. God loves me and I can never be separated from that love. Do you believe it?
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." - C.S. Lewis


Response
1. Jesus offers himself as the sacrifice. Why is sacrifice at the heart of real love?
2. Why didn't Jesus just let go of us?

Money

Read Luke 10:17-31

The Rich Young Man
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Reflection

Money. I find that I spend a lot of time every day thinking about money. I’d like to think it’s because I’m in the Financial Services Industry, helping people accumulate some sort of “wealth” in their 401k plans to get them through their retirement years. But self admittedly, I spend a lot of time weekly thinking about our own financial situation…mid 30’s, mortgage, car payment, college savings for 3 kids, retirement savings, my PG&E bill that still is through the roof no matter how much I turn down the heat and obsess about turning off the lights. Let’s not forget the laundry list of things that I want to do to my house that require, well, more money. The list goes on and on. So, what would it feel like to have wealth? This is a question that I asked other “thirty-somethings”, Christians and Non-Christians alike…and the answers were fascinating.
What would wealth offer in their opinion? Freedom. Relief. Choice. Power. Happiness. Confidence. Stability. Security. Possibility. To be honest, I can’t say that I would feel much different if I won the lottery tomorrow.
Every time I have read this part of Mark, I have thought to myself, “Of course I would sacrifice everything if God requested it of me”, or “I would never consider money as a God”. But this time, something hit me. It’s not just wealth that God seems to be warning us about here, but the pursuit of wealth. Isn’t that what affects the majority of us day to day? It’s a slippery slope…because if, in fact, “how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives” (Annie Dillard), then what will our lives reveal about us if we spend time most days obsessing about our bank account balances? For how many of us does the pursuit of wealth rival our pursuit of God?
The danger comes in the scenario that we see in Mark… that earthly wealth would become as important, (or more important), than our salvation. We see it with the man who approached Jesus. He was unable to give up his wealth for his salvation. Period. The irony is that the security he received from his wealth, pales in comparison to the power, happiness, confidence, stability, security and possibility that we receive in having a relationship with Jesus Christ. The truth is, we can’t do it without God. Any of it. Whether we have wealth, or are just trying to make ends meet, the bottom line is that if we put our faith in ourselves (or our money), we cannot be saved. With God though, all things are possible. (Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.)
So my commitment is this… Every time I find myself thinking about my personal “wealth”, I’m just going to pray. Pray for guidance. Pray for discernment. Pray that God will help me put it all in His hands. After all, our true wealth lies in the One that sacrificed everything for us, so that we can spend eternity in His embrace.

Response
1. Do you find that money consumes your thought process? Do you find it difficult to give your
money concerns to God? What financial pressures might you bring to prayer today?
2. Do you have a healthy perspective on your money? Do you use it to accomplish your call in
this life, or does it control you? Do you have wise people in your life who can help you think
through these questions?

Bring the Children to Him

13And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. ~ Mark 10:13-16

Reflection
Maybe it is because I love kids so much, but this idea of faith like a child is significant to me. Kids have a lot of wisdom in their faith, loving God without question and knowing he is there no matter what. Recently one of the preschoolers said this to me “ I’ll tell you what God’s love feels like. It feels like God is hugging you with his fur coat on.” Another time I had a sick child in my office with a fever, “Ms. Jacque, can you pray that God makes my head feel better?” Children are constantly reminding me what it is like to have that simple and trusting faith like a child.

When I think of children, I think of these things: teachable hearts, innocence, dependence and worry-free. A child believes in anything, trusts easily, and anticipates with excitement – and that’s the very faith Jesus wants from us! Jesus is telling us that we must live with such dependence and receptiveness – not in childishness, but in childlike faith, fully dependent on the love and mercy of God.

In this passage, parents are bringing their children to Jesus. The disciples, who are caught up in their agenda rather than the Lord’s, don’t think that Jesus has time for these little kids. When Jesus sees this he is indignant, furious! He points out to his disciples that in the Kingdom he is building, the citizens are more like these children than like them. The citizens of Jesus’ kingdom receive his gift of salvation through faith and their ultimate desire is not their own agenda. Their desire is to love on and be in relationship with Jesus.

Children teach us many things: how to love others regardless of skin color, personality, and abilities; how to be real and sincere in our emotions-not being afraid to laugh or to cry when we need to; how status and significance means nothing compared to kindness and tenderness; how to enjoy life and not worry so much. But perhaps the most important thing our children teach us is how to receive. They teach us how to receive the kingdom of God. Jesus tells us that the way of entering into his kingdom is by receiving, and children are able to believe and receive Christ without a mind stuffed with self-righteousness, nor intellectual, and emotional baggage.

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Luke 18:17). Childlike faith is required for us to enter God’s kingdom. We are called to obey God, but he desires us to humble our heart, be vulnerable, and have a simple but profound level of faith. Notice, we do not enter the kingdom of God by working hard to be good enough for God’s approval. We enter it by receiving – humbly and simply.

Response
1. In the first paragraph I mentioned two ways I experience child-like faith. How do you see child-like faith in children?
2. In what ways can the concept of “child-like faith” move you to grow closer to Christ? How might it be a hindrance?
3. The idea of being able to receive something as wonderful as the Kingdom of God because of Jesus work can be humbling for us as a adults. Spend time in prayer/ reflection in what it means to be one who has been received freely by God.

Jacque is the director of Little Bridges Childcare Center and has been a part of Canyon Creek Church since 2005. She is mom to four boys ages 26, 25, 11 and 10 and lives in San Ramon with her husband, Dana. She is passionate about teaching, children and cooking anything that uses up the herbs she grows in her garden.

Temptation

Reflection

Temptation: the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire.
If we all carried around the consequential wreckage from giving in to past temptation, the biggest pile would have a flag with my name on it, in bold print. In the past, I intellectualized my theology into easily manipulated puzzle pieces. But by bending God’s commandments to suit my desires, life’s consequences began to pile up.

To know Christ and to love Him beyond all else in life.
Is temptation an opportunity to grow in intimacy with Christ or an occasion for weakness to overcome? I faced this question twenty years ago while I was going through one of the fiercest trials I had ever encountered as a young adult. In retrospect, it was not the object of temptation I struggled with, but the weakness of my relationship with Christ. I doubted God and who He said He promised to be in my life. I failed to believe God could fulfill the desires I had in my heart, instead I thought giving into my desire would fulfill me. My hope and desire was for something other than God.

There are many forms of temptation.
Temptation can come in the form of attainment but in essence it is an attack of our hearts. Life circumstances can tempt us to disbelieve the characteristics of God. Sorrow can mislead us to doubt the eternal goodness of God. Anger can mislead us to doubt the endless mercies of God. Pain can undo our reliance on God’s tender faithfulness. When the integrity of our faith is shaken, the opportunity for temptation rises, as the trial continues it can produce a vicious cycle…until we stop and allow God to break the cycle.
If I examine what is tempting me, the object of temptation will reveal what aspect of God we are doubting. Inappropriate intimacy with someone reveals my doubt of God’s appreciation for the beauty He put in me. Unreasonable materialism reveals our doubt of His provision and life sacrificing love.
God is who He says He is. The Great I Am provides a way of escape by displaying an abundance of who He is in the middle of our struggles. I have discovered that the way of escape from temptation is finding our identity in God. But it is up to us to receive that gift. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54: 10. He is the source of unfailing love, promise keeper of His covenant of peace, and the Compassionate One. Let us pursue Him in the face of our temptation so that we may endure in peace, and ultimately praise, worship and be fulfilled by God.

Response
1. Praise and worship God. Examine the temptation and pray for God to reveal what aspect of His character is in doubt. Then praise and worship Him for that very character that He provides for you to endure this temptation.
2. Think through relationships that can offer accountability and prayer.
3. Memorize applicable scripture or at least carry the written verse. “But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” Deut. 30:14

Michelle Kiriakos is the mother of a third grader and is the Bible teacher at Little Bridges Child Care Center. She has been attending CCPC for three years and values the Women’s Ministry.

Sweet Fun

I found this tonight going through some old files. It is my first attempt in youth ministry at putting a strategic plan together. Enjoy.


CCPC Sr. High Ministry

Purpose: The purpose of our Youth Ministry program is to:

 bring unchurched people to hear the message of the Lord
 present to them an opportunity for meeting the Lord
 provide opportunities to grow in their relationship with the Lord
 encourage the student to take hold of their faith and serve the Lord


Goal: SWEET FUN!

The goals of the group are encompassed in two words which
gives meaning to why we do what we do:

S.W.E.E.T.

 Serving
 Witnessing
 Evangelizing
 Esprit de corps
 Teaching


FUN

 LOVE Hard
 WORK Hard
 PLAY Hard

Biblical Basis for our Ministry


Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
Mark 12:30

The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:31

Love Hard - Students accepting the love of Christ


We have been granted the greatest gift of all time!

-- “ For God so Loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

God has given us the opportunity to have a relationship with him because he loved us so much. The only way we can have this relationship, though, is to acknowledge first that we sin,

-- “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23) and secondly that Christ is the only way to rid sins from our life!


-- “... the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:8-10)

If you desire an eternal relationship with Jesus Christ then he says...

-- “You may ask Me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”(John 14:4)

So you can pray for Christ to enter into your life as Lord, and Savior, ask for him to forgive you of your sins and give you the gift of eternal life.

-- “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God Does not have life.” (1John 5:11-12)

Work Hard - Students desiring to grow in the Lord

 When we understand that Christ has changed our hearts and we want to live our lives for him, then the Holy Spirit will guide us to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
 While understanding that our top priority is to grow spiritually closer the lord, we understand that this means to continually find ways to stop doing the things which separate us from the Lord(sin), while expanding the time we do things which bring us closer to the Lord. We also understand that this is a life long process which should always be our top priority.
 As we continue to grow in the Lord our faith should develop into a greater understanding of our gifts and how the Lord desires to use those spiritual gifts for ministry purposes.
 Our youth program is and will continue to be a place where students can grow spiritually to understand their personal spiritual gifts and ministries.
 The youth program will also be a place where students can experiment with their own ministries while being lead by professional and volunteer ministry leaders.

Not really sure what happened to the play part. I probably got bored and decided to just start playing. :)

I am an Atheist

Hence are we called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as gods of this sort are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God, the Father of righteousness and temperance and the other virtues, who is free from all impurity. But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth, and declaring without grudging to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught. ~ Justin Martyr

I love this early quote from Justin Martyr. I love the simple description of our faith. I feel like this is a pure heart statement because it is not wrapped up in centuries of theological thought. It is a simple out pouring from a man who has had a real encounter with Christ and this is what he knows. Lord keep me from being bogged down by terms, issues, and debates. I pray that I would concentrate on just knowing you.

Thinking Eternally, Living Presently

"God is in heaven and thou are on earth." The relation between such a God and such a man and the relation between such a man and such a God, is for me the theme of the Bible and the essence of philosophy. Philosophers name the KRISIS of human perception - the Prime Cause: the Bible beholds at the same crossroads - the figure of Jesus Christ. ~ from Romans Commentary by Barth

On Love and Judgement

When we judge other people we confront them in a spirit of detachment, observing and reflecting as it were from the outside, But love has neither time nor opportunity for this. If we love, we can never observe the other person with detachment for he is always and at every moment a living claim to our love and service. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Best City

A Different Kind of Excess

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:20

“You are not being very Christian.” Have these words been spoken to you? They normally come at the moments where you really need God the most, instead people you love are charging that He has abandoned you and you have abandoned Him. Surly, they will remind you that he waits patiently for those that come to him, put away this double life. But really, what makes this any different than trying to earn your way to God? It seems the message is “Do good stuff and God will love you, do bad stuff and he won’t.”

What does it mean to “exceed” the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? At first glance you might think the moralists have some power in this verse, but what is Jesus really saying?

First, Jesus is the only righteous one. Jesus main point was to reveal that even the most holy rollers in the world couldn’t make the cut. They were in trouble just like the rest of the people in the world. The moral leaders of society were just as lost without Jesus as the down and outers.

Second, Jesus wants to give his righteousness to you. Jesus wants your righteousness to exceed moralism. He wants it to exceed indifference. He wants it exceed anything else of importance in your life. He wants so much more from you than a failed attempt at “doing life right”. He knows, you know, and I know that failure at life is a daily occurrence. I can go from having a great time with my kids in one breath to yelling at them in the next. We fail, we are broken and Jesus cleans the slate daily, hourly, and by the second.

Third, Jesus wants us to be empowered. The excess in righteousness comes from getting out there and attempting to be Christ like. Through the Holy Spirit we can attempt to be patient, kind, loving, humble, self-sacrificing, and all of those great attributes important to building community between one another. However, when we fail, which we will, Jesus will be there to wipe the slate clean, pick us up, and send us back out.

The greatest gift Jesus imposes on us moment by moment is grace empowering us to move forward in his Spirit.

Ultimate Things

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Beyond Comprehension

Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend – it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do. Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension transcends yours. Thus Abraham went forth from his father and not knowing wither he went. He trusted himself to my knowledge, and cared not for his own and thus he took the right road and came to his journey’s end. Behold, that is the way of the cross. You cannot find it yourself, so you must let me lead you as though you were a blind man. Wherefore it is not you, no man, no living creature, but I myself, who instruct you by my word and Spirit in the way you should go. Not the work which you choose, not the suffering you devise, but the road which is clean contrary to all that you choose or contrive or desire – that is the road you must take. To that I call you and in that you must be my disciple. If you do that, there is acceptable time and there your master is come” ~Luther

A Humbling Moment

I am a pastor. These words rung through my head on my drive home from “pastoring” in Oakland one afternoon. I couldn’t shake it, I am a pastor. On my drive I began to think who am I a pastor too? I am certainly not everyone’s pastor. Who does God ultimately want me to pastor in this lifetime?

First, I pastor my family. My family is a mirror reflecting the effectiveness of my pastoring. Everything about me is mirrored through them. They are my first congregation. The gifts that I have been given through the Holy Spirit must be displayed in my own four walls before they take a single step onto the street. I need to be a pastor to my wife and her faith. I need to be a pastor to my boys and their faith. I need to build a home that represents the church for all who enter it.

Second, I pastor my friends. Jesus spent his entire ministry entrusting the gospel to twelve men, one of which ran from the call. Every time I read about Jesus calling the disciples his friends I am humbled by the importance placed on friendship. Friendship is the gospel practiced in real life with real people through the Holy Spirit. Friendships are relationships driven not just by two, but three. The Holy Spirit operates in our friendships and should act as a guide for how we treat one another. The Holy Spirit will act as a guide reminding us of Jesus and his call to draw towards one another.

Third, I pastor my neighbor. I was talking with a neighbor and realized they had no idea what I did at the church. They had little idea of what it meant to be a Christian. It was the easiest, yet most difficult conversation at the same time. I did not need to know a lot of answers to big questions, just simple expressions of my faith that he could understand. Yet, it was difficult because it requires investment out of my comfort zone. It is someone out of my circle. It is a call for me to move beyond those who will benefit me and moving to a relationship that is closer to selflessness than I am usually willing to go. I normally think of mercy in terms of helping the poor physically, not spiritually. Isn’t mercy simply bringing the gospel to those who can’t access it? Whether that be physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

Fourth, I pastor myself. My temptation is always to let any of these three things mentioned above distract me from really looking at me. Looking at me is the most difficult thing I have to do. It requires a routing process that I really don’t like. It involves looking at the sin that corrupts me and doing something about it. Working together with the Holy Spirit to change who I am at the core and rebuild me through Christ.

In actuality ministering to my family, friends, and neighbor is ultimately about my relationship with God. Jesus calls me to die to myself and replace myself with him. See the world through his eyes, no longer my own, nor others. See the world as he sees the world. This is what it truly means to pastor, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to see the world through the eyes of the gospel of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Interesting Stuff on England, UK, Ireland

The United Kingdom Explained from C. G. P. Grey on Vimeo.

How to get the most out of studying the Bible?

The biggest obstacle to understanding the Bible is time. The books of the Bible were written nearly 2000 years ago. Other books were written approximately 4000 years ago. This presents a huge obstacle for us to understand what was written and how to understand the Truth in our culture. I think over the years two tools have been important for me in my growth.

First, read the Bible. This may seem obvious but if you stop and think about all the tools available for us to understand the Bible we can often forget the book itself. I have caught myself preparing for a message on a particular passage and completely failing to read through the passage myself. Now in my preparation I try to avoid any commentary, online resource, or other material until I have worked through the passage on my own. I consider it one on one time with God. It is a part of my prayer life.

Second, choose your companion wisely. Reading the Bible is a conversation with God. It is his word and your thoughts integrated together into a powerful interaction of creator and creation. Any other resource (book, blog, commentary) is like inviting another person into the conversation. This conversation will influence both how you hear God and how you form your thoughts about God.

The Better David

I have long held to the view that I am David in the David and Goliath story. I believed it because I experienced it. I often felt that I had to fight for everything that I accomplished. Almost as though the world's situations were a Goliath against me. I failed to understand what Paul was writing about when he said that his life counted as nothing compared to Christ. I never thought to put these two stories together until one day I realized Goliath beat me.

Facing moments in life where life goals die causes spiritual angst. Much like the angst caused Saul in 1 Sam. 18. It says the spirit of the Lord departed him and he was tormented with a harmful spirit. I know that harmful spirit and its desire to settle into the broken heart. David never provided me with victory over the life defeats.

It was at this point that I had to learn that Jesus was my better David. Jesus not only experienced great victory, but he did it through the greatest curse. He faced defeat and victory and because both were his path, both could help me in my path. In the moments of my great victory I can understand David, and I can identify with Jesus. However, in my moments of darkness it is only Jesus that reveals my ultimate victory. David can encourage me to buck up and try again, but Jesus says rest in me and I will heal you.

My encouragement is to live life with the Better David. Don't fall into the trap of proving to Jesus your worth and value. Instead embrace your worth and value because the Better David had redeemed you. He had fought the fight and won over death and invited you to partake, celebrate and rejoice with him.

This video addresses a real important issue for church. In church we program. When we program we expect people to be a part of program. When they don't want to be involved in the program we get frustrated so we ask them to rethink their commitment to the Lord. We challenge, "If you would just give up "your stuff" and join "our stuff" you would really be showing how much you love God." My question is, "When did doing church activity equal doing good with God?"

Our life is called to be an expression of the gospel not activities. It is the freedom we find in expression that allows us to draw towards who we were created to be. If we have gospel motivation in the center of our existence then we are free from the bondage of activity based living.

This is why I am not a big alter call guy