February 19, 2012

Supernatural Pt. 4 “Bitterness”

Our next dinner service at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission is Tuesday, February 28th, from 4:30-6:30pm.  Can’t make that night?  We’ll be going back on March 10th, as well.

We also provide the Mission’s chapel service on the first Tuesday of each month.  You can pray with, listen to, and fellowship with residents on Tuesday, March 6th at 7:30.

No special skills are required for you to participate in either the dinner service or chapel service.  Sign up this Sunday in the Welcome Center or contact Janice at 616-6700.

Supernatural Pt. 3 “Counterfeit Signs & Miracles”

Come cheer on Kidz Praize as they sing in the Henderson St. Patrick’s Day Parade!  The parade starts on Water Street at 10am on March 17th.

This is the first week of the Easter Season.  The beauty of spring is returning to the valley and the hills.  Scripture tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His workmanship.  It makes you wonder, though, why don’t more people see that?  Why can people look at this wonderful world around them and still never think of God?  There is a blindness that comes into the eyes of those who choose not to recognize God.  The challenge we have as the people of God is to live in such a way that people might see God in us – but then we also have to be willing to speak His name.  Often there is no immediate response, but who knows what might happen in the future?  We are going to look at an incident in the life of a man who had heard about Jesus – and suddenly he has a chance to meet Him.  What application will this have to our lives?

Bring a friend and join us this Sunday at 9 or 11am.

I find myself settling into a place where I feel pretty good about myself, and my efforts to expand the Kingdom. Now, I’m not saying that I’m ever happy with the current results. I’m always looking for a way to make a bigger impact, but I’m a systems guy, and when you work on the systems there are times that they seem to run decently, and you start to look at your efforts and say, “Well done”.  Then I get a reminder that hits me in the face like a Mack truck.

I love my job, and I love working where God has called me in this season. However, it never ceases to blow me away when I see those working in ministry who have been called, and answered that God with an ‘even if’ attitude.  Theirs are the hearts that say, even if there is no money, even if there are no resources, even if I have to give up every comfort I know and love, I will go. They answer the call because it was God calling.

I got to experience that last Saturday while we served with one of our local outreaches here in Vegas. I’ll get to see it tonight when we sponsor a chapel service at another. But the one that hit me the hardest was yesterday when I was asked by one of our missionary partners to send them a note of encouragement that they intended to read during their staff meeting this week.

I was blown away that they would ask me to send something to encourage them. “Are they kidding me?” I thought. Clearly they don’t understand the impact they made on my life with the witness of their obedience to God’s call.

As I struggled with, and prayed about, what to write that might explain these thoughts that I can’t fully form, it became clear to me. God will use us. God will use all of us, in His way, and in His timing. If you are walking with Him in obedience and faith, constantly searching for His direction, He will use you. Even if it’s halfway around the world in a third world country. And, even if you never get to see it.

Supernatural Pt. 2 “Spiritual Attack/Satan’s Tactics”

Supernatural Pt. 1 “Spiritual Warfare”

One Pt. 2 “I Love My Church”

Ladies, what is the greatest affair in history?  Find out at our retreat in Ponderosa Ranch, Utah!  We’ll be heading out on April 27-29. The cost is only $165, and you can register in the Welcome Center this Sunday.  For more details, contact Megan or call Mary at 616-6700.

One Pt. 1 “Call to Christ”

Connected Pt. 2

Connected Pt. 1

South Hills Christmas Eve

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me…” (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Wow, I can’t believe it is 2012. What an amazing year this has been in our family. So busy, so blessed, so excited to see what God has in store for this year. Yet as this scripture came to mind to me… I started to think about how fast time flies…. Remember when you would count down from about month eight how many more days till your next birthday… Remember how long a week seemed to take… Remember laughing, not just the controlled laugh at the appropriate time, but the belly laugh over something as great as milk coming out of the nose of the guy next to you in the lunch room, or how a goofy joke or bodily releases of gas were not only appropriate but hilarious!!  Kool-Aid and playing outside until the streetlights came on. Praying you were not only picked on the good team, but not picked last for the game of kickball, dodge ball, baseball, or any other team sport.  Coming in from playing outside and all you had to do when you asked the question, “What’s for dinner” was wash your hands and sit down and eat.

Of course getting older does have its benefits –  driver’s licenses, voting, college education, (college loans), no curfew, wearing whatever you want, serving in the military, marriage, owning your own home, (your own mortgage), having children, making your own choices, and your own mistakes, responsibility and maturity.

Some of us need to be reminded of what it was like to be a child.  Don’t get me wrong, some need to accept the fact that they are not, and grow up too. However I am reminded of the words of Jesus, “let the little children come unto me and do not hinder them.  (Matt 19:14)  Return to the faith that sings, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”  The kind of childlike faith that said, “ I can be anything God wants me to be”. The simplicity of a child that says, God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.  With the wisdom of an adult that can put it into practice.

I know that you can’t ever go back to being 10 years old again, but in Jesus we can be made new every morning.  We can return to a faith that says “Abba Father” (daddy God), I trust you today that you hold my future, that you have a plan for my life, and I will pursue you with passion until my days on this side of Heaven are done.  And we can have fun while doing it!!! Don’t ever get so grown up that you miss out on the joy and fun that the child in all of us has been created with!

The Hot Seat Pt. 6

The Hot Seat Pt. 5

Have you ever gotten a blessing from doing something that you didn’t want to do in the first place?

That happened to my wife and I recently. She (my wife Amy) had called and asked me if we could host a couple of runners over the weekend that were coming in for the Las Vegas Marathon. These runners were raising money for a nonprofit that helps women get out of the entertainment industry. I didn’t want to do it, I really wanted to say no. The part that got me was the question in my mind that someone was bound to ask, “How can you be a pastor and not give to those in need something that you have and aren’t using?”.  We had the room, two extra bedrooms with our kids slowly moving away, and a travel trailer in the driveway that has three queen beds in it. I tried to come up with a reason to say no, but there wasn’t one I could find other than, “I don’t want to”.  (I hope Jesus never says that about me.)

I told Amy that I was good to go with having them stay. Then the bomb dropped. This is a prime example of why husbands should listen carefully when their wives are speaking. I’m sure she told me in the beginning, but I clearly didn’t hear it until after we were committed. 11.  Yes, 11 of them were coming. That’s not a couple! We now had to go shopping, make sure food was there, pick up things they needed to have when they arrived, and make a bunch of beds. It was too late to back out. I had committed, and really it was just going to take my time, but I’m the guy who never has any of that lying around.

The team is gone now, and I want to say to you; if you ever get the chance to help someone out that, without your help, would not be able to do something like travel to Vegas for a weekend, or move into a house, or because of lack of a baby sitter can’t spend some much-needed time with someone special, DO IT! Help them out!

I got to spend some time, although nowhere near enough, with an amazing group of young people living life, and loving Jesus while doing it. Each one of them different, each one of them committed to Christ. Within an hour they were like family, and their impact on our life here at home will be felt until we get a chance to serve with them again. It was truly a blessing to have them in our lives, even for this short time.

The Hot Seat Pt. 4

The Hot Seat Pt. 3

The Hot Seat Pt. 2

Hands and Feet

I feel so blessed and privileged to be able to lead hundreds of people every weekend into the throne of God. We have had some amazing times of worship together in God’s presence.

As a worship leader, it is easy sometimes to get caught up in the response aspect of worship. To think that sometimes worship is most meaningful when we are all raising our hands and lifting our voices loudly to him. Of course, those times are amazing, but when you go into worship seeking response from the congregation and that becomes what we look for, we could leave disappointed, or maybe feeling like we failed in leading God’s people into His presence.

I recently had breakfast with a man in our church that has blessed my life tremendously. In our conversation that morning, he shared a word that God had given him for me that completely changed my way of thinking. He said, “Chris, God loves you so much that He allows you to be a blessing to others, but at the end of the day he made you for HIM.”

No matter what response is given, God desires my worship time with Him to always be first between HIM and me. Only through my honest time with God crying out for his help could I be used. God, through his Holy Spirit, will move through you in reaching His people. So no matter what your worship and service look like, remember that He is our reason! If we get to bless others along the way, great, but our desire should fall on Jesus. God will use you BIG for Him, but first you need to know that He made you for Him. I get chills thinking of a Father who created me for the sole purpose of honoring HIM, a Father who, before I was even born, carefully and gracefully planned out my days, a Father who saw and knew of every time I would ever break his heart… and still through it all chose me for this calling. Words cannot express how grateful I am.  He who is forgiven much loves much, thank you, Lord Jesus.

I really used to think going to college was an easy way to spend a few years of your young adult life. I didn’t see that it took much effort at all. Of course I knew that you always get out what you put in when it comes to just about anything. But, for the most part, when I was young my high school friends that went on to higher education were no smarter or motivated than I thought I was. And they didn’t seem to be working much. There were times when I considered them lazy because I was already running hard, and didn’t have time for some of the casual fun things that they often were doing on the weekends. It seemed they never broke a sweat about anything.

Twenty years later, I’m fully engaged into “family” life. I had a wonderful wife, five kids and a dog. I had graduated from two separate apprentice programs with two different trade unions. I had a house and was moving up the corporate ladder very quickly. I was a licensed contractor with plenty of income, and appeared set up for any needs I might have. Something was missing, though. I couldn’t get past this sense that I should have stayed in school for a couple more years. It was an easy time of my life, and it passed so fast I hadn’t even realized it.

Of course we all know it’s never to late to go back. You can always sign up and start, right? That might be so for a person who knows what they want to study. For me, I had no clue. Going back to school was not going to help me with my current profession – I had graduates working for me. It is very hard to find the time to “go back” when you don’t have a clue what to study. Thirty years after I left high school, God took care of what to study, and I started taking online classes at a Bible college.

Now I know why you do this when you are young. Technology changes, learning and study practices change, and you get older. I just finished a class that I thought would be the end of me. It wasn’t the difficulty of the material (although Old Testament survey is not the easiest). It was the amount of material. On my study notes for my final alone I had 6500 words written. But today I sit here looking at the options for my next class. Clearly I lived through this, and I’m praying I’ll live through the next one too.

Advice to all who are considering college: YES!

The Hot Seat Pt. 1

It’s Complicated Pt. 4

It’s Complicated Pt. 3

It’s Complicated Pt. 2

It’s Complicated Pt. 1

Dave Ramsey mentions in one of his Financial Peace University classes that even Barbie now has a character – ‘Shopping Barbie’ – that includes her own personal credit card along with her other ‘accessories’. Credit card companies are clever, and they are starting VERY early to teach their values and brand recognition to young girls.

As well, we live in a culture where most media is preaching its own personal gospel and value system – from television to music to advertising. You pick the commercial, or the video, and pay attention to the message it communicates about what is valuable, what is acceptable, what you deserve and what will make you happy.

They are targeting a younger and younger audience. They are very clever, very creative and very compelling – from money to fame to parties to sex.

As the church, we shouldn’t be reactive, play defense and try to correct clever but unhealthy standards that the culture sets. We should be proactive and paint a better and more appealing picture of what God created and intended for us.

Which brings me to our topic: sex in the church. This past weekend, I preached a section out of the Song of Solomon. We dealt with conflict and unmet expectations. Which is a safe topic in and of itself, but the conflict was the result of Solomon working late into the night so that his wife felt neglected and then refused to have sex with him when he came knocking and looking for a little action without any affection. And so the issue of sex and caring for your spouse’s physical needs became part of the subject matter.

At the end of service, I had one parent who was very concerned over her middle school student being exposed to this subject matter in the church. She would be the first to admit that these are real issues that students deal with and learn about at a young age. She would also agree that these topics need to be addressed and a biblical standard needs to be set. We’re in total agreement on that.

The question becomes: 1) Is this subject matter appropriate for a Sunday morning church service? I think we would both say, within certain parameters, ABSOLUTELY YES. You don’t allow culture to set a standard that is outside of scripture and then just sit back and hope no one pays attention and everything works out for God’s glory. You tackle that subject head on and create a better alternative and preferred future that glorifies God.

2) If this subject matter is going to be dealt with, should there be an alternative for younger students to attend (not children, we already have that in place), or different format that considers their age? There is not a right or wrong answer to that question. There is simply the strategy and approach each church decides to take. And then ultimately, the responsibility falls on the parent to teach their child and prepare that child’s heart. The parent has to decide what is best for them and for their child.

I have always erred on the side of dealing with difficult issues early on and pushing for the hard conversation. Most middle and high school students are having those ‘mature’ conversations anyway (or at least thoughts). I would rather teach my kid to swim in a controlled environment, than to try and drag them up and teach them to swim as they are drowning.

But I’m not arguing scripture here, I’m simply explaining my preference. I pray that every parent knows their student’s heart and maturity level, and is preparing and caring for them well. I am grateful to the hundreds of families who come to South Hills and trust my heart and lead in this. I am also grateful to the mother who is VERY considerate of her child and caught me after service to challenge my stance and approach on this subject – lovingly and honestly. It helps ensure that I am being held accountable and earnestly seeking wisdom, discernment and godliness in all decisions.

As for me, I will strive to be both courageous AND considerate!

A funny thing happened to me the other day. I was talking with a friend of mine whom I hadn’t had the chance to catch up with in a while. It had been maybe a year (that’s not the funny part). We were sharing with each other what had been going on in our lives, and all the hard work that each of us seems to think we’re doing. Seemed a little like “fishing” stories, but mostly on point towards the truth. Then my friend says, “This doesn’t sound like your plan at all”. I stopped for a minute and realized that most of what goes on in my life today looks nothing like the plan I had for myself twenty years ago. Well the happy wife, happy kids part, o.k. that’s the same, but the job, house, city, and recreation looks nothing like the dream I had floating around in my head. The funny part is: “It’s better if you follow God’s plan anyway”. We’ve been seeking Him in all we do for years and He has never left us alone, and to date has kept all His promises. I’ve given up on most of my “plans”, but that’s not a problem because I’m still running hard, our kids are growing up to be active functional adults, and it seems His plans are working out better anyway.

And the twins are racing at the beach this weekend. How cool is that?

Wanted

Now What? Pt. 3