All Things Renewed

New May Series - Guardrails

2011-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a parent cue to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Guardrails:

Series Overview

Guardrails are “a system designed to keep something from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas.” Just like the guardrails we see on the roads we drive everyday, the guardrails we place in our lives are designed with a simple purpose; to create a small accident to protect us from a larger one. We don’t often spend a lot of time thinking about or paying attention to them, but when we need them, we are very glad that guardrails are there. In the same way that guardrails protect us on the road, when we establish them in our lives, they can help to both protect us and direct us. Most likely our biggest mistakes in life could have been avoided if we had guardrails steering us in the right direction. The goal should never be to see how close we can get to a guardrail without crashing but rather to keep us from ever going “too far,” in the wrong direction.

Session 1: Shift (May 12, 2011)

Guardrails are part of our every day experience. Whether we are walking, biking or driving there are guardrails all around us to protect us from those off-limit areas—areas where we could drop off the edge or crash into something. But where are the guardrails in our actual, everyday lives? We have to establish those personal guardrails ourselves so that we can back up and stay on the safe side of a potentially dangerous situation.

Has there ever been a time when you wish you had some guardrails in place—something that would have protected you from a certain situation? Can you share a time that you did have some boundaries and were protected from something because of them?

Session 2: Swerve (May 19, 2011)

We may be able to recognize the need for guardrails in some relationships and habits, but what about relationships with our friends? It seems a bit odd to think we may need to set up boundaries with our friends. But our friends have the power to influence our decisions, our actions and even the quality of our lives. With that much potential to determine the direction of our lives, putting up a few guardrails when it comes to our friendships may be one of the wisest things we can do.

How important to you are the friendships you have right now? Do you feel like the friends you have really make a difference in your life? Do you believe that your choices about your friends really matter?

Session 3: Brake (May 26, 2011)

Everywhere we go we see images, hear songs, read advertisements and receive the message that sex is great. And it’s true. Sex is great! But what makes sex great is that it is a gift from God, given with a purpose. It was created for intimacy with one person and when we establish guardrails early, we set ourselves up for the greatest potential to experience this intimacy in marriage. Without guardrails we set ourselves up to experience some deep pain, both physically and emotionally. But establishing guardrails is a crucial way for us to have the healthiest relationships we possibly can.

Are sexual guardrails important for both young people and adults? What are some difficulties you may come across when you draw sexual boundaries that culture or your friends may not feel the same conviction about? How can you keep those guardrails firm, even if you are the only one you know who has them? Talk about some sexual guardrails you either have already established or that you are going to establish.

Session 4: Steer (June 2, 2011)

Sometimes it can feel like rules and regulations are only there to block us and interrupt our lives. Why would we want to set up rules that keep us from doing what we want? But, the truth is, if we aren’t diligent about creating and keeping guardrails, we set ourselves up for way more pain than any amount of fun is worth. And, establishing guardrails is something we have to make a decision to do. No one else can do it for us.

If someone else tells you what guardrails to have, do you think you will stick to them? Why is it important for you to make a decision to establish guardrails? What do you think is at stake if you don’t set up some guardrails in your life?

Announcements:

Summer discipleship yogurt. This summer we are going to be launching a discipleship group open to anyone in which we'll be talking about some of the core beliefs of Christianity that every Christian should know. We'll introduce the topic for 15 minutes and then have open discussion for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile we'll have fun and eat some yogurt at Tops-A-Lot on Water St in Santa Cruz. (you pay by the ounce so your student can eat as little or as much as you want them too) More details coming though tentatively Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Gleanings For the Hungry: we have a couple of spots we can still fill if you know of any students or even adults who would like to go with us. July 3-9 Cost $120.

Mexico: if you hadn't heard we will not be doing our Mexico trip this year. so sign up for gleanings!

Picture Perfect - Making It Personal

2011-02-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Making It Personal

Allow your teen to see how you strive to grow so they can understand how to confront their own limitations and pursue character and faith.

LESS THAN PERFECT

By Sarah Anderson

I am not a perfectionist. One look in my closet, will tell you this is true. My husband isn’t either—except when it comes to cooking. He is a perfectionist with his food. I lucked out on this one. But for me, I am not sure there is something that I do that would categorize me as a perfectionist. At least this is what I thought until I had my son. Once he catapulted into my world, my perfectionist tendencies rose to the surface. It turns out I have some of it in me. And it shows itself in the way I parent.

I want to be perfect. Can you relate? I want to be the best mom—not just the best mom for Asher, but the best mom ever. I want to parent in a way that everyone around watches in wonder. I want the impossible dream—for Asher and for myself. And I want it because somewhere along the way I started to believe that perfection was what Asher needed from me. I started to think that if I only gave it all I had, if I only went above and beyond, if I only exceeded every expectation ever placed on me and every hope, voiced or not, then, I would be a success.

Maybe this story is something like your own. Maybe the day your little bundle of joy was placed in your arms you suddenly had the impression that you had to muster up every ounce of effort you could to be all this baby hoped you could be. And maybe you have spent every day since trying to live up to the expectations which you, and you think your child, have put on yourself. And I have to wonder, since I am still so early on in the journey myself, and you are a bit further along, how is it working for you? Because, in all honesty, it isn’t working out that well for me.

Perfection is hard. Perfection is exhausting. Perfection is a siren song that lures the most reasonable of people into the belief that it is attainable. But, I don’t think I am stepping out on a limb here when I confess, it hasn’t exactly gone as I planned. I am not a perfect parent. In fact, I am far from it—embarrassingly far from it. And I am afraid any near confession of this is an admittance of failure—failure in a role that is “supposed” to come so easily, so naturally, so effortlessly—a role that more times than I like to admit, is simply none of those things—not easy, not natural, and not effortless.

And on the nights when I am hardest on myself, I lay my head on my pillow and think Asher just may be ruined forever. Until I remember . . . five months after my son was born, my mom came to visit. And while visiting, in a conversation I don’t remember starting, and I can’t recall ending, my mom said this to me: “If I had the chance to do it all over again, if I had the chance to parent all over again, I would, and I would do it differently this time.” It was a confession—transparent and raw in its honesty. And in that one line, I can remember feeling a release from the pressure and the burden perfection can put on us as parents.

See, I knew (as our children know of us) that my parents were not perfect. And I also knew that to demand perfection from them, even if it was something I subconsciously did, was not what I really needed or craved from them. Perfection is neither what I required or desired as a kid. What I wanted, what I yearned for, I got in the confession from my mom, after I myself had passed through the one-way only doors of parenthood. What I longed for I got in a succinct and truthful line that told me that my mom knew she hadn’t done it perfectly. But she did what she could. And this rare glimpse into her heart told me all I needed to know. My mom and I, my mom and her daughter, are not all that different. We are human. We are broken. We are fumbling through life the best we know how, and it is in our sameness that we find what we need. Honesty. Transparency. Vulnerability. And as a result the bond between us is stronger than ever before.

And so the moral of the story is maybe not exactly what we thought. The moral is our kids may need less perfection from us and more honesty. They need less of a guise appearing to have it all together and more candor, more sincerity—anything that communicates to them we may have more things in common with one another than not. And this is a beautiful thing to have between parent and child—a shared experience, a shared openness, a shared understanding that we don’t have it all together, as much as we would like to think we do.

I understood, in hearing my mom’s confession, that what kids may need from their parents is not very complicated. It will cost us something—our pride, our image of faultlessness. But here is the thing—I think it is a worthy penance for what we get in return. I am willing to give up the quest for perfection, because the journey towards humility and transparency offers more to my son than excellence ever could. SO from now on, instead of being “a wonder parent,” I think I will work more on being an available parent. A sincere parent. A candid parent. It means I will say I am sorry. It means I will admit my faults. It means I will confess when I get it wrong and request grace when I need it.

Some day, decades from now, when Asher himself becomes a parent, I know there will be moments I will look back on and wish I had done differently. I know there will be regrets. And that’s okay. The point is to confess the regrets when they come up. Admit them. Own them. Allow my imperfection to be seen through them. And hope that my honesty in those moments will build and strengthen the bond between my son and me.

Get connected to a wider community of parents at www.orangeparents.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS -

PARENT NIGHT @ REVOLUTION ONE80

Next week February 24 - All parents are invited to join us for the whole Revolution ONE80 service from 6:30-8:30 p.m as we conclude our Picture Perfect series.

NO REVOLUTION ONE80 - March 3

The CLC staff will be at a leadership conference this week so we will not have group.

GLEANINGS FOR THE HUNGRY - July 3-8

Cost - $120

Picture Perfect - Series Overview

2011-02-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Picture Perfect:

Series Overview

You’ve seen their shiny, happy faces staring at you from picture frames, magazine ads and commercials. They are the perfect family. Every tooth sparkles. Every face beams with joy. And they seem to have everything you don’t. But the reality is, well they aren’t real. In fact it’s an illusion. There’s no such thing as a picture perfect family. Families are made up of imperfect people—people like you and me. So how do we live and interact with the family God has placed us in? How do we find a way to be a part of it, instead of just surviving and living for the day when we move on? Because no family is perfect. And no person is either.

Session One: Snapshot (February 3)

Does it ever feel like there are families who are more “perfect” than yours? They dress better. Have a nicer house. Never seem to have a disagreement of any kind. But when we see these families, we’re not seeing the full picture; we’re simply seeing a snapshot. If we actually lived in that family and dealt with each person on a daily basis, we would probably realize that the perfect family is, well, a myth. The truth is that no family is perfect. We are all just human, and when we realize that we can live in the messiness of our families and learn to find the good, we begin to understand the purpose God has in placing us in our particular family.

Session One Parent Cue: Have you ever thought a family was “perfect,” only to find out how “normal” they were as you got to know them? Did you ever wish you were part of a different family growing up? Why?

Session Two: Resolution (February 10)

A verbal shot is fired and our gut tells us to fire back. That word, that attitude from someone else hurt us or made us mad, so we want to give some of that back. Been there? How often do we quickly react to something a sibling or parent does or says in a way that raises the level of tension and anger instead of diffusing it? But there is another option! We can choose to stop the madness and think through our words and actions. We can begin to see more clearly that when something provokes us, we have a choice to make before we respond. We can be part of the resolution instead of part of the problem.

Session Two Parent Cue: Take a recent argument or “loud discussion” you had. Write down what prompted the conversation, then write down each of your responses. Now backtrack and each of you identify the decisions you made that prompted your responses. Maybe you reacted to how something was said, or one word set you off. Maybe you responded out of fear of what could happen.

Session Three: Wide-Angle (February 17)

No matter where you go or what you do with your life, your family will always be a part of it. Whether it’s through past memories or current gatherings, your family and how you relate to each other will affect you. While you will be independent and able to make your own decisions someday, your family will always play some sort of role in your life. The seeds you sow now for harmony, understanding and wholeness can go a long way towards the future growth of healthy family relationships.

Session Three Parent Cue: (For parent) What type of seeds did you sow in your relationship with your parents that may affect how you relate to them now? What do you wish you would have done differently? What were you glad you did?

Family XP Week (February 24) - PARENTS INVITED!!!!!!!!!!

Get into the Rhythm this New Year

2011-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about in our new series "Rhythm" to open the New Year. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Rhythm:

Series Overview

Have you ever noticed how connected everything is? It’s almost as if there was some type of unseen structure to all of life, a rhythm. Many of us are oblivious to it until things are out of sync. We know something is wrong, and we can maybe pinpoint a few things around us that are culprits, but deep down we know there is something more going on. We are out of rhythm—with God, with ourselves or with others.

Session One (01/06/2011)

In the beginning, God created a song, a rhythm. Humanity existed in harmony with God, with ourselves and with each other. But then humankind settled for another song--a lesser one--and the rhythm started falling apart. Yet even then, God didn’t walk away, and because of that, we have a way to restore the rhythm with Him, with ourselves and with others.

Session One Parent Cue: The first week of the Rhythm series is designed to help students understand that in the beginning, God established a rhythm. They will unpack the story of creation and the harmony that existed between Adam and God, Adam and nature, and Adam and Eve. They will entertain the idea that from the start, everything worked together in perfect harmony like a beautiful song. But then Adam and Eve made a choice that destroyed the song and threw the rhythm off. They will also look at God’s response to Adam’s sin, and they'll see that God continues to seek relationship with us even after things have fallen apart. Talk with your teen about how he or she sees the brokenness in the rhythm around them. Feel free to share your observations as well.

Session Two (01/13/2011)

If you’ve been in church for a while, you’ve heard it all and seen it all. You know the stories. You know the songs. You know the words. Many of us even think we know all about God. We think we have Him figured out. We think we know everything about Him, and in our lives, He’s very small. But the reality is that we will never fully grasp how awesome and amazing He is. We can spend a lifetime in awe and wonder, and even an eternity, because He’s that big . . . and that good.

Session Two Parent Cue: This second week, students will be challenged to look at God in new ways. Many times we find that we are so familiar with “churchy” descriptions of God that we forget who He really is. And when we forget who God is, how awesome and surprising He can be, then we are tempted to turn our attention and affection to other things and our lives fall out of tune. In week two students will be challenged to discover a God who is bigger than our attempts to define Him. Discuss with your teen ways that God has surprised you and your family with how big He is.

Session Three (01/20/2010)

You’ve heard the words before--“love your neighbor as yourself”--but most of the time we don’t really hear the second half of that. We don’t love ourselves. Perhaps it’s because it just seems wrong. After all, as followers of Christ, we are supposed to become less as He becomes more. But for some of us, somewhere along the way we’ve confused humility with self-hatred. God wants us to be in rhythm with ourselves because when we aren’t, it throws off the rest of the song.

Session Three Parent Cue: This week students will explore the things that create tension in their own self-perception and learn the ugly truth: Being in rhythm with ourselves and being in rhythm with God go hand in hand. How we view God our Creator affects how we view His creation, ourselves. They will consider the masks they wear and the faults they try to cover up, and they'll receive a challenge to begin to shed those masks and be at peace with who they really are. Talk openly and candidly with your student this week about the things both of you have a hard time accepting when it comes to the faults you see in yourself. How can you better accept yourselves as you are?

Session Four (01/27/2010)

No person can have a life of rhythm unless he or she is at peace with other people. That’s easy to say but hard to live, isn’t it? But following Jesus means being passionate about what He is passionate about--and Jesus is passionate about people. So if we want to be in rhythm, we not only have to be in sync with God and ourselves, we also have to be in sync with others.

Session Four Parent Cue: No person can have a life in rhythm if they are not at peace with the people around them. In the final week of this series students will be challenged to be in rhythm with others, to be passionate about serving those they encounter and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation when needed. How can you work at making this a regular practice in your family?

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Winter Camp Sign ups are done. Remember the full balance is due by Thursday, January 27th.

CARWASH FUNDRAISER: Saturday, January 22. 8-12 a.m. Presell tickets to earn money toward Winter Camp, Gleanings or Mexico. Pick up your tickets Thursday or Sunday at Church!

'Tis The Season _ Part 2

2010-12-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a good reminder I came across for all of us parents as to the best gift we can give to our kids this season.

Make sure to read below for announcements.

Christmas Time

By Tim Walker

My mom called today. She needs the “Christmas list” from all three of my boys by tomorrow. She would have preferred to have had the list a month ago to avoid the holiday shopping chaos, but we slacked off. Actually since the Sears Christmas book is no longer in production, it makes the whole Christmas list idea a lot more complicated. Hopefully some of you know what I’m talking about.

I think she’s going to find a few surprises on that list, mostly coming from my middle schooler. Everything on his list is electronic—and expensive. On Christmas Eve, when we gather at my parent’s home to celebrate the holidays, he is the one who may be surprised. I’m not sure if I’m going to hit the mark on anything on his list this year either, but I have been thinking a lot about what I want to give my boys this Christmas.

I don’t want to buy them another video game that they’ll play for two weeks, beat every level, and then trade in for half the price I paid. I don’t want to buy another Lego set that will be assembled then sit on their dresser for months. So what can I give them that will last?

I have an idea—what if I gave them each time? What if I gave them each six days, anytime during this year, in which they each could choose what they want to want to do with mom, dad, or both of us. No siblings. Just one-on-one time.

The opportunities to spend time with them individually are hard to come by. But this year, I want to be more intentional about it. As a dad, I can sense that my boys really want that, but it never seems to just happen, does it? There’s always something on the schedule, something left to be done from the workday, some event. I don’t need to go on any further. I know you get this.

So this year, among the presents I will give my sons will be a small coupon book, filled with coupons that can be redeemed for just a day with dad, or just a day with mom, or just a day with both mom and dad. No other siblings are allowed.

I know, it seems kind of cheesy. But this year, I am going to be intentional about pursuing relationship with my boys. I know they may forget about the coupons, so at first, I may need to redeem them until they get how this works and see that this isn’t just a lame cop-out for a gift.

I’ve got to prove to them that my desire to spend time with each of them is more than just words or an empty promise. I get that. And in a way, I want to prove it to myself too. My heart’s desire is to stay connected with my kids. If this coupon serves as a tool to do it, then great. If it doesn’t, then I’ll find another way.

But that’s what I want this Christmas, and whether my kids would put it on their wish list or not, I think it’s what they really want as well.

Get connected to a wider community of parents at www.orangeparents.org.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

THIS THURSDAY: December 16th we are doing a WHITE ELEPHANT gift exchange. So have your students bring something fun from around the house to exchange! Also, bring a snack to share.

NO GROUP on Thursday December 23rd or Thursday December 30th for the Christmas holidays, have a great holidays with your children and we'll start again on Thursday January 6th.

Winter Camp: Just a reminder we're going to Winter Camp February 11-13 at Hartland Christian Camp. Total cost is $132 - a $30 deposit is due by December 23.

Winter Camp 2011

2010-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

February 11-13

Cost: $132
Deposit: $30 due by December 23
Remaining Balance: $102 by January 28

Leave @ 12:00 p.m. on Friday, February 11
Return @ 6:00 p.m on Sunday, February 13

Sign up ASAP!

'Tis the Season

2010-11-23T14:11:00.001-08:00

Head's up!!! We will not be having youth group this Thursday, November 25 because it is Thanksgiving. We do hope to see everyone at the Thanksgiving dinner at 10:00 a.m. to serve our community though!

Starting the next week, December 2, we'll be diving into a new series called 'Tis the Season in which we'll be looking at how Jesus came to bring us Faith, Hope, and Love. These are also a part of our church's mission statement which is to be "A community of Christ followers extending the faith, hope, and love of Jesus Christ."

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

TIS THE SEASON:

Series Overview

This Christmas, probably more than any other in recent years, we are hoping that life will get better. We are hoping that life will look differently next year, even if we’re not sure how. We realize that no one person or institution holds a solution, but we’re expecting something different, even if we’re not sure how that is going to work out. Words like hope, peace and love have a new meaning this year, don’t they? We’re waiting to have hope, peace and love in our lives, in our communities, in our world. Even if we’re not sure how it will all work out. And just like thousands of years ago, Jesus is the one who came to bring hope, peace and love to our lives then . . . and now. Jesus taught us how to find hope, bring peace and initiate love even when our circumstances are less than ideal.

Session One: Hope (12/2)

Christmas is a time filled with great expectations. (Just ask Clark Griswald.) We expect snow to fall on Christmas morning. We expect that Martha Stewart-esque gathering. We expect a gift from that special someone. And for many of us, we expect our lives to look a certain way. But what happens when life doesn’t meet our expectations? How can we have hope in something bigger than what we want or dream? And how can that hope in something bigger really affect our lives—for the better?

Session One Parent Cue: What are some of our family’s expectations around the holidays? Are they usually met or not?

Session Two: Peace (12/9)

Why is it that Christmas is one of the least peaceful times of the year? Whether it’s the long lines at the stores or the stress of even how to make the holidays happen in this economy, Christmas can easily become something we just want to get through and survive. But peace, true peace, has little to do with what is going on around us. In fact, Jesus came to bring peace to our lives in a way that defies logic, and He also invites us to participate with Him in bringing peace to those around us as well.

Session Two Parent Cue: What makes the holidays not peaceful? What can we do to be intentional about creating “peace” in our home?

Session Three: Love (12/16)

Love is a word that we hear a lot. People love Christmas time. People love carols. People love casseroles, cookies and candy canes. But when it comes to loving other people, sometimes we are all talk. The word “love” is easy for us to say, but really hard to back up with action. Sometimes loving other people is hard, whether that person is within our family, or living half way around the world. It’s why we needed an example, a living breathing visual for what love in action looks like—and that’s the heart of the Christmas story.

Session Three Parent Cue: When it comes to loving other people, what is your biggest obstacle? What can be done to remove that obstacle?

ANNOUNCEMENT:

We are planning on going to Winter Camp at Hartland Camps in the Sequoia National Park February 11-13 2011! We need to begin to take sign ups. The Cost will be $150 - all inclusive for the weekend. We'll begin taking sign ups right after Thanksgiving with a $30 deposit needed to lock in your spot.

RESPOND:

Comment on this post and let me know: Would your child attend youth group on Thursday December 23 or should we cancel group that week? What is your opinion?

Godview - Recap

2010-11-23T13:51:00.001-08:00

We just finished our Godview series and had an amazing time talking about how we viewed God, worshipping God, and just having fun together. I was amazed at how our student's Godview began to grow through just the four weeks we talked about. I am praying that as their Godview grows they will stretch themselves to do more for Him as they know they have a BIG GOD on their side.

Here are a few pictures of what we did!

This is Brenda wrapped up like a mummy. her team won by covering her up the most!

Dulce, Ian, and Michael took part in a contest in which they had to paint the Statue of Liberty. Little did they know it would be with their nose! That sure evened the playing field!

Ian after the contest.

Michael after the contest.

Dulce's winning picture!

ALSO, check out this video of a game we played the first week. We had a peanut butter and jelly eating contest. After the contest I showed them this video!

Also, check out my post about our upcoming series, "'Tis the Season"

Godview - How will we be defined

2010-11-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

In the series we are doing with the youth we are talking about how our views of God, or our "Godview," determine our reality.

Each one of us is “about” something. Something is going to define your life and mine. It will. I know that when I die, my kids are going to stand around and say many things, but inevitably it will get reduced to a sentence or two that begins this way: "Dad was . . . "

You WILL be defined.

The reason I love to think about the now is because we still are able to change and influence what our lives will be about. The sad part is that too many people don't think about what their lives will be about. We just kind of live it, and in the end, we hope it will be good enough. And I know my drift (when I'm not intentional) is to make my life about things that matter less, not more.

So what's it going to be about for you? Who do you want to be?

Take some time this month to think about what you want your life to be about. Think big. Think small. And then be intentional about not letting this summer sneak by without your notice. Your life will be about something. So will mine.

What will define your life? You can either decide what your life is about, or your life can drift towards something. But either way, your life will be defined by something or someone.

Get connected to a wider community of parents at http://www.orangeparents.org/.

Message Series Mayhem

2010-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite days we have around the office at Christian Life Center is when we sit down for a whole day and just brainstorm possible message series for the next season. Things are always tentative and subject to change here, but it is definitely helpful to have things scheduled far in advance so that we can begin to study, think of creative elements, and allow time of the Holy Spirit to change our minds.

Today we had one of those brainstorming days and came up for some fun ideas for series. Here is the tentative schedule from now until next September:

December 2010 - "Advent Conspiracy" -
With a focus on how Christmas has been celebrated throughout history as well as in different cultures. One of these messages will include the group from YWAM who is hosting our Haiti team sharing which will be fun.

December 29-January 10 - "Mission"
We'll talk about mission and have a send of for our Haiti team as well as welcome them back and hear of what God and we can continue to partner in mission with others.

January 2011 - "Extend"
This will be a three week vision series describing how we are "A Community of Christ-followers extending the faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ." The three messages will focus on 1. Faith 2. Hope and 3. Love.

February 2011- "Modern Family"
A relationship series in which we look at the functionality and "disfunctionality" of Jacob's family life in Genesis, including his son Joseph, and see how it parallels and speaks to our modern families.

March 2011 - "Stewardship (very working title!)"
We don't have a title for this series, but our heart is to empower people in their financial lives. It is not a giving series, but rather it will discuss how we can have financial freedom in our own lives by using God-given principles concerning money. We are hoping to have a financial expert come in and do a seminar as well as share on a Sunday morning. We are also hoping to have a Mission's on April 2 to raise money for the missionaries we support and spur us on to thinking beyond ourselves when it comes to our finances.

April 2011 - "The Telling"
We are going to look at the three times in the book of Matthew that Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and how these accounts are interestingly all connected with stories about who Christ is and how we are called to be servants of all like Christ. This will lead up to Easter Sunday where Christ's resurrection foretells our own hope and future resurrection.

May-June 2011 - "Genesis"
A ten week series going in depth into the first 12 chapters of the Bible and how the story of the first humans is really our story. It will cover topics like "The Genesis of Creation" "The Genesis of Sin" "The Genesis of Death" "The Genesis of Anger" and "The Genesis of a People"

July-August 2011
We are considering two series here, one is "One Prayer" in which we partner with LifeChurch.tv and churches all around the country around a certain theme. Last years theme was unstoppable, this years hasn't been announced yet. It is always fun to pick some messages to share from our congregation from some world famous pastors that we know they'll love.

We are also considering a series called "Party" in which we look at God's purpose for parties. We'll look at some of the different feasts and festivals that were instituted in the Bible such as Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, Day of Atonement and maybe talk a little about American party culture in the process.

That's as far as we got. Should be a fun Winter-Spring!

New Series - Godview

2010-10-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new series at Revolution ONE80 this week called Godview all FYI. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help parents and youth dialog about the session together. The question is intended not just to be asked by the parent, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

GodView:

Series Overview
What comes to mind when you think about God? Who do you believe God is? How do you believe God interacts with you personally and with your world? These are questions we are going to be addressing over the next three weeks. You see, every one of us has a Godview whether we think about it or not. For many of us, it’s just a vague impression formed when we were younger. For some, it’s an image of Someone against whom we have a strong resistance. For others, God is personal and mysterious, offering an adventure to anyone ready to pursue a relationship with Him. While we can never really know everything about God—because He’s that big and that mysterious—the things we can learn about Him shape the way we respond to whatever life brings. That’s why author A.W. Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Session One (10/21/2010)
No matter who we are, we all have a Godview. And the way we think about God affects how we interact with our world. Many people struggle because they have a negative or distorted view of God. This first week, we will take a look at the life of one of Jesus’ closest followers who struggled for the very same reason. In the end, we want to challenge students to begin to see how their view of God shapes the way they live.
Session One Parent Cue: Both of you grab a piece of paper, and take three minutes to write down all the things that come to mind when you hear the word “God.” Both of you be honest, and don’t just write the words that you think you should. There’s no grade for this.

Session Two (11/4/2010)
Many of us have a distorted Godview because we think God’s primary goal is either for us to be good or for us to be happy. While there may be some truth in those statements, if we see those as His primary goals, then we walk through life with remarkable–and self-made–expectations. Then, when those expectations aren’t met, our faith is shattered and destroyed. This week, we want students to see that following God is bigger than our expectations. Following God requires surrendering control.
Session Two Parent Cue: When you think about the things you pray for or about, or the verses you hang on to, or even the way you perceive God, are those all based on your own personal happiness? How would our prayers and likes look different if we were more concerned about surrendering control?

Session Three (11/11/2010)
The tendency for each one of us is to think we have God all figured out. But this week is about one simple truth—we don’t. This week we want students to see how the more they come to know God, the more they will realize they’ll never really know Him completely. There is always more of God to know. He’s that big, that mysterious, that amazing. At the close of this series, we hope your student will walk away with the desire to pursue a relationship with God and to know God more every day.
Session Three Parent Cue: What is mysterious to you about God? Is it comforting or frightening to know there are things about God we don’t have figured out? Why or why not?

Identity Renewed - Revolution ONE80

2009-04-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to think about is identity. I think it's what the Bible is all about. Creating an identity for a people who want to live according to the truth. For the Israelite it was an identity as a people of the book, who obviously found their identity in the law because it was given to them by God. For us as the church it is an identity in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One of my professors likened the Old Testament to a scrapbook. A stitching together of various memories and pictures, poem and songs, quotes and stories that are meant to show a larger story. What is the point of a scrapbook? To show identity to those who follow after. To show, this is who we are and this is why we are the way we are.

We've been talking about it our youth group Revolution ONE80...we've just recently added the "Revolution" because it describes what I feel needs to happen to see true ONE80 life change in our students and in our city. It's caused me to reflect on what goes into forming an identity and to respect how amazing of a job the Bible did at forming the identity of a people, especially seeing as it was written and compiled over 2000 some years and received by people in different cultures, socioeconomic standing, educations, and more. This is how I feel about our group sometimes, like it is very disjointed with student of every age, maturity, economic status, different schools and cities, and places on their faith journey. That's why I feel we need something of a Revolution. Something of the power of the Word and Spirit of God that will work beyond us.

So who are we? We are a passionate community of young people seeking to bring revolutionary life change to the youth and city of Santa Cruz by following the example of Jesus. Do I feel like that's who we are right now? Probably not, but that is who we are becoming.

Film Competition

2009-04-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

Check out this film competition in Spain where people were asked to show what Jesus meant to them in one minute or less without using traditional Christian symbols, which some did, but that's okay. Many of the films are very creative and it seems like a great exercise to take part in.

http://www.el-es.es/videos.php?page=1

You can also vote for your favorite which will help the judges decide the winner.

Homeless Jesus

2009-03-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Came across this painting while looking for images for our "Last Days of Jesus" series at Revolution ONE80. Thought it was a moving and thought provoking image.

Video renewed

2009-01-18T18:58:00.003-08:00

I finally got the sound working on the video from my last blog post. Sorry about that.

The Next Generation of Worship Leaders

2009-01-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Here's my girl rockin a tune on the guitar and singing backup vocals. Won't take too long until she's ready to sing lead for Dad who has trouble staying on pitch.

Family Quiz

2009-01-08T23:06:00.000-08:00

I made this quiz for our Elephant in the Room series that our church is starting this Sunday. Totally unrealistic, but kind of fun and brings out some different family types we'll be discussing.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Sabbath

2009-01-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

December 28, our church didn't have service so Kendra and I visited Vintage Faith. Their hospitality director was speaking about Sabbath. Something I feel pretty familiar with conceptually and theologically. It is something that I am horrible in practically. I am addicted to doing. This is not just a personal problem, but I transpose it onto others as well.

Case in point, (besides the rest of my personal life) it is really bugging me that for our snow camp this year we are not having a morning chapel. I so badly want my kids to be doing God stuff, to be doing productive things instead of "playing" all day. I am having to breathe. Hopefully I'll learn to breathe in other areas of my life too.

Online Evangelism?

2008-12-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

In the past week and a half I have had two encounters with this concept of online evangelism. The first was a phone call to the church office by a gentleman who described himself as an "old crusader," referring to his involvement in the initial movements of campus crusades, who wanted to recruit me or one of my "tech savvy" youth to post an evangelism video he had created and used to lead thousands to Christ, "to a website and then direct people there through myspace, facebook, chain e-mails" (though not one's with "blessings or curses for those who act or don't act") and so forth.

The second encounter came through my e-mail box in a bulk newsletter sent out by youthministry.com that I peruse every so often. It was promoting a concept called an "online mission trip" where students use the avenues they already plugged into on facebook, myspace, world of warcraft, or wherever, to begin to talk about God and share their faith for two weeks in February. This "mission trip" would be preceded by my training my students to share their faith and how to do it in this medium and then providing new believer follow-up and discipleship in my youth group for those who become Christians.

Truthfully, I am torn over the topic. I am always excited about new ways to help my students learn to share their faith. I also am a big fan of helping them to minister in their current spheres of influence and not have to have an event or youth pastor do it for them. I struggle, however, with the lack of intimacy in the forum. I don't doubt that God can use it, but is it the way he wants us to be salt and light? Will this produce people who come to Christ out of relationship and love, out of being served and experiencing the love of Christ? Or out of a dry conversation? Will these be lasting disciples or flashes in the pan? Is it okay to use a "shallow" method to help people to make the first step toward what might be a lifelong, deep relationship with God and with others? Is it possible to take the concept and make it better? Or should I just go a different route because of my misgivings? Maybe I should even have these misgivings!

Can you see my dilemma? I'd love to hear your thoughts?

It's A Small World - A Disneyland Theology

2008-12-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

The family and I went to Disneyland for a little vacation back before Thanksgiving. It was a blast, especially seeing our daughter Peyton enjoy the characters and the magic of it all.

While we were there, the It's A Small World ride reopened after being closed around a year for a full rehab. It was all decked out for the holidays, had brand new boats and dolls and a few new features. What stuck out to me the most was the meaning of the ride which hasn't ever changed.

The message is peace on earth, restoration of human unity and the like, very similar to what the Bible describes. You begin by looking at the many nations desiring this restoration. They are all separated from each other, singing in their own languages and with their own cultures, but their cry is the same, for unity and restoration. In the end you enter a room in which everything is white, everyone is together, cowboy and Indian, American and Russian, you name it and everyone is singing in the same language (English of course!). The only thing that the ride does not explain is how the transition occurred. It seems that the assumption is that by wishful thinking, by the innate power within humanity desiring unity and peace, it will happen. It is at its heart a humanist message. that we can do it through our own strength.

It seems to be the overall message of Disneyland the more I thought about it. If you cover up the dirtiness, cover up the pain, cover up reality, you will have a magic kingdom where everyone can be happy and live together in harmony. It doesn't seem to take into account that our separation from one another is only indicative of our separation from God. And that only reconnection with God can reconnect humanity in peace. This reconnection cannot occur through our own strength or wishful thinking but occurs only because of what Jesus did on the cross. Kind of like my high school football coach always said, you can't keep doing what you've been doing and expect the same results. We can't just keep thinking happy thoughts and singing kumbaya hoping world peace will come, but being the tough work of reconciliation that begins by leaning on the on saving grace of Jesus Christ which constitutes our reconciliation with God.

My blog renewed

2008-12-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

It has been over a month since I last posted :-(
It was bound to happen.
I don't doubt that every first time blogger hits some kind of posting slump.
Mine just happen to coincide with the last month of my class for seminary.
Every waking moment not already dedicated to family, work, eating or sleeping has been dedicated to finishing papers.
But now I'm back.

A couple topics I've been hoping to think more about.
"It's A Small World Renewed - A Disneyland Theology"
"Christmas Renewed - Thoughts on Advent Conspiracy"
"Youth Winter Camp Renewed"
"The Eighth and Ninth Months Renewed"

Our Country Renewed

2008-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of talk concerning change from both political camps. Some are saying "yes we can" and looking positively toward the possible changes that might be coming our way and some are saying "no way Jose" and are fearful of those same changes.

During my study for next week's ONE80 message I came across this passage in Isaiah 58 that struck a chord in my heart. It describes a people who have been fasting for God to move, people who have been praying for what is "right" and for God to bring good decisions. Then when the day comes people feel as if God has not noticed; that during that prayer and fasting they were not showing love or seeking justice and compassion.

And then God says, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (vv. 6-7)

Then God tells us the results of this kind of fast, a fast of action, of love for the poor and of compassion. "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." (vv. 8-12)

That we would be a people who don't just pray and politic but act in love and compassion. That we would care more about the love and compassion we are showing than being "right" and forcing others into our view of "right" instead being the people God has called us to be. Then our light will rise in the darkness, then our needs will be satisfied in a sun-scorched land and we will be like a well-watered garden. Not through principle, not through words, or showing people they are wrong, but by showing them what is right and what is good. And this is what God says is good, "To act JUSTLY, to LOVE MERCY and to WALK HUMBLY with your God."

Have we been living out this kind of fast? Have we been doing what is truly good?

California Election Results

2008-11-04T14:07:00.001-08:00

For all of us in California

Election Results

2008-11-04T14:06:00.001-08:00

Just because I'll be following them all day I figured I'd add this in case you were too.

Halloween Day O' Fun!

2008-11-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Peyton at our churches Harvest Festival.

The Festival entry was this huge pumpkin that you could walk through that lead into a corn maze inside. Peyton was a little scared of the maze. There was the cutest little petting zoo that Peyton must have gone in at least 10 times.

They had Trunk or Treating where members of the church decorated the trunks of their cars and the kids went from car to car to get candy. Peyton learned to say "Trick or Treat" and went to every car at least twice.She got her face painted...
Of course her favorite candy was the lollie Pop. After her third one of the night I had to take it away from her and lets just say Peyton did not appreciate this. She threw a huge tantrum the whole time yelling "but trick or treat...but trick or treat!"
Peyton with buddy Caleb dressed like a Pirate. Petyon got to ride a pony. She loved it and was saying "1..2...3..Go!" the whole time. When we got home she tried to ride one of her fisher price horses.
Peyton with pastor Ed. They are buddies!
The night ended with a hay ride through the neighborhood. unfortunately it started pouring rain while we were on the ride and we got soaked. All and all the night was a huge success. Here is a video of Peyton dancing and enjoying her lollipop.

Harvest Festivals Renewed

2008-11-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have often made fun of harvest festivals in the past. I saw them as a typical Christian enclave event birthed out of fear of the world instead of engaging it. It always reminds me of the Air1 motto that bugs me so much every time I hear it, "safe for the whole family." I also made fun of the name because who besides Christians talks about harvests on October 31 (which I still think is a highly outdated name especially in an urban city in California).
All that said, I took part in my first harvest festival this Friday night and had a blast. A good number of people were there from the community that may or may not have been followers of Jesus. It was a good time to party. I got to connect with a number my student's families who do not all come on Sunday morning but were willing to come to this event. Most of the neighbors that I talked to thought that it was great we doing it for the community. Because so many of our people were working the festival, it wasn't really for "our" families who wanted an "alternative" for Halloween, but was truly a community outreach event. All that besides being freezing cold and raining during clean-up made it a great night and my view of church harvest festival renewed...slightly.
p.s. i hope to post some pics soon.

Barack better for choice for pro-life???

2008-11-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I ran across this article by Brian McLaren concerning why he feels that Barack Obama's policies concerning abortion are a better option for Christian pro-lifers than the traditional arguments given to support the Republican Party and "overturning" abortion. It is part of a 5 part post on why he has chosen to vote for Barack Obama. I share it, not to persuade anyone one way or the other, or even because I agree with it all (particularly post 2 which seems to be based on a few presuppositions and and false presises) but more out of my love for sincere dissenting opinions especially among Christians on political and social issues.

The logs in our...hands???

2008-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus told us to not take the speck out of our friend's eye unless we have taken the log out of our own eye first. What if we have a log in our hand?! Here's the log the doctor pulled out of my hand today. He said it's the largest one he's ever pulled and that I was lucky he found it while probing instead of having to do surgery. I'm pretty sure that its 25 mm.

Bike rides in Capitola

2008-10-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Apparently bike rides in Capitola can be a little more dangerous than I expected. I was so proud of myself because I had my most successful ride yet. I went further, rode faster, and even started to figure out the gears on my "new" old school bike. Then...as I was riding down a little bike path that cuts over a creek toward the homestretch, I took a turn a little too fast and maybe too confident. I was edging toward the wood railing and stretched out my hand to keep from hitting it (even though I don't think I would have). I was successful in adverting a crash, but in the process cut my hand. I didn't think it was that bad...until I looked at my hand at home. It was pretty deep and dark in there.
Luckily, I had a doctor's appointment already scheduled with our new doctor to just get a check up. Unfortunately what started as a check up turned into probing my hand for "foreign objects", a tetanus shot, an hour wait for an x-ray and a day full of changing band-aids, using my left hand and being doped up on vicodin. It's all pretty funny, but kind of sad at the same time. Maybe soon I'll have my first uneventful bike ride.

Revelation Renewed???

2008-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

The elections were brought to mind again today as I came across some propaganda questioning Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship. Obviously, no matter who you are supporting in the elections, it is easy to recognize that the video is done by people who do not want Obama to be President and has such a spin on it. Similar propaganda came out about John McCain way back in February by people who obviously don't want him to be president. To me it is very sad when we go after the identity of a person to try and disqualify them or make attacks on a person's family history (which has been done to both candidates) instead of on the merit of their own decisions and platforms (both of which can be rightly called into serious question for both candidates in various areas).

The whole issue got me thinking about a number of the fears I have heard from friends and family about the possibility of us being in the end times. These fears have been expressly connected with fears about Obama being the antichrist, or more mildly, what his possible term in office might unleash in the way of world events. Most of these people are obviously Christians since they are pulling on imagery of the end times found in Revelation, Daniel and some of Jesus' sayings. They also are obvious supporters of McCain along with what seems to be a heavy majority of Evangelical Christians. One piece of irony I have noticed is that according to the claims of Jesus that in the end days there would wars and rumors of wars...I would be more inclined to think that McCain's intentionally hardlined international policy would lead us to the state of affairs in the world that many believe will precede the apocalypse.

What is probably most ironic is that people's understanding of Revelation and application of it to our modern day situation is in many ways undermining the message of the book . The book begins by saying "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near....and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. " Whoever reads the book (with its original intent I would think) will be blessed by it. This is a far cry from the fear and propaganda it has bred. It goes on to say that Jesus, who is the faithful witness to the prophecies (which is a way of saying that he brings truth to it and validates it) is "ruler of the kings of the earth." I think this is the main message in the book of Revelation and it's original intent for the readers of it's day, that even when things seem dark, even when it seems like the state of the world is so bad that it is the end of the world (such as persecution of all Christians by wicked emperors like Nero or Caligula) that Jesus is king, that his kingdom will reign and that his dreams will be reality. Our trust is extremely misplaced if we think that one person even if she/he is the leader of the "most powerful nation in the world" (which Rome was in it's day too) will thwart the good plans of God for the world because it is his kingdom that reigns, his peace that will rule, his justice that will bring truth.

While I am glad and I think that it is important many Christians have taken a renewed interest in politics, we must also recognize that Jesus truly is the only door to bringing heaven to earth and all political parties, all other candidates fall extremely short (another key message of the book of Revelation...the beast...trying to establish his kingdom...could be...any world leader who tries to establish his own kingdom...or...either...candidate......whoa!!!) It does seem as if the need for the book of Revelation has been renewed, but maybe not in the way that many think.

Steve Fee and Catalyst Worship

2008-10-22T15:14:00.001-07:00

I went to the Catalyst conference in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago and got the opportunity to hear some great up and coming worship leaders that I think will get even bigger in the next couple of years. The main people that lead worship at different points during the conference were Steve Fee, Kristian Stanfill and Aaron Keyes. The first two are both worship leaders at North Point Community Church in the Atlanta, GA area. Aaron Keyes leads worship at Grace Fellowship Church in Lawrenceville, GA. I had heard of Steve Fee and Kristian Stanfill because of their involvement in a few of the Passion worship CDs. Aaron Keyes I had never heard of before.

A few things impressed me about each of the worship leaders. Steve Fee was the one that we probably heard from the most and pretty much did all original songs. The biggest impression was that his songs were very victorious. Most all of the songs that he did were also very upbeat and positive. I think the reason why this impressed me the most is that I have been in continuing dialogue with a worship leader friend of mine concerning the content of our worship songs. Her view is that the large majority of our songs should praise God for the victory and freedom that he has given us in our lives. We should be proclaiming what Christ has done for us and the battle already won. She sees many modern worship songs as coming from a place of defeat and focusing on the old broken self instead of who we are now in Christ. The content of Steve Fee's songs reminded me of this discussion as all of his songs (as far as I can remember) would have been right up her alley. Personally, I really enjoyed his lyrics and especially the music. On the whole, he was very upbeat and also very creative in the movements of individual parts as well as the overall arrangements of his songs. One new song of his (while not the best example of what I'm describing) that really helped me to connect with God at the conference was "Glory To God" As far as I know the only place that you can hear it is on youtube from when someone taped him doing the song at Catalyst.

Aaron Keyes' worship sets also fit into this vein of discussion. The strong point of his worship leading for me was the way in which he engaged the crowd verbally in the midst of or in between songs. I kind of double took at a few of the things he said because he was often quoting one verse out of a larger chunk of scripture that had nothing to do with worship such as the book of Isaiah or something. I often wondered if the way he used his one verse was appropriate in the context of what the passage was trying to do. Overall though, i was highly impressed by his knowledge of scripture and "worship references" in the Bible. Most of all what I saw in his referencing these passages was his enormous desire to see people worship in authority and to engage God with all they are on a level so much deeper than just singing songs or a one time worship experience. He really did an amazing job of painting a picture in which one could see how the worship that we were creating together was a part of a larger picture of the kingdom and the ministry that we all do no a week in week out basis. Worship is the beginning of winning the battle for our world is one of the ways that he put it (probably not in those exact words).

Kristian Stanfill is just an amazing vocalist and extremely energetic!!!!!!! He also didn't feel like he had to do all of his own songs which i appreciate because I think it is a fine balance of doing your own material and also incorporating what God is doing in the larger world of worship. It's also a balance of doing songs that most people would know and doing new songs for them to learn and that provide new expressions of worship to God. I thought he struck both of these balances well.

Anyway I would encourage you all to check out some of their music on the links provided above as well as their main websites and pray that God would continue to raise up more and more great men and WOMEN of God who will lead God's people into a holistic view of worshiping Him. I especially pray that God would do that right here in Santa Cruz, at CLC, and in my very youth group!!!

My Office Renewed

2008-10-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got moved into my office. It was quite a mess, but it is finally finding some sense of normalcy. I have to admit that a messy office is quite an excuse to not get much work done. For some reason i felt like I couldn't get anything else done until my office was in order. This was a pretty odd sensation since I've never felt the need to have my office very clean before. But there is something to a new start, at a new church, at a new office that seems to inspire a guy to start clean and fresh. So, while I may not have spent as much time on what might seem like "productive" activity toward our first night of youth group last night, I feel as if I will be able to move ahead even better this week now that I've restored "Kingdom order" to my office. I guess it's all give and take.

My Heart Renewed

2008-10-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long I'll be able to keep up the renewed theme or if it something that I even want to stick with in the long run anyway, but it works well for tonight, so great.

I've been at the catalyst 2008 conference the last two days. It's kind of a network of churches that I haven't every really run in too much so I've been enlightened as to a new movement of young leaders who are passionate about God and compassionate for our world including the least of these and some major global issues. I still don't know too much over all, but my experience has been great. I've heard of guys like Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, and Steven Furtick, but this has been my first time hearing them speak and I really enjoyed them all for the most part.

All three were great communicators. I'm always more for the content than just great stories and such and all three of them had great content (even though all of them weren't extremely in depth or anything with maybe the exception of Andy Stanley). Certainly they were all inspiring. Especially Craig and Steven. Steven for the fact that he is so young, so passionate, so yielded, and God is using him im such amazing ways. It is always inspiring to see such an example of what God can do through a passionate and humble heart. Craig because his talk particularly hit home.

He talked about being stretched, but that first we have to be healed and that before we can be healed we have to be ruined. He used the text from Joel chapter two which call God's people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and mourning. I think it is true that this may well be the only truly fruitful way in which we can return to him. I'm by no means in a bad place or a desert. I've been there and I'm not there. I've kind of in the in between zone, the no man's land of spirituality. The place where its safe and that's usually the way we like it if you know what I mean. As I start on this new endeavor at Christian Life Center I don't want to be there, because I won't be leading people anywhere. I want to be moving forward into the great things that God has wherever that is and whatever that takes. I'm willing to stop the things that keep me from going there and being the things that help me to go there. In a small, yet monumental way, my heart has been renewed.

Politics Renewed

2008-10-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've been watching the presidential debate tonight and thinking about a book that I read in college by John Howard Yoder entitled The Politics of Jesus. One of his central theses is that there is no way that we can separate the Jesus of the gospels from the politics of his day. Because of his mission and his ministry he was thrust into the limelight of the political scene. He was constantly asked, who do you agree with the Pharisees or the Saducees? the Herodians or the Zealots? The Republicans or the Democrats? Similarly, I often feel pushed into fitting into one label or another. I tried to shed that stigma by registering as undeclared, but in conversation, even tonight with our church staff, I always find myself putting other people into dichotomized categories and thinking in them. Jesus had this amazing way of getting above the fray and getting to the heart of what is really going on. A simple example is when the Pharisees (who were more anti-Rome) and the Herodians (who were extremely pro-Rome) came to question Jesus about where our money goes. This is something hotly debated in the political world, especially among your average Joe. Should the government get to spend my money? Should I get to spend it the way I want? Should I be forced to pay for programs I don't agree with? This is a similar question that they asked Jesus, "Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" What they were really asking was who do you support? Do you support us or them? What was his response? A new way to look at it beyond the two-sided rhetoric of either party. "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." In some ways he was siding with the Pharisees because as you think about it, you quickly realize, everything is God's in th end, something that would have pleased them greatly. But at the same time he does not completely deny or support either party, but rather brings the topic to what it is really about, where our ultimate allegiance truly lies, not with a party, not with one side or the other but with God. We need a renewed vision of politics that steps above the polarization that occurs in our world today and while I'm sure we may rarely find one voice as to what this looks like perhaps Jesus' call to give to God what is rightfully his (all things) is a great place to start.