As I finish the message for this weekend, I was thinking that in just one word Jesus' life is revealed to us and reflected by us for the whole world to see Him in us.
So often spiritual life is misunderstood and consequently people get discouraged and quit easily.
What really ultimately brings joy into our lives?
How do we move from "believing" and "following" to "obeying"?
Why does it matter? I want to talk about what really matters in this faith journey.
As we begin a new series called "The Bridge" I want to devote this first installment to the simple connection between Jesus and His followers, what is misunderstood, why it matters and how we respond. As so many people have made decisions for Christ, I hope to spend the next few weeks simplifying what seems to be so complicated.
Thought..... If you believe someone really believes in you, and he or she has your back, you ultimately will be wide open to their influence in your life.
I am calling this talk the Echo of Jesus.
Hope to see you Saturday or Sunday.
Excited about all of the new campuses who all saw people come to Christ, and in many cases were later baptized at the Brush Prairie campus.
The india thing was pretty cool as well. Technology? As I "preached" through a cell phone, and it was translated, I am told there were 450 people (many hindus) who prayed to receive Jesus as the One True God. The Way, The Truth and The Life. Pretty stoked about what ONLY GOD can do when we allow Him to use our lives.
I have been thinking about our new series called "The Bridge".
Excited about talking about what I think are simple connections.
This week, as hundreds of people are sharing their Easter stories, I want to talk about beyond conversion. I think we have this idea that conversion is the end goal, when really it is the beginning of a life and eternity long relationship with Jesus.
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
Key word, "anyone" . We all enter into this relationship the same way. Talk about fair for everyone? "New person...old life is gone....new life has begun"
As so many were baptized I kept thinking of that verse in Colossians, "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead." Colossians 2:12
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SHARE YOUR EASTER STORIES HERE OR E-MAIL OR AT CHURCH THIS WEEKEND, WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A 15 MINUTE VIDEO RECAPPING ALL (PART) OF WHAT GOD DID.
A few of us went to Hood River today to shoot a video for the weekend. I love the "on location" videos. Other than the weather, the shoot went good. I can't believe it. It is almost April and in an hour of shooting video it was cloudy, it snowed, it rained and it was sunny. Weird. I don't think I can remember snow EVER at the end of March. Earlier today the snowflakes were as big as post it notes. I really like summer.
The journey or "path" beyond conversion can become distorted and complicated. We can put burdens on ourselves or on each other. Truth is, really it isn't. It is simple and incredible, but understanding the passages we are going to study this weekend are CRITICAL to the journey.
We can quickly think that conversion is the end. Really it is the new life that has begun.
See you this weekend. IF YOU ARE ABLE, come on Saturday, to the Brush Prairie campus 3 PM, 5 PM, or 7 PM. Saturdays are always cool, and WAY LESS crowded.
Last night completed 12 baptism services. Total baptisms were 440! ONLY GOD! When I look back over Easter I'm excited about what God did and what God will do in the lives of all the people. It's hard to know how many people surrendered their lives to Jesus. God knows and that's enough for us. The stories keep coming in from people who viewed the tv program. These are people who would not normally go to a church building to hear the message. I'm excited that God took the message to people in their building. Because of technology tons of people's lives have been changed for eternity.
Tonight I've been asked to preach in India. The difference is I will be sharing the gospel message with a few thousand people...through my cell phone. (At 9:30pm, 8:30am India time). Please be praying as the majority of the audience will be of the Hindu faith. In fact, 82% of the population of India practice Hinduism. The underlying tenets of Hinduism cannot easily be defined. There is unique philosophy that forms the basis of this faith. Over 1.3 billion people (over 20% of the world's population) belive in a religious system that does not advocate the worship of one particular diety. I've been invited to help train pastors in India, men who are desperate to see religion die in their country. I got called last week to ask if I would preach a message that will be translated into Telugu language for a few thousand people.
All day I have been blown away by the depth and desperation of God's love FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. "God so loved the WORLD He gave his Son..." Being able to speak to an audience that I may never meet, but through and with the truth of God's Word, I may be able to see them in heaven. Please pray with me and for the message and the people who are going to hear it.
As the dust is beginning to settle from Easter, please continue to share your stories of how God has saved you or changed you. I'm going to shoot a video for this weekend's message, which I will talk about "Beyond conversion, what's next?"
Thanks for being the church and "friend" that you are.
Seems to me that God allows these divine interruptions in our lives.
There were 41 Easter services (campuses and Easter only venues). I spoke at 11 of the 12 live baptism services. It is Monday, like so many I am a bit tired. Before we all get too much into the week I wanted to thank EVERYONE. The staff and volunteers (hundreds) who make up Living Hope are simply incredible. In our lives we may never fully realize what God did as He divinely interrupted the lives of thousands and thousands of people.
Words will never ever be able to describe what God did. The stories are really cool and I hope we don't quickly forget. Share the ONLY GOD stories.
One of the stories I remember was about a guy named Richard. Interruptions happen to all of us. It is in those moments where we have to decide will we be about our "plan" or God's "purpose" for our lives. Here is Richard, who flew from South Carolina to Portland, Oregon to take a welding class and test. On Sunday, he was in his words to me "thumbing through the channels" and "stumbled" upon our Easter service at 10:00 AM. Aren't interruptions like that? IF we don't see what God is doing and listen to His voice, what is a divine interruption can often times be written off and ignored or counted as a mistake. I wonder how much we miss because of our inability to see what we didn't plan or can't "see"
Richard watched the service, surrendered his one and only life to Jesus Christ......AND drove to our Brush Prairie campus to be baptized as His public declaration of his new identity in Christ. I didn't meet him until after the service was over.
With one more baptism service to go, there have been this weekend 386 baptisms. Richard was one of those who had their interruptive moment with God and responded.
Write this down: God interruptions always result in God interactions. It is WHEN we are interrupted that we have the opportunity to interact or respond to this God who created us, believes in us, died for us and rose from the grave.
Richard had his moment and made the choice to trust God. Yesterday his life was changed for all of eternity. In Portland, by himself, made the choice to believe the story is real, follow what God asked him to do and I am glad I got to meet him. He hugged me in the lobby of our Brush Prairie campus and said "I am going back to South Carolina a different person." Really ONLY GOD moments like this all weekend.
To the amazing people who watched the T.V. and responded, we have one more opportunity for baptism THIS TUESDAY AT 6:45 PM AT OUR BRUSH PRAIRIE CAMPUS. Would love to meet you. I will be talking about the value of brokenness to our lives.
A great article in the Columbian about the new Dodge City campus. Super cool stories. Thanks to the Columbian, channel 2 and channel 12 who gave us good coverage. Rick and Treasa, you both rock. God is using your lives and the best days are in front of you. To the owners of Dodge, thanks for allowing us to use the facility. To Jesus, ya, you began a crazy revolution to go everywhere to reach everyone. In the messiness help us continue to show your love to this world.
I was interviewed by Leadership Network this past week, and was e-mailed this article today. Excited to teach next month at Mars Hill in Seattle with a couple other churches who we will get the privilege to learn from who are leading the way in the multi site movement. Should be good.
More updates to come. Share your stories. Don't move too quickly from what God did.
We kicked off Easter on Wednesday at LSM, and over 150 people came to Christ and 104 people were baptized. It was an awesome night. I taught on a napkin. I simplified the message of the 775,000 words in the Bible to just 6 words. The talk was entitled "Napkin Theology". It was really cool and God showed up.
Friday night the service had to be completely different, very relevant to a TV audience.
We're ready to go, the services Friday night went well, and will air on KPTV channel 12 at 10am Easter Sunday. For otherEaster Times and Locations click here. We're praying and hoping for an audience of 200,000, but our potential is to reach several million.
This morning I got up at 7am, couldn't sleep, and I felt like I had to change the message again. (I hate when He does that.) I try not to get up that early, even if I have to pee. The prevailing thought God put on my mind is that we live like its one of two days. We live like it's Saturday or we live like it's Sunday. So for the next 9 services (I'm also preaching Tuesday at Living Free), I'm praying that God will keep my message the same!
The total for Easter weekend is there will have been over 41 Easter services, not including the TVor 200 House Churches that we know about. Phew.
Pretty sweet weekend to remember.
NEW THIS EASTER: We have a pretty incredible set up for Kidsworld this year. We have two tents which total around 6,000 sq. ft.; one tent holding four bounce houses and the other is set up for the Kidsworld Red Bus Group and teaching area. We also have gifts and snacks for the kids.
As frustrated as I was this morning, I'm so excited about the message and can't wait to share.
Thanks for your prayers and thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers and staff who have helped to make this an incredible and historic Easter.
By the way, still excited about Dodge City campus, and so are the staff and owners of the bar who are inviting everyone (people that normally would not go to church) to be a part of this unique church launch. In fact, even the Columbian has called us and said they'll be there at 10:00am on Sunday.
Today is what is known around the world as "Good Friday”. The day Jesus died. The Son of God, the Lamb of God, dying for all of us. I want to quickly retrace a few thoughts about that day.
If you haven't seen the movie entitled The Passion, I so highly recommend it. Some would disagree with me because of the intense violence and blood. For me, as I have studied those last hours of Jesus' life, I would say (humbly) it gets as close as we can imagine to what Jesus went through. I wouldn't recommend it for young children (for obvious reasons).
This will be a longer post than normal, but as I prepare for speaking and as I sit at my desk praying and thinking about this weekend, I can't help but "remember" the ultimate sacrifice ever made in the entire world because of God's indescribable love for all of us.
The physical pain Jesus endured was incredible. It all began with His friends whom He had poured His life into for over 3 years. It began around a table, where they gathered to celebrate Passover. And with Jesus, already knowing what they would soon realize, that He would be the Passover Lamb.
After dinner, Jesus and the disciples went out to the Garden of Gethsemane. His intent was to pray. I love the words from John 17, which help us see His heart for unity and "togetherness".
Then there’s the gospel of Luke, who was a doctor, and subsequently he writes with that background. Luke 22:44 says, "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground".
That describes a rare, but well documented condition known as hematidrosis. Sometimes under heavy emotional stress or distress it would occur. Basically subcutaneous capillaries would burst under stress and the blood mingles with one's perspiration, exiting through the sweat glands.
Next, Jesus was arrested (cross referencing verses, John 18:13, 24; Matthew 26:57; John 18:20-23, Matthew 26:62, 65-66).
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (Isa. 53:7)
Within 18 hours after his arrest, Jesus was subjected to two different trials, each with three "phases".
Before the Sanhedrin, there had been three hearings: one before Annas, one with Caiaphas presiding, and one in the early morning where the verdict was finalized. The Roman trial also had three phases, as Jesus was brought to Pilate, and then sent to Herod who sent him back to Pilate.
Pilate's Jerusalem residence was known as the Praetorium. It was more than his residence; it also housed the judgment hall, and all cases were brought before him.
Picture it. The death sentence was delivered against Jesus. He was bound and marched to the Pontius Pilate who was the Roman governor of Judea during that time.
Jesus stood in front of Pilate the last time at around 5:00 AM, “Good Friday”.
John 19:4-6, "Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man.'"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
Look at what it says happens next.
Mark 15:15 says, "Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified."
Did you catch those first few words? The five words that change EVERYTHING for ANYONE who follows Christ. Wanting to satisfy the crowd. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to stop and think about who I am serving and who I will one day answer to and to whom I owe my life. Jesus died for us to live. We have to die and be crucified with Christ daily. We have to pick up our crosses daily. We have to go into the world daily to see a hurting, messed up and broken world that needs to be brought into a relationship with God.
Pause. Who are you listening to? Be real and answer if you can this question. The truth or the crowd? The critics or your God? I got a pretty negative e-mail this week about starting a church in a bar. How I will be accountable, how it is wrong, etc, etc. It is easy to listen to the crowds or the critics, but I want to, and am committed to standing before this nail-pierced Savior to whom I owe my life. After all, it is just a building.
John 19:16, “Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." A fateful and haunting decision that Pilate made that day. The echo of that one choice continues to pierce our souls to this day. Before a victim was tied or nailed to a cross (Jesus was nailed), they were beaten and whipped. The Romans really hated the Jewish people, so they would have pretty big problems with this Jewish guy getting attention. Scholars believe there would have been as many as 600 soldiers around him. This would have all happened in the Praetorian. Preceding every Roman crucifixion was flogging or scourging. It was an instrument called a flagelum that was 14-18" made up of leather strips, steel balls and pieces of sharp bone. It was a brutal thing. ONLY women and Roman citizens were exempt.Jesus was beaten terribly. Look at Peter's account in 1 Peter 2:24, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
A victim was stripped of all of his clothes, whipped up to 39 times. The purpose was to get a prisoner within inches of death. The victim’s back would become literal ribbons of flesh. The Bible says that Jesus was mocked and the soldiers "struck him in the face". Imagine them laughing, punching the one who created their fists. Imagine God standing naked in front of hundreds of people who hated him, mocked him and even his disciples (all of them) because of fear denied that they knew him. “Good” Friday??
I will try to make this short.
Next, the victim would be required to carry his own cross. Historians tell us that sometimes to revive a victim they would dump salt water on their back, just before walking and carrying their own cross. It would have felt like a funeral procession. In His final, bloody and desperate walk, while humiliated, stripped naked, and walking barefoot, He thought of you. He could have in a second stopped the whole thing. He could have summoned, the Bible says, angels to change it. HE DIDN'T. HE ENDURED THE CROSS FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM.
John 19:17 says, "Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)". He was crucified.
Did you know the word execution is from which we get our English word excruciating? The ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime. The life of a person to pay for the sins of all of us. Crucifixion ranks pretty close to the top of the list of the most painful and tortuous deaths ever devised. It was designed to inflict the most or maximum amount of pain on a victim BEFORE death.
I found this quote, "Not only was the cross the most painful of deaths, it was also considered the most debasing. The condemned man stripped naked and left exposed in agony, and often the Romans even denied burial to the victim, allowing his body to hand on the cross until it disintegrated."
The God who invented pain subjecting Himself to the ultimate pain? “Good” Friday??
The physical pain was not the worst part. Interestingly the Gospel writers say very little about Jesus' physical suffering on the cross. In Mark, it says simply, "they crucified him". Jesus suffered spiritually beyond imagination. The Bible says that He who knew no sin (never experienced guilt, never a moment of shame, never a mistake, never a regret, only pure innocence through his entire existence) became sin for our sake. Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, "my soul is in anguish" and "I am sorrowful to the point of death". It is known as the Garden of the Olive Press. Olives had to be crushed in order for the oil to come out. The weight of the sin of the world was put on Jesus. The weight of our sins.
Here goes my last thought on this "Good Friday":
He definitely physically suffered. He was mistreated by authorities, abandoned by his friends, mocked and made fun of by the crowds. Betrayed by one of his best friends, but the real torture was spiritual. The Bible says "He redeemed us from the curse by becoming the curse for us."
He experienced incredible spiritual suffering and guilt that we will never know, so we will experience healing and forgiveness that we could never earn.
“Good” Friday? ONLY if I accept what happened. Only if I forgive the people who have hurt me. “Good” Friday? IF I allow the reality of that day to sink into the depth of my heart.
Good Friday is really a choice. For all of us. By His stripes we are healed. Because of His blood can boldly come into the presence of God. Because of Good Friday, restoration can happen to the hearts of people who have been broken.
I hope it changes me more every time I think about it. If it doesn't, what am I saying about what Jesus did for me?
104. Excited. That is the number of people baptized in our first of 12 baptism services at our Brush Prairie campus. Wednesday, so many people came to check out the God thing, surrendered their one and only life to Jesus Christ and decided to be spontaneously baptized. It was one of those priceless services where so many people I think finally "got it."
Got home around 10:00 PM Wednesday night. Thanks students for letting us kick off Easter at LSM.
I had the privilege of teaching some students from Western Seminary. Dr B. (Gerry Breshears) has invested SO much into the lives of so many people at Living Hope. He asked me to teach his doctoral students. So..... ya, I don't have much to say to students getting their Doctoral degrees, but was able to think about what God has done in the last 4 years at Living Hope.
I LOVE PASTORS. I LOVE THE CHURCH. I really am energized by getting to hang out with men and women to talk about the church. I love just sharing information. I got way more out of those students than I could have invested in them. They asked good questions, I was challenged (my life long reality) and we got to spend the better part of today together. Also, I wanted to thank the pastors who came from around Portland and Vancouver. Even got to meet a world class wrestler, Dan Russell.
Good night, good day and an even better GOD.
FRIDAY. We have two services, 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. THESE ARE THE SERVICES THAT WILL BE RECORDED FOR THE EASTER SERVICE ON FOX channel 12 that airs at 10:00 AM EASTER SUNDAY.
Join us for services. Good Friday. Bring friends. Bring neighbors. Bring students. Bring relatives. Bring anyone who is breathing.
See you Friday, you will love the set and the worship. Pray for the message.
God did so much this weekend as we walked through the last days of Jesus and shared in communion with a new, and different attitude for so many.
Communion is about remembering and forgetting. Remembering what matters, and learning to let go of OR forget what doesn't matter.
Quick thought. Jesus on Wednesday spent ONLY GOD time. John 12 gives the indication and scholars believe that He spent the entire day with His Father.
I hope that this week, as we move closer to that day we celebrate what Jesus went through a couple thousand years ago, we are able to more clearly connect with Jesus and commit to His purposes.
I hope we can spend time with ONLY GOD this week.
Last weekend was a real God thing. Good way to start Passion week, walking through and talking through the last few days of His life.
SO, IF you can join us on Wednesday, do it. Our first Easter service is 7:00 PM on Wednesday (LSM). We are taping the service for the TV, so if you want to be part of this initial service we would love to have you.
SO MUCH TO DO. Can I just ask you to pray? That is what needed most.
DANGEROUS TRUST. Let me just start by saying I love St. Patrick’s day. In fact I love Ireland…the beauty, the culture, the music… it just makes me happy. One of my life’s goals is to visit there someday...
Today millions of people all over the world will be celebrating St Patrick’s day….wearing green, to keep from getting pinched (which by the way was a tradition started by American school children), talking about four leaf clovers and leprechauns, and dancing all day and night to an Irish jig. Did you know that about 34 million Americans have an Irish ancestry and that many American towns have Irish names…like Shamrock, Oklahoma; Dublin, California and Shamrock Lake, Indiana? And why the color green….because Ireland is also know as “The Emerald Isle”. And what is up with kissing a Blarney Stone? The Blarney Stone is located in the Blarney Castle located in County Cork, Ireland. Legend has it that the Blarney Stone has magical properties and one has to lie on their back and bend backwards and downwards in order to kiss it.
Did you know that the shamrock is considered to be good luck to the Irish and is also Ireland’s national symbol and was used to illustrate the Trinity by St. Patrick? Today it’s great to talk about all the traditions of St. Patrick’s day…but I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about the man behind the holiday.
St Patrick was a real person that was born around the time 400AD in Roman Britain. He was born with the name Maewyn. His father was a solider in the army and he was also reported to be a deacon, a civil officer, and a town councilor. History says that his family was Christian, but were extremely religious, and some historians even say that Patrick was agnostic in his childhood. According to his most famous work, the Confessio, at age 16 Patrick was captured along with many others in his village and sold into slavery and was taken from the British Isles to what is now Ireland where he lived several years herding sheep. He escaped when he was 22 and spent the next twelve years in a monastery near Paris, France. (It was in the monastery that he was given the name Patrick.) It was during this trying time that Patrick found God and developed the habit of praying throughout the day to strengthen himself and to be closer to God. It is recorded that he would often pray up to 100 times a day. One night while in the monastery, he said that he heard voices that were calling him back to Ireland to help the remaining slaves. He was about 30 years old when he returned to Ireland and became one of the first Christian missionaries to Ireland. Bringing God to people who so desperately need to know about God. Risking everything, being courageous and stepping out. For twenty years he traveled throughout Ireland, baptizing people, establishing monasteries, schools and churches. He was arrested several times but would escape each time and continue in his mission. His mission lasted about 30 years and he was definitely successful in converting Celtic Ireland to Christianity. Patrick died on March 17th in 461 AD. The day has been known as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.
What a story…for hundreds of years, celebrating the life of a man who did something. Celebrations all around the world. I love that. The two things that always make a difference are Courage and Conviction. Conviction is that holy discontent, that God-given passion to do something. It is when you can’t sleep because you see a need. It is as students when you stand up for what is true and pure and right. It is that sort of holy agitation deep inside you. Daniel and his friends had it. In thousands of people, we only know the names of four students who had conviction and courage to do that next right God thing. Courage is when your conviction steps out. It is when you are wiling to risk what you have and who you are to reach someone for Christ, or to sell everything to travel to an unknown land to change the world. Here is a simple story that has lasted for decades. A story of one man who had deep convictions and did something about it. Ever notice how we always honor and admire people of courage? Ordinary people like Joshua and Caleb and Daniel and his friends. Ordinary people who have extraordinary faith and courage. We never name our kids after cowards. We are drawn to men and women and students who will have convictions and DO something about it. Here we are closing down businesses in his honor.
So maybe the day has become about the color, the pinching, the dancing, the parties….but it is about so much more. I was thinking… I wonder what will be our story? Our legacy? Our destiny? How will our one and only life change the course of history? Is it dangerous to trust what God wants? For sure. I would say it is more dangerous not to.
May the road rise up to meet you,
may the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rain fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
It is very different and extremely unique in that in combines normal informational stuff that a church website would have. In addition, it has a social networking platform much like myspace or facebook, that brings about greater levels of connection and internet community. There can be thousands of people who are connected together through the site, we have separate sites for all of our campuses and please know that a lot of bugs will be worked out as time goes on. It will get only better and will become far more functional.
This website virtually connects what will eventually be hundreds of Living Hope campuses around the world. We will be able to connect with the pastors, share resources, pray for each other, etc.
Check it out. It has been months and months of work behind the scenes and I wanted to publicly thank Jason Timm and his team. The hundreds of hours that have went into this site is pretty incredible. Thanks to the web team.
The new website for my blog is at johnbishop.tv. That is the new site for my blog and videos and speaking schedule. My blog will be there permanently. If you get this through a feeder, I would ask you to redirect it to the links below:
Michelle is speaking at our women's retreat this weekend. And I hate being alone. I miss her and it is just been hours she is gone.
We had some "man time" last night with a couple of the pastors, but the movie was lame and for the 4 of the 5 guys at my house, all were without their wives. Dismal night. You know what is interesting. Guys won't admit it, but they can't stand being without their wives. They just grow a beard and act all tough and when the day is over they aren't.
We all need our wives. Yes I said need. We only "need" to tell them more. Hard to be humble, but so necessary in relationships.
You know what else. How does a dad get in trouble by his almost 19 year old daughter? Weird.
Once the guys left, the kids were up (Hannah had friends over) and we were all hanging out and Taylor Clinton asks me to go to the store and buy pickles. I said "let's call Katie who is on the way home from a movie" We did, Katie proceeds to ask ME if I know what time it is...... It was 12:30 AM. THEN, she asked ME to give the phone to Taylor. I hear ya, I know, ok. Taylor gives me the phone back, and she heads upstairs to bed.
I was in trouble. Not only am I missing my wife and grieving her departure, now I am in trouble with my daughter.
When her and Heather got home. She asks are the kids in bed, I said ya. On her way up to bed, She comes into my office, smiling and says dad when I have kids, I am going to have to give you rules when you babysit.
I only responded with I think a better word would "IF" you have kids and "IF" I babysit......
I went to bed alone, the dog wouldn't even come into the bedroom.
It is a sad day for me. I have been blogging now for almost three years, and the cool thing we have over 3300 comments and almost 300 posts.
Blogging has been fun and as long as I can add personal value or value to leaders in the local church, it's been worth it. We will have blogs categorized and are adding over time some pretty cool features. I am really enjoying being able to write more. I wrote an article this week for the next issue of Outreach magazine. Blogging has been a good outlet for that. I am hoping to do a daily devotional type blog, in addition to the leadership, church and informational posts.
Because more people have asked where I am speaking, etc. we are adding a link for that section. It will list where and when I will be speaking (churches, conferences, etc). I know there are a few events in progress that we will be adding as soon as we get the official word. So keep checking as it is a work in process.
In an attempt to add more value and content, we have created a totally different look, and the best part is we are hosting it ourselves. Meaning we aren't using blogging software any longer. This eventually will be for all of our campus pastors as well. It has taken time to import the comments over, etc.
I want to publicly say goodbye to Typepad. Time to move on, grow up, move out on my own. You have served us well, and you have consistently "been there" for me. Late at night, I could count on your loyalty and friendship. Thank you Typepad. From the bottom of my heart. I need to stop, because I am getting pretty teary-eyed about the whole thing.
This new site is still a bit under construction and will be updated more each day. Have patience and give us your thoughts.
Otherwise we will be updating our feeds throughout the week. For the people who already have Kuzoa accounts, when you want to go to the new website, you can just log on as usual with your Kuzoa info. It will auto-create an account for you using the settings from your Kuzoa account.
You will have a new profile page and a new start page on the LHC website, which by the way will be launched this week sometime.
So from today, just visit my website to read the blog. You can comment there as well.
We started out a campaign this year called "This Is Your Easter." I would have never guessed what God was going to do when we created environments of encouragement and empowerment. One example is Treasa and Rick Conn, who with the help of Danny Joe and the rest of our teams, are starting a church in a bar. Specifically Dodge City Saloon (I know, we live in the west). Over the course of the weekend and during the last several days, there has been nothing but incredible momentum, buzz and support over what ONLY GOD might do. I feel like we're stretching and risking like Paul did, who wrote most of the New Testament. Paul was a legalist, a Pharisee, went to the best schools, from the tribe of Benjamin, he knew more than most in his day, and was respected by most everyone in his day. Yet when God broke his heart, his faith became break-through and he saw EVERYTHING differently. Look at the words he told the church at Corinth:
1 Corinthians 9:22-23 says, "...Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings."
I love that! I try to find common ground with everyone, and do everything so that I might bring them to Christ. The thoughts are pretty radical. When we broke the news about Dodge City, with over 5,000 people in all of our campuses, I thought that people would be frustrated, and I assumed people wouldn't understand, but it was just the opposite. We didn't hear any negative comments. Only positive, only encouragement, only support for Rick and Treasa, and in the end, ONLY GOD will be glorified. Thanks to the owner of Dodge City Saloon who is not only helping finance the campus, but is allowing us to use the facility every Sunday morning for no charge. Did you get that? Every Sunday morning for no charge.
I hope that we continue to find common ground and do whatever it takes to reach someone for Jesus Christ. When the day is over, the bar is simply a building. I'm glad to be a part of a church that always does whatever it takes to reach the next one person for Christ, which brings me to Easter. The total for Easter services at this point is that we have around 200 homes hosting Easter (Channel 12 at 10:00am). Here's the Easter service times for the Brush Prairie campus (10702 NE 117th Ave, Vancouver WA 98662): Wednesday at 7:00pm is the taping for the tv program. Friday services at 5:00 & 7:00pm. Saturday at 3:00, 5:00 and 7:00pm Sunday at 9:00 & 11:00am and 1:00pm. Sunday evening I will be preaching a completely different message on Baptism at 4:00 & 6:00pm. So if you attend a campus or have watched our service on tv and would like to be baptized, you can join us Sunday evening.
This weekend you'll be able to check our website for our other campus service times and locations.
To close, here's a bit of encouragement when it comes to inviting friends and family to Easter: 1. Find common ground with those you know. Accept them like God accepts you. (Rom. 15:7) 2. Be intentional. 3. Be invitational. 4. Be unconventional. (Maybe host an Easter House church...)
When your heart is really broken, your faith will be really break-through.
We looked at the story that is told in three of the Gospels (Mark 2, Luke 5 and Matthew 9). The story of the friends who were desperate enough to bring their paralyzed friend to Christ. They were friends who were intentional, courageous and creative. Seeing their friend healed is the only thing that mattered to them, and they weren't going to allow difficult situations to stop them.
I shared about a friend that I knew in High School, whom I did not "seize the moment" with, and the next time I saw him never came. I ran into his brother and he told me the untimely and unfortunate news that Doug had died. I made a commitment to always reach people and to try and take advantage of every moment, but when the time came, my faith shrank back and I NEVER told him about my faith. Sucks, but true.
This weekend, we talked about how being desperate as a church to reach lost people won't happen until everyone in the church is desperate for the people in their world. I guess I get a little passionate about this.
The story of these friends, sacrificing to carry their hurting and "broken" friend to Jesus, is the story of Living Hope. Our story has been people coming to a place of brokenness in their hearts, and then as God stirs or causes what I call a Holy Agitation to reach their friends, their faith becomes break through because they will do whatever...whatever it takes to get their friends to Christ.
We wrote down the names of hundreds and hundreds of people on the banners that are at the road. All week, if you want, stop and write down the name of a person who you will "carry to Jesus".
We can't wait until "next time" because we don't know. What we can do is allow our hearts to be broken with what matters to God. We can always focus on what is temporal, like the roof being messed up or we can keep our eyes on all that matters which is people.
Break-Through faith. It matters and it is how the world is changed. One friend, one mess, one person being willing to be interrupted for the sake of Eternity.
Next post I want to share about all the Easter updates. We have 200 homes (that we know about) who will be opening up their homes. We have signs for all the homes that are for their yards that say EASTER SERVICE HERE 9:30 AM. I have heard of SO many stories of people being intentional and creative to reach their friends and people they know and work with. Businesses closing for Sunday, but opening for church, apartment complexes, retirement homes, the Clark County work release center, and the list goes on and on and on. Let's not forget about Dodge City....
Those friends lived in Capernaum, which translated means villiage of comfort. They chose to not be comfortable and to risk and to do whatever it took for their friend. When the day was over, he got up, walked out and the Bible says the onlookers were "stunned" and they all praised God.
Broken hearts will always result in break-through faith. Will it be messy to reach your friends? Will it cost us something? Definitely, but truly wouldn't it be more messy not to?
I have been thinking alot and speaking less for the last 10 or so days. Not because I wanted to but because my voice hasn't "worked" very well. I am better, but my voice still isn't "there" yet.
I think so often, we don't stop to really appreciate the things God has done in our lives or gives us to use or enjoy. For 10 days, at first I thought how I have never been this sick, like I was throwing my own little party. Then, as the week progressed, I started thinking about how blessed I have been in my life. Words always matter. They always heal the people around us or they can be used as weapons to hurt those same people that matter to us and God. We are all products of words to very large degrees. I am not sure we quite get how much words matter. At least I don't and thought a blog devotional may help us.
This verse is a powerful thought and carries with it eternal ramifications.
"The tongue has the power of life and death..." Proverbs 18:21
Confession. Prior to this week, as a speaker or pastor I have never really thought about or NEVER thanked God for the gift of talking. The ability to use words and speak into people's lives. Out of necessity, I have, this week thought more about my words. What to say, what not to say, what I can say with the least amount of words, etc.
Check it out. The Bible has a lot to say about words.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, "For whatever is in your heart determines what you say..."
Like in many areas, we so often are sorry for what we "say" and what we ought to be about is getting beyond the spoken word and get to the words in our heart. Figuring out why we say what we say will ultimately and more permanently change what we say. Jesus reminds us that what we say reveals what is in our heart. Your mouth is simply the exit point for what was already there. When people say, "Where did that come from?", Jesus would say, "from your heart." He was speaking, rather frustrated actually, to the religious leaders who were so about how good they looked and how others could never measure up. This was one of those times you see Jesus really really not cool with stuff.
What words come from our mouth? When people say, "I just speak what's on my mind", first of all no, you speak what's IN your heart and secondly, why would you brag about that?
So often, we think we will try harder and not be angry. I met a person at our Longview campus this last Sunday who boldly admitted how he was angry and wanted to change how he acted and what he said to those he loved. I loved his heart and it was a privilege to pray for him, but my prayer was that God would reveal why he was angry.
Anger (for example) is always a secondary emotion. When you unpack it, and get to the "heart" of it you find out that every time you are experiencing anger, you are either hurt, frustrated or fearful. If I don't change the source, I won't change the outcome. I have to change how I think, allow the Spirit of God to cleanse my heart, to confess what isn't good, to see different and then the outcome will naturally change. It is for sure a process. Trust me.
Another one is sarcasm. I can be so careless sometimes. Really hate that about me and the words I say to people I would in reality die for. Sarcasm comes from a Greek word "sarkasmos" which means to tear flesh.
Heck, maybe we will have a whole blog series on words. So much to say... carefully....
To start with, let's make a commitment to talk less. Talking less was the thing that made me think about all of this. For me, it wasn't because I thought about it, it was because God allowed my voice to almost be coughed out of my body.
If you talk less, you will sin less.
Proverbs 10:19 says, "When words are many, sin is not absent."
Did you know that every day we speak enough words to make up a 50-60 page book? The average person speaks around 18,000 words per day. That makes up a library of books in a year, 100 books a year with 200 pages each. They say that most people by default talk too much. Like in fact 35% too much. Talk less, sin less.
Maybe we should just let this first "words" talk sink in. Maybe we should think more and talk less. Maybe before we go angrily into a conversation with our teenagers we should stop to think about where they are coming from. To think about the words we want to say and process them more through the grid is this what Jesus would say.
Maybe?
I think when we realize that our words have the power to bring life or death and we think about the ways we have helped each other or hurt each other, we can have a sobering wake up call to the power of our words.
Let's do this. How about getting real and practical? TODAY. Let's talk less and think more. Let's make this blog pact together today for our words to be used to change lives. Words bring healing and life or death and pain. When you allow that to sink in, it just may change you enough to begin the process. As we continue to learn, and unlearn, we will over time begin the slow process of being more strategic, intentional and life-giving with our words.
I have thought more about what I should say, what I shouldn't say, and in some cases what I haven't said. That has been the big 10 day lesson for me.
So, as God leads you, why not encourage the rest of us? Your stories become things we can share together.
I believe in my heart God wants to do more than we can imagine. I think we have these self-imposed limitations.
"You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." John 14:12-13
That is such a radical thought. Anything in the name of Jesus that brings glory to God. You have to picture it. Jesus has been with His disciples for over 3 years. He knows that that historical moment where He will die and raise from the dead is hours away. Jesus is in this timeless moment, after He washed the feet of His friends, and after He shared His last passover meal with them, He begins what He began when He called them to be His disciples. He always was about the people He led. There is the common and intentional thread through His life that was pretty cool. He believed in the people who followed Him. He spoke enouragement and truth into their lives. He let them lead, He let them fail, He loved them in a way that was so different and is so captivating. They gave up everything they knew to be part of Jesus' dream of changing the world.
Some things never change. Can I say that Jesus believes in you more than you believe in you? Really He does. Not only does He believe in you, He wants to do amazing things for HIS GLORY through your one and only life.
Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done and even greater works. This isn't a self-promoting look at me statement. This is about a God who risked everything for you to know Him. He is not only about risking, but is also about releasing each of us to do that thing that God has uniquely gifted us to do. I love that so much. He believed in His friends and then He released them to begin the church that all of today so much appreciates. He released them (AND YOU) to do greater works for His Glory. He releases us to take the message to people everywhere.
Talk about radical? Talk about dangerous trust. Talk about letting go of control. It seems that we over organize and in the process over complicate what I think ought to be organic and simple. I love churches. I love pastors. I also believe that too many churches in the name of religion and control prevent people from being whom God created them to be.
I think lately, as I think about the future of the church, I am most excited to release people, to empower them, to trust them, to help and support them be about that "thing" that God made them to do. I think our greatest destiny will not be in what we do, but in investing in others.
Easter will be one living example of this statement that was said by Jesus 2000 years ago: Whoever believes in me will do even greater works.... How sweet it that? We will collectively take Easter to as many people as we can in and around the greater Portland metro area this year. Our primary focus is taking the message to everyone everywhere, to people who may never otherwise darken the doors of any church. It is the message and the freedom and the story of Easter that will change people forever. Our goal is to see thousands saved and connected to local churches around the Vancouver/Portland area. We are working on details right now, call center details, follow-up details, launching churches everywhere details. Stuff God already has answers for. After all, it is His church and He promised to grow it.
We will leverage technology for God's glory and for eternity. People are stepping up in pretty cool ways.
We have business owners opening their stores and offices to have Easter services. We have more campuses starting on Easter than we could have imagined. AND, we will have all of our normal Easter services at ALL CAMPUSES.
I hope this year will be marked with us Risking more, Releasing more and REACHING more for Jesus Christ. I hope you walk into a dangerous trust relationship, and believe Him to do even greater works than He has ever done in and through your life. I am excited, as you risk, release and reach more.
Feedburner RSS Feed
Email Delivery
