I had the incredible honor yesterday of being in the "delivery room"
as a friend became a newborn Christian, giving their life to Jesus as their Savior and Leader for the very first time. Incredible moment, I will never forget it.
Here is the scripture that God used to convinced them to become a Christian: Romans 10:9
'That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Alltop..The Place I Am Going to for News
Guy Kawasaki who spoke at Catalyst and has a blog here . Guy has developed an incredible collection of blogs, web pages and newspaper sites on every topical imaginable at http://www.alltop.com/
This is quickly becoming THE place I go for blogs, articles and news.
Check out the top news in Christianity at http://christianity.alltop.com/
This is quickly becoming THE place I go for blogs, articles and news.
Check out the top news in Christianity at http://christianity.alltop.com/
Catalyst West Coast Re-Cap
Catalyst West Coast premiered last week here in Orange County. I had the honor of attending this Church leadership conference, here are some of my takeaways from Day 1:
(go here for thoughts on Catalyst West Coast - Day 2 )
Host: Mariner's Church, Irvine, Ca
Have you ever visited this Church? Incredible campus! The Church has its own lake, skate park, modern wood framed chapel, state of the art auditorium and a Student Center that looks like Vans Skate park at the Block of Orange. I have never seen a Church quite like this one. A few of us at Calvary are thinking about taking over this church campus "pirate style" and making it the new Calvary Church....Stay tuned.
Atmosphere of Catalyst: Encouraging, Fun
From the moment I arrived, I could tell this conference was going to be fun. As you walked into the main building, there were a group of "fans" and "papparazi" greeting you on a long red carpet...kind of cheesy, but seriously it was encouraging! And the end of each day, Catalyst volunteers were staged at the parking lot exits washing car windows, holding banners and just genuinly being excited that everyone came. In between arriving and leaving the conference had all kinds of fun suprises from free Chick-Fil-A (Andrew Cathy is my hero) to free thunder sticks at every seat and comedians to kick off various sessions like this guy:
Worship Vibe: Loud, Passionate, Hillsong!!!!!!!
Hillsong United kicked off worship at Catalyst with such humility, passion and musical chops...To be honest, I am growing tired of the Nashville produced, Goo-Goo Doll Hair Weaving, V-Necked T-Shirt wearing, Prom Songs to Jesus Styled Worship Leaders that seem to be filling Christian bookstores with CD after CD. Catalyst had a few of these types as well, but Hillsong brought it with such excellence and the ability to simply get out of the way and let people worship Jesus.
Speakers: Wow.
Here is a run-down of the speakers from Catalyst...God really used these men and women to grab my attention and remind me that I need to be dependent on Jesus Christ each day...
Andy Stanley - I have always respected Andy and I try to listen to his sermon podcasts from time to time, but his talk in session 1 of Catalyst made my respect for this man skyrocket. He talked about uncertainity and leadership. Here are a few quotables:
"The World is uncertain, God is not uncertain."
"I will always be uncertain in leadership, I am uncertain of it."
"When uncertainty goes away, leadership is not needed."
"Uncertainty is job security for leadership."
"Be honest with your leadership teams in times of uncertainty."
2 Things Andy retreats to in Times of Uncertainty:
1) Clarity - Goes back to the original vision God called him to. He tells his team what God has called them to and encourages them to trust God for what is uncertain.
2) Flexibility - Plans change in times of uncertainty, vision remains the same!
Great reminder from Andy's talk: The epic center of God's plan of redemption, the Cross looked so uncertain, out of control, yet God was completely certain and in control.
Guy Kawasaki - Guy is a former Apple employee, business tech entrepreneur and committed Christian. Check out his blog at http://www.guykawasaki.com/
Quotables:
"Don't be afraid to take a stand, you can't please everyone."
"Make a mantra, not a long mission statement." (2-3 words that define your Church)
"Don't be afraid to fail initially."
"10-20-30 rule of presentation: 10 powerpoint slides, 20 minutes for presentation, 30 font minimum." (Guy suggests the general rule of thumb is create a presentation font that is at least half the age of your audience, ex. speaking to 80 year olds...create a 40 point font).
Catherine Rohr - Catherine is a graduate of Cal-Berkley, a veteran of wall street and a prison teacher? Goes to show you that when a person meets Jesus, he wrecks them in all kinds of amazing and great ways...Catherine leads a ministry called Prison Entrpreneurship Program which has changed the lives of hundreds of prisoners in the State of Texas. The program is about to launch nationwide and as part of Catalyst they gave away 2 free trips to prison. And guess what? My friend Renate, who serves on staff with us at Calvary, won! So she and a guest get a free trip to prison to check out Prison Entrpreneurship!
Craig Groeschel - A pastor in Oklahoma, Craig has some great words for Church leaders..Here are the highlights:
"I am learning that Church needs to be dangerous, God is not safe."
"I used to think it was all about building my Church, now I realize it is about building the Kingdom."
"Build your Church not on what you don't do, but on what you do."
"We are s small Church with a mega vision."
Craig also described what type of Christian he is trying to develop at his Church. Level 1 Christians say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to benefit from it." Level 2 Christians say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to contribute to it." Level 3 Christians (the ones he wants at his church) say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to give my life to it."
Ravi Zacharias - The intellectual genesis of Christianity, Ravi said so many things that were deep and powerful, it is hard for me to sum them up in a few words, but here I will try:
"What is society asking us to celebrate these days?"
"We pass down to the next generation what we celebrate today."
"When you stand at the grace of a loved one you long for the reality of eternity."
Brian Houston - The Pastor of Hillsong Church in Austraila and the father of Joel Houston, the lead signer of Hillsong United, Brian pastors a Church of over 21,000 people, yet seems so humble. Pretty cool talk on the Church, where he said:
"I'd rather be an artist than an art critic. I'd rather be a Chef than a food critic. I'd rather make films than be a film critic. I'd rather build into the Church than be a Church critic."
"I love being part of the Church."
Nick Vujicic - The final speaker from Day 1 of Catalyst. Nick is from Austraila as well. He was born without legs or arms, yet lives his life with such a joy as he trusts in Jesus. He ver passionate about Jesus. Here is a You Tube scene of him speaking recently in Orange County:
I will review Day 2 Catalyst Speakers, Erwin McManus, Rick Warren, Francis Chan, Jud Wilhite and Perry Noble in an upcoming post!
(go here for thoughts on Catalyst West Coast - Day 2 )
Host: Mariner's Church, Irvine, Ca
Have you ever visited this Church? Incredible campus! The Church has its own lake, skate park, modern wood framed chapel, state of the art auditorium and a Student Center that looks like Vans Skate park at the Block of Orange. I have never seen a Church quite like this one. A few of us at Calvary are thinking about taking over this church campus "pirate style" and making it the new Calvary Church....Stay tuned.
Atmosphere of Catalyst: Encouraging, Fun
From the moment I arrived, I could tell this conference was going to be fun. As you walked into the main building, there were a group of "fans" and "papparazi" greeting you on a long red carpet...kind of cheesy, but seriously it was encouraging! And the end of each day, Catalyst volunteers were staged at the parking lot exits washing car windows, holding banners and just genuinly being excited that everyone came. In between arriving and leaving the conference had all kinds of fun suprises from free Chick-Fil-A (Andrew Cathy is my hero) to free thunder sticks at every seat and comedians to kick off various sessions like this guy:
Worship Vibe: Loud, Passionate, Hillsong!!!!!!!
Hillsong United kicked off worship at Catalyst with such humility, passion and musical chops...To be honest, I am growing tired of the Nashville produced, Goo-Goo Doll Hair Weaving, V-Necked T-Shirt wearing, Prom Songs to Jesus Styled Worship Leaders that seem to be filling Christian bookstores with CD after CD. Catalyst had a few of these types as well, but Hillsong brought it with such excellence and the ability to simply get out of the way and let people worship Jesus.
Speakers: Wow.
Here is a run-down of the speakers from Catalyst...God really used these men and women to grab my attention and remind me that I need to be dependent on Jesus Christ each day...
Andy Stanley - I have always respected Andy and I try to listen to his sermon podcasts from time to time, but his talk in session 1 of Catalyst made my respect for this man skyrocket. He talked about uncertainity and leadership. Here are a few quotables:
"The World is uncertain, God is not uncertain."
"I will always be uncertain in leadership, I am uncertain of it."
"When uncertainty goes away, leadership is not needed."
"Uncertainty is job security for leadership."
"Be honest with your leadership teams in times of uncertainty."
2 Things Andy retreats to in Times of Uncertainty:
1) Clarity - Goes back to the original vision God called him to. He tells his team what God has called them to and encourages them to trust God for what is uncertain.
2) Flexibility - Plans change in times of uncertainty, vision remains the same!
Great reminder from Andy's talk: The epic center of God's plan of redemption, the Cross looked so uncertain, out of control, yet God was completely certain and in control.
Guy Kawasaki - Guy is a former Apple employee, business tech entrepreneur and committed Christian. Check out his blog at http://www.guykawasaki.com/
Quotables:
"Don't be afraid to take a stand, you can't please everyone."
"Make a mantra, not a long mission statement." (2-3 words that define your Church)
"Don't be afraid to fail initially."
"10-20-30 rule of presentation: 10 powerpoint slides, 20 minutes for presentation, 30 font minimum." (Guy suggests the general rule of thumb is create a presentation font that is at least half the age of your audience, ex. speaking to 80 year olds...create a 40 point font).
Catherine Rohr - Catherine is a graduate of Cal-Berkley, a veteran of wall street and a prison teacher? Goes to show you that when a person meets Jesus, he wrecks them in all kinds of amazing and great ways...Catherine leads a ministry called Prison Entrpreneurship Program which has changed the lives of hundreds of prisoners in the State of Texas. The program is about to launch nationwide and as part of Catalyst they gave away 2 free trips to prison. And guess what? My friend Renate, who serves on staff with us at Calvary, won! So she and a guest get a free trip to prison to check out Prison Entrpreneurship!
Craig Groeschel - A pastor in Oklahoma, Craig has some great words for Church leaders..Here are the highlights:
"I am learning that Church needs to be dangerous, God is not safe."
"I used to think it was all about building my Church, now I realize it is about building the Kingdom."
"Build your Church not on what you don't do, but on what you do."
"We are s small Church with a mega vision."
Craig also described what type of Christian he is trying to develop at his Church. Level 1 Christians say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to benefit from it." Level 2 Christians say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to contribute to it." Level 3 Christians (the ones he wants at his church) say, "I believe in the Gospel enough to give my life to it."
Ravi Zacharias - The intellectual genesis of Christianity, Ravi said so many things that were deep and powerful, it is hard for me to sum them up in a few words, but here I will try:
"What is society asking us to celebrate these days?"
"We pass down to the next generation what we celebrate today."
"When you stand at the grace of a loved one you long for the reality of eternity."
Brian Houston - The Pastor of Hillsong Church in Austraila and the father of Joel Houston, the lead signer of Hillsong United, Brian pastors a Church of over 21,000 people, yet seems so humble. Pretty cool talk on the Church, where he said:
"I'd rather be an artist than an art critic. I'd rather be a Chef than a food critic. I'd rather make films than be a film critic. I'd rather build into the Church than be a Church critic."
"I love being part of the Church."
Nick Vujicic - The final speaker from Day 1 of Catalyst. Nick is from Austraila as well. He was born without legs or arms, yet lives his life with such a joy as he trusts in Jesus. He ver passionate about Jesus. Here is a You Tube scene of him speaking recently in Orange County:
I will review Day 2 Catalyst Speakers, Erwin McManus, Rick Warren, Francis Chan, Jud Wilhite and Perry Noble in an upcoming post!
Carlos and the Weekend that Was
Great, but busy Weekend! Catalyst West Coast was incredible. I haven't had time to lay down my thoughts yet, but I will shortly, with re-caps on each speaker and thoughts on the overall conference.
This weekend was packed.
Catalyst conference, Birthday Party, Wedding Shower, Angel's Game, Homeless Outreach, Lincoln Elementary Outreach, California Pizza Kitchen, Sharing Jesus Without Fear Class, Polly's Pies, Church Today, House Chores, Pre-Marital Counseling, buying couches...The Doan family bit off a little more than we could chew this weekend. Still recovering...In the meantime, you MUST watch this video made by the highly creative folks from Mosiac Church Film Team..."Awakening The Hero"
This weekend was packed.
Catalyst conference, Birthday Party, Wedding Shower, Angel's Game, Homeless Outreach, Lincoln Elementary Outreach, California Pizza Kitchen, Sharing Jesus Without Fear Class, Polly's Pies, Church Today, House Chores, Pre-Marital Counseling, buying couches...The Doan family bit off a little more than we could chew this weekend. Still recovering...In the meantime, you MUST watch this video made by the highly creative folks from Mosiac Church Film Team..."Awakening The Hero"
Catalyst West Coast and 54 People at Starbucks
Catalyst West Coast begins tonight!
14 of us from Calvary will be at the conference tomorrow and Friday.
Some great speakers (Francis Chan, Perry Noble, Dan Kimball)
and a great band (Hillsong United) should make this an encouraging and memorable couple of days. I am praying the Lord uses Catalyst to gives me a renewed vision for being a Pastor and deeper passion for the things of God. I will post some speaker notes and general impressions of the conference on this blog the next two nights.
Last Sunday our Church issued the Mercy Challenge. Based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10, we asked folks to pick up a business sized card with a specific challenge to carry out an act of mercy. See the specific challenges here.
The cool thing is, we are starting to hear of what happened as people carried out the mercy challenge. One guy grabbed a card that said, "Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line at a coffee shop as an act of mercy." He carried out this challenge this week and it began a "Pay it forward" phenomenon where 54 consecutive people at a local Starbucks paid for the person's coffee behind them! Amazing!
14 of us from Calvary will be at the conference tomorrow and Friday.
Some great speakers (Francis Chan, Perry Noble, Dan Kimball)
and a great band (Hillsong United) should make this an encouraging and memorable couple of days. I am praying the Lord uses Catalyst to gives me a renewed vision for being a Pastor and deeper passion for the things of God. I will post some speaker notes and general impressions of the conference on this blog the next two nights.
Last Sunday our Church issued the Mercy Challenge. Based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10, we asked folks to pick up a business sized card with a specific challenge to carry out an act of mercy. See the specific challenges here.
The cool thing is, we are starting to hear of what happened as people carried out the mercy challenge. One guy grabbed a card that said, "Pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line at a coffee shop as an act of mercy." He carried out this challenge this week and it began a "Pay it forward" phenomenon where 54 consecutive people at a local Starbucks paid for the person's coffee behind them! Amazing!
Pastors: A Non Tech Person Gives Tech Advice
Pastor Buddies and Bible Study Leaders,
You may be light years ahead of me on this one but just in case:
Did you know Google Books has tons of Bible commentaries available on-line to read for free?!! I have just discovered this tool.
You have to wade through some sketchy stuff and some books only allow a limited preview, but if you know your commentaries (and publishers) you should fare well.
You may be light years ahead of me on this one but just in case:
Did you know Google Books has tons of Bible commentaries available on-line to read for free?!! I have just discovered this tool.
You have to wade through some sketchy stuff and some books only allow a limited preview, but if you know your commentaries (and publishers) you should fare well.
A good way to conduct a search would be to type in "Zondervan Commentaries on..
Here is the link to get started: http://books.google.com/books
This served me well in my studies tonight on Isaiah 55.
Here is the link to get started: http://books.google.com/books
This served me well in my studies tonight on Isaiah 55.
Lives Worth Saving in Santa Ana, California
My heart has been breaking over the past few months as the increase in gang activity in our city of Santa Ana has seemingly skyrocketed. Young men killing each other over marijuana deals, street names and dirty looks. It seems so senseless.
Ironically, Townsend St. is named after Cameron Townsend. Cameron is the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, one of the largest missions organizations in the world. Cameron grew up in Santa Ana, attended my Church, Calvary Church, and began Wycliffe Bible Translators here in Orange County. His nephew Lorin Griset, later became a two time mayor of Santa Ana and has a junior high school right off of Townsend St. named after him, the Lorin Griset Academy. Both men were instrumental leaders in the development of Calvary Church.
I am hoping to go through their 32 hour gang ministry class in the near future.
Today, I spent time with my friends at KidWorks, a non-profit community center in Central Santa Ana who is doing something about our city's heart-breaking gang problem.
KidWorks in located right off of Townsend St, historically one of the most notorious streets in all of Santa Ana for gangs, drugs and violence. KidWorks has placed itself in the midst of Townsend St. to be the salt and light of Jesus Christ to the neighborhood. Their goal is to help develop and encourage the kids and families of Townsend St. and to show them the love of Jesus.
Ironically, Townsend St. is named after Cameron Townsend. Cameron is the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, one of the largest missions organizations in the world. Cameron grew up in Santa Ana, attended my Church, Calvary Church, and began Wycliffe Bible Translators here in Orange County. His nephew Lorin Griset, later became a two time mayor of Santa Ana and has a junior high school right off of Townsend St. named after him, the Lorin Griset Academy. Both men were instrumental leaders in the development of Calvary Church.Now in 2009, Calvary Church, is going back to Townsend St. and in the shadows of Lorin Griset Academy, supporting the ministry of KidWorks. I love how God works! This Saturday, a group of students and members of our Church are heading over to Lincoln Elementary down the street from Townsend St. to provide a day of service and maintenance to the school. I am so excited about this project and introducing more members of our Church to this neighborhood with Calvary ties where God is still moving!
Last week in the local newspaper, the story of another Santa Ana ministry was highlighted called "Lives Worth Saving." You have to read this article, amazing, amazing stuff.
I am hoping to go through their 32 hour gang ministry class in the near future.Recently Dave Gibbons, a Pastor at NewSong Church in Irvine, California was quoted as saying, "When darkness occurs, that’s when the church can shine. The church is never brighter than when it’s darkest."
I think this is so true. We are seeing a lot of sad and tragic things happen in our city and in Orange County. May God's Church be used by Him to Shine in these times!
April Culture Watch
What You Tube Video received 26 million hits this week?
This one...starring previously unknown singer Susan Boyle.
Amazing phenomenon.
The Parable of the Sea
Dan Kimball pointed me to a video called "The Parable of the Sea." The video is found on a GREAT UK website called ilovepinatas.com which is linked to an even better UK website called Proost. Here is the Sea Parable video:
Why a Strangers Hug was Better than a Pastor's Hug
A few weeks ago an awful, tragic event happened to a family in the neighborhood of our Church. Their 23 year old son, was killed in a drive-by shooting right in front of the family house. Read about it here.
I never had the chance to meet Eduardo, but apparently he had been attending our Church for the past few months before his death. His parents speak Spanish at home, so a few days after the tragedy, me and the Hispanic Ministries Pastor from our Church went over to the house to be with the family. Have you ever spent time with parents as they are in the initial stages of grieving the death of a child? There is nothing like it. It is so painful, so overwhelming, so intense for parents to bury a child, no matter how old the child was. I felt so inept to offer anything to the family as we stood in their living room. Pastor Armando and I simpy hugged the family, listened and prayed.
As we were leaving the house a City Parks and Rec worker pulled up to the house. The house is across from a city park our Church has adopted and apparently the shooters had hid in the bushes across the street from the house before their attack. The Dad had called the city a few days after the shooting complaining about the overgrown bushes at the park and asking for something to be done so another senseless act wouldn't happen there again. This is why the City worker showed up.
God's Incredible Timing
As we walked out, I realized the city worker was a friend of mine. As the community outreach pastor, I have gotten to know him over the last 2 years through our efforts at the Park. A few months ago, the Parks and Rec worker had opened up to me about the death of his son 10 years earlier, a victim of a brutal drive-by shooting. Even 10 years later as he shared with me, tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke about his son. I hadn't seen this guy in months but just as we were leaving the house, he was the city worker who randomly was assigned to answer the complaint. Incredible!
When we explained what happened, my city friend immediatly got this look on his face which showed he understood the pain. I explained to the Dad that they had both experienced the same tragic loss of a son. Then the city worker and the Dad hugged right there in the middle of the street. As much as I had tried to bring Jesus' compassion and comfort to this family, nothing communicated Jesus' love more than that hug in the street from a stranger who had experienced the same thing.
I have been reflecting on this experience the last few weeks and I have a developed a thought. God never wastes our pain. When we are hurting, I mean really hurting, sometimes the only people we will truly allow in to help us experience comfort are those who have experienced the same type of pain. This is one of the reasons Jesus is so amazing. In Hebrews 4 we read that Jesus can understand our pain because He has experienced it too.
"14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
I never had the chance to meet Eduardo, but apparently he had been attending our Church for the past few months before his death. His parents speak Spanish at home, so a few days after the tragedy, me and the Hispanic Ministries Pastor from our Church went over to the house to be with the family. Have you ever spent time with parents as they are in the initial stages of grieving the death of a child? There is nothing like it. It is so painful, so overwhelming, so intense for parents to bury a child, no matter how old the child was. I felt so inept to offer anything to the family as we stood in their living room. Pastor Armando and I simpy hugged the family, listened and prayed.
As we were leaving the house a City Parks and Rec worker pulled up to the house. The house is across from a city park our Church has adopted and apparently the shooters had hid in the bushes across the street from the house before their attack. The Dad had called the city a few days after the shooting complaining about the overgrown bushes at the park and asking for something to be done so another senseless act wouldn't happen there again. This is why the City worker showed up.
God's Incredible Timing
As we walked out, I realized the city worker was a friend of mine. As the community outreach pastor, I have gotten to know him over the last 2 years through our efforts at the Park. A few months ago, the Parks and Rec worker had opened up to me about the death of his son 10 years earlier, a victim of a brutal drive-by shooting. Even 10 years later as he shared with me, tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke about his son. I hadn't seen this guy in months but just as we were leaving the house, he was the city worker who randomly was assigned to answer the complaint. Incredible!
When we explained what happened, my city friend immediatly got this look on his face which showed he understood the pain. I explained to the Dad that they had both experienced the same tragic loss of a son. Then the city worker and the Dad hugged right there in the middle of the street. As much as I had tried to bring Jesus' compassion and comfort to this family, nothing communicated Jesus' love more than that hug in the street from a stranger who had experienced the same thing.
I have been reflecting on this experience the last few weeks and I have a developed a thought. God never wastes our pain. When we are hurting, I mean really hurting, sometimes the only people we will truly allow in to help us experience comfort are those who have experienced the same type of pain. This is one of the reasons Jesus is so amazing. In Hebrews 4 we read that Jesus can understand our pain because He has experienced it too.
"14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Easter Sunday at Calvary Church
I was so moved by the worship gatherings at Calvary yesterday.
Everywhere you looked Sunday, there were visitors and prodigals spread throughout
the crowd hearing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the power He has to change lives! I was moved to tears by the worship thru music.
Here was the Easter Set List:
1. "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" (traditional Hymn)
2. "Happy Day" by Tim Hughes
3. "Beautiful" by Phil Wickham (coming to Calvary this Thursday Night!)
4. "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman
5. "Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall (coming to Calvary this Thursday Night!)
6. "All Because of Jesus" by Steve Fee
The catalyst of the worship response was an worship element we called "Cardboard Testimonies." We based this element from an idea we saw here:
Pastor Dave delivered a passionate, very personal message based on John 20 (you can listen to the podcast here).
Ryan Rhoel, Trevor Behrns, Doug Brown and Anna Gold designed an amazing set for Easter. Tammy Harris put together the cardboard testimonies. It felt like a real team effort Sunday.
After the 1st service I had the honor to pray with a visitor who is caught up in a drug addiction. Right in the lobby of our church on a busy Easter morning, he, his girlfriend and I prayed for him and for Jesus to do a miracle in his life.
I walked away Sunday thinking, wow, that was church!
If you were at Calvary on Easter Sunday, leave a comment telling me what you thought.
If you were at another church on Easter Sunday, tell us how it went!
Everywhere you looked Sunday, there were visitors and prodigals spread throughout
the crowd hearing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the power He has to change lives! I was moved to tears by the worship thru music.
Here was the Easter Set List:
1. "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" (traditional Hymn)
2. "Happy Day" by Tim Hughes
3. "Beautiful" by Phil Wickham (coming to Calvary this Thursday Night!)
4. "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman
5. "Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall (coming to Calvary this Thursday Night!)
6. "All Because of Jesus" by Steve Fee
The catalyst of the worship response was an worship element we called "Cardboard Testimonies." We based this element from an idea we saw here:
Pastor Dave delivered a passionate, very personal message based on John 20 (you can listen to the podcast here).
Ryan Rhoel, Trevor Behrns, Doug Brown and Anna Gold designed an amazing set for Easter. Tammy Harris put together the cardboard testimonies. It felt like a real team effort Sunday.
After the 1st service I had the honor to pray with a visitor who is caught up in a drug addiction. Right in the lobby of our church on a busy Easter morning, he, his girlfriend and I prayed for him and for Jesus to do a miracle in his life.
I walked away Sunday thinking, wow, that was church!
If you were at Calvary on Easter Sunday, leave a comment telling me what you thought.
If you were at another church on Easter Sunday, tell us how it went!
The Death of a Hero
Wednesday Night, I had the opportunity to go see my favorite baseball team, the Oakland A's take on the hometown Angels. It was an incredible game with my A's making a dramatic comeback in the 9th inning to win the game.
What I and the 44,000 folks who witnessed the game didn't know, was that we had just witnessed the last pitching performance and hours of Nick Adenhart's life. Adenhart was the starting pitcher Wednesday night for the Angels and he pitched the game of his life, shutting out the A's for 6 innings. 
About 3 hours after the game, Adenhart and 2 friends were killed, innocent victims of a drunk driver running a stoplight. So sad. My heart breaks for Adenhart's family and close friends. The news here in Orange County has devoted tons of attention to this story and Angel fans have been pouring over to Angel Stadium to pay respects at a makeshift shrine.
About 3 hours after the game, Adenhart and 2 friends were killed, innocent victims of a drunk driver running a stoplight. So sad. My heart breaks for Adenhart's family and close friends. The news here in Orange County has devoted tons of attention to this story and Angel fans have been pouring over to Angel Stadium to pay respects at a makeshift shrine.For some reason, although I never met Adenhart and hadn't followed his career very closely, this story has really affected me. Maybe it is because I was there to see him pitch Wednesday, maybe it is because it makes me realize the fraility of life. I can't exactly pinpoint it, but I feel really heartbroken about this.
But we are not left without hope.
The death of another hero, the Ultimate Hero, gives us hope that this life is not all there is.
Did you know, death is the very reason Jesus came into this world?
The Bible tells us, when sin entered into the world through the Fall (Genesis 3) death became a reality for all created things. Trees, animals, plants, and even people, all eventually die. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 11, Jesus comforts a lady named Martha who had just experienced the death of her brother by saying these words, "25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
How could Jesus make such a bold statement?
Jesus could promise Martha and each of us life beyond this earthly life, because of a death that would change everything. A death so significant, the world know marks history by its date.
Whose Death Changes Everything?
Jesus's death.
Today is good Friday. The day we celebrate the death of the ultimate hero
Jesus, fully God and fully man, came into this world to die for the sins of you and I. Jesus takes the punishment that we deserve. Our sin deserves an eternal punishment, because, our sins have been committed against an eternally holy God. Jesus sacrificial death on the cross, satifies our punishment against a holy God. When we believe in Jesus as our Savior and Leader, our sins are forgiven...Once and for ALL!
How can Jesus death lead to life?
Jesus overcame death and sin. The grave could not hold him. On the 3rd day in the grave, the Bible tells us, Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and sin. This is what the Easter celebration is all about. Celebrating Jesus' victory over death, Jesus is alive!
Look at what 1 Corinthians 15 from the Bible says:
"3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me." (Apostle Paul)
So we mourn for those who die, especially for those who die so young, but...
When we personally and individually place our trust in Jesus, the ultimate hero, we are given the promise that after this life ends, those who have trusted in Jesus, will have the guarantee of eternal life in heaven with God.
The Most Important Question I Will Ever Ask On This Blog:
Have you personally placed your trust in the Ultimate Hero, Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sins and the guaranteed promise of eternal life in heaven?
How to Prevent a Stolen Car
I have to share a crazy story from 2 weeks ago. I went to lunch with Willie Cavecche, who was back in Orange County on Spring Break from the University of Washington.
We met for lunch at Del Taco, which if you don't live on the West Coast, you may have never heard about this wonderful mexican eatery. Think Taco Bell, but cheaper AND better quality.
Anyways as Willie and I were walking into Del, a homeless man approached us and asked us for a dollar. We politely said, no, but he persisted....so I punched him!
No, I didn't punch him, I told him this:
"I won't give you a dollar, but I will buy you a sandwich at the grocery store across from Del Taco."
He agreed and Willie and I cruised over the store, bought him a sandwich and brought it over to him. He sincerely thanked us, we talked with him for a moment and then proceeded to head into Del Taco.
As we sat down with our food, some hyper, loud high school girls piled into the booth next to us.
Then, the homeless man walked into the Del and began walking straight towards the girls. This naturally caught my attention as the man moved closer and closer to where the girls were sitting. All of my former High School Pastor protector/dad skills kicked in and I wondered, what is this guy doing and what will I do if he does something inappropriate?
Then, the homeless man walked into the Del and began walking straight towards the girls. This naturally caught my attention as the man moved closer and closer to where the girls were sitting. All of my former High School Pastor protector/dad skills kicked in and I wondered, what is this guy doing and what will I do if he does something inappropriate? He stood in front of their table, bent over, got real close and said, "are these your keys girls?" As he said this, he pulled out some keys and waved them in front of the girls.
One of the girls said,
"yes, those are my keys."
The man waved the keys again in front of the girls and said,
"I found your keys left in the ignition of your unlocked car. Normally, I would have stolen your car. I would have been long gone by now. But those guys right there (pointing over to me and Willie) did something nice for me and gave me a free sandwich. And now I am going to do something nice in return and give you back your car keys."
Crazy! The guy didn't steal the car because we bought him a $3.50 pre-packaged sandwich. The girls sat in stunned silence and the guy gave them the keys and walked away. They looked over at us and smiled and said, "Thank you."
Del Taco never tasted so good.
Listening Well
At Church today I tried a little personal experiment.
On a normal Sunday, I have between 100 and 150 individual conversations.
Today, I attempted to listen 10 seconds longer than I normally do in conversation.
As I spoke to people, rather than jump in and tell my own story to go along with there story, I simply tried to wait, be patient and listen a little bit longer.
How did I do?
You know what? It was difficult!
I wanted so badly in a few interactions to say something that I thought was really important, rather than "just" listen. In other conversations, I completely blew it and didn't listen at all, sadly dominating the conversation, steering in the direction I wanted it to go.
Listening as a Discipline
My goal for the next few weeks is to train myself to be a better listener, so that I can be a more effective Pastor/Friend/Husband/Dad/Jesus Follower.
Who I Have To Really Practice Listening To
Jesus. I must admit, I have been doing a lot of the talking lately in my day to day journey with Jesus Christ. It is time for me to rest, be still and become better at simply hearing from God thru His word, through the Holy Spirit, even through silence.
Are you a good listener?
If yes, how do you do it?
If no, why do you think that is?
Why is this so moving?
Jason Loftis sent this video from David Johnson to Victor Estrada on Facebook (Got that?) and I spied on it through the powers of FB and for some reason I was deeply touched by it...Check this out:
Stand By Me from David Johnson on Vimeo.
Why is this so moving?
Stand By Me from David Johnson on Vimeo.
Why is this so moving?
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