Orange County Pastor

Sweet Note From My 6 Year Old Daughter to God

2012-01-22T20:49:00.001-08:00

Read the Words of Jesus 4x in 2012

2012-01-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

I came across a great service that emails you a chapter a day from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
and allows you to read through the entire words of Jesus 4 complete times in 2012.

You can even pick what Bible version you want to use!

Interested to join me? Go here to sign up

A Truth that Sets Me Free

2012-01-08T22:50:00.000-08:00

i Attended a great class at Calvary today taught by my friends Steve and Kathy Weems on World Missions ("Perspectives"). Check out info on the class here or better yet, if you live in Orange County, join us next Sunday... During the course of the class Steve asked me to read out loud the following verse. I almost couldn't finish it without openly crying as the truth of this wonderful passage hit me to the core. We are free from sin and death because...

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

¹⁴ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Video of John 12:20-26 Sermon from Calvary

2012-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Missed Church last Sunday? Not to worry, here is video of my message at Calvary Church from New Years Day called, "Following Jesus in 2012."

New Year's One Service from Calvary Arts & Media on Vimeo.

Great Preaching Discussion with MacArthur, Swindoll, Laurie and McDonald

2012-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

This post is directly for Pastor's. I love the discussion and insight Swindoll and other's give in this link below.

Go here to watch.

John 12:20-26 Sermon Outline

2012-01-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of preaching at this morning's January 1st service at Calvary. It was a tough week to study for a sermon, as the family and I were up in Santa Cruz all week visiting my parents and brother-in-law and sister. But at the same time I loved the process of preparing and preaching this message to the Church I care so much about.

Here is my sermon outline of John 12:20-26 for January 1, 2012.

I. Jesus invites us to Follow Him (John12:20-22)

a. Gentiles too!
John 12:21 (Greeks: “…Sir, we wish tosee Jesus…”)

b. Whoever Believes
John 3:16 (“…that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will not perish…”)

c. Pray for those who haven’t yet “seen” Jesus
2nd Corinthians 4:4 (“…god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of theunbelieving…”)

II. Jesus warns us that there is a great costto Following Him (John 12:23-26)

a. Jesus’Personal Cost

i. John12:23 – “…The hour has come…”

b. Dyingto Self

i. John12:24: “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies..”

ii. John12:25: “…He who loves his life loses it,and he who hates this life in this world…”

c. FollowingMeans Serving

i. John12:26(a): “…he must follow Me

ii. John12:26(b): “…if anyone serves Me…”

III. Jesus encourages us that there is a greatreward for following Him (John 12:23-26)

a. Glorythru Suffering

i. John12:23 – “…for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

b. Fruitthru Death

i. John12:24: “…if it dies, it bears much fruit…”

ii. John12:25: “…he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal…”

c. Honorthru Service

i. John12:26(a): “…and where I am, there myservant will be also…”

ii. John12:26(b): …if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

Prayer for the Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T23:05:00.001-08:00

This post from Scotty Smith is so so good.

A Prayer for the Day After Christmas

Following Jesus in 2012

2011-12-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

“The cross redefineslife in terms of giving, not taking; self-sacrifice, not self-protection; goingto the back, not getting to the front."

Tullian Tchividjian (Grandson of Billy Graham)

New Community Outreach Center at Saddleback Church Opened Today

2011-12-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

Saddleback Church opened a brand new Community Outreach Center (P.E.A.C.E. Center) today on their Lake Forest campus. It will house free and low cost medical care, legal counsel and a food bank among other things. At Calvary Church Santa Ana, we are praying and preparing to open something very similar in the coming years in what we call the "Reach Center". We currently own a 2 story medical building as a Church that we hope to one day transform into 10 Kingdom focused outreach suites. It is exciting to see Saddleback's example as we pray and plan for our own building.

Here is a quick video from the OC Register on the PEACE Center opening:

A Great Site for Church Creative Types

2011-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

That's right, I mean you Aaron Lemen, Trevor Behrns and Tim McMahon...
Creation Swap is a really great site for as their tagline states, "give, take, buy, sell Church media.
I met Matt Gruber the founder of Creation Swap this past Sunday at Calvary Church..
He is a great guy with a great heart and vision for the Church.

Check out Creation Swap here.

A Great Post on Singleness

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

My cousin Nathan has some great thoughts on singleness...

http://natemilnik.com/blog/married-people-are-too-big-to-fail/

Good Neighborhood Engagement Ideas

2011-12-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

As the Local Outreach Pastor at Calvary Church, I am constantly looking for creative ways to encourage our people to engage their neighbors. I recently came across a great secular website that has lots of creative ways to engage neighborhoods in conversation...As Christians on Gospel mission some of these ideas could be adapted to create some really interesting Gospel centered conversations with people in our communities.

Check out the website

http://civiccenter.cc/

Here is one neighborhood engagement idea from the site...

What They Found at the Bottom of Echo Park Lake

2011-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

{Public Disclaimer}: Today's entry has nothing to do with Pastoring or Orange County, but I have been really behind on posting lately, so it's time to simply begin the discipline of writing and posting to get me going again...

During my last year in college in 1998, I interned for the Los Angeles Dodgers up in LA, above the Echo Park neighborhood. Each day, I would make the hour drive from La Mirada to Los Angeles and my exit would always take me past Echo Park Lake. The Park at the time was in a really tough neighborhood and the Lake was the epicenter for a lot of shady activities, drug deals, etc (although it was used as a backdrop to some of the scenes from Michael Jackson's epic music video to "Thriller.").

Each day I would drive by and think to myself, I wonder what they would find if they ever drained that Lake? This question entertained me on a daily basis...

Well today, 13 years later, I finally got my wish as the Echo Park Lake was recently drained and the findings from the bottom of the Lake were made public. Here are some of the treasures that were discovered...(taken from echoparknow.com)

Park Trash Cans – 20
Construction cones – 36
Shopping Carts – 7
Portable Stereos/Boombox – 3
Pay Telephone – 1
Skateboard – 6
Parking Enforcement Boot – 1
Toilet – 1
Glass bottles – Hundreds
Model Boat – 2
Frisbee – 20
Weapons (guns) – 2
Office Chair – 6
Miscellaneous toys, Trash, Debris – Hundreds

The pay telephone and the parking enforcement boot have to be my favorites. I wonder what would possess someone to throw a office chair into a Lake? Office Max said "no" to the return?

God With Us

2011-11-30T00:35:00.001-08:00

Great video from Village Church in Texas..."Jesus come. Come quickly!"

Advent: God With Us from The Village Church on Vimeo.

Matt Barkley - USC Quarterback

2011-11-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

I am a diehard UCLA Football fan and this is rivalry week with crosstown enemy, USC.
But I have to admit I am a big fan of USC Quarterback Matt Barkley...

Clink on the link below to see why...

Home - I Am Second

10 Ways to Pray for Those Who Don't Know Jesus

2011-11-20T15:40:00.001-08:00

Today at Calvary Church, I had the joy of teaching session III of our "Reach Lifelab." Our Lifelabs are 4 week, one hour, interactive sessions, centered around the 3 purposes of our Church which are to "Connect (with God and others), Grow (in our faith) and Reach (Orange County and the world for Jesus Christ)."

Our goal is to have every adult in our Church go through the 3 Lifelabs.
3 years into our goal, I would guess about 30% of our Church have gone through the Labs.
Not bad for a Church our size, but this number also shows we still have a long way to go to get every Church member thru the labs. Discipleship/Pastoring is never done!

In today's Reach Lifelab, we discussed evangelism and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to those who haven't yet placed their faith in Jesus Christ and Savior and Lord. We asked each person to write down 5 people they want to see come to know Christ and then asked them to take the 10 specific ways listed below and adapt them to their prayers for their friends...

1. AskGod to open their spiritual eyes (2Cor. 4:4).

2. AskGod to give them ears to hear (Matt. 13:15),

3. AskGod to give them faith to believe (Acts20:21).

4. AskGod to give them the will to respond (Rom. 10:9).

5. AskGod to send people into their lives to witness (Matt.9:38).

6. AskGod for ways to build caring relationships (ICor. 9:22).

7. AskGod for opportunities to witness (Col.4:3).

8. AskGod for boldness to witness (Acts4:29).

9. AskGod for an opportunity to invite them (Luke14:23).

10. AskGod to set them free from spiritual captivity (2Tim. 2:25-26).

(This list is adapted from Bill Hybels/Mark Middleburg's excellent book, "Contagious Christianity")

I encourage you to take these 10 ways to pray and use them to pray over your family and friends, neighbors and co-workers who have yet to make Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord.

Orange County Thanksgiving Service Opportunity at Downtown Disney

2011-11-17T18:14:00.001-08:00

Want to serve others in Orange County on Thanksgiving Day? Here is a great opportunity...

House of Blues, in collaboration with Second Harvest Food Bank
And Anaheim City School District
Anaheim, CA 92802
House of Giving-Thanksgiving Day Event
We are looking for volunteers to hose and serve the families on November 24th. There are two
shifts available from 8:00AM to 11:30AM or from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. Please RSVP by email to
anabrand.intern@livenation.com. Include in e-mail your first and last name, how many people
will be volunteering and preferred shift. Casual dress code and long hair will need to be pulled
back. Volunteers are asked to park in Downtown Disney with up to 5 hours of free parking with
validations from The House of Blues retail store. All ages are encouraged and groups are
welcome.

Contact: Leonella Baudino
anabrand.intern@livenation.com
714-520-2302

Be A Gift: 11 Ways You Can Impact Orange County This Christmas Season

2011-11-16T17:04:00.001-08:00

Starbucks is already playing Christmas music; Target has its Holiday Lights section stocked and ready to go. The Malls are already crowded and it's not even Thanksgiving!
Are you ready for Christmas?!

I want to propose to you a radical, but really joyful and freeing idea this Christmas season...
What if this Christmas, we spent more time thinking and planning about how to serve those in need rather than thinking and planning on what color sweater to buy Uncle Jim or what gadget to ask others to buy for us?

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells those who follow Him, “Let your light shine before men in sucha way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is inheaven.” – Matthew 5:16

The 11 opportunities listed below are listed in order by date and specific opportunities we are highlighting at my Church, Calvary Church of Santa Ana this Christmas season. But feel free, even if you don't go to Calvary to get involved with one of the following projects. I know that each one is a worthwhile endeavor and could greatly use your help!

May the following opportunities be ways in which we are used here in Orange County, California to glorify God and point others to Jesus through our compassion, love and grace...

1. Christmas MilitaryOutreach at Camp Pendleton (Dec. 1, 2, 3)
Join Calvary Reach LocalPartner, Children Giving Gifts (www.Childrengivinggifts.org) and “Toys for Tots” at Camp Pendleton in SanDiego the first weekend of December in providing over 3,000 low-income childrenfrom Camp Pendleton Military Base, the opportunity to select 2-gifts to give totheir parents for Christmas. Volunteers are needed at Camp Pendleton from9am-5pm on Thursday, Dec 1^st, Friday, Dec 2^nd andSaturday, December 3rd to help distribute gifts and help children through theselection process. To sign up for one of the shifts, contact Janice Fitzgeraldat JFitzGerald@calvarylife.org or 714.550.2310.

2. Donate a Book to aLow-Income Santa Ana Elementary Student (Dec 4, 11, 18)
CalvaryChurch has adopted Garfield Elementary School in East Santa Ana as partnerproject. On Christmas Eve morning, stafffrom Garfield and teachers from every Santa Ana Unified School District Schoolwill volunteer to distribute food, toys and books to low-income students andfamilies at Santa Ana High School. They have asked us as a Church to help withbook donations. Books should be brandnew or slightly used and can be dropped off at Calvary during the Christmasprogram (Dec. 2^nd-4^th) or on a Sunday morning in theWorship Center Lobby Sunday, Dec. 4^th, 11^th or 18^th. Contact Matt Doan for questions or more infoat mdoan@calvarylife.org or 714.550.2378.

3. Donate a Christmas FoodBox to a Single Mom (Donation due by December 7^th)

Calvary Church is partnering with Golden Share Foods (www.goldensharefoods.com) on a monthly basis todistribute discount grocery boxes to member of our Church and community. Specifically this Christmas, we would love todonate boxes to Single Mom’s in our Church. Boxes range from $24 to $45 and canfeed a family of 3-4 for a week. Todonate a food box to a single mom in need this Christmas, contact Janice FitzGeraldat 714.550.2310 or JFitzGerald @calvarylife.org

(Deadline to order a food box in Wednesday, December 7^th)

4. Deliver an Angel TreeGift to a Child of a Prisoner (December 10th thru December 18th)

There are thousands of kids in Orange County who willexperience Christmas this year with the reality of having a Mom or Dadincarcerated in prison. Angel Tree(www.angeltree.org) serves as a tool of Prison Fellowship (www.pfm.org) to serve inmates with the love of Jesus Christand share the Gospel with them and their families. Our annual Angel Tree Luncheon at CalvaryChurch is Saturday, December 10th from Noon to 2:30pm in Fellowship Hall. Tovolunteer to help with the luncheon contact Jessica atjessicalynn76@gmail.com . TheFollowing Week we need teams of people to help deliver gifts to children whowere not able to make our luncheon. Most of the children live in theTustin/Santa Ana/Orange area. To deliveran Angel Tree gift to a home, contact Tom Robb at tcrobb@cox.net or call Janice at 714.550.2310.

5. Encourage An OrangeCounty victim of Human Trafficking by donating to a Christmas Wish List(Donations due by December 11th )

TheOrange County Human Trafficking Task Force (www.ochumantrafficking.org) provides Christmas gifts for those whohave recently been rescued from human trafficking situations here in OrangeCounty. This is an opportunity toconcretely be the hands and feet of Jesus to a victim of human trafficking. TheChristmas Wish List of “June” (age 22) is below:
This is what the case worker had to say about “June”: “She is a very “girly”girl and loves makeup. She has had a very difficult year and has beenstruggling to get back home out of state. She has a lot of strength and courageand is trying to be independent. Now that the trial is over she is hoping tomove out of state. A little “sunshine” for the holidays will remind her thatthere are people out there who care and are not out to hurt her or cause pain.”Wish List: Winter coat- black, size: Medium; Jewelry (bracelet,rings)-silver and any types of gems; Hygiene products (shampoo/conditioner/body wash); Hair accessories; Gift cards to Target and/or Walmart.To donate an item to “June’s” wish list contact Rachel Snyder at rachel@thesnydersonline.com

6. Volunteer at a ChristmasToy Wrapping Party for Orange County Homeless Elementary School Students(December 12^th, 13^th, 14, 15^th)
Children Giving Hope (www.gchope.org) , a non-profit local reach partner of CalvaryChurch, is hosting a week of Christmas Toy Wrapping parties at the G.C.H.facility/warehouse (8332 Commonwealth Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621), December 12^ththru 15^th. All the toys beingwrapped will go to Homeless students who participate in the ‘We Got Your Back”program, a food outreach to homeless families here in Orange County. Volunteersare needed on Monday, December 12th from 6:00pm to 9pm, Tuesday, December 13thfrom 1:00pm to 4pm and Wednesday, December 14th from 1:00pm to 4pm, and onThursday, December 15^th from 6:00pm to 9pm. Contact: Drew Brysonat dbryson@godaid.org or 714-523-4454 to sign up for one of these shifts.

7. Serve an At-Risk Childthru Olive Crest’s “Be The Miracle” Christmas Campaign (Donations due by December 15th)
Withchildhoods shattered by abuse and neglect, many kids at Olive Crest have nevergrown up in joyful expectation of Christmas. Calvary Church and OliveCrest inviteyou to “Be the Miracle” this season by granting a wish or giving a donation.These wishes are so much more than gifts to open Christmas morning. They areopportunities to remind kids at Olive Crest that they are valued, remembered,and special to God and to us. Go to www.olivecrest.org and click on “Be theMiracle” to find specific wish lists and donation requests or call 714-543-KIDS(5437), ext. 1119. Deadline is Thursday,December 15^th.

8. Volunteer to serveLow-Income Families in East Santa Ana and West Tustin thru “Christmas in theNeighborhood” (December 17^th)

Calvary Church is partnering with Families Together ofOrange County (www.factoc.org) to help serve over 2,000 children in the East SantaAna/West Tustin area thru an event called “Christmas in the Neighborhood” onSaturday, December 17^th from 12pm to 2pm (621 W. 1^st St.Tustin, Ca 92780). Volunteers are needed the week before the event to sort andwrap toys. Contact Sonya at sonyaalexrossel@cox.net or 714-931-0457 formore info or to sign up to volunteer.

9. Volunteer at The Orange County Toy Collaborative/Toys for Tots Warehouse (November 28^th thru December 23^rd)

The Orange County Toy Collaborative is the primary sourcefor most Orange County non-profit Christmas toy giveways. Volunteers are neededdaily to unload trucks, sort donated items and pack toys for distribution fromNovember 28th thru December 23^rd. Volunteer shifts are available onweekdays & weekends. Minimum age to volunteer: 18. Volunteer shifts areavailable daily at 8:00AM and noon. Contact: Jane Dawson at Jane.dawson@ocgov.com or 714-834-7440.

10. Provide Rain Ponchos and New Socks to Santa AnaHomeless (December 1^st thru December 23^rd)
Mercy House (www.mercyhouse.net) in Santa Ana (807 N. GarfieldSt. Santa Ana, Ca 92701) is a non-profit homeless prevention and emergencyservices provider. Mercy House hosts the Cold Weather Armory Homeless Shelterin Santa Ana, December thru March. They are in need of rain ponchos, packagesof men’s and women’s socks (sizes 6-12) and McDonald $5 gift cards todistribute to the Homeless this Christmas season. For more info or to find outwhen to drop off donations, Contact: Ashleigh at ashleigha@mercyhouse.net or 714-836-7188 x102.

11. Donate to the Orange County Rescue Mission ChildDevelopment Center (December 1^st thru December 23^rd)
The Orange County Rescue Mission (www.rescuemission.org) “Village of Hope” in Tustin provides a campusfor over 200 men, women and their children, who are working at putting theirlives back together after experiencing homelessness. The Child Development Center at the “Villageof Hope” cares for the children of the men and women in the program. Christmas donations needed for the babies andpreschoolers of the Rescue Mission include: Diapers (size 4, 5, 6); baby wipes,under Jams (diapers for big kids), Little swimmers, diaper cream, children’ssocks & underwear, boy’s clothing (2T-4T); Swiffer wipes (wet), boxes ofgloves (disposable rubber/latex), pop up wipes (with bleach) Goldfish crackers,pretzels, trail mix, baby cracker/cookies. Donations should be marked Villageof Hope “Child Development Center” and dropped off at the Village of Hope Warehouse(One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA 92782) between the hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm(Mon-Sat). Contact Mike Martinez at mmartinez@rescuemission.org or (714) 247-4300 withany questions or more info.

Good Joke Opener for a Men's Breakfast

2011-11-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

As a Pastor, at some point in ministry you will be asked to speak at a Saturday Men's Prayer Breakfast...
As a public service, here is a good bacon joke to open your message...(disclaimer: I did hear several boo's after telling this joke, be prepared)

A starving boy goes to a wise man and says,"Wise man, I am very hungry I need food."
The wise man tells the boyto trek across the forest and on the other side there will be a bacon tree. Thestarving boy treks across the forest for hours until he sees a small tree withpigs hanging from the branches. As he goes to grab one of the pigs there issuddenly gunfire and bullets flying everywhere. The starving boy goes back tothe wise man and says, "I found the bacon tree but there was gunfireeverywhere!" The wise man says, 'I'm sorry boy, that was no bacon tree,that was a hambush." (found on Reddit.com)

Orphan Care Sunday at Calvary Church

2011-11-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our Church along with thousands of other Churches all over the world will participate this weekend in remembering our calling as Churches and Christians to remember and take care of the orphan. I am praying for 10 new families at Calvary to chose to adopt in 2011-2012. Please join me in praying for this goal!

To learn more about out our Calvary Church Orphan, go here...

My Best Huell Howser Impression

2011-11-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

If you are not from California, you have most likely never heard of Huell Howser. (No, he isn't Doogie Howser's Dad). Huell Howser is a legend in California for his Public Television Series called "California Gold" where he explores fascinating and historical landmarks of California.

Check out a clip of California Gold here.

Anyways, last week as part of our Church's 80th anniversary weekend, we hit the streets of downtown Santa Ana and created our own version of Huell. Watch below...

Urban Renewal project from Calvary Arts & Media on Vimeo.

Books on the Nightstand

2011-10-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

3 Books I am enjoying right now and recommend to you...

The Best Starbucks Location in Orange County

2011-10-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

I know it is trendy to say Starbucks is lame and the best coffee is really found at (Insert trendy local coffee shop here), but I am proud to admit that I love Starbucks coffee.

Recently here in Orange County, I have discovered an incredible exclusive Starbucks in Irvine (Off of Irvine Blvd. and Culver) which is not only the location of where I asked my wife Marie to be my girlfriend on August 8, 2001, but now it is also home to the exclusive "Clover" press, a brand new state of the art coffee press where you can select from a half dozen reserve coffee's offered no where else in Orange County...
If you love coffee, you need to go check this place out.

This week, Starbucks also released a new Blond coffee that I am really excited to test out.
Here is a video introducing the new blend...

A Marriage Book Marie and I Highly Recommend

2011-10-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

2 years ago, Marie and I stumbled upon a 1991 sermon series from Tim Keller on Marriage based on Ephesians 5. The 9 sermons in this series have had a huge impact on our marriage ever since. I am really excited that Tim Keller and his wife Cathy have adapted this marriage series into a book due out this November...
See the trailer below:
The Meaning of Marriage Trailer from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

Gospel Tracts and Cases of Beer

2011-10-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, a high school student came upto me and asked me for some Gospel tract booklets. I gave him a pretty big stack and he excitedlytook them and left. The next day, he came back and asked for moretracts…I looked at him and said, “What happened to theones I gave you yesterday? I gave youover 100…”

His eyes lit up and he looked at me and said “I left your office and went down to Alberston’sgrocery store. I was going to walkaround the store handing out the tracts to people, but then I got a betteridea…I went up and down the soda and beer aisles andslipped a Gospel tract in every case of soda and beer!!

I looked at him and said, “That is awesome, I love your passion…But….

You can’t do that! That is called tampering, youcould get arrested for something like that!

We then devised some more legal strategies forhim to pass out tracts and off he went.

About 2 weeks later, a lady called our Church. She asked to speak to a Pastor and got a hold ofBob Johnson…She told Bob, “Hey I got your Church’s phonenumber off the back of a little booklet, I found in a case of beer.

I read through it and I want to know more about Jesus Christ!”

How crazy is that!!

Now, I am not advocating that we start a tractsmuggling ministry in our local grocery stores!!!

Please don’t do that. But, this is just evidence of God’s power atwork in our Mission.

If He can use a small Gospel tract in a case ofbeer, He can THRU his power use anything and everything!

Our job is to be obedient,to stayfocused on our Mission and God’spower will do what He wills from there!

Reach Magazine from Calvary Church

2011-10-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

3-4 times a year we produce a magazine in-house at Calvary Church, highlighting ways people at Calvary are serving Christ locally and globally. I am really excited about some of the new ways God is calling our people to serve...

Check out the latest REACH Magazine

Colossians 1:24 and Suffering

2011-10-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

You most likely found this site by googling, "Colossians 1:24" because you are either:

A. Teaching on it tomorrow and looking for some last minute help

B. Doing a personal study on the most difficult passages in the Bible

C. Really, really bored and running a google search on every verse in the Bible

No matter how you got here, I thought I would share some of the thoughts I have come up with on this great, but confusing passage from the Bible.

{Adapted from my sermon at Calvary Church Santa Ana on October 2, 2011}.

Here is the verse: (NASB)

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions."

Paulis writing to the Colossians from Prison.

Why ishe in prison?

He isnot in there for any crime against humanity.

He isin prison b/c he preached Christ and Christ crucified…& inthe process offendedthe religious & political leaders of the area.

Ironically,before he met Jesus,Paulwas on the other side of the fence, being an activepersecutor of Christians. Infact he is recorded at being at the scene of the killing of the 1^stmartyr of the early Church (Stephen). WhenPaul b/comes a Christian, He wascompletely transformed.

(Justlike many of us have been).

And Hegoes from hating Jesus and his followers

Tobeing a leader of the movement and willingly suffering on behalf of Jesus & his followers.

May we be reminded thru Paul's story that no one is beyond God’s love and trans formative power!

Verse24 tells us, Paul’s suffering,

“Fillsup what is lacking in Christ’s affliction.”

Whatdoes this mean?Itsounds rather odd at first glance…

Itcan’t mean that Jesus’ work on the cross is somehow unfinished or needs Paul’shelp.

Paulhas just spent the previous verses in Colossians 1 telling us how Christ isenough!

Jesusis supreme, He has paid the full penalty for our sins thru His death & resurrection.

So what does Paul mean here inVerse 24, “Filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions?

I believe Paul means,
The world misunderstands and hates Jesus.

Although Christ is notpresent physically to be mocked and persecuted by the world,

His followers are. So Christ continues to be persecutedby those who do not believe, thru the persecution of his followers.

This is what Paul is filling upthru his physical suffering, the world’s desire to keepafflicting Jesus…

And it is not just Paul whosuffers this way.

You may have heard this weekabout the case in Iran,where a judicial court has sentenced

Iranian Christian, Youcef Nadarkhani

To death for being a Christian,for proclaiming Christ…

3 Times the court has asked him torecant Christianity and 3 times Youcef has simply said, “I cannot.”

Just this week, President Obamahas publicly condemned Iranfor the planned execution,

And just yesterday, the Iraniangov’t created false charges of {rape and extortion} against Youcef just to getinternational pressure off of their backs…

It is is very difficult timefor Christians in Iran.

But one thing I can guaranteeyou, is that as Youcef, sits on death row, he is being comforted and ministeredto by the Lord.

For whenwe suffer for the sake of Christ and for his Church (as Paul did), we canidentify with Jesus and better understand just exactly what he did on ourbehalf in going to the Cross.

Thisability to relate to Christ’s suffering, produces a fresh sense of Thanksgiving to the Lord,

A renewedsense of gratefulness,and adeeper need for dependence and intimacy on the Lord.

And Iknow like Paul, Youcef rejoices over his suffering because of this.

Iheard of a group of Korean Missionaries who were arrested and jailed in aMuslim country for proclaiming Christ. Afterexperiencing torture, solitary confinement and emotional and physical abuse,they were finally released.

Areporter caught up with them a few years later back in Korea and asked them,

“Doyou just try to block out the memories of your persecution?”

They curiously responded, no, just the opposite,

“Weoften long to be back in that prison…

Forour dependence and worship of God in that prison cell was so much more rich andmore authentic than anything we have experienced since being released.”

Paulexperiences this in his sufferings for Christ and this is why he can truly say,

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions."

Orphan Sunday, November 6th - I Am Praying for 10

2011-09-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the video we plan to show at Calvary Church for Orphan Sunday on November 6th.
I am praying that thru this Sunday and thru our current "Considering Adoption" class we are hosting this fall at Church, we will have 10 families chose to enter into the process of foster care or adoption by the end of the year. God, make the way!

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Blog Link Update

2011-09-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

I recently updated my Blog Links (see right hand side bar) and wanted to let you know some details about the bloggers/websites I've listed:
*Disclaimer - Although I recommend each of the following blogs + websites, I do not fully endorse or am aware of all content contained in my following links. Use your own discernment and judgment.

Eric Wakeling (Executive Pastor at Calvary Church Santa Ana - just jumped back into the blog world with a new tumblr account...good, good stuff)
MoreThanDodgeball.com (Saddleback Church's High School Pastor Josh Griffin's thoughts on youth ministry. I love his creativity and passion for God and students).
Catalyst Catablog (Great ministry resources and thoughts from the people who bring you the Catalyst Conferences)
OC Deals (Random Orange County deals from the Orange County Register site. I just found a $655 roundtrip airfare from LAX to Turkey on this site!)
22 Words (Blog from John Piper's son, Abraham. This blog is completely random and mostly a collection of links he finds, but really, really funny.)
Mark Driscoll.tv (Pastor of Mars Hill Seattle's brand new blog/website)
Resurgence (Birthed from Mars Hill Seattle and Mark Driscoll, this is a really great site for Pastors)
Vince Antonucci (Church planter starting a Church in Las Vegas. He has a great heart for people. I don't always agree with his methods, but his writing always makes me think).
Church Leaders.com (Great resources for Pastors)
Phil Cooke (Media Expert, Christian, Speaker, Blogger...He always has something interesting to say)
Vertical Church/James MacDonald (Pastor at Harvest in Chicago, He is becoming a national leader in the Evangelical Christian movement. I really like his thoughts on preaching and Pastoring. Also the guy who created the "Elephant Room" discussion)
Ordinary Pastor (Really Gospel focused, I am challenged in healthy ways by this blog)
Joe Thorn (Blog on Theology, Culture, Life and Church)
Koinonia (Hosted by the publishing company, Zondervan...good theology/pastor nerd blog)
Challies (This has become my favorite blog over the past year. Thought provoking posts from full-time blogger and Canadian, Tim Challies. Excellent links in the daily a la carte section)
Perry Noble (Pastor from South Carolina. Always has an encouraging word for Pastors and for the people of the Church he leads)
Practical Shepherding (Found this blog from Brian Croft thru Tim Challies and it has become a powerful tool of practical advice and encouragement in my role as a Pastor).
The Good Book Blog (Posts from Talbot Seminary Professor's, great ideas on ministry and theology)
Johnny Baker (UK Blogger posting on creative worship experiences, culture, faith and life. I especially like the "worship tricks" regular posts. One of the posts inspired a 2012 Easter Idea we are mulling over at Calvary).
Russell Moore (The Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of "Temped and Tried." Russell has become a mentor from afar to me over this past year. I love his focus on the Gospel and his love for Hank Williams music. Excellent, excellent writer).
Joshua Harris (Pastor at Covenant Life Church in Maryland and author. I love his thoughts on the Gospel and on being a Pastor.)
The Village Church Pastors Blog (Matt Chandler's Home Church in Texas. I am inspired and encouraged by Matt's passion for Jesus and his Christ centered battle with a brain tumor)
Nate Milnik (My brillant wife's cousin's thoughts on philosophy, God and culture. Nathan is truly the most interesting man in the world as he works for Nick Vujicic and his ministry, traveling all over the world).
Hovivian Herald (My friend Cory's account of his journey to share the Gospel to the wonderful people of Ireleand)
EDL Blog (The blog of our High School group at Calvary Church Santa Ana. I love the team God has placed together to lead our students)
Ed's Journey (Ed Noble, Pastor of the Journey Church in San Diego. I love Ed's heart for God and for the people of his Church. I have learned so much from him over the years).
Francis Chan (Chan's blog about his walk with God and ministry. Every time I hear from Francis, I want to love God with more devotion and passion. One of the most inspiring leaders of our generation.)
Darrell Bock (The expert theologian on the Gospel of Luke and a great professor from Dallas Seminary)
Ryan Whieldon (Pastor at Sunkist Community in Anaheim, Ca. Great thinker and writer and one of my closest friends).
Whit Mitt Designs (My creative and talented Sister-in-law's event design website, check it out!)
A's Nation (My devotion to all things Oakland A's Baseball. Seriously my baseball obsession Bborders on unhealthiness. Here is the blog I go to to read all things Oakland A's).

Any other blogs you recommend I should list on my Blog Links?

Nice to meet you Seth...

2011-09-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

A week ago Sunday, Marie and I welcomed our newborn son, Seth Russell Doan into the world..
He was born in Irvine, weighing in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches. God is good!
The past week has been filled with getting to know this little guy and adjusting to being a family of 5.

Why the Name Seth?
No we didn't name him after Seth Myers of SNL Fame or after actors Seth Green and Seth Rogan.
Nor did we name him after Seth Godin, the Blogger and Marketing genius (although he is a pretty great guy). I do have to say that our friend Seth Beasley is someone I admire and respect a lot and he gave the name some great credibility. As did our family friend Seth Lemons and his amazing 3 year old BMX skills.

The thought of naming our son Seth, first came to us 5 years ago, when I was sitting in a Old Testament History class at Talbot Seminary and we were studying Genesis 4.
In Genesis 4, Eve is quoted as saying, “...And she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for she said, 'God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” Eve names her 3rd child, "Seth" which means "appointed one" or "substitute one" in Hebrew. Adam and Eve named him Seth to commemorate and remember God's faithfulness to them in providing them with a son after the awful tragedy of losing both of their sons, one to murder and the other to sinful rebellion.

After class that day, I immediately went home and told Marie about the name Seth and what it meant to Adam and Eve and why they named him that and how it would be a great name to someday name one of our boys after.

Fast forward 5 years ahead from that conversation to this past Fall. Last Fall, Marie and I sadly lost a baby to a miscarriage. It was a really difficult and painful experience. Yet God showed his faithfulness and kindness to us in allowing us to get pregnant with Seth only a short time after that! We feel so humbled by God's provision of a new baby. This is one reason we wanted to name him Seth, as a way of reminding us of how God so quickly provided for us after the tragedy of our miscarriage. And as Seth was Adam and Eve's 3rd child, our son Seth, is our 3rd as well.

Adam and Eve's Seth, is also found in the New Testament book of Luke as being in the family line of Jesus. In Luke 3:38, Seth is listed as the son of Adam and Jesus', great, great, great, great x 20 grandfather, in the family tree of Jesus.

Why was Seth listed in this line?

After the death of Abel and the sin of Cain, Seth became the next oldest son and took the place of the firstborn of Adam and Eve, inheriting all of the status and rights of this position. This meant that Adam and Eve's family name was passed down through the line of their 3rd son, Seth. Extra-Biblical Historical accounts also describe Seth as being a man of noble character and wisdom (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews). Seth is a well respected historical figure by both Christians, Jews and Muslims. There is even a mosque named for Seth in Lebanon and there is a feast day of Seth on July 26th in the Armenian Apostolic Church calendar!

I know I am thinking way ahead, but perhaps God will use our little guy someday in World Missions with this commonly respected name to reach Jews or Muslims with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

So these are some of the reasons we named our son, Seth. Thank you for your many prayers and encouragement for our family as we welcome our new son!

*Also - The middle name "Russell" is from Marie's Grandfather, Russell Hess....

The Most Fascinating Place To Be In Orange County Today

2011-09-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

"The Wedge" (Newport Beach, Ca)
photo courtesy of Thomas John Sebourn
Found from Nick Bogardus Twitter

For Pastors: Battling the Envious Soul

2011-08-31T14:42:00.001-07:00

Here is a message to Pastors on Envy from Pastor Matt Kruse.

New Church Network in Orange County

2011-08-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a fairly new Church network beginning in Orange County....

The Gospel Coalition/Orange County

The Violin Guild by NT Wright

2011-08-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Eric Wakeling, one of the teaching pastors at our Church, (Calvary Church) found a parable written by the theologian NT Wright, which he wanted to share as part of his sermon a few weeks ago on John 10:22-42. This passage from John sadly describes the Pharisees and Religious leaders of Israel rejecting Jesus. Wright's parable is meant to be a creative version of these events using the parable of a Violinist.

Five of our talented staff/members of Calvary Church (Anna Gold - Illustration, Tammy Harris -Video Editing, Ryan Roehl-Sound, Trevor Behrns-Director and Chuck Ball-Narration) worked together behind the scenes to put it in the format you see below. We showed this to begin Eric's message from John 10 to set up the sermon.

Powerful video!

The Violin Guild by N.T. Wright from Calvary Arts & Media on Vimeo.

Jesus in Everyday Life

2011-08-24T09:28:00.001-07:00

Almost a decade ago I walked into the bookstore at Biola University and saw a poster for a band named "EveryDayLife." I was struck by this name and the implications it could have for high school students who desired to follow Jesus on a daily basis. This was the era when Church youth groups had to have a name!

So I went back to my staff in our High School Ministry at Calvary Church and pitched the idea that we change the name of our Youth Group to EveryDayLife. I explained that our goal with the students we served was to get them to see that Jesus and the Gospel was important, relevant and necessary not just for their lives at youth group, but in each part of their lives in every day of their lives. As Colossians 3 says, "Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ...."

Our staff was on board, so we officially changed the name of our High School Group to EveryDayLife, "EDL" for short. Ever since that name change, I have never been able to say the term "every day life" and not think about what our mission was back then (and still is today).

This mission is still a great challenge to me today. Do I invite God to be part of my vacations and off days and free time in the same way I do when I work or worship at Church? Is Christ the Lord of my family time and my TV time and errand running time in the same way that I want Him to be of my ministry time? These are convicting and encouraging questions for me to ask myself.

Along those lines, I came across this great article today I invite you to read, "The Preeminence of Jesus in Everyday Life."

May Jesus be central in your every day life today!

10 Ways the Bible Says to Love One Another

2011-08-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Paul Tautges lists 37 ways the Bible tells us to love one another in this great post. (from Challies)

1. Be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10).
2. Give preference to one another (Rom. 12:10).
3. Be of the same mind toward one another (Rom. 12:16).
4. Accept one another by withholding judgment (Rom. 14:1).
5. Accept one another by showing deference (Rom. 14:1–5; 15:7).
6. Esteem [highly regard] one another in love (Rom. 14:5; Phil. 2:3).
7. Build up one another (Rom. 14:19; 1 Thes. 5:11).
8. Counsel one another (Rom. 15:14).
9. Serve one another by showing deference in matters of liberty (Gal. 5:13).
10.Bear one another’s sin burdens (Gal. 6:2).

Want to see the next 27 Paul found? Go here.

My Advice To A Local Outreach Pastor's First Morning On The Job

2011-08-18T16:39:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine emailed me today and told me the exciting news that he has just been named the local outreach pastor at his Church. He asked me for any advice I would give him in this new position in Local Outreach and here is what I wrote...

====================================================

Welcome to the party! This is such an awesome, fulfilling calling and a bit overwhelming because of the many needs we have in Orange County. Matthew 5:14-16 contain some amazing words to live by as a Pastor of Outreach:
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Here are (6) things I would do in my first morning on the job...

#1 - Get on your knees and pray as the first thing you do {this job is intense}.

#2 - RSVP to this...The Best Missions Network I have ever seen
Date: September 1st, 2011
Time: 9:30am to 12:00pm (lunch served at 12pm after the end of our meeting)
Place: Mariners Church in the Upper Room located at 5001 Newport Coast Drive, Irvine, CA 92603
Meeting Location – The Upper Room at Mariners Church. Once you enter the church property follow the signs up towards the Global Café and Bookstore and proceed to the Upper Room located on the 2nd floor.
Please Bring – your laptop and any written or electronic resources you’d like to share with other leaders.Please RSVP to Skip at (949) 813-2755 (or) Email to: slanfried@gmail.com

#3 - Go on Amazon and order "For the City" by Darin Patrick and Matt Carter, "Externally Focused Church" by Rick Rushaw and Eric Swanson and "Radical" by David Platt

#4 - Bookmark the website, Externally Focused Network
and spend 30 minutes on it after lunch...

#5 - Check out the Local Outreach websites of these Churches:
Calvary Church Santa Ana
Mariners Church in Irvine
Newsong Church in Irvine
North Coast Church in San Diego
Grace Brethren Long Beach
Redeemer Pres. in New York

#6 - Take an hour and drive/walk around your Church neighborhood, asking yourself the question, "What Needs do I see?" (If you can't find any needs, keep driving until you do!)

That should cover your first morning, now for lunch....I will take a Baja Grilled Burrito from Rubio's...

Love ya bro,

4 Kinds of People in the World

2011-08-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

I came across an link from Tim Challies on a recent teaching from Tim Keller on the 4 kinds of people in the world. Then a commenter on the post, JBL made it into a chart that I really find interesting.
Check it out...

Aerial Tour of Jerusalem

2011-08-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

I have never been to Israel but I hope to get there one day.
This video took me as close as I have ever been...
epic!

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.

Why I Went to Prison Last Saturday

2011-08-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I met my friends Paul and Bryant at 7am in the Calvary Church parking lot, drove 35 minutes East, made a quick pit stop at a Starbucks and then headed into Prison (voluntarily I might add!). Why did we chose to go to Prison on a perfectly good Saturday morning?

Because we follow a God who is a God of redemption and second chances. We serve a God who came into our world and while we were yet sinners and died for us (Romans 5:8). We know a God who tells us, when we visit and serve those that are naked or sick or poor or even in prison, it is as if we are visiting and serving Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 25).

Specifically we were in prison on Saturday to sign inmates up for Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree Christmas Program. This is a outreach where inmates children are selected in December to receive a Christmas present from a Angel Tree volunteer on behalf of their incarcerated parent. The goal of the program is to promote reconciliation between the inmate and family and ultimately point the inmate and family toward reconciliation with God thru faith in Jesus Christ.

Each year our Church "adopts" over 200 Angel Tree kids to provide Christmas presents to. We hold a huge banquet in December and invite all of the kids and families to it serving a lunch and performing a Christmas program while also sharing the good news of Jesus and distributing gifts to the kids. This outreach has become one of the highlights of my year. But up until this past weekend, I had never experienced the opportunity to go into a prison and meet some of the guys we serve thru Angel Tree. So Saturday was my inaugural prison visit.

Here are some of the things I observed in my 8 hours in Prison:

#1 - Prisoners are people too
This may sound kind of obvious, but think about it for a moment, when you think of Prison, don't you think of some scene from Shawshank Redemption or Silence of the Lambs or Con Air with Nicolas Cage? Okay, maybe you never think of Con Air, but you know what I am getting at. In my brief time in Prison on Saturday, I realized that these men are people to. Not that I didn't see my share of homosexual inmates calling on other inmates or guys with 25 inch biceps with tattoo's covering their faces or feel the racial tension in the yard. There was enough of these scenes to make me realize I was in prison. But I also saw men who looked lonely, who seemed worried and stressed about their families outside the prison walls and men who simply were trying to turn a terrible experience into something positive in their lives and in the lives of others. In other words, what I saw in prison is like a lot of what I see outside of prison. Humanity, struggles, hopes, dreams, failures, joy and grief. Just like me and you, Prisoners are people too, people loved by God, made in His image and in need of Jesus.

#2 - There is a Strong Hunger for God in Prison Inmates
There is a saying, that everyone finds God in army foxholes and in jail cells, so I am not naive enough to think that some of the men I talked yesterday to are looking for God as a magical geenie to make their problems go away and not looking to Him to be their Savior and Leader. But I also had deep conversations with guys yesterday that made me realize God is present and active in changing lives in prison. "Terrel" is a former gang leader in South LA, serving a life sentence for murder. He told me, 'Matt, most of the guys that are in here, swear they are innocent, but I know what I did was wrong and that I deserve to be punished." He told me how he thanks God that he was put in prison because that is what it took for him to wake him up and turn his heart towards Jesus Christ. Each afternoon Terrel quietly spends time in his bunk, reading his Bible, listening to sermons and completing his Bible Studies. He is hoping to finish on-line Bible College at some point while in Prison. He sees this tough place as his lifetime mission field for Christ. Incredible!

Another prison I talked to is named "Eddie." Eddie let drugs ruin his life, his business, his family, his life. Now he is in prison until 2023. Recently he went to appeal his case, but suddenly felt like God was telling him to drop the appeal. He told me, "if I appeal my case, I am defending the old man, the man that no longer exists. Today in Jesus Christ, I am a different person, a new man, so why would I want to defend something that is no longer me?" So Eddie dropped his appeal and humbly decided he is going to use his remaining years in prison for God glory.
Eddie now helps the Prison chaplain run the weekly chapels, booking guest speakers, organizing the tape, CD and book library in the Chapel and mentoring new believers. He is a kind man, who has truly been transformed by Christ.

God is working in prison, just like he is working in your neighborhood and in our cities. There is no place, no matter how dark or hopeless, where God's light and God's hope can't break thru. Saturday's experience in prison, once again proved that to me.

#3 - Orange County Churches need to get more involved in prison re-entry programs
My friend Paul is one of my heroes. He goes into the prisons 2-3 times a week to teach Bible Studies, mentor inmates and be the face of Jesus to those that are locked up. One of the programs Paul volunteers with is Prison Fellowship's re-entry program. This is an intense program where guys begin 2-3 years before they are up for parole, going through Bible Studies and life lessons like budget coaching, parenting classes, resume writing programs etc. The goal is to try and create a strategic plan on how they will live their lives as believers in Christ outside the prison walls.

Sadly here in Orange County, we do not have an official Prison Fellowship re-entry program despite the fact that half the inmates at the prison I visited are from Orange County. Why is that? Not enough Churches and volunteers have stepped up to be mentors and coordinators of the program. I admit this is a tough sell to Churches. No Church wants a flood of guys straight out of prison showing up at their doors with all kinds of needs and baggage. But the Church is not a country club for saints, but a hospital for broken, bleeding and messy people. We as followers of Jesus here in Orange County, need to hear the call to get involved with this program. I am hoping my Church will begin this process under my leadership in the coming year.

Finally...
Prison Fellowship is hosting a evangelistic outreach at the Prison I visited on Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 from 9:30am to 12:30pm. If you are interested in serving at this event, contact me, I would be happy to plug you in to being a part of that.

Remembering John Stott

2011-08-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

John Stott, the British Theologian died 2 weeks ago at the age of 90.
Here is a moving tribute to the man from Paul Zahl in the thisnewenglandblog.com and reposted at Resurgence.com

My favorite quote from his tribute:

"The man never made distinctions between people. Therefore everyone who met him, from two to toothless, loved him."

An Amazing Act of Forgivness Takes Place in Iran

2011-08-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

In a country where often the courts allow physical retribution for criminal attacks,
a women displays an incredible heart of forgiveness.

Read the story here.

Here is what she said after forgiving the man...

""It is best to pardon when you are in a position of power," Bahrami said in explaining her decision Sunday to spare him."

I love this quote from the Old Testament book of Micah, Chapter 7:

^"18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."

Introduction to Wedding and Ring Vows {For Pastors}

2011-07-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is pt. II in my wedding series for Pastors.
There are typically 2 sets of Vows in a wedding ceremony.

The first are the "wedding vows" (where the couple turns and faces each other and pledges their commitment in the wedding covenant) and the second set are the "ring vows" (when the couple exchanges rings to symbolize their verbal commitment).

I will post wedding vow and ring vow samples in a upcoming post but today I wanted to share what I typically say to the couple (and the audience) to set up the vows.

What to Say to Set-Up the Wedding and Ring Vows

Sample Christian Wedding Ceremony

2011-07-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

My first wedding to officiate as a Pastor was for my dear friends Victor and Kim Estrada in 2003. I was so nervous and had no idea what I was doing as far as order of ceremony, vows etc! But by God's grace, it was an amazing, Christ centered wedding ceremony that myself and everyone there will never forget!

Since that first wedding, I have had the privilege to officiate over 30 weddings, including 8 weddings in 2011 alone! Along the way, I have learned tons about what to do and what not to do when officiating a wedding. As you search the internet or look thru books you won't find many helpful resources for Pastors who want to learn how to officiate a wedding. So as a public service to my fellow brothers, I am going to do a series of posts on wedding resources for Pastors. By creating these posts, I am in no way saying that I have it all figured out or that I am some sort of wedding officiant expert. But if anything I have compiled can help you as a Pastor point people to Jesus as you officiant at an upcoming wedding, than all Glory to God!

Sample Wedding Ceremony

48 Sundays

2011-07-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

48 weeks a year, my Sunday routine involves Calvary Church. I get there around 8am and leave around 2 or 3pm, completely exhausted, but completely excited about what has just taken place.

I love gathering with others to worship the Risen King, Jesus Christ. I love living life with people week to week, Sunday to Sunday. I love the challenges and surprises that Sunday's bring.

But 4 Sunday's a year, I don't experience Church at Calvary. I take the family and we travel up to NorCal to see my folks or go camping at Shaver Lake with cousins and family friends.

On these 4 Sunday away, I have a mixture of feelings.

On one hand, I feel like a fish out of water when I am not at Calvary Church on a Sunday. It feels so strange that the body of Christ-followers who call Calvary Church home are gathering together to meet with God and each other and me and my family are not a part of it.

On the other hand it is so refreshing and awesome to experience a week off from being a Pastor. I can simply relish in having my identity be a child of God, a husband, a dad, a son or a friend. I love this reminder that only a week off from a Sunday Church service can seemingly provide. It is a really healthy perspective for me to understand and experience the truth that God doesn't need me in order to work in amazing ways.

So as I experience a Sunday off today, I look forward to how God will use this day to shape me and humble me and prepare me for the other 48.

Digging Deeper into John 8

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had the joy yesterday at Calvary Church to teach on John 8 as part of our Gospel of John "Life Changing Questions"series. Each week we include a {Digging Deeper} handout for people to use to study and reflect on the passage beyond the Sunday morning experience. I encourage you to join me in walking thru John 8 this week and allowing God to shape our hearts thru this amazing passage!

-Matt

=========================================================================================

In ancient Biblical times, long before the days of canned lighting and L.E.D light bulbs, light was a precious resource. For the Israelites in Exodus, God’s light {observed by the pillar of fire at night}, preserved them, signaled His nearby presence and guided them to life in the promise land. Generations later as the Israelites celebrate God’s actions in the desert (Feast of the Tabernacles) Jesus shows up in the temple to declare that He is the “Light of the World.” He proclaims that those who follow Him “will not walk in darkness, but have the Light of life.” The same God who preserved the Israelites and offered His presence and guidance to them is now in the flesh, standing before their very eyes! Jesus statement in John 8:12 is one of His most powerful and convincing claims of His Deity and reveals his mission, to bring those who follow Him out of the darkness of sin and into the marvelous light of a restored relationship with God thru the forgiveness of sins.

Monday: Begin today by reading Exodus 3:1-15. In this Old Testament passage, God tells Moses what people should call Him (“I AM”). In the Gospel of John, Jesus intentionally ushers 7 “I AM” statements indicating his Deity and his mission. Read the following 7 passages today to get a better understanding of what Jesus claims about Himself and His mission.

#1 - John 6:35, 48, 51
#2 - John 8:12, 23-24
#3 - John 10:7-9
#4 - John 10:11, 14
#5 - John 11:25
#6 - John 14:6
#7 - John 15:1, 5

Tuesday: Read and dwell on John 8:12 and Colossians 1:13-14 today. Jesus came into our world to take us out the darkness of sin and into the Light of Jesus’ glorious forgiveness and grace! As a follower of Jesus, take time today to thank God for rescuing you from darkness and giving you freedom from sin thru Jesus Christ!

Wednesday: Read and dwell today on John 8:12 and 1 Peter 2:9. How will you be intentional this week to “Proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9)? Make some specific goals/plans of how you will “proclaim Christ” the rest of this week.

Thursday: Read 1 John 2:1-11 today. If we hate our brother, we are still in darkness. If we love our brother we abide in the Light, which is Jesus. Take some time to examine your relationships. Is there someone you are holding a grudge against? Someone you are jealous of? Someone you are bitter and hateful toward? Repent of this today and ask God to fill you with His love and forgiveness for this person as you walk in Christ’s forgiving Light.

Friday: Read Matthew 5:13-16 today. We are called as the people of God to, “let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). How can you “let your light shine” as a Christian here in Orange County? For some ideas, go to our Calvary reach local website: www.calvarylife.org/reach/

Saturday: Read thru John 8:31-59 today in preparation for this Sunday’s upcoming message at Calvary. Ask God to prepare your heart tomorrow for worship, encouraging others and transformation thru the teaching of God’s word.

Confessions from the One Eyed Pastor

2011-07-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have been so thankful for God's kindness to me throughout my eyelid skin cancer. This experience has also showed me once again just how much I need Jesus! I believe God is wanting to grow me through this experience in some specific ways. Here are my confessions and prayers for growth.

#1 - I Struggle with having making my identity in what I "Do" for God
One of the most difficult parts of this whole eye deal was not being able to produce as much in ministry. In June, I had to bow out of leading a team of 24 from our Church to Haiti. I felt so bad not to be with the team as they went on this adventure. I also had to skip a preaching date in Elevation, take a lot of time off and when I was at work and just slow down in general with my workload. This was difficult for me! I want to be a Christian and a Pastor who is a good steward of what I have been entrusted with. I want to be a person who is on mission for God. I want to make an impact in my world for Jesus Christ. But I am learning (and re-learning), that my identity is not in being a Pastor. Not in being a doer for God. Instead my identity is in simply being a child of God. There is nothing I can do to make God love me more or love me less. I belong to Him thru faith in Jesus. That is enough! That is my true identity. I want to rest in that and incorporate this mindset into my life now that my eye is open and the temptation to produce will increase.

#2 - It is Difficult for me to receive encouragement and help from others
By His grace, God has gifted me to encourage others. One of my favorite things about being a Christian and being a Pastor is when I get the chance to encourage someone or help someone in need. But on the flipside, I am really prideful and selfish when it comes to receiving encouragement and help. It is difficult for me to admit I need help, that I need encouragement. This experience with my eye has once again revealed this weakness in me. I have received so much encouragement and prayer and offers of help through the last 7 weeks. It has been awesome, but also kind of awkward for me. I really want to grow in this area! I want to be a person who is spiritually healthy and part of being healthy is receiving help and encouragement from others. That is how God wired us. Lord, continue to grow me in this area!

#3 - I am way more vain than I realized
Having my eye closed for 7 weeks really brought this issue to light! Having your eye sewn shut brings all kinds of interesting glances and looks (at least the ones I could see). From having a young boy randomly walk up to me and ask what happened to my eye, to awkwardly explaining my surgery to every Target, Starbucks and grocery store employee I ran into (even when they didn't ask or notice). I was surprisingly more self-conscious about my eye that I expected to be. I found myself avoiding eye contact with people so they wouldn't see my eye or wearing sunglasses indoors and at night, like I was some front man for a band!

In light of these struggles, Here is my prayer as I begin life again with 2 eyes!

"Heavenly Father, you are so good. You have been overwhelmingly kind and faithful to me through this process. I thank you that in Your mercy You have revealed afresh, areas I struggle in and need to grow in through Your power and strength. God, make me a man whose identity is completely wrapped up in being Your child. Forgive me for thinking that my production for You somehow makes me more loved, more blessed by You. I want to be fruitful. I want to make an impact in the kingdom for Your name. But Lord, continue to grow me in being content in being loved by You, having my identity in You, not in what I do. Father, break my pride in not wanting help and encouragement from others. Lord, make me a man who quickly admits my daily need for Jesus and my daily need for help and encouragement from others. And Lord, take away my vanity. Mold and shape me to be a man whose treasure is in eternal things, not in temporary things such as looks and reputation. Thank you God for hearing my prayer and continuing to grow me. I am completely dependent on You and I know apart from You, I am nothing. In Jesus name, Amen."

Last Day of Having My Eye Closed!

2011-07-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the "grand opening" of my eye! Sorry, really dumb joke, but it was there for the taking.

Here are some of my thoughts of thankfulness for what has happened over the past 7 weeks as I went through the successful removal of skin cancer from my eyelid.

-I am so thankful for family and friends who months ago pointed out my "red eye" and encouraged me to go to the Doctor to get it checked out. I would have never gotten my eye checked out if it wasn't for the dozens of people who told me I should! This has reminded/taught me that I need to allow and even invite others to speak into my life for encouragement, accountability and even rebuke, as others can see what I often cannot (Physically, spiritually, emotionally etc).

-I am thankful for my amazing + pregnant wife and kids who have been so caring and patient with me and have had to stare at a one eyed husband and Dad for 7 continuous weeks!

-I am so thankful for medical insurance and the access to Doctors and surgeries that we have here in the United States. I am not owed these things or deserve them, but God in His grace to me has allowed me to live in a country where I can access great medical care and have a great health insurance plan thru Kaiser, due to the faithful giving of the people of Calvary Church.

-I am also thankful to Dr.Cheng who initially saw me and to Dr. Kratz, my brillant surgeon, who by the grace of God have been gifted with such talent and skills.

-I am thankful that God gave me the chance to talk about my faith in Jesus with my Doctor's and nurses.

-I am thankful that the skin cancer I had was basil cell carcinoma, the least aggressive and least invasive type of skin cancer.

-I am so thankful, I am now skin cancer free in my eyelid!

-I am thankful that this experience has grown my ability as a Pastor to relate to and empathize with people who have skin cancer and people who go through surgery.

-I am thankful that God has protected me (and the other drivers) as I have driven the streets of Orange County with one eye for the past 7 weeks!

-I am thankful that I don't need physical sight to see God's faithfulness, goodness and mercy. Psalm 25:15 says, "My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net." Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law."

-These are some of the things I am thankful for as I reflect on the past 7 weeks. But I wouldn't be authentic with you if I didn't share some of the areas that I have struggled in over the past 7 weeks. This experience has once again shown me, just how much I need Jesus moment by moment and how much He still has to teach me.

Tomorrow, I will post 3 areas God is showing me I need to grow in through this experience....stay tuned!

The Story of Everything (In 4 Minutes)

2011-07-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

The Story of Everything from Jonny Baker's Blog is a mellow yet wonderful telling of the Greatest Story (and Reality) ever told...

I'll Flyer Away

2011-07-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Clayfire Curator is a creative worship design blog for Church leaders. It supplies ideas and provokes discussion around creativity, spiritual formation, innovative leadership, and curating worship. I came across a really thought provoking article by Eric Herron critiquing Church neighborhood flyer campaign's. Below is the heart of the article...

"...So, our church did what any other strip-mall chinese food restaurant or small claims insurance lawyer would do: we made flyers.

And, we put them everywhere. On car windshields in parking lots. On cork boards in the local coffee shops. We even did some door-hanging. Of course, occasionally people were home when we came to ‘hang’ in which case we would verbally make an invitation. But generally, the flyers did the job for us.

Now, fast-forward about 15 years. Last week, I came home to find several colorful little pamphlets hanging in plastic weather-proof baggies on the main door to our apartment complex. I assumed at first that it was the newest campaign from Dominoes. (You do know they just changed their recipe, right? Oh yes they did!). In fact, it was a flyer inviting me to a Good Friday worship service at some local church.

I sort of cringed. No wait, I DID cringe. It took some internal reflection to tease out what exactly spawned my visceral reaction. Here’s what I found deep down inside…

It’s simple: I just don’t like being invited to an event by a piece of paper. I REALLY don’t like to be invited to a church service by a piece of paper. Is there a more impersonal way to invite someone to a gathering that, in theory, is supposed to be of the utmost importance? Being invited to church by a flyer is like being invited to your own wedding by a magazine ad. (Actually, that might be kinda cool if you could pull it off).

Come to think of it, this invitation didn’t feel like an invitation because it actually wasn’t an invitation. Though it used words like, “We invite you…” on it, and it included similarly personal and friendly language inside, I am convinced that what was really going on is that I was a consumer being targeted by a seller. Instead of Chinese food or dirt-cheap lawyering, I was being sold religion.

When we call it what it is, we quickly see how wrong it is. Still, somehow we have learned to justify our religious marketing by naming it part of our ‘strategic evangelization plan’. What has caused us to resort to such tactics?

We need to stop and remember that we are the Church. We are the People of God, his manifest presence in the world. We are empowered by the Spirit to be witnesses of the good news through both word and deed. The Trinity has entrusted us as ambassadors of God’s reconciliation mission (2 Cor. 5:17-20). Jesus is making all things new – women, men, children, and all of Creation. The old has gone. The new has come!

Does all this sound like an appropriate topic for a door-hanger flyer?

Undoubtedly, some may think I’m making too big a deal out of this. “So what?” you may say. “It’s just another culturally relevant way to let people know that the Church is there for them.” Some may even reason that a flyer is better than a relationship since it gives people space and an opportunity to avoid a potentially uncomfortable situation and conversation. After all, human contact is often messy.

The problem with this kind of thinking is that the Gospel is not a product for sale. Nor is church simply a building in the neighborhood to which someone can be invited. The Church is people. It’s living, laughing, loving, people. It is humans serving one another in the manner and example of Jesus. Once this reality is fully grasped, the absurdity of mixing worship with marketing flyers becomes painfully obvious.

Maybe it’s too late for you to ‘take back’ all those Easter flyers you put out this year. That’s okay. God is widely known for repeatedly redeeming our poorly chosen actions and methods. So, take heart.

Meanwhile, remember that every day is a “holy-day”. Will you choose each moment to become a real live ambassador of reconciliation and good news (a.k.a. a vital part of the Church in the world)?

Or, will you remain an evangelical marketing executive with a flare for graphic design?"

{This post originally appeared on Creative Worship Tour, April 1, 2010.}

Are Blogs Dead?

2011-07-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Pastor Gear is a tech guide for Pastors. I came across an interesting article on the changing use of Blogs.

Read the entire article here.

Read Below for the best nuggets of the article...

BLOGS
First, blogs aren’t dead. They’re just different. Every pastor should probably have a blog. It introduces himself to the people of his community. It allows people to quickly and easily find him online and it communicates a bit about his style and leadership vibe. It’s also a great way to communicate to the people of your church outside of a church service. Active discussions and rapidly expanding networks of connections, however, probably won’t happen there.

SITES
Churches should still continue to have websites too, obviously. These sites could feature church blogs as well but, again, this will be largely a place of one-way communication. It’s the modern equivalent of the old church newsletter.

DISCUSSIONS AND CONNECTIONS
Second, every church and pastor should have a very active Facebook presence. You may or may not like Facebook but you can’t deny that it has become a central fixture in American society. It is the place where discussions and connections happen and you and your church should not ignore this obvious fact. With photo sharing, video sharing, tagging, events and now places, Facebook, while quirky, lends itself to connecting with others inside and outside of your church better than any other place online. I think Paul would be on Facebook if he were alive right now. He always entered and engaged the “marketplace of ideas” and that’s what Facebook is today.