FIVE Things I Want to Share with Community of Hope

1. What a great service on Sunday!  I was personally blessed during our time of worship through song.  There is nothing better than entering the Throne Room of Grace and worshiping at the feet of our Lord, the God of Creation. Thanks Alicia for taking us there!

2. Don't forget, you are God's masterpiece!  God has taken your old life that was dead in your transgressions and made you a new creation in Christ.  You have been saved, raised up, and seated with Christ.  He has done this so your life can be on display.  You are his masterpiece.  He has created you in Christ to do good works as a way of life.  When you are obedient, when your life is on display for the world to see, God will be gloried.  Ephesians 2:1-10

3. Special Christmas service scheduled for December 23rd:  if December 25th is Christmas Day and December 24th is Christmas Eve, what do you call December 23rd?  Christmas Adam of course!  Why? Because Adam came before Eve.  Because of the size of our congregation, and knowing that a number of people will be traveling during the Christmas weekend (Christmas is on Sunday this year), we are going to have a very special Christmas Adam service on December 23rd at 7pm.  This will allow families to celebrate and worship together in their homes, while at the same time, providing an opportunity for us to worship together as a congregation.  Alicia and I are actively planning an awesome service filled with celebration and worship of our savior for all ages.  There will be a special time of fellowship in the foyer following the Christmas Adam service.  More details to come.

4. The Bring Hope Challenge is underway.  If you haven’t received a copy of the Bring Hope Challenge info booklet, talk with me ASAP (or follow this link).  I am encouraging everyone to bring their largest gift THIS Sunday.  How will God use you to make a difference in our church, our community, and our world?

5. Remember, found people find people!  Don't miss your opportunity to invite someone to the Christmas series – He Will Be Called – starting SUNDAY (December 4th).

See you soon!

Pastor David

I Just Don't Get It!

I just don’t get it!  I just don’t get the seemingly magical attraction of Black Friday.  You know, Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.  The day most every retail vendor offers “outrageous” deals on their goods and wares.  I just don’t get it.  I don’t understand the attraction or the appeal of getting up (or not going to bed), arriving at the store hours before it opens, and then pushing your way through a crowd of people to get one of the few actual items that are available.  I just don’t get it. I don’t understand the appeal of getting pepper-sprayed by another shopper, or getting shot in the parking lot because someone else wanted what you managed to purchase during your adventure (that really happened this year - LA Times Article).  I just don’t get it.

The retail world has certainly capitalized on our desire to have things.  Our favorite vendors start “leaking” their ads to dedicated Black Friday websites in October, and by the time turkey day arrives, the public is hyped for whatever is out there.  This year, there were several last minute changes as to when some stores would open.  As if it wasn’t bad enough that stores were opening at 4am, this year one major chain decided to open at midnight.  This of course prompted an aggressive response by another major chain that decided to open at 10pm ON Thanksgiving.  I just don’t get it.

And what about Thanksgiving?  Is it even still a holiday?  Our local chain stores in Seattle established a Christmas aisle before Halloween even arrived.  Once Halloween passed, a full-blown section of the store was established just for Christmas.  Most of November seemed to be dedicated to promoting Black Friday, which ultimately promotes the retail aspect of Christmas.  Did people actually stop to be thankful for what they have, or was their focus already on the best deals for Christmas.  Maybe thanksgiving is for “carbo-loading” before the big event.  The way this Black Friday has unfolded certainly caused me to wonder.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop with Black Friday.  With the rise of e-commerce, now there is cyber-Monday; and just the other day I heard a radio advertisement for small-business Saturday.  It was, of course, sponsored by American Express.  Now, I’m not exactly a scrooge when it comes to the retail emphasis surrounding this time of year, but I am incredibly bothered by it. I am bothered by the busyness that has inundated the Christmas season; and I am bothered by the emphasis on things – especially during challenging economic times.

This year, I am making a conscious choice to simplify and focus on celebrating the birth of Christ, time with family, conservative spending.  I realize this may not be easy for some.  It certainly didn’t happen overnight for me, but has taken a “season” of growth to realize the importance of simplification.

Will you join me in recapturing the true wonder and meaning of Christmas?  If you do, you may discover this will be the best Christmas you have ever experienced.

Until next time…

David

I Love Burritos... I Mean My Wife

I have been preaching through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians this fall.  We started eight weeks ago, and have just now finished chapter one.  As you can see, there’s no rush to finish.  I just don’t want to miss any of the wonderful truths found in this important letter.  One of those important truths can be found in Ephesians 1:15.  In this verse, Paul indicates that he has noticed two significant characteristics about his readers.  1) They had faith in Christ, and 2) they showed love to men.  It is this second characteristic that I want to spend a few moments dwelling on.

Paul says he has heard about his readers love for others.  But what exactly does that mean.  Here’s why I pose the question.  In the English language, we use the word love in a very ambiguous way.  I love watching Star Trek, I love burritos, and I love my wife.  Do I really love Star Trek and burritos as much as I love my wife?  Of course not!  I definitely love burritos more…. JUST KIDDING!  Apart from God, I love my wife far more than anything else in my life. Yet, I’m as guilty of carelessly tossing the word “love” around as the next person.

In the original Greek, there are four different words for love.  There is erotic, sexual, love (eros); there is the brotherly love (phileo) expressed towards friends; there is the love expressed towards family (storgeo); and there is the unconditional love (agape) that was first expressed by God through the cross.  When Paul uses the word love, he uses the word agape.  Essentially, Paul heard his readers were showing unconditional love to their fellow men.

Unconditional love. That doesn’t seem too hard, right? Yet, is our love really unconditional?  I was recently challenged by a thought shared by Alex Kendrick in his book The Love Dare.  Kendrick suggests that when we explain why we love our husband or wife, we often identify qualities and characteristics about our spouse.  For example, they are beautiful, a good provider, a good mother or father, etc.  Kendrick then poses a question that captured my undivided attention.  He asks, “But what if over the course of years, your wife or husband stopped being every one of these things.  Would you still love them?”

My first reaction to his question is “yes,” of course I would continue to love my wife; but Kendrick quickly reminds his reader that based on the reasons we love our spouse, the answer would logically have to be “no.” 

“If the reasons for loving your spouse all have something to do with his or her qualities – and then those same qualities suddenly or gradually disappear – your basis for love is over” (46).   

This concept should cause each of us to stop and reflect on why we love the people in our life. For love to be truly unconditional, it cannot be based on “the one being loved, but by the one choosing to love.”  This is why God’s love is unconditional.  If God’s love was based on my efforts, there are times when I would not be lovable.   

Fortunately for me (and for all of us), God decided in advance (he chose) to include us in his family as sons and daughters.  He demonstrated his love through the grace given us by his son, Jesus, whose redeeming blood has pardoned our sins that we might be set aside for his glory as we give our best for him (Ephesians 1:4-7).  It is because he first loved me that I am able to love anyone at all, let alone unconditionally (1 John 4:19); and even then, only after I have accepted his love into my life.

How do you love?  Are there people in your life that are hard to love?  It’s ok to admit it.  You wouldn’t be human if there weren’t.  But, why are they hard to love?  Is it because you have qualified your love for those people?  What would your life be like if you chose to love those people simply because God loves you?  What would our communities look like if churches were filled with people who chose to love others simply because God loved us first?  What would our world look like if entire communities chose to love other communities simply because God loved us first? 

The answer is simple.  Our world would be much closer to the way God originally intended it to be.  That, in my opinion, would be a goal worth achieving!

Until next time…

David

Seven Things I Want to Share Today With Community of Hope

#1 – What a great Sunday!  Worship was amazing!  Thanks Alicia for leading us into the throne room of grace.  Don’t forget, if you have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, then you have been MARKED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.  God has marked you as authentic, identified you as His, and will protect you as you live for Him.

#2 – This coming Sunday could possibly be one of the most freeing messages you will ever hear; and yet, it may be one of the most challenging to put into practice.  I’m asking everyone to PRAY like crazy about this Sunday…and BRING SOMEONE with you.  Remember, the relationships we have with people who do not know Christ are NOT ACCIDENTAL…God has placed us on this planet to be HIS ambassadors – see II Corinthians 5:11-21! – sooner or later we’ve got to actually HAVE CONVERSATIONS with those who do not know Christ!

#3 – A HUGE thank you to everyone who sent/gave cards and well wishes for Pastor Appreciation Month.  I greatly enjoyed reading each and every card.  I am HUMBLED that God would choose me to do this… it is an honor to serve this church as a pastor. I’m excited about the journey we are taking with Community of Hope and I’m more excited about our future than I’ve ever been.  THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

#4 – The next DINNER & A MOVIE is scheduled for November 19^th.  Dinner will start at 6:30pm along with a special showing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  The feature presentation of Rio will begin at 7:00pm.  You can RSVP in the event section of the church’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/gothope365). As always, we will be distributing door hangers to our community the Saturday before (Nov 12^th).  Let us know if you are available to help.  Many hands make light work!

#5 – DON’T FORGET to set your clocks BACK on Saturday night for Day Light Savings Time. 

#6 – ODDS AND ENDS:  The November calendar is now available on the church website (www.gothope365.com).  Just follow the link above the weekly schedule on the home page.  Also, I want to encourage you to read my blog post entitled, The Sinned-Against (http://www.mytelios.com/2011/10/sinned-against.html).  It’s a little more academic in nature, but is incredibly relevant for every individual and the universal church as a whole.

#7 – NEVER FORGET: Found People Find People!  Have you found someone that needs to know Christ?  They may be right under your nose.  See you Sunday!

You are loved more than you know,

Pastor David