“Lord, Send Me”
The book of Acts begins with Jesus meeting with His disciples after His resurrection.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells them:
“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Last Sunday we spent time in Acts chapter 8 where we saw that Phillip left Jerusalem to proclaim the good news about Jesus in Samaria. Those who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior were baptized by Phillip.
Then an angel of the Lord told Phillip to leave Samaria and travel along the road that led to the ends of the earth - to Africa. On the road, the Holy Spirit told Phillip to proclaim the good news about Jesus to an Ethiopian eunuch who was traveling home in a chariot after worshipping God at the Temple in Jerusalem. The church leader Irenaeus wrote in 180 AD that the name of this man was Simeon Bachos. Simeon became a follower of Jesus and was baptized by Phillip.
Then Simeon Bachos took the good news about Jesus back home to Africa where others embraced Jesus as their Lord and Savior and were baptized. Eventually the good news about Jesus has reached us, living at the far ends of the earth in North America. We have become followers of Jesus and we have been baptized.
So where will we go? Where will we go to proclaim the good news about Jesus? The angel didn’t give Phillip a map with an X marked on it to show the exact location of the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot on the road. The angel just told Phillip to go, and the Holy Spirit told him who to speak with.
Are we willing to step out onto whatever road God calls us to travel? Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit to tell us whom to talk to about Jesus?
For some that road may take them out of town, like Phillip. For others that road may take them home, like Simeon Bachos.
The road may take you to a place where people will criticize you for talking about the good news about Jesus or for even praying in Jesus’s name. Jesus told us this will happen sometimes.
The road may take you to a place where people are eager to hear the good news about Jesus.
Jesus told us this will happen as well.
If you are willing to follow the Lord to the people, He wants you to speak with, then let Him know. All you have to say is “Lord, send me”. I promise you will have the adventure of a lifetime.
You never know where the Lord will take you to share the good news about Jesus. But the Lord will take you somewhere if you let Him.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Jesus Will Set Us Free”
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Acts 8:18-24
Last Sunday in our sermon series in the book of Acts, we were introduced to Simon the Magician. Simon wanted to buy the ability to give the Holy Spirit. Peter told Simon, “No”. The Holy Spirit is God and God is not for sale. Peter also told Simon that the reason he would make such a perverse request was that his heart was “captive to sin”. Peter then called Simon to repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness.
All of us struggle with sin. Sometimes we are even held captive to sin. Simon was held captive to the sin of loving money. He wanted to own God in order to make money by conferring the power of God on others. Sometimes we struggle with being held captive to the sins of lust, judgementalism, pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, idolatry, the love of money, and so on.
But there is Good News! Jesus came to set captives free.
Whenever we find ourselves entangled in a sin and unable to escape, there is help. We can follow Peter’s guidance and pray to the Lord. Jesus will set us free from our captivity to whatever sin has overcome us. All we need to do is ask the Lord for help.
The Lord will help us to repent of our sin and experience His forgiveness. The Lord will help us to walk out of our imprisonment to sin and live in the freedom of His grace and forgiveness.
We are never alone as we struggle with sin. Jesus will set us free.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Deep Calls to Deep”
When the church in Rome was suffering under the persecution of the Roman Emperor Nero, the Apostle Paul wrote to encourage them. In Romans 8:28, Paul wrote:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Paul also wrote in Romans 5:3-4
“but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Suffering drives us into the arms of Jesus like nothing else can. When we suffer, we are confronted with the reality that we desperately need the Lord.
When things are going well, we often don’t realize how dependent we are on our relationship with Jesus to get through life. But when things turn bad, we run to the Lord and cry out to Him in the depths of our anguish, as we should.
Deep calls to deep, as King David wrote in Psalm 42. From the depths of our despair, we cry out to God. From the eternal depths of God’s mercy and love our deepest longings are met and our deepest pain is healed, and we discover that the Lord is with us in our suffering in ways that we don’t appreciate when things are going well. It’s in these intimate encounters with God when we are in greatest need of His help that we will experience His transforming work in our lives.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Blessed with Mercy and Grace”
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,
Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable
to empathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
All of us go through difficult times in life. There are times when we suffer physically. There are times when we struggle with temptation. There are times when we experience deep anguish and grief. All of these experiences are common to us, and they were also common to Jesus.
Jesus experienced all of these difficult times in His own life here on earth. Jesus can empathize with our weaknesses. He gets what we are going through in life.
Whenever we pray, Jesus, our Great High Priest, brings us before God’s throne of grace. Jesus knows exactly how we are feeling in those moments of suffering, and He knows exactly what we need because He has experienced those situations Himself. And we will be blessed with all the mercy and all the grace that we need when we are struggling.
There’s no reason to be shy about asking Jesus for help. We’re actually encouraged to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. We belong there because our great high priest is taking us there by the hand to receive God’s grace and mercy in time of need.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Responding To New Ministry Opportunities”
“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:1-7
Recently, we have been presented with new ministry opportunities here at GMPC and we are responding to them as the first followers of Jesus did. As we have seen in Acts chapter 6 God will provide leaders for His people
Last Monday the Session spent time in prayer seeking the Lord’s guidance, just as the first church did. The Personnel Committee and the Christian Education Committee discussed new job descriptions and new staffing structures with the Session just as the leaders of the first church did. The Session also decided to look for new staff members who are full of the Spirit and wisdom just as the first church did.
The Session is considering a new staffing structure comprised of full-time and part-time positions. Several candidates were personally interviewed by the Personnel Committee and the Christian Education Committee. Last night, the Finance Committee met with the Personnel Committee and the Christian Education Committee to discuss the budget implications of all of this. Tonight, the Session will meet to make final decisions about the candidates and the new staffing structure.
The purpose of this new staffing structure is to have an overarching, intentional, coordinated approach to making disciples. Jesus has called us to make disciples. In response we’re looking at how we make disciples across the spectrum of all our programs, from the pre-school program to the children’s program to the youth program to the young adult’s program to the adults program.
We are looking forward to letting you know more about this as soon as the plans are finalized. Please continue to pray for our leaders to be full of the Spirit and wisdom as we make plans to respond to the new ministry opportunities that the Lord is giving GMPC.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Our Interim Season Together”
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made us a promise. He will always be with us, no matter what we are going through in life. This is important to keep in mind as we travel together through an Interim Season at GMPC.
During this season in the life of our congregation, there are several things that we need to do together to prepare for the arrival of the new pastor that the Lord is calling to GMPC. These tasks are studied by Interim Pastors during their interim training, and they are even included in the formal job description of Interim Pastors.
Roger S. Nicholson writes about these tasks in his book, Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry by Roger S. Nicholson. They are:
1. Coming to Terms with History
2. Discovering a New Identity
3. Leadership Changes during an Interim
4. Renewing Denominational Linkages
5. Commitment to New Directions in Ministry
Recently, have been experiencing significant leadership changes involving church staff and lay leaders. Nicholson writes about this saying:
“Help your congregation understand that leadership changes and power shifts usually occur during a pastoral transition. It really does happen all the time! Your congregation will not sink! Many of these changes will come in the first few months of the pastoral transition. Some changes may even occur before the interim pastor begins his or her ministry. It is important that the other leaders and the members of the congregation do not panic when these changes occur. Rather, this is the time to examine leadership needs and the gifts that your members bring to the congregation.”
It is important to remember that everything we are going through during this Interim Season is typical for churches. As you can see, books have been written about this season. It is also important to remember that we are not alone as we travel through this Interim Season together. The Lord is with us, every step of the way.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Be Known for It”
Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34, 35. This Sunday I spoke about God’s deep, deep love for us which we are commanded to reflect to ourselves and those around us. But I am not sure the World sees God’s love reflected through the Church.
A few years back I read a book called unChristian (sic) by Kinnaman and Lyons which, with the help of the Barna Group, surveyed people 16 – 29 to discover what they thought about Christians and the Church. Perhaps it’s not surprising that we have a PR problem. This is not to say that we need to market the gospel: the gospel is truly Good News. But somehow the "Goodnews-ness" of the Gospel is not making it to the masses. Something is being lost in the translation.
According to the surveys given and reported in unChristian, we are known for, among other things, being hypocritical and judgmental. The sad thing is that we are not known for love, which is the very thing Jesus says we should be known for. But worrying about the image of the Christian Church in America is above my paygrade. I do not think we could hire a PR firm to put ads in glossy magazines or clever commercials on television to show the world how truly loving we are. This problem cannot be solved by making great pronouncements in the media.
What we need to do is simply love like Jesus loved. Love in a self-sacrificial way that defies what is normal in the culture. Think of Jesus with the woman at the well, or the woman caught in adultery, or the story of the Good Samaritan. In each of these stories, Jesus shows how His love defies the normal categories of how the culture expected love to be shown. The love with which Jesus loves is deeper, more costly and sometimes even subversive to the culture. Another book I would recommend which illustrates the extravagant, almost reckless nature of God’s love is Love Does by Bob Goff. I mentioned this at the 9:00am service this Sunday but failed to do so at the 10:30. It’s an easy read and well worth it!
The best illustration of love is the life-giving sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That is a tough act to follow and yet is exactly what we are called to do as Jesus’ disciples. Here’s how Dostoevsky put it:
“A true act of love, unlike imaginary love, is hard and forbidding. Imaginary love yearns for an immediate heroic act that is achieved quickly and seen by everyone. People may actually reach a point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives, as long as the ordeal doesn’t last too long, is quickly over—just like on the stage, with the public watching and admiring. A true act of love, on the other hand, requires hard work and patience, and, for some, it is a whole way of life.” from Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Let’s love the way Jesus loves and someday we will be known for it!
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa.
Blessings in Christ,
Tim Grebe
Interim Director of Music Ministries
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Obeying Jesus”
We are called to be followers of Jesus; believers, yes, but more so followers. While we sat with the disciples as our proxies on that hill in Galilee two thousand years ago, Jesus commissioned us as a community to be disciple makers. He said we are to make disciples by going, baptizing and teaching. There is a lot to consider here. I’d like to focus on the third thing: teaching to observe/obey everything that Jesus taught us.
Sounds easy, right? Pull out the Sunday School curriculum, put some flannel graph characters on the wall (if you are old school) and make the students sit still and listen. But to be an effective teacher, we first must know the material we’re teaching and I’m not sure I’m solid on everything that Jesus taught. There are parables I’m not clear on. Sometimes He seemed to say some troubling things. There are several books written about ‘the difficult sayings of Jesus”; and those sayings must be part of the ‘everything’ that Jesus taught, right? In Bible studies I’ve been to, Jesus’ words are sometimes ignored, perhaps because they don’t make sense in the way we think things must be. I had a professor in Bible college say that the entire sermon on the mount was not for today but for the future kingdom era because it would be impossible to conduct business in our country if we followed Jesus literal words. I prefer to err on the side of obeying Jesus.
What I want to suggest is that we need to wrestle with all of Jesus’ words. I love the picture of Jacob wrestling with the angel in the desert the night before he was going to meet his brother Esau (and probably be killed, he thought). Many theologians believe Jacob was really wrestling with a preincarnate Jesus! The story shows me that God wants to wrestle with us, and that can mean in His word. Too often we don’t try: if we don’t understand something we just give up. We try to figure it out on our own without being in community. We’re happy with our understanding as is. Or we’re too busy and don’t have the energy for one more thing.
To fulfill Jesus’ commission, it is true that we need to read and understand the entire Bible, but we need to be ‘reading Jesus’ all the time: He is the one we follow and are called to be part of showing others how to follow. The Old Testament can only be understood rightly by reading Jesus. The epistles can only be understood rightly by reading Jesus. Here’s my suggestion: read all four gospels slowly and deeply. Study them in your small group. Do it as part of your daily time with God. Listen to what Jesus is saying and carry it into your day with you. Bible gateway and others have reading plans that can put structure to your plan. Here’s an example: Bible Reading Plans - Read the Gospels in 40 Days - NIV - Today's Reading (biblegateway.com). We have to be disciples to make disciples. Let’s wrestle with the One we follow, so we can effectively make disciples.
Blessings in Christ,
Tim Grebe
Interim Director of Music Ministries
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“PRAY FOR YOUR CORONADO”
In 586 BC, God sent the Babylonian Empire to the Kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the walls of the city. They destroyed the Holy Temple that Solomon built. And they forced the people to leave what was left of their homes and live in exile in Babylon.
God did this because His people had abandoned Him. They stopped living the lives of love and faithfulness He called them to live. Instead, they gave their hearts to idols such as Baal, Ashtaroth and Molech. They engaged in sexual immorality as they worshiped their idols during fertility rites. And they sacrificed their own babies by burning them alive to please their idols. In order to get His people to repent and love Him again, God took them away from all that He had given them: their land, their homes, and the Holy Temple where He used to meet them in worship.
As they arrived in Babylon, God told the Prophet Jeremiah:
Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace, you will have peace. - Jermiah 29:7
It's great to be living in Coronado. People from all over the world come here for a vacation and many have worked and sacrificed their entire lives in order to be able to live here. But this city is not our home. Our home is in heaven which is referred to as the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). We're just passing through Coronado, so to speak. This is why the Apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:11:
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.
We too, are called to pray for our city. While we're here, we are called to pray for the peace of Coronado. The Hebrew word for peace that's used in Jeremiah 29:7 is shalom. The word shalom also means wholeness, prosperity, welfare, and harmony. As we long to go to our true home, heaven, we pray for God to bless Coronado with His shalom.
We can look forward to that day when we will finally arrive at our true home and experience God's shalom in full. Until then, may the Lord fill your earthly homes with His shalom.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“CELEBRATING THE FOURTH OF JULY”
Ever since Cathy and I came to GMPC, folks have been telling us about how Coronado celebrates the Fourth of July. As the holiday approaches, we can sense the excitement building in the community. Decorations are going up, people are planning when they will put out their chairs on Orange Ave, and folks are buying everything in the Thrift Cottage that is red, white, and blue. Knowing how we will celebrate is important, so is knowing why we will celebrate.
In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul writes that the institution of government was created by God:
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Romans 13:1
Our government is a blessing to us from God. This is why we celebrate the birth of our nation.
Through the centuries, Christians have been called to participate in government and help it to be what God intended. In our country, Christians have done this by voting, be serving as elected officials, by serving as civilian employees, and by serving as uniformed members of the government.
On Sunday, July 2, we will spend time celebrating God's blessing to us. One of the ways we can do this is to invite those who wish to wear their uniforms. I will be wearing my Navy uniform in gratitude for how God has enabled me to serve Him in the government He created. Please feel free to wear your uniforms this Sunday as we pray for our nation during our worship of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“The Hope That Is Within Us”
In 1 Peter 3:15 we read:
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
This past weekend I had the opportunity to help others to discover the hope that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. I helped to lead a US Navy Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW) for 130 service members and their guests. I facilitated a group of three service members and their spouses during the weekend as they discussed the material that was presented by various speakers. I also led two breakout sessions for 25 couples titled “Helping Couples Reconnect”. In addition, I helped in leading the Sunday morning worship service.
Finally, I gave the closing presentation titled, “Transformational Growth”. During this presentation, I spoke about how God has been involved in helping me to heal and grow from my experiences with three deployments to combat zones. I shared with them that even in those darkest of times, the Lord was with me, giving me hope, helping me to go on.
At the end of the RWW, one of the couples told us, “Before we came here, we had completed our divorce papers and we left them on the table at home to sign when we returned. We have just decided not to file for divorce.”
People all around us are struggling and looking for hope. I encourage all of us to make the most of our opportunities to share the hope that is within us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Those Who Can’t Do, Pray”
From time to time, someone will tell me, “there isn’t anything I can do about this, I’ll just have to pray.” It is as though they’re apologizing for not being able to do anything constructive. However, one of the most constructive things we can do is pray.
In James 5:13-16, we read:
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Your prayers are powerful and effective. Your prayers make a difference in the lives of others and in the world. Whenever you pray, God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, is listening. And, God will answer each one of your prayers.
Sometimes God answers, “Yes”. Sometimes God answers, “No”. And sometimes God answers, “Wait”. God will always answer our prayers with the perfect answers that are keeping with His will.
So, keep praying. The world is counting on you.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
“Amazing Things Are Going to Happen”
During the next few weeks, we will be spending time in the Book of Acts during the worship services. Last Sunday, we spent time in Acts chapter 2 and we saw what life looked like for the first followers of Jesus after God poured out the Holy Spirit on them.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47.
Since that first Pentecost over 2000 years ago, God has blessed each of His followers with the Holy Spirit. And so, we can expect our church to look like the church of the First Century. Churches like this draw people to Jesus. When people let the Holy Spirit fill them, the Holy Spirit will fill their churches with people who are longing to know Jesus and make Him known.
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you anew with His presence each new day. Amazing things will happen for the Glory of God.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
Memorial Day
The Scriptures tell us in Hebrews 13:7:
Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives and follow the example of their faith.
On Memorial Day we're invited to remember those who have died in the service of their country. This Memorial Day I have been remembering Explosive Ordinance Disposal Petty Officer First Class (EOD1) Kevin Bewley, who died on November 5, 2007, in Iraq. EOD1 Bewley was part of a team that was sent to clear Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that had been planted along the roads. They were operating out of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Summerall in Bayji, Iraq. On that day, I was visiting with members of his unit at Camp Slayer in Baghdad, Iraq.
I was sent to help EOD1 Bewley's team deal with the trauma of the attack. In order to get to FOB Summerall, I was flown to Combat Operating Base (COB) Speicher. Then I traveled in a convoy of EOD vehicles on South Hershey Highway, the most dangerous highway in Iraq, as they were looking for more IEDs.
During our trip, the EOD sailors were playing "Highway To Hell" by AC/DC in our vehicle . One of them in the back of the vehicle said to me, "Hey, Chaplain. Bewley was always talking to me about that Jesus Christ Lord and Savior stuff. What's that all about?" So, I explained to him what it means to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. We prayed together and he asked Jesus to come and live in his heart. Then the driver of the vehicle said, "When we get back to base, I'm going to disciple you. I go to a Calvary Chapel back home, and I'll help you to grow in your faith." By the grace of God, all of this happened in spite of the music we were listening to.
EOD1 Bewley was a faithful leader who taught the Word of God to his shipmates. Because of his example of faith in a combat zone, another sailor was able to experience the salvation and love of God. I'm looking forward to spending eternity with both of them in Heaven.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
Proof and Evidence
Greetings on this Wednesday:
Often, there is a confusion between proof and evidence. When people ask for "proof," they usually have scientific proof in mind, similar to what we learned in the fifth grade—the Scientific Method. However, it is actually impossible to scientifically prove any historical event. We cannot scientifically prove that anyone attended worship on a specific Sunday, just as we cannot scientifically prove that George Washington was the first president of the United States. What we can do is gather an overwhelming amount of evidence that convinces us of the truth. We can look at the letters President George Washington wrote. For those who attended worship in-person, you are reliable eyewitnesses we can trust. The more evidence, the stronger the case!
In the book of Acts, Luke's goal is to demonstrate to Theophilus what Jesus continued to do and teach through the Holy Spirit after the resurrection. To show this, Luke begins by presenting the evidence of Jesus' resurrection. We learn that Jesus appeared to his disciples, providing them with convincing proof. He taught them about the kingdom of God and shared a meal with them. These pieces of evidence point to the reality of Jesus' resurrection.
All of us have been given a gift from the Holy Spirit to use in the ministry to which God has called us. If we're honest with ourselves, there are times when we have neglected to use these gifts. There are times when we need to fan into flame the gift that the Holy Spirit has given us.
What evidence do we have today, over 2000 years later? Is it still possible for anyone to believe in the resurrection? I firmly believe the answer is "Absolutely! Yes!" You and I are evidence. As the body of Christ, there is no stronger evidence of forgiveness, mercy, grace, love, service, and sacrifice than when we look at ourselves in the mirror. We know God’s forgiveness. We’ve experienced God’s love! Our lives, dedicated to faithfully being Christ, are the most compelling evidence we can offer to the world.
It is not a secret that the world is a mess—everyone recognizes it. However, the solution does not lie with more politicians, better education, or stricter gun control. The root of the problem is our own hearts! Our hearts desire things we shouldn't, we long for things that are detrimental, and we allow ourselves to be swayed by unworthy influences. The promise of the Gospel is that God removes our hearts of stone and replaces them with new hearts of flesh. With our new hearts, we are called to embody God's love, mercy, grace, sacrifice, and service. We are called to reveal Christ within us to the world. And I can't think of better evidence than you!
The Lord may not be calling you to travel to the ends of the earth, but I am certain that God is calling you to live out your faith in your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, and/or your school. Wherever you find yourself, be Christ to those around you. That is what it means to live in the kingdom of God here and now. It all begins "from here (the heart) on out!"
Blessings,
Pastor John
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
Fan Into Flame
Last Sunday I preached about the Apostle Paul's second letter to a young pastor named Timothy. In this letter Paul wrote:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
When Timothy was ordained as a pastor, the Holy Spirit gave him a spiritual gift to use in his ministry. The Holy spirit also enabled him to use this gift with power, love, and self-discipline. However, Timothy had neglected to use his spiritual gift. And so, Paul calls him to "fan into flame" the gift he had been given. Just like someone would fan into flame a fire that has become smoking embers.
All of us have been given a gift from the Holy Spirit to use in the ministry to which God has called us. If we're honest with ourselves, there are times when we have neglected to use these gifts. There are times when we need to fan into flame the gift that the Holy Spirit has given us.
Fanning into flame involves confessing to God that we have been neglecting to use the spiritual gift we have been given. Then we need to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us anew with His power, love, and self-discipline. After this, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the opportunity to use your gift.
When Timothy did this, he was able to join Paul on his missionary journeys. Later in life, he became the pastor of the church in Ephesus and eventually a bishop. At the end of his life, he was martyred for preaching about the Resurrection of Jesus.
Let us fan into flame the gift of God we have been given. Just imagine what God will do through us when we are on fire for Him.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
Holy, Holy, Holy
Last Sunday, one of the Scripture passages was from Isaiah 6 where the Prophet Isaiah is given a glimpse into heaven. There, Isaiah sees how the angels are worshiping God, saying:
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)
Seven hundred years later, the Apostle John is enabled to look into heaven, and he also sees the angels worshiping God saying:
"Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8)
One day, we will join with the angels in heaven and praise God together. God has already provided us with the words we will use in this eternal worship service. I don't know what the tune to the song will be. It could be something Classical, or Rock and Roll, or even Country Western. Well, maybe not Country Western.
I wouldn't be surprised if the music is unlike anything we have ever heard before. Something heavenly, perhaps?
The important thing is that God is preparing us to worship Him in heaven. God hasn't just given us the words to the songs we'll use. God has given us the opportunity to worship Him on earth so that our souls will be ready to sing His praises in forever heaven.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
The Bible Is Alive
Good Wednesday Afternoon,
In Second Timothy 3:16-17, the Apostle Paul writes:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”
In the original Greek translation of this passage, the word inspired literally means God breathed. The idea is that the Holy Spirit breathes the Word of God into the writer of Scripture and the writer exhales the Word of God onto the page. Then, when we read the Word of God the Holy Spirit breathes the Word into us.
This is why we read in Hebrews 4:12:
“For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The Bible is unlike any other book ever written. The Bible is alive. When we read it, we have an active encounter with the living God who is transforming us into people who are like Jesus. This is the reason we avoid reading the Bible. This is also the reason we are inspired after having read the Bible.
May we enjoy the experience of the Holy Spirit breathing the Word of God into us as God is transforming our lives.
In Christ,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
What’s Your Family Plan?
Good Wednesday Afternoon,
Have you found yourself P.L.A.Y.ing this week? Last Sunday, we had the joy of worshiping with our former San Diego Interim Presbytery Executive, Pastor John Moser. He was ordained to pastoral ministry over 40 years ago and has served the Church faithfully. He is now retired and enjoying life as a grandparent.
In his message, we were challenged to see our family relationships in light of our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. Dads and Moms have been planted in our families to have contact with our children, which is life giving—not crushing. The contact we share with our heavenly Father is filled with grace and mercy—so too our relationships in our families need to reflect God's goodness and love.
Many have asked the question, "Where is the instruction book for parents?" The answer is easy: our guide book is God's Word. It teaches us about ourselves, Jesus, and the world we live in. Therefore, guided by God's Word, supported by our family of faith through prayer and encouragement, we draw closer to who God has created us to be.
In order to help us be better fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons, Pastor John Moser gave us a playful acrostic: "P.L.A.Y." P stands for Plan. Write out your parenting plan that is proactive and not reactive. Include in your written plan to pray regularly for your family. L stands for Listen. Parents listen to your children. Children listen to your moms and dads. Learn from each other. Let there be love in your conversations as you are learning and exploring who the Lord created each person in the family to be. A stands for Allowance. At first, I thought (as a parent) we needed to increase our monetary allowance to our children. But, allowance had a much deeper meeting: "to allow for mistakes." Is your family practicing grace? Is the response to flashes of anger met with grace and forgiveness? Do we gently guide and encourage our children. Lastly, Y stands for Yahoo! Create space to play and laugh together. The idiom "Laughter is the best medicine" is real and true. When families play together they are reminded of the joy and pleasure God desires for each one of us.
We announced a new opportunity called Tables of Eight on Sunday. Tables of Eight is an opportunity for families, couples, and singles to share a meal with up to 7 other members of the congregation at least 4 times over the next 4 months. The emphasis of these gatherings is on fellowship, which means there is not necessarily an accompanying bible study, nor is there an expectation of culinary perfection. Our goal is simply to get to know each other across age, stage, in or out of town, 9:00am or 10:30am service, and invite the Holy Spirit to be present among us as we break bread. Tables of Eight is a wonderful way to incorporate P.L.A.Y.ing together. I hope you will seriously consider signing up.
Lastly, it's been nearly three years since we've last "passed the plate" for offering due to COVID restrictions. I've been encouraged by the faithfulness of the Graham family to God first and foremost. Through your generosity, the ministries continue to be supported and moving forward. Over the past several months, the Session at Graham has prayerfully considered providing an opportunity, as an act of worship, to designate time and space to offer God's tithes and our offering in worship again. Through discerning the Holy Spirit's guidance, on Sunday, March 5, we will again begin collecting God’s tithes and our offering in both services.
Blessings,
Pastor John
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
All In
Good Wednesday to you,
When the stakes are high—being all in can be a scary thing. On Sunday morning, several people raised their hands saying "Yes, I'm a fan of James Bond and the 007 movies." I too am a big fan, not just because he's the hero, but because he is always all in. Sometimes, Bond appears as though he has not calculated the cost, but it never seems to stop him from saving the world and stopping the evil villain. We can't fault his tenacity and drive to the point of risking his own life.
As we continue our journey through the last three chapters in Ephesians, we come to a point in Paul's writing that does not always sit well in our cultural climate. Paul spent the first three chapters laying out what it means to be "In Christ" (identity) and in the last three what it means to "be the Church."
Paul's instruction was quite simple: be wise, understand the Lord's will, and be filled with the Spirit. Easier said than done, right?! What does all that look like in practice? Well, he tells us that too—through mutual submission to one another out of our reference for Christ. Paul is harkening back to "Be imitators of God…just as Christ loved us and give himself up for us…" (Ephesians 5:1-2). He's pointing us back to Christ as our example for how to live. And, Christ was all in for the Church—the bride.
Continuing on in the text, Paul addresses husbands and wives. In the first century, women did not have any rights and were treated as property. I read an account of a divorce that recorded the wife did not cook in a manner that pleased the husband. I would like to say we have come a long way in our relationships—especially marriages. But too many of us are familiar with divorce. We have, however, come a long way in elevating women from being property to being created in the Image of God. In a day and age when women were devaluated, Paul is pointing the Church in a different direction. He was pointing the Church to the idealized relationship between a husband and a wife. One characterized by sacrifice and respect. Who wouldn't want that in their marriage?
Paul ultimately paints a picture of marriage as a reflection of the Church's relationship to Christ. Christ is the Head of the Church and presents her (us—the Church) "without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:27). Christ was all in for the radiant Church whom he deeply loves. So much that he gave himself up for her! The picture Paul paints is beautiful, and it is one that we are called to live out daily as we shine the light of Christ in a dark world. I can't think of a better example to live by than Jesus Christ.
I pray those around you see Christ in you today and are drawn to him!
Blessings,
Pastor John
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!