Archive for December, 2009
Randomness from a fun weekend…
- Went to see Avatar on Friday night. Incredible 3D. Decent movie. I would not recommend the movie without 3D. The 3D makes the movie.
- Flag Football on Saturday morning. Good time. No injuries.
- Found out that the son of Johnny Unitas was the QB on the opposing team last time we played flag football. Inflated my ego to know that I QBed the team that beat the team of Johnny Jr – then I remembered it was flag football being played by a group of almost-40s.
- Watched the Tarheels lose again – this time in the Jerry Dome called Texas Stadium. The Tarheels are young and make a lot of unnecessary mistakes. I am not sure how a team with so many players over 6’9″ gets dominated on the boards. The good news is the 3 losses are to 3 of the top 5 teams in the nation. A tough early season gets you ready for the conference and March.
- We went to eat at Texas de Brazil on Saturday night and I ate an incredible amount of steak. Unbelievable restaurant.
- We then went to see Terry Fator – the ventriloquist who won America’s Got Talent a couple of years ago. He is incredibly talented. His show is definitely entertaining. Not necessarily that funny but very entertaining.
- I managed to avoid seeing anything about the Cowboys-Saints game until I got home to watch it on DVR. Great game. It was a huge victory even though the Boys tried to give it to them at the end.
- Anyone want a kicker named Folk?
- How can you get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, be a professional athlete, and miss a 22-yard field goal at such a crucial moment in the game???
- The good news is the Dallas D stepped up big time at the end of the game.
- Solid day at GP. Since very few people are from Vegas, many of our people leave town for Christmas but we still had good attendance and a great finish to our Xmas series.
- I just can’t get into Christmas songs – even when they are spiced up.
- Someone came into today during our worship and asked if they were in the “youth” service. Fun times.
- We showed a great video from last weekend’s community service.
- We had several new faces today.
- Some highlights from today’s message:
“Does it seem a bit strange God selected shepherds to be the first audience of the greatest news ever delivered?”
“No room for Jesus seems to be a constant issue in our overcrowded lives”
“Isn’t it ironic that our lives are normally overcrowded by things that bring no satisfaction or fulfillment while we crowd out the one thing that does?”
“God made a statement with His announcement regarding who He came to save – all types of people!”
“God provided what we need the most – a Savior (not a Helper)”
“Christ (the One you are waiting for) the Lord (the Supreme Authority of the created world) is accessible (you will find the baby)”
“God came to save sinners”
“The story of Christmas and the story of the Bible is that God came down to be with His people. We can’t go up to God (even though religion is humanity’s effort to do so) so God comes down to us.”
“God loves bad people because He is good”
“Our tendency is to try and interject Jesus into our own morality as a means to come to God”
“The first step in coming to God on his terms is recognizing our need for a Savior”
“Most people think good or moral people go to heaven when in reality only forgiven and redeemed people go to heaven”
“We tend to turn to our own functional saviors in order to make life better”
“A functional savior is anything/one/place other than Jesus that makes my life worth living”
“Is Jesus really all I need?”
“Salvation is not just about needing a Savior to save us from our sins and take us to heaven. Salvation is about our continual need for the gospel to transform our everyday lives (our present reality)”
“The message of the angels is still true: a Savior who is Christ the Lord can still be found”
- We had several adults commit their life to Jesus today. The gospel still changes lives.
- Our Xmas series has been a great reminder for me to keep Christ at the center of life.
- Took a good nap this afternoon.
- Christmas Eve services this Thursday at 5 & 7 pm!
- We SURPASSED our Vision Offering goal today! Way to go GPers.
- Mark my word: 2010 promises to be a big year in the history of Grace Point Church. Can’t wait.
- Short week before Christmas Eve services and then flying to the g-parents for a few days.
Merry Christmas everyone. I hope to have a new blog look in the next few weeks. Grace Point will also have a new website soon and we are introducing a new site dedicated 100% to our serving opportunities. Thank you to everyone out there who supports, encourages, and prays for Grace Point Church. God is doing some great things in the Las Vegas valley and we are thankful to be a small part in the story.
We finish our Xmas series this weekend talking about our need for a Savior. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they were clear that a Savior was born. If you know anything about the lifestyle of the shepherd in that day, you would rightfully suggest that they were in desperate need of a Savior. Social outcasts, dishonest, considered outsiders, unable to attend church at the temple, living in the fields, these vagabonds were not exactly the upper class of society. Shepherding is not a job you earn a degree for or strive for. It is a job you “end up with.” So when the angels arrive and announce to the shepherds that a Savior has been born, that is good news for people like shepherds!
But what we can’t forget is that the Savior was not born just for people like shepherds. The Savior was born for “all” people. In other words, we are all in need of a Savior. Why? Because we are all sinners. Two primary thoughts emerge from this truth to me: 1. We are all in need of a Savior & 2. We have a tendency to live life with our own functional saviors.
1. We all need a Savior. Sometimes I think the average person who claims to be a Christian has an “interject Jesus” mindset. We try and interject Jesus into our own morality. In this case, Jesus simply becomes a helper instead of a Savior. We tend to think in terms of “better than” which leads us to trust our own morality or goodness. The announcement of the angels reminds us that we are all in need of a Savior – rich or poor, good or bad, moral or immoral – we need a Savior. God came to earth to provide what we need: forgiveness.
2. We tend to create our own functional saviors in life. A functional savior is anything or anyone that we depend upon to find our value. If I am single and believe being married is the key to my fulfillment or happiness, then my functional savior becomes that man or woman who takes me from being single to being married. Functional saviors can be money, job, a family, a child, a car, an addiction, my own morality. Functional saviors take many forms. Here’s the question I must answer: is Jesus really enough for me? Is He enough if I remain single? Is He enough if I lose my spouse or child? Is He enough if I never get pregnant? Is He enough if I lose my job or health? Is He enough? Is He really my Savior?
These two realities dictate how we live life. The gist of the Xmas series is that most of us tend to live a life that would be basically unaffected if Jesus were removed. We get very concerned about culture removing Christ from Christmas when in reality most of us live a life that dismisses Jesus as the center of everyday life. It’s not the job of the clerk at Wal-Mart to make Jesus a part of Christmas. It is my calling to live a life that reflects Jesus as the highest priority of my life.
As the angels announced 2000 years ago, a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord. Now we must ask ourselves: is Jesus really my Savior?
This has to be the greatest Christmas decoration ever. What is hilarious is they had to take it down after a few days because it was causing 9-1-1 calls, frequent stops, and near traffic accidents.
We think people need to laugh during these tough economic times. So we put together just some random stupid videos for our people. Here they are. Some of the jokes are “inside” jokes but I hope you enjoy. fyi: Captain Obvious and Big Earl are two of our characters at GP who we use to do announcements, etc.
Here is Chia Jeremy. Thanks for being a good sport Jeremy. Your intern tenure just went up.
Chia Jeremy from Grace Point Church on Vimeo.
GP Sports Snuggie
GP Sports Snuggie from Grace Point Church on Vimeo.
And Captain O meets Big Earl. Please keep in mind that Big Earl is our resident “fresh on the journey” GPer who is trying to figure out everything.
What an incredible weekend. I have never been more proud to be the pastor of Grace Point. Our people stepped up in such a huge way in this season. It was overwhelming to me. Here are some of the weekend highlights.
- Friday night a group of us loaded an entire 24′ U-haul with basic need boxes and baked goods and delivered them to City Mission. Grace Point people provided 250 basic need boxes and over 750 baked goods for needy families this weekend.
- Over 135 GP volunteers were involved in preparing and delivering 450 food boxes, the basic needs boxes and baked goods, and 30 kids bags filled with toys.
- We worked with City Mission – one of our favorite partners.
- Four of us were strategically sent to one senior citizen center where Donnie and Marie made an appearance. We were there to represent the volunteer base of City Mission. They arrived with all the fanfare and hype of the media. We met them briefly and then they delivered some boxes to a few of the senior citizens. I am glad City Mission got the exposure that Donnie & Marie brought but I am far more impressed with the hundreds of GP volunteers who faithfully serve with little or no recognition.
- We also provided 2 Christmas parties for low income housing developments.
- The first was for grandparents with custody of their grandkids and abused mothers with their children. We provided a sit-down meal as well as a basic needs box for each family and gift bags for the kids. We had an “authentic” Santa as well as crafts and games. It was a blast for everyone involved. It was such a joy to see the face of the children light up over the gifts and Santa. Awesome party. We had no idea what to expect and over 75 people attended it.
- Our second party was at a senior citizen center. We had a sit-down meal, live music, and games (including a competitive game of bingo). It was so fun. About 125 senior adults came and the energy level was incredible. Our volunteers did an outstanding job and the senior citizen directors were so grateful.
- It was awesome to watch so many of our volunteers come together for this event. From set-up to baking to providing games to tear-down, it was a true team effort.
- Since I was going to be at most of the events throughout the weekend, I was the appointed videographer. It was such an awesome experience for me to be behind the camera watching our people serve.
- After the final party on Saturday night, I was overwhelmed in the car to re-live the day and think about how so many people “get it” at Grace Point. It was a surreal moment for me to realize how a vision birthed in my heart several years ago has now been captured and advanced by so many people. It was an emotional moment for me – one that carried over into Sunday’s service!
- We had a great day at GP yesterday. Great crowd and an incredible spirit.
- I am really enjoying our Xmas series. Yesterday I taught on Joseph and challenged our people to live with a faith that requires we believe and do the impossible. Some of my favorite clips from the sermon:
“Joseph was a man of few words but incredible action”
“The Jesus factor affects how we deal with people when we have been hurt”
“God asked Joseph to believe the impossible and do the impossible”
“Joseph – I need you to be the foster father of God the Son who is the long awaited Messiah – now go”
“Appearance is a harsh taskmaster. Joseph was asked to live a life where perception was the opposite of reality”
“What in my life demands I live in absolute faith and dependence?”
“Radical faith is not reserved for super spiritual people or professional Christians. Joseph was a blue collar carpenter”
“God asks us to replace our fear with faith”
“Be clear on your call even if the call doesn’t make sense to others”
“Faith and Stupidity are not one and the same”
“A God call is usually accompanied by a healthy fear”
“Common sense only goes so far with a God who operates beyond the rational”
“Can God be trusted even when it doesn’t make sense to do so?”
“Faith is a following issue – stay on the journey and God will direct your steps”
“What is God asking you to do that requires Him to act or it will not happen?”
- Sunday night we had our annual Christmas gathering. Fun time.
- The night was highlighted by some funny videos we put together.
- In a time of economic uncertainty and challenge, laughter is a great relief.
- We also honored our many volunteers who serve so faithfully.
- I am blessed to be part of a church where over 80% of our regular attendees serve!
- Our staff worked so hard to make this weekend happen. I love each one of them. Way to go Ashley, Derek, Heidi, and Ty! Also a big shout out to our interns who served faithfully as well: Danny, Jeremy, and Michael. And there were a ton of other key volunteers who made it happen.
I am tired from a long weekend but I am truly blessed. Staff party tonight.
and by the way, Sunday is coming again!
We are in a series at Grace Point called Xmas. We are looking at different characters connected to the Christmas story and then examining what it means to live a life that is centered on Christ. As Jesus followers, we tend to get irritated when we feel Christ is being left out of Christmas when in reality many people who call themselves Christians are living a life that basically leaves out Christ. It is my belief that you could “remove” Jesus from the average Christian’s life and very little would change.
This Sunday we are looking at Joseph. Although Joseph is one of the more prominent names in the Christmas story, he is more like an extra in a movie. He never speaks a word and he is rarely heard from. He has no lines in the Christmas play. And to be honest, Joey is put in a very difficult situation at the beginning of the story. Joseph is asked to believe the impossible and do the impossible.
He is asked to believe that his suddenly impregnated fiance is still a virgin and the child inside of her is a result of God’s direct intervention. What he is asked to believe defies logic. It does not make sense. It generates skepticism, gossip, shock, and frustration. And yet in faith he believes the impossible.
He is also asked to do the impossible – be a foster father to God the Son turned human who, by the way, is the long-anticipated Messiah who will grow up and die for the sins of humankind. I have trouble trying to get my three kids to where they are supposed to be on time! No pressure Joseph but God’s people have been waiting for the Messiah for thousands of years. His role was determined before the foundation of the world. And guess what? You get to be his foster father!
Joseph had every reason to run in fear (and he was afraid according to the angel) but instead he transformed his fear into faith. Joseph was a man of few words but he was a man of action. He was a man of faith.
Are we living a life of faith? Are we believing or doing anything that requires God to act? I am afraid our tendency is to live a life that requires little or no faith. What is it that God is asking you to do that can only happen if He comes through? If Jesus were taken out of our lives, would it really affect the “faith factor” in any way or would we just continue to live life as is?
I feel like my blog is becoming nothing but post-weekend randomness. Sorry. Follow me on Face Book or Twitter if you want more interaction! Here’s another weekly edition:
- Watched a lot of sports this weekend: college hoops, college football, NFL, UFC
- My two primary teams both lost but played hard.
- The Ultimate Fighter Finale was good
- Celebrated my middle daughters 10th birthday! Can’t believe she is double digits ;-(
- Great day at GP today. Baptisms are always awesome.
- We baptized IN the theater today during the service while the band played. We were able to “go live” on the screens so you could see the participants coming out of the water. Great visual.
- We baptized a couple who received a bottle of water during Servolution!
- Really enjoyed teaching again today. This series is unique and challenging.
- Taught from the story of Simeon and Anna.
- Some of my favorite “clips” from the message…
“When Christ arrived, there were a lot of feelings of unmet expectations and unfulfilled promises”
“If you try and pull off what Simeon did (snatch baby from parents and scream “Now I’m ready to die”), you might get tazered”
“When the Bible says you are ‘very old’ that means you are basically toast”
“What type of man causes his wife to live in the church for 84 years after being married to him for only 7?”
“When everyone else saw a child, Simeon and Anna saw Salvation”
“Simeon and Anna believed God was providing comfort and forgiveness in a personal form”
“To where do we turn to find our forgiveness and comfort?”
“Do we live forgiven or with a ‘doing penance’ mindset?”
“The guilt-driven life will distort your view of God”
“The tension of living as a forgiven person and wrestling with everyday sin is resolved in the cross”
“We tend to find our comfort in someone, something, or somewhere outside of Jesus”
“The problem is that none of these people, things or places are sustainable”
“Jesus has promised stability, reliability, and unconditional care”
“Jesus offers a comfort that is dictated by who He is and not life’s circumstances”
“Salvation is here”
“Let’s keep Christ at the center of life”
Busy & fun week ahead. Pray for an important meeting I have this week regarding a potential “place” for GP!
Elders Christmas party & City Mission Service this week!