Text

We recently finished our text series in TVM and it was extremely fun! We have a ton of left over questions that I will continue to answer on the Blog as we go along. As we near the end of the question we will open up the discussion again and allow for more questions to be asked and answered on the blog.

Here are today's questions:

1. do you keep a journal?
2. who thought of the idea of the TEXT series?
3. does god love bad people?
4. what time is it?
5. where do i live?

Do you keep a journal?

Not on a regular basis. When I go through something significant (good times, tragedy, new adventures) I will capture my memories and reflections in a journal, but as far as a regular journal... nope. I guess my blog is kind of a journal. I would like to discipline myself to journal more often but... maybe 2009's resolution.

Who thought of the idea of the TEXT series?

The majority of the creative ideas used in TVM are thought of and created by a team of people. While a specific person doesn't come to mind when giving credit for the TEXT series idea I'd blame Justin if you didn't like it. If you thought it was cool then give props to Josh Danskin.

Does God love bad people?

YES! Just as God created you and I who are hopefully "good" people, he also created those people we would call "bad." They weren't created to be bad, but have made choices to be who they are. I like to present it this way. God is the father of us all. In natural parenting you children will do things that are "bad," the disappoint you, hurt you, make you angry and on and on. However, just because they have chose a behavior contrary to what you'd desire, as a parent you still love them. The same is true with God. He doesn't look down and see the label; thief, murderer, molester, liar and so on, he sees a broken child of his that needs to be healed, forgiven and restored. Check out this scripture:

Romans 8:38-39 (New International Version)

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God loves us all, good or bad. This doesn't mean he will go along with our choices and looks the other way. No he sees what is done and will discipline those who need it, but he still loves all of us, no matter what we've done or will do.

What time is it?
At the tone the time will be 4:47pm... beep! It's Christmas time! It's TIME for a word from our sponsors. Tool time? IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME, PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME! Take your pick I guess...

Where do I live?

You live at your house. Probably in Washington state or to be more specific Snohomish county.

Most of these questions were some of the funny questions we got. We will tackle some tougher ones in the next post.

Text this week...

Here are the questions we will tackle this week in our Text series:

Wednesday

• What should I do if I like someone from church?
• What’s the biggest age difference there should be in a relationship when you are younger?
• When is it okay to date? Around what get do you think it’s appropriate to start dating?
• If God told you that you were going to marry someone does that mean it’s going to happen? What if you don’t want to marry that person?
• What do you do if you really like someone who loves God and wants a relationship with that person, but they are distracting you from God?

Sunday

1st Service

• Do you know anyone that has met their wife or husband at 12? And in your opinion what are the chances of that happening?
• How should I treat a girl I like, but don’t want to pursue a relationship with them?
• How do I fix my heart after a break up when I feel like dying?
• How do I break up with someone at church?
• Can I have a boyfriend and a boo?

2nd Service

• What’s so bad about dating?
• How do you know when you’ve found that special someone?
• Is it okay to date people in the church because we are all brothers and sisters of God? Why is it so bad to date a non believer? Is it a sin if you do?
• How far can you go with your bf or gf?
• Is it bad to move in with someone you’re going to marry before u actually get married?

Announcing...

Gia and I have some very exciting news to share with everyone! We have a lot of people close to us and would love to tell each person individually, but that would be impossible due to all those we know and love. So consider this your personal message from us to you.

A couple of weeks ago we went to the doctors and found out that Gia is pregnant! Yesterday we went again and heard the heartbeat, which was awesome, and found out that the due date is May 23rd.

We are so excited for this next stage of life for the both of us! We cannot wait to be parents of our own child! Please pray for Gia because she's been sick and pray for strength and a healthy baby.

We will be keeping everyone posted via the blog on what's going on. Please if you have questions or anything don't be afraid to ask in person :-).

October to November Daily Reading Plan

Date Daily Word Daily Prayer
10/18/2008 Luke 5-6 Jesus I know you are calling me so I answer that call.
10/19/2008 Luke 7-8 God help me to shine for all to see. Bring people my way who need you.
10/20/2008 Luke 9 I choose to deny my self, pick up my cross and follow you. Help me!
10/21/2008 Luke 10 Worship and prayer night 7pm. I will go to people like the Samaritan, so I can help them.
10/22/2008 Luke 11-12 Jesus give me a fear of God. Not being afraid, but reverence and awe of you.
10/23/2008 Luke 13-14 Pray for church. Jesus help me to pay the price of following you with everything in me.
10/24/2008 Luke 15-16 God I will give up all to seek you and follow you.
10/25/2008 Luke 17-18 God increase my faith!
10/26/2008 Luke 19-20 God protect me from anything that would pollute my faith. Help me to stand strong.
10/27/2008 Luke 21 Jesus help me to watch and wait for you before I act.
10/28/2008 Luke 22 Pray for church tonight. Father I want to be great, so make me a servant of all.
10/29/2008 Luke 23-24 Jesus continue to reveal yourself to me in everything I do.
10/30/2008 John 1-2 Thank you that I overcome the darkness, Give me the strength to stand.
11/1/2008 John 3-4 Help me to decrease that you might increase along with my effectiveness.
11/2/2008 John 5-6 Jesus no matter what I will not turn away. Help me to be strong.
11/3/2008 John 7-9 God fill me with truth that it would make me free from anything holding me back.
11/4/2008 John 10-12 Jesus help me to know and hear your voice.
11/5/2008 John 13-15 Pray for church tonight. Help me to follow your commandments and your Word.
11/6/2008 John 16-17 Pray for Reach Teams. Turn any sorrow I have into joy!
11/7/2008 John 18-21 Jesus let everything in my life that doesn’t please you be finished.
11/8/2008 Acts 1-3 Jesus bring revival to our city and let people be added to our church everyday.
11/9/2008 Acts 4-6 Pray for revival in our city. We are taking our city. Pray for God’s power in our lives.
11/10/2008 Acts 7-10 Pray God would give you and everyone around you an encounter that changes lives.
11/11/2008 Acts 11-14 God bring a revival to our city that changes our city forever and use me in all of it.
11/12/2008 Acts 15-18 Pray for church. Let me be someone who turns the world upside down. Give us our city!
11/13/2008 Acts 19-21 Pray for Reach Teams. Give me the strength to talk about you to every person.
11/14/2008 Acts 22-23 Pray for your one person you are going to get saved and to a Reach team.
11/15/2008 Acts 24-26 Pray for your one. God you’ve given us this city now open the doors we need open.
11/16/2008 Acts 27-28 Pray for your one. God draw my friends and others to you. Open their hearts to you.
11/17/2008 Romans 1-3 Jesus I will not be ashamed of my faith, but I will live it and not hide it.

The power of prayer pt 2

Remember 9/11/2001? I do. If you are 12 and older you probably remember exactly what you were doing when you heard and saw the news that terrorists had attacked our nation. I was sleeping and my mom ran in and told me that America was under attack. I ran out to images of burning buildings, planes flying into symbols of freedom and prosperity. I can never forget the images of the twin towers burning and ultimately collapsing killing thousands of people I didn't know, but I grieved for like I did. I can never forget the images of the pentagon burning, or the stories of heroism and tragedy.

I remember going to work that day, broken and unsure of what would happen in our nation. Tragedy had struck a mighty blow, but our nation would respond with characteristics that make this the greatest nation in all of history. We began to pray. I remember prayer meeting after prayer meeting as the church and those not of the body of Christ, began to call on God for healing, hope and wisdom for our leaders. We prayed for families we've never seen as they grieved with the tragedy of loved ones. Stories of Heroism by men and women who gave their lives at ground zero and in the air, flooded our eyes with tears and a passion to pray and continue on.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New Living Translation)

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land

We are facing a tragedy that requires no less of our time and no less of our prayers. This time no one will die and there will be no heroics. We probably wont shed a tear or be filled with passion and patriotism, but this is no less an important moment for the church to shine. This time instead of losing life, people could lose, houses, jobs, retirements and investments. Instead of going without fathers and mothers, children may have to go without food.

The tragedy we face is financial and it's time for the church to arise! 2 Chronicles is clear. If we, the church who are called, humble themselves and pray then God will restore our land. Our land needs restoration financially, morally and politically and it's time for us to humble ourselves and pray!

It would be so easy to bury our heads in the sand of entertainment, soccer practice, routine, work and everything else, but we need to look around and be aware of what's going on and do our part. The church has the key to changing this situation and it's through prayer.

From now until election day, go to prayer at 6am, noon, 6pm. If you cant make those times read this post for ideas on how you can participate in prayer.

It's time to arise and shine. It's time to pray. It's time to be an anchor of hope, love and faith for those without it. Our prayers are powerful and they will bring healing and restoration to our land.

The power of prayer pt 1

This Sunday we announced daily prayer times from now until 6pm on November 4th. Prayer at 6am, noon and 6pm. Pastor Jeff and the leaders of the church are asking everyone to pray at one of those times a day here at the church, or if there's no possible way for you to be here then where ever you are. We're talking once a day for less than a month, EVERYONE should do this. I want to show you the importance and power of prayer with a couple of stories.

Hull

In the 1860s over a million people were added to the church. United prayer seemed to be the spark. This is what happened in Hull:

"There were united daily prayer meetings in the port city of Kingston upon Hull, supported by the established church and the dissenting denominations. Numbers of people were unable to gain an entrance to the central meetings, and so, many places of worship were opened each evening for prayer. A monthly united prayer meeting attracted more than 3000. As usual a rising tide of evangelism followed, and campaigns were still crowding halls in 1865 to excess, necessitating the hiring of the circus, at which ministers of different denominations preached. Other very successful campaigns were carried on throughout the year 1865."

Wales 1904

The Welsh Revival started in 1904. It began as a movement of prayer. A key figure was a former coal miner, Evan Roberts, who was studying at Newcastle Emlyn College. He attended a campaign held by Seth Joshua, a Presbyterian evangelist, who prayed at the meeting, ‘O God, bend us.’ Roberts had responded with ‘O God, bend me.’ Following this he kept hearing a voice that told him to go home and speak to the young people in his home church. On his return to Loughor, his home town, his reluctant pastor allowed him to speak only at the end of a prayer meeting.

Roberts told them, ‘I have a message for you from God:

You must confess any known sin to God and put right any wrong done to others.
Second, you must put away any doubtful habit.
Third, you must obey the Spirit promptly.
Finally, you must confess your faith in Christ publicly.’

The response to his message was remarkable and following a series of meetings a break occurred and the movement spread rapidly over Wales: in five months a hundred thousand people were converted throughout the country. The revival had a widespread social impact.

Edinburgh 1905
Soon after the beginning of the Welsh Revival in 1904, a man called Joseph Kemp from Edinburgh went to Wales, where he spent a couple of weeks observing and experiencing the work and power of the Holy Spirit there. On his return he attended a large meeting in Charlotte Chapel. As he recounted his experiences there was an eager response to his story. A man asked for prayer and was the first of hundreds who became Christians during the subsequent revival in Charlotte Chapel. For a whole year prayer meetings were held, increasing in number and intensity, and characterised by passionate praying.

New York 1857-1860

In September 1857, a man of prayer, Jeremiah Lanphier, started a businessmen’s prayer meeting in the upper room of the Dutch Reformed Church Consistory Building in Manhattan. In response to his advertisement, only six people out of a population of a million showed up. But the following week there were fourteen, and then twenty-three when it was decided to meet everyday for prayer. By late winter they were filling the Dutch Reformed Church, then the Methodist Church on John Street, then Trinity Episcopal Church on Broadway at Wall Street. In February and March of 1858, every church and public hall in down town New York was filled. Horace Greeley, the famous editor, sent a reporter with horse and buggy racing round the prayer meetings to see how many men were praying. In one hour he could get to only twelve meetings, but he counted 6,100 men attending.

Then a landslide of prayer began, which overflowed to the churches in the evenings. People began to be converted, ten thousand a week in New York City alone. The movement spread throughout New England, the church bells bringing people to prayer at eight in the morning, twelve noon, and six in the evening. The revival raced up the Hudson and down the Mohawk, where the Baptists, for example, had so many people to baptize that they went down to the river, cut a big hole in the ice, and baptized them in the cold water. When Baptists do that they are really on fire!

Here are four major moves of God and they all had one thing in common... prayer. Now is not the time for us to shrink back as the body of Christ. It's time for us to rise up! We are facing one of the worst financial disaster our nation has ever seen. We're also facing the most important presidential election in our lifetime, as well as, we are still engaged in a war for freedom. It's time to pray. It's time to call on God to move like He did in the above "revivals."

We cannot afford to live life like normal in this time. Everything people have put their trust in, economy, job, government, homes, 401k's, investments, are crumbling and now is the time for us to show them who to truly trust and that is Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and he is well able to take care of us in any situation.

It's time to pray church! Let the church arise! It's going to take sacrifice on your part, but your sacrifice may be the very thing that brings thousands to salvation. It may be the very thing that heals our land (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). I personally am fasting lunches from now until November 4th to spend my 30 minute lunch praying. Here's some ideas of what you can do:

• Students - find a classroom and pray with other students during lunch.
  
• Families - Instead of family dinner or TV at the 6pm hour for less than a month. Bring the whole family to the church and pray. What better example could you show your children than to humble yourself and pray for others?
• Individuals - Find a time 6am, noon, 6pm to pray. If one of those times don't work, fast lunches, get up early, pray the whole way home. Don't miss out.
• Families - If you cant make it down, dedicate a room of the house until November as a prayer room. At one of those times, come together and pray.

It's time to act church! We need to make the sacrifices to pray for our nation during this time. As you implement different strategies, send a message to Pastor Jeff and let him know how you are doing your part in prayer during this season. Together we can turn the state of our nation through prayer!

Everybody needs a Nome...

Have you seen those Travelocity commercials with the roaming gnome. If not here's a pic:



Well everybody needs a Nome. Have you ever traveled somewhere you have never been before? Have you been somewhere where you didn't know the language, customs, places to go, places not to go? When traveling to a place you've never been it is always beneficial if not imperative to have a guide. Travelocity offers the roaming gnome to be your guide and the bible offers us the picture of a relationship between two women in the book of Ruth to be our guide.

In Ruth chapter one we see Ruth and Naomi. Naomi is Ruth's mother-in-law and both their husbands have died. Naomi informs Ruth that she will be returning to Judah from Moab and that Ruth should remain in Moab with her family. Ruth insists on going and they argue about it for a little while until Ruth says this: 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God."

Ruth wanted to go on this journey with Naomi and knew that Naomi could be her guide. Every body needs a Nome. We have a youth leader named Naomi and her nick name is Nome. That's why this blog is titled everybody needs a Nome. Every one needs a Naomi.

The moment we choose Christ we embark on a spiritual journey. The journey of faith and we need someone who has been down the road before to show us the way. They can interpret the language, show us where to go and where not to go, be that person we call when we need prayer or just to talk. They are the person who's house we can go over to, to have fun or get away from it all. Everybody needs a Nome, a Naomi. Someone we can follow, someone who can encourage us, correct us, love us and believe in us. Every body needs a Nome.

Who's your Nome? If you don't have one, one place you can look is at a Reach Team. Whether you are an adult or student Reach Teams offer the environment for people to find a Nome. You need one, so don't wait for them to find you, go find them like Ruth did. Get yourself a Nome today!

For more information on Reach Teams click here.

New video - Jedi Battle

Pastor Jeff, Pastor Rory and I had a little bit of down time, so we cut a little video. Check it out.

Soil

In Matthew chapter 13 we find many stories from Jesus about the kingdom of heaven, but I want to highlight one in particular, the story of the soil. In this story there are four types of "soil" or conditions of our heart. I'm going to list each with a brief description and the remedy for it if needed.

1. The footpath - These are people who not only don't understand the Word of God when it is preached or they read it, but they don't really want to understand. There is no desire in them to understand the Word. As a result the Word is stolen from their heart. Change - This person needs a desire to understand. Ask God for a desire to understand and ask others to explain the word.
2. The Rocky Soil - This person hears the Word, understands it and is excited about, but has no depth. This person lacks character and discipline. This is the person who never prays, never reads the word. This person is a roller coaster. They go up weekly when they go to church and down during the week. They are unstable and as a result they don't last long. They fall away as soon as problems or persecution comes. Change - Read the word, pray, surround yourself with people who are strong. Go to reach teams. Make it a daily pursuit and not a weekly event.
3. Among Thorns - This person hears the word and receives it, but is too concerned about the world. They are too concerned with what others think, what's hot on TV, music and in movies. Their desire is not for the things of God, but for the riches of this life, material things, popularity, and fame. They care more about their favorite celebrity and what they are doing that the Word of God and what He has for them. As a result the worries of this life choke the Word out and they produce nothing for God's Kingdom. They may come to church their whole life, but it is a waste because they never do anything for God, church is all about what God can do for them. Change - First repent. Then make a decision to crucify your flesh and your fleshly desires and follow Christ. You may have to fast (give up) what feeds that desire in you and read the word or pray. Instead of picking up US weekly pick up the Word. All that stuff is not bad, but it is if it consumes you. Ask yourself am I consumed by the cause and call of Christ or this world. Really examine and make the changes necessary.
4. The Good Soil - This is the produce who truly hears and understands God's word AND produces fruit. This is someone who reads the Word, Prays, invites people to church, is active in serving and lives a life open to God changing them. This person sees their friends, peers and family changed for Christ. This is the place we all need to get to.

Our hearts are like soil and the condition of it is up to us. Examine yourself and make the changes necessary so God can use you and you can thrive!

For more on this particular story click here.

Fall has arrived...

This morning I let my dogs out to use the bathroom and felt the chilly air even though it was sunny and realized for the first time fall has arrived. The seasons are changing and I am so excited!

The seasons are not only changing in the natural, but also in the spiritual. The summer has been a time of intense personal growth and devotion. We have seen many people overcome and explode with passion and devotion. We have focused primarily on personal growth and now that Fall has arrived a new season has begun. Summer was the season of devotional growth fall will be the season of numerical growth. We looked inward during the summer, now it's time to look outward.

Fall is always the greatest season of growth in the church and this year I am expecting God to grow our church. Begin to look for opportunities to share what God is doing and to invite people to church. In youth we are going after 100/100. 100 people weekly in services and 100 people in reach teams. I've asked every young person to find one person to pray for and invite to church then get them to a reach team.

Who is one person you could invite?

My one person that I've been working just gave his life to Christ on Sunday and is charging ahead! Choose somebody pray for them and invite them. Lets look outward, seize opportunities and watch God grow our church through the salvation of our friends, peers and family!