Living His Mission

“…because the times in my life when I have been most happy haven’t been the times when I’ve had the most money or the most freedom or the most anything, but rather when I’ve been in love or in community or right with people.” Donald Miller in ‘Searching for God Knows What’

What are community groups and how will they look and function? Let me take a brief stab at answering these questions (that appear as one) and then at the end I’ll provide a link if you’d like to read more and provide a list of the groups still available.
On Sunday’s we gather as Living Hope to celebrate our love for God and one another and hear the preached word. We catch up with friends we haven’t seen throughout the week and welcome guests who are checking out us and Jesus. Sunday’s are also the time we are reminded of our mission together as Living Hope church…a local church which is part of the church in St. Joseph and Maryville (the Ville)…as a member of the Newfrontiers family of churches which stretch around the world…and as part of that great cloud of witnesses which stretches down through the ages.
Community groups are smaller groups of people that gather in homes throughout our community to ‘live life together.’ They ideally consist of 15-20 people who meet together as a community group once a week. They share a meal or a snack depending on the group…enjoy a short time of worship together (this can be in song, the reading of a Psalm or a poem depending on the talents and gifts resident within that group)…flesh out the previous Sunday’s preach exploring how what was preached can be applied and worked out in our everyday lives…break bread…then pray for one another. Most groups last approximately 1 1/2 hours officially, but as friendship grows, you may hang out late into the evening. Depending on the group childcare will be arranged.
Community groups are where we care for one another. Meals for a new mother and her family. Helping with that move into a new house or apartment. Hospital visits and the like. Here is where we share the stuff of life and bear one another’s burdens.
Should you join a community group? The answer is yes! Father God created us to live out our Christian life in community. God exists in perfect community and He designed us to live in community with Him and others.
As we learn to live our life together in these community groups, our hope is that our lives are changed more and more to look like Jesus. As this happens we then look outside ourselves (which we are always called to do…it’s not one or the other…it’s both) and invite our friends, neighbors and co-workers to join us in this new community. We do believe everyone is looking for connection, friendship and deep community. It’s how we’re made.
Again…since what began as a brief stab has become (depending on how feel after reading this far) either a series of repeated stabs or one long plunge…Join a community group…join us on our mission together…connecting people to Jesus, His church and the world.
OK – the link. Here’s a link to our community group page on the web http://www.lhcsj.org/groups/

The Friday evening group with Steve and Brenda has filled up. Here’s the list of groups still open.

Sunday – Richard & Joy Conn

Monday – Evan & Vanessa Ross

Tuesday – Chris & Gail Robins

Thursday – John & Elizabeth Andrews, Mark & Karen Kerford, Ben & Peggy Roed (College Group @ MWSU Campus)

If you have any questions look for David Schultz at the table in the foyer this Sunday.

Hey all,

If you are part of the Living Hope family you will know that we are encouraging you to give 20 minutes a day to reading the Bible and 10 minutes to prayer and comtemplation on what you’ve read. 2010. Not real clever or out there…but it works. Here’s my journaling from today. I was reading Psalm 9 and read that in the original Hebrew it and Psalm 10 were one psalm that was an acrostic. Each stanza began with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Can’t read Hebrew, but I believe it. So…I thought…being somewhat sleep-deprived and up for something new…I should do an acrostic. So here it is for your viewing pleasure. Maybe you want to give it a go. If so…share it…post it in a comment for all the world (my blog-reader world is not very big) to see. And away we go!

Amazing are You Lord
Before You are all flesh & all creation
Creation sings Your praise forever and ever
Delight…my delight and the delight of the world is in You alone
Everlasting to everlasting is Your name
Forever I will praise Your name
Generations will praise You
Households will bow down in worship to You
I am found in You alone
Jesus…wow…what can I say?
Kindness upon kindness is in Your right hand and it has led me to You
Lavish are You with Your love
Men – all men and women will one day bow before You
Nations will stream into Your great city
Oh the joy that is found only in Your presence
Patient…oh so patient are You with me
Q on Star Trek is nothing compared with You…ha ha…hope you laugh at this too
Righteous and holy are You
Satisfying to my soul is Your smile to me
Terrifying in righteous wrath
You have satisfied Your wrath in my Savior
Victorious King is Your name
Wonder of wonders
X-alted and true
‘Yes, yes’ does my heart cry to You
Zebras shall dance and so shall I in Your presence!

Happy New Year…almost!

Proverbs 16:9 says this, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Plans are good and I am finding in my own life they actually make more room for God to do as He wills in my life. Who’d have thunk it:) So…I want to point all of us to some resources to help us have a plan for reading the Bible and engaging God in His word this year. Let’s go.

The drive is clear at Living Hope so I plan to see all you Hopers this Sunday at 10. When you arrive you will notice posters which speak of 20/10. It’s the year 2010, so why not use that to help us engage with Jesus. What we’re asking and praying for all of us is that we would give 20 minutes a day to reading our Bible and 10 minutes to prayer and contemplation upon what we’ve read. How does that sound? 30 minutes of each day solely devoted to Jesus! Let’s do it together.

Now, what should I read during that 20 minutes? Below I will point you to 3 different sites that can help you plan a systematic plan to get through the whole Bible, the New Testament or whatever part you plan to get through in a year. I believe for most us…with 20 minutes a day…we could actually get through the whole Bible in a year. So, pick a plan…without one we tend to read what we like and know…and let’s get started together. If you have any questions, grab me Sunday or shoot me an email.

YouVersion has a multitude of plans. You can get plans delivered to your email or to your phone, etc. You can adjust plans, pick the amount of time you want to take, on & on & on. It’s crazy. Give it a look.

The Journey church out of St. Louis is here. It’s read 3 days, then a day off. Sweet! On this page is the plan. A downloadable, printable version of the plan. Printed and video overviews of the books you’re reading. Darrin Patrick who leads the Journey church is a friend of ours and he will be speaking at our Mobilise conference in January. It’s online, it’s free, thanx Journey church.

And…the SOAP plan from New Hope in Hawaii (I think I need to go there to personally check it out…haha) is here. Several of you have been reaping the benefits of journaling. This page teaches you how to use the SOAP method and will link you to their plan which takes you through the OT once and the NT twice in a year.

I highly encourage you to write down your thoughts either using the SOAP method or Journey’s ROAD method. Same method, different name. Both emphasize (and we agree) picking one verse to concentrate on, observing it in context, deciding how to apply it to our life and then doing so, and writing out a prayer based on what God has showed us.

Here’s a good book to give you a general overview of the different sections of the Bible, how to understand context and the style of writing each book is written in. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart. Check it out here . If you’re going to purchase the book, please purchase through this link. Once on this page, you can click “Powered by Amazon.com” on the right-hand side and it will give us credit for your purchase.

We have access to all the tools we need. We have access to the same Spirit who inspired the writers. We have access to the Father through the Son. What are we waiting for?

In Mark Batterson’s new book Primal he is writing on the lack of reading we do in the modern world and he unloads these three sentences. “I know we’re busy, but no one is too busy to go to the bathroom, right? So here’s an idea. If you simply put a book in your bathroom, you can read at least one book a month.” Haha. I’ll be stealing those lines for a sermon sometime soon.

So the book is funny. But it’s more than that. Just like In a “Pit With a Lion” captured my attention a few years back, Mark has done the same this time with “Primal”. He is able to bring life to something we know…well, not really something we know (or we wouldn’t need this book)…but something we acknowledge but need to Know. He reminds that it is our highest calling, our highest privilege, our highest joy as people to love the Lord God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Most of us think we know what that means and how it looks but we don’t know as we could. I don’t. I sometimes think I do, but a book like “Primal” reminds me that there is so much more to be had. And the more I love God in this way, the more I realize there is more. Mark reminds us and stirs us to remember the joy and utter amazement of our salvation.

Get it. Read it. Carve our a day early in the New Year. Read it front to back (it’s a book you can easily read in one sitting) and let it drive you deeper into God. Let it remind you of those feelings you once had for Him. Those dreams you once dreamed for Him. That passion that lies dormant deep in your soul. Descend the stairway with Mark and God into “the Lost Soul of Christianity.”

Get you copy of Primal here http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421319

Gang,

Good Tuesday morning to you. As promised, here is the address for Bob & Carolyn. Feel free to send a card or a letter. As I mentioned Sunday, Bob is in great spirits and Carolyn, as always, is trying to keep him straight. The address is at the bottom. Please don’t go straight there. If you’ve ever wondered how to serve extended family over the holidays with the love of Jesus…this is a good article on that subject and he doesn’t beat around the bush about our privilege and place as followers of Jesus. http://www.russellmoore.com/

Here’s a great video of a spontaneous outbreak of worship. Give 5 minutes, stop everything else, watch it and worship Jesus! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDmibnRyhj4 Danny is a homeless man who “interrupts” the planned video!

Don’t forget our Christmas service Wednesday evening at 7pm. Bring your friends and let’s worship Jesus together. This is Love!

Bob & Carolyn

1115 Stillwell Ave., Tillamook, OR 97141

Have a stellar Tuesday…remember…people are waiting to Know Jesus.

John 4:34-36 (English Standard Version)

³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. ³⁵Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. ³⁶Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

PS – IF LIVING HOPE IS YOUR HOME…WATCH YOUR INBOX LATER TODAY FOR A SPECIAL GIVING OPPORTUNITY DURING OUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WEDNESDAY EVENING WHICH WILL SERVE ONE OF OUR LIVING HOPE FAMILY MEMBERS.

Tomorrow (12.20.2009) at Living Hope Church we will continue our series titled, “Have You Heard?” with the Joy of Forgiveness as our jumping off point. I could make lots of joy puns now, like…I’m overjoyed to speak this message…I’m rejoicing while looking joyfully forward to sharing joy with you…blah, blah, blah….you get my drift:-)
But all that nonsense aside, I am stoked about the message of Joy. Jesus was birthed in joy, we are birthed in joy. Jesus endured his death for joy and at our death as Jesus-followers we are received by the Father with joy. And in between…as Jesus was anointed with joy…I believe so are we…and it is our privilege as those purchased by the joy-giver to live in joy. This is our birthright. We will have troubles, but Jesus promised joy in the midst of sorrow…just like He experienced! So…if you’re reading this and you’re close to St. Joseph or Maryville…join us at 10 in the Joe or 11 in the Ville! Hope to see you!

This dog hopes to see you also. I’m learning to post pics in my blogs…and trust me, I’m still learning. But I love dogs, so here’s the first attempt!

The joyful dog

Thanksgiving Day 2009!

It’s Thanksgiving morn. We play a game at our house…a very cold game…a game where we see how far into winter we can get before we turn on the furnace. Sounds like fun…doesn’t it? Not! But we play. It’s November 26th and we’re still  holding the course. You need to know this. We do have a wood-burning stove and one electric-oil space heater. Didn’t even want to know the temperature as I got out of bed, but the stove is now burning wood (though not producing heat yet) and the space heater is plugged in. It must be colder out than in because the dog is now scratching at the door to come back in. I peek at the thermometer on the porch…30 degrees fahrenheit. Oooooh…much colder than it was 2 weeks ago in Guadalajara:) The beat goes on. One of these mornings soon…someone (read Jeff) will accidentally bump into the thermostat and the furnace will kick on. I am thankful for wood and the stoves that burn it, electricity and oil heaters…and natural gas and furnaces. I’m not sure I believe people when they say they’d rather live in the olden days.

I don’t want to make this too long, so here’s a few people and things I’m thankful for. Dad-God, Jesus and God the Ghost (That term makes me smile). They rock. Never leaving me. Never forsaking me (even when I do really stupid stuff). Always with me. Thanx! Every other good thing in my life flows from them. My wife. A good wife is a gift from God. I’m just glad I was finally smart enough to see that and ask her to marry me. I’m glad she was patient enough to wait (I was dense…still am at times). The boy and the girl…my amazing kids. Even though we only have 2 biological kids…my quiver is way full. They are amazing. They aren’t perfect…but then neither is their earthly dad. They love Jesus and one day we will shoot them out into this world and I know they will change it for the fame of Jesus. The dog and the cat. I’m so glad God made pets! My parents who still love me unconditionally. My last remaining-alive (is that a word) Grama who is 90.

I am thankful for Living Hope church (the people…since church is people). They are gracious and kind and  have hung in with me for the last 4 1/2 years as God has allowed me to lead them. He is doing amazing things amongst us and I know the best is yet to come. Tommy who sat on my lap all those years ago and said, “Jeff, you’re coming with me.” Bob who guided me through my first 2 years at the helm of Living Hope. A nameless local pastor (for his protection:) for enduring my idiotic late-night movie choices.

And…it may sound weird to some of you…but I’m thankful that God allowed me to have cancer. If you are currently battling cancer, my prayers are with you. It is evil. But God can use all things for His glory. It woke me up. I was a lazy christian. I was satisfied with just being an attender of a local church. Let everyone else do the stuff. I would coast until heaven. Let other people tell other people about Jesus. Dad-God got my attention. I’m thankful He’s a Dad who disciplines those He loves.

There’s so many more people, but that’s enough for today. If you’ve made it this far…thanx! Here’s a good short blurb from Mark Batterson on heaven. Worth a minute’s read! And I cant wait for his new book PRIMAL!

Right now I’m thankful for the cinnamon roll which the girl is warming up in the microwave. She didn’t think it was funny when I asked her to warm it up for me by telling her she was so good at the microwave:) Oh yeah…and so thankful for coffee…and chocolate cows (milk)…and…football (I’m ready)…and…
Happy Thanksgiving!

Hola,

It is good to be home…even though we have been greeted with cold, wet & snowy weather:) That’s why we love Missouri! I am finally getting worship songs in Spanish worked out of my head. It’s actually an interesting sensation. I had a great time in Guadalajara with our friends from El Camino church. It was great on the weekend to catch up with more friends from the other Newfrontiers churches in Mexico. Many greeting were sent Living Hope’s way.

A few quick hits…though short and to the point is difficult for me:)

Pepe from Leon opened Fiesta on Friday night. It was great to hear him speak. Great thought about having high expectations and believing God for big things, “I’ve never seen a dog who chases a parked car. They have high expectations. They chase moving cars!” Sweet. Our Savior is on the move. He has other neighborhoods, other towns & other peoples to reach. Are you chasing Him as He chases (not an entirely great word for Jesus, but it works:) the world?

Pepe – “Our influence is beyond where we are and our generation.” Great thought and true. Reminds me of a Greek proverb Rick Hein tweeted recently – “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will never sit in.” Wow…soak that in, think on it, pray on it…then go for it. When I now sit under my big pine tree in front of my house, I love it. And it’s the same tree that the Elkins family enjoyed for many a year and someone before them planted. Someone for some reason (probably not foresight, but maybe) planted that tree which my family now enjoys and hopefully will – and maybe another family will – for years to come. Are we planting God’s kingdom in a similar way. Not just for us…but for the future! Let’s plant lots of gospel trees (churches, community groups, etc.) that will shade people with the glorious gospel of Jesus long after we’re gone! That stokes my fire…haha!

Wow, that quick hit certainly turned long.

John Lanferman brought it on Saturday morning. I hear he brought it on Saturday evening also, but I ventured up the long hill to be with the youth and hear Jeremy Hazel from Canada. Great time.

A few last quick quotes (as close as I could get…he talks fast and we were listening to a translator) from Pepe: “God sees beyond what we can see.” “God spoke…Abraham built an altar. God speaks…we build a church!” “God wants to awaken us with a lot of expectations – of what He will do through us and our churches.” “God will give us vision and provision.” AND ONE OF MY FAVS – “All our life has meaning – we somehow lose this as we grow older.” This life matters…for eternity. As we grow older, let’s plant more and stronger and more glorious gospel trees for the whole world to come and sit under!

Soon…Jeff

It is Wednesday in Guadalajara and the team is hard at work making Oasis shine. I am writing this and then heading out into the city with Arturo. It has been great to spend extended time with him and others from El Camino, the church he leads here in Guadalajara (hereafter referred to as Guad, because I’m tired of typing that long name:). I had a great lunch with my friend Mario yesterday and then a great time of prayer with the people of El Camino last evening. Though I understand very little without translation, it’s always a joy to be in the presence of God with His people.

We arrived in town on Friday, got settled in and spent Saturday doing the tourist stuff. Shopping in the open-air market, a great cook-out at Arturo’s home and then a soccer match in Stadium Jalisco between Chivas (Arturo’s team…go Chivas) and their in-city rival Atlas. Sunday we worshipped with El Camino. El Camino is one of the Newfrontiers churches here in Guad. We are a family of churches on mission together and really do believe that we can do more together than apart. After a Mexican lunch of beef in juice (God bless the person that first thought of this:), we headed to the edges of Guad to an area know as La Severiana. The first five letters give an apt description of the conditions these wonderful people live in. As we arrived an energetic young man from El Camino named Saul led us in worship. Under a fading sun…with 2 light bulbs soon to light the way…the presence of our great Savior was with us. Even now as I remember being there it can be a bit awe-inspiring. I have so much and yet sometimes find it hard to turn my attention to God…maybe that’s the lesson for me.

On Monday the team began working on many projects at Oasis and I began enjoying my time with Arturo and his team.

Will we affect Oasis and El Camino while we are here? I believe so…in small ways. But more importantly, I believe we are changed. We see our world differently. The life we live and the troubles we face are put into perspective. They are no less real…maybe we are? We come, we enjoy fellowship with each other and the wonderful people we meet. We leave a footprint. Already fading, yet a footprint none-the-less. Our hope is that people know and love Jesus more after we leave. And we hopefully look at our feet and see that our feet are changed. They have more of the world on them. They will walk the streets of our city differently. Though circumstances are different…people are people. We all need the love of a Savior.

Living Hope church and El Camino church. Living Hope and Oasis. St. Joseph and Guadalajara. We can do more together than we can apart.

I grew up with football. It surrounded me . My dad was a coach. I didn’t grow up a PK(preacher’s kid) like my kids now are…I grew up a CK(coach’s kid). He coached all sports and I went on many a bus ride as a young child…most of them with the girls teams my dad coached…but that’s definitely another story. Someday I’ll share what I asked one of his girl athlete’s when she babysat for me:) But now…football!

I used to love when the coaches would gather at our house after a game or practice. I loved the smell of those nights…the football talk…losses commiserated…and victories celebrated. I remember going to the games with my mom. Yelling with the crowd. Never getting to run crazy with the other kids under the stands. We were there to watch the game. I remember when my dad coached with his hands bandaged and his eyebrows gone! They had fueled the homecoming bonfire with gas and he was too close when he lit it.

And the celebration of sport and team! Hands in the air. Yelling ’til our lungs were worn out. Stomping on the bleachers ’til they created a deafening roar. What fun. What joy. With the team. With the crowd.

Why don’t we worship Jesus like that? When we gather together in our churches why don’t we worship with that same passion, zeal and fervor? Why don’t we throw our whole bodies, our whole voice, our whole being into corporate worship? Up on our toes…hands held high as if we were reaching heaven itself. Jesus is worth it. We see from how we celebrate at sport or other performance that we are capable. Let’s go for it! Who said church should be a quiet place? God didn’t!

Let’s celebrate the shadow…I do! But with a greater intensity let’s celebrate the Son. Let’s get close (yes, really close…God made us for that)…let’s get singed by the fire of our Holy God…so that we might be changed!

The shadow proves the sun (I heard it from CS Lewis…and Switchfoot put it to music). What’s in us to celebrate the things of this world prove it’s in us to respond to God in the same way. If you’re a follower of Jesus it’s in you. It is! Let it out. Let the world know that Jesus is the greatest thing!