https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fIzhQohb_DA

The Christian life is not just about believing the right things, it's belonging to a family. On any given Sunday in America alone, more than 100 million people will go to church. But many don't even know why?  Some go out of guilt, others out of pressure, some out of desperation because their life is falling apart. People go to seek after God for answers to their life and still others out of habit.  Why do you go?  A lot of people say, "I want to be a Christian but I don't need a church!  That's like saying… "I want to play football in the NFL, but not be a part of any particular team". "I want to be a soldier but not have a platoon". "I want to be an explorer but not have a base camp". "I want to play electric guitar but not be in a band". "I want to be a sailor without a ship"…a bee without a hive!"

A Christian without a church family is an orphan.  You don't have the support and the foundation that you are going to need in the future. There's a big difference between attending a church meeting and belonging to a church family. Church is NOT the place you go to, it’s the family you belong to.  It's your spiritual home. Rom 12:5  "In Christ we who are many form one Body and each member belongs to all the others.”  Eph 2:19,22 "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household," "And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” When you were reborn spiritually, you were born into God's family. That family is called the church. The church is NOT an institution. It is not a business (though we do business). The church is NOT an organization, a social club.  It's a family! 

Here are a few reasons we need a church family?

• Helps me not get distracted and keep my focus on God. Worship helps me experience God and find perspective for my life. 
• Helps me face life's problems. I Thess. 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” God never meant for you to go through life all by yourself, all alone. He wants you to have a church family for support.  The Christian life is not a solo act!! We need and draw strength from each other.   
• Helps strengthen my faith. Heb 10:24-25a  ”And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”
• Helps me find my place of ministry. I Cor. 12:18 “But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” You were not put on earth to just take up space. God expects you to make a contribution with your life.
• Helps me fulfill my life's mission. Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Each of us is a part of Christ’s family and has a responsibility to facilitate in some way helping people come into relationship with Jesus Christ.

Where do I go from here! There are many good churches in our city and the area around us. You need to join one and stop hopping around if you are. If you aren't able to fit here at Cambria Vineyard, I challenge you to find a church you can love and be committed to. I don't know a more significant thing to do with your life because every minute you invest, every dollar you give, every ministry you serve in, is making a difference for eternity. The Kingdom of God is going to outlast your career, it's going to outlast your hobbies, it's going to outlast your family, the gov't. or anything else. I decided years ago that I'm not going to waste my life. It is a privilege to be a part of God's history making church. Yes your life doesn’t work without God but it also does not work without people in your life.  

Finally, I want to thank you Cambria Vineyard family for allowing me and Becky the privilege of serving you these past 10 months. This Sunday will be my last as Lead Pastor of CVC as we welcome the Babcock's and release me to be the new Lead Pastor at Arise Vineyard in SLO. Please join us if you can as it will be a very special time for all. 

Years ago I heard a phrase that would not go away so I wrote it down in my “notes to self” “Being Grateful in the Grind”. Do you ever feel that life is nothing more than a grind whether it's marriage, work, school, or even church. Feels like an endurance test. It’s one thing to be in the grind, quite another to be thankful in it. 1 Thess 5:18 “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 

Like so many, it’s so easy to live under the illusion that there's something out there that's coming that matters more than what you are doing right now. If I can just hang in there a little bit longer. If I can find that thing/person that's gonna bring meaning and fulfillment. But it's never here. Never today. It's always somewhere out there. Something out there that’s going to be better and more important than what I have right now and it’s a huge trap we fall into. 

Maybe there is another way? The problem is, Jesus said, if you want to follow Me, you don't treat yourself, but He said, you deny yourself. Luke 9:23-24. Then He said, you take up your cross, a metaphor, a picture to say, you're actually dying to your own desires so you can live by My Spirit. When I focus so much of my life on me, what makes me happy, what makes me feel good, or what fulfills my dreams and desires, it’s like chasing the wind. The Apostle Paul jumps in and says…Colossians 3:23 (NLT) “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”  Reminds me of a story of a Christian who was a clerk. “A customer came to him one day and asked him to do something dishonest. The clerk said no. The customer said, “Don’t worry, your boss is out.” The Christian clerk said, “My boss is NEVER out”. 1 Cor 10:31 (NIV) “So…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Whether you're doing laundry, cutting the grass, doing dishes, picking up your kids from their events, running errands for your boss, or you're doing something that doesn’t seem like a big deal. “Whatever you do, you do it for the glory of God.” 

Is it possible to be thankful in the grind? Paul was not wishing his current season away! When he was in prison, he didn't say, one day, when I'm finally out of prison, then I can get back to doing what I'm called to do. Instead...Give me a pen and paper. I'm writing to the Philippians...and these jailors need to hear about Jesus!  When he was shipwrecked, what he didn't say? Well, God let me down. I prayed for protection, and here I am, shipwrecked again. Whenever Barnabas turned on him, he didn't go, oh, I can't take it anymore. Christians, you can't trust any of them. I'm leaving this church because Barnabas hurt my feelings. No, he said, you know what, I'm not gonna get bitter but I will trust in the Lord! 

So when hard times come, and they will come. You can throw in the towel or pick up the towel and get back in the grind and do whatever you’re doing for the glory of God! You can be grateful every day in the grind when God is the starting point. Here’s the kicker. The prize we are looking for isn't out there, when the grind is over. It's right now if you choose it! The prize is in what you do daily for the glory of God. Seeing all of life as worship changes everything! 

So, whatever I do, even if it's boring, feels endless, insignificant, do it for the glory of God. When you’re struggling in school, or you're fighting to hold your marriage together.  When you are crying because you can’t conceive.  When you’re carrying for your aging parents. When you’re stuck in a job you hate. When you are battling cancer or whatever.  So, whatever you do, do it for the One who changed your life. You can choose to be grateful in the grind!  1 Thess 5:18 “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

In light of our commitment to reaching the younger generation at Cambria Vineyard I thought Becky’s story from my book, “Off Road Leadership” might encourage you. 

Becky’s Story of yes! When I was younger, I never thought of myself as someone who could hear God’s voice. It has been an ongoing process of learning to discern the thoughts that come into my mind. “Is that just me? Could it be God?” And they always seem to come when I least expect to hear from him.

One Saturday morning I was attending a training workshop Rick was teaching at our church. My only purpose being there was to support him. Toward the end of the morning, while I was sitting in the back of the room, not really listening, God popped a question into my mind: 

“What if you just say YES to everything that comes your way regarding kids?” 

I took a moment to think about what that could mean. I had no idea what it would look like, but I felt like there was some kind of adventure ahead for me if I would dare to trust God and say yes. I thought about a surfer riding a wave in the ocean. The surfer was at the will of the wave to go where it would take her or him. I decided, “I can do that!” That seemed simple enough. Well, little did I know where my “YES” would take me. 

In just a couple of months, my YES took me to attend a one day conference on Child Hunger. Next I was asked to come and consult a church on the strengths and weaknesses of their kids program. Then I got an email inviting me to attend a conference on Holistic Child Development in the Local Church in Singapore! I was about to delete the email. I don’t go to conferences in exotic places. But then I caught myself. Could this all be part of saying YES to everything that comes my way regarding kids? 

After sharing with Rick what I thought God had said to me, he affirmed that I needed to go and follow through with my commitment to say YES. We both ended up going and the conference was unbelievable! One thousand people representing ninety two nations, all passionate about God’s heart for children!! These were my people!! It changed my life in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined before being there. Not only was I changed, but Rick’s heart was ignited, too, while in Singapore. 

When we were pastoring our church in Fort Collins, every once in a while, I would be asked to give the talk (often referred to as a sermon) on Sunday morning. Because it wasn’t something I did all the time, it was really important to me that what I shared was delivered well and connected with the people who were listening. On this particular Sunday, after the first of two services, I felt like I had struggled with my talk. As I stepped off the stage and listened to the music, I decided to ask God how he thought I did. In my heart I whispered, “God, how do you think I did presenting the message I felt you had given me for the day?” I waited quietly for his response. I honestly wanted to hear his opinion. 

After a few moments of silence, I responded back to God, “Really, you have nothing to say?” Then I heard that familiar, quiet voice in my heart, “Becky, I don’t even think like you do. When you were asked to teach, and you said yes, I was pleased. It doesn’t even matter how you did speaking today.  When you said yes, you made yourself available for me to work through you. My ability to work in people’s hearts isn’t dependent on how well you do, it’s about my power and what I can do.”

Becky Olmstead, Vineyard USA Kids Director

Our limps (brokenness and flaws) come in many shapes and sizes. Some come from life’s heartaches and troubles, mistakes you have made in your life or in the lives of those you love. They may come from things done to you in your childhood, broken relationships, broken promises and disappointments. Sin and bad choice also contribute to your limp. 

Where did you get your limp? Don’t be ashamed of it! I believe it is important to embrace it. Don’t be afraid of your limp because out of that weakness, God will manifest His power and grace in your life. And God gets the credit for bringing you through it. 

The apostle Paul declared that God’s power is perfected in and through our weakness.
2 Cor 12:9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

God is not looking for superstars but for ordinary regular people who are willing to say yes to him. You don’t have to be afraid of your weaknesses or struggles. Paul’s ministry was not diminished by showing his weakness. The real you gives the gospel more power, not less! 

The truth is that we can actually be too strong for God to use (think Moses?) but not too weak if we give our weaknesses to God. I love the fact that the Bible does not hide the weaknesses and failures of its characters. It seems the key to whom God chooses to use may be more about who is available rather than who is capable. Sadly, humility and transparency is too often a missing ingredient in leadership today. Leading with a limp can actually qualify rather than disqualify you for ministry or leadership. I love John Wimber’s words to his leaders. “Never trust any leader who does not walk with a limp”. For me a limp is more of a qualification for a leader than a glowing resume. When I interview someone for leadership or staff I am always looking for their limp. Lastly I would say that the real you is always the best deal for everybody. 

Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ…”  There is always a risk in love. Have you discovered that? You need to invite people into your life to help change you into the person you and God wants you to be!! There have been times I have prayed “God I want you to change me”, “Okay that’s why I brought Becky into your life so I could change you through her and I want to change her through you. I brought you together to make each of you better!” Becky Olmstead has been used by God over and over again to change my life in so many ways but I had to allow it and even encourage it. Becky has accepted and loved me over the years but she has also told me the truth when I needed to hear it and challenged me to be more. I needed to listen to her because I believe God put her in my life for just this reason. If you refuse to listen to the person closest to you, who knows and loves you the most, what are you left with? Nowhere to go but in a downward spiral. 

We need people who love you enough to tell you the truth about your life and what you are doing or not doing. And speaking the truth is not necessarily a negative thing. We need someone to look us in the eye and tell us, “you can do this”, "you are better than this”, “God is for you and not against you”. Too often we think speaking the truth in love is only about confronting bad behavior and sometimes it is. When someone loves you enough to confront you about some destructive behavior or habit, don't get defensive. Don’t fire back! Thank them for caring about you and helping you to change. 

It’s important to be careful not to take responsibility for someone else to change. We need to put that on God and pray that God will do in someone's life what needs to be done. Jesus accepts you and me as is. He loves us unconditionally and that will never change. He wants to change us so that we become the best he intended us to be. So invite others in! Let people who love you speak into your life!  Each of us has to decide if you want to grow, change or stay the same. Yes, God loves and accepts you unconditionally so much so that he refuses to leave you the way he found you. He calls you to His more for your life. None of us are finished products. We are all a work in progress and God is not done doing what only he can do in your life. Refuse to give up! Phil 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”!

A great example of God's upside down kingdom is  my friend Dr Luis Bush who is an icon in the global missions movement. Bush’s whispers have become Gods’ shouts to me as he embodies and personifies what leading without power looks like. One particular event we were at demonstrates and shaped how Luis moved from having positional authority to spiritual authority in my life. 

My first encounter with Luis Bush was at a 4/14 Global Summit in Singapore 2011 with attendees from 92 countries. He shared during the first session and I was captured from the beginning with his passion. I heard him say, “God is raising up a generation to change the world. We will do this by reaching, rescuing, rooting and releasing them as full partners in God's mission.” By the end of the Summit I was all in and ready to give the rest of my life to this vision.

But something else happened during the last session that left a lasting impression on my life. The teenagers took the stage and led some worship and shared some stories, but due to some scheduling issues, some of the plans for the younger teens to participate were cut out of the planned program. One of the key teen leaders took offense and went ballistic on stage as he took the mic and proceeded to scold the leaders and audience for the decision and went on and on with his tirade. As I watched this unfold, I wondered what Luis and the other leaders were going to do. In this culture what this teen did would have been considered incredibly shameful and dishonoring. I thought to myself, “When is somebody going to grab that mic and get this guy off the stage? He is ruining the whole summit!” Then, to my complete shock and amazement, I watched Luis in front of a thousand mission leaders from around the world, go up to the young man, fall to the floor on his knees, and ask for his forgiveness. The place went silent. Sadly, the teenager went on a while longer but Luis stayed right there on his knees until he put the mic down and walked away. Then Luis got up, put his arm around the teen, and publicly repented to the group for curtailing some of the planned programs for the young people. Instead of publicly rebuking the teen, Luis prayed for him and all the teenagers in the room. I walked away with a deep appreciation of a servant leader who humbled himself in front of his peers and refused to use his power to crush this young man who was clearly out of line. I said to myself, “I can follow a man like that.” Little did I know at the time what God had in store for me.

Who you are in this life isn’t summed up by what you do—it’s who you are in the depths of your soul. Jesus’ preparation for life and ministry was totally based on his identity and relationship with his Father—and so it must be with us. He not only knew what he was for but who he was. His identity and relationship with his Father was the foundation for everything he did. His life flowed from total love, acceptance and worth he received from his Father. So it must be for us. From the Garden until now, God’s greatest desire is relationship. Yes Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross for our sins but he also died for a relationship and not just any one will do. His ultimate mission was that through his sacrifice we would be born again and adopted into God’s family. 

John 1:12-13 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—-children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”  According to John God has no natural children. We all come to him by the blood of Jesus and there are no back doors for the “special ones”.  That means we are equals and no one is better than anyone else. There are no second class sons or daughters in God’s Kingdom family. 

And Paul to the Ephesians adds, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Eph.1:5. 
Through Jesus, It was God’s pleasure to adopt you into his family. Wow, how cool is that. God chose you and me and did the ultimate to make that happen. Adoptions are quite expensive and God through Christ paid the ultimate price to get you into His family. Think of it. God chose you to be His son or daughter and paid for you in full. You now live your life as God’s chosen child, and this is the foundation of your life.  

1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!…”

I want to wish all you dads a very special ‘Happy Fathers Day’ this Sunday! 

On 31 July 2003, the adventurer Bear Grylls led a team of five across the North Atlantic Ocean in an inflatable rigid dinghy. They set out from Halifax, Nova Scotia, heading for John o’ Groats, Scotland. On 5 August, a great storm arose. There were 20-foot waves. They lost satellite contact. They  feared for their lives. Thankfully they survived to tell the tale. Not all of us will have to face physical storms of this kind. But Jesus said that we would all face the storms of life (Matthew 7:25–27). Life is not easy. These storms are many and varied. Abraham, David and Jesus’ disciples all faced storms in their lives. What can we learn from their example?

In the midst of the storms David says, ‘My shield is God Most High… I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High’ (Psalm 7:10a,17). During the storms of life, it is natural to panic (certainly, I tend to). Sometimes it appears that Jesus is ‘sleeping’ and doesn’t appear to be doing anything about our problems. Thankfully, we can all cry out, as the disciples did in the midst of a storm.  ‘Lord, save us!…and he will! 

The natural response to the storms is doubt and fear. Jesus tells his guys in the midst of a huge storm on the Sea of Galilee to trust him and not be afraid.  Jesus is quite capable of calming any storm including the ones in your life. In the midst of storms there are moments of calm.  Thank God for his provision. God is the great provider. So often, I have found this to be true in my own life and in our community. God is true to his promise. As the apostle Paul put it, ‘My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:19). Lord, thank you that you are my shield, my Saviour and my provider. Help me to keep trusting in you and to not be afraid. Help me to keep you as the number one priority in my life. Lord, thank you that in all the storms of life I can cry out, ‘Lord, save me’.’ Help me to trust you and not to be afraid. 

A common theme throughout the Bible is to refuse to be controlled by fear. Three times in Mat 10 Jesus says, “Do not be afraid”. Jesus knew when he sent out his disciples as sheep among wolves that fear could abort their mission. In effect he tells them. “As you go, leave your fears behind.”

Fear is a natural human emotion. It is God given and is a basic survival mechanism. It keeps us alive. It protects us from danger. However there is also such a thing as unhealthy fear. Fears related to health, finances, growing old, dying, getting married, and rejection. Fears can paralyze us if we allow it. 

Proverb 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” There is a healthy fear - the fear of God. This does not mean being frightened of God. In fact it’s the opposite. It’s an understanding of who God is in relationship to us. It means respect, reverence, awe, honor and worship.it recognizes the power and majesty and holiness of God. It is the antidote to all the fears and phobias we experience in life. Here it is! Fear God and you need not fear anything or anyone else. 

I love the words of the apostle John who wrote in 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” I love this. Perfect love, God's overwhelming love poured into your life, chases fear away.  When you allow God to love you there is no more room for fear to exist.  Knowing that God has your back frees you to obey him and live the adventure he has called you into.  The one who knows you says again and again, “Fear not for I am with you”. That’s all you need to know. That God is with you and He is able to protect and watch over you. 

God wants to replace unhealthy fear in you and me with his extravagant love. Let love live and fear has to go. David understood this when he was in a dark place in his life but refused to let fear rule over him. “Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” He made a choice to believe that God was with him in that dark valley and would deliver him from his enemies. 

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid” 

Goodbye fear, you have no room in my life anymore!!!

Something amazing happens when people come together for a common purpose. We can do so much more together than we can do on our own.  In God’s Kingdom everybody gets to play! In God’s church all are wanted and needed. Sadly too often in the church world we have relegated ministry to a few chosen and elite people. We need each other in so many ways. The early church got this as they lost everything when they gave their life to Christ. They were taken in and taken care of as the church became the friends and family they lost when they chose to follow Jesus. 

Here is our reality. Your life doesn’t work without God but it also won’t work without people in your life. God made you and me to live in community with others. It’s His DNA and ours! 

Ephesians 4:16 “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”.  Did you get that? The Church does not work unless each one of us does our part. The Church can never be what it was intended to be if we don’t come together. 

Our second reality is that we belong to each other whether we like it or not. Family is family right? Just like in every family, in the church there are problems and issues but we are always family. I love the words of Paul to the Romans, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (and it’s ok) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4. 

A third Reality is understanding that I need you and you need me! We need to stop believing lies that keep us apart! Everybody has a part to play!  More on this Sunday at CVC. Hope to see you there. 

I want to add a special thanks to all who have served our country and honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. To all of you who are first responders thank you for putting your lives on the line to help those in harm's way. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. 

When something breaks it can be stressful, frustrating, and even destructive. It can take time, effort, and energy to pour into repairing what is broken. And at times we might want to give up trying to fix it and give up altogether. 

In this month’s series entitled “Improving your serve” one of the Biblical principles we are learning about is what it means to serve when things in our life our not perfect. 

Just like the “things” we have in our life can get broken, Aspects our of interior life can also seem to be broken. And is can leave us wondering…. 

• Where is God in my Brokenness? 
• What does He want to do in me thru this? 
• How could He possibly work through the Broken areas of my life? 
• When will He repair me? 
• And even more so - Am I worth being repaired? 

Saul was a man who lived a life in a Broken condition. He was full of anger and he thought this anger was justified through his actions. He thought by being the most extreme Zealot for God and persecuting and pursuing those who were Following Jesus, he was doing what was right. Breaking others was his purpose. 

Look at this glimpse of Saul from Acts 8:3 

“But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. (NLT)” 

This was Saul. This was who he thought he was. But God had other plans for Saul. God wanted to use Saul’s brokenness to be used for His Glory. 

And God repairs Him for His service. 

And God is still in the repairing business. 

Our brokenness is never too far gone for God’s purposes in our life. 

Join us again this Sunday as we pursue the God of the broken and the God of purpose!

- Pastor Adam 

Have you discovered that you are most alive when you are serving others? As it was with Jesus so it is with you and me. If Jesus was the God of the towel then we should be the people of the towel. Do you prefer being closer to the throne, nearer the people of power and the place of privilege? I hope not. Beginning to end, Jesus embraced his mission with the towel, seeking the lost, performing miracles, touching the lepers and those in the margins, casting out demons, loving people, praying, fasting, and many other acts of service to humanity. The values of God’s kingdom are different from the values of this world. In the world, greatness is judged by the power a person exercises over others. In the Kingdom of God, greatness is judged by service to people. If someone tries to crown you, run the other way as fast as you can. 

Jesus shares a very poignant story to illustrate this and demonstrate what being a humble servant looks like in his kingdom. 

Luke 14:7-14 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Great lesson on waiting on God and refusing to promote or push ourselves forward. If God doesn’t give it to you, you don’t want it. Wait for him! What would taking the least or lowest place look like in your life? 

Been Hurt?

It is unlikely that any one of us has made it through life without being hurt by someone, but we only continue letting what they have done hurt us if we don’t forgive them.

Ask yourself if you are angry with anyone for anything, and if you are, ask God to help you forgive, forget, and let it go. God is our Vindicator, and if we will allow Him to, He will repay us for every injustice that has been done to us. In my life, I have learned that anger is something we should never carry around with us. God’s Word says that we should not let the sun set on our anger, and if we do, then we give the devil a foothold in our lives (see Ephesians 4:26-27).

Do yourself a favor right now and refuse to remain angry or bitter. God has good things planned for us, and we don’t want to miss them by refusing to let go of things in the past. Start fresh with a peaceful heart and be determined to enjoy each day.

Jesus used a situation (found in Matthew 20:20-28 NLT) to reinforce how he wanted them to lead (and not to) that was totally unlike what they were used to. This is one of the most striking passages from Jesus’ teaching related to leadership. He first contrasts how the Gentiles (Romans) exercise power and authority and how it works in His Kingdom. 

So the story begins with James and John and their mom coming to Jesus when no one was around with a simple (though outrageous) request. “When you come into your kingdom I was thinking that you could put my two sons in the places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” Jesus, obviously disturbed, basically tells her that she was out of touch with reality in asking such a thing. He adds that it was not His to give anyway, but for his father who has already prepared those places. As you might imagine when the disciples got wind of what was going on they were upset. I am not sure they were only mad at the nerve of this mom and her boys to ask such a thing, but maybe because they got to Jesus first? (“Maybe Jesus wants to give me the right or the left!”) Then Jesus took the opportunity to set the record straight on his position of authority and how to use it. 

So Jesus called his guys together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different.” (vv. 25-26) In other words, It might be their way, but it's not my way or yours either! Jesus contrasted what was going on around them but called them to go against the grain of everything they knew and had experienced. Then he gave them the punch line: “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”

Jesus is our supreme example!

In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul writes, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”  Paul is not pulling any punches here, telling us that leadership is NOT about me or you! It’s about Jesus and those whom we serve, not what we get, or how many people follow us or anything else.  You know what’s interesting? When someone does not have long to live, you know what is most important to them. And what Paul chose to write about was what was most important to him as he was writing from a Roman prison knowing his time was short. His way is our way! 

Would you agree that trust is hard to find in our world today? It seems nobody trusts anybody these days, even God. Who can I trust? What can I trust in? Leaders? Friends? They all let you down at some point in time but there is one whom you can trust with your life now and for all eternity. Trust is born out of understanding the faithfulness of God. The Bible declares that God is Faithful. Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

I love the fact that his faithfulness continues through all generations including ours! God is faithful at his core. Faithful because of who he is! His DNA!  He can’t be anything else!  
2 Tim 2:13 “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.”  Jesus is God’s supreme grand climatic act of faithfulness! In Christ God went all in for us! 

What does it mean or what would change if we truly believe this?  

When we choose to trust God we let go of worry, fear and control.  Like a child who jumps into their mom or dads arms believing they will catch them, we know God has our back!  At the end of the day we really don’t control anything and should stop trying. 1 Thess 5:24 “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it”  To trust or not to trust is a choice.  Because God has been faithful, is faithful and will be faithful we can let go of that fear, worry and control knowing he’s got us. 

I believe the question the Lord is asking us is this.“Will you trust me? Even in your brokenness and desperation will you praise me? When life goes upside down and you don’t understand it, will you still trust me and leave it in my hands?  When you feel deserted and your life is shattered and all hope is gone, will you still trust me?  
2 Timothy 1:12, I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 

What are you dealing with right now that you need to trust God for? Relationship? Health? Money? Job? Kids? Future?  Give it all to him and put it in his hands and watch God work! Blessings Cambria Vineyard family! 

I grew up in California and I hate earthquakes. Out of nowhere the ground shakes, rattles and sometimes roars. What should I do? What did they teach me to do in school during an earthquake? Get under a desk? Wait, I don’t have a desk! All this reminds me how powerless I am and how little I control as I look for solid ground. 

Sometimes my life feels a little like that. I don’t know about you but I like when things are steady and something I can count on. What do you do when your life seems to get turned upside down? You can try and rebuke it, run away or and blame it on the devil or whoever but it may actually be God who is doing the shaking. Heb 12:26 says, “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken that is, created things so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 

God will shake things up to get rid of false and unhelpful things that we have come to rely and depend on. It’s almost like God interrupts the rhythm of our lives to get our attention because we are actually building our lives on sand and not solid ground. (and we don‘t even realize it) 

At the end of the day, Jesus is our only firm foundation on which we are able to stand. I love the way the writer of Hebrews concludes. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”  Wow, we are told to be thankful when God shakes up our lives because it is for our good. We need his consuming fire to burn away anything that will not stand. I think that is loving grace. Sometimes our props keep us from God and he comes along and knocks them out from underneath us.  What is left is his unshakable kingdom on which we stand? 

There is only one true foundation in a world of shifting sand. Jesus! He is our rock in times of trouble. When everything seems to be falling apart you are still standing because he is your rock and your fortress and he will NEVER let you down.

If you are going to keep running and finish your life's race it is imperative that you stay in a state of learning and growing. Many of us remember spurts when we grew a lot in our faith journey.  Too often that has become a distant memory.  When we stop growing we don’t stay the same but regress back to a former place in our walk with God. You can’t live on yesterday. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 1:9 “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.” Paul, til the end of his life made it his goal to keep growing in his walk with Jesus no matter what. 

Your whole life is a learning journey in every area of your life if you embrace it. Those who finish well are those who keep growing and refuse to stagnate. Real growth means not allowing the comfort of where you are in life to steal your future. And remember life’s biggest lessons come not only from your successes but also your failures. 

Take responsibility for your spiritual growth. Nobody can do it for you. Paul told the Galatians to bear each other's burdens which is so important. We all need people standing with us in the ups and downs of life. But Paul goes on to say that each one must carry their own load. I can come alongside you but I can’t (and shouldn’t) carry your load. You have to walk it out yourself but don’t do it alone! True spiritual growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum but in the crucible of life. 

Personally, there have been times I have not wanted to grow because of the energy and effort it requires. I told God, “God, I need a break from all this growing up stuff.” What I thought I heard back from God was, “So you need a break from me? You don’t want to grow?” My response, “Sorry God I want all that you have for me and I do not want to stop growing.” I have never said no to God since and it has been a great run and I am still growing. 

So please refuse to say no to God with the opportunities to grow in your faith and move beyond where you are in your spiritual journey. Lets run our race to the finish line. 

It is so good celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the new life we have in Him.  Our life is truly found in Christ. At the same time we may need to awaken to this life. Psalm 36:9 “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. “  Only the life found in Jesus will ever satisfy the longing of the human heart!  John 1:4 “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  

1 John 5:10-12 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Eternal life does not start after you die, it starts the moment you surrender your life to Jesus. 

A life worth living? Not every life is! Jesus offers the only life worth living.  Sadly, many look everywhere else to find life meaning and fulfillment seeking to fill the emptiness of their souls.  We Keep hearing...This is what will make you happy. New car, new spouse, new boyfriend/girlfriend, new job, new church, something different, something more. But it’s never enough is it! So we keep searching and searching but nothing satisfies! Religion of any kind does not bring life. Only Jesus does.

Letting go! We want the new life Christ offers but we often try to hold on to our own life. Sorry Jesus, but my life is already full! Jesus told us in Matt 16:25 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” 

Ever feel like you are being torn apart trying to live in two worlds at the same time. The idea of adding Jesus to your life is foreign to scripture though common. He is not some addition! He want all of your life, not just a piece of it. He is not content to have some little part of your life.  Why the so called, “Christian Life” doesn’t work for some. Hip pocket christianity, like religion, changes nothing. Jesus comes for all of you or none of you!  

My favorite part of the Circus is the trapeze? Watching them fly through the air hoping someone on the other end is exhilarating. The key moment is when they let go of the bar they are on and go mid air toward the other bar.  That hold your breath in-between moments can be quite scary for sure. I think they call that faith. Time to let go of that safety bar and trust God to catch you! Are you willing to let go of what you have for something far more? 

Many people today go around with a cross on their earrings, bracelet, or necklace.  We are so used to seeing it everywhere that it has little significance for most people. We are certainly not shocked by it.  In Jesus’ day,  it was the cruelest type of execution known to mankind.  It was actually abolished in 315 AD because even the Romans considered it too inhumane! Questions some ask, What is the difference between his death and say Socrates or famous war heroes and others. Why did He die?  What did He achieve?  What does it mean when the Bible says that Jesus died for our sins? 

The issue is that we have a sin problem! Some people say, "I have no need for Christianity."  They say something along the lines of, "I am quite happy, my life is full, and I try to be nice to other people and lead a good life". If we are honest we have to admit that we do things that we know are wrong.  The Bible calls that sin and tells us in Romans 3:23…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” As a result, that sin creates a chasm separating us from God. The cross represents God’s bridge for us to come home to him. 

The good news is that there is a solution.  God loves us and He did not leave us in the mess that we make of our lives.  This is what someone once identified as the "Self-substitution of God"  2Cor 5:21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. So Jesus took our sin upon himself and through his sacrifice he paid the ultimate price for our forgiveness, salvation and adoption into his family. John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

What do I do now? Rev 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in & eat with him, & he with Me.” The question on the table is whether or not you will open the door and let him in. At the end of the day the real answer to why did Jesus have to die? Answer, because we needed him to die! Thank you, Jesus! 

“The hope of the resurrection is more than anticipating we will leave this world someday and go to heaven. Rather, it is a bold confidence that God’s Kingdom, presence, and power are breaking into our world today and a whole new creation has begun.” NT Wright 

The resurrection of Jesus is more than just a belief that his body was dead and came back to life again, though this is incredibly true. It is also an awareness that there was a cosmic explosion of epic proportions when Jesus rose again and the power and repercussions of this reality echoes through the ages to our day and into eternity. 

From the earliest years of the church, followers of Jesus were unified in their affirmation and confidence that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead. He came out the other side of death and a new reality was born. The tomb was empty! The one who died on the cross was alive again which His followers have celebrated for over 2000 years every Easter and continue to this day. It is the cornerstone of our faith and all we do. Because he lives, hope lives, it means we can face tomorrow and all fear is gone because we know he holds our future in his hands. 

Because Jesus has risen, we have confidence that our eternity is secure. We have an invitation to become his ambassadors of good news and hope in the world today. Through his church, Jesus wants to bring justice, lift up beauty and lavish his gifts on the earth. And the primary way he plans to do this is through you and me. 

As we prepare for Easter thank God that Jesus is truly risen and alive today. Pray for His power to be His ambassador wherever you go in the coming days. Thank Him for the people he has placed in your life who have brought you life and encouragement. Pray for our church to be a people who are so connected to the risen Jesus that we seek justice, bear God's love and bring living hope to a world in despair. 

3/24/2024