The Conditional Use Permit Process

So this week begins the process of obtaining a "Conditional Use Permit" from the city of San Diego. This process is one that every religious organization that plans to hold events where groups of people assemble must apply for. It takes between 4-6 months and will cost in the neighborhood of $8,000.

To help us expedite the process of obtaining the CUP as fast as possible we are going to hire a permit company (Permit Solutions) to assist us. This assistance will cost $1,000-1,500

But, their help should save us time. We are also hiring an architect to assist us in coming up with a good layout and to provide the drawings necessary for the CUP.

As I stated on Sunday I hope to obtain the CUP before the end of the year so we can begin the process of remodeling the buildings to meet our needs.

Starting next week we will begin the process of moving all of our stuff over to the new facility. We will totally vacate the Stowe Dr location at the end of this month. If you have time next week and would like to help, let me know.

Thanks Family Life for your prayers and patience. I have sensed that God wanted us to find a more permanent location for some time now. I can not say I thought it would be this difficult, but I knew its what God was pushing me to stay focussed on and I know that God is faithful. So with confidence and faith we have journeyed through the ups and downs and now find ourselves one CUP away from that pursuit becoming a reality. PRAISE GOD!

Update on Building

Well we are getting close to signing a deal to lease space at 9899 Hibert St Suites C,D and F in the Scripps Ranch area. I have loaded a picture of the current layout of the 2 suites we will be taking over.

As I wrote in my last blog, the tough part of any deal for a church is structuring a lease that will allow them to get out of the deal if the city does not issue a Conditional Use Permit.

If we sign the current offer we will have up to 6 months to obtain the CUP. During that time we will be moving out of the offices on Stowe Dr and relocating to this new space. During this 6 month period we will be paying a reduced lease rate and working hard to obtain the Conditional Use Permit ASAP. Hopefully within 3-4 months.

The last few years seaching and negotiating for a permanant church space has sure been a learning experience. I'll be writing more about that in the upcoming months. But, suffice to say, "God is good all the time"!

Keep praying Family Life!

building update

I've been gone the past week on our family vacation. But, the negotiations and search for a new location have gone forward.

Before I left, our broker, Barry Slotten, had me look at a building off Hibert St in Scripps Ranch. It's by the Chuck-E-Cheese and Jeromes Furniture. It is 2 seperate suites divided by one tenant between them. The first one is 3840 sq ft, which would be used for our sancuary and church offices. The second is 2773 sq ft, which would be used for nursary, Kidz Life, Youth and a kitchen. We have started negotiations with the owners - here’s a summary of the points:

· They agreed to a $.69 psf beginning rate plus the $.25 NNN’s (so, $.94 on a gross basis), with 4% annual increases.

· They agreed to the $3.00 psf tenant improvement allowance (total of $19,839 towards TI’s)l

· They agreed to 4 months of rental abatement.

They will give us a 6-month temporary lease, during which we can run any/all of our administration and other office functions, but not our actual church services. During this time, we will apply for and secure a Conditional Use Permit. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining the C.U.P., the lease will terminate and landlord will refund our security deposit.

· Upon obtaining the C.U.P., we will roll into a 5 year lease.


What we haven't agreed upon is who will pay for the C.U.P. process and how much rent we will pay during that 6 month period. We are also getting an estimate of what it will cost above the $20,000 they will give us to get this location ready for our use.

If you would like to drive by the location it is 9899 Hibert St suites C,D, F.

As always, please pray for our church as we continue to move forward.

Church update

Sorry I haven't updated our building search in awhile. I've been waiting for that one great opportunity to come through. Anyways, here is the latest...

We looked at a building in RB that was in a good location but would require a lot of tenant Improvements. When we asked if the owners would be willing to contribute to this expense they declined. As we have learned from all our previous construction estimates, tenant improvements can be expensive. So we have backed away from opportunity.

We looked a building in Sabre Springs but the owner had a bad experience with a previous church and did not want to consider allowing another church.

Barry Slotten, our church broker is continuing to look for a building suitable to meeting our needs.

In our search to find a better school or facility to hold our Sunday services we have one great opportunity that we are pursuing. Pomerado Elementary is a nice location but parking can be an issue when to many activities are happening at the same time. We have submitted an offer to lease, on the weekends, what used to be Maranatha Chapel in PQ. It is located right off the 56 and Black Mountain Rd. We hope to hear back from them this week. This location would allow us to leave stuff set up for some of the time and store all of our equipment on the premises. In addition we would have use of the facilities all day on Sunday.

I would ask all of you to continue praying that Gods will would be done in all that we are trying to do.

Until my next update - God bless

You Make The Call

This was the possible tying run in the bottom of the last inning. What do you think, was Rylan safe or Out? start with the bottom picture first and work your way up.

The Call to Anguish

David Wilkerson is the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade.

In 1987, David Wilkerson returned to "the crossroads of the world" to establish Times Square Church. Since then, he has faithfully led this congregation, delivering powerful biblical messages that encourage righteous living and complete reliance on God.

following is a synopsis of a message he preached entitled "The Call to Anguish. listen to it, and be ready to be challenged.





If you like you can HEAR the entire message here;

http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/sermons?filter0=anguish&filter1=**ALL**&filter2=**ALL**&filter3=**ALL**&filter4=**ALL**&filter5=**ALL**

Start with Why

There is a new book by Simon Sinek called 'Start With Why". His thesis is that leaders who have the natural ability to “start with why” have been able to inspire those around them to achieve remarkable things.

Sinek believes that most people or organizations begin with “what” and some even move to “how.” But few really know or communicate the “why” behind their cause.

So, why do we do what we do in the kingdom of heaven? Why do we go to church? Do we know the why?

Of course, you will probably tell me that the why is Jesus Christ. And I would agree with you. He is our hope, our salvation, our reason, our why. We should be empowered by that fact. He should be all that we need to leave our safety and comfort and do the irrational.

We should be ready to pick up our cross daily and follow him. But most of the time it is about us instead of him.

Below is Sinek’s TED talk about his book. Now, I'm not sure I agree with everything he says. But, I do think we spend too much time on the what and not enough on the why. Let me know what you think?

And the Search for a Building Goes On...

Following is a brief synopsis of where we are in the search for a more permanent location.

As I stated in my last blog, we have expanded the search to areas outside the City of Poway. We are looking in industrial area's that are more favorable to churches. Mainly focused on those right off the I-15.

Some may wonder why I feel such an urge to find a more permanent location?

Here are a few reasons

1. We are sent to minister to people. which means we must take into account the cultural mindset and attitude of the people we are trying to reach. As I look around I see that people have gone from a growth oriented, risk taking, money spending, looking to upgrade, latest and greatest lifestyle to one that is much more cautious and reserved. People are looking for safety and security. They value consistency and permanence. I see that the culture is wanting stability more than anything else. Stability in their finances, employment, housing, relationships and lifestyles. i also feel they are looking for stability in the location of their church.

2. Because there is more financial and emotional tension that we are all living with. It is important that we maximize our time together by creating more service options instead of spending our man hours with set up/tear down. We need to spend our time serving, caring for and encouraging one another. Between all the man hours and money spent to set up for church, last Friday's, youth events, Sunday school, children's events, music practices and all the other activities that go on. It's no wonder that we don't have much left over to do the caring we all want and need in our church community.

3. We have the ability and the calling to do church at a much higher level. Not that a building by itself will make this happen. But, I sense the Holy Spirit calling us to more God centered activities and to do those activities with more excellence. A building will provide the means for us to do that.

4. The word I keep hearing in my spirit is CONVERSATIONS. And so I feel compelled by God to move in a direction that creates more opportunities for conversations to occur. I feel like God wants us to have more authentic and relational interactions. I feel like God wants us to spend the time we do have together creating a stronger and more connected community of believers. A building would help us do this more naturally and consistently.

So where are we in our search?

1. We have looked at, what was the Maranatha church building that is now owned by the Pomerado Health Group. We were looking to rent it on Sunday's like we do the school with the hope that we could leave things up and store things on the premises. This would greatly reduce our set up and tear down time and would eliminate our need to rent a truck and transport equipment every week. The issues are 1. When do they plan to tear the building down and begin their rebuilding? 2. Would they allow us to leave things up and store equipment on the premises? 3. What will the monthly cost be?

2. We located a building that was used by a church that was leasing 3 separate buildings. The one we are looking at was used for their offices. It is located right off the I-15, between Miramar Rd and Carrol Canyon Rd - 9770 Carroll Centre Rd

3. We looked into the possibility of moving schools because of the parking issues brought on by the baseball usage and the upcoming building of a temple on the vacant land above the school. The school that is available is Shoal Creek Elementary.

The one option that is looking the most promising is the permanent location off the I-15 - 9770 Carroll Centre Rd. I did some mileage calculations and here's what I found.

• From my house to the Carroll Centre property it will be 5.98 miles further than it is for me to travel to Pomerado elementary.
• For Chris Anderson it will be 6.82 miles further.
• For those coming North it will be 4.85 miles further.
• For those coming south it will be 6.22 miles shorter.
• For those coming from Ramona it is 6.47 miles further.

Just a quick synopsis of the building. It's around 6000 sq ft and will cost around $.95 per sq ft. It will take a little work to get it into the configuration we would want but the main things are already in. It has a men's and women's bathroom with 3 stalls in each. Air conditioning is already in throughout the building. We will be able to have around a 3000 sq ft auditorium with 14 ft ceilings. A nursery, kitchen, 2 offices, conf room and a 2nd large area for Sunday school of about 800 sq ft. I am presently talking with the city about updating the Conditional Use Permit.

As always, your comments and questions are welcomed.

God bless

The Search For A Building

We have been active in the process of obtaining a more permanent location for over 2 years. It began when we discovered and made a bid on the Daycare property across the street from Pomerado Elementary. We bid $600,000 with the condition that we would be able to obtain a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The building sold for $475,000 to a guy who made a cash offer with no conditions. We later discovered in discussions with the Poway planning department that they would not have issued us a CUP on that property. So, we enlisted the help of a broker to locate every available building in poway that would fit the criteria we needed for our church. He came back with a list that showed three things.

• #1 There was not very much available. He found only 4 for lease. And only a few spots that we could possibly buy. (Here's the difficulty - finding a building big enough that also has the parking necessary to obtain a CUP)


• #2 All of the available properties were priced in the $2.00 - $3.00 per square foot price range with additional NNN costs of $.25- $.50. And all but one of these buildings were not interested in lowering their rates or interested in allowing a church into their building. Of those for sale, the price was either in the millions or the city informed us they would not allow us to obtain a CUP for various reasons -(slope, set backs, location, etc)


• #3 There was one building that had been vacant for five years and the owners seemed to be open to making a deal in the $1.50 per square foot total cost range. The deal included the owner putting in a substantial amount to get the building up to a condition that it could be used.

So in January of 2010 we entered into negotiations to lease this building which had been a former restaurant. That deal fell through in June of 2010 when in the owner changed his mind on his original monthly lease rate and raised it from $1.50 to $2.10

That process was a learning time for me personally. Up until that time we had never looked at or considered obtaining our own building. It showed me how much money it was really going to cost to get a facility into a condition that was suitable for church use and to pass the Conditional Use Permit Process.

From the restaurant deal, one of the contractors mentioned our story to one of our Poway City Councilmen. That Councilman invited us to begin the discussion of getting a Conditional Use Permit to lease space in the South Poway Business Park. The Business Park was enticing because the rates up there were in the $.70 - $1.00 total cost per square foot. So in November 2010 Chris Anderson and I met with Councilman Cunningham at the Hamburger Factory. He seemed willing and sympathetic to our cause. Chris also met with and had a discussion with Councilman Mullin. He to was willing and sympathetic to our cause. This direction seemed even more positive when we found a building and an owner that was willing to hold a space and go with us to obtain the necessary CUP.

That process was clearly denied in a meeting with the Poway Mayor and City Manager in March of 2011. They stated clearly that Poway was happy with it's current church strategy. Which is to only allow churches in a very limited amount of zones. And so it was stated by the mayor that we could either raise the needed funds to purchase or lease within those zones or look elsewhere outside the city of Poway. This meant the South Poway Business Park was no longer an option.

Here's the reality to obtain a facility within the City of Poway

To lease...

• Be willing to pay $12,000 - $20,000 per month in rental cost


• Plus, be willing to pay $100,000 - $250,000 to get a building up to conditions that a large group could use it. (build out restrooms, install A/C, etc)


• Be willing to pay rent for 4-8 months while we wait for the city of Poway to consider whether they will issue us a CUP

To Buy...

• Be willing to pay 3-5 million for the property, permits, plans and building cost

Both of which are bad financial decisions. And so where do we go from here? Before we began this process I had told God I would exhaust every opportunity to stay within the city of Poway. But, if the door was clearly closed I would expand my search to area's outside the city of Poway.

We have arrived at that point!

I'll write more on this process and where we are later. But, Know this church. I am in no way discouraged or beat down by all the seeming road blocks. All things work together for good, the Bible says. I continue to believe God has us in a good place and encourage you to keep on praying and standing on Gods word for his continued blessing upon us.

I would love to hear your comments and or questions.

God bless.

Pastor Robert

Systems

Our church watched a Andy Stanley message entitled “Liberating Your Organization: Creating a Leadership-Friendly Culture.” And it was very enlightening.

Here are a few “quotables” from the message and then I’ll give the main points of his teaching:
•“God created and runs the universe through systems.”
•“If you don’t approach problems systematically, you’ll blame people for problems that systems create.”
•“80% of your problems are not people problems; they are systems problems, because systems create behaviors.”
•“The mission statement is hanging on the wall. The systems are happening down the hall.”
•“Part of the hard work of diligent leadership is systems analysis.”
•“If a leader casts a new vision and never addresses old systems, nothing changes.” - "Vision needs systems.”

Some teaching points of Andy’s session:
•Systems are your organization’s approach to getting things done. (In other words, systems answer the question, “How do we get this done?”)
•Systems create behaviors. Andy said, “Talks don’t create behaviors. Cool environments don’t create behaviors. Systems create behaviors.”
•“The systems you inherit, adopt, or create will eventually impact what staff and volunteers do.”


Five components of a system:
•Expectations (rules) – what do we expect our people to do? How do we expect them to act?
•Rewards (or lack of) – how do we intentionally affirm behaviors that are aligned with our expectations?
•Consequences (or lack of) – what happens when people fail to meet the organizational expectations or the expectations of their particular role?
•Communication (content and style) – how do we communicate our expectations, the purpose for those expectations (i.e. our mission and vision), and the rewards/consequences? Who knows what, when, and how and what behaviors are expected as a result of knowing?
•Behaviors (of those in charge) – are the leaders modeling the organizational values? Are their behaviors consistent with the organizational expectations?

Four system imperatives:
•Your system should allow you to involve and hire the best person for the job.
•You system should allow you to get the right people to the table.
•Your system should allow you to make complex decisions within the context of a small group of empowered people.
•Your system should ensure that only one person answers to “They.” (That person should, in most cases, be the top leader.)

I’ve been talking with a lot of pastors/leaders lately about the place and value of systems. And I hope to begin the process of evaluating the systems in our local church. I close with this - Andy’s talk is confirming a lot of good and right principles relative to systems… particularly within the church.

Four False Ideas That Destroy Leaders

Perry Noble recently shared this on his blog and I wanted to share with you! Check out his blog too!


#1 – “I Cannot…”

One of the things that seems to be appearing over and over again to me as I read the Scriptures is this thought…

At the end of the day…I am a servant of the Most High God! AND…a servant can do EXACTLY what his master has commanded him to do because he is operating under the power and authority of the One who called, equipped and empowered him to serve in the first place.

You can do EXACTLY what God called you to do!!! Don’t back down!

#2 – “I Am Not As Good As…”

Comparing yourself to other ministers and/or ministries is one of the quickest ways to go insane and completely lose your focus on who God is and what He has called you to do.

We should learn from “them” but focus on “HIM!”

There will always be someone who does something better than you! Your call isn’t to imitate people but to focus on Christ!!!

#3 – “I Failed Before”

Of course you did!!!

All great leaders have failed at something significant!

However, what makes them great is that they do not allow their failures to define them. They pick up the pieces and move forward. They learn lessons from their failure…if there was a sin issue involved they repent and submit to Jesus and the leadership of others…and then they get on with life!!!

Peter failed! Remember when he tried to cut off the servants ear and had to be rebuked by Jesus!!! YET when it came to Acts 2 and the day of Pentecost he was the guy who Jesus anointed to preach the Gospel and see over 3k new believers!

#4 – “All Hope Is Gone”

Uh…the only problem with that thought is THE TOMB IS EMPTY…and as long as that is a reality then there is always hope…ALWAYS!

I know some reading this feel like you are just about at the end of your rope…but from my personal experience I’ve discovered when I do get to the end of my rope Jesus is always there saying, “what took you so long?”

Losing hope can bring about times of intense desperation…but quite often intense desperation leads to undeniable revelation!!! When we lose hope and believe that things are just about over…well…that’s always a time for God to remind us of WHO HE IS and what He is capable of!

Tis The Season...

Here we go folks, it's that time of year again! This year lets live it and experience it with contentment and thankfullness. Tis the season JESUS is the reason.

Jim Wallis wrote, in part, the following thought and I thought it was worth re-stating.

The political ads are finally off the air. (We can all give thanks for that!) But now there is a new wave of advertisements hitting all of us. Each one will give us a different reason to consume. Each one will put pressure on us to show our love, compassion, and thankfulness through buying more stuff with money we don't have on things we probably don't need. I've already heard a barrage of commercials on TV and radio telling me that I don't even have to wait for Black Friday to start my spending this year. "Those who care, consume," they say.

That message is clear -- and clearly wrong.

The pervasiveness of our consumer culture has been met with some backlash. "Buy Nothing Day" has grown into movement that competes with the sometimes deadly crowds of "Black Friday." "The Advent Conspiracy" has challenged Christians to take Advent as an opportunity to show the world the compassion of Christ and not be conformed to the consumptive patterns of the world.

The relentless pressure of advertising tells us that "there is never enough," and that you should "worry" constantly about what you eat and drink, what you wear, whether your future is secure, and more. But Jesus says the exact opposite. They say, "Worry all the time!" But Christ says, "Don't worry!"

The pressure we feel doesn't just come from the ads we get in our inboxes or see on television. All of us have family and friends who are going to be doing a lot of shopping. If a friend goes out and spends money on us, we feel guilty if we don't reciprocate at roughly the same level. What's worse is if someone gets us a gift and we don't get them anything at all. The problem is not giving gifts. Giving gifts becomes a problem when the exchange of stuff replaces building relationships.

How should we respond to these pressures during this season? Here are a few thoughts:

First, try and make decisions about gift giving with friends and family. Get everybody on the same page before all the spending happens. You could try sending around this column to get the conversation going. Your values, not commercials, should inform how you show your gratefulness to those you love.

Second, try some alternative gift giving this year. find a charity or a good cause that you can give time or money to. There are many businesses and non-profits that are committed to a mission that makes sure each dollar you give or spend has a positive impact on the world.

And finally, as we think about Thanksgiving and look forward to Christmas, let's take stock of our lives and priorities and make sure they are being driven by our values and relationships and not just our culture of consumption.

He Made You

Michael Josephson, Who is the founder of the Josephson Institute wrote this compelling article.

He made You
As Lily Tomlin said, "No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up."

Our economy has been shattered by widespread corporate fraud; kids lie, steal, and cheat at unprecedented rates; and their parents beat up each other or referees at youth sports events or supply alcohol to fuel organized hazing. Our confidence in the integrity of journalistic institutions, the accounting profession, stockbrokers, college sports, organized religion, and business in general is continually shaken by a relentless barrage of shameful behavior.

It's tempting to throw up our hands in despair and surrender to cynicism.

It reminds me of the tale of the pious young man whose car broke down on his way to his place of worship. He had to walk through an area where homeless people huddled against buildings for warmth, alcoholics and mentally ill adults wandered the streets, and crack dealers sold drugs to kids. He was overcome with a sense of despondency and doubt about the power and intentions of God.

"God," he prayed, "how can you allow all this pain and misery and do nothing?" Receiving no answer, he became frustrated and raised his voice, "Lord, my faith is at issue! How can you allow all this suffering and do nothing?"

Then someone behind him whispered, "He didn't do nothing. He made you."

What a profound insight and daunting responsibility it is to realize that you are the instrument of reform, that your courage, compassion, and creativity in your own sphere of influence can set into motion a ripple effect of healing actions and attitudes to make a better world.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Truth and Civility

While I don't agree with everything every Christian believes and writes about. I do believe we have to show the world we know how to stand together and work together until we all come into the unity of the faith (Ephesians 4:13).

One place we need to discover truth and civility again is in the political marketplace. There is so much negaitivity and divisive words thrown around so carelessly it's hurts my heart.

Jim Wallis is a Christian writer who has taken stances that sometimes I agree with and other times I disagree with. But, this is one stance I'm whole heartily behind

https://secure3.convio.net/sojo/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=355

What do you think?

Finishers

In the story of Nehemiah and the people of Israel, God called them to rebuild a wall. And at first the job seemed overwhelming. But, with God’s help they began to believe it was possible. And so 52 days after they began Nehemiah 6:15-16 says this

Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NLT)
15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

That is a verse that God wants to be true in the lives of all his followers. God is looking for people who hear him and follow him. People who trust him to help them finish what He has called them to do. People who stay radically committed in the areas of life that matter most.

So let me ask you: What is the insurmountable task that is in front of you that you know God has called you to finish? Because, if you can identify it and rise up in faith and start doing that one thing that God has called you to do - you can finish it!

And boy doesn't our world need more finishers.

The Local Church Is...

The local church is the hope of the world.

There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness.

Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.

~ from Bill Hybels’ Courageous Leadership

_________________

Thoughts?

Breaking Free

Jesus made a staggering promise about his ability to transform human lives when He said this;

John 8:36 (KJV)
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

That is an incredible promise and an incredible opportunity that is available to all of us. The question is - Do you feel like your relationship with God has made you FREE? Do you feel like you are FREE?

For many Christians that's a hard question to answer because they have no idea what Christian freedom really looks like. And that a problem because if you don’t know the kind of freedom Jesus came to bring, you will only EXPERIENCE the kind of freedom people tell you can have or the kind of freedom you come up with in your own mind. And you will find yourself PURSUING that kind of freedom, most often in a religious way.

Religious ways like; human effort, self discipline, traditions and rituals, a list of do’s and don’ts, by trying harder or denying greater, doing more or disciplining more and the list could go on and on.

But you’ll never feel FREE. You’ll feel saved, maybe. You’ll feel like you’re better than others. You’ll feel good about yourself when YOU achieve, when YOU work, when YOU accomplish and follow the list. You'll feel judgemental of those who are not like you. But, you’ll never feel the freedom Jesus talked about in John 8:36.

So how do we get the focus back on the freedom that Jesus came to bring? I believe it will only happen when we come alive on the inside.

Somehow we start right, we start by pursuing and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. But then the focus shifts to our outward human efforts and the outward holiness requirements of the church. And this gets our focus off of the freedom that Jesus wants to lead us into.

Galatians 3:3 (CEV)
How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God's Spirit started in you?

You can’t achieve the freedom Jesus came to bring through following a set of rules, through more discipline, through more human effort, through a positive mental attitude. You can only experience it one way - through coming and saying alive to the Holy Spirit which is in you.

Can you read the following passage and see Gods desire for you to come alive to His Spirit? Or do you focus more attention on what YOU need to do?

Romans 6:11-14 (NLT)
11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.
13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Your answer, if you are honest with yourself, is the key to you breaking free and beginning to live in the freedom that Jesus promised you.

Soft addictions and vices

We will be starting a new sermon series at our church entitled "Breaking Free". And the aim will be to not just break free FROM things but to break free INTO better things.

I believe that's what Jesus came to do - to set us free FROM things and set us free to step INTO better things

So I'm studying the facts and points for the first message and an incredible thing happened to me.

I'm looking at all the things we need to be set free from - some of them big like alcohol, pornography and anger. While others are soft like gambling and over-working and debt. And what I noticed is this. There are levels or types of each of these addictions and vices that people partake in. And as long as you do them at a low level then society kind of winks at it.

Take for instance gambling. it spans from Bingo to Bookies, from the Lottery to the casinos. And for the most part if you keep it on the "soft" side then it seems to be OK.

Even the church struggles to challenge people to heavily in the low, soft levels of any one of the hundreds of vices and addictions. And as I asked myself why, here's what I discovered was true for me. I was reticent to address the topic because I didn't have a Bible verse or a clear principle to challenge with. But, the real answer that I feel the Lord challenged me with was this: I was intimidated to challenge and loving confront issues in others peoples lives because I had some soft, low level ones in my own life

That has to change. We cannot sit around and let all the low, soft vices, addictions and weights slow us down. We have to open up our hearts and lives to be set free from them and set free to experience better things

It's like the Lord is opening up my eyes to this in my own life. I'll be talking about them during this series so I hope you can make it. But, here's one of the experiences I've had this week...

I'm in the office looking at all the levels of destructive addictions and vices and I'm working on pornography and I notice that there is soft porn and hard core porn. There is visual porn (pictures) and written porn (books). So I'm looking on the Internet at what "SOFT" porn is. And it goes from seemingly harmless to borderline destructive pictures and words and while I'm viewing what soft porn is a guy walks by. And in my heart I wondered if he saw what I was doing? But, regardless I felt like in that moment the Lord said to me. That is how the devil works to keep us all bound and small in our walk with God. It's not the big stuff that destroys us it's the little, innocent, soft area's that keep us limited

How many area's of our lives are filled with "SOFT" addictions and vices? How many times do we throw people off the path of righteousness because our lives are not a clear reflection of freedom? How many people do we neglect to challenge or encourage in a "grey" area because we have shades of gray in our

For me I want to be set free to pursue righteousness and holiness will you join me? If so I hope to see you during this sermon series.

Wisdom for Making Decisions

In a recent message by Any Stanley entitled -"When Opportunity Knocks", The following incredible points were made

1. You leadership ability has the potential to take you further than your character can SUSTAIN you.
2. Leaders get into trouble when their integrity doesn't keep pace with the momentum created by their GIFTEDNESS. There is no correlation between giftedness and maturity!
3. Our commitment to integrity can easily be eroded by our desire for PROGRESS.
4. Watch out for the excuses we are most tempted to use to convince ourselves to do the wrong thing: "God PROMISED it to me" or "I DESERVE it".

The point is, sometimes opportunities present themselves and they look like the makings of a God thing. They look like God opening a door of opportunity for us. And in those moments, only pre-determined principles, pre-understood laws and pre-accepted accountability will guide us. Because in those moments our desires and our plans can cause us to bypass Gods laws and Gods principles in our rush to receive Gods promises. Here are a few bits of wisdom for those times:

1. Everything that looks like a God thing, and feels like a God thing, and is suggested by others as a God thing isn't necessarily a God thing.
2. The most direct route to what you want is rarely the BEST route.

Here is a list of wise steps to take each time a major decision is before you

1. Weigh every opportunity against the laws, principles, and wisdom of God.
2. Decide every day that you will not sacrifice integrity for progress.
3. Give the right people an all access pass to EVERY major decision. Being mature in God does not exempt you from the need for wise counsel. It NECESSITATES it.

Prov 3:1-15 (NLT)
1My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart,
2 for they will give you a long and satisfying life.
3 Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart.
4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.
7 Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil.
8 Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.
11 My child, don't ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you.
12 For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
13 Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding.
14 For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, and her wages are better than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

The Right Response

Life has a way of bringing the best or the worst out of us. We've heard that phrase repeated so often it's almost lost it's effect and power to make us stop and ponder. But it true. Unforeseen difficulties or blessing could be just around the corner. Circumstances can turn in an instant, whether for good or bad. situations can seemingly hit us from out of no where. And in those moments there may be responses that come out of us that we didn't even know were in us. For some the downside of life produces this reality. For others, it's the abundance of blessings that invade their soul and steal their heart and warp their clarity of what matters most.

So how can one really be ready?

The answer begins in the place that we intrinsically know but, outwardly downplay. The answer lies in the strength and depth of our faith. No, not the "I believe in God" kind of faith, although that is good and needful. Not the religious kind of faith that is more a list of things you do or don't do, and that is good and needful as well.

The kind of faith I'm talking about is at the core of who we are. It's deep and foundational. It's the kind of faith that is revealed to US in responses that show our confidence, attitude, trust, courage and contentment. It's the kind of faith that is shown to the WORLD in things like actions, words, and disposition.

It's the kind of faith that is not based on what is going on around you. It's the kind of faith that is based on what you believe about God and eternity way down deep in your heart and soul. It's the kind of faith that is born out of seeing God for who He is and seeing yourself in His plans.

This is what makes Hebrews chapter 11 such a relevant list of stories for all of us to read. Because, It's an example of right responses by ordinary people who had life throw them some radical curves. It's an example of men and women who had such a clear view of God's will and calling on their life that what happened to them outwardly didn't shake their faith inwardly. Their faith was based on seeing something that was much more relevant and powerful than what they could see with their natural eyes. And what they saw produced confidence, trust, courage and contentment in them. What they saw caused them to live and respond to life differently than others.

So where does that kind of faith come from?

Thanks for asking, I hope through reading this blog that God has stirred up a desire inside of you to want to know Him in such a real way that faith is produced inside of you that is stronger and deeper than what is going on presently in your life. If so, the answer is found in Hebrews Chapter 12

Why don't you take a few moments and read that chapter and see what it is that God's word will reveal to you.

Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV)
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Seeing Into an Unseen World

The Bible tells us that there is an invisible world that is influencing and impacting all of us. It impacts our thinking, our worldview, our attitude, our perception of morality and purity, our finances, our marriages, our relationships, how we do business, how we interact and deal with the issues of life, and so much more. The Bible tells us that we are being affected by an invisible world.

And, yet, when you bring this truth up, some people tend to resist the whole idea. They reject the notion that we are being influenced and affected by an unseen spiritual power or force. They prefer to ascribe all of life's craziness to randomness, lack of experience or just bad luck.

There are basically three types of people when it comes to discussing this topic. First of all, there are those people that don’t believe any of it. Secondly, there are those who believe it, but don’t believe it enough to let it impact and influence the way they live. And then lastly, there are those few, way out there, fanatical Christians who believe it and then let that belief effect the way they live and respond to life.

I don't know exactly where you are on that list? But, here’s how you can see the unseen world I’m talking about. No, you can’t use a microscope to prove it. And you can’t use a telescope or a ghost reader to discover it. What you need is a rear view mirror. Look back in your life, like I’ve looked back in mine, at some of the decisions and choices we've made. I mean, How could we have been so stupid? How could we have been so confused? How in the world did we think that relationship was going to go anywhere? Why did we think that approach to finances was gonna take us somewhere good? Why couldn't’t we see that our decisions were creating a pathway that was leading us to developing a habit, that we were going to deal with the rest of our lives?

I mean, for me looking back, it’s so clear now. But, in the moment, when the opportunity was there, when I was with that group of people, it just all made sense. But looking back now, all I can say is: "that was crazy! "

Or, maybe you don’t need a rear view mirror; you just need a mirror. Because, you’re in the middle of it right now. You make decisions in moments of sanity, and then you go and get with a group of people or an individual, or in a certain environment, and it’s like you lose your mind. It’s like you abandon everything you believe in. And then you come out and regain your sanity and your focus and your perspective and you look in the mirror and go, "What’s wrong with me?" "Why is it that I do that, or allow that?" It’s like you lose your mind. It’s like you become a different person. And always when you come out of it, you regret it and you have to deal with the consequences. and your left with the thought, "What’s wrong with me?"

Or, if those don’t do it for you. You just need to look around. Look at the people you love and want the best for. Do they all make great decisions and healthy choices? Or do you watch some of them make horrible decisions that you try and persuade them not to make. But, they argue their case and refuse to listen. And their logic is so fouled up, and their thinking is so twisted. And the rest of your friends or family members stand on the periphery of their lives and say, "you're going to regret that...". But, in their world, in that little capsule in which they are making their decisions. It all seems to makes perfect sense.

That’s the power of this unseen world. It’s a subtle twist of the truth. It’s a slight distortion of our direction. It’s a vague deception in the heat of the moment. And it is in those moments, sometimes just brief moments, that we hurt people we love, and destroy relationships, and alter our direction, and form divisive perspectives and crazy opinions. And so the Bible tells us to wake up to the reality that there is an unseen world that is out to confuse us and twist our thinking. Here's how the Bible puts it:

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NLT)
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

There is an unseen world that we are fighting against. And that unseen world is subtly impacting all of us. Do you sense it and are you aware of it? Do you see the power that this unseen world has? Do you recognize that there is a devil that is out to destroy your life and ultimately your soul? If not why don't you pick up your Bible and read Ephesians 4:11-32, 5:1-20, 6:10-18

Let it be said of us like it was said of the church at Corinth;

2 Corinthians 2:11 (NASB)
...so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Here I am God, Use me

As a Church we've been going through the book "Crazy Love" in our small groups. I don't know about all of you - it's been challenging, motivating and uncomfortable. But, through it all I want to have a heart that is always putting myself out there on that missional edge. That place where God can place incredible, way out there dreams and callings in my heart. What about you?

I found this video on YouTube, and I thought it was another great story of people giving their lives to the forward progress of the kingdom of God. It may be a little long, but I think it shows the difference between attractional evangelism (bringing people to church) and incarnational evangelism (bring Christ to the culture).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRGac7eHKgc&feature=player_embedded

Now that you've watched the video, where are you being led to be the hands and feet of Jesus today?

You're Rich

Let's talk about MONEY

This is difficult topic for a preacher to talk about because… Some people think preachers talk about it too much. Some people think that’s all churches care about. But really, the truth is many people don't want to talk about money because in their lives they are so messed up in this area they don’t want to think about it, or talk about it, or be forced to look at it.

So let me set this up - We live in a culture that is constantly telling us and enticing us with the concept of HOW TO GET RICH. We are constantly being baited to feel like we need more. We are constantly being told that we can have more or that we deserve more. We are constantly being reminded that we should not be happy until we have it ALL. Basically, We live in a society that is all about promoting - THE WANT TO be rich. And the problem is, nobody is saying anything about how to BE rich. In other words – once you get rich – how do you be rich and be healthy and happy and content? How do you not let money become the central driving force in your life? How do you fight the tendency to put all your trust in your riches? How do you have money but not let money have you? How do you tell money what to do instead of money telling you what to do.

Now I know some - no, many - people saw the title of this blog and they saw the word “rich” and they said to themselves, "that’s not me, So this ones probably not for me. Here’s the deal though, how do we know who’s rich and who’s not? There’s not a line that when you cross it you go, "WOHO – I made it, I’m rich – finally I crossed the line". And so here’s what happens, no one thinks they are rich and so no one is trying to learn how to BE rich We’re all stuck in the striving to get rich. Praying to be blessed. Working and stressing and scheming to get a little more. And no one is stopping to realize and value or be thankful for how financially blessed we really are. No one recognizes that maybe we are rich people.

Track with me here – many of us here today are rich and we don’t accept it. And so we are living with a financial concept or in a financial system that says we need just a little bit more. When really we should be living in a financial system that is asking how do we find contentment. Isn't this how it is for most people. The poor guy says he needs $1000 dollars more. The middle class guy says he needs $10,000 more. And the upper class guy is trying to get $100,000 more. everyone is after just a little more. When what we should be doing is trying to find contentment right where we are right now. The peace that the bible offers is not found in the pursuit of "a little bit more". No, it's found in discovering contentment in your present circumstance and situation.

Look at the truths the Bible tells us when it comes to money. Look at the wisdom the Bible is trying to impart to those of us that are blessed with money. But also look at some of the intense warnings it gives

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Ecclesiastes 5:10
Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!

Proverbs 23:4 (NIV)
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

I challenge you to get off the run-away, never arriving, always filled with temptations train called the world's system to financial prosperity. Which tells it's riders that what they need is "a little bit more". And I invite you to board God's train that will take you to a place called financial contentment. If you'd like to learn more here's a good place to start

http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu

Dave Ramsey's - Financial peace University

God's Family System

No other passage in the Bible defines the families role as clearly as Deuteronomy 6. Moses stands before the entire nation as a grandfather and leader to position the family as God’s primary conduit to tell his story of redemption and restoration. Moses highlights values that should transcend time and culture. They are this

#1 We have to GET RID OF ALL THE COMPETITION - Deut 6:4

#2 We have to MAKE IT PERSONAL - Deut 6:5-6

#3 We have to CREATE A RHYTHM - Deut 6:7-9

#4 We have to FIGHT FOR THEIR HEART, SOUL AND MIND - Deut 6:20

#5 We have to WIDEN THE CIRCLE of Influence - Deut 6:4a

The fight for the hearts and minds of our children is raging all around us. The Good news is this, God has given us a system to follow. A plan that will lead to success. The Bible says it like this;

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

There is a "way", a God ordained system that will lead to passing from one generation to the next the principles that matter most. Raising healthy, godly families is not a hit or miss, do your best, no one really knows adventure. It is a rewarding privilege that God wants to partner with us in. But, for that to happen we have to accept and follow God's system, His way, His path, His principles.

Reggie Joiner in His book, Thinking Orange, issued this warning and insight that I think is so important;

"Please don’t get this confused – this is not a debate about family values. Many leaders are fighting for their definition of family values, but often they have forgotten what it means to actually value their families. Have you ever considered the possibility that how families treat each other may have far greater consequences on children than where we draw the line on the issues of the day? It’s one thing to stand up for what you believe, but it’s easy to lose sight of the root issues that genuinely affect a family. While numerous organizations have waged a war for family values, family relationships continue to break down"

The point is, we have to get and stay focused on living out and following God's plan. We have to fight the right fight and spend our limited time and energy keeping in place the right system. And, that is easier said than done. For that reason the church and the family need to partner together. The church and the family need to both be pushing in the same direction and with the same purpose. I encourage you to make it a priority to learn what it really means to "Think Orange" - that's our new, church and family partnership strategy phrase. I implore you to avail yourself of the many opportunities to live out God's family system outlined for us in Deuteronomy 6. That's what our church is attempting to create. So get on board, prepare yourself for change and let's teach the greatest commandment to the next generation

Mark 12:29-31 (KJV)
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Like Joshua of old, I stand up and proclaim:

if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Josh 24:15 (KJV)

Will you join me?

Thinking Orange

Chap Clark made this statement, while offering some strong insights about creating a healthy structure within our families;

"Moms and dads need to see their parental role as a marathon, recognizing that building a relationship in which their child trusts them is even more important than whether they can trust their child regarding the immediate issues of the day".

Reggie Joiner commented on that statement by saying;

"Although it may seem intuitive, intentionality is required for consistency in my actions and relationships with my kids. It's ironic that sometimes my reaction to what I see as broken trust on their part can affect their confidence in me. The truth is that their trust in me is affected when I...

• discipline in anger
• use words that communicate rejection
• ignore their voices
• don't try to understand who they really are
• break my core promises"

For me, I notice that it easier to get hyper focused on my child's need to earn my trust and measure up to my expectation than it is for me to actively pursue building up their trust in me as their parent. The reason, I have discovered for that is this, to often I see myself as the mature one and they as the ones in development. I tend to get so absorbed with molding them into what they should be that I forget my need to develop consistency in how I respond to them.

To be honest with you, it has taken me a long time to finally own up to this aspect of my responsibility in the equation. It has taken me a long time to finally realize that...

• how trustworthy I am at this stage is more important for their growth than how trustworthy they are.

Listen to what The ReThink Group discovered;

"In interviews with hundreds of teenagers and college students, the wounds that go deepest are those connected to the issue of trust. When parents fight for the hearts of their children, they establish a lifestyle of proving that they can be trusted. Parents need to recognize how important it is to build trust with each of their children individually-It is the relational glue that seals intimacy and love."

If any aspect of this article has stirred your heart and/or challenged you as a parent, I encourage you to join our church as we begin the process of "THINKING ORANGE". It's more than just a church Sunday School curriculum, It's a strategy that connects the church and the family to make a lasting impact in the lives of our children.