Create Culture

It seems to me that as believer we often fall into two errors when it comes to our culture. We either copy it … or condemn it. Both in the extreme are unhealthy.

Instead I appreciate what Paul did in Athens. Addressing a city that was very spiritually confused he said, For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.' Acts 17:28 First he engaged their culture by quoting their poets. Then he used that as a bridge to share the gospel (see Acts 17:22-34).

Rather than simply mirroring the culture or throwing rocks at it, why not be about the work of creating a new culture? In Athens Paul left behind believers who would plant the church in this secular place. Michelangelo said, “Criticize by creating.” I love that.

When it comes to culture, why not take the lead?

A Block Party for Fire Threatened Neighbors

Yesterday our church hosted a block party in the Westwood area next to our church. One of the great stories that came out of it was the way it touched the life of a fire fighter in our church. He was one of the speakers at the event. Along the way he connected with several neighbors whose homes he had helped save (see the photo of him embraced by grateful neighbors at the end of the video below). The healing was as much for him as for the community.

Sorry about the low quality on this video. Check out the high resolution version this Sunday at church.

Serving our community continues...

We continue to have a great response to our community service opportunities. Here's the latest:

There will be another community clean-up/work day this Saturday, november 10. Meet at the church at 9 AM in the LOBBY. Be prepared to handle both inside and outside opportunities. Specific job sites listed at gvcfamily.blogspot.com

An Experiment ... because my family doesn’t read my blog

OK, my family does read my blog sometimes. But they don’t need to because they already know about my life. So here’s a little experiment to test the scope and impact of this blog.

I bought some See’s Candy for my wife because she loves it and it’s fun to get it even when it’s not Christmas. I’ve hid it under the piano bench lid. If you know my wife well enough, call her and tell her to look in the piano bench for a little gift from me.

I am posting this on Nov 7, at 7:03 pm. Let’s see how long it takes for someone to call. 1 hour? 1 day? 1 week? If no one calls, I’ll eat the candy myself and post an early list of all my kids’ Christmas presents here too.

FINE PRINT: Courtesy rule: Do not call after 9 pm or before 8 am PST. But you can email her anytime. The experiment officially ends when I hear that she found candy.

Check back and I’ll let you know what happens.

_______________________

Update: Well, I woke up the very next morning and there was a box of See's candy on the kitchen table. Kudos go to Cindy Sutherland for sending my wife an email (In the middle of the night -- what was she doing up?). Way to go Cindy Sutherland! Honorable Mention goes to Janine Sellers who called all the way from Florida to tell Cindy to look under the piano bench lid. So it took about 12 hours for the message to get to my wife. And we all learned a valuable lesson about the 24/7, global reach of the web.

The church at your address

Check out this entry from Luke’s journal (He is writing about how God work in and through an ordinary woman named Lydia).

The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. Acts 16:14-15

What impresses me about Lydia is how she immediately connected being a believer with acts of service. As soon as God opened her heart, she opened her home.

I love the practical faith of Lydia. As far as we know she never led a Bible study, went on a mission trip, or sang in the choir. She didn't go on the road with Paul, or debate about theology in the marketplace. All she did was open her heart to God and open her home to God’s family. All she did was put her faith into action. All she did was have the audacity to believe that God would show up where she lived.

Turns out, the church of Philippi was born in Lydia’s house. And one of the best loved books in the Bible, Philippians, was written. All because an ordinary woman had the audacity to believe that God would show up where she lived.

Serving our Community

On Saturday our church mobilized about 120 people into the neighborhoods of fire-scored Rancho Bernardo. Check out this 3 minute video (Sometimes you have to hit PLAY twice).

See more about GVC's Fire Relief efforts here.

A comment form one of the dozens of homes we helped:

Thank you one and all! What an amazing outpouring of love and compassion by GVC relief team! Your kindness is appreciated by our entire family, from San Diego to Rocklin, to the Galilee in Israel! What a testimony of love in action. My mom Katy is in awe of God's provision for her through your efforts and hard work.... Blessings and Shalom to you all

More than we ask

God always does more than we ask.

Last week, as the ash was still settling form the firestorm, I gathered some leaders together to pray and respond. As we met, President Bush flew overhead in a helicopter to view the devastation in the neighborhood next to the church. He was there to see, understand, and offer help.

As we began to pray one of the leaders said, “God, the president just flew over our heads. But we are seeking help from a higher source.”

Whether it is the fires we have recently experienced, or any new struggle we face, what a comfort to know that the One we talk to in prayer controls the wind, waves, sea and air. He knows our needs better than we do. And His plans are much greater than we can even ask or imagine.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask… Eph 3.20

GVC Fire Relief Task Force

A Fire Relief Task Force is now in place at our church. find out more or get involved at http://gvcfamily.blogspot.com/

Rancho Bernardo fires

We just got back to our home after being evacuated for a couple days. Thankfully our home and church are fine. I just set up a blog for our church family to stay connected specifically about the fire. Check it out at http://gvcfamily.blogspot.com/

Stay nearby

What is the most important thing you can do for the people you care about.... those you hope to influence? One day a believer named Philip was trying to reach out to a guy on the fringe of faith, and I love God’s instructions to him. The Spirit of God simply whispered this advice: "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Acts 8:29. In other words, stay nearby.

Philip’s obedience led to an amazing God directed conversation, and each aspect of the discussion that followed dripped with God’s perfect timing and provision. (Read Acts 8:26-40).

Ninety percent of success is showing up.... simply being there and available. We don’t have to have all the answers. We just have to get close enough to listen to the questions.

So then, how will you know when the time is right to speak up? How will you decide when to proceed or what to say? God may be showing you various ways to influence those around you, but this advice may be the most basic: Stay nearby.

Lost my bus this week

It was a sad week for Cindy and me. Alongside the freeway, we watched as my bus went up in flames. It was a total loss. We all cried a little.

I am so grateful no one was hurt. But anyone who follows this blog knows how much I loved that vehicle. It was truly a gift from God. So I thank Him for the seasons He gave us and trust Him for the future.

We have it backwards

This is the video I showed Sunday Sept 30. It has a powerful surprise twist. Lots of people have asked me to post it so here it is:

(Hit the PLAY button - sometimes you have to hit it twice)

Best BBQ in Georgia

So I'm still trying to digest all I'm getting out of this conference but I did have lunch at an amazing BBQ place. In addition to the pulled pork sandwich I had Brunswick Stew which is like a BBQ chili with beef, chicken, pork, potatoes, corn and tomatoes - Wow! Part of what is incredible about this place is that they smoke the meat in the shed behind the restaurant (see photo below) - the real deal. If I'm ever in Georgia again, I'm eating here.

Rainy Night in Georgia

I am posting this from the Catalyst Reverb Leadership Conference in Atlanta where it is pouring rain and 10,000 church leaders have gathered. It has been awesome. Today Rick Warren said that we as believers should not try to change culture, instead we should create culture. That reminds me of something Mark Batterson said at a conference a year ago:

We have 4 choices when it comes to culture.

• Ignore it
• Accept it
• Change it
• Create it

I am excited to be a part if God's church where He can create culture through us.

Brown bananas under glass

My wife makes incredible desserts. And, as if the taste alone wasn’t enough to make you a raving fan, she also has a trick which makes her desserts even appealing. She puts her desserts under glass – one of these decorative glass cake stands. That’s not fair. When you do that, even Oreos look irresistible.

Our kids love her banana bread. They know that their mom has the ability to take bananas that are clearly past their prime, just days away from the dumpster, and turn them into awesome breakfast banana bread.

This past week we stepped into the kitchen and laughed. One of our kids had taken a bunch of brown bananas and placed them into that glass covered cake stand – a not so subtle hint for what they hoped would be a baking transformation.

But talk about seeing potential! Some people just see rotten bananas. Our kids see tomorrow’s breakfast. :)

One of the things I want to cultivate is the ability to see potential. Like Barnabas did with Paul. The Bible says that when Paul “came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple." (Acts 9:26).

Everyone was skeptical of Paul’s supposed conversion. No one believed that this guy, who once was bent on killing Christians, had now become one. No one, that is, except Barnabas.

"But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how [Paul] on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus." (Acts 9:27).

To most of the disciples, Paul was a liability - a disaster waiting to happen. They saw problems, but Barnabas saw potential.

The world might label you all kinds of things…

· Bruised
· Rotten
· Past your prime
· Headed for the dumpster
· Un-useable

But God sees what you could become. May we learn God’s way of seeing.