Archive for April, 2008
April 30, 2008 12:41 pm | Written by Phil
April 29, 2008 10:58 am | Written by Phil
Quotes by God’s treasured, missing ones during last weekend’s beach camping trip:
“I’m going to shine Jesus’ light for my brother this week. He really needs help.”
“I never saw so many stars in the sky before!”
“It felt so good to get away from the city for a little while.”
“How can I help you?”
“Here let me help you.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey kids, let’s wrestle!”
“Hey kids, let’s go for a bike ride!”
“Here’s some money to help with the cost of that.”
“Thank you for inviting my family to come camping with you.”
“This camping trip was even better than I thought it would be!”
“Thank you, God, for letting us be here.”
Categories: Uncategorized
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April 23, 2008 9:01 am | Written by Phil
This weekend we will be going on a beach camping trip with new disciples and some of God’s precious, missing ones. I can’t wait…
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April 16, 2008 5:35 pm | Written by Phil
While we were filming this weekend we interviewed a neighbor whom I will call Devon. He told me (on camera) that he doesn’t like religions but ever since he and his wife met our two families they have started to pray together for their meals. He also shared that he and his wife want to spend more time with us because they want their family to be more like ours, and he said he wants to read the Bible together with me. So the next day he invited our families (and Hannah’s family) to the park. While the women played with the kids, Devon and I sat under a shady tree and started our first Discovery Bible Study, something he wants to continue with his wife the next time we meet.
Looking back, Devon said his curiosity began when he took his sons trick-or-treating at our home. Right away Ed, Katie, Meri and I invited them to come to our Halloween party where we were playing children’s games and serving popcorn and apple cider. They knocked on many doors that night to trick-or-treat, but Devon got the feeling we are “good people to be around.” From that simple interaction a mutual friendship began, in which we played and ate meals together, listened to each other’s stories, and introduced spiritual topics of conversation. Meanwhile, we’ve been praying and fasting, and asking others to pray, too, for Devon and his household. Then something mysterious and beyond our control began to happen in their hearts. Now Devon has demonstrated a desire to expose himself and his family to the Word of God.
Please keep Devon and his family in your prayers…
Categories: Discovery Bible Studies
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April 15, 2008 9:20 am | Written by Phil
One of our supporting churches is making a 2 or 3 minute video of our ministry, to be shown to their congregation on their “Missions Sunday on April 27. Thank you to Clint Loveness, video production minister of Highland Oaks Church of Christ, for flying here from Dallas to get the footage. Clint did an excellent job of making our people feel at ease in front of his camera. He got several hours of footage to choose from for his project. If it turns out well, we may use it to show to other groups as well.
Categories: video
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April 12, 2008 5:00 am | Written by Phil
I close my eyes and like to imagine all the diverse peoples of Los Angeles co-laboring with Christ in his kingdom. This image often reminds me of that cryptic and wondrous scene described in the Bible, in the book of Revelation chapter 7…
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,
“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will spread his tent over them.
‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center before the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Ahhh…. can you see it?
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April 11, 2008 5:00 am | Written by Phil
In the city not everyone’s relational network is defined by proximity. Many people don’t know or speak to their next door neighbors. They make friendships through common interests, and their friends may reside in multiple neighborhoods all across the city. For example, our Muslim friends relate mostly to other Muslim families but their friends don’t all live in Hollywood. Another example: On our block live many Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Mexicans. Just because three groups speak Spanish and live next door to each other does not mean they know each other or want to (yet). Salvadorans, Mexicans, and Guatemalans are distinct groups with different histories, customs, cultures, foods. Even their Spanish language is not the same. They don’t always understand each other or get along.
What does this mean? On one hand, it means we have an opportunity to witness Christ bringing groups together! On the other hand, it also means that we have an opportunity to see multiple churches started from the same neighborhood. Understanding how and where people make friends is key.
We could lead every family in an 8-unit apartment building to Christ, and they could start 8 different churches because they each maintain their own webs of relationships that are distinct and do not intersect much, if at all, with the others. Each web is a future church. We don’t have to reach everyone in those webs. We just need to find that one person in each web who will quickly become a disciple-maker and train him or her to share the Word of God with those in his or her own web. They will share in their own cultures better than we ever will.
…But please, please also pray that we will see our neighbors of differing cultures coming together in unity under Christ! This is a desire of our hearts.
Categories: culture
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