Prophetic Love 11/30/14

How would your life change if you knew what God wanted from you? How would a church change if one knew exactly what God wanted?

In this message we begin to let Micah remind us that God has already shown us who we are individually as Christians, and collectively as the church.

(This message begins a new conversation throughout Advent around that which God has shown us. The book of Micah will be our conversation partner.)

Christianity: God's Part & Our Part 9/28/14

We often confuse what Christianity has to say about what God has already done independently of anything we have done, and what we are asked to do. That is to say, we mix up what's God's part and what's our part.

In this message I (Jonathan) try to help separate out this possibly confusing question. What is God's part vs. our part?

Left at the Altar 9/21/14

God would you rather leave Him at the altar than have an unaddressed relational conflict with someone. Jesus said, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them."

It is radical that God would care more about your relationships with others than about what you offer to Him. And, it is radical that Jesus asks us to be the person to initiate reconciliation even if it is the other person that has the problem with me!

In this message I (Jonathan) talk about both of these radical claims by Jesus.

God's Limits 9/14/14

What are God's limits?

In this message Pastor Alfredo shares about what God does with limitations. This is shared through a bilingual sermon in which I (Jonathan) translate into English.

People Matter! 9/7/14

It's so easy to let goals, mission statements, objectives, etc., hijack the importance of people. So much junk happens in the world because the lives of others are not honored, because the relationship between one person and another is not valued.

It would be super if I could say that churches were immune to this tendency to put the importance of relationships aside. But they’re not. Instead of being immune, rather, we have a direct challenge to be moved by God’s Holy Spirit towards rising above this tendency—to rise above the tendency to inappropriately value other objectives over the honoring of relationships.

In this message I (Jonathan) share about God's nature as relational, about the early church itself being relational, and about every Christians' calling to follow this example and be RELATIONAL. The people and relationships in our lives are God's gift to be treasured and valued.

Need Hope? 8/31/14

In a world where living is accompanied by suffering, loss, want, etc., humans strive and hope for better. Christians don't believe this pursuit is done in vain. God Himself gave us, gives us, the ultimate plan. This plan has come to be called the Gospel.

Are you too aware of the pain, emptiness, loss, etc.? Or do you know someone that is at the end of their rope?

In this message I breakdown part of this Gospel that a follower of Jesus shares with us through a letter he wrote (to you!).

Spiritual Discipline 8/24/14

Imagine knowing that an important test was coming and deciding not to prepare! What would you think when you don't do well?  Would you be surprised?

Here is my point: What's wrong with putting the time in to be spiritually prepared for what it takes to live your life? Peter challenges us in this part of his letter to put ourselves in the position to succeed. These are words he uses: disciplined, self-controlled, staying alert, opposing evil, persevering, etc.

In this message I (Jonathan) speak about Peter's challenge to take on spiritual preparation!

Peter's Church Growth 8/17

Our church needs to step up. And so we are. In the part of Peter's letter that we focus on here, we see a challenge to take an honest look at what's before us. But not only look! The challenge is to then act according.

For this church, right now, we are challenged to reinvest in children.

Regenerate Life 8/10/14

This church (Canoga Park Pres) is being blessed with new life. We are a community that is being regenerated, healed, and loved by God. It's wonderful, and it creates enormous responsibility for this faith community.

In this message I (Jonathan) speak about this responsibility. I speak about countless others outside of our church home with the same need for being regenerated, healed, and loved by God.

Lord, guide and equip Canoga Park Pres Church to be a beacon of your light for those who walk in a darkened brokenness.

Through Peter's Eyes 8/3/14

This week CPPC leader Nabeel Saoud shares a message on 1 Peter 4. It is a strong sign of the leadership of a church when the elders can prepare the messages for when the pastor is absent.

In this particular message Nabeel draws out several important themes, concentrating most intensely on the life of Christians in modern times. Listen as he spends great length sharing the life that Peter lived alongside of Jesus.

Why Suffer? 7/27/14

Suffering is often avoided. Who really wants to suffer?

Yet suffering plays a critical role in the Christian life. Why? This message wrestles with this question.

Effective Submission 7/20/14

God wants you to live a good, awesome life, and for this to be noticeable to others. What's it take? Submission.

The Christian submits to God's ways. The effect on life is that it's filled with joy, hope, and meaning.

Christianity isn't just a religion promising eternal life. The church (God's followers) is offered the gift of a different life NOW.

Life is Short 7/13/14

If you knew that you only had one more day to live what would you do? My hunch is that this might alter your original plans for the day!

To live the Christian life requires keeping at the forefront of your mind the temporary character of life. This temporary character makes us (in Peter's words) "foreigners" and "exiles" in this life. This temporary character keeps us sober to the fact that we are responsible to serve God through our witness (what others find us doing). Even stronger, Peter calls us to consider ourselves God's "slaves!" Yes, very strong language.

The Misguided Church 7/6/2014

Where does God ask the church to stand in society? Is it on the other side of the valley, atop a cliff next to the Cross of Christ, holding the Bible in one hand and pointing a judgmental finger with the other? Where should the church stand in this world? On the other side of the valley from society where the church is safe, or "saved," seeking to as comfortably as possible put up with the delinquency of humans and unpredictability of mother earth?

If this doesn't sound right, and also sounds all too common, let's allow Peter to talk with us. In this message Peter tells the church who we are, where we must stand.

Without Holy Love Shut Down the Church - 6/22/2014

If the church is not interested in living as God designed the church to be, then why waste more of anyone's time by keeping the doors open?

In this message we hear God's given identity of the church. And we wrestle with how the church is measuring up. Sure, we always have a long way to go in order to be perfect. But are we at least striving for what God has created the church to be?

At this church, Canoga Park Presbyterian, we realize that we are always on the journey towards reaching the goal God sets before us. And it is critical and fundamental to us that we maintain our heading.

Joy Where Forbidden - 6/15/14

Many promises for Christians will appear ludicrous to those not following Jesus. Case in point: Peter promises that Christ's disciples are "filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."

Christians find within themselves joy and hope where it should be forbidden. When those close to us die, when we hear the scary word "cancer," when we loose our job, et al., joy should be forbidden.

But then the mysterious presence of the Holy Spirit in each Christian's life breathes joy and hope to their heart, mind and soul. It is inexpressible. It is glorious. It really should not be there. But it is.

Who Are You? 6/8/2014

Come up with a list of 10 different answers to the following question: "Who are you?"

Understanding who you are is a compass for your life. This understanding guides and motivates.

Peter was one of the 12 men that spent three years following Jesus everywhere and learning from Him. One important lesson learned is the answer to this question: "Who are you?"

Peter seeks to get all of our attention, with all our diversity, because he has one message for all of us. He says that we have all been chosen by God to receive the same power-filled gift: The gift of your identity. The gift of knowing who you are, what you are for, what brings you true peace, joy, hope, meaning. You have all been chosen by God to know who you are.

(This message recording is bilingual)

The Basics of the Christian Faith 6/1/14

This is a message with a simple purpose: State clearly what are the basics of the Christian Faith. What does it mean to be Christian? How does one become a Christian?

"This is God’s command: to believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Orbiting Around God 5/25/14

When we gather together on Sundays we go through a drama of worship. We follow a drama that lets us be real with ourselves, real with what happens in this life, and real with God. If we are going to be real, then it begins with letting God be God and letting us humans be God's creation (instead of the other way around!).

We need to let ourselves be pulled by God to Himself. We must recognize the gravitational pull of God upon our lives, and orbit around Him like Earth around the Sun. The we can honest ask questions like: What does God want for me? And what's more, we can honestly hear God's answer through Scripture.

Stay in Gethsemane 5/18/2014

Working with people can be hard work. Expectations, personalities, our future, etc. all get mixed up in relationships. In this message we consider the example set for us by Christ. Are you ever challenged by working with others?

Who Are You Mothering? 5/11/2014

Did you know that God wants you to mother people?!

God told Isaiah many years ago that His plan would be to mother us. To be specific, God promised to comfort and protect us as a mother does her child.

What would it look like if a group of people following God (a church) committed to comforting and protecting others at all cost?

Together 4/27/2014

Whether we like it or not Christ has united us all. It's not up to us. It's God's will. Listen to what Paul has to say about this.

Will You Believe? 4/20/2014

Encountering a dead person resurrected from their grave must be incredibly unsettling—to say the least. Women came to Jesus' grave expecting to see a lifeless corpse that they would anoint with spices as was their custom.  

But when they arrived they were ambushed. Their world suddenly turned on his head. The marker of death, gone! And replaced with a frightening, unsettling, idea: The dead body of Jesus was no longer dead.

Christians are those who believe that the book end to our life, death itself, was unhinged by Jesus. His life which began with a virgin birth did end... but then un-ended by a resurrection from death.

For those who say, “Jesus is my one and only God who lived, died and rose from the grave for my life,” for those who willingly say, “I believe it,” for them there is no more fear in death. The entrance into Heaven itself now lies wide open for all who believe.

Would you believe? 

Self-limiting 4/13/14

Are you holding yourself back?  Towards the end of Jesus' life he entered the famous city of Jerusalem. He was so famous by then that they started a parade! And as they were on their parade route, some people began to ask what was going on. "Who is this guy?"  The paraders responded saying, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Galilee."  Prophet? If that's all they said then they had a limited answer. And if our view of Jesus is limited, your very life's story will be limited.  Do you need to enlarge your view of Jesus? A complete and full life is waiting...

God of Miracles 4/6/14

Where was the last time you said, "wow, that's a miracle!"

One of the most intriguing aspects about Christianity is the miraculous. We believe that miracles are possible and do happen. Yet we are prone to get ahead of ourselves here. As we will see in our Bible reading, God often does the miracles in spite of us rather than because of our own faith, or our power, or our etc... If we get ahead of ourselves we end up missing the miracles God is really doing all around us!

Say It 3/30/14

“I don’t know how to pray for myself…no one ever taught me.” -Sandra Bullock in Gravity

We have become highly suspicious of what people say, and particularly when we cannot see how their words are backed by their actions. American Christianity seems to have determined it better in general to preach through actions rather than words. This does feel more comfortable; but, it defies what Jesus told his followers to do. We are to use both words and actions.

We should not waste the wonderful gift of words to communicate the all-important message of Christianity. Use your words, and use them honestly. It is easier if we're honest--if we open up to others about both the positive and the challenge. You can be honest about your church, about your faith journey, etc.

God uses our authentic words like tools to touch the lives of others.

"Upon this rock I will build my community." -Jesus

Risk Getting Soaked 3/23/14

"Lord," Peter said from his safe boat to Jesus walking precariously upon the Sea of Galilee, "If it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

The way to Jesus is out of the boat. The steps we'd take to be nearer to God and His hope, peace, and love lead us to walk on water. To have big-faith we need to risk getting soaked. And even if we fall, even if our faith wavers as we begin to sink, we will but find our selves caught up in the loving arms of the one and only God.

Is it time for you to step out of the boat?

 

 

Your Story = God's Passion 3/9/14

In this message I unpack something that should rightly be hard to believe: Your story is God's passion.

The central pivot of the Christian religion is God showing us this is true through the sacrifice of his very self (this is what we call the Gospel!). Jesus told his disciples that his purpose was to change your story--to change it towards the fulfillment of all you need.

So no matter what you've been told by others (family, friends, co-workers), who you are is so important that God chose to die for you. And there is absolutely nothing you can do to change his mind about you. Ya, that should rightly be hard to believe.