Scripture Wild & Free 12/4/16

Consider the Bible boring or tame? I'd push you towards a description closer to "wild" and "free." How about if you were to open the pages and read? Would you consider your reading as putting yourself in an exposed position before God? We seek to know God, and yet how often do we sit before God's chosen place to communicate with us (Yes, the Bible) "open" for getting to know God--rather than "closed," simply searching for what we already think.

Watch this Youtube to hear me sketch-out how you can encounter God through Bible reading.

Have deep roots 11/27/16

In this message Pastor Kristy shares about living life from roots that go deep into God.

Covenant Sunday 11/20/16

One of the most surprising life-realizations is that God speaks words that you understand. As a community of faith we are committing to move together in such ways that put us in the intentional position to listen to God. 

This youtube video first shows the sermon from Covenant Sunday (bilingual captions!), and then transitions (31 min into the youtube video) to live footage from the moving time for remembering our baptisms and committing to the vision of Christ together.

To Disciple 11/23/16

In this message I share from Scripture on what we mean by "to Disciple" in our passion to follow the vision of Christ for the church: Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life.  

Into Life 11/6/16

In this message I share from Scripture on what we mean by "into Life" in our passion to follow the vision of Christ for the church: Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life.  

Everything and Everyone 10/30/16

In this message I share from Scripture on what we mean by "Everything" and "Everyone" in our passion to follow the vision of Christ for the church: Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life.  

Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life (Week 9) 10/23/16

You are invited into your own story with God. Jesus handed the mission over to you, a mission that continues to this day.

But what about when it gets hard? 

When we are in the midst of a problem we often search for a "prescription." We seek the quick fix so we can continue to move on. Yet, instead of a prescription, God's invitation to you is a commission.

In this message Rebecca shares how this is good news: 1) You are not alone, 2) You don't need to worry about getting it perfect.

Everything to Dsiciple Everyone into Life (week 8) 10/16/16

Does your life have a theme song?

Imagine if every morning when you awoke the Star Wars Main Theme began blaring. Your feet would drop into your slippers like John William's baton conducting down into that first triumphant beat (hear the trumpet fanfare!?).

Or consider how awesome it would be if you could conjure up any song at any moment, as if you lived in a movie, a television show, or a musical. Some of you might see your boss coming and put on Darth Vader's theme (Imperial March), or the theme from Jaws? You might see your significant other and start Leia's theme (or your favorite love song).

What if you could have a song played in the critical moments that inspire you to excel. I'm imagining athletes with their headphones on before game-time. Just before you walk into that meeting, open that document, or consider waking the kids from their nap (Jaws again?)...

Do you have some ideas on what can set you up to excel? You don't live in a musical, so what's your plan B?

In this vid I share on the plan Jesus wove for you.

Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life (Week 5) 9/26/16

There are many barriers between where you stand now and where Jesus imagines you eventually being. There are locked doors. And we simply don’t have the keys. There are few things that get us down more than coming up against a locked door that would keep us from growing and moving forward.

In this message we see the first church of Jesus-followers encountering God’s promised active presence shattering such closed doors. This is the type of good promise that you need in order to continue walking boldly, and living in freedom!

Everthing to Disciple Everyone into Life (Week 4) 9/18/16

Do you believe that God’s plan is to use you this week to bring life to someone else?

If you don’t believe that you’re God’s plan A to bring others the life of Christ, or if you think you have a good excuse to opt out, then this message is for you. 

Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life (Part 3) 9/11/16

What is the role of the church in a culture that grows increasing hostile to Jesus’ message? 

What are you to do when living out Jesus’ ask makes you a “radical?”

This is the second message in a series that looks at Acts to understand Christ’s vision for Canoga Park Pres (or any church).

Everything to Disciple Everyone into Life -Week 2 9/4/16

Would you say no if God offered to refresh your life? Would you reject the offer to catch your life’s breath, or to run life’s course like an athlete in great shape?

Acts 3:19 = Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from the Lord.

In this message I (Jonathan) share the vision of Jesus for your life to fully turn on as you, like a bulb, plug into his movement. Furthermore, all of us together as a church, as a collection of bulbs, become the chandelier that Christ promises would be as a light that cannot be hidden.

God's Covenant with You 8/21/16

In this message I (Jonathan) share who you are, on the most fundamental level. Getting this right changes everything. Look at this with me through the lens of baptism!

What if your heart said," Christ loves you, and so do I"?

Do you ever people watch? Have you ever noticed someone people watching you?  Have your eyes ever met, and there was that moment of awkwardness?

What if in that moment the other person read your eyes, your attitude, your heart saying to them, "Christ loves you, and so do I"? The love is fierce, grace-filled, and whole.

This can be your first step into sharing faith in Jesus with others. Watch this video to work through this potential with me.

Sent With the Rich Life 8/7/16

In this message Rev. Rob Weingartner begins by telling stories of the church in the world, and then points to us as people who are also sent. We are the ones sent to share the rich life in Christ with each other, to our community, and beyond.

Rev. Weingartner is the director of the Outreach Foundation. CPPC had the honor of hosting him on this particular Sunday!

Unity or Bust 7/31/16

This 15 min message is as close as you can get to required viewing for anyone in CPPC. If you were not present at this gathering, here is homework!

Over the past 15 years Canoga Park Pres has known differences of opinions and discord, like every church at various moments. And yet, some of those differences proved to be stronger than what is healthy. Yes, some conflict is healthy! God-honoring progress will almost always have conflict involved as the church grows in carrying out Jesus' mission (growing pains).

However, when the conflict creates grudges then we are doomed. Why? Because Jesus' plan for us to share the gift of abundant Life with others hinges upon people seeing the love we have for one another. Jesus even went as far as to say that he would rather someone not give to, or serve, the church if they have an active grudge.

So watch this message because it is a crucial piece you need, we all need, at our foundation in this next chapter of abundant life together.

Living Under Threat 7/10/16

This Youtube is a 27 min sermon I preached the week following the shootings this past month. I set it down here before you… hoping that you’ll carve out an honest half-hour to add this Christian/Bible-based vantage point to your thoughts and concern. It speaks in general to the persistent threat and violence that oppresses the world.

God Bless America 7/4/16

Have you said or sung "God Bless America"? What do we mean? How is this held in tension with the Christian's citizinship in the Kingdom of Heaven? How is this held in tension with God's blessing for all people?

This message zeroes in on Jesus' hope for us as both citizens of his Kingdom and citizens of the United States of America (or any country).

If It Feels Good... 5/29/16

Christianity is not for your own personal use as a coping mechanism.  

Now sure… since Christian living is built around Jesus’ offer of a pure hope and peace (end to suffering, life everlasting) then yes, there is in Christianity all you would need to “cope” with this life. What I’m trying to say, though, is you can’t spend any serious amount of consideration in what is Christian living as Jesus or Paul describe and then decide: “Christianity = My personal coping mechanism.”

In the message linked to below I take Paul’s lead (one of the first Church leaders) as he asks Christians to come alongside of others in both encouragement and correction—emphasis on ALONGSIDE. 

He describes people as giving in to what their “itching ears want to hear.” I get it. Not everything my ears might want to hear, not everything my eyes might want to see, and not everything my heart might desire is actually good for me. Many things are, and many are not.

But, suggesting that the philosophy “if it feels good do it” is not correct flows against our cultural waters. I unpack this as the Youtube begins…

I Get It... But

I get it why a person would stay away from church community.  I get it, but I’d suggest it’s a wild decision when you weigh it out completely.

This is 15 minutes of Youtube where I hope you’ll let me share this thought with you. Watch what I believe a community of Christian faith is.

(And hit me back with any comment or question)

I've Got the Power 5/15/16

Christians have the power of God ready for action at each life moment. But how does this work?

Ok, so Jesus leaves the earth but then a few weeks later his spirit comes to the first Christians—the Holy Spirit. And what did that look like? It was rather strange actually. Those first Christians could best describe the scene as the sound of a violent wind seemingly coming from the heavens, accompanied by little flames they say that looked like tongues that came to rest above each of their heads. Oh ya, and also they could suddenly speak in a different language.

Why did this happen? Was it for those in that room? Is God's power in the lives of Christians just for them to have an experience of God? No, no no.

Jesus had just asked the people in that room to go share about what Jesus is like to other people. There were many different cultures present, with many different languages. That day, when the Spirit of God came to those first Christians, God was equipping them to carry out his ask! The power of God in their lives was to gift them the ability to tell others what Jesus is like--in their own languages.

The power of God is ready for action in each moment of your life. Experiencing this power in play is by far the best part of life. As a community of disciples we spur one another on towards this experience of God's power in our lives, which ultimately serves to help others into that same experience. 

This message is about this power of God at play in your life.

Keeping Jesus Dead 5/8/16

If someone were to tell you that all things are possible what would you think? What if you doubted this to be true, but then this person goes on to make an impossibility into a possibility right before your eyes. And then, he does it again, and again, and again... This is what made Jesus seductive, causing thousands of people to literally follow him around. They didn’t need to believe anything is possible, because they were actually seeing it.

Then they saw the body of Jesus drug through the streets of Jerusalem, put on cross, and die. Then as Jesus’ corpse was laid into the tomb, laying right beside him was the idea that all things are possible. That idea died. The power of God also laid there, seemingly lifeless.

Watch the attached Youtube video because I think most everyone prefers to keep the belief that anything is possible sealed up in that tomb. If anything is possible then we are challenged by the many things we believe are impossible. Or worse, we are put at odds with our view of God because of the impossibilities we have prayed to be possible… but in the end they remain(ed) impossible.

We daily relive the Saturday between Friday’s crucifixion and Sunday’s resurrection, with the idea that all things are possible, as if we were caught up in some sort of Christian Groundhog Day. We guard the tomb like one of the Roman soldiers sent assure Jesus’ corpse stayed put.

So, reality check time: Do you live with Jesus inside or outside of the tomb? 

Jesus in Darkness 5/1/16

There is great darkness in the world. I am talking about darkness as the bad, the wrong, the evil. No one would deny that. And yet Christians believe Jesus came as the light? I am talking about the light as the hope, peace, and end to evil. Do you hesitate when it comes to Christianity because of this obvious discrepancy?

So try this on: When Jesus hung on the cross, there was complete darkness for three hours (Google it). Why? The one Christians call the "light of the world" (because Jesus gave himself this name) is in the most critical three hours of his life... and there was complete darkness?

Yes. Because this is God's divine plot, with Light infiltrating darkness and taking on its supposedly most powerful weapon: suffering and death. 

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5). 

Even in the darkness that we know, it has not overcome the light. Jesus proved this by taking on the darkness head on, the suffering, including his death, and yet he stands now fully alive for eternity. 

Christians are those who believe that the light, specifically Jesus, has taken on the darkness in the world, and that the light has won. The gift of God for those who follow Jesus is the confidence that right is behind the wrong, the good has overcome the evil, that suffering's days are numbered, and that the grave has been swallowed up by eternal life. 

This gift is offered to all. We as CPPC gratefully unwrap this gift together, live in view of this gift together, and do all we can for others to join us that would be unwrapping this gift for the first time.

The video is the message that Pastor Daniel shared on this theme a few weeks ago.

Stop Being Lied To 4/24/16

A skeptical crowd once gathered around Jesus to ask for clarification because what they heard him say offended their sensibilities. But Jesus' words to this crowd didn't exactly help ease their sense of offense. He said, "You're offended because you prefer to listen to lies rather than the Truth: Me."

These lies come at us in what we read, watch, say to ourselves, talk about with others, etc... Simply stated, anything outside of listening to Jesus is fundamentally polluted and spoiled by being not-the-Truth (by being lie).

You live in the so-called "information age." See the danger lurking around every corner to infiltrate your life with lie? There is a plethora of content you can sink your mind into daily--all fundamentally polluted and spoiled. It's tough sailing in these technologically advanced waters.

In this time when most see decreasing value in the existence of churches, it is the time when churches are most needed as being the place where the Truth is actually sought, studied, and followed. This is the point of church.

In this message I, Jonathan, share on the need for churches to boldly exist in the name of Jesus. You and I both need church.

Eat Jesus 4/17/16

Would you identify yourself as a person of faith?

Do you control your sense of faith?

Faith is often understood as something we control and brew on our own accord. Jesus complicates this view by saying, "The work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent." He similarly says on a number of occasions that our faith is God's work--it's a gift to us.

I can call myself a Christian, but I am only a Christian because God gifted to me belief in Jesus Christ.

On the one hand I'm filled with the same perplexing questions as many other people. On the other hand, that I would dare suggest that I could correctly control my faith, to the exclusion of needing God in this area of my life, is so prototypical of the error of sin that's described throughout Scripture! You and I need God in the most complete and profound way.

If you can question, "Do I need God here?" the answer is always simple: yes.

We need God to the extreme that Jesus asks us to eat him.

What does he mean by this? What is a church doing when they take "Communion?" These questions drive the message below.

Can You Trust God? 4/10/16

If you really are a child of God, if you really call God your Father, how is God loving you?

Many of us are tempted to think that God is holding out on us. We see that in the very beginning of Scripture when the serpent spoke to Eve.

In this message Rebecca shows how Jesus was tempted by this same devil to question his Father’s provision, power and timing. But the good news in Scripture is that Jesus, unlike us, does not bite into the apple. Instead, Jesus remains bound to God’s Word—not straying to the left or the right.

Jesus is obedient to God even to the point when his own life was going to be taken. In a garden, moments before he knew he would be arrested, tortured and crucified, he prayed saying that he will remain in what his Father knows is best. Jesus did what we could not FOR US.

In this message that Rebecca shared she shows us through Scripture what kind of child of God Jesus lived for us. Part of this living for us was to show us our Way. The question arises: “What child of God are we going to be?”

Will you trust in God even in the moments of doubt, when your own logic questions if God is trustworthy?

If we truly believe that God is our parent, how does this define and challenge how we should live?

Reclining With God 4/3/16

One of my favorite moments in the Bible is found after Jesus raises a man named Lazarus from death, and then later we find them "reclining" together at dinner. So cool. Lazarus could dip his bread into the same bowl as Jesus, the One who was touching him with God's love. The promises of Scripture were no longer abstract--they were sitting next to him!

Do you know God in a practical way?  Is the Bible abstract? Or is the Bible what you recognize being lived out practically in the midst of your surrounding life. This is what the church is all about! This is what CPPC needs to be all about.

In this message we engage Scripture to see Jesus as the practical form of God, and the church as that ongoing practical form now.

Hopeless to Standing Again 3/27/16

To get what you need requires death. Jesus gives you that death.

Scripture tells our story. God offered us the Way to find fulfillment of life. Instead of following this Way, we have all chosen the ways that lead to death and destruction. The ways that we all too often choose have lead to an inevitable end of death. This is hopeless.

There are many trying to hide their hopelessness behind a career, a hobby, a family, etc. They try to tell themselves that they do have hope in these areas. Yet they, like all of us, will find that these areas of our life can be excellent, and meaningful, but ultimately will not suffice in themselves to offer us the hope we need.

What Jesus has done is die your death. And in place of your inevitable death he gives you a new birth, a new life, and a new promise. He promises that just as he stood again, that just as he rose from death by resurrection, so you will stand again even though you die. And now, in this time you live on the Earth, you have been armed with this living hope that you will stand again. Death does not control your future.

This hope is meant for you to use as a weapon to combat the hardship and sense of hopelessness that this world tries to force at you. When your hope in Jesus Christ overcomes the hopelessness of the world then you prove the Christian faith and bring glory to God. The church, we as Canoga Park Pres, exists in order that we might live hope—that we might showcase living hope in Jesus’ death and resurrection. When our hope is found to overcome this world’s hopelessness then others will see where their true hope lies: Jesus’ empty tomb.

Living life in hopelessness is an option the church exists to eliminate!

Shallow Worship 3/20/16

For many people today Jesus is little more than an ideal. Jesus is liked because he offered good teachings, because he represented love. And then, when it comes down to it, Jesus is easily pushed to the side when convenient. Jesus said to do “this;” I want to do “that;” I push “this” aside and do “that.” We all do it. And so, let's be real enough to say, "I need to re-form my view of Jesus through listening to his words."

Scripture shares how Jesus entered Jerusalem being praised by people that honored him for his teachings, for his miracles, for his love. But they were only willing to call him a “prophet” (a God-chosen teacher). And then a week later these same people are found yelling, “Crucify him.”

Who you are willing to say Jesus is will decide how you can treat him. If Jesus is only a teacher filled with great insight for our lives, then you certainly can pick and choose what you want to hear. If you are interested in believing what Jesus said of himself—that he is God and so Lord of your life—then your only choice is to accept all of his words. Who is Jesus to you? Who is Jesus to the people around you today? How can you encourage yourself, and those around you, to accept Jesus as the ultimate authority (rather than simply a man full of good sayings)?

Peter, like all of us, learns this the hard way on more than one occasion. Once he was trying to be on Jesus’ side, to protect him even. Nevertheless, since Peter was picking and choosing what he wanted to accept Jesus put him in his place (big time!).

Matthew 16: 

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The only way you can move toward accepting Jesus for who he is will be hearing or reading and accepting the words that he spoke (open a Bible, find Mark or Matthew, and read).

In the message below I share on the importance of Scripture shaping, and re-shaping, both your life and the life of CPPC.

The Shaky Church 3/13/16

God must shake things up in order to make things right. When we welcome our participation in God’s action then things are going to change for the better.

In this message the concentration is upon Canoga Park Pres Church’s current shaking. We are a shaky church! This can be uncomfortable—for everyone. And at the same time we take comfort in the shaking as we know this is the evidence of God’s hand upon us. So let’s consider what it will mean to boldly welcome this shaking.

What's the Church's Vision? 3/6/16

Tethered to Jesus’ words you are the living vision of God. In this sense churches do not have a vision, but, rather, the church is the vision. 

Shadrack, Meshack & Abednego were faced with the option to stay tethered, to remain the living vision of God, no matter even if their lives depended on it. 

And us? And CPPC? And you? In this message we consider the vision of God we are together.

A Personal Relationship With God 2/28/16

In this message I (Jonathan) push us to consider the places of our lives that have dried up. For example, do you have an estranged relationship, unfinished business, lack of faith in God, etc.?

God's desire, spoken through the prophet Ezekiel, is for these dried up areas to once again find life. In this message I unpack the relationship that God initiates with you. Have you heard the Christian faith say, "It's about a relationship with God/Jesus." If that has seemed abstract to you in the past then this message will help you see how you can be in personal relationship with God

I Surrender 2/21/16

When we are willing to live one day surrendering to the way of the cross the world will be changed. In this message I (Jonathan) share several examples of people in our community of faith living the way of the cross, of acting without the thought of our personal profit. The result was touching the hurt lives of others. The result for you, in living the way of surrender, is nothing less that the fullness of God’s peace and hope.

The video ends with an original song performed live.

Go All In 2/14/16

What's the craziest thing you've done, and that you only would have done, because of your faith in God?

Elijah challenged those who would follow God: Either go all in, or go all out.

In this message I (Jonathan) uncover a hidden trap for most Christians. Namely, we say we have been given grace, but then live as if we have to earn our rightness.  So most of us live and anti-Gospel! And it also robs us of ever being able to go all in as God invites. Let's unravel the basics of Christianity in this message...

Here Are Your Gods 2/7/16

Who do you let tell you: "Here are your gods"?

In this message we concentrate on how Jeraboam, a king of ancient Israel, tried to take the place of the Word of God. He tried to manipulate the people that telling them who would be the gods that they were to follow.

The people that God has given the authority to say "here is your God" today are those in the church!

Living with Christianity's Tension 1/24/16

Brokenness + Failure ==> Grace + Restoration

The above transformation describes a tension that any Christian lives within for the remainder of their life. While completely leaving behind our brokenness and failure is not possible, there is nevertheless God's power of grace that thrusts us forward into restoration.

In this message we look at the life David as he lived within this tension. We see an example of living out this tension in such a way that any of us could taste the grace of God, and be re-commissioned into the purpose for our life.

God's Watching 1/17/16

How's your heart?

We're here for such a short time on Earth. One thing that will remain throughout your life is what’s happening on the inside, in your heart. Your circumstances will change, but God always focuses on your heart. Your successes or failures, popularity or poverty, beauty or any other place where people look are simply not where God focuses when looking at you. 

In this message we talk about taking our pulse together.

Jesus Distortion 1/10/16

Jesus gave those who follow him (disciples) a collective mission (the church's point of existence). It is powerful, beautiful, inspiring, healing, saving, etc. Yet too often this message is distorted before is reaches the world.

In this message I (Jonathan) share about the message Jesus gave. I lead us to consider how this message is too often distorted. Then we dream how as Canoga Park Pres we can be about living out God's message so that as best as is possible others could receive what Jesus truly intends.