It was great to see everyone at the recent work day. 35 people on a Saturday in July is pretty impressive. Our next big event is Compassion Vancouver coming on Saturday August 7th. It will be awesome to work with other churches to provide some basic needs for lower income families in our community. I hope many of you will be able to participate. For more info on Compassion Vancouver or to sign up, go to click here It is great when we work together to do things that are part of God's agenda for the world!

Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23 that "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." As followers of Christ there is a daily denial of self and a daily commitment to carry our cross. What does that mean? It is more than saying some particular frustration is "my cross to bear." It is more than just having a time of prayer and bible reading. It is a yielding of our wills to His will. It is a readiness to stand up for Christ and even to suffer for Him. It is a willingness to go against the crowd and do what is right - every day, in every situation. It is a prerequisite for following Jesus.

On Sunday we will be commissioning our mission team that is "going" to Israel and our Vacation Bible School team that is "going" into the community to share the love of Christ. The key word for Christians to know is the word "go." God wants us to always be "going." Whether we "go" around the world or across the street, God's message is clear - "Go." The Great Commission occurs in all 4 gospels and the Book of Acts. The GC tells us to "Go." We are not called to stay to sit or to simply soak up good Bible teaching and preaching, but to "Go." As we "go" we are told to make disciples. It is impossible to make disciples without "going." It is unlikely we will ever be the godly people we ought to be if we don't "go." So, where are you going to "go?" How are you going to fuilfill God's clear command to "go?" In order to grow you must "go." The more you know, the more you will "go." So, I encourage you... No.. I challenge you - "GO!"

Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, and 1 Timothy 2 are quite clear. We are to support, submit, and pray for our governing authorities. As far as I can tell, we are not called to tell jokes about them, run them down, or engage in controversial debates about them. We are about something so much more than politics. Revival will take place in our country, only when we who call ourselves followers of Christ, beging to pray for those we disagree with and ask God to change them. True change will not take place in a cabinet meeting, but in a prayer meeting. Renewal won't be initiated from the White House, but from the church house. When God's people care deeply enough to really pray and seek His face, then and only then lasting change will occur.

Most people know that 7 members from Westboro Baptist Church came to Heritage High School this past week to protest and hold up signs communicating God's hatred for sinners of various kinds. The action hit a nerve in our community and over 200 counter protesters showed up to voice their displeasure at Westboro's rantings.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am appalled at this church. Their message seems to be "You are a sinner and God hates you." Our message is that "we are all sinners and God loves us in spite of our sins." The worst part about their coming, is that is solidifies the opinions many people have about Christians. The fact that they call themselves "Baptist" makes it even worse. We cannot stop people like the Westborites from coming our way, but we as Christians can talk and live a life that reveals the love of God for others to see. Let's be faithful at shining the light of Christ for all to see. Let's show the community that the love of God is what changes lives, not hate-filled rhetoric.

Today is Memorial Day. We often enjoy the day off but forget to remember what the day is all about. We honor those who have given their lives for our freedom. As believers we also honor the One who gave His life so we could live forever. Take some time today to remember the sacrifices others have made for your freedom; both as American citizens and as citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

I enjoyed the message today from Mark Bradley, Director of the Pacific Northwest Campus of Golden Gate Seminary. I especially enjoyed hearing his testimony and the visual he gave us when he laid on the communion table.

I think it is critical for all believers to see each day as another day that we report to duty as "living sacrifices." If Jesus stretched out on the cross to die for us, certainly we can lay down our rights, agendas, and selfish lifestyles to live for Him. I hope the visual impacts you this week as you for Jesus each day.

I have been doing little message summaries, but I want to try and do the more traditional - "what I am thinking, feeling" type blog. I still don't want to write too much and hopefully some of you are occasionaly reading.

Lately my thoughts have been occupied with the tremendous potential young believers have to impact the world. Many of our youth and younger adults are greatly committed to Christ and live in a world (high school, college) where they can have great impact. Be praying for them and find ways to encourag them and get involved as mentors in their lives. If you do, you will have a great part in shaping godly men and women for future generations.

We had a great Mother's Day service on Sunday. Matt and Melody did a great job with their "Momisms" skit. We looked at the opportunity we all have to influence the next generation for Christ. King Lemuel's mom taught him to watch out for women, wine, and the weak. When we get self-focused we are unable to minister to those around us. The tendency in our culture is to be a consumer and not a contributor. My goal and prayer for my life is that I learn to be just as focused on the needs of others as I am my own. How about you? You might take a minute or two to read this passage and see how God might speak to you.

In this passage we see how much God cares for people. He has arranged for people to hear the good news(14-16), to believe it (17), to be drawn to Him through His creation (19) to understand the good news (20) and has given people time to respond to the good news (21). His love for us is so amazing. Have you responded to His love? Have you given your life to Him? There is no better choice you can make than to give your life to Him and live your life for Him.

In this passage we see that not only is God righteous, but we can be too. Righteousness with a holy God comes only by faith in Jesus Christ. Any attempt to work hard or be good will only result in failure. God is righteous and holy; meaning He is sinless. He cannot allow sin in His presence. It is only through the death of His Son on the cross that we can be forgiven and made righteous. Romans 10:9-13 is a great passage to read. Becoming righteous is not hard. It is obtained by simply believing that Jesus Christ died for you and wants to live in you.

In this passage we see that God is not only fair to us, He is merciful. We all desire mercy rather than justice. God gives us what we don't deserve - His love, grace, and kindness. In addition, we see that God is sovereign. We really have no business questioning the fairness of the God of the universe. God is not accountable to us, but we are answerable to Him. The clay cannot complain to the Potter. The art cannot be critical of the Artist. Thank God that He is in control of this world. Without His direction, we would certainly make a mess of things.

We started a new series - Big Questions about God from Romans 9-11. The first questions deals with the faithfulness of God. These three chapters are difficult because they deal with the doctrine of election (see v.11). The scriptures teach that God chose us to be His children. Yet, at the same time there are many references urging people to choose God. I believe this is one of several mysteries in scripture. What I mean by that, is you cannot understand this concept (God chooses us and we choose Him) with human logic. It is similar in that regard to the trinity or the two natures of Christ (He is both God and man). The doctrine of election shows us that God is faithful to us. It humbles us and should cause us to live extremely grateful and dependent lives. We may not understand all of God's ways, but we can rejoice in His great love and faithfulness to us!

What a great Easter celebration we had at CrossPointe yesterday. I want to thank the drama and worship teams who did a great job in helping us appreciate the reality of the resurrection.

I posed two questions on Sunday - Why would we search for the living among the dead? Why would we just assume the miraculous is nonsense? It seems to me people are looking for life, but looking in places that only lead to death. It also appears that many people will simply write off the miraculous as nonsense. Fulfilled and content are the ones who come to know Jesus, the Living Savior who was miraculously raised from the dead. Do you know Him? Has He changed your life? If you want info on how He can, be sure to contact me.

The great news is this; nothing or no one can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. We did nothing to gain our salvation, we can do nothing to lose it. God is at work in our lives, He is for us, He loves us, and He protects us for eternity. Victory is ours, because we are His. Praise the Lord! Live in the power and security of the love God has for you each and every day. Blessings to you all!

The youth group led our worship on Sunday and did a fantastic job. They reminded us what worship really is all about. It is not about "getting our personal needs met," (loved the McChurch skit) or going through the motions of religion. True worship is all about adoring God for Who He is and what He has done in our lives. May we all learn to be true worshipers of our Great God!

Our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation groans, the Christians groan and the Holy Spirit groans as He prays for us. All of this groaning ultimately culminates in the glory of God being revealed in us. Celebrate the fact that your future is bright. Hang on for the best is yet to come!

"The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." This is what people long for - life and peace. How does one attain these blessings? Romans says life and peace are a result of a mind set on the Spirit. As we focus on God, His Word, worshipping Him, and thinking about His kingdom and how to advance it, we find our lives filled with life and peace. Hopefully, you know the God of peace and the One who gives abundant life. If not, contact us - we would love to share Him with you!

What a great truth! There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Our past, current, and future sins will never be held against us, because God sees us through the eyes of His Son Jesus. This is the great message we have to share with our world. This is the great hope we have as we live from day to day. You are not what the world says you are - you are so much better! In Christ you are eternally secure and wonderfully transformed.

Although there is some debate, we believe Paul is describing his on-going struggle with sin after his conversion in this passage. The passage shifts from the past tense to the present and mentions desires and loves that a nonchristian would not have (see v.19,22,25).

We know that we struggle with sin too. There is no level of spirituality we achieve in this life that eradicates the conflict within us. We have within us both a new spiritual nature and an old sinful nature. They will always be at war with each other. Ultimately, we must learn to feed the new nature and starve the old nature. This will not cause us to be sinless, but will help us sin less and less and live and walk in the victory God has given us. Romans 8 will teach us more about that.

Since Paul has pointed out some of the inabilities of the law (condemns, cannot save, can multiply sin - see 3:20, 4:15 and 5:20) he could be accused of being against God's law (God's law = the 613 commands of the Old Testament). In this passage we are urged to learn 4 lessons from the law:

1. The law is not sinful - v.7,12,14 - rather it is good, holy, spiritual and righteous.

2. The law reveals our sin - it is like a mirror that reveals the dirt on us. The mirror is not dirty, it just reveals the dirt in us.

3. The law stimulates sin - the example of coveting is given throughout this passage. Sometimes the rule causes us to desire to break the rule. Smokers don't like seeing a "No Smoking" sign because it reminds them of smoking.

4. The law shows us that sin is our biggest problem. Verse 13 uses the word "sinful" to describe how bad sin is. The worst word for sin is the word sin. We don't tend to look at it that way. We think everyone sins so it is no big deal. The truth is, sin is what has ruined every good relationship you have ever had. Sin is what put Jesus on the cross. Sin is our biggest problem.

If you are not yet a Christian, put your faith and trust in Jesus who loves you so much. If you are a believer, daily surrender to Christ and begin to have victory over sin. It is a daily struggle and it requires a daily surrender. Blessings!

Not only have we been set free from sin (chapter 6) but now we learn we are set free from the law as well. Believers are not "under the law" because we have died to the law. This does not mean we are "lawless" but rather law-fulfilling free people. We can obey God because we want to and choose to. As we yield to His leadership in our lives, we become less sinful. Never sinless, but we can sin less and less. God gives us His Spirit (The Holy Spirit) to enable us to live a life that honors God. Our part is simply to yield and let the Spirit live the life of Jesus out from us. What an amazing and transforming truth!

Verse 23 is one most Christians know - "for the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." We often use the verse in sharing the gospel. Although it is a great verse to use for that purpose, that is not really the original context for the verse.

The verse ends the section from v.15-23 that encourages believers to make a choice as to Whom they will serve. If we serve sin, we end up with shame and separation from God. if we serve God, holiness and eternal life are the result. I don't know about you; but I am opting for door number 2!

WE are slaves to the one we obey. Romans makes it clear that we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve two masters. The great thing about being a believer is that Christ can be in control of our lives. We don't have to live for the things of this world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). We can chose to surrender and allow Jesus to be in charge of our lives. Much of our frustration and futility comes from trying to make life work without Christ. Would you surrender today and allow Jesus to make you into the person He wants you to be?

God's grace not only saves us, it sanctifies us or helps us to live a holy life. The keys in this section are realizing who you are in Christ and living like the victorious believer that you are. Some Christians don't know of their position in Christ and the potential they have in Him. Others know, but don't appropriate what they have in Christ. A key concept in these verses is to offer the parts of our bodies to God as instruments (or tools) for Him to use. The grammar and context of the text shows us that this is both a one time offering and a daily kind of committing or yielding our lives to God. We need His presence and power every day to live godly lives. Make sure to live each day as a surrendered vessel that God can use.

Romans 6 reveals the union and identification we have with Christ, in Christ. The main thrust of v.5-10 is to reiterate that reality. Every verse from 2-11 points out thatwe are dead in Christ. We are not free to sin but from sin. As followers of Christ, our union with Him means that we will also die only once (as He did) and be resurrected (as He was). Oh how great is God's grace and how marvelous His mercy!

Grace can be dangerous from a secular point of view. If the flood or our sin is always overcome by the tidal wave of God's grace, isn't it possible for Christians to live however they want to? That is the big question about grace that is raised in Romans 6.

The answer given in verse 2 is "by no means! We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?" As followers of Christ we died to sin at salvation. Our position is "in Christ" and God sees us without the sin that so markedly stains us. The goal of the Christian life is for our practice to match our position. We are dead to the penalty of sin, but not the power of sin. We struggle daily to live a holy life. A good prayer to pray today is to ask God to help you understand how He sees you (clean, pure, forgiven, without sin) and then to help you live that way today. We will never be sinless this side of eternity, but we can sin less as we allow the reality of what Christ has done for us to motivate how we think about ourselves and how we live our lives.

Jesus was born so we could be reborn and live life to the fullest. Galatians 4 teaches that Jesus was born at the right time, of a woman, and under the law. He was born so we could be redeemed, adopted, given the Spirit and made an heir of all God's riches. His birth, like His death was far from comfortable. We may sing "Silent, Night Holy Night" but it was most likely a noisy night. The smell of manure from the animals and soiled swaddling clothes from Jesus would have been a reality in the barn in which He was born.

We have made the story cute for the holidays, but in reality Jesus' birth was the greatest humiliation of all. God became a man. He humbled Himself, lowered Himself, allowed Himself to be subjected to a sin stained world. What great love Jesus has for us! Don't take His love lightly. Surrender yourself to the One who came into this world to change lives. Let Him change your life!

The mission statement of our church tells us to "Reach across cultures and generations to develop faithful followers of Jesus Christ." A faithful follower is a Disciple. I love the fact that 2 Tim. 2:2 lays out a process for developing people as disciples. It begins with Paul who transmits truth to Timothy who in turn imparts it to reliable men who then relay it to others qualified to teach still others.

God's plan for growing His church was a multiplication plan. Growth happens quicker with multiplication than addition. As our church and others focus on developing people as faithful followers (disciples) of Jesus, we will grow both numerically and spiritually. It is God's plan to fulfill the Great Commission. Are you growing as a follower of Jesus? Are you discipling others so they too can grow?

The last two verses in James 1 are fascinating to me. The word "religion" does not appear much in the New Testament (five times). 4 of those occasions are in these verses. It is obvious from v. 26 that real religion involved itself in meeting needs. Widows and orphans are mentioned as examples of people in distress who need a practical hand of help.

Verse 27 warns us against being polluted by the world. The emphasis seems to be the old adage - "being in the world but not of the world." Help the hurting, influence the distressed, be the hands and feet of Christ for those who are hurting; but do not become polluted by their behavhior. God loves the people of the world, but not the ways of the world (John 3:16, James 4:4). As we serve people and seek to influence them for Christ, we must maintain our purity and holiness as representatives for Christ.

True religion is not just what we beleive, but how we behave. As followers of Christ, we should desire for the love of Christ to flow through us in service to others.

I like it when people tell me exactly what they expect of me. God is very clear in telling Israel what He wants them to do here in Micah 6:8 - "to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

It seems to me that 2 out of 3 of these requirements are externally focused activities. Yet if we examine the emphasis of most churches, it is inward rather than outward. For example, how much of a churches time and money are spent on reaching out with justice and mercy to those outside of the congregation? Churches focus much more inwardly than they think. Hopefully, as we have gone through this series (The Externally Focused Church) you have seen some changes you can make in your life. I know I have seen some areas that need addressing in mine. Take a moment and think through how God would have you to:

1. Act justly

2. Love mercy

3. Walk humblly with Him

The New Testament is clear that we ought to be not only sharing the gospel, but serving others so they are open to hearing from us. Some Christians/churches focus on service alone and never share Christ with people. Although they may have helped the body, they have neglected the soul. Others are vocal and telling others about Christ but are negligent in serving people. I think people need to both see and hear the love of God. As we serve others, the door often opens so we can share (see 1 peter 3:15). So, how are you doing with this delicate balance? Do you need to serve more or share more? God help us to be positive influencers for those who have yet to come to know Him.

1 Cor 12 uses the metaphor of the human body to picture the body of Christ. Most of the time this passage is preached, the emphasis is on using spiritual gifts to build up the body or the church. Although that emphasis is scriptural, is it not also true that spiritual gifts are to benefit those outside of the church? 1 Peter 4:10 says we should use whatever gift we have received to serve others. Certainly we want to serve those both inside and outside of the church.

The myth most Christians believe is that Bible Study alone will cause a Christian to grow. The truth is Bible Study without application (serving, obeying) will produce an exerciseless Christian - one who is weak and spiritually unhealthy. The Saducees and Pharisees of Jesus' day were perfect examples. They knew the scriptures but did not practice the scriptures. Eph. 2 is clear about two things: (1) We are not saved by our works (2) We are saved in order to work. James 2 makes it clear that the kind of faith that does not work, is not true faith at all.

The Good Samaritan story is pretty well known. This week I spoke to the man who led me to Christ 31 years ago. He lives in Toledo, Ohio. He is planting a church and working part time at a bookstore. He is 62 years old and has a great passion to reach out to his community. I became a Christian because he reached out to me. He invited me to lift weights with him and another guy in his garage. Pretty soon he was inviting me over for pizza (which of course worked well for me)! Eventually he invited me to church and shared Jesus with me. I became a follower of Jesus because he reached out to me. I don't talk to Ed Young much anymore. But every time I do, I cannot help but get choked up. I thank him for sharing Jesus with me. I thank him for serving me when no one really cared about me. At the end of October, I will be celebrating my 31st year of being a follower of Jesus. Almost every year in October I call and thank Ed Young for sharing Jesus Christ with me. Just think; God has someone out there for you to serve and share Christ with!

Jesus said we are "salt and light." This text teaches us to "be who we are." We don't have to try and be salt and light, we already are. We need to make sure our lives create a thirst for Jesus and find ways to shine the light within us. Someone has accurately stated "we are like the moon and Jesus like the sun. We have no real light of our own, we simply reflect the light of Jesus." So, shine your light - intentionally do good works, not to call attention to yourself but to glorify Jesus.

Welcome to my weekly blog, based on the Sunday messages at CrossPointe Church in Vancouver. For those of you in our church, you can read the devotionals to follow up on what you heard Sunday. Others of you may choose to listen to the message online CrossPointe Messages

The problem in Isaiah 58 is the people of God had external religion but did not have internal righteousness. They spent more time being together than taking care of people outside of their worship arenas.

I can't help but think we have the same problems. Christians tend to exist in holy huddles away from the community. Our calling and challenge is to build bridges to our communities and not walls from our communities. God has created us to serve. We grow spiritually when we look outward - at the needs of people instead of inward at our own needs.

Welcome to my weekly blog, based on the Sunday messages at CrossPointe Church in Vancouver. For those of you in our church, you can read the devotionals to follow up on what you heard Sunday. Others of you may choose to listen to the message online.CrossPointe Messages You can also find them on I Tunes.

In this familiar passage Jesus teaches us that wise believers are those who not only hear the word, but also put it into practice. These wise men and women build a foundation for their lives that can withstand the storms that are going to come in our lives.

The Pharisees and Saducees knew the Word - they could quote it and they toted it all over the place! Many people today know the content of God's word, but they have yet to really apply it to their lives. The Great Commission teaches us not only to know the teachings of Jesus, but to live them out in our lives. A simple practice I have done for many years is to pick one application point from each day's reading of the Word and seek to live it out during that day. I would recommend it to you as a great way to get God's word into your daily lives. Happy foundation building.

Welcome to my weekly blog, based on the Sunday messages at CrossPointe Church in Vancouver. For those of you in our church, you can read the devotionals to follow up on what you heard Sunday. Others of you may choose to listen to the message onlineCrossPointe Messages You can also download them from I Tunes

We know from this passage that not everyone who claims to be a believer is actually a true follower of Christ. We are called to be discerning and to recognize the "fruit" of those who claim to be "prophets" or "teachers" for Christ. If their lifestyle does not match up with their teaching they are probably false. If they use manipulation or focused on money they are probably false. If they down play the cross of Christ and talk about "self esteem," "good works," or various ways to be right with God - their fruit reveals their falseness.

This passage is a wonderful reminder of grace. We are not right with God because of what we say ("Lord, Lord") or what we do ("prohecy, perform miracles or heal the sick") but rather becasue we are known by God. True followers of Jesus do the will of God, not because they are better than anyone else or because they are religious, but because they have surrendered to the One who then chooses to use us for His glory. Amazing Grace Indeed!

Welcome to my weekly blog, based on the Sunday messages at CrossPointe Church in Vancouver. For those of you in our church, you can read the devotionals to follow up on what you heard Sunday. Others of you may choose to listen to the message online. You can also download them from I Tunes. CrossPointe Messages

While preparing Sunday's message I heard a Christian radio personality urge people to pray about all their diseases and problems. He constantly stated that "God obligates Himself to answer our prayers." Although, I like his confidence in God, I don't like the way he presents what prayer is.

We tend to think of prayer in terms of "getting what we ask for." God views it more as relationship and communication. Matthew 7:7-8 urges us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. But remember, this is in the context of kingdom living. 6:33 tells us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Let me encourage you to be committed to building your relationship with God. Spend time with God, listen to Him, talk to Him, seek Him in your daily activities. Let His agenda and His kingdom guide your life.

This week I have made a resolution. I am going to do a weekly blog based on the Sunday message. For those of you in our church, you can read the devotionals to follow up on what you heard Sunday. Others of you may choose to listen to the message online at CrossPointe Messages You can also download them from I Tunes.

Jesus clearly tells us not to judge others in verse 1. That verse may be the best known and most misunderstood verse in the Bible. The command to "not judge" does not mean we do not point out sins in the lives of others. It simply means we do not make decisions about people's motives based on outward appearances.

Part of our Christian responsibilty is to help one another grow as faithful followers of Christ. One way we do that is to lovingly confront people who have acted in ways that bring reproach to the name of Christ and the church. It is not judging someone to point out their behavior or attitude needs some fine tuning.

Jesus wants us to be careful about writing people off because of the way they look or because we think we know their motives. We should work at guarding ourselves in that area. At the same time, we should not shirk from corrective confrontation in one another's lives. That is how we grow to be all that God has designed for us to be.

Vacation is right around the corner for me. I am looking forward to taking a "mental break" from being a pastor. I really love my job and everything is going well, but I still need to get away on a regular basis. When you work with people, you need breaks! Even the Tokyo Zoo closes down annually. I think the animals need a break from people too!

So let me encourage you to take time to recharge your batteries. Take some time to have fun. If you cannot afford a vacation, try a stay-cation. Just stay home and do a lot of fun stuff you normally don't do. When you are all finished you will feel better. You will have a new perspective and new energy to do what God wants you to do with your "regular life."

Some of you are aware of the 3rd places concept. Simply put, the first two places in our lives are occupied by work and family. 3rd places are where we chose to spend our discretionary time. Many believers spend most of their 3rd places time with other believers. I certainly love to be around other Christians. However, I think if all of us who name the name of Christ would intentionally get involved in the lives of people who don't yet know Christ, we could make a major difference for Christ and His kingdom.

For me, coaching has always opened up the door for ministry in 3rd places. What about you? What are you interested in that could be used of God to help people discover the truth of Christ? What if all Christians began to intentionally chose to hang out in 3rd places in order to fulfill the Great Commission? Just something to think about.

I want to invite all of you to join me for the Day of Prayer at the Vancouver city hall Thursday May 7th at noon. We as a nation need God more than ever before and yet we turn to so many lesser things to provide the satisfaction we crave.

We have become a culture that is more concerned with saving trees than saving babies. We are more interested in "not offending someone" than clearly and lovingly proclaiming absolute truth that can set people free. We desperately need to pray for a revival and a renewal. I hope you will join me this Thursday at the National Day of Prayer.

Here are seven evidences for the resurrection of Jesus:

1. The Empty Tomb

2. The inability of the Jewish authorities to ever produce the body of Jesus

3. More than 500 witnesses to the Living Jesus after His death

4. The existence and growth of the Christian church in and around Jerusalem right after the death of Jesus

5. The refusual of 10 out of 11 disciples to recant their belief in the resurrected Jesus- even though it cost them their life.

6. The change in the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, the day Jesus arose.

7. The changed lives of the followers of Jesus - both then and now.

Christianity, like all religions requires faith. However, it is not blind faith - there is plenty of evidence for the resurrection which is the cornerstone of our faith. It is not a leap into the dark to embrace Christ, but rather a step into the light. Would you allow God to open your eyes and change your life?

Andy Stanley wrote a great little book called "Choosing to Cheat." The premise behind the book (which I am just now finishing) is that if you have to cheat something, don't cheat your family.

It is so easy to work too much or to place your family time behind your favorite hobby or daily activity. Stanley challenges us to see this from God's perspective. The book does not advocate really "cheating" on the job, but elevating your family so they know they are more important to you than a job.

Very few people come to the end of their careers wishing they spent more time at work. But many men and women realize too late that they loved their work more than their families. I would be happy to loan the book to anyone who would like to read it.

Anniversaries are fun. Here are some of my recent ones and upcoming ones:

This weekend Sonya and I celebreate our 23rd wedding anniversary. What a great wife I have.

Last year was my 20th year of full time ministry. That means 4 weeks vacation instead of 3. Yay!

In November of this year I will have been a Christian for 30 years. I owe a big "thank you" to Ed Young, Tex Mitchell and the Church of the Open Door in Elyria, Ohio who were instrumental in bringing me to faith in Christ.

She appears three times in the gospels. Every time we see her she is at the feet of Jesus. In luke 10 she is listening to Him teach while her sister Martha complains to Jesus. In John 11 she falls at His feet frustrated that He had not come earlier to heal her brother Lazarus. Moved by His life for Lazarus, and his sisters, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. In John 12, she anoints the feet of Jesus with a year's salary worth of perfume. She understood what none of the disciples did; that Jesus must die for the sins of the world. She must have been listening closely at the feet of Jesus. We need more Mary's in this world. People who sit at the feet of Jesus, who listen, and who demonstrate authentic worship. May her number increase among those who call themselves followers of Jesus!

I posed this question on Facebook too. I am interested in people sharing what they believe a faithful follower of Jesus looks like. I am going to do a sermon series on this topic and would love to hear your thoughts.

OK, let me get this straight:

Our country is in the midst of a major recession and we spend $150 million on an inauguration?

Portland's mayor admits to having a homosexual relationship with a minor and half the people don't think he should step down from his position as mayor?

I have never been one of those gloom and doom, the world is coming to an end type pastors, but you have to wonder... Where is our sense of shame? What is our culture's moral compass?

Our churches have a wonderful opportunity to share the good news in the midst of the bad news all around us. People need to know that God is in control, that we stand guilty before a holy God and that Jesus is the answer. He is the Good News. It is not so much a message as it is a Person who can change lives and transform communities.

I want to wish all of you a tremendous 2009. I am excited about our church and enjoy serving as your pastor. We have many exciting days that still lie ahead of us. We want to take seriously the challenge to "develop faithful followers of Jesus Christ." What will it take for you to go to the next level with Christ? Are there decisions to be made, habits to be developed, or disciplines to discover? We want to help you go from wherever you are, to where God wants you to be. Let me know how we can help. I am praying God's greatest for you in 2009!

I thought you all might like this song from Christian comedian Tim Hawkins. One guy in our home group laughed so hard he almost cried. Don't worry Bill, I won't tell anyone who it was! Cletus Take the Reel

I am very excited about the New Focus of our church. Making disciples is what the church is all about. I think our new mission statement:

"reaching across cultures and generations to develop faithful followers of Jesus Christ"

is a great statement to guide us into the future.

On December 17 we will go to the airport and pick up our oldest son who is returning home after being in Africa for almost 5 months. I am excited to have him back. It is amazing what God does in the lives of those who go overseas to serve Him. People tend to come home more thankful, more passionate about the Great Commission, and more committed to doing whatever it takes to reach people for Christ.

We should not have to go overseas to get a burden for people without Christ. The Bible says that when we were without God, we were without hope in this world. When we are without Christ, we are without God. Jesus clearly stated in John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." People need to hear this message. Can we together recommit to being His hands, His feet, and His voice? For some reason God has chosen us to be the proclaimers of His truth. What an awesome privilege and responsibility!

On Wednesday, November 12 the Northwest Baptist Convention messengers voted 335-112 to affirm a restructuring strategy that had been approved by the Executive board of the convention.

This essentially means the NWBC will be divided into 6 regions. 6 teams will develop strategies to do 2 things (1) Help existing churches to become healthier and (2) Start new churches that will reproduce themselves.

The most contentious aspect of the proposal appeared to be related to collegiate ministry. Dr. Bill Crews, Executive director for the convention, answered several pointed questions during the Q/A time the day before the vote and during the discussion and vote on Wednesday afternoon. I would encourage you to visit the NWBC web site for more information. Northwest Baptist Convention

I personally am in favor of the strategy. I have always been a big advocate of the local church. I believe all minstry was designed by Jesus to flow from the local church. My feeling is that a renewed focus on helping local churches fulfill the Great Commission is just what we need. The idea of having personnel closer to the churches is a good one. Although I understand the arguments from those who feel this will adversely affect collegiate minsitry and age specific ministries, I don't think that will be the case. Most of our campus ministers receive very little financial support from the convention as it is. Many of our best campus ministries are already connected solidly to local churches. Hopefully, this trend will continue. The possibility now exists to have 6 campus ministry regional leaders, 6 youth leaders, preschool and children's leaders etc. instead of just one at the state office. My feeling is that age group ministries will flourish as new and younger leaders are raised up to facilitate the work in a particular region.

Although this was certainly not a "slam dunk" I appreciated the way the discussion was conducted. People were cordial and kind, even if they disagreed with one another. Keith Evans, the President of the NWBC and moderator was extremely poised and self controlled in his role as the facilitator for the discussion. I look forward to some bright days ahead for the NWBC.

I went to the Trailblzaers home opener Friday night. It was an awesome game. The Rose Garden was rockin and the Blazers did not disappoint. I got home in time Saturday night to watch Texas Tech pull off an unbelievable victory over Texas, who had been the undefeated #1 team in the country. The fans rushed the field.

I love sports. I love the competition, the energy, the thrill of a great game. However, I have often wondered why we get so excited about a game and often are not so excited about worshiping the Almighty God in church. Maybe it is because we always know how church is going to go. Everything is fairly predictable - the order of service, the music, the message and of course the offering. I am not sure what I am suggesting. I am mainly just pondering. It seems like the opportunity to come into the presence of God with fellow believers each week ought to do more for us than it does. Anybody have some thoughts on this subject?

Here is the web site I mentioned Sunday that talks about the potential we have to impact the world through simply doing what God has commanded us to do when it comes to giving: Generous Giving

It seems to me the greatest obligation and opportunity leaders have is to develop other leaders. Do you consider yourself a leader? I do. In fact, I think anyone who influences someone else is a leader. A good question to ponder is, "who are we leading?" Another question might be, "how are we leading?"
In the next few months I will be sharing some new and exciting ideas for small groups at our church. Part of this new process will include a way that leaders can develop other leaders through small groups. If we develop other faithful followers of Christ, we will multiply our effectiveness in people's lives. I am excited about the journey and look forward to sharing more with you.

What if the church got serious about prayer? What if the church lived every day as if we were missionaries in a foreign country? What if the church planned all that it did for the “next person” ? What if the church got serious about impacting its community? What if the church got concerned about those who have never heard the gospel? What if the church dedicated itself to being faithful followers of Jesus Christ? What if each one of us understood, that we are the church?

If you read this blog, you know I write primarily about the local church. I am a pastor and it is my passion. I have no interest in blogging about trivia -how my day went, where we went for family vacation, who I think is the best choice to be our next president etc. What I do care about is the local church. I think the power of the local church is misunderstood by many. First, let me be clear - the Bible does speak of the church universal, but normally it is speaking of local churches.It is true that all Christians everywhere make up the body of Christ, but real life is lived out week by week in local congregations of believers.
Second, God has chosen local churches to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world today. If the church had always done this, there would be no need for welfare systems, parachurch ministries, or other community based social services. God's plan is for ministry to happen through the church. Notice I did not say "in the church" but through the church.
Third, everyone should be part of a local church. It is easy to sit back and take potshots at the church, it is much harder to live in a community of believers, none of whom are perfect. If someone does not like CrossPointe, then by all means find another church. I won't take it personally.
Fourth, I believe the future of our nations rests in the hands of the church. We may be a forgotten institution by many, but we hold the keys to national revival and renewal. Church people have to learn to get out of their holy huddles and engage people where they are at. Our light should shine brightest in the darkest places. The church has a history of letting people know what we are against. It is time to let the world know what we are for. We are for people - We are for salvation - We are for making this world a better place to live - We are for the kingdom of God.
I don't know why, but I felt like I just had to share that!

Church should always be about the next person. Some people get this and many don't. The majority of churches in America are plateaued and declining because they have the wrong target in mind. The church is the only organization that exists for those outside of themselves. When we think that we are the audience or that church is about our preferences and desires, we have missed the boat completely. My fear is that if we don't change, the church will become totally irrelavent for the people who need it the most.

What would you do to see your neighbor, spouse, best friend or work associate come to Christ? Would you be willing to give up your favorite style of music to do that? Would you be willing to adopt a different way of doing ministry to see that take place? Would you consider moving out of the Christian circles you typically find yourself in (holy huddles) to invest in the life of someone who does not know the first thing about Christ? Most people would say "yes," but then not do anything out of their comfort zones. It is too bad, because the world really needs what we have.

No one can deny that we live in a day of choices. Most people who look for a new church are used to having many choices. Shopping for a new local church is not necessarily a bad thing. Some shoppers are going to church for the first time or for the first time in a long time. Others are hoppers more than shoppers. They have left a church for any number of reasons and assume there is a better church out there for them. I really have never had a problem with people leaving our church. The only thing that bothers me is how people leave and why they leave. Typically people leave church for relational not religious reasons. In other words a conflict or a misunderstanding with someone has caused them to leave. Instead of addressing the issue, they look for greener pastures somewhere else. The Bible however is clear that relationships in Christ should work differently. We should go to to the one who offended us or sinned against us and attempt to reconcile. The majority of people who leave one church because someone offended them or hurt their feelings will leave the next church for the same reason.
In this age of consumerism, we need to reclaim the historical value of fellowship in Christ. People should learn to love one another, forgive one another, and determine to live together in Christian unity. If we won't do that, it is hard to claim that we really love God. 1 John 4:20 says, "anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." That verse is quite clear isn't it?
Someone may ask, when is it appropriate to leave a church? I think the answer to that is when the church has gone askew doctrinally, has decided to tolerate clearly unbiblical behavior or God clearly and convincingly tells you to go somewhere else. Other than that, we ought to approach church like we do our marriage vows - "for better for worse etc."

This is a loaded question! Some would say - only true believers can truly worship, so church should be for them. Others point out that the church is one great place to share Christ with people who are not yet following Him. It seems to me there are 3 kinds of churches: Seeker-driven - everything is done for the one who is not yet a believer. These churches are characterized by performances. Music is aimed at the unbeliever - many seeker-driven churches do secular music as well as contemporary Christian. There is not a lot of singing and people are not asked to stand, sing or sign anything. Seeker-sensitive churches work hard at making the seeker feel comfortable and yet still having church for the believers. Casual dress, provided Bibles, and powerpoint notes all make it easier for people to fit in. A third type of church is the seeker-ignorant church. These churches feel that church is not the place for seekers and don't care if they offend any that do happen to come. Evangelism happens outside the walls of the church in their world. My opinion is that we ought to do everything we can without compromising the message to win people to Christ. One way that happens is by focusing worship on God not the seeker, but being sensitive to helping him or her understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. What do you think?

Click on the link to read Corey's thoughts on our trip. He is more advanced than I am - his blog has pictures of our trip! click here

We had a great time helping Silver Star Elementary with their back to school night on Thursday. It was an encouragement to the staff at the school and a positive way for our church to be involved in our community. We are looking forward to furthering our friendship with the school and finding ways we can help meet practical needs they mave have.

My blog has been about books and bible studies lately. I want to step back from that and share a little about my trip to Fresno. The Northwest Baptist Convention and the North American Mission board provided money for 20 pastors to team up and go to larger churches in the west to learn how to lead our churches to the next level. I went to Fresno/Clovis with Corey Zanotti. Corey was a pastoral intern at Hope with me for awhile while he was attending seminary. He and his wife Jamie have adopted two beautiful kids (Kendra and Micah) from Africa. Corey is the pastor of Eastside Baptist in Springfield Oregon and has done a wonderful job in the five years that he has served there. I arrived in Fresno on Friday night and went out to eat (of course) at a really good Italian place called Lunas. I picked Corey up from the airport Saturday and we attended Clovis Hills Community Church (an SBC church of about 1200) on Saturday night, two non-SBC baptist churches on Sunday morning - (FBC Clovis and FBC Reedley) and then a new church plant called the Well on Sunday evening. The Well started as a college ministry in 2002 and has grown to over 2,000 meeting on 3 campuses with 5 different services. Each church was very different, but all the churches were extremely vision focused. All the pastors paid a price to lead by vision and not tradition or by giving in to the loudest, most influential lay people in the church. Each church had a clear mission statement and a laser focus on fulfilling that mandate in their churches. I'll talk more about specifics next time. I think we all can learn that God desires us to be serious about fulfilling His purposes in our lives and in our churches. I admire and appreciate those who seek to lead churches (many have said pastoring is like trying to herd cats!) with a clear focus and the courage to do what must be done in order to move the ministry forward. Seeing the courage of these leaders helped me see that I used to be that way a little more, but have mellowed out over the years and maybe I have not made the hard decisions that will help our church to be what God wants it to be. I am praying about that now.

Prayer is one of the hardest disciplines for most of us. I am not saying we don't pray; but deep, intimate consistent conversations with God seem to elude most of us. I often heard people say, "prayer is as natural as breathing." Although that may be true, it is a little more difficult for me. Like many of you, I pray on the run a lot. In the car, while mowing the yard, while I am working etc. However, I also try to have one quiet time of extended prayer each day. I often pray through the Lord's prayer, using each phrase as a guide to get me started with praying. Sometimes, I spend the whole prayer time just reflecting on who God is, what He has done in my life, and praising Him for His many attributes. Like Bible Study, set up a time and a place to pray each day. Make it an appointment. Work hard at letting nothing interfere with your prayer time. Keep a notebook to remind yourself of prayers to pray, praises, people etc. Prayer may be like breathing, but it is also a discipline we all need to work on. Since we have not seen God, we talk to Him by faith. It is not always easy, but is a great joy if you persist with seeking God.

What can you do to have an effective quiet time each day? Today, I want to share some ideas for Bible reading and the next post will deal with having a meaningful prayer time. I also want to invite you who are reading to share some of your best practices in these areas. 1. Read one chapter of the bible daily, using a different translation. The NIV is my preferred translation. I have been reading out of the New Living Translation this year. I used to try and read through the bible, but found that I was hurrying to read 3-4 chapters a day and if I missed (which I often did) I would be behind 8-9 chapters and get discouraged. Read one chapter very slowly and pick out one truth or life lesson from that chapter. 2. Consider using a study guide. Many people in our home group shared that they do better with daily bible reading when they have a workbook to work through. I enjoy Kay Arthur precept studies. I am not a big fan of fill-in-the-blank studies, but some people like these. 3. Use a journal - I am currently in California visiting some larger churches. All 4 of them provide simple journals with bible reading plans to encourage their members to read and record what they are learning. 4. Read as a guide to praying. Take what you learn from your reading and pray it back to God for yourself and others. 5. Read looking for a certain topic. One of my favorite studies was when I read through the New Testament looking for and writing down every verse about prayer. I have done the same things with words like grace, hope, joy, faith, and the mind. When you are finished you learn a lot about one specific topic.

I want to share with you my approach for having a daily time with God. I strive to have a daily quiet time and then to be aware of God's presence and activity throughout the day. I do not want to just do devotions and check them off a list. I want to experience God and hear from Him every day. For me, I need to see Quiet Time as a daily appointment with God. The first thing I do in the mornings at church is to go into our worship center to pray and read the Word. Devotions do not have to take a long time, but I try to focus on God and take time to listen to God. Jesus taught us to go into our rooms, and pray to our Father in private. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to meet with the Father. Let me encourage you to begin practicing this discipline. Determine a time and place where you can have your quiet time. Put it on your calendar or have your cell phone alarm remind you. After several weeks this practice will become a habit in your life. Next time I will share some things you can do during this special time alone with your God.

We had a good discussion at our home group last night about quiet time or daily devotions. I asked everyone to share what their practice is. All of us admitted to struggling at times with our devotions. Everyone knows it is a good idea, but the application part of it is sometimes difficult. I want to begin sharing some thoughts about this in my blog. Today, I want to start by defining what a quiet time is and why it is an essential for believers. Quite time = a time to focus on God through scripture reading, meditation, prayer, singing, writing, or any other form of relating to God. The main two elements are reading the Bible and praying to God. Here are some good reasons to set aside time every time to pray and read God's Word: 1. 1 Peter 2:2 - like newborn babies, crave the pure spiritual milk (of the word) so you may grow up in your salvation - The Bible helps us grow spiritually. 2. Psalm 119:11 - when we hide God's word in our hearts, we will not sin against Him. This does not mean we will be sinless, but we will sin less and please God more. 3. Colossians 4:2 commands us to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful. When we pray we humble ourselves before God and let Him be in charge of our lives. Find a way, every day to spend some time focused exclusively on God. When you read His word, He can speak to you. When you pray, you are speaking to Him. Clear communication is what every good relationship is all about.

I hope reading these thoughts on the book UnChristian has helped you desire to read the book and seriously think about it's value. Although I did not agree with everything in the book, I feel like it is a tremendously valuable resource for every believer to have. Much of our evangelism vocabulary makes it sound like witnessing is always aggressive - we win people to Christ, we share our faith, we tell others about Jesus. The truth is, many of the witnessing metaphors in the Bible are much less direct. A witness tells what he or she knows when asked. An ambassador delivers a message at the appropriate time. A fisherman is effective when the fish are biting. My fear is that we have turned evangelism into something most people cannot do. It is not our job to win people but simple to witness to them. We are never called to be pushy but to be prepared (see 2 Peter 3:15). Dr. Ashley made a good point in his last sermon at our church (see 7/27 message in the broadcast center of our web site). The early church enjoyed favor with the people. That favor or friendship with lost people gave them the freedom and credibilty to share Christ with them. If we see lost people as our enemies and look at them as projects, it is not surprising that they resist our efforts to share our faith with them. Jesus was greatly loved by outsiders (the Bible called Him a friend of sinners). By making those without Christ our enemies we have alienated them and nullified the effectivenss of our witness. Let me encourage you to take some of the pressure off of yourself. Seek to be a good neighbor, to do good works, to live unselfishly, to pray for those without Christ and be ready to share with them when the opportunity presents itself. Allow the Spirit of God to lead you. Be a good listener. Understand that people are not projects and they may never come to faith in Christ. Love them anyway. We need a great movement of God in the Pacific Northwest. Ask God to use you to make an impact in the lives of people for eternity. There is no more important business in this world than kingdom business. And all of us who are Christians are in the kingdom and need to be busy about attracting others to our Savior.

The fifth perception of young outsiders (adults under 40 years old who do not consider themselves Christians) is that the church and many Christians are too political. The issue is not that Christians and churches do not have a right to express their political opinions, but that we tend to use politics as a club to force our moral beliefs on others. The author points out 5 perceptions outsiders have of Christians when it comes to politics: (1) We rely too heavily on political inflence (2) We are too enamored with politics (3) We demonize those who hold opposing viewpoints (4) We lack respect for leaders who have different politcal viewpoints from our own (5) We are hypocritical when it comes to politics. For example, we cite statistics when they aid our case - "most Americans support school prayer" or "most Americans are against gay marriage" and yet we ignore other statistics that go against our viewpoints. For example - most Americans are pro-choice but we say - "the majority should not rule when it comes to moral issues." The perception is that Christians use politics and polls when it benefits us, but reject them when they go against our preconceived ideas. We quote the Bible on issues we tend to support - no gay marriage, no abortion but often keep silent about other biblical issues - helping the poor, being good stewards of the creation etc. In my opinion, politics cheapens the gospel. The church should be as apolitical as possible. I don't care whether someone is republican, democrat or independent; they all need Jesus. Politics should not be a barrier to helping someone find and follow Jesus. As Christians, we ought to be able to talk rationally about the issues and why we believe what we believe. Many Christians are extremely pro-life, but they have learned to listen and dialogue calmly with those who hold an opposing viewpoint. Most people have strong opinions about political issues. My challenge for Christians is to see the bigger picture. Souls are more important than votes. I am skeptical as to how much either of the two candidates running for president will change anyone's life; but I know the difference Jesus can make in someone's life. So, lets keep the main thing the main thing. I think Christians should be involved in the political process. It is part of being a good citizen. But our church is not going to promote a particular party or even specific issues. We will preach and teach on what the Bible says. It is funny to me, but every time there is an election, several people get mad at me. Some are convinced I am a republican and others that I am a democrat. I have never stated from the pulpit where I am at politically. I have never allowed candidates to speak at our church or even party specific literature to be displayed at our church. I think what we have to offer (Jesus) is far superior to anything we would gain by trying to be too political.

The book UnChristian deals with young people (20's and 30's) who are outside of the church and the Christian faith and their perceptions of Christians. We have to remember that this is a generation mostly removed from any kind of positive Christian influence in their homes or in society. We may disagree with the validity of their perceptions - we may want to argue and say "that is not true," or "that is not fair." However, it is better to understand them and figure out what God wants us to do with this understanding. Chapter 6 deals with the idea that Christians live sheltered lives. Wrapped up in that thought are four underlying beliefs young outsiders have of Christians: 1.Out of tune - only 1/5 of young outsiders believe Christianity helps people live a better and more fulfilling life. 2. Lacking spiritual vitality - most outsider see the Christian faith as a set of rules and regulations. 3. Insulated from thinking - that Christians stifle curiousity and generally are not overly engaged in thinking. 4. Living in their own world - That Christians tend to isolate themselves from non-Christians and have their own vocabulary. The author points out that we are not very engaging to outsiders. The only way we know how to engage them is to invite them to church. The author encourages us to learn how to engage the world. I like this statement from the book - "The conclusion I hope you draw is that a fragmented world requires different means of engagement. God has given each of us a role in bringing Jesus to the people and places around us. Christianity begins to shift its sheltered reputation, when Christ followers are engaged, informed, and on the leading edge, offering a sophisticated response to the issues people face."

91% of young outsiders consider Christians anti-homosexual. Christians may say we love the sinner but hate the sin, but when it comes to homosexuality, the perception is we hate the sinner as well. The Bible is clear that homosexual behavior is incompatible with God's will. In other words it is a sin. But so is pride, jealousy, lust, divorce, and materialism. For some reason, we don't have as much of a problem with these sins. What should we do? Do what Jesus would do. He was a friend of sinners. He called them to follow Him and experience the fullness of life only He can offer. We need to tone down the rhetoric. Bumper stickers that say "God hates fags" and "God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" do not help us to make evangelistic inroads into the homosexual community. Homosexual people are hurting people. They need Jesus. Most of them don't have a big problem with Jesus, but their experiences with Christians have not been pleasant. Do you know that only 1% of the American Christian population prays for gay people? We ought to pray more, listen more, love more, and let the reality of Christ flow through us more to everyone; even those who are involved in lifestyles we don't approve of. At least that is how I see it.

"A generation reared in a marketing-drenched world is quick to sniff out what they believe to be the underlying motivations and superficialities" of Christians sharing their faith. Only 1/3 of young outsiders believe Christians truly care for them. Christians for the most part (64%) assume outsiders see their efforts at evangelism as genuine. Street witnessing was seen by no one as a genuine approach. Mass marketing (bibles or videos in the mail for example) have a far greater negative impact on young outsiders than a positive impact. Younger people who are not Christians feel that Christians see them as "projects." When they are not interested in the gospel, Christians are not interested in them. We have the greatest message in human history and often it is presented as a cheap marketing gimmick. What can or should Christians do? Here are a few suggestions: 1 - Cultivate genuine relationships with outsiders - if they are not listening to the message, don't just turn up the volume. Learn to love them for who they are and pray for God to change them. 2 - Churches should focus on children and teenagers. The sad truth is less than 10% of adults become Christians as adults. 3 - Tone down the rhetoric a little bit. Instead, take time to get to know your neighbors and learn to listen to them. Christians are too often seen as mouthpieces who do not genuinely care for others. What a sad representation for Christ-followers. Let's learn to listen and love people and then we can earn the right to share Christ with them.