"Goodbye..."

“Goodbye…”

I’m glad we have the word, but, like most of us, I don’t relish using it. Since “goodbye” carries with it the emotional weight of separation, saying it takes some grace and faith. 

Last Saturday, Bobbie and I said our goodbyes to her father, Al Platt, who slipped peacefully into the presence of Jesus from his bed at Presbyterian Manor in the quiet early morning hours of Independence Day. We’re comforted by the assurance of Scripture “that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (Phil 1:23).

I love that my father-in-law is experiencing true freedom, that all of his burdens have been lifted and that the challenges of end-of-life frailty are over. I’m so thankful that we could be with him when he died and grateful for his legacy of faith and service to the Kingdom. 

Because of Jesus, that goodbye was a hope-filled one.

So is the goodbye I need to say to all of you. 

With the clock ticking on my last days here at Grace, I wish I could bid my farewell to each of you face-to-face but, since that’s not possible, I’m just going to blurt it out right here in this my last Staff Journal entry to you—my precious Grace family! 

If you’re a classic musical movie fan, I’m sure you can picture the scene and hear the notes from that final and poignant, pre-escape song from “Sound of Music” that begins,

“There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall and the bells in the steeple too,
and up in the nursery an absurd little bird is popping out to say ‘Cuckoo…!’
Regretfully they tell us…but firmly they compel us…to say goodbye to you.”

“So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night;
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu, adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu…”

Hmm… so it’s the clock’s fault that Bobbie and I are having to say goodbye to all of you, our friends and family at Grace, and we’re planning to escape to Switzerland?!

Yes, but no… not exactly!

I did hear an internal clock ticking in some way as the Lord told me it’s time to shift gears. But more than that, just as the song in the movie is part of a larger drama, so my “goodbye” is a small piece in an overarching picture of what God is doing at Grace and in our lives. And I can’t thank him enough for the privilege of sharing this journey with you all for the last nearly twenty-three years! 

Though it’s not easy to say, I like the origins of “goodbye.”

The expression evidently morphed from “God-be-with-you,” which is a great way to let go, and which expresses the sentiments of my heart and my hope.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

I add my “amen” as I say my “goodbye.”

And, I look forward to seeing you on July 19, my last Sunday at Grace as I share my last sermon at Grace as one of your pastors!

Blessings!

Steve

Prayers For Our Nation and Leaders

Did you know that our first President kept a prayer journal?

I didn’t, but it’s true.

George Washington compiled a personal book of prayers, written in his own handwriting, one for each morning and evening of each day of the week! His prayers provide a beautiful window into his soul, his faith, and the reason why God used him.

Take, for example, his prayer for Sunday morning… (I know it’s not easy to read, but imagine your President on his knees and praying this):

Almighty God, and most merciful Father, who didst command the children of Israel to offer a daily sacrifice to Thee, that thereby they might glorify and praise Thee for Thy protection both night and day, receive O Lord, my morning sacrifice which I now offer up to Thee;

I yield Thee humble and hearty thanks, that Thou has preserved me from the dangers of the night past and brought me to the light of this day, and the comfort thereof, a day which is consecrated to Thine own service and for Thine own honor.

Let my heart therefore gracious God be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works but wait on Thee, and discharge those weighty duties Thou required of me:

And since Thou art a God of pure eyes, and will be sanctified in all who draw nearer to Thee, who dost not regard the sacrifice of fools, nor hear sinners who tread in Thy courts, pardon I beseech Thee, my sins, remove them from Thy presence, as far as the east is from the west, and accept of me for the merits of Thy son Jesus Christ, that when I come into Thy temple and compass Thine altar, my prayer may come before Thee as incense, and as I desire Thou wouldst hear me calling upon Thee in my prayers, so give me peace to hear the calling on me in Thy word, that it may be wisdom, righteousness, reconciliation and peace to the saving of my soul in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Grant that I may hear it with reverence, receive it with meekness, mingle it with faith, and that it may accomplish in me gracious God, the good work for which Thou hast sent it.

Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God and guide this day and forever for His sake, who lay down in the grave and arose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Wow! That’s incredible!

Didn’t make it all the way through the prayer? I get it. Try reading it out loud and see what you think.

On our nation’s 69th annual National Day of Prayer, what an incredible privilege we have of humbling ourselves in God’s presence and coming to him as his much-loved children to intercede on behalf of our nation and its leaders!

I can’t think of anything more powerful or life-giving than to bring our needs before the One who sits on the throne of the universe, who raises and puts down nations, and who offers life and grace to all who call on his name through his Son, Jesus Christ!

If there ever was a time to pray for America, this is it!

The National Day of Prayer Task Force President, Kathy Branzell, has written a beautiful prayer which I encourage us to include in our prayers today.

Whether you’re praying alone, with your spouse or family, or online with your friends or Community Life Group, thank you for joining us and millions of Americans in humbling ourselves before our true King and inviting him to restore our souls back to his heart and ways.

Here’s the prayer Kathy has written for this day.

Lord, we exist to give You glory. We exist because of Your glory, and in Your glory, as our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We give you thanks and praise for every breath and moment You have given to us.

We repent of our sin; for the shameful things we have done against You and for our silence when we did not speak up to proclaim Your Name, profess Your Word, or protect and practice Your will. We ask Your forgiveness.

We pray that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will spread across our nation and the entire earth as we seek Your Kingdom and righteousness; as we walk in obedience to You, and in humble unity, love one another. Jesus, the Bible says that You are “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” You have taught us to pray, commanded us to love, and commissioned us to share Your gospel of grace. Your glory fills our hearts and families, it overflows into our neighborhoods, workplaces, campuses, churches, in our entertainment and media.

We give thanks for our military and ask that Your glory would spread to, and through them as they preserve freedom around the world.

We pray for our government, that all of our leaders and laws would be filled with Your glory, that they would magnify Your Holy Word and honor Your will and ways.

We pray that Your grace and glory would spread to bring hope to the hopeless, and love where there is hurt and hate.

God, use us as we pray your promise, that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” In Jesus Name, Amen!

Thanks for praying!

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16

Pastor Steve

March Sadness

With the world of sports largely on hold at this time, brackets aren’t even going to be broken this year, but dreams and lives sure are!

In the middle of an overwhelming and unprecedented COVID-19-related tidal wave of cancellations nation-wide, college basketball fans like I am are wistfully remembering that today was scheduled to be the first official day of “March Madness,” the tournament to determine the NCAA men’s basketball division 1 national champion.   

But there’s no “madness” this year and—based on all the other closings and abrupt endings to athletic careers, school years, proms, church programs, jobs, and a host of dreams—many of us are experiencing “March Sadness,” which is how a friend of mine has tagged the season.

Whether we’re surrounded by kids at home trying to figure out how to survive or living on our own and feeling totally shut out from the world, so many of us are having to give up so many things in such a short amount of time that we’re reeling from our losses and trying to cope with our “new normal.” And we’re getting very familiar with “sad,” the painful emotion that says, “I’ve lost something important to me, and I’ll never get it back! That hurts!”

What an incredibly difficult time this is!  

Obviously we want to do everything we can to flatten the contagion curve of this deadly virus that we’re up against. Still, closing our church facility and cancelling important activities takes a toll on our spirits.

Though we don’t know yet for how long we will need to change our rhythms, as a pastor, I’m sad that we can’t meet together for our Sunday morning worship services. I’m sad that we’ve had to (at this point temporarily) cancel our Restarting Class that just got underway last week. Our men’s and women’s Bible studies, special events, student and children’s ministries have all taken the “not meeting” hit. I’m sad that nursing homes have closed their doors to visits from outsiders and I’m sad that I’m not able to see my mother or my dad-in-law.

However, on the other hand, I’m thankful that sadness is a connecting emotion, and when I pour out my losses to Jesus, I get to experience a special bond with him as he comforts me and shares his perspective on my life and my circumstances.

I’m thankful that Jesus knows what sadness feels like and, as Psalm 34:18 says, is “near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

I’m thankful that knowing him is worth the loss of everything else, as the Apostle Paul expresses so eloquently and passionately in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

I’m thankful that nothing in all creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

I’m thankful for my church family, and that we can stay connected via the internet, email, and phone calls.

I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit, our guide and comforter, is available 24/7 to shepherd us through the challenges of these circumstances.

And I’m thankful that we can pray for each other, our neighbors, our cities, our country and our world, have God hear and respond to our pleas and give us creative ideas of how to serve those around us in need. 

I’m thankful that the Lord specializes in bringing joy and good out of the biggest messes, and I’m thankful for hope even in the face of death, which is simply the doorway into his presence!

Hmmm…funny how I’m feeling better already! 

See you via the internet this Sunday, as Pastor Jack preaches on the timely topic of “fear.”

Pastor Steve

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PS: Here’s a letter from one of our members who is serving as an extension of us in a different part of the world. I believe her words will be encouraging to you in this challenging season!

Remember!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I know this is a difficult time with COVID-19 being on our minds almost constantly. It has disrupted all our lives, and we can’t seem to get away from it. There is undoubtedly different degrees of confusion, fear, uncertainty, anger and a range of other emotions felt at this time. I want to tell you that you are not alone. Everyone is feeling a vast array of emotions in regards to COVID-19.

Some of you will remember when I shared with you the beginning of last year about how difficult the previous fall had been. I want take a moment to go back to that fall in 2018 with you.
 
People were getting kicked out and being told to leave. At that time I was feeling many of the same emotions that I believe many of you are feeling today. I wasn’t sure who I could see and who I should stay away from. Who was safe? It was on my mind constantly. “Should I risk seeing so and so?” “Is it worth the risk?” It was incredibly isolating. I had no control. It all happened so fast, and it was so unexpected. There were so many unknowns. There still are. At times, I felt angry and defiant and wanted to storm the streets not caring what the outcome would be. The fear was real, tangible, and debilitating. 
 
Does any of this sound familiar? Does it resonate with you in any way? I know they are two vastly different situations, and yet, there are commonalities.
 
It took me some time to hear the Holy Spirit gently convicting me that my fear was displaced, and in the wrong place. I was fearing man, not God. Where was my trust? I can tell you, I was not trusting in God’s sovereignty. I share this so that you know you are not alone. I also want to remind you that God is good and He is faithful! In the midst of losing close friends, He brought me new sweet friendships with unexpected people and deepened previous superficial relationships. In the midst of feeling out of control, He showed me He was in control. In the midst of grief, sorrow, and pain, He gave me healing. In the midst of feeling alone, He was close. In the midst of suffering, He gave me hope. In the midst of fear, He showed me I could rely and trust in His promises. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, He taught me to trust in His sovereignty. Through it all, He showed me His love. 
 
I am still learning, and He continues to teach me these things every day. My desire is that my story will encourage you and bring you hope in the midst of this current trial we all face from COVID-19. 
 

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!
Psalm 105:2

Call to Prayer

The other day I was wondering what I should be doing during this time. At the same time, I was reminiscing about times of prayer I had with people. I miss those times of coming together with my community to pray! Then I was convicted by my personal prayer life in regards to the current state of the world. So, I'm committing to intentional prayer for the people of our world, and to worship our Lord in the midst of uncertainty, every evening from 7:30-9pm until Easter. Why am I telling you?

1. To keep me accountable. Feel free to ask how I’m doing at any time. Seriously, ask me.

2. I’d love for you to join me in any way you can! Let us pray as a community. We are told to practice social distancing, but we can still unite in prayer!

“Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from COVID-19*, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of this world*, from everlasting to everlasting.” 

(1 Chronicles 16: 35-36)
 

*The original text says: “among the nations” and “Israel”

Would you join me? Are you struggling how to pray? You are not alone. There are times I don’t know what to pray, or I struggle with saying the same thing over and over. In these times, I believe it is fine to just sit with the Lord with whatever it is heavy on your heart. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us during these times.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

(Romans 8:26-27)

If you are needing some guidance, here are some things I do during my time:

1. I like to start off and finish with praising God and giving thanks. This includes, but is not limited to, declaring who God is.

2. I sing worship songs whenever they come to mind.

3. I have a focus. The main focus is COVID-19, but I go more specific. Last night I focused on people who are trying to get back to their homes from different countries. I will be posting on FB what I’ll be focusing on for the evening. Remember, this is a fluid time. Even though there is a focus it is okay to follow the Spirit's leading.

4. I read/pray scripture.

5. I end my whole time with praying the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13).

I hope this email finds you well! Again, you are not alone!

Love,
A

Grace to Weather Transitions and Tests

With my retirement from Grace now only a little over six months away, I’m facing this transition with sober excitement and a fair amount of grateful sadness! These twenty-two wonderful years on the staff team here have been the longest I have ever lived and served anywhere in my life, and I am so thankful to the Lord for his goodness to me through you, my church family!

As I think about it, I’m also realizing that transition has been part of my life since my earliest years.

Allow me to share a few stories from my formative years.

Three days after I was born in Hillsboro, Kansas on September 10, 1950, my dad entrusted my mom, my two-year-old sister, Marilyn, and newly-born me into the care of his in-laws and rushed off to Berkeley, California to begin a semester of Japanese language studies. The rest of us followed by train six weeks later, and we survived several apartment moves until, after finishing the semester, my parents spent the year-end living with relatives and preparing for their departure to Japan as missionaries. They were slated to leave from San Francisco for Yokohama in early March of 1951 on board the freighter, Andrea Luckenbach.

Around a week before they were due to depart, my parents received notification from the shipping company that their reservations on the Andrea Luckenbach had been canceled for some unexplained reason, and that they were being assigned to a sister ship, the William Luckenbach, which was setting sail in a matter of days. Rushing to finish stuffing countless barrels of supplies for a six year term in a new country, my family sailed from San Francisco on what was to be a testy and stormy voyage.

A week or so into the Pacific crossing, our ship received an SOS from the Andrea Luckenbach which had left San Francisco after us. Following an unexpected stop in Honolulu to get emergency medical treatment for her illness-stricken captain, the Andrea had struck a reef off of Kauai and had its hull ripped open from stem to stern. Thankfully, no lives were lost and my parents praised God for his protection and mercy in sparing them this trauma. Though the Lord’s hand was on them, there would be other tests, as life in post-war Japan was no cake-walk.

As they began settling into a home in Osaka and adjusting to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences of their new lives, in May my mother became pregnant with their third child. Two months later we received news of her father’s death, something which unsettled my mother’s heart and complicated her pregnancy.

My younger brother, Billy, named after my mother’s diseased father, William Brenner, was born prematurely on December 16. His birth was a traumatic one due to a complication which resulted in a massive amount of blood loss for my mother. Sadly, my brother died two hours after being born. Fighting for her life, and hospitalized for several difficult weeks over our first Christmas in Japan, my mother eventually received God’s gracious healing, but she never saw her son, who is buried in the Ikeda city cemetery near where I grew up. I lost a grandpa whom I never knew and a brother whom I never saw.

Transition, trauma, change, and loss have been family “friends” and part of my story since my earliest years. I am so thankful for my parents’ tested and refined faith in Jesus that helped them weather the trials of their lives and gave them grace to serve for forty-two years on the mission field. I’m grateful that they passed along the gospel through words and deeds to me, and that the Lord gave me a heart of faith to receive Jesus Christ as my Savior at the early age of seven.

There’s much more to tell, but my testimony is this: Jesus Christ shepherded my heart to him and gave me a secure attachment that would help me weather all of the other transitions and tests which would be part of his story in my life.

I know that Jesus will care for his own to the very end and to that most magnificent day when we transition into his presence.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24)

See you Sunday!
Pastor Steve

Uncomfortable Christmas

I bombed my intro!

Being a new missionary still in language school and trying to be culturally relevant with my first Christmas talk in Japanese at a church Christmas outreach event, I began with a comment about the month of December being an unusually busy one.

I had done some research for my talk and gleaned an expression from my Japanese dictionary that said December was a “Teachers Run” month. Picture an oriental sage, normally composed and dignified, picking up his robes and scurrying about due to the increased social obligations of the season.

Without consulting anyone beforehand, I attempted to use the expression in the introduction of my talk and only got blank stares. Puzzled, I didn’t understand until afterwards, when someone graciously clued me in. I learned that I had botched the pronunciation of “Teachers Run,” and that no one had known what I was referring to!

This humbling moment only added to my stress and reinforced the realization that I was out of my comfort zone!

As I remembered this incident and the emotions of shame that went along with it, it occurs to me now that Christmas and discomfort are actually pretty good friends!

My missionary parents arrived in Japan with my older sister and me in March of 1951. Our family’s first Christmas in our new country that year came with the huge crisis of my younger brother’s death two hours after birth on December 16, followed by a subsequent raging infection that almost cost my mother her life and kept her in the hospital over Christmas.

Fast-forwarding to the present, my father-in-law will be spending his first Christmas away from his familiar and comfortable surroundings, ensconced in his nursing home room, unable to walk and struggling under the humbling process of recovery from an accidental fall.

Christmas can be a hard season for us, depending on what challenges we find swirling around us.

Perhaps you are being pushed outside of your comfort zone this Christmas. Whether it’s financial, physical, relational, or emotional distress, the season seems to specialize in highlighting our inadequacies and humbling us into realizing how desperately we need Jesus!

I am so grateful that He understands the duress of our journey.

For Jesus, Christmas meant an unbelievably lowly entry into our world as a helpless infant, born miles from home to a woman under stress and laid in a feeding trough, surrounded by the smells and sounds of nearby animals. I love that Jesus took on our humanity so that he could bear our sins and griefs and lead us to true life with God our Father.

Willingly stepping way outside his comfort zone, Jesus came to draw us into the comforting embrace of a secure and loving attachment with the God who made us to know and experience his love in the middle of our pain!

Whatever the source of our discomfort this season, Christmas means that Jesus loves and holds us, shares his heart, and makes his home in the messes of our distresses. He’ll do so until the day he calls us home to the true and eternal comfort zone of the universe—his very own house!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when Dave Reimer will be pinch-hitting for Pastor Jack (on a tour to Israel), and our Sunday School and nursery children will be blessing us with some special Christmas music.

Pastor Steve

Transition----!!

Do you remember the song?

“Tradition----!!”

Just hearing the word awakens in me the musical memory of the 1971 movie version of the Broadway hit, “Fiddler on the Roof,” where Jewish dairyman and father of five eligible daughters, Tevye, belts out his one word answer to the question, “How do you hang on to your balance in a shaky world?” Tevye backs up his answer with the observation, “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”

I’ve been thinking (and singing) that theme song word a lot these days, but making my own edit to reflect where I am in my journey. The word I’m singing and substituting for “Tradition!” is “Transition----!!” and I’m singing it to myself like Tevye did in the movie.

We’re wired to want stability and anchors in our lives because, as Tevye puts it, traditions help us know who we are and what God expects us to do. For him and his family that included things like how to sleep, how to eat, how to work, what to wear, who to marry, and how to worship.

I have enjoyed the incredible blessing of being part of this church family as a member of the pastoral team for the past 22 years, and I have been blessed by Jesus with the privilege of loving, learning, growing, serving and processing life and life-giving “traditions” together with you all. But, as I announced on Sunday, September 22, my heart has been stirred by God to release my responsibilities and retire from my present capacity as Pastor of Counseling and Discipleship by the end of August next year.

What happens next?

We have recently started the process of looking for another pastor whom, God-willing, we will hire to replace me and call Pastor of Counseling and Care. Our target start date for him is currently July 1, 2020. During the next ten months of transition, I am looking forward to seeing how the Lord directs in our search process. Thank you so much for yours prayers for this!

The most frequently asked question I get is “What do you plan to do after you retire?”

My simple answer is, “Keep following Jesus!”

I honestly don’t know any specifics. We don’t intend to move, though I understand the wisdom of a few months of overlap with the new pastor (July and August), and then a period of giving him space to connect and build his ministry.

When I was praying about what to focus on next, five words came to mind that form the acronym “WAGES.” Whatever else the Lord has for me, I’m sensing a deep desire to spend some extended time with my WIFE, our AGING PARENTS (we are the sole care-givers for Bobbie’s father, Al Platt, 92; my mother, Millie Friesen, is 94), GRANDKIDS (we have six, and half of them live far away), EXTENDED FAMILY, and SIBLINGS.

In the meantime, I am very excited to see how the Lord is working among us as a church family with so many ministry opportunities locally, domestically, and globally.

Our Amigo 21 Adult and Family Mexico Mission Trip (Feb 29-Mar 7, 2020) team is forming as we speak (with a registration deadline of October 27), and I’m looking forward to leading this trip to serve at Children’s Haven International’s children’s home in Reynosa. This adventure has been such a strong “Tradition!” at Grace, but it will be my last trip to lead. “Transition!”

I am so thankful that as Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Always there in the transitions of our lives, calling our names and shepherding us closer to his heart.

I’m resting in the comfort that the Good Shepherd knows where to lead his sheep, and I’m content that he knows what’s ahead for us and for me.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when we get to celebrate communion together and continue our study on the “Gifts of Grace.”

Pastor Steve

Life in the Woods

I was on vacation last month in low humidity and high altitude Colorado, savoring the pristine beauty of the Sangre de Christos south of Westcliffe!

Trees around me, towering mountain peaks in front of me, soft earth, flowers and lichen-covered rocks at my feet, I was sitting quietly in the woods for a couple of hours on a deep blue sky day. Wow! It felt good not just to get away, but to get into God’s creation and let it channel my Savior’s glory and peace deep into my heart!

As I rested there, juggling binoculars, Bible and journal, I thanked God for the gift of seeing and hearing, and I began noticing sounds and sights around me in a way that I don’t usually appreciate them.

I savored the whistle of the wind in the tree tops, the distant ripple of the Colony Creeks, and the chirping, chattering and calling of Stellar Jays, Clark’s Nutcrackers, and Mountain Chickadees. All of this graced by the curious and incessant buzzing of flies and bees around me.

The realization hit me that I wasn’t hearing any human sounds except for the occasional dull drone of a transcontinental jet leaving its vapor trail high above me. I noticed that long after the plane was gone, the white trail morphed into a long cloud that slowly slid over a faint crescent moon, still visible in the morning sky. I smiled.

I looked around and studied the trees whose scent I love—ponderosa pines, blue spruces and firs—and I noticed the hub and refuge they create for things that fly and even for a nearby squirrel that spent five minutes “yelling” at me from his perch.

I saw trees in all stages of life, some just “newborns” a couple of feet tall, others in their growth spurt, pushing ten and twenty—and many in their maturity—thirty, even forty feet tall. Some were beautifully formed with all their branches and needles in order and loaded with pine cones. They were obviously brimming with life.

As I continued to ponder, I spotted others—“senior citizens” of the forest—trees which had seen a few storms and taken some hits. One conifer nearby was missing the top third of its trunk and half of its branches were dead. Hmmm! At this stage of my life, I’m identifying more with these weathered warriors of the woods. But as I pondered what I was seeing and feeling, I sensed a beauty in those older trees which exhibit signs of wear and tear. Yes, they have dead branches galore, but they also have plenty of living ones and they’re still producing cones and seeds!

‘That’s the way I want to be,’ I tell Jesus! And I thanked Him for his faithfulness to me over these almost 69 years of my “life in the woods” and for this very special day of vacation.

There’s nothing like getting away for a body, soul, and perspective refresher!

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” (Is 46:3-4)

I love knowing, loving, and serving this God with all of you!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Steve

Growing Deeper with Jesus

I don’t know if you love or hate hot weather, but I had my eyes opened a couple of days ago to something that’s putting purpose and spice into summer for a lot of people! 

I discovered that since the end of school and the beginning of summer, a number of families in our church have taken on our GraceKids-sponsored “Summer Family Challenge.” They’ve embarked on some wonderful and “funtastic” projects designed to grow family connection, build joy, and help kids go deeper in their relationship with Jesus.

I had heard about the challenge, but honestly I really had no interest in it until this past Monday night.

Monday nights are four-generation family dinner nights at our house. Those around the table include Bobbie’s 92-year-old dad—“Lito”—who, with his walker and dog in tow, makes his way carefully across the street from his driveway to ours. Completing the circle are our son and daughter-in-law, Andy and Julie, who with their three kids usually pile out of their minivan around our six o’clock dinner time. 

This past Monday, however, Julie and kids (Kesler, Audra and Naomi) chose to make the nearly 5 mile trip to dinner at Gramps and Mammaw’s on their bicycles!

The ride was part of a “Summer Family Challenge” activity which rewards 400 miles of walking, running, or biking with a whopping 350 points! Spurring motivation is a grand prize awarded at the end of the summer to the family with the highest number of points (and also to one fortunate and randomly drawn participating family).

Intrigued by my family’s enthusiasm and impressed by my grandkids’ willingness to tackle biking on a hot afternoon, I picked up a “Summer Family Challenge” guide at the Connection Desk to get a better picture of the creative ways families are being encouraged to bond, serve, and grow!

I loved what I discovered.

A family water gun fight is worth 10 points. So is going through one’s closet and giving unused things to charity. There’s another 10 points for calling one’s grandparents and asking them if they have any prayer requests! (I like that one!) Also, lying on a blanket and counting shooting stars adds 10 points to the family total.

As I browsed the brochure I noticed some higher point challenges, worth 25 points apiece and containing some spiritually stretching activities: making a home video based on one of the parables of Jesus, reading through the Gospel of John, or memorizing Psalm 23 together.

“What great ideas for families to have fun while growing their relational and spiritual connections!” I thought to myself. Hats off to challenge provider Deeper KidMin, whose creator is a former children’s pastor who wanted to equip parents and ministry leaders to grow kids deeper in their relationships with Christ through creative, engaging, and affordable online resources!

(If you are interested in joining the Summer Family Challenge, it’s not too late! Pick up a booklet with instructions and the list of challenges at the Connection Desk this Sunday morning.)

“Growing deeper with Jesus” resonates with me as a wonderful summer goal for anyone regardless of whether or not it’s part of the “Summer Family Challenge.”

In my Bible reading the other day I came across a beautiful jewel of a description in Ezekiel 31:7 of a towering and majestic tree whose “roots went down to abundant waters.” Something in that expression called to my heart as I said to the Lord, “That’s what I want my life to look like!”

Down where no one notices, below the ground level of busy schedules and pressure-filled days, I love the thought of drawing my life and vitality from the unfathomable spiritual riches abundantly offered by Jesus to anyone who takes the time to quiet with Him and soak in His Word.

How about joining me in going deeper with Jesus this summer?

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:18-19, NLT)

Let’s be praying for Pastor Jack and family on vacation, for Casey Teater on her first Sunday as our new Children’s Ministry Director, and for Pastor Kyle who will be leading worship AND preaching!

Warmly in Jesus!
Pastor Steve

“Please come to our wedding!”

“Please come to our wedding!”

Earlier this spring, when Bobbie and I received an invitation to Armando Lucas and Sophi Santee’s wedding in Lawrence this coming August it brought back to me a flood of memories from our Amigo Team mission trips to Mexico.

I first met Armando in 2006 at the Children’s Haven International’s children home in Reynosa, to which we as a Grace Community Church family had been taking annual mission trips since 1999.

Armando arrived at the home that year as a 12-year-old with huge needs. Over the course of multiple Amigo trips, we had the privilege of seeing the incredible work that God did in Armando’s life through the life-giving, Christ-centered family environment of the Children’s Haven home.

As he grew, Armando trusted Christ as his Savior and excelled at school. Following graduation from high school, he attended and finished dental school.

Each time we visited the children’s home, we got to see Armando’s love for Jesus and his heart for service increase. He went on several mission trips with his church in Reynosa and became an older brother in the faith to all the younger kids at the home.

Now, God has led Armando to a godly young woman and he’s ready to launch a new chapter in his life, planning to emigrate to the United States and marry Sophi in Kansas as soon as he receives his dental license from the Mexican government.

Many of you know that after taking 20 Amigo mission trips to Reynosa over the years, we didn’t take a team this past March. It was a weird March for me, not being able to connect with the children at the home.

However, there has been in my heart what I believe is a God-given desire to take one more team of families down to Reynosa next year and lead one final Amigo Trip—“Amigo 21,” we’ll call it. Dates are February 29 (Saturday) through March 7 (Saturday), 2020, and you’ll be hearing more about registration later this summer.

I hope you and your family will pray about joining our twenty-year tradition of more than 230 adults and children from our church who have been the hands and feet of Jesus and shared his love and served his purposes in the lives of children like Armando.

I’m looking forward to this Sunday when we will recognize our graduates and hear a sermon from one of our Igniter alums, Gage Weller!

Pastor Steve

Broken Brackets

March may be over, but the “Madness” continues!

This coming weekend’s Final Four competition in Minneapolis will crown another national champion in the NCAA men’s basketball league, and alas, my bracket is totally “busted”!

I filled one out several weeks ago just for personal enjoyment, not anticipating how engaged I would become in the process. I swelled with pride when I guessed right on a majority of the early Round of 32 contests, but then hit the skids on my Sweet 16 picks. My national champion choice didn’t make it out of the Elite Eight!

My broken bracket notwithstanding, the reality of the tournament is that 67 out of 68 teams exit the competition without hoisting the championship trophy. While there are some beautiful Cinderella stories to be celebrated--a Big 12 team that’s not KU is in the Final Four!--a lot of dreams have been shattered during these days.

Expanding the analogy a bit, I think it’s safe to say that life has a way of breaking our brackets and smashing our dreams. All of us have tasted the pain of defeat and disappointment. Whether it’s a loss of livelihood, a cancer diagnosis, or the death of a beloved spouse, child, sibling, or parent, we’ve all tasted grief and been battered by our sorrow. I can’t remember a season in my 21 years here at Grace when we’ve had as many funerals in such a short span of months as we’ve had recently.

Some of us have had our “marriage bracket” broken by the loss of peace, oneness and hope, and we wonder if there’s a “consolation bracket” for wounded hearts!

I love how author Dallas Willard responds to that when he writes,

“The human soul is a vast spiritual (nonphysical) landscape, with resources and relationships that exceed human comprehension; and it also exists within an infinite environment of which, at our best, we have little knowledge. We only know that God is over it all and that the soul, if it can acknowledge its wounded condition, manifests amazing capacities for recovery when it finds its home in God and receives his grace.” (Renovation of the Heart, p. 202)

Enter the grace of Jesus Christ!

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

See you Sunday, as Pastor Jack continues his sermon series on “Real Faith” from the book of James.

Pastor Steve

Lost and Formed

I’ve worn my stocking cap a lot these days, largely because I’ve believed something which is evidently not accurate!

I read recently that the oft-repeated claim from well-meaning folks (myself included) that in frigid weather we lose eighty percent of our body heat through our heads, is not exactly true! When it’s chilly we lose body heat from any exposed part of us, say those who care about accurate perceptions of life and health.

Still, with these cold and snowy days we’ve had this past week, imagine my disappointment last Monday when I realized that I had lost my favorite wool stocking cap! Regardless of the eighty percent heat loss myth, the fact that something important to me was missing was not a pleasant feeling!

I retraced my steps from the morning and called around to the places I’d been. No hat anywhere!

Over lunch with Bobbie, I glanced out of our living room window and commented off-handedly about a squashed plastic bottle lying on our driveway. It’s too bad I didn’t follow my good impulse to throw it in the trash.

Imagine my relief when later in the afternoon, Bobbie texted me that the “squashed bottle” in the driveway was actually my stocking cap, which had evidently fallen from my coat pocket when I checked the mailbox at noon.

Pondering this little “lost and found” vignette, I got to thinking that the “Something’s missing in my life” feeling is more common to us than we probably care to admit, especially when it comes to our Christian lives.

I resonate with how David Takle, author of the “Forming—Change by Grace” course that we are offering starting next month, puts it: “Most of us have experienced the heavy weight of knowing all the things we should be doing and all the things we should not be doing, and the exhaustion of being forever behind where we think we ought to be by now. Giving more and trying harder seem to be the only alternatives we know.  Many of us have virtually given up hope of becoming more of what God wants us to be, because we have no idea how to add any more to what we are already doing.”

What’s missing?

What God really wants to do in us, Takle says, is to change us from the inside out.  Instead of us trying hard to do the right things and hoping our inner being will somehow catch up, God wants to first grow and change our heart so we are naturally inclined to live better. This is what is called “being formed into the image of Christ.” (Galatians 4:19).

I would really love to have you join me this spring in our 12 week Tuesday night “Forming” class (March 12 through June 4) as we explore how to “sail” under the direction and power of God’s Spirit, instead of just asking for strength to “row harder!”

In “Forming” we’ll learn how to develop a genuine relationship with God and to engage him for the transformation we long for.

If you sense that’s what’s missing in your life, let’s dig into real growth and restoration together!

Detailed information is available here or at the Sign Up Station in the foyer on March 3.

See you Sunday when Pastor Jack continues his new sermon series on “Real Faith” from James.

Pastor Steve

Highway to the Throne Room

Since one of my “hobbies” is creating quizzes, I thought I’d throw out a random question for you. 

Here it is:  “What do Sacramento, Winnipeg, Mexico City, and Washington, DC have in common?”

If you answered, “Cities that God loves,” give yourself a pat on your soul.  Good answer, but it wasn’t the one I was thinking of. 

If you came up with “Cities all connected by highways which intersect in Newton, Kansas,” congratulations! You hit the geographical nail on the head!

I still remember the day when little ole’ quiz-loving, map-junkie me discovered that our humble little community sits at the crossroads of North America!!

That’s right! I haven’t tried this, but I’m told that if one takes Main Street (Highway 81) as far north as possible, one winds up in Winnipeg, Manitoba! Follow Main Street as far south as the road will go, and one will be driving into Mexico City!  

Head west on Highway 50, and with enough tanks of gas, you’ll be pulling into Sacramento, California. Take off east on Highway 50, and you’ll find yourself passing right by the White House! 

Impressed?

How does this sound? President Trump lives “just down the road” (a mere 1240 miles) from Newton, KS! 

OK, we’re not exactly neighbors—not even acquaintances—and simply because of our “Newton Connection,” the chances of me getting an audience with him in the Oval Office are slim to none. But somehow the thought that there’s a “direct line” from my town to his house is a sweet thought to me.

Which leads me to ponder in amazement the privileged access those of us who belong to the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ have into the throne room of the universe!

When I open my heart to my Heavenly Father and talk to Him about my desperate need or my deep appreciation, it’s like there’s a direct line into the command center of the King of kings!

I can think of no other relational activity that means more to God or to me than interacting with Him in prayer. And I can think of nothing more powerful to do for or with someone than to bring them before the throne of the true sovereign of the ages, our incredibly gracious God who, at great personal expense and effort, has opened the door for us lost ones to come home and become members of His family forever!

Prayer is our powerful and greatest privilege because God loves us, welcomes us, and has chosen to let us partner with Him in His mission to reveal his beauty and goodness, his wisdom and saving power to our world.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I am so grateful to hear that over 200 people have signed up for A Praying Life seminar coming up next weekend!

Wouldn’t it be amazing if, in response to awakened prayer in our lives, God would do something so wonderful in us, our church family and our community that Sacramento, Winnipeg, Washington DC, and Mexico City would be impacted for the glory of God!

See you this Sunday, as Pastor Jack continues his sermon series on prayer.

Pastor Steve

Mexico on my heart

Mexico has been on my heart lately.

Most of us are probably aware that our neighbor to the south has been coping with a caravan of people from Central America who, apparently hoping for a better life, have been slowly making their way toward our southern border. Whether we feel compassion toward the needs of these people who seem vulnerable and oppressed, or we’re skeptical about the true nature this mass migration, the larger picture that comes to my mind is that of our common human search for freedom and blessing.

I believe that we’re all looking for some form of a “promised land,” ultimately not found in a country but in a relationship with God. I’m praying that the Lord will overrule the “designs of men” and use this experience to lead many of those seeking a “better life” to the true source of it—Jesus Christ!

Another reason Mexico has been on my mind is that Bobbie’s (my wife) sister, Beth Sandoval, who went to be with Jesus a little over a month ago in Puebla, Mexico, was part of God’s witness to our true hope in Jesus for over 40 years. 

Before she passed away at the age of 67 on October 3rd two days after contracting pneumonia, Beth, along with her husband Chalo, left a legacy of the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus in Mexico. Through the more than half a dozen churches they planted in the Puebla area over the past four decades and the handful of nurses who came to know Jesus through Beth’s frequent hospitalizations with leukemia, God showed his power to transform the lives of those hungry for meaning and purpose.

Though losing a sibling has not been easy, I am so thankful for the love and prayers that Bobbie and I have received from you all over these past four weeks.

The final reason Mexico has been in the forefront of my mind is that a couple of weeks ago, we had to cancel our Amigo 21 Mexico Family Missions Trip to Children’s Haven International’s children’s home in Reynosa. Having taken a team down for the last twenty consecutive years, it was hard telling CHI Director Betsy Chacon that we wouldn’t be bringing a team down in March of 2019 (due to our not having a “quorum” of those who were able to go).

Thinking of those kids at the home that we won’t be able to see and share with this coming year makes me sad. Still, I’m super grateful for the many years we’ve been able to serve there, and, since I believe that God sees what I can’t see, I’m trusting him to work out this out for a higher good.

Would you pray with me that the Lord would meet the needs of Children’s Haven’s team of house parents at the home and those children they serve in Jesus’ name? And that he would continue to raise up a generation of young people who know, love, and serve Jesus?

Please also be praying for Pastor Jack and Courtney this weekend, as they have left to be with Courtney’s family in Mississippi due to the sudden passing of her dad, Ricky Ferguson, on Tuesday. I’m grateful that Dave Reimer will be stepping in to preach this Sunday. I will be pinch hitting in the pulpit at Whitewater Community Church. 

Blessings,
Pastor Steve

Makeshift Hiking Poles and Relational Vistas

Do you have a favorite month? September is at the top of my list for several reasons. For starters, I really like fall, with its accompanying cooler temperatures and enhanced color templates. On the personal side, I took my first breaths in September and made my wedding vows in September—would you believe on the same day?! Actually, I wasn’t a baby groom, but I did get married on my birthday, twenty-six years later.  

Having just celebrated these two life-changing events this past week, I’m in a reflective mood. I am so grateful for the Lord’s love and mercy to me over these sixty-eight years of life and his faithfulness to both of us in the forty-two years that Bobbie and I have been married. She’s an incredibly gracious companion on this journey we’ve been on, and I owe so much of my growth to her persistence and courage in clinging to Jesus and dealing with relational and soul issues that we, like all married couples, face (yes, that’s present tense!).

Last month Bobbie and I had the chance to get away to Westcliffe, Colorado for a week and a half, and one of our vacation highlights was renting an ATV, riding up to Music Pass Trail Head, and then hiking the mile and a quarter to the majestic views from the actual pass, located at 11,380 feet above sea level!

Being the senior citizens that we are becoming, we had wondered how our tired and achy knees would fare on the hike. Our concern was amplified by my forgetting our hiking poles in the van as we left the rental shop on the four-wheeler!

I did remember them eventually, but it was too late to turn back, so we breathed a prayer to Jesus to help us find substitutes at the trail head! God is so amazing! Upon arriving, he answered our prayers and we both found suitable sturdy branches.  Walking up the Music Pass trail, we took it slow and steady, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as we wound up the path. We made plenty of rest stops, plopping down on fallen logs and large rocks. An hour or so later, we were rewarded with the best of views from the top of the pass!

Thinking back on that day, it occurs to me that hiking up a mountain trail is kind of like the marriage adventure. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth the view from the top. In spite of sore knees and makeshift hiking poles, Bobbie and I enjoyed the camaraderie of doing something beautiful and difficult together, taking time to quiet our pounding hearts and pace ourselves for the long climb.

I’m grateful to Jesus for his work in our lives and for the way in which in the last years He’s given us the capacity to go to hard places that I would have never been willing to go in our early years of marriage.

A lot of the capacity for this tough climbing has come through the Restarting Class that I’ve had the privilege of leading and learning through multiple times now (we’re offering it again beginning next Tuesday, September 18).

Restarting has given me a template for learning how to build enough relational joy so that we have the strength to look at distressing and broken places in our stories and in our marriage. It’s helped me learn to identify powerful negative emotions (anger, fear, shame, sadness, disgust, and hopeless despair) that I’m experiencing and has taught me how to invite Jesus into places that those emotions have tended to rule my life (shame and fear have been my big ones!). That in turn has helped me develop the capacity to be able to take tough “relational hikes” with Bobbie, given us a sense of when to rest, and resulted in beautiful relational vistas and hope!

I am so thankful for the tenderness with which the Lord deals with us and the grace He so freely offers us.

“The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:14-16)

I would love to have you join me in Restarting this fall (Sep 18 thru Dec 4 on Tuesday nights at 7 pm…check out the class on our website or at the Signup Station on Sunday). And, I hope to see you this Sunday when Pastor Jack preaches on the topic of relational distress with a sermon called “Conflict Revolution.”

Pastor Steve

The Ultimate Cleansing Agent

Clean windows were a big deal in my house growing up… and I’m still feeling the effects! The good news is that I still like windows. The bad news is that I really detest the smell of vinegar! Yes, I had a great childhood, but for some reason, a simple pungent whiff of vinegar still brings back the less-than-pleasant memories of my most dreaded chore—washing windows with a vinegar water solution in a house that had hundreds of small panes! 

I’ve come to realize that “clean” is not a bad thing, even if it means work, and I do occasionally get around to washing the windows of our house—though I use cleansing agents not called vinegar!

Most of us like the feeling of clean, whether it’s clean windows, clean clothes, clean sheets, a clean car, or clean teeth. Showering after a blistering day’s work in the yard or taking a hot bath before bed are on my list of pleasurable activities. 

I think God likes clean, too. Especially when it comes to the heart. Jesus once chided the religiously scrupulous but proud Jewish leaders, “You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” (Matthew 23:25 NLT)

Wow! Talk about X-ray vision! He sees us to the core and understands where our true issues lie.

When I hear Jesus referring to our sin as an awful internal pollutant, I realize that just “cleaning up my act” or “putting on a good front” doesn’t cut it with God.

Then how does one get a “clean heart”? 

When King David of Israel—who really loved God—fell into the sins of adultery and murder and was exposed by God’s messenger Nathan after covering up and living a lie for an entire year, David realized he needed cleansing big time and so poured out his desperation to God in Psalm 51:2: “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin,” he pleaded.

David understood what many of us have come to experience—only God can really clean up the mess of our sins.

The best “clean feeling” is when we know that God has forgiven us for all our sins, and we experience his love and grace. He can do that because Jesus died for our sins and paid the price of our offenses, then rose to give us new life, which is something we receive the moment we place our trust in him.

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.” (Colossians 2:13, 14 NLT)

“There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT) 

I Googled “cleaning products” the other day and read through a whole list of things from Ajax and Brillo Pads to Comet, Febreze, and Sani Flush! But nowhere did I see the ultimate cleansing agent listed—Jesus Christ.

“But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” (1 John 1:7 NLT)

We get a “bath” when we trust Jesus as our Savior and are considered completely clean before God forever! When we malfunction and sin as God’s children we get a “spot cleansing” whenever we acknowledge our sins to Him.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9) 

A clean heart that comes from God is the good news were celebrating this Sunday at our Baptism Celebration at Newton Pool, where at 5:30 pm, twenty-two of our church family are giving testimony of their faith in Christ and identifying publicly with Him. That’s why we’re calling the event “Washed.” 

I hope to see you there.

Bring your family and friends, some food to share, and a chair to sit on, and we’ll celebrate getting “clean” before we enjoy getting wet!

Pastor Steve

Eruptions of Grace

There’s something fascinating and horrifying at the same time about the destructive power of volcanic eruptions!

I was a missionary kid on summer vacation in the mountains of Karuizawa, Japan when I experienced my first seismic explosion. Ten miles away, well-known and active volcano, Mount Asama, rumbled into action one afternoon, emitting a cloud of gas and ash that shook our town. I remember windows vibrating and rain coming down black. Other than the shock and noise, however, in the mercy of God, we experienced no ill effects.

Maybe you’re someone who’s been to Hawaii for a vacation. Having had the privilege of visiting years ago, my heart goes out to the residents of Hawaii’s Big Island. In contrast to my fleeting and non-traumatic childhood experience, these folks have been living in daily anxiety and overwhelm for over four weeks, as Kilauea and its environs continue to disgorge rivers of lava and smoke. According to news reports, thousands of residents have been evacuated and nearly a hundred homes have been consumed by rivers of red molten destruction. Paradise it is no longer!

One Big Island native, a lady who witnessed the unexpected and overwhelming sight of her house burning up in minutes, lamented, “It feels really hard to know you have nowhere to go and nothing to your name.”

Life on this earth is full of the unexpected and overwhelming. Whether it’s a financial, relational, or physical drastic turn of events, many of us know what it’s like to live with emotionally painful disruptions of our worlds.

Back in March, I wrote about Bobbie’s older sister, Beth Sandoval’s, battle with reoccurring leukemia in Mexico, where she and her husband Chalo have been church planting missionaries for over 40 years. Chemo treatments have failed to eradicate her cancer, so Beth needed a transfusion of blood-producing stem cells from a donor’s bone marrow to have any hope of surviving. 

As you may recall Bobbie was a perfect match. Many of you prayed for us as Bobbie and I set out on a ten day “bone marrow donation trip” to Puebla, Mexico back in April, and we thank you so much for your love and support! Doctors were able to harvest her stem cells, taking double what Beth needed just in case. Those stem cells were immediately frozen, waiting in the ensuing weeks for Beth to undergo her final round of chemo and other medical preparations in order to finally be ready to receive them.  

That transfer hasn’t happened yet, but we’re hoping and praying that somewhere around June 18, Beth will begin benefitting from the overflow of life that came from deep within Bobbie’s bones!

Jesus said in Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Overflows can be destructive or beneficial, depending on what’s in our hearts and how connected to God we are.

My prayer for my own heart and for ours as God’s people is that this summer we will experience life-giving “eruptions of grace” from deep within our souls, produced by the overflow of living in sync with Jesus!

I love that Summer Quest “life flow” has drawn lots of kids closer to Jesus this week in an amazingly blessed four days. Thanks to all of you who’ve sacrificially been sharing God’s heart of love with our neighbors.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday, when we gather to celebrate God’s abundant grace, and Pastor Jack unpacks the “Tower of Pride” story from Genesis 11.

Pastor Steve

Holy Week Word Play

One of the cheapest forms of entertainment for me happens to be something the pleasure of which I inherited from my dad. I like to play with words!

Honestly, I’m not a huge word nerd, but what I do enjoy is tweaking combinations of expressions and thoughts, or mixing similar sounding words that end up bringing a smile to my face and groans (of joy) to others. I like to juxtapose things that others might not think of.

OK, I admit, I had to look up the spelling and meaning of “juxtapose” juxta minute ago! You’re getting the picture… I hope! “Juxta” is Latin for “beside,” and so “juxtapose” means “to place alongside of for the purpose of comparison or contrast.”

Thinking about this upcoming Holy Week weekend, I can’t help but shake my head at the crazy juxtaposition of events that are flowing together to vie for our focus. We’ve got the profound mixed with the profane (Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day), and the climactic events of our faith intertwined with college basketball’s biggest weekend! We’ve got the Final Countdown in Jerusalem and the Final Four in San Antonio calling for our attention!

A lot is at stake in each of the arenas of faith and sports.

Could it be, I wonder, that there’s more similarity to be found here than at first glance? Words like “sacrifice” and “unselfishness” are being bantered around in both worlds, and nobody makes it to the Final Four weekend without hard work and painful effort.

My goal in the next several days is not only to enjoy the games, but even more, to savor the sacrifice of Jesus my Savior and to open my heart and respond appropriately to the outpouring of his love.

I recently read of the brave and heroic French policeman who died while attempting to trade places with a woman hostage when a terrorist attacked a supermarket in Trebes last week. Referring to officer Arnaud Beltrame’s courageous act, France’s Minister of the Interior said, “France will never forget his heroism, his bravery, his sacrifice.” Beltrame is being honored because he gave his life for the freedom of the hostages.

Perhaps you, too, would step forward to help someone you love.

Bobbie and I have been recently burdened with the news of her sister, Beth’s, recurring leukemia, for which the only solution now is evidently getting a bone marrow transplant. The other day, without hesitation, Bobbie sent in the test kit and ended up being a perfect match! That means that we’re trying to figure out how to squeeze in a week and a half trip to Puebla, Mexico (where Beth and Chalo live and serve as missionaries) in the next month so Bobbie can make this life-saving donation! I am so proud of her courage and willingness to do something sacrificial.

This all reminds me of Jesus who, with a heart full of love, willingly bled and died to save not just his friends, but his enemies!

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

I was helpless and weak, an enemy of God, and Jesus showed God’s incredible love by laying his life down to pay for my sins so that I could be reconciled to God and live with him as his beloved child forever!

For that sacrifice and for that incredible victory of death three days later, I am completely indebted to my Savior and King.

I’m so grateful to belong to his family now and look forward to celebrating with him for eternity.  In the meantime, I’ll raise my hands and offer my heart to the true hero of the ages until I see him face to face, lifting the ultimate trophy of final redemption! 

See you Easter Sunday!
Pastor Steve

Opening Myself Up to the One Who Understands Me Best

The other day I had a jolting introduction to the world of age-related ailments and expensive medical solutions! Picking up a prescription for some medication I needed to treat a skin condition on my face shocked me into thinking about my priorities.

I knew ahead of time that this particular 5 oz tube of special facial gel was expensive and not covered by Medicare, and I had almost decided to go a cheaper route. But since the medicine has proved effective in the past and lasted a long time, and since I wasn't sure that a cheaper version would do the trick, I decided to bite the bullet and pick up another identical prescription.

Not only did I bite the bullet... I swallowed it (!)... to the tune of $392.49!

Honestly, I'm not complaining, and, compared to major medical procedures, what I paid for this medication is hardly a drop in the bucket. Still, I'm marveling at how willing I was to put out a relatively large chunk of change to deal with a cosmetic condition! Something that makes the outside of me look and feel better.

The thought then came to me: how much am I willing to invest in my relationship with Jesus in order to upgrade and maintain my soul... the inside of me that desperately needs his healing and restoring work?  

I am so grateful that my heavenly Father has such a good heart, loves me dearly, and wants me to grow into the life he has always wanted me to experience in relationship with Jesus, his Son. 

This year, in a deeper and more passionate way, I'm choosing to open myself up to the One who understands me best, has my best interests at heart, and knows how I fit in his kingdom.

I'm drawing comfort from the verses we've chosen for our Amigo 20 team to memorize as we prepare to serve at Children's Haven International's children's home this March (1-9):

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light." (Psalm 36:7-9)

I love how Todd Wagner, founding pastor of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX, expresses God's heart so practically in his book, Come & See: "God is not looking to rip you off... He is looking to set you free."

God is so good and unbelievably generous, and I am trusting Him in 2018.  I hope you'll join me in choosing to love God, love people, and lead others to do the same!

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when we get to gather as the deeply-loved bride of Jesus and hear His heartbeat as we worship in song together, continue in Pastor Jack's sermon series on Genesis, and vote to affirm elders.

Resting in Jesus,

Steve