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The Better Way

Want to live weird? (in honor of our series "Weird")

Love the unlovely

Accept the unaccepted

Extend mercy to the merciless

Show compassion to those with no compassion

Give grace where none is given

Forgive when it wasn't asked for

Bring peace into chaos

Be a friend to the friendless

Bring hope to the hopeless

Jesus was called a "friend of sinners" & we're called to live like Him.

To bring healing to the broken, because He's brought healing to our brokenness.

We are people of second chances, because we've been given second chances (& third, & fourth . . . )

forgive as the Lord forgave you

Being a follower of Jesus isn't easy, but it is the better way.

P.S.  How would you feel if instead of "unlovely", or unaccepted, or hopeless, I had put:  the sex addict, the drunk, the atheist, the Democrat, the Republican, the . . . 

hope or hate?

I've been seeing a lot of hate lately online.  I've seen it specifically as it relates to our culture & faith.  Christians are called bigots and hypocrites for right and wrong reasons.  Meanwhile too often Christians respond with venom of their own.

How are we called to live?  What should our lives look like?  I was reading in 1 Peter 3 this morning, and I thought this verse was especially helpful:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect - 1 Peter 3:15

What does it mean to have "Christ as Lord"?  He needs to be the Lord/leader/King of our lives.  We are His follower, as He leads us.  If He is that Lord/leader/King then we're called to follow His example and to do what He calls us to do, no matter what.  

We're also called to be ready to share the reason for the hope we have in our life.  What does that assume?  1.  That our hope is evident in our life.  Do people see "hope" in you?  2.  Our hope should be so evident that people actually ASK about it.  How many people have asked you about why you are so hopeful/peaceful/joyful?  

Lastly the author says to share that hope with gentleness and respect.  As I said earlier, I've seen very little of that on the internet.  How do you share the hope that you have?  Are you ready to answer people, but it's only to shoot them down, or to shake your finger at their morality?  

When given the option today (and each day for that matter), choose love.  We are all broken people in need of grace, forgiveness, hope.  The minute that you think "those people" need all of that more than you, you move one step closer to being a part of the problem, rather than part of the solution that God has called you to be.

How do I grow?

So many people think they need to go to church for years and years, or they need to go to Bible college, or they need to go to all sorts of in-depth Bible studies to grow.  And all of those can be important.  And, we need to have others in our lives that can speak into us, help us understand the context and literature of the Bible.  We need to study the meaning of God's Words to us.  We need people to encourage us to live out what we're learning.  

But, one sure fire way to grow into who God wants you to be, is to start reading God's Words, the Bible.  That's what Vince Antonucci did and it changed everything.  He talks about it in a blog post that is well worth your read, and includes a great resource.  Check it out by clicking right . . . Here!

P.S.  You're Welcome! :-)

brokenness = healing

You might not think that brokenness = healing.  After all, doesn't brokenness mean you NEED healing?  Well, yes.  But, what I've found to be true, is that until you realize your brokenness you don't realize you need healing.

The other day I met with a great guy.  He's pretty new to The Journey and he's exploring faith.  He went to church a little when he was really young, but doesn't know what kind of church it was.  It didn't leave much of an impression on him.

This young guy and I met to just touch base, and I wanted to hear his story.  He shared his story and the brokenness he has faced in his life.  He realizes the brokenness in his life, some brought on by others, some brought on by himself.  That awareness has put him in a position where he wants to heal the brokenness.  He's ready to turn the corner.  To put the pieces back together into the beautiful mosaic that God intended for him.  That healing comes from a relationship with Jesus.  It happens when we connect with Jesus into the life He wants for us.  

 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24

The sad part is that most people try desperately to hide their brokenness, and because of it they never find healing.  

Brokenness=Healing

I love the authenticity of those who attend The Journey.  We are a community of broken people finding healing, grace, hope, and being put back together into the beautiful masterpiece that God says we are.

Strategic Partnerships - a new way forward in missions

I grew up in a great church that had a world map in the auditorium (oops, Sanctuary).  On that map there were all these little lights that showed the missionaries they supported around the world.  There were probably 50-60 little lights.  Some of those people they supported a great deal, some they supported with $400-500 a year.  Every little bit helps, but there was little investment required.

When we launched The Journey we knew we couldn't support tons of ministries, but we wanted to develop strategic partnerships with a few and support them in a very hands-on way.

We also knew that just supporting "missionaries" with a check each month would not make a ton of sense to the 65%+ of our people who weren't going to church before they came to The Journey.

We ended up partnering locally with organizations in the lakeshore area, and then globally with Jason & Lisa Hovingh, in Kenya, Africa and with Vince Antonucci and Verve Church near the Las Vegas strip.  We've taken multiple trips to both locations, and funneled well over $100,000 to those ministries through money & equipment.  Both of those ministries are meeting the deep, spiritual needs of people and also the very tangible physical needs of people as well. 

Whether you are a Christian or not, you understand and can get behind the need for people to have adequate drinking water, for orphans to be cared for, for sex trafficing to stop, for addictions to be defeated.  We knew we had found strategic partnerships that would connect with our community that we were gathering at The Journey.  

The result is that our people feel a deep connection to the works that are happening in those locations and with those ministries.  And, we've formed deep and important partnerships in the Kingdom work of God. 

Life Change at the beach

We're about "relationships not religion" at The Journey.  The primary relationship we talk about is a relationship with Jesus.  Why is this so important?  Because we believe that what the Bible says about Jesus is true, and that real life, our best life, is found in Him.  

Sunday we celebrated that life with "Baptisms at the Beach".  We had 12 adults who have decided to follow Jesus, and go public with their faith.  What an awesome thing!  If you're a Journeyer, you will be hearing their stories on video over the next weeks at The Journey.   But, I'm here to tell you, they are remarkable & you won't want to miss it!!

It truly has been life changing for these fellow Journeyers!  And, that's why we do what we do - so everyone can experience their best life, found in relationship with Jesus.  Please, don't ever forget the motive behind the mission.

P.S.  We'll be doing baptisms at the beach again, at the end of August.  Maybe that's your next step?!

Freedom

So grateful for the country we live in.  The freedoms we have in the United States are mere dreams in many places in the world.  And, I didn't do anything to deserve the place that I live.  I was just born into the right family.

Today I'm thankful for the many men and women who risked their lives to start this great country, the many men and women who have fought to defend our freedom, and those who work tirelessly to protect that freedom.

I also think about Jesus who came to bring ultimate freedom.  I don't deserve it, but he willingly died to give us that freedom.  Life with Jesus brings freedom for eternity, but also freedom now.  And, we all need it.  

What's Your Motivation?

When it comes to serving in the church, to reaching out to our neighbors or co-workers, we can be driven by a couple of different motivations.

For some who grew up in the church, you are (if you're honest) driven by guilt.  That's your motivation for serving and for reaching out.  You know you should.  You hear a message, you read something in the Bible and you feel guilty.  So, you try to talk to your neighbor, or you sign up to help once a month in the nursery.  

And when that's your motivation, you usually HATE it.  You serve, you give, you reach out, but mostly so we don't feel guilty.  We check it off the list, we grudgingly show up for our hour of service.  It does next to nothing in our heart, nothing to shape us more into who Jesus wants us to be.

The purer, better motivation is a crystal clear understanding of God's amazing grace for us & coming to the conclusion that EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the planet's best life is in connection and relationship with Jesus.  If you truly believe that, it will drive you to share that hope, that life with those around you.  You serve because you're helping other people experience their best life.  You reach out to your neighbor because you want them to experience their best life.

Our best life, is a life connected to our Heavenly Father.  It's a life in relationship with Jesus.  The one who came to bring us abundant life.

So, what's your motivation?  And if it's the former, rather than the latter, what do you need to do to change that?