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Connection Card Moments

2010-04-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

As always, actual connection cards from theMovement. Uncensored and real, these cards will be only edited when it comes to names. Please join us in prayer or in praise. Will post 5-10 per week.

"Thank you Lord for what your doing in my life and in my family. My wife is pregnant and we both quit smoking, doing drugs, drinking ect. Jesus set us FREE."

"I found God at theMovement... I grew in faith and confidence in my lifegroup, and I became a Christian who's not afraid to talk about Jesus to my family anymore. Amen. Thank you!"

"I was baptized last week and I had been praying for my old party friends for months to come to church, they came to my baptism and are here today again and love it, God is amazing and answers prayers!"

"My name is ___ and I am going through a divorce and I am having trouble finding faith in anything anymore. I want God to have it all. I need a prayer."

"I would love to encourage parents of teenagers that there is hope out there. Don't give up or give in to the enemy! Don't allow him to take your child! Just keep believing and praying!"

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2009 - A look back

2009-12-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

What an incredible year 2009 has been. I can honestly say that, outside of our first year as a church, we have experienced more incredible moments filled with God that it truly renders me speechless.

The spiritual growth, the impassioned servant hood, and the awesome favor of God led us all year.

The year started out with a teaching a series called "Disciple". A four-week series that challenged the average or nominal Christian to be all that God had intended them to be. As a result of that challenge many pressed in to God like never before and the fruit was nothing more than extraordinary.

The first week of February we started our series on the book of Genesis. We spent 48 weeks in this book and covered pretty much the whole thing verse by verse. Some of the highlights of the year include:

- We talked about circumcision on Mother's Day
- we talked about homosexuality
- we discussed adultery and lust and incest
- We saw Abraham leave the comfort of UR and pilgrimage to the unknown land of Canaan directed only by God himself
- We challenged men to be manly and not womanly by following hard after their Savior Jesus Christ
- we had an incredible marriage conference that exploded and strengthened marriages across the church
- we held youth events and ski trips and conferences that encouraged us to be more as we pressed in to our calling
- we saw our Kids on the move double in size as incredible leadership was put in place
- Our life groups grew to a staggering number, a number many thought would never be possible in a church like ours (we used to be an "event", now we are a "family")
- we added two services, 8:00 AM and 6:30 PM
- We published and produced a movement live CD and the results have been amazing as people all over are excited to hear new music come out of our church.
- We even considered expanding our reach into Temecula, only to have God remind us that what he was doing in San Marcos was the main priority.
- We granted a new campaign "I love my wife, I love my husband, I love my family" and place the slogan on T-shirts. The result? Sales went through the roof!
- We volunteered in the city of San Marcos and pledged to give away 5000 hours of community service.
- We redesigned the Canvas Café, and now are putting live music and broadcasting services available as an overflow or more comfortable seating those that want it.
- our harvest festival was each remanded success and our largest attendance ever in the community.
- We pray in faith knew that God would financially stabilize our church even in a economic downturn and God came through with flying colors! we closed 2009 100% debt free!!!
- and most importantly, we saw over 400 people give their lives to Jesus Christ in 2009.

None of this would be possible without the incredible hand of God and His leadership in our lives. He cares more about his church than I or any of us will ever care. He died for it, lived for it, and will return for it! the church is the bride of Christ and will forever worship him throughout eternity.

I think God that I have the opportunity to pastor this wonderful church and I can't wait to see what he has in store for 2010. My guess? It's going to be nothing short of awesome.

Here's to 2009 and Godspeed 2010.

Mammoth 2009

2009-12-31T12:02:00.000-08:00

So we decided that at the last second we were going to go on a semi-vacation. Mind you, this was not something that we had previously planned nor were expecting but always anticipating when we were going to get to the mountain as a family. You see, the McGinty clan absolutely loves going snowboarding. It is something that we have done as a family for our little mini vacations since the kids were four years old. I grew up loving going to the mountains as a young boy.

My earliest recollections of going to the mountains was when I was around 9 years old and my parents took me to Wrightwood California. I started skiing when I was pretty young and I the first time that I went on the little skiing trip with my friend Marco Ruiz when I was in 7th grade. I already gone once with my parents and I really like the feeling of the snow and the free feeling of being able to go as fast as you can have your eyes water as you fly through the mountains on a pair of long skinny planks.

I remember one of my mom's friends was a pretty crazy person in that she was very high profile and seemed to enjoy a lot of expensive things. As a young boy, I was always attracted to the appearance of what seemed to look like fun. They had PAC-MAN and BATTLEZONE arcade games in their house kinda like Ricky Schroeder from Silver Spoons. Glamour, glitz, and fashion ruled the roost. So, you can imagine there wasn't much shock when we all went skiing and she comes out of the RV camper with these huge fuzzy brown boots, looking like two stumpy legs from Chewbacca walking along the icy, wet asphalt writ with black and charcoal gray snow in what looked like a black lake surrounded by snow.

Ah, memories.

It didn't take me long to figure out that I really enjoyed skiing. Fast forward to my youth filled with fun trips, and a love for going to high-altitude places to enjoy a sport I really loved. I remember thinking to myself that one of the most wonderful things that a person could do would be to have a family and take them on snowboard or ski trips to have memories that will always be savored.

You want vintage 80's? I remember the days in 1988 when my friends and I were the only people on the mountain with a snowboard attached to our legs. Out of 2000 skiers we were the only two that were fastened, sideways, to our board. We would go up to little mountains in Southern California called Mt. Kratka, Waterman or Baldy and enjoy the snow for six dollars on a student pass. Back then, the only snowboarding to be found was in SoCal resorts like Snow Summit. Even then, it was a highly limited sport with people mostly doing carving and trying to avoid the double-plank joyriders known as skiers. The animosity was massive and I remember thinking how silly it looked to ski when you could snowboard!

Back then you would be kicked off the mountain and had your ticket taken from you if you did any kind of jumping whatsoever because you might harm other people. I noted to myself that I knew that snowboarding was going to take off because I would literally have person after person on the mountain that day asking us the same question 100 times a day: what is snowboarding like? Our response was always the same, "it's kind of like skating and kind of like surfing but totally not like those all!" We would laugh because we knew that we were enjoying the sport that not many people knew nor had tried to take on. The equipment used back then was raw and rudimentary but it was so much fun because it felt like you were skating or surfing, like we said, on the mountain.

I was a pretty good skier at the time I did a lot of things on those two planks and I really enjoyed the sport. But one snowboarding took hold of me I knew that I was going to do it forever because of the so much fun and so much freedom.

Fast forward to 2009, my children are both 14 and 12. Together, they have been snowboarding 17 seasons out of a possible 26. Pretty good ratio for a snow lunatic like me. One year, during my first year of college, I remember snowboarding 39 times in one season. Sadly, I know that I wanted more. That was the last true year of El Niño and I remember it like it was yesterday as the skies opened up and filled even the local mountains with tons of fun snow.

So we go up to Mammoth on a last-second trip, and we decide that we are going to have the most fun that we can possibly have as a family on a mountain because we know that we are due for a great storm. Mind you, I hunt storms like a tiger hunts women. (c'mon, I said "a" tiger) A lot of people might give me flack for taking my vacations during the middle of the week during the snow season. I agree that my career as a pastor and what the Lord has allowed me to do it somewhat convenient for a snow lunatic like myself. However, this is absolutely 100% part of the benefits of doing what I am called to do. The majority of my life is spent on the weekends and in the holidays when people go to church most. This includes Easter week's as well as Christmas, Memorial Days, and the like. My weekends are always full where my weeks can be manipulated so that the majority and the most important work always gets done in the right fashion. Insert smiley face.

The downside to what I do is that I'm never able to really go on weekend vacations with friends nor spend Christmas traveling or Easter to go back and see family. Most people travel on Memorial weekends and labor days and do things like that, but I am always aware that I've always got Sunday coming and I'm excited to do what I do. Therefore, I know each snow season that when the snow falls I gotta hit it. By God's grace, he has allowed me to do just that. Another smiley face.

We don't take elaborate or expensive vacations to exotic places but one thing we do is we know how to travel to the mountain and make the most of everything that is before us. The fact that I just finished preaching the 50th chapter of Genesis this year and there was 5 feet of new snow to me it just seemed like God was giving me a signal. :)

So we showed up and lo and behold it was exactly as advertised. The snow was amazing and we were excited as we headed into town. We had never stayed at a new place called the Village in Mammoth. God connected me with a gentleman that truly blessed us as a family. To him I am grateful, although most grateful for God who helped orchestrate it all.

So we get into town and everything is white. Pure whiiiiiiiite. The snow had fallen, there were huge white walls surrounding our car on every turn. To say that we were excited would be an incredible understatement. We woke up the next morning to absolutely perfect blue skies, 70 inches of new snow, and a whole bunch of smiles all around. We traveled up the mountain and knew we were going to have a blast.

One of the most wonderful things that I enjoy as a father is seeing my children enjoy the sport that I love the most. I am not sure that my daughter has exactly fell in love with the sport, although I do know that she really really likes it and sometimes she really, really doesn't. This is probably true for every 12-year old girl on the planet.

My son, however, I believe has fallen in love with sport over the past couple years. What may have started out as a love relationship ("Daddy, Daddy the snow is fun!!!") soon turning into a love-hate relationship ("Daddy, Daddy the snow hurts!"), partially due to my overaggressive parenting and the necessary need for learning the sport quickly ha ha… I think that he has finally found love with my favorite sport. I can only pray!

As a father, you hope to introduce your children to things that you love and enjoy in life. I think every single trip always reminds me how important it is to have my family and those closest to me sharing life together. The fact that we are 11,000 feet in the air on mountains of snow only adds to that wonderful experience, in my opinion. I would hope that each trip is a reminder not only of how rich and sweet fellowship is together, but that there would be a continual reminder that it is only God and his grace that has allowed us to experience this wonderful blessings of playing on the playground called Earth.

It is in our fellowship and our love for one another were God is on display in the most green and even in those times of hardship and persecution and sin and rebellion we can always look to forgiveness and reconciliation and the grace of God that allows us to experience the joys of parenting in the wonderful little sport called snowboarding.

On that note, I think there's a storm coming….:)

post turkey

2009-11-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

Everything is different "post turkey".

For me, it usually starts about two days before the big turkey lynching. I get these deep desires in places I don't even know were inside me to stuff my face and my stomach with as much turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pie as I can possibly imagine. It's like I'm lusting for real but its food and its weird but its there.

Fast forward to the self-entitled "gorge day". I have heard of the sin of gluttony but I don't know about it too much because there isn't too much hype in the Christian world about gluttony. I wonder why? Is it because it's not an epidemic? No. Obesity is one of the biggest threats to our youth and our culture. Is it not because it isn't pervasive? No. Gluttony is everywhere you look. Is it because most Pastors couldn't teach a topic they have no authority in? What is gluttony anyway?

Gluttony is the worship of food to the demise of the body. Some eat too much, some eat too little, and some eat regardless of the physical outcome to their overall health. That's gluttony.

So, in my premeditated, sinful state, I approach the BIG day with the anticipation of a toddler that just saw her binky. In a word: hungry.

I am about to eat to my hearts content. As I preview the casseroles, and the jellies, and the baked yams with marshmallows on top, and the big bird cut open for this annual time of worship? I am quickly grabbing the biggest plate I can find to start stacking food on top of food. With my jumbo-size "Thanksgiving-edition" plate in hand I start filling up food like a real estate developer in Japan: tall and up.

I sit down and take care of it in about 5 minutes. 4000 calories: 5 minutes. There's a record in there somewhere.

Fast forward 2 hours.

I'm tired. My stomach hurts. My body is sending signals that my brain can't interpret. "Go to the bathroom. Go lay down. Go outside and exercise this off. Go have more. Go try to throw it all up. Go talk to your relatives you haven't seen in 4 years. Go fart. Go burp. Just go!"

Everything is different "post turkey".

The same can be said of sin. There are things in my life that look amazing, look incredible, could even be profitable, but they are not permissible. Sometimes we "starve ourselves" from certain things that we know in our hearts are sinful and so we avoid them. Then, when temptation starts rearing its head, we are enticed by the allure and the bogus promises that they convey. "You need this, you have been waiting for this, you deserve a break, this will be make you happier"

The empty promises so easily picked off before as temptation now start to speak to us in our own voice. It's at this point that I have to remind myself of my eating gorge and the effects of my unprovoked, premeditated turkey and stuffing worship. And the feeling it left me with.

Not full. Just bloated.

I pray that God will always keep me full. Keep my appetite on Him and the things He desires for me and the food that He provides that is always perfect, always filling, and always what I need.

Psalm 81:10

Between the Cleats

2009-08-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my 61 Comet, sideways, across my red and white velvet seats that are way too close to the go-kart looking steering wheel with rust and no horn. My stereo is the voices of enthusastic coaches with a single goal in mind: teaching kids to play tackle football.

"What's wrong with you, son? We're not growing trees here.. you're supposed to move!"

This guy is Lombardi without a pro team or a winning streak. And I listen and smile and absolutely love the serenity of the heavy grass clogging up the empty space between the cleats.

And it's between the cleats that I find myself experiencing life. Experiencing God. Experiencing a clogged version of life in a crowded and somewhat surprisingly, compact world.

There's more to be said and more to be had and more to be experienced and more to be known and more to be lived. I want to know that reality.

and I know that God's plan includes it. So why is it that my life feels like I can't find traction on the things that lead me to the one thing I need to know best? Why do I feel like I'm stepping in the soggy grass looking for smoother, fresh cut blades all the time?

I mean, is life meant to be lived perfectly or is life meant to become that which is perfect? Do I focus on who I am or who I am becoming? I find myself struggling between the perfection of the now and the perfection that is to come because in everything I do i find so many imperfections within me. Why do I get so brash when a kind word would do? Why do I say things I don't really mean? Why am I so pathetically weak in my faith in one day and full of zeal another?

And then I start getting that clogged up feeling in my brain that feels like an old cleat still stuck working through the soupy grass.

So I sit and I listen in on the chatter heard around my ears as the coaches teach the young boys what it's like to do it "perfect" and in that, perfect it. Trying to be perfect while at the same time pressing on to perfection.

It's soothing. The banter and direction can be heard in any direction, in any corner of the smallish suburban, community park, but sometimes, it is heard just for these ears:

"What's wrong with you, son? We're not growing trees here.. you're supposed to move!"

God/Himself, part two

2009-08-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

So I was wondering... looking at the 5 ways God can be Himself... how many churches do not agree with those 5 things?

5 Amazing Truths About Christian Churches

1. Some communities of faith/churches say that there is not just one God.

2. Some churches do not preach repentance from sin and the need of a Savior. Further, some churches say the only acceptable way to be saved is in "their" church.

3. Some churches do not believe that God heals the sick.

4. Some churches believe God came for only some, not all.

5. Some churches believe that spiritual gifts, given by God, are dead.

Question: Does your church believe in any of these 5?
(ask, you may be surprised)

Vision Night responses...

2009-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have heard tons of great things about Vision Night and how many we excited to hear what God is doing in our church. I will post a mini-recap of the night later today.. but for now... here are a few cool responses.

"We are stoked to see what the Lord has put on your heart and can't wait to start helping. Thank you for being responsible with our church and avoiding debt and loans, the Lord is really going to bless our church for that decision."

"I just wanted to let you know how thankful my husband Tony and I are that we found your church about 8 months ago. We really feel like we fit in and we belong. My husband wasnt a big church person before and now ever since we started going to theMovement, he is actually excited and cant wait for Sunday! It is such a great feeling to see your spouse so excited to hear the word of the Lord!Also I just wanted to let you know that we were both at Vision night last night and it was wonderful. The things that the Lord has planned for this church is amazing! I am letting you know now that my husband and I are volunteering for any work that might need to be done in the church, or along the lines of the community service! We are very excited to be a part of this adventure and look forward for more to come! Have a wonderful day."

Vision Night

2009-08-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of gathering together with a few hundred friends tonite. We came together, in part, representing those that are part of this vibrant community of 1000 or so people that call on Jesus as Savior and theMovement as home.

theMovement will always aim to be a place where God can be Himself. In our beliefs and in our walk.

Five Ways God Can Be Himself at theMovement (or any church that dares)

1. He will be glorified as the one and only God.

2. He will be worshiped as Lord over and within the church.

3. He will heal the sick and set people free of sin and bondage.

4. He came to save the world. That means everyone, not just some.

5. He gives spiritual gifts and they are really cool to have.

Five Ways We Can Glorify God

1. We will believe he alone is God.

2. We surrender our lives before him and are a living sacrifice, just like Jesus.

3. We pray for the sick and we see some of them healed.

4. We witness to everyone about our love of God and His love for us all.

5. We employ spiritual gifts and we pray for them and they rock.

So tonite we met and we talked about a possible future the Lord is taking our church on. I am stoked because God is with us and we like that because when God is Himself, He's actually great to be around. When He is with us.. we pray He can be just that: God.

To God be the Glory...

Easter

2009-04-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

An amazing day... a day to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

My favorite part? Seeing everyone stoked on what God is up to in North County, San Diego. The electricity of what was going on as people were being touched by God through the eyes and ears of those that served the Lord faithfully on this day.

My thanks go out to the mulitude of people that aspired to make this day a day that will celebrated throughout eternity! What a glorious and great, great God we serve. I was astounded by the level of cheer, faithfulness, and overall butt-kicking hard work that made it all happen.

My favorite connection card of the day.. sums it up...

"I came here for the first time today and haven't been to church in a long long time. I just wanted to say that the people here are SO nice and welcoming. It made me realize that God might be real and lives through these people. What a great place!!! I want to live my life for God. I will be back next week!"

Wow.

God bless you all that serve and our part of the team here at theMovement. I love you all!

Updates

2009-04-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Shockingly, I promised an update and I am delivering an update.

Here is a little insider information. The weekdays in my life pass a little differently than most. My Sunday is your Monday. So, my Thursday is your Friday. Suffice it to say, my week flies by...much like yours. And, I find myself at the end of the week which actually looms like the beginning of my week.

And, what an exciting week it has been. First, a HUGE shout-out to all the people who are putting in long hours at theMovement. I seriously have few words for how exciting it is and how blessed I am/we are.

What an incredible thing to see the people of the church doing the works for the church to bless the people of the church to glorify the Lord. And, as if it is an "Extreme Makeover" sent by God, most everything is donated or discounted and extremely under budget. My hats off to all of you who are busting your bums to do the very BEST.

As a highlight, I am going to post some fairly "rough" pics of theCanvas. (these high quality photos are courtesy of my blackberry) TheCanvas is our newly re-designed coffee shop. Our prayer is that this would become an alternate venue for church services and a chill place to spend your time throughout the week. Please stop on by this Sunday to see the unveiling of this labor of love. Our hope is that church would not be a one stop shop on a Sunday but, a place where you would bring your friends and family and share Life.

Easter week

2009-04-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow.. I can't believe how much time has passed between the last time I posted. It's just like me to get into something and take a lonnnng break. If it's worthy of my time and I enjoyed doing it.. I usually get back into it one way or another. However...

It's Easter week!

Easter is an incredible day where we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is because of this that many people will find their way to church for the first time in a lonnnnng time. I can only speak for myself when I say that Pastoring a church during this time is not only one of the most rewarding things I do but it's also the most fun.

To me, the greatest joy is seeing people I have invited to come to church make their way through the front door, albeit a bit sheepish, but they come.

Sheepish. hmm.

Multiply that x1000 other people that have invited their friends and family and this can be real fun, real fast.

I love celebrating victories. As a player, as a coach, as a fan.. I love the joy that comes in a hard fought battle that literally takes everything out of you... the joy of triumph and victory! That's exactly how I feel when my friends and family... the church's friends and family.. cross the line of faith and put their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord of their life and Savior from their sins.

From Repentance
to Dependence.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do not only Easter morning.. but all week long as we prepare our hearts and minds for Christ to do what Christ does best... bring us from death to life.

So I'm just going to post some random things that are happening in my life, in the life of our team and church, and some other stuff that is goin on during Easter week.

Check back for updates on the newly remodeled family lobby, and theCANVAS grand re-opening!!!

Noah's Basketball

2008-12-11T07:48:00.001-08:00

Noah is playing in the San Marcos Youth Basketball league. His team, the Grizzlies, just kicked off their season!

They have played two games so far: 1-1. You gotta love youth basketball, especially 7th-8th grade. Noah's in 7th grade this year in the "A" division. Here's some pics...

Quote of the week

2008-12-10T11:34:00.001-08:00

"I had far rather walk, as I do, in daily terror of eternity, than feel this was only a children's game in which all the contestants would get equally worthless prizes in the end."

T.S. Eliot

Sunday Update

2008-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

So this weekend we continued our "Jesus Encounter" series with a look at the encounter with Herod. The sermon title "Less like Herod, More like Jesus" helped communicate how we can learn from the aspects of Herod's controlling, domineering, tyrannical life.

We focused on the aspect of control and manipulation in the context of our relationship with God and our relationships with others.

Here are some highlights...

************

"First the battle to get here this morning was huge. Control, yep, that was me this morning w/my husband. I truly needed this service for the Lord's gently flick of my ear to bring me back to the foot of the cross and allow Him to lead!"

"I need help getting off the throne. I also need more compassion for others!!! Just growing up in the LORD!"

"Just this morning I was praying in the shower about how I want my husband to do what I want and how I want it done. But, my issue with control is that I am too much like Herod and I need to relinquish control to God."

"Lord, keep me accountable to be a humble servant leader for you."

"God told me I am becoming the mother He wants me to be...it is a learning process and a journey. I don't have to BE perfect all the time. I need to pray for humility daily."

"Thank you Lord for all the trials and tribulations you have allowed me to encounter in order to trash my pride and increase my humility. Lord thank you for the continuous tranformation you have mind in my heart and mind and i pray you allow me to contue forward in my walk towards you, be by my side and continue to lead me in growth. I am forever yours. Love, your humble servant."

"I want to repent, and ask God for forgiveness for my sins. For hurting the most important people in my life. I want to dedicate myself to Jesus. i want to be a better person and fix the relationships I've damaged."

***************

It was really great to see what the Lord was doing within our family this weekend. Lots of humility and brokenness.

How does one avoid being like Herod? Three ways...

1. Build accountability in your life. James 5:16, Col 3:12-17

2. Balance your life with less thinking and more doing. James 2:14-26

3. Back up and get behind the cross. James 4:1-10

To hear the sermon, visit www.themovement.org/sermons

Thank you Lord for all that you are doing within our church body and through our lives.

Basketball..

2008-12-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

So last night Noah and I decide to go down to the gym and play a game of hoops. We show up and find that there are a few people already on the court playing a game of pick up basketball. Coolness. It's pretty fun to play basketball with your son. On one hand, I say "pretty" because it's not always entirely "fun". I think I have a propensity to suck the fun out of the game pretty quickly for a few basic reasons:

1. I'm uber competitive. I don't know where it comes from but I can seriously be the worst player on the court and still feel like I need to dominate like MJ. Problem is, it usually turns out in reverse and good ol' JM shows up. Sans domination.

2. I'm uber involved with Noah's learning of basketball. Reading between the lines: I love playing basketball. I love my son. I love my son playing basketball. Maybe it's overboard when you point out how he can get better every single time we go shoot around. I don't know. Shoot me.. he's my son and it's a whole lot of fun to watch him grow up and play. As long as it's playing well. :)

3. I'm uber. Everything about me is uber. I take things to the next level.. almost no matter what. If I'm going to get after it... I'm getting after it. the way I see it..if I'm playing the game I might as well play hard.

So back to the game...we start playing a simple 4 on 4 game full court. It sounds simple. It's not. I haven't played full court basketball in about, oh, 18 years. You read that right.. 18. I'm the guy that plays halfcourt.. if that, and even that was about 17 years ago. I've played in little pick up games but those are the kind that last about 7 points and everyone is out of breath and reaching for their oxygen masks. Full court basketball in a crowded gym is not, not even close to, the norm for me.

I realized a few things while playing in this particular game, not necessarily in any order:

1- Young guys in their early 20's with the latest Lebron James shoes have no respect for us older gentlemen. They don't slow down for us. They don't pass to us. They don't even look at us. They outrebound us. They outjump us. And they outscore us. I stay away from these types of players. But I do like them on my team. It's a love/hate thing.

2- Old guys like to punish 7th grade boys. It's the only thing I can think of. Watching my son drive to the basket only to get held and then hacked and then knocked down by some crazy 30 year old with two adolescent children stuffed inside his skin suit and promptly weighing 250 lbs. can only lead to one logical thought: 7th grade boys must be punished. Watching this as a dad can make you want to fight someone....sans Jesus.

3- It takes about 1.8 trips up and down the court to look like a tomato.

4- It's still fun to talk a little better than you play. Case in point.. this guy was guarding Noah. And mind you, he's the best player in the gym. He's not exactly Steve Nash but on this day he sure looked like it... cutting, passing, coming off screens, knocking down threes. So I move Noah over to this other guy that's exactly a foot taller than him so I can shut down (see attempt) his game.

It didn't happen. See #1.

Anyway, after turning into a complete rendition of the hot sun. My face, normally the color of the inside of an apple, now looks like it has a fresh cherry-red paint job.

And the paints not dry.

Either way, it was fun and I love playing ball with my son. I spent alot of time on the basketball court growing up. Whether it was in the front yard on the latest hoop my Dad would get for me or on the courts of Grace Community Church when I was 10. Or playing in high school for the league championship or just playing pick up ball in the old gym at Verdugo Park in Burbank with a crew of aspiring actors, comedians, and musicians all trying to kill time in between jobs as a 19-year old. Basketball became an escape of sorts. You could be whoever you wanted on the court, if you were good enough. If you weren't, you watched.

I've done my share of playing and watching. Now I have the privelege, by the grace of God, to play and watch alongside my son. To see him growing, doing well, having successes and experiencing failure. Playing hard and having fun. Well, "pretty" fun. :)

What a thrill. May I never forget the blessings of being a parent, by the grace of God.

Psalm 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Jesus Encounters 11.30.08

2008-11-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

A couple snipets of what people said this weekend at theMovement. The message covered the Jesus encounter with Satan and was titled "Defeating Temptation Through the Cross"

You can hear the sermon here.

....
"I have been very tempted to leave my wife, thank you for showing me that I was just being tempted. I feel stronger now and view the situation differently. Through the cross."

"Jesus...Thanks for letting me come close, for going through the cross, my eternal faithful redeemer. I praise you. You delivered me from so much."

"My biggest temptation: girls. Lord, I keep searching for the right girl because I want companionship but the more I search the more I realize YOU are what I'm looking for. Help me remember this always and please please draw me closer to you."

"Dear God, one of my personal struggles is overcoming what I went through with my wife some months ago. Holding onto that bitterness and anger in my heart. it is really hard for me not to think about. I have gotten a whole lot better, but the bad thoughts still come up in my head. Help me Father. In Jesus name, amen."

"Today I'm convicted. Thank you. I'm ready to go to the next level with my walk with my God."

"My wife is tempted right now. She wants a divorce and refuses to come to church. I won't give in.."

"I've had alot of temptation lately to go back to an old relationship that I know isn't right...I'm praying for the strength and the faith to know that God will bring the right person into my life at the right time."
.....

Jesus' answer to Satan was quoted directly from Dueteronomy 8:3. In context, the Israelites had just been given the 10 Commandments and given instruction by God to a life of purpose and blessing dependent upon, of course, their obedience to God.

Deut 8:1-18
"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Amen.

Summer 07

2007-08-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much time has elapsed since my last blog. I need to get better at this (add that to my list of things I need to get better at)

Things are going well. The family and I just got back from a nice little trip to Nebraska to visit relatives. The weather, for the most part, was pretty nice and the environment was cool. Went boating and launched fireworks (Noah loved that, of course)

Went out on the boat in the river and had a great time.

Here are some pics...

ok so ya

2006-08-21T23:04:00.000-07:00

ya so...

things are groovy.. life is bueno.

on the church related funk:

spoke about Desperate Sex Lives this last weekend. Man, after reading the connection cards this weekend you would think that the entire world is involved in sexual immorality.

Whats up Jesus? I don't understand all the bondage...I don't understand all the heartaches. I'm spent and broken for my church... come Lord, intervene.

As for other things..lots of rad things are happening in small groups. I am so stoked on where we are at right now. It's like a completely different church from the last couple months and a HUGE answer to prayer. Thank you God...

I really liked what Jobey shared with me the other day.

During a gathering the other day, he saw the side of our building and it looked pretty ghetto. I mean, cmon, you know how theMovement building looks. And he was kind of discouraged. I mean, it could look so much better ya know?

Anyway.. then he felt like he saw a vision of being on the freeway. And there were two exits coming up ahead...

One said...

theMovement....exit

and the next one said Hell...exit...

And the Lord showed him that we were the last exit before hell.

In a subtle moment theMovement began to make more and more sense. We are continuing the work of Jesus. We are moving towards Christ and calling all to come to Him in His name.

We just may be the last chance for so many.

I praise God for the few hundred people that have said they want to follow Jesus in the last year... may we always be the last chance saloon.. rescuing people from the grasp of Satan.

I love you Lord...our building isn't old and dirty..

to you.. it's Holy.

Amen.