Ten Things I Think

1. I think that the church in America is really going to miss Jerry Falwell. He was a bit too political for my taste and I certainly have not always agreed with him or his approach, yet I know that He loved God and people. I know that he was often misunderstood. This side of heaven we will never know the impact that he made in God’s Kingdom. I know that his contribution is enormous.

2. I think that as our Rockstars Children’s Ministry and Shockwave Student Ministry continue to transition they will arrive at a place where our children and students are being ministered to in an accepting and wonderful environment where they can grow to love God and people and it will be a place that they would be happy to bring their friends.

3. I think that Jordin Sparks is going to win American Idol. I think that Melinda Doolittle is a better singer, but Jordin has more appeal.

4. I think that our immigration issues are much bigger than L.A., California, and even the United States. I believe that there are Kingdom ramifications. Please pray for our lawmakers. Please pray for God’s will to be done.

5. I think the San Antonio Spurs have turned into the Detroit Pistons of the late 80’s and early 90’s.

6. I think that you could hear weeping and wailing from my house last night as Gilmore Girls went off the air for good. Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but Amy is really upset about losing her show.

7. I think that, for a church our size, we have a ton of musical talent. Some of that talent is untapped. If you are interested in playing or singing in our church’s band…keep your eyes open for upcoming auditions. William Hung need not apply!

8. I think doctors need to make up their mind. Should we take vitamins or not?

9. I think that next year’s presidential election is going to be close and I can tell you that when I look at the Republican candidates…none of them knock my socks off! Boring!

10. I think that every man in Venice ought to do their best to go on the Road Trip this year. The trip gets bigger and better every year. You guys do not want to miss this.

Marriage Seminar

It is exactly one month until our marriage seminar with Don & Sheryl Rooks. I know that it will be a fun and informative time. We will learn a lot and be encouraged. I encourage all adults to attend. You do not have to be married!!

The seminar will run from 9:30 AM until about 3:00 PM. We will break for lunch at about noon.
Please sign up at the information center on Sunday. We will be providing lunch. We need to know how many to plan for.

There are many interesting calendar things coming up. I would encourage you to check your handout each Sunday and our website for updates.
venicechurch.com

Next week in Touching Base: Ten Things I Think!

Living the Legacy

I am very proud of our new “branding” as Venice Church. Our new printed material turned out amazing. From what I am able to gather, most if not all of you, are proud of it as well. It is a new era at Venice Church. We are making a concerted effort to be relevant in our community and in the 21st century, however we are still Venice Baptist Church. We are an independent, Bible believing Baptist Church. Our desire is to be a biblical church that leads people to faith in Jesus Christ and that teaches them to honor God with their lives by growing to be like Christ, serving others, and by sharing the good news with others.

This is who we have always been. Our church was started in August of 1927!! We are turning 80 this year. It is a tribute to God’s faithfulness that we are still here. God has blessed this church in amazing ways over the last 80 years. We give Him praise and honor for His wonderful blessings on Venice Church.

As we pay tribute to God we should also pay tribute to those who have come before us here at Venice. God has used faithful men and women to lead in this church and serve in this church over the years. There are no two people more worthy of notice than Pastor Omer and Alyene Norris. Pastor Norris led Venice for over 30 years. God called him home shortly after he retired from Venice. This past Sunday evening Mrs. Norris went home to be with the Lord. Everything that Venice is and all that is accomplished and has been accomplished here at Venice is the result and product of Pastor and Mrs. Norris love and dedication and faithfulness to this church.

I never had the privilege of meeting Pastor Norris, yet I have come to appreciate his love for Venice through many of you. I did have the privilege of meeting Mrs. Norris on a couple of occasions. She was a gracious, wise, and sweet woman who has instilled godliness and character in the lives of many of the women of Venice.

We have been left a legacy. It is a legacy of truth, love for God, and love for other people. We cannot discount the role that Pastor and Mrs. Norris played in making this a place that loves God and His Word. We are eternally indebted to them for their investment in Venice Church. I look forward to meeting up with them in heaven and getting to know them and rejoicing with them over all that God has done through Venice Church. My prayer for Venice is that as we carry on for God and His glory that we would have a lasting impact like that of the Norris family.

Play Something Country

I don’t know if you realize it or not, but country music is back on our FM dial. Go Country 105.1 re-launched country music in L.A. and I have to say that I have kind of missed it! Country music is not my first choice in music, that would be worship music, but it is often my second choice. I think that the reason that it is high on my list is because I pretty much grew up on country. I was raised listening to the likes of The Statler Brothers, Merle Haggard, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, and Larry Gatlin.

Just a bit of trivia. Larry Gatlin married the organist of our church in Odessa, Texas. I knew Larry Gatlin when I was four years old. How is that for name dropping? I am sure that the remembers me!

When you step back and look at country music you have to ask yourself can you really go wrong with songs like Jesus, Take the Wheel, She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy, and Hillbilly Deluxe? What a myriad of theological and practical enthusiasm just jam packed into those titles!! Yea, I know that country music can be a bit trashy, but a lot of it is good clean fun.

The thing about country music, I think for me, is the memories that spring to mind when I listen to it. I remember things like the fact that I am basically white trash. The proof is in the pudding. My parents and my brother and his family actually live in trailer parks. We are “born again” white trash, but we are still white trash. Is there any chance of not being white trash when your mom grew up in Borger, Texas and your dad grew up in Sweetwater, Texas?

Just a bit of trivia. The little town of Sweetwater, Texas has produced the likes of Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh, professional wrestler Black Jack Mulligan (the Wyndam Family), professional poker legend Doyle Brunson, and of course my dad, Bob Henson Baptist preacher. I guess that is the point. Country music reminds me of Texas like good hot dogs and good pizza remind me of Chicago. My parents always tell me that Texas is a good place to be from. That means that they ain’t going back, but it does hold a lot of memories.

When I am reminded of Texas I am reminded of a lot of great things like the type of food they eat down there. The BBQ is fabulous and of course there is the fried stuff. Country fried steak. Fried catfish. Fried okra. Oh, you betcha! And my grandmother used to make stuff like green enchiladas, pimento cheese sandwiches, Frito pie, and Jell-O in the shape of fruit and fish. We would go to Sweetwater for a couple of weeks in the summer and every day at lunch my grandmother would break out the leftovers from the preceding suppers (they eat supper down there not dinner) and it would be a smorgasbord of Texas treats. My grandfather would come home from work at the railroad for lunch and we would listen to Paul Harvey while we ate Texas style. Now you know the rest of the story.

I know. You are wondering what is the point? There ain't one. Just…Play Something Country. You might like it…then again…you might not.

Ten Things I Think

1. I think that it is unbelievable what happened at Virginia Tech. Pray for the families of the victims and the Virginia Tech family.

2. I think that it is ridiculous to second guess the response of the Blacksburg and Virginia Tech Police the day after the massacre. Should they evaluate the process at some point? Absolutely. Is it our media’s job to hold them accountable? Maybe, but the day after, I think not.

3. I think that I can be very proud of myself. After literally decades of biting my fingernails…I have broken that ugly habit. I am amazed how fast my fingernails grow now that I am clipping them!!

4. I think that we have more windy days now than I ever remember. Sometimes I think I have been transported back to Chicago.

5. I think that our Men’s Ministry is blossoming into a wonderful blessing and benefit for the men of our church. The backbone of a strong church is a core of strong men who love God and live for His purposes.

6. I think that it was awesome to hear Zach Johnson, a journeyman on the PGA Tour, give thanks to God after winning the Masters Golf Tournament on Easter Sunday. When asked how he was able to make his way around the treacherous August National Golf Club and out ahead of Tiger Woods, Zach replied, “I just knew that Jesus was with me every step of the way.”

7. I think that Jack Wilson http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=333292 has gone way beyond the call of duty. For him to, not only be willing to speak to our men, but to host us at his home is amazing. Even you Dodger fans will be rooting for Jack on Saturday night! ;>)

8. I think that I hate it when I feel the need to make a “smiley” face on an email. I hate using emoticons as well, but sometimes you have to let the reader know that it was said in jest.

9. I think that the view that Amy and I had from the top of the Marriott in the Marina on Saturday evening is one of the best I have ever seen. We were not just hanging out up there. We were at a wedding.

10. I think that it is only 141 days until the National Football League 2007 Season begins. I think that you think that I am crazy because I know that. I think that you are right.

Courage

It takes courage to do this. To follow Christ, to be obedient, to honor God with our lives requires courage. To live a life where we are growing, serving, worshipping, engaged in true fellowship where there is encouragement and accountability, and sharing our faith requires courage.

There is nothing new here. When God called Moses out of the desert to deliver His people from Egypt it was a given that courage would be required. As they leave Egypt…courage. Joshua succeeds Moses…courage. The Children of Israel go into the Promised Land to possess it…courage. The Judges…courage. King David…courage. The kings that follow…courage. The prophets…courage. Jesus epitomizes courage. The Apostles that lead the early church…courage.

Here is the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe.

Be courageous. Be strong.
Bam! There it is.
We will not be any different. So, my prayer for me and for you is that we would be on guard, stand true, be courageous, and be strong. God will be pleased. We will reach our true potential in Christ and as a church. That is what a life of worship is all about.

Easter Week

Welcome to Easter week 2007. There is little doubt that many of you are traveling and enjoying some time away from the daily grind that is life on the west side. I hope that you are enjoying yourselves. If you are stuck here in town…somebody has to work! I love this time of year. I love this week in particular. The weather is spectacular. It is Master’s week. The Masters Golf Tournament is without a doubt the best golf tournament on the PGA Tour schedule. Even when you see it on television you can almost smell the azaleas blooming. And…of course…this Sunday is Easter.
This weekend is the time that we celebrate the essence of our faith. On Friday we will remember Christ’s death. On Sunday we will celebrate His resurrection. Without Christ dying in our place on that cross, and without His resurrection we have nothing. It is that gospel, that good news that makes our faith alive and vibrant. So I encourage you to reflect and celebrate and enjoy your Easter week. Easter is what following Christ is all about.

Romans 4:23-5:2 (NLT)
Now this wonderful truth—that God declared him to be righteous—wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. [24] It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. [25] He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.
[5:1] Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

Never?

Here it is. It is prime Just Walk Across the Room time. The Easter season is upon us. It is a great time to extend an invitation. I pray that you will.

One of the things that impacted me the most in these lessons was what Bill said in our video excerpt last Sunday. “Never just means no for now.” For me that means that I must pray and be patient and pray and be creative and pray and love and pray and extend a hand and pray. Did I mention I must pray for lost people more? It may take some time. It may take 8 years! It may take one invite to a service or one Bridge Illustration. It could be that the seed was planted long ago and it has been watered and fertilized and you are the one who God allows to be present when the soul is harvested.

Be diligent. Love. Serve. Share. Take a walk. Share your story. Share God’s story. We are never more like Christ than when we are extending His Good News to another.

We Are Better Together

I was reading Numbers chapter 32 this morning where there is a fascinating account. The Children of Israel have wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and now they are preparing to cross the Jordan River and go into the Promised Land. They know that when they cross that river that it will be a war. God’s command is for them to cross over and then begin driving out and or eliminating the people that inhabit the land.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad want to settle in the land east of the Jordan River. They are ranchers. The land is prime grazing land. The leaders of their tribe go to Moses and say, “We want this land on this side of the Jordan.” The inference is that the other tribes will not want this land…so we will take it.

Moses reaction is very interesting. His first impression is that they want to settle the land right now and never cross the river and never join the fight. Moses tells them that they may have the land if the men of their tribes will cross over and fight with the other ten tribes. They agree to go into the land and fight and then they will come back to their wives and children that they have left on the other side of the river.

For me there are several principles here that form a parallel for us in our church.
1. We are all in this together. The Scripture is clear that we are in a spiritual battle. The good news is that we have each other. We are in this together.
2. Unity is required. For us to accomplish all that God has called us to, we must strive together in unity. Moses makes it clear that disunity is sin. He reminds them that the reason that they had circled the desert for 40 years is because they were not unified in their purpose the first time around.
3. We all have a part to play and a job to do. For the Children of Israel to be successful and to maintain unity, everybody had to do their part. The same will be true in the church. Again, Moses is very clear. For the tribes of Reuben and Gad to be remiss in doing their part would be sin.

God has blessed Venice Church with wonderful people and a wonderful spirit. I appreciate your love for this church your desire to fulfill the mission that God has given to us. We are better together! Thanks for doing your part. I am honored to serve along side of each one of you.

Cool Stuff

Los Angeles is having a summer prequel here in March! I love this weather, but I pray that we can make it through this year without our state burning up.

If you are with us at Venice Church, I trust that you are enjoying Just Walk Across the Room. I have found it to be inspiring, encouraging and convicting to this point. Please let me remind you that what we are looking for here is a change in our lifestyle and our approach to sharing our faith. We are not looking to take “walks” just this month. We want to become “walk-across-the-room” types of people for the rest of our days. As you have seen or will see in this week’s lesson, sometimes it takes a long time to see our friend or loved one come to Christ. Hang in there and enjoy the rest of the Just Walk experience.

I know by now that you have seen the new logo and hopefully you have checked out the new website. There is more exciting stuff coming your way. Beginning on Sunday April 1st we will unveil a brand new line of printed material. You will see a new layout to our weekly handout, there will be a sweet bag of goodies for your friends who visit for the first time, and there will even be new offering envelopes and response cards. God has been very good to us and I believe that you will be proud of our new look.

Here are more dates to set aside on your calendar:

This Sunday – Rockstars go to Chuck E. Cheese. Yea!!
April 6th – Good Friday Service @ 7:00
April 8th – Easter Sunday – Two Services at 9:00 & 10:45 AM.

June 9th – Marriage Seminar with Don & Sheryl Rooks of Connecting Point Ministries.

You can find other ministry information and dates on our website at venicechurch.com.

Let Them Know

Every one of us who is a Christ follower have somebody in our life that played a significant role in pointing us to Christ. One of our assignments this week in our series Just Walk Across the Room is to let them know. We have been challenged to send a card or an email to the person or, in my case, the people that helped us across the line of faith.

I have sent three emails this week and the experience has been rewarding for me and for the folks who lovingly and courageously and persistently pointed me to Jesus Christ. I sent an email to my mom and dad thanking them for never allowing me to live one day without hearing the name of Jesus. I thanked Jerry Thorpe. Jerry is a great preacher and, like me, a preacher's kid. For the better part of my life I have been privileged to hear Jerry preach and most importantly for me, tell his story. You see, Jerry reached his teen years without giving his life to Christ and he literally lived in torment believing that Christ would return without him ever taking Him as Savior. I experienced the same thing. And Amy. It took a tremendous amount of courage on Amy's part to put me over. She stepped up and took Christ as Savior when everybody in our church thought she was already saved. She was a leader in our Youth Group for goodness sake! Her decision to come forward and say, "I have never really given my life to Christ" gave me the courage to do the same. It is not easy for the preacher's kid, who sings in the choir and does "all the right things" to admit that he is not even saved, but I did and it was Amy's courage that put me over.
So I thank them all.

If somebody has played a significant role in your life...let them know.
I pray that somebody will let you know that you helped them across the line as well.
It doesn't get any better than that.

It Is Time

It is time.
Just Walk Across the Room is upon us.
I am looking forward to what God will do through us.
We have a wonderful opportunity to help people far from God come to know who Jesus is.
Please, pray that many will take Him as Savior.

Tell Your Story

I received a great deal of positive feedback from the message a couple of weeks ago about telling your story. God has used that message and subsequent encounters to really get some of you thinking about your story.

As a follow up I would like to share this with you. God is using this idea in my life as well. As I mentioned earlier, Amy and I are reading through the Bible together this year. Right now our prescribed reading is in the book of Acts. We have been reading the last few days about the Apostle Paul. Paul was a missionary and church planter and preacher and theologian; however what has really hit home with me is how many times he just told his story! Over and over again in Acts he simply retells his story. “I was on the way to Damascus to round up Christians so that they could be punished for following Christ…and…I came face to face with the Master.” Another time he will say, “You know…I am a Jew as well, but I have come to faith in Christ.” Then another time he will say, “You cannot hold me without a trial because I was born a Roman citizen…and…the reason that the Jews wanted me arrested is because I was preaching about Jesus.”

Throughout his life and specifically toward the end of his life, God just keeps giving Paul opportunities to share his story. I have no doubt that God will do the same for us. As we study Just Walk Across the Room next month I pray that we will find the encouragement and the tools to tell our story effectively for God’s glory and for the sake of those whose lives need to be changed by the power of Jesus Christ.

Sin Crouches At Our Door

So many times we can get to a point where we think that following Christ will go on auto-pilot. The truth is that sin will keep knocking on our door. We will always wrestle with our sinful nature. Sometimes we will be tempted to give in and decide, “Well, I just can’t help it. This is the way that I am.”

Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing the Cross, points out that if we function with that attitude we are canceling the practical effect of God’s promises. To avoid this trap we must learn to recognize all that God has done for us and take full advantage of it. We must accept His complete provision.

The Apostle Paul said it this way…
Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Perhaps, as you pray today, you can incorporate this in your prayer.
“Father, I know Your promises. I know that You have made all that I need for living a godly life available to me. Help me to hang on Your promises and implement these blessings.”

Ten Things I Think I Think

1. I think that of the 44 years that I have been alive, I have been on a diet for 43 of them.
2. I think that you will enjoy and be inspired by Just Walk Across the Room.
3. I think that this is the weirdest winter weather that I ever remember in Southern California.
4. I think that it is awesome that the ladies in the coffee bar have my tea all ready for me every Sunday!
5. I think that I do not look forward to Major League Baseball Spring Training nearly as much as I used to.
6. I think that Hillary Clinton flip flops more than Bill Clinton.
7. I think that rehab used to be a PR nightmare for celebrities, but now it is the PR answer to everything for them.
8. I think that Because I Said So is easily one of the top three worst movies I have ever seen.
9. I think that the National Football League was very wise to back off on their threats against churches having Superbowl parties.
10. I think that all of the men of Venice would be wise to remember that next Wednesday is Valentine’s Day.

A Place to Unload

Amy ran across this in a devotional by Chuck Swindoll.
I thought that it was really good.

I will just give you the gist of it and attempt to put in the context of life at Venice Church.

Life is a long journey. For some of us it seems like an endless trip filled with thankless responsibilities, relentless tasks, disappointments, deadlines, and daily demands.
The fact that we are imperfect people does not help. Every once in a while we make poor decisions. We say things that we wish we could get back. We tend to look out for ourselves and then end up regretting it. We are impulsive and foolish and prideful. We hurt others. All of this stuff caves in on us and we begin to wonder if anybody could love us...even God.
So...we need a place to unload! At Venice our place to unload is called a small group. It is the place where best attempt to live out the "one anothers" that are found in the Scripture. Love one another. Serve one another. Build up one another. Live in peace with one another. Confess your sins to one another. Speak to, admonish, comfort, and pray for one another.
And this one.

Galatians 6:2 (NASB) Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

We need a place to unload. We need a place where we can sit and talk and experience person-to-person caring and sharing. It must be a place with no judgment, no shame and no embarrassment.
Small groups are not miniature church services. They are pockets of people who love Christ and believe in helping one another. The don't point fingers, preach or compare. They are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Get Ready

There is a good chance that over the next several weeks God will give you an opportunity, an open door to enter into a spiritual conversation with somebody who is far from Him.

As a Christ follower and a member of Venice I want you to be able to take advantage of the situation to help somebody move toward faith in Christ. In the passage below, Paul provides some pivotal clues that will allow us to be successful in this endeavor that God will call you to.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. [3] Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan—that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. [4] Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. [5] Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.
Paul says several very simple things. He asks the people at the church in Colossae to pray for these things in his life and to embrace them for their own lives. Allow me to simplify.
Be devoted to prayer.
Be alert and thankful.
Pray for opportunities to share Christ.
Live wisely with unbelievers.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Be gracious and effective in your conversations.

God will open the door. Walk through it and engage in a gracious and effective conversation that will point that person to Christ. You can do it. I will be praying for you. Please, pray for me and my opportunities.

Thank You Very Much

I have begun my annual Thanksgiving list.
Every year I list several things that I am thankful for.
As I am doing my little self-survey I find myself thinking a lot about our country.
It is an interesting time, these times that we live in.
One of the things that I am thankful for this year is that the election is over and I don’t have to see any more poorly produced and lame campaign ads. Can I get an amen?

As I was thinking about our country and giving thanks for our country and praying for our country I had this thought. What if we really gave thanks to God this year? What would that look like? Then…I came across this Psalm.

Psalm 67:1-7 (NLT)
May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face shine with favor upon us.
Interlude
[2] May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
[3] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[4] How glad the nations will be, singing for joy,
because you govern them with justice
and direct the actions of the whole world.
Interlude
[5] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[6] Then the earth will yield its harvests,
and God, our God, will richly bless us.
[7] Yes, God will bless us,
and people all over the world will fear him.

This type of prayer is the type of prayer that I believe our forefathers were praying at Thanksgiving. Perhaps you would like to adopt it as your prayer this year. There has never been a time when we needed God’s mercy more than we do right now. There has never been a time when we needed God’s face to shine on us more than we do right now. May our nation praise Him. May He richly bless us this Thanksgiving season.

10 Things I Think I Think

1. I think that it is almost Halloween and I think that because I saw Al Gore on TV last night. Very scary.

2. I think that the feel of autumn in the air, even in Southern California, feels good.

3. I think that most everybody is really enjoying our new building, especially our coffee bar.

4. I think that the USC Trojans have the best college football team in the city, but the UCLA Bruins have the prettiest uniforms, not just in the city, but also in all of college football.

5. I think that you will love our new church logo and our new website, even though the website is in its infant stages. Check it out at http://www.venicechurch.com/.

6. I think that it is fun to watch grown men dragged behind a ski boat at 40 miles an hour on an inner tube.

7. I think that venicechurch is becoming ?Baby Central? and that is very cool. Congratulations on all the new babies and the ones on the way.

8. I think that I am glad that the Dodgers and the Padres did not meet in the National League Championship Series. It may have tested the Christian love between some of my brothers in Christ and me.

9. I think that North Korea is just crazy enough to mean it.

10. I think that marking things off of a to-do-list is really quite fun.

Sexually explicit lyrics move teens toward sex...duh?

Wow! This story is amazing. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060807/ap_on_re_us/sex_lyrics_teens
A recent study says that sexually explicit lyrics in music arw moving to teens toward sexual encounters at an earlier age. Well...duh? Parents, pay attention to what your kids see and hear. As Rayfield Wright said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Saturday, "Parents are the windows through which children see the world." That is why parents are so important. Be the filter for them...please.