Ten Things I Think

1. I think that it was a wonderful weekend here at Venice. In our three services the total attendance was 302. There were visitors here who had never heard the gospel. Please pray that their lives will be changed by the power of God and His Word.

2. I think that it is fantastic that our teenagers are going to be serving the hurting this Saturday. Adam’s team does a great job each month and it is exciting to see Daniel and Kristen encouraging the kids to join in.

3. I think that the Major League Baseball season started this week and nobody noticed…except maybe those who play fantasy baseball.

4. I think that this message series, Running on Empty, is extremely pertinent to people who live in west L.A. It is a great time to invite a friend to a service.

5. I think that we are having a great time in our small group study. We are studying 3:16. Max Lucado is leading us in a study of John 3:16. He makes this statement at the beginning of the study. “If you know nothing of the Bible start here. If you know everything about the Bible return here.” I am not a newbie and I certainly do not know everything about the Bible, but it has been good for me to return there!

6. I think that the “summer tease” that we had last week was great, but it makes me wish that we could skip June gloom.

7. I think that UCLA will fall just short of winning a national championship in basketball. They will probably make it to the final four and another final four appearance will be good but it is all about winning championships in Westwood. I hope that I am wrong about this prognostication.

8. I think that “Next Step” has been a success so far, but for it to really take hold we must follow-up and follow through to see our steps come to fruition.

9. I think that this is the best overall talent that there has ever been on American Idol. A good singer is going to go home every week. By the way, you might want to set your TIVO for next Tuesday night’s episode. Thanks to Sandra Pettway, Amy and I will be in the audience. I can’t wait!!

10. I think that I hate election years. It is only March and I am just sick of hearing about it. Don’t get me wrong. I love our country. I pray for our country. I think that we have the best process, but it just gets old hearing about it everyday. It is a bit disconcerting to see how polarized we are in America.

1.

Implement

So…how’s it going?
I mean, how’s it going with your Next Step?
Have you implemented it?
Do you have a plan to implement it?
Sunday was a great day and I do not have any doubt that it will be life-changing for you and for our church, but…we must implement.

I hope that you are enjoying your week. I trust that you are planning to join us for our Good Friday Service and one of our Easter Services. It is a great time to invite a friend to a service. It could be the weekend or weekend that their life and their eternal destiny is changed by Christ. It doesn’t get better than that.

Happy Spring!!

Upcoming Events:

Good Friday Service – March 21^st @ 7:00 PM

Easter – March 23^rd Two Services

Feeding the Homeless & Hurting – March 29^th

CLASS 101: Discovering Membership – April 5^th

Baptism – April 6th

What Is Your NEXT STEP?

Sunday is the big day.
What will it be for you?

• Accept Christ as Savior
• Get Baptized
• Read your Bible everyday.
• Pray everyday.
• Join a small group for encouragement and spiritual growth.
• Lead a small group.
• Host a small group.
• Attend Class 101-Discovering Membership and join Venice Church.
• Take Class 201-Discovering Maturity.
• Begin using your unique SHAPE to serve in ministry.
• Forsake a particular sin that you struggle with.
• Set aside a bad habit.
• Break free from addiction.
• Love God more.
• Love people more.

Spring Cleaning

March of 2008 is an interesting time. It is our first foray into starting daylight savings time one month earlier. Don’t forget to “spring forward” on Saturday night. You don’t want to be late for church. It is traditionally the month to go fly a kite, the month when grown men head to Florida and Arizona to play a kid’s game called baseball and it ushers in the freshness and beauty of spring. March is a time for planting gardens and new beginnings. It is a time for spring cleaning and golf!

The freshness of March should also signal a time of spiritual refreshment. The opportunity appears to be even keener this year with Easter arriving so early. Easter is earlier this year than it has been since 1818 and even most, if not all, of our grandchildren will never see it this early again. March and Easter is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts with God. It is a time for each one of us to be refreshed and it is a time for us to share Jesus Christ with those who need a new heart and fresh start with God.

This passage of Scripture continues to resurface in my study of Scripture. It has sprung forth in my personal time with God, in our small group study that centers on John 3:16, and in my message study as we head to the season of Christ’s passion. It is the truth that changed my life. It is the life-changing truth that is available to you and to your friends and loved ones.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

In this one verse we see the entire picture of Christ’s coming and Christ’s passion. Our hearts are deceitful and sinful and we are at odds with God. Jesus came to make us right with God. Jesus, the Holy Son of God, the One who knew nothing of sin, became sin for us. He literally became the offering and sacrifice for our sin. When we come to Christ by faith we are made right with God the Father. It is the essence of our faith and it is the message to be shared.

When you clean out that closet or sweep out the garage let the truth of who Jesus is sweep out your heart. Let the Holy Spirit remind you of what Jesus has done for you and then tell somebody. Invite somebody to the Good Friday service or one of our Easter services. They might need a fresh start or a spiritual spring cleaning.

Hear ye, hear he!

1. Men’s Ministry Service Project – As you have heard over the last couple of weeks the men of Venice are taking some physical and spiritual necessities to some men who need our help. The project will take place on Saturday March 8^th. If you have signed up to donate any of the items, please drop them off when you come to church this Sunday. And, if you have not bought items to donate, please take part in our project offering this Sunday. In addition to our regular offering we will be receiving an offering for this project.

2. The prayer meeting now meets on the first and last Friday of every month @ 7:00 PM in the worship center and the first and last Sunday of every month @ 9:00 AM in the conference room. Contact Richard Guerrero for more information. Richard.Guerrero@imb.com.

3. Next Step Kickoff Sunday – March 16^th – One Service @ 10:00 AM. Lunch will follow our service. Everybody is invited. Childcare will be provided up through 5^th grade. Our desire is to see every member and attendee of Venice Church take their “next step” with God. At the luncheon we will help you discover your next step and we want to give you the encouragement and tools that you need to take your next step. Make your plans to be with us.

Questions...

If you want to know where you should minister, you must know what you are passionate about. Here are some questions that will help you uncover your passion.

What do I care the most about?
What could I care less about?
What makes me happy?
What breaks my heart?
What do I dream about?
What motivates me?
What do I really want to do for God?
Where can I make the greatest impact for God?
What would release the passion in my life for God?
If there were no barriers or obstacles and no chance for failure what would I like to attempt for God?

Our heart will play an enormous role in our service to God.
Be real.
Get in touch with you.
Ask God to give you a passion for Him and for ministry.

Happy Valentine's Day

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.
(Perhaps a friendly reminder to all of you men who have not hit the florist or See’s Candy yet.)
Valentine’s Day is a day where we think about matters of the heart. Tomorrow we will think about it in the “love” sense, but the Bible speaks about the heart in terms of who we are.

Our heart is who we are. We are talking about our SHAPE on Sunday mornings right now, but as I said at the end of Sunday’s message we have to focus on what matters most. What matters most is who we are on the inside. If our heart is not in line with God’s there is no chance that we will use our shape for His glory in His Kingdom and church.

If we really want to change for the better and live lives that are pleasing to God we must start on the inside and work our way to the outside. Lasting change does not happen “out there”, but rather “in here”. Change happens in our hearts and is not dependent upon our particular circumstances.

If you want to be transformed do not wait for your circumstances to miraculously change you. Transformation starts with God and it continues in the humble heart of a human being.

So when you see one of those big old heart decorations or one of those nasty tasting little hearts with the quaint saying on them tomorrow, just pause for a moment and think about your heart. Does it match up with Gods? Is it filled with love for Him and others? If it is not…it can change. God can help. He will do for us what He wanted to do for Israel.

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.

By the way, I received this encouragement from a daily devotional. They really can help.
They may even lead to a change of heart. Give one a try.

Shaped For Service

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday when we will begin a new series called Shaped For Serving God. God has created each one of us uniquely. God has created us to serve Him by serving others and our church. In this series I hope to help you discover and uncover your unique shape. When we know our shape we will be prepared to serve God and His purposes and when we do that it brings God glory.

Upcoming Events:

Women’s Ministry – February 9^th.

Men’s Ministry – February 16^th.

CLASS 201: Discovering Maturity – February 23^rd.

Storm Watch

As I am sure you know we are on “Storm Watch”. I hope that you are prepared. Things could get dicey. We may even get, like ½ inch of rain! I hope that you have a great week as you make the best of the weather.

There is a lot going on here at Venice. I want to encourage you to be involved.
This Saturday is CLASS 101: Discovering Membership. It is not too late to sign up. If you have not completed this class and you are interested in becoming a member I would love to have you join me Saturday morning at 9:00 AM. If you would like to attend and you have not signed up, please respond to this email and I will put you on the list.

Sunday evening at 6:00 PM is our Annual Business Meeting. We will review 2007 and look forward to 2008. I hope to see you then.

Sign Up

You are going to continue to hear about taking your next step with God and for some of you there is a tremendous next step opportunity coming up on Saturday January 26th.
Some of you have not committed to membership here at Venice. You have attended for quite a while and it may be time for you to take that next step. You know that God is leading you to join with us here at Venice. If that is you, please make plans to attend CLASS 101: Discovering Membership on the 26th. Some of you have friends and acquaintances who have been attending and they have not committed to membership to this point. Your next step may be to encourage them to attend CLASS 101. You may even want to attend with them to support them in their next step.

So here are the vitals.
CLASS 101: Discovering Membership

Saturday January 26th – 9:00 AM to Noon.

Continental breakfast will be served.

There is an event taking place at Mark Twain Middle School on that morning as well. Parking may be at a premium. We will have one of the back gates of the parking lot open for your convenience.

Please sign up by responding to this email or just mark the 101 box on the back of your response card this Sunday. I will see you there.

Resolve

Happy New Year!

I trust that your holidays were grand. I enjoyed being off last week, but I am looking forward to being with all of you again on Sunday. I need a Sunday off every once in a while, but for me, there is nothing like Sunday mornings at Venice. That is as good as it gets for me.

I am sure that all of your resolutions are in place for 2008 and I hope that three days in you are still on the wagon. I feel better after just three days of sane eating! I am sure that you made many good resolutions, however I want to encourage you to focus your resolve on Christ in 2008. My desire is that each one of us would love God more, know Christ more, worship Christ more, love our brothers and sisters in Christ more, and love our seeking friends more. I want us to be used by God more as individuals and as a church.

Middle Age

The average life span of an American male is 75.2 years. For my money that is long enough. I would rather have 75 good years than 83 with the last three years spent in a bib and a diaper. When you hit 45, like I did today, you may think about your life expectancy occasionally, but you don’t really think about it that often. Expiration is still too far away. There is still a sense of invincibility. I probably should think about it more often, because when you stop and think about being 45 you do realize that you are past middle aged. I hear people talk about middle age beginning like at 50 or something. If our life expectancy is 75.2 that means that middle age begins at 37.6. That was a long time ago now. Let’s be real. For an American male, whose dietary pyramid consists of bacon and eggs, In N Out Burger, Tito’s Tacos, and Cold Stone Creamery, 50 is near death. When you tack on being a fan of the Dallas Cowboys you can mark off a few more years. It is hard on the heart.

The weird thing is that I don’t feel 45. I certainly do not act 45 most days…more like 12! (I got Guitar Hero III for my birthday with the KISS faceplate.) I am enjoying life. When you think about the alternatives why would you be miserable? Life is too short. I plan to enjoy the rest of my “past middle aged” years with my “past middle aged” wife. (A woman’s life expectancy in America is 80.1!) She is a young 45. I can barely keep up with the pace that she is setting. God is good…especially at 45.

Take It All In

There are twelve shopping days left until Christmas. I hope that your shopping and preparations are going well. There are two more “Christmas” Sunday services to invite a loved one to. There is one more Christmas Eve service to invite a friend to. You might want to put that on your list. Whatever you do in the next two weeks…stop long enough to take it all in.

I say this all of the time and it just rings truer and truer. The older I get the less magical Christmas becomes. I don’t think that I am a Scrooge or anything I just think the older you get the less the hoopla impacts you. You know what I am talking about. When you are a kid you cannot wait for Christmas. It seems like it will never get here. I remember the Christmas in 1976 when I knew that I was going to get at least one G.I. Joe with lifelike hair, kung fu grip, and “eagle eye” vision. The anticipation was palpable. The excitement continued for me well into the 90’s and even 2000’s. It is exciting to see the kids open the Super Nintendo or the Sony Playstation 1 or 2. There is nothing like taking your nine year old to the woodshed in Madden! The only thing that will come close is if I can find my way to one of those Nintendo Wii systems this year. That would bring the excitement back. If I can get my hands on one I may think about starting my own bowling league!

Anyway…take it all in. Enjoy it.
And do this for me. In preparation for Sunday’s message I want you to think about your best Christmas ever. Remember it. Reminisce. Enjoy the memories and then come back and live in this moment.

Upcoming Events:
One Service @ 10:00 AM – Sunday 12/23 & 12/30.
Christmas Eve Service – Monday December 24th @ 6:00 PM.
Guest Speaker - Missionary Isaac Basilio – Sunday December 30th.

Peace On Earth

Christmas is the time when we celebrate the coming of Christ. There are many reasons that Jesus came. He came to show us how to live. First and foremost He came to pay for our sins. We talked last Sunday about the fact that Jesus came to give us rest. This Sunday we are going to focus on another benefit of knowing Christ. Peace. Peace is one of the reasons that Jesus came.

In today’s Touching Base I would like to ask you to do something that we do not do often. I want you to pour over the following passage in preparation for Sunday’s message. I want the God of peace to be with you this Christmas. Read this passage. Meditate on this passage. Pray over this passage between now and Sunday.

Philippians 4:8-9

And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [9] Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

When you come on Sunday we will pray together as we pursue the peace that only God can give.
Have a wonderful week. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Enjoy!

We are right in the middle of the holiday season now and let me encourage you to enjoy it. Make the most of it. Enjoy your family. Enjoy the giving. Enjoy the receiving. (I know you do!!) Enjoy the lights. Enjoy the parties. And…enjoy Your Savior. Perhaps at no other time are we more keenly aware that God has visited us…personally. Jesus came for you and for me. We are the only reason that He came. He came to save us from our sins. He came because we were helpless. He came because we needed Him more than we have ever needed anything else. The cool thing is that we have an entire month to bathe in that wonderful truth. God came and visited us for the express purpose of loving us and forgiving us and making atonement, payment for our sin.

Now, it may be very true that by the end of December we will be so over the shopping, cooking, eating, drinking, partying, giving, receiving and all, but what would it be like if we never got over the fact that God came to us? What would our lives be like, what would our walk with Christ be like if every morning when we woke up we acknowledged God’s wonderful and undeserved work in our lives? What if every morning, not just in December, but every morning we thanked God for the gift of His Son? What if we enjoyed our salvation every day? What if every day in 2008 started with a prayer of thanks for God’s visit to us realizing, all the while, that we have the opportunity to meet with Him and have community with Him that day?

I think that we ought to enjoy this Christmas. I want you to enjoy this Christmas. Enjoy your Savior this Christmas.

Let's Wrap It Up

This is an exciting time of year.
Thanksgiving is upon us.

We are wrapping up our 40 Days of Purpose campaign.
There is just one and ½ weeks remaining. Hang in there. Be diligent. Read the book. Memorize your memory verse. It is worth it. It will pay dividends. You will continue to grow to be the person that God has created you to be.

We will move closer to being the church that God has called us to be.


Upcoming Events:
Women’s Ministry – Saturday November 17th @ 9:00 AM.

Baptism – Sunday @ 10:40 AM.

Thanksgiving Testimonies – Sunday November 25th in both services.

Christmas Decorating – Sunday November 25th @ 2:00 PM.

Women’s Christmas Party – Saturday December 1st @ 6:00 PM.

Men’s Ministry – Saturday December 8th @ 10:00 AM.

Feeding the Homeless & Hurting – December 15th.

Christmas Eve Service – Monday December 24th @ 6:00 PM.

Your Story

We are well past the half-way point of 40 Days of Purpose and it is my prayer that you have been encouraged and renewed and revived in your walk with Christ. I trust that you are keeping up with your reading. I know that if you are...you are being challenged by Rick’s book. I want to encourage you to hang in there and stay with it all the way to the end. It will make a difference in your life and it will make a difference in our church and ultimately it will make a difference in our community as we share God’s purposes with our friends, loved ones, and acquaintances.

The stories of life change are already pouring in. I received an email from a lady this week who visited Venice for the first time just two weeks before we began the campaign. She decided to return and experience the 40 days with us. She has been in the services and joined herself to a small group. She emailed me this week to tell me about a breakthrough that she has experienced in her life. This week’s lesson on Created to Be Like Christ really hit home and God’s Spirit has taught her that her problems have a purpose. Glory to God!

I know that there will be many other stories. You will have story. I would love for you to share your story with me. If God has taught you something during the campaign, if you have had a breakthrough, if you have taken a “next step” with God, even if it was a baby step, would you tell me about it? Send me an email and share your story with me. I would love to praise God with you for His marvelous work in your life.

Time Change

This week begins the busy push to the end of the year so let me encourage you to enjoy the holidays and all that goes with them and please, be safe.

The next few weeks are going to be quite busy here at Venice so let me encourage you to continue to make time for your church family. Come and enjoy our Sunday Worship Services. Enjoy your small group. Take satisfaction in serving in your ministry.

There are many opportunities over the next few weeks so let me give you some announcements.

Men’s Ministry – Saturday @ 10:00 AM.

Daylight Savings Time Ends – Saturday. Set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night.

Shockwave Student Ministry Parent’s Night – Sunday evening at 6:00.

Parents are invited to discover our new and improved teen ministry.

Recovery Ministry – Thursday November 8th @ 7:00 PM.

Feeding the Homeless – Saturday November 10th.

Women’s Ministry – Saturday November 17th.

Thanksgiving Testimonies – Sunday November 25th in both services.

We are still looking for two women and one other man to share their testimony of thanks to God. If I don’t get any volunteers I am going to start recruiting!! Please, let me hear from you.

Fire

The fires of this week have been startling and heart wrenching. So many people who are living the American dream and more specifically California dreamin’ were asked, then ordered, and then forced to leave their homes. Some of them return to find their world spared and virtually unscathed. Some, when they are allowed to return, will find that their home and their world is literally…gone.

It is impossible to watch this type of devastation without turning immediately to God. We may come at God with questions. God…why? Why this neighborhood? Why did this home burn and the neighbor’s did not? Why now? God…are you trying to get our attention? Is there something that You want us to learn?

Ultimately we are left with truth. God created this place. God is the Sustainer of this place. God is God and therefore may do whatever it is that pleases Him. We may not understand it all, but we can accept it. Accepting that God is in control does not mean that it does not hurt. Knowing that God has our best interest at heart may provide some perspective but it cannot erase the sense of loss. In the end God is good. He will provide.

Our job as Christ followers during a time like this is to pray. Pray for the people who have been most profoundly affected. Pray that God’s will is done and that He would be known and glorified. We can pray and then we can love and give when and where it is necessary. As the great preacher S.M. Lockridge would say, “Put some feet to our prayers.”

At the end of the day and at the end of a week like this there are two things that I know for sure.
God’s people will step and represent Jesus Christ well.
God will do His thing…because He is God.
This passage says it all.
Psalm 46:1-11
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. [2] So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. [3] Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
[4] A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. [5] God himself lives in that city; it cannot be destroyed. God will protect it at the break of day. [6] The nations are in an uproar, and kingdoms crumble! God thunders, and the earth melts! [7] The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
[8] Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world [9] and causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; he burns the shields with fire. [10] "Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." [11] The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.

Service

Over the last couple of weeks, you have heard me say a bit about taking your next step and today I would like to be a bit more specific. Our desire is to have everybody attend a service on Sunday morning, participate in a small group during the week, and serve others through one of our ministries. These three elements make up the process that will produce a life that is lived for God’s purposes and His glory.

All three elements are very important in our development as Christ followers and as a church; however the missing element for many is the element of service. It just may be that the service element will put our church over the hump where growth is concerned.

So, if you are not serving in a ministry, let me encourage you to consider that next step. You may be wondering…where can I serve? What are my options? Where is there a need?

Here are some ideas. There is room for you to serve on Sunday mornings in our nursery. Contact Amy Henson for more information. You can serve in our Rockstars Childrens Ministry. Contact Jennifer Villaryo for more information. We need singers and musicians in our worship music ministry. We are looking for singers, guitar players, and drummers. Contact me if you would like to use your musical talent for God. (You can find our contact information at venicechurch.com)
You could serve in our coffee bar. Drop in and see Lynn for more information. We take food to the needy once a month. They can always use another set of hands. See Adam for more information about that ministry.

Those are just a few. There are many more opportunities. If you have any questions, please contact me.