Random Friday

Here are some random Friday thoughts:

• It is week two in The Ghost series at Elevate Church.  This week we are talking about the Power of the Holy Spirit.  That plus baptisms during the service equals a momentum building day!  
• Be sure to read Acts 1 and 2 before Sunday as well.  It will be a great way to get your heart ready for what God wants to do in AND through you.
• I am in South Carolina until Saturday for a missions conference at one of our partner churches. I say this a lot but it is true: I am humbly grateful for the churches and people who have partnered with Elevate to reach San Diego and beyond.
• I am loving the NBA Playoffs.  I can't wait to watch the Lakers/Thunder game tonight.  
• I am enjoying time with family in South Carolina.  For those that don't know, I am originally from South Carolina.
• I am also missing my wife and kids like crazy.  Seriously I have the most amazing family.  I talked to Naomi on the phone last night before she went to bed.  She misses her daddy and I miss her!
• I love this post by Pastor Herbert Cooper called The Signs of a Great Volunteer.  Read it.  Great post!
• I already ate at my two favorite stops when I come back to SC.  Cracker Barrel and a local place called Nickhenry's.  It was so good!
• I just finished reading through Galatians.  The Gospel of Grace is incredible!  God giving us what we didn't deserve.  You don't earn God's love.  You receive it!
• Those that want to dig a little deeper in to our current series on The Holy Spirit should do two things: Read through the Book of Acts and read The Forgotten God by Francis Chan.  Trust me, both are great!
• I love Elevate Church!  Seriously, I couldn't imagine doing anything else in the world but being the pastor of Elevate.  

Who Gets The Praise?

I recently finished reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan in preparation for The Ghost series we are currently doing at Elevate.  It is a great book about the Holy Spirit and I would definitely encourage you to read it!

Below is an incredible thought toward the end of the book.  Read it and let it soak in:

"No matter where you live and what your days look like, you have the choice each day to depend on yourself, to live safely, and to try to control your life.  Or you can live as you were created to live - as a temple of the Holy Spirit of God, as a person dependent on Him, desperate for God the Spirit to show up and make a difference.  When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in heaven and give Him praise."

Wow, that's a great thought!

Does your life bring attention to you OR does it bring praise to God?

Mark 2:12 says, "This amazed everyone and they praised God (NOT the man healed) saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Sunday Reflections

Here are some Sunday thoughts:

• It was week one in The Ghost series and we talked about the Presence of the Holy Spirit.
• In most Christian circles, the Holy Spirit is often not mentioned and most don't realize the power we have access to through Him.
• The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) is mentioned over 800 times throughout Scripture. 
• The Holy Spirit is a person not an "it" or a "thing."
• Believe it or not Jesus told His disciples it was better that He left so He could send the Holy Spirit to them (John 16:7).
• How do you know if you have the Holy Spirit in your life?  The answer is simple: your life should have a marked difference because of Him!
• The Spirit of God will never contradict the Word of God.
• Get in the Word!  That is where gaining a presence of the Holy Spirit in your life begins.
• The same Spirit that rose Christ from the grave is the same Spirit we have access to each day.  You can not truly encounter God and stay the same!
• One of the scariest things that could happen is that you resist the Holy Spirit so long that you no longer hear His voice.
• Stop being consumed about what God's will is five years from now.  Start being obsessed with what God's Spirit is leading you to do today!
• I heard a couple who recently started attending Elevate share that they prayed God would send them to a church they could immediately get involved and connect.  They came to Elevate the last Sunday in March and have been attending ever since!   
• I love our Life groups and the community that is taking place through them.  It is definitely a highlight of my week.
• Momentum (our volunteer gathering) was so much fun!
• Another couple who gave their lives to Christ at Easter shared that Elevate was the first church they have been to that they genuinely felt loved and accepted.  Way to go Elevate!
• We have a very dear volunteer who is moving.  Sunday was her last Sunday at Elevate.  We honored her during the service and spent time praying over her at Momentum.  Lots of tears, hugs, etc.  
• It was awesome to hear the impact God has had on her life through Elevate.  I am humbled and grateful for the many people who sacrifice so much to make a difference for God's kingdom through Elevate!
• I had another person who gave me a high five and said they can't wait to be baptized next week!  Do you need to be baptized?  Email me.  
• Baptisms during the service next Sunday (May 2nd).
• Mother's Day at Elevate is going to be awesome!  We have several giveaways for that day too!  
• I'm attending a missions conference toward the end of this week for a few days for a church that partners with Elevate.  I am so grateful for those who invest so passionately into Elevate Church.
• Next Sunday: Power of the Holy Spirit message and Baptisms.  It's going to be a great day!

New Series: The Ghost

We start a new series called The Ghost this Sunday at Elevate Church.


The spirit of life... the essence of truth... the voice of God. He has always been here, and will always remain. And when you are alone, lost, and afraid, He will carry you home. Come explore the power and comfort of the one who resides within...The Ghost.  


We are taking several weeks to talk about what it looks like to have the Holy Spirit unleashed in your life.  


I really believe this series has the greatest potential for our church of any series we have ever done!


Don't miss what God wants to do in your life through this series.


See you Sunday!  

Persistence: Don't Give Up!

One of the greatest stories of life transformation is the Apostle Paul.  He was a persecutor of the church and was radically changed by Jesus.  He became one of the greatest proponents for the cause of Christ the world has ever known.

At one point in his life he was standing by giving approval of Stephen's death (Acts 8:1) and later he was dragged out of cities because he wouldn't stop preaching Jesus (Acts 14:19-21).

Paul was radically changed because God didn't give up on him.  It is easy for us to write off people we may think are too far from God or that we think would never change.

I'm thankful I follow a God who didn't give up on me and he didn't give up on you either.  He is pursuing you today and he does not want any to perish but ALL to come to repentance.  (Read 2 Peter 3:9)

Here is what I love about Paul: He was beaten and left for dead outside of a city BUT he didn't give up.  I know most of us would commend Paul for what he already did and would not blame him if he never went back to that city.

Persistence was the difference maker!  He refused to give up.  He went back into the city and then went to another city to preach Jesus which was the very reason he was beaten in the first place.

Because of Paul's persistence and the radical life change he experienced, Acts 14:21 says they "won over a large number of disciples."

Wow, that's the difference maker!  I don't know what you are going through today but I dare say it doesn't compare to the trials Paul went through.  Also, I don't know who you are trying to reach but I doubt their life even comes close to the life of Paul before he met Christ.

"With God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27)  Don't give up.  Don't back down.

Give it all you have today for the One who gave it all for you!  If you are still breathing, God isn't finished with you.  Make a difference for Him while you still have the opportunity.

God loves you and he didn't give up on you!

Who do you need to reach?  Pray, don't give up, and remember with God all things are possible!

Why Do You Pray?

Why do you pray?

Is it because you really believe God can and will do something incredible?

OR do you pray just because you are a Christian and you think that is just what you are suppose to do?

In Acts 12 Peter was thrown in prison for his faith.  The church was earnestly praying for him and his release (v. 5).  Peter miraculously was freed from his chains and escaped prison which was exactly what they were praying for.  He showed up at a house where people were praying for him and a servant called Rhoda answers the door.  She can't believe it's Peter!  She tells the people who are crying out to God on Peter's behalf and they don't believe her either!

Could it be that many times we pray not because we truly believe God will do a miracle but because we just think it is the right thing to do?

Verse 16 says "But Peter kept knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished."

Don't just go through the motions.  Pray and believe that God will do the miraculous!  You are praying to the God of this universe and nothing is too difficult for Him.

Don't be surprised when He comes through BUT do be sure to give Him all the credit.

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from a great day:

• It was the third and final week of our Come Home series.  We talked about the story of the Lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7.
• You can catch the whole message here.
• We are all sinners in need of the Savior. (Isaiah 53:6) If Jesus welcomes sinners so should His church!
• If you find the "perfect" church, don't go.  You will mess it up.  We are just imperfect people worshiping a perfect God.
• Jesus' mission must be our mission if we are going to claim to be followers of Jesus!  What was Jesus' mission: "to seek and save those who were lost." (Luke 19:10)
• We started Elevate to bring home the ONE.  We must never be satisfied with who is in the church but focused on those who are not in the church.
• The shepherd didn't try to sit and appease the sheep who were already safe BUT instead reach the ONE lost sheep.
• If you lose something of great value to you, you can't rest until you find it.  
• God wants to use you to redirect someone's destiny.
• Yes, it is a matter of life and death. (James 5:20)
• Paul was left for dead outside of a city and went back in to preach Jesus (Acts 14:19-21).  That is called persistence!
• Don't ever give up on those God wants to use you to reach.  Remember God didn't give up on you!
• Read and memorize Galatians 6:9.  Keep praying.  Keep inviting.  Let God do His thing.
• It is was so powerful to hear Elizabeth's  come home story: "Something moved inside of me that day and I have been forever changed!"  Thank you Jesus.
• Yes, I know I can't sing.  I proved that on Sunday.   :-)
• I loved the words of Spring of Life: "Jesus, you're the well that won't run dry. Jesus, you're the drink that satisfies." Yes He is!
• Send me an email if you need to be baptized.  We are doing baptisms on Sunday, May 2nd.
• We are starting a new series on Sunday called The Ghost.  We are talking about what it looks like to have the Holy Spirit unleashed in your life.  Yes, it's going to be an incredible series and it will have amazing potential for our church!

Random Friday

Here are some random Friday thoughts:

• It is the third and final week of our Come Home series this Sunday at Elevate.  I can't wait to see what God does this weekend.  It is going to be powerful!
• We launch our Spring semester of small groups this week too!  I'm looking forward to hanging out with our group.  I love the community of our groups!
• We start a new series next week and it potentially will be the most powerful series we have done so far. I'm looking forward to what God is going to do through it.
• We are having a baptism celebration on Sunday, May 2nd.  Send me an email if you need to be baptized!
• Susan's parents were in town this past weekend.  We went to the Padres home opener.  They crushed the Braves!
• Ava has her first tooth coming in!  It is the front bottom tooth.  She looks so cute.  All boys stay away.  :-)
• Sorry Glee fans, I don't get the hype around that show.  Susan and I watched it for a few minutes to see what all the fuss is about.  It's kind of like High School Musical gone bad.
• I'm excited about the NBA Playoffs starting this weekend.  I'm pulling for a Lebron/Kobe showdown in the Finals.
• I'm loving the stories of what God is doing in our church right.  Life Change is awesome to see.  
• I'm almost finished reading through the Book of Acts.  It has been awesome to read through it again.  The same God who did those miraculous things is the same God we follow today.  Let's believe God for huge things.  Our God is mighty to save!

James Recap Part 3

You can check out Part One and Part Two here.  I'll close out the James Recap series with a few thoughts about James 5.

• James 5:1-6: Honor others and live for eternity instead of this world.
• James 5:8: Jesus is coming back!  Are you ready?  Stand firm and do what God called you to do.
• James 5:9: Bickering should have no place in the church.  As the old saying goes: "Don't whine, Shine!"
• James 5:10-11: Job is an incredible example of patience in the face of suffering.  One of my favorite verse from Job is found in Job 1:21 "the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  Wow, that is an incredible confession in light of what he was going through.
• James 5:11: "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." It reminds me of 2 Peter 3:9, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."  If you are still breathing, it is not too late!  I don't care where you've been or what you've done, God still wants you to come home to Him.
• James 5:12: James gives one last instruction about taming your tongue.  Guard it like you would guard your life!
• James 5:13-16: Pray like crazy and then believe God for the miracles!
• James 5:17-18: Elijah was "a man just like us."  There was nothing special about Him but there was something incredibly special about the God he followed.  He prayed and God did incredible things!  
• James 5:19-20:  That is an incredible promise!  Focus on reaching others for Christ.  It truly is an opportunity for life or death.

Sunday Reflections

Here are some thoughts from a great day:

• It was week two in our Come Home series.  We talked about the older son in Luke 15.
• You can listen to the message here.
• You can be so close to the things of God but still miss God!
• The older son lost perspective of all that he had. 
• The older son judged his life by the younger son.
• People who appear close to God but are still far from Him:
• Justify their actions.  
• Become overly critical of others.
• Secretly celebrate the misfortunes of others.
• Write-off people.
• Struggle to see their own imperfections.
• All these add up to the older son missing the point: The younger son came home!
• The religious leaders were so close to Jesus but still missed Him.  They were good at diagnosing problems but not ever doing anything about it.  Do you show up to find fault or to help someone?
• The older son was more concerned about his own circumstances than he was that his brother came home.
• If you appear close to God but you are truly still far from Him, then two things need to happen to come home: 
• 1) Realize the standard is God not others.  We all have fallen short of God's standard! (Romans 3:23)
•  2) Recognize you aren't loved because you're valuable; you're valuable because you're loved by God. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
• If you are still breathing, it is not too late to come home!  If you are still breathing, God isn't finished with you yet.
• You can't earn God's love.  You receive it!
• If you can't celebrate and help lost sons and daughters to come home, then you are in danger of missing the party!  Yes, Heaven is a huge party!
• We sang Forever Changed after the message.  The song has some incredible truth in it.
• Someone else gave their life to Christ!  That is awesome.  
• We had several others recommit their lives to Christ!  That is awesome.
• A couple who gave their lives to Christ last week came back this week and served too!
• We wrap up our Come Home Series this coming Sunday.  We will be in Luke 15 again.  Read through it this week!

Random Friday

Here are some random Friday thoughts:

• This Sunday is week two in our Come Home series and we are talking about the older son who was lost too!  Most people think the story in Luke 15 is about the younger son but it is really directed toward the older son.
• Who do you need to invite?  Don't give up!  Keep praying and inviting!
• Elijah turns 6 years old today!  I can't believe he is six or that Naomi will be eight in June.
• Susan's parents came in town today for a few days.  We always love to have people visit!
• We had a great time in Palm Desert the first part of this week!  The kids had a blast.  All we did was hang out by the pool all day and went out to eat each night.  That's called a great vacation!
• My elbow/arm is doing a lot better.  I finished my antibiotics yesterday.  My elbow is still a little sore but the redness and swelling have gone away.  Thanks for your prayers!
• We start a new basketball season in a week from Tuesday.  We are going to play in the same league again.  We may be delusional but we think we will be a lot better this season.  :-)
• I heard 24 is going off air after this season.  I may slip into depression.  Just kidding!  I'm not sure how I will get my Jack Baur fix now.  :-)
• Butler lost a heart breaker in the National Championship.  I was really wanting them to beat Duke.  I will pull for anyone who plays Duke!
• I just finished reading Mark Batterson's latest book called Primal.  It's about living out the greatest commandment.  It was very challenging!
• I'm also reading through the Book of Acts right now and it is rocking my world.  God is really stretching me right now!
• I love this post called "10 Questions That Unchurched People Are NOT Asking"
• This was hilarious.  This Pastor posted this video and the next thing you know they are on national news.  Talk about going viral!
• I came to Starbucks for the first time today in almost a month because of our Living Water Challenge.  They still remembered my name!  The church can learn something from Starbucks: Remember people and be glad when you see them again!

Online Giving Launched

We launched our online giving last week at Elevate Church.  You can conveniently give one time or set up automatic contributions that fit your schedule.  You can check it out here.

Jesus said "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)

I'm so grateful for the many people whose heart is with Elevate and give sacrificially to help us accomplish our mission to lead people to become passionate followers of Christ.

YOU are making a difference for the kingdom of God and it is an honor to be on this journey with you!

Sunday Reflections

Sorry this post is a few days late.  We went out of town the first part of this week to Palm Desert with the kids and didn't have internet.  Well, we could have paid to have internet in our room but I wasn't willing to do that.  :-)

Here are some thoughts from a great weekend at Elevate:

• It was Easter and week one of our Come Home Series.  We also hosted an Easter Eggstravaganza event for the community on Saturday morning.
• The Easter event went great!  We had several hundred people come out and experience a fun event for the whole family.  We sent cards out this week thanking all the families who attended and inviting them to one of our services.  We already have several families planning to attend Elevate as a result of the event!
• I've got to give Lesley Mundis and her team huge props for this event.  They all did an unbelievable job and it was one of the smoothest ran events I have ever been a part of.  Our volunteers at Elevate stepped up and were unbelievable servants.
• We talked about the prodigal son in Luke 15 on Easter Sunday.  It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.
• The father gave the son what he wanted: freedom.  One of the most dangerous things that could happen is God giving us what WE want.
• It is rarely a blow out.  The road to destruction is more like a small leak.  The son didn't "squander his wealth" over night.  It more than likely took years.
• It may be tomorrow or 10 years from now but if you don't give your life to Jesus, it will eventually cost you everything.
• There comes a point in drifting from God where you end up in a place you never thought you would be.
• We can't get right with God until we're willing to confess we are wrong. (1 John 1:9)
• Repentance is starting the journey home.  It is about taking action!  The son didn't just admit he was wrong.  He also started the journey back to the Father.
• The most powerful part of this story is the response of the Father.  The Bible says he was "filled with compassion."  The father wasn't filled with rage or anger toward the son.  
• He ran to him, embraced him, and celebrated that his lost son was found!  
• God wants you to come home! (2 Peter 3:9)  Jesus came here so you could come home!
• I'm so proud of all those who brought family and friends this past weekend.  God did some incredible things.
• We saw several people surrender their lives back to Christ and others give their lives to Christ!
• THAT is why we do what we do. 
• I learned that a husband and wife both gave their lives to Christ during the service too.  All I can say is WOW.
• Listen to me church: if those who you invited didn't come this past week OR didn't "come home" like you thought they would: Don't Give Up!  God didn't give up on you so don't you EVER give up on them until God calls them home!  Keep praying, keep inviting, and let God do His thing.
• Jeremy and the band did an amazing job.  How He Loves and True Love were such powerful songs!
• Week two of Come Home is this Sunday.  We are going to talk about the older son in Luke 15.  It will be fun!

Good Friday

It is hard to believe that Easter is almost here but without Friday we would have no Easter.

On Friday, God's wrath was poured out on His very own Son.  Jesus did nothing wrong.  It was because we had a debt that we could not pay so He paid the debt that He did not owe.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says it like this: "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."

As we reflect on the incredible price that Jesus paid, here are a few questions to examine our own lives:

Is what you are living for worth Christ dying for, the way He died?

Is it worth the pain, the mocking, and the beating that Jesus took?

Is what consumes your thoughts and your time worth Jesus hanging naked on a Cross?

Is it worth Jesus being beaten, bloody, and bruised?

Ultimately, is what you are living for worth the death and penalty that Jesus paid for YOU?

If not, what changes do you need to make?  Start today!


If you need hope and help today, let this soak in:

Friday is here...but Sunday is coming!