It HAPPENED!!!

I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY last night up here at Hume.  Last night I preached on the crucifixion of Christ, explaining what Jesus endured for us physically, emotionally, and spiritually on the cross.  I explained that Jesus completely paid in full the payment required for the sin of the world, and that we could receive forgiveness and right standing with God by his grace, surrendering to his Lordship.  It was a powerful time in his word.

I then called everyone there (students, teachers, Hume Lake staff, people just visiting chapel who were at the camp, everyone) to do one of the following, if they needed to:

1.  To surrender to Christ's Lordship and to receive his gift of salvation (i.e. to be saved).
2.  To return to Jesus, after having wandered away as one of the prodigals of history.
3.  To confess that they had been acting like a religious legalist (i.e. like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son) and to return to God's grace instead of living in legalistic religion.

I invited students to stay if they were making one of those three decisions.  There are 90 students up here at this camp.  If my count was right, there were 36 students that stayed behind making one of those decisions mentioned above.  OVER ONE-THIRD of the school stayed back to make a decision for Jesus.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I was blown away.  The teachers were blown away.  It was absolutely incredible!

And we are not done yet.  It is only Wednesday afternoon.  We leave on Friday.  God is still on the move.  And what's beautiful is this: I'm sitting at a picnic table writing this blog, and within earshot I am listening to a teacher explaining to Maddie (a young lady who surrendered to Jesus last night at the worship service) what this relationship with Jesus, that she entered into last night, really looks like.  It is absolutely beautiful to listen to.

I am blown away.  I am blessed.  And I'm convinced that Jesus is not even close to being finished yet.

Tags: Salvation, Decision for Jesus, Hume, Hume Lake

GHOST: Part 2

Here is the teaching for GHOST: Part 2 (What does the Holy Spirit do?)  I pray that it blesses you because this study changed my life.

He's Up To Something Up Here...

My time speaking at Hume Lake began last night.  There are about 110 people up here for Hume's Spiritual Emphasis week, all of them from one high school in Santa Clarita.  God has allowed me to speak at a bunch of camps over the past 10 years or so, and I've come to accept that it takes a while for students to get engaged in the chapel times at camp.  I've also learned over the years that Christian school kids usually take a little bit longer, being that they have the struggles of having chapels every week and Bible classes and assignments and stuff (and please know that I'm speaking from personal experience here :).

Well, last night the kids were engaged in worship.  They were responsive to the message.  This morning was no different.  Same thing.  Last night I spoke from Job 38-42, teaching about God's glory and holiness (JUST A REMINDER: there is nothing impressive about God's grace if there is nothing terrifying about his holiness).  This morning we looked at Mark 5 when Jesus healed the woman with the discharge of blood and when he brought Jairus' daughter back to life.  The main point: God's love is not just an idea that we are to grasp intellectually and emotionally, but something that is very practical and to be witnessed and experienced every day.  As I was finishing up, I saw a young lady wiping away tears.  I'm excited to see what God continues to do in her while we are here.

Thank you for praying.  Please keep it up.  It's a joy for me to be up here.  It's amazing to be preaching from the stage of the same chapel where I truly surrendered my life to Jesus the summer before my senior year of high school.  I'm blown away.  20 years later I pray that I can be used in the life of a student and to see that student surrender in the same way.

Jesus, please use me for your glory here.Tags: Hume, Hume Lake, Teaching Update

Heading Up to Hume

Today I am leaving for Hume Lake.  I'll be speaking up there for this week at their spiritual emphasis week.  I am so excited to get to be teaching up at Hume because it was there that I made a decision to be "All In" for Jesus .  Here's a video of what this week is all about.



Hume Lake: Spiritual Emphasis camp from Hume Lake on Vimeo.

Please Be Praying...

Hey all,
I just wanted to ask you to be praying for me this week as I go up to preach at a spiritual emphasis camp at Hume Lake (Monday - Friday).  There is a big reason that I am excited for this week of teaching ministry:

It was at Hume Lake that I made a decision to be "all in" for Jesus 20 years ago.  I can still remember the seat where I made that decision (and I'll be teaching in that same chapel).

I will be teaching mostly, if not all, Christian high school students who are beginning their school year with this retreat.

Please pray for me as I travel and then as I prep, pray, and preach each message while I am up there.  Thank you so much.

"She Has Done What She Could."

I can remember sitting down one day a while back with my Bible ready to have my "quiet time", not realizing that my "quiet time" was about to be interrupted by Jesus.  I started reading Mark 14:1-9.  The thing was this: I had read this passage over and over before.  I had preached it.  I had heard it preached by others. So, let's just say that my head was into reading this passage but my heart just waited for the "experience" to be over.

So I read the passage.  Like I said, I had already read it.  But then it happened and I was changed forever.  This is one of those lessons.  It is found in six words.  Here are those six words:

She has done what she could.


That's it.  Do you see it? Maybe not.  Let me explain.

Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead, and so the book of John (chapter 12) tells us that they were throwing a party in Jesus' honor.  I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but make sure you never forget: it is customary around the world in every culture to throw a party for the person who raises your family member and/or friend back to life from the dead.  It's just a polite thing to do.

Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, and Mary, Lazarus' sister, needed to say thanks.  She was so grateful for the miracle that Jesus performed in raising her brother back to life.  So, she took that jar of pure nard, broke the jar, and poured it over Jesus.  As she did this, Judas began to get everyone riled up with a statement like, "Why did she waste all of that on Jesus? Couldn't it have been sold and the money given to the poor?" The thing is that he was totally right in his logic, but his motivation was nowhere close to his proclamation.  Judas was a thief, and all that he saw when she broke that jar was his profit being poured out on Jesus.  Judas was able to get the crowd of people who were there ticked off and angry with Mary.  They even made their frustrations with her well known.

But then Jesus shows up and comes to her defense.  Here's what he said:

"Leave her alone.  Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whatever you want, you can do good for them.  But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could;..." — Mark 14:6-8a; ESV


Three things popped out of this passage.

1).  LEAVE HER ALONE.  Jesus came to her rescue.  As the group of people began to pick apart her worship of Christ, Jesus came and told the whole group to leave her alone.

2).  SHE HAS DONE A BEAUTIFUL THING TO ME.  This act of worship was beautiful to Christ.  Breaking a jar and pouring out perfume all over him doesn't seem all that impressive.  However to Jesus, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

3).  SHE HAS DONE WHAT SHE COULD... There's the freedom.  That's it.  "She has done what she could."  Really? All she did was break a jar and pour perfume over Jesus.  And the thing is that Jesus calls that gesture "beautiful."  And while everyone was condemning her for it, Jesus proclaimed to everyone there that she did what she could.


There may be some of you reading this blog who feel completely overwhelmed.  You look at the list of to-dos on your work calendar, only to get overwhelmed even more when you think about what you need to get done when you get home.

I pray that you hear Jesus' applause as you strive to live your life for him.  I pray, that by his Holy Spirit, you hear his encouraging words that bring death to legalism and condemnation when accepted and applied in one's life: they did what they could.  That's it.

Like I said before: this was a "regular" quiet time.  It was what I was supposed to do.  However, God had other plans to release me from the guilt and shame of just not being able to measure up or to do enough for him.

Please know that all that you do for Jesus (I mean actually do for him because you love him) is a blessing to him.  When you feel like you can't go on. wondering if there's actually a point to all of the stuff that you have to do, remember this passage that shows you that Jesus sees what you do because you love him, and he defends you before your enemies, he gives value to your sacrifice because he knows that you are truly doing all that you can.  And to Jesus, that truly is enough.

Be freed and be blessed.

"How Long, Lord?"

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? — Psalm 13:1-2, ESV


This may very well be one of the most life-draining and hope-shattering questions that we could ever have to ask God.

HOW LONG?

If I'm having to ask that question, it means that I am going through something that is absolutely tearing me apart.  The situation is eating away at the hope that I've had stored up in me.  In fact, "how long" is the enemy of hope.  And what's worse is that many times God does not answer this question.  He doesn't always give a timeline as to when it will be over.  In fact, I can't think of a time when he has given me the answer to, "how long" with an amount of time.

But here's the encouraging thing in that question: you're still asking God which means that you're still relying on him.  So many people give up on calling out to God, and some right before the circumstance was about to change.  I wonder how often I have missed the miracle that God was about to do because I stopped going to him in the midst of the pain of the situation opting to "fix it myself."

Here are things that I think we need to keep in mind as we face the "how long" circumstances that hit all of us.

1).  BE HONEST.  Be honest that you're going through a tough time.  For many people, this is the first and greatest hurdle to have to get over.  Why? Because to admit weakness and a need for help is not an option.  There's a word for that type of outlook and perspective: pride.  If you don't kill the pride inside of you, pride will make sure that it destroys you over the course of your life.

2).  BE REAL.  When you approach God, stop thanking him for the day if you're not truly thankful for it. The thing about all of Psalm 13 is that it is a heart-wrenching and raw prayer prayed by the man that God described as a man after God's own heart.  Stop lying in your time with God.  Be raw with how you're doing.

3).  BE ALERT.  Keep your eyes open for God's answer.  You see, he may not tell you how long you will have to go through something, but he will help you see things from a different and better perspective.  Look at how David closes this Psalm.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. - Psalm 13:5-6, ESV


At the beginning of the Psalm, David sounds hopeless.  But by the end of it, he seems renewed.  What changed? His perspective.  First, he remembered the past.  He remembered how God had been good to him in the past.  He remembered how he had trusted in God's steadfast love before.  Second, he made a decision.  He didn't sit around and play the victim to the circumstances, but rather he made a decision to rejoice and sing to the Lord because of how God had been so good to him in the past.

How long, Lord?

He may not tell you how long when you ask this question, but I promise you that he will carry you through to the other side of it.

GHOST: Part 1

Hey all,
I've had some people ask if the teachings for the GHOST series are online yet.  Well, the first one is up and ready.  Here it is (in case you want to watch it).  Like I've said before, I always feel weird posting my own teachings on here.  The only reason that I do is because I pray that it will be a blessing to you.

The GHOST series has been absolutely incredible.  I pray that you are blessed.

We Don't Need More Christians...

I read this blog by Matt Chambers a few days ago and was challenged.  I wanted to pass it on to you as well.

We don't need more Christians...
We don't need more Christians who are trying to be radical.
We don't need more Christians who are trying to stand out.
We don't need more Christians who are trying to be celebrities.
We don't need more Christians who treat other Christians like celebrities.
We don't need more Christians who don't listen.
We don't need more Christians who look down on others.
We don't need more Christians who think they've arrived.
We don't need more Christians who fight about things that don't matter.
We don't need more Christians who exclude.
We don't need more Christians who intrude.
We don't need more Christians who make promises they can't keep.
We don't need more Christians who turn a blind eye.
We don't need more Christians who are better at politics than community.
We don't need more Christians who pretend.


We need more Christians who look like Jesus.


"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.


"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." — Ephesians 3:14-21


The days are short.  The fight is hard.  The journey is worth our lives.


The post today was a reminder for me.  I hope it is for you as well.

Prayer Update...

Hey prayer team,
Here is how you can be praying for me this week.

1.  I will be preaching for the final time on the topic of the Holy Spirit for this series, "GHOST" this coming Wednesday at FLOOD.  It has be absolutely mind-blowing what God has been teaching about himself through this series.  And the celebration happened last Wednesday night as we saw three young ladies stand to surrender to Jesus (that never gets old).

Please pray for me as I prep and pray through what it is that God wants me to share, and then pray for me as I preach this Wednesday night.  I seriously want this to be the most powerful and effective message that I have ever preached in my life.

2.  This Sunday morning I get to teach and hang with the young adults of TOGETHER at PFB Church!!! I am so excited about this group.

Thank you for praying for me.

But What Does The Bible Say?

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do you disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" — Mark 7:5, ESV


"But what does the Bible say?"

This needs to be the first response when someone "who knows better" tries to force on to everyone else around them something that God never prescribed or commanded.

The Pharisees were zealous for God and his law during the days of Jesus.  However, the Law of God, and the principles found within those laws, and been added to.  The Pharisees had added thousands of extra requirements on top of the law that spelled out exactly what people were allowed to do and not do in order to obey the Law.  These were the traditions of the elders that they would pass down to everyone else, expecting everyone to submit to them since they accepted it.

And it still happens today.  How to baptize. What day to worship. What worship style is appropriate.   Christians can't go out to eat or go shopping on Sundays (I've actually had this one thrown at me).  And the list goes on.

If you have grown up in the church, then you have traditions that you are used to because of the way that your church did things.  And honestly, I am not against tradition.  I find it fascinating to walk into different churches and experience their tradition during a worship celebration.  However, the problem comes when that personal preference (i.e. tradition) is expected to be followed by everyone else when there is no bearing for it in Scripture.

And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites, as it is written. "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."  And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" — Mark 7:6-9, ESV


As I read this passage this morning, I had to ask myself this question: What personal preferences have I established in my life that rejects the commandment of God? 

That's a scary question to ask, but it's a necessary one to answer.

What about you?

"But what does the Bible say?"

GOD IS STINKIN' AWESOME!!!!

Just wanted to give a quick update about our FLOOD worship service last night.  Let me try to explain it in three words: "OH MY GOODNESS!!!!" It was explosive.  Here are the reasons I was so pumped after it:

1).  We changed things up a bit with intermixing teaching and praise and the people followed right along.
2).  We saw three young ladies stand up to surrender to Jesus (that never gets old).
3).  Toward the end of the evening during the worship time, I saw a number of people come forward and kneel at the step, dealing with whatever they were dealing with.  The beautiful thing was to see so many from the FLOOD family come alongside of them, with no prompting from anyone around them except the Holy Spirit, and pray with them.  It is a beautiful thing to see a number of people kneeling before the Lord, each one of those people with a support crew of at least 3 people kneeling with them and praying for them.

This Holy Spirit series is blowing our minds.  The first week we looked at who the Holy Spirit is.  Last night we looked at what he does.  Next week we look at the Holy Spirit through us.

Why have I waited so long to study and preach on the topic of the Holy Spirit? This series has changed my life because I finally have a small glimpse of what this verse means:"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25, ESV).  I'm absolutely blown away by the freedom that I am experiencing since I've been studying and praying through this series.  That freedom comes directly from the Holy Spirit (read 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Thank you so much for your prayers.  The fact that it is still the middle of August and we are seeing growth and life-change happening is so exciting.  I'm even more convinced now than ever before: THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!

Not Just "Thou Shalt Not"

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. — Hebrews 3:16, ESV


Don't. Do not. Stop it.  Stay away from.  Knock it off.

These are the words and phrases that seem to haunt the minds of a lot of Christians who are in bondage to the idea that Christianity is about focusing on the things that we are not supposed to do.  Here's the problem with that idea: if all that we do is focus on what we are not supposed to do, we will ignore the commands that are given that state what we are supposed to.

Of course, some of you will see the first two words of this verse as, "Do not..." and will want to point it out.  However, notice that the writer of Hebrews points us to not neglecting TO DO GOOD.  We are to be proactive in doing good to those who are around us, sharing with them whatever we have.  And the reason for this: for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.  The motivation of heart behind doing good and sharing with everyone whatever we have is to please God.  But there is a necessary ingredient that we must have before we can please God.  That ingredient is a love relationship with God.  Why? If I don't like God, why would I want to please him.  It starts with a true love relationship with God where all that we can think about is doing the things that make him happy.

So, today, stop.  Stop thinking about what not to do, and start enjoying the mission that God has for you TO DO.  Now get to work.

FLOOD CHALLENGE:
I know that God is doing amazing things on Wednesday nights.  I'm seeing so many of you coming every week to worship and study together from God's word.  However, I want to challenge to even more.  I want you, if you accept the challenge, to pray this prayer to the Holy Spirit: "More of you and less of me."  But be warned: if you pray that prayer, he will take you seriously.  Realize: we are not called to a once or twice a week worship gathering so that we can feel good about ourselves, or feel convicted about how we are not measuring up.  Rather, we are called to a daily mission that does not end this side of heaven.  We are called to go out after those who do not know Jesus and to introduce them to him.

I challenge you to keep inviting people to FLOOD, so that they can be part of what it is that we have grown to love about it.  However, I challenge you even more, as the key priority, to invite people to Jesus.  Some of you are involved in ministry and are being blown away by what God is doing.  Some of you are being faithful to what God has called for you today, and you wonder if it's even making a difference.  Let me remind you and encourage: it is.  Anything done in the name Jesus has divinity and eternity stamped on it.  But, there are those of you who are not involved in the mission but have limited the call of Christ on your life to a worship gathering rather than a mission field.  If that rings a bell with you, pray and ask God how to get involved.  Shoot us an email at FLOOD (info@floodnow.com) and we will help you find a place where God may want you to serve at FLOOD and in the community around FLOOD.  Think about what Jesus said to his disciples:

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." — Luke 10:2-3, ESV 


The harvest is ready.  The problem: the workers are few in number.  What this tells me is that there is so much more that we could see happening if we all got to work.  Because when Jesus states the problem, he then gives two steps to help with the solution.  First, pray.  Go to God and pray for laborers to go out into the harvest field.  But second, GO.  Why? Because Jesus is sending you out.

So there's the challenge.  It's not a personal challenge from me brought on by a desire to see more people come to FLOOD on Wednesday nights.  Rather, it's a biblical challenge extended by God and his word to see more people surrender to Jesus.  Do you accept the challenge? If so, write, "Holy Spirit, more of you and less of me" on the comments of this blog or the comments on Facebook.  The best is yet to come, but only if you obey and do what God has called you to do.

Prayer for this Week...

Here's how you can be praying for me this week.

1.  This Wednesday night at FLOOD I am preaching part two on the Holy Spirit (new series called, "GHOST").  Last week we focused on who the Holy Spirit is.  This Wednesday night we are focusing on what the Holy Spirit does.  I'm convinced that because of how much most evangelicals ignore this topic of the Holy Spirit that we miss out on the life that is offered, given, and lived by the Holy Spirit in us.  When we don't know what the Holy Spirit does or how we approach him and ask, we miss out on the victory that he provides for us.  This Wednesday night we deal with this topic again.

2.  This weekend is the college/young adults retreat.  Please pray as we get this time away.  I am trusting to see the Holy Spirit do some amazing things in the lives of those who go.

Thank you so much for praying.  You all are wonderful.

DRIFTING: It's Unthinkable for the Christian

I again read this quote by D.A. Carson this morning and was so blessed and challenged by it that I wanted to pass it on.

"People do not drift toward Holiness.  Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.  We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith.  We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation, we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

BigBHolla Takes On "The Screamer"

I'm at a second-grader's birthday party.  I had to go on this little roller coaster.

("The Screamer")

It was a BLAST!!!!

How do you think I did? :)

1,426 BAPTISMS IN TWO DAYS

Follow from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

1,426 baptisms in two days at Elevation Church in North Carolina. BOOM!!!

If this doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will.

If you automatically jump to skepticism of the sincerity of the decisions, what would you have been thinking when 3,000 people surrender to Jesus after Peter's first message?

Prone To Wander

"And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD,..." — Judges 13:1, ESV

"Oh to grace how great a debtor

daily I'm constrained to be!

Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love;

here's my heart, O take and seal it,

seal it for thy courts above."

—Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 

I read Judges the other day and thought, "It blows my mind how often the Israelites walked away from God."  But then it hit me: how often do I? How often do I sense within me the desire to wander.  How often do I feel the need to "just take a break" because "I deserve it"?

As the Holy Spirit confronted me with my wandering tendencies, I was humbled.  It is easy to forget how prone to wander I am as a Christian when I ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and only focus on the failings of others.  It is easy to become relaxed in my walk with Jesus.  It is easy to take my eyes off of the goal for which I press on (see Philippians 3:12-15).  The writer of Hebrews says this:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,... — Hebrews 12:1-2a, ESV


But then look at one of the most encouraging verses I have ever read:

Consider [Jesus] who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. — Hebrews 12:3-4, ESV


Did you see it? IN YOUR STRUGGLE AGAINST SIN... Scripture tells us that we are struggling against sin.  Therefore, Jesus knows that we struggle against sin.

Keep struggling.  Keep fighting against it.  You and I are prone to wander - we can feel it.  But, when you sense the temptation to run, cry out for God's help.  And by his Holy Spirit he will keep you.

A Message for My FLOOD Lead Team

Hey FLOOD LEAD TEAM,
I wanted to offer this to you.  I want to be able to offer training for you and here is an incredible opportunity.  It is the Catalyst One Day Conference (www.catalystoneday.com) at Saddleback Church in Orange County.  This one-day leadership conference is going to blow your mind.  It is on Thursday, October 27th, 2011.  I know that that creates a hardship for some of you because of work, school, or family commitments, and I totally understand if you can't make it.  However, if there is any way for you to be there, it will blow your mind.  And the best part: I would like to provide your way.  Here's a quick preview of the conference:


Catalyst One Day Preview Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

I need for you to let us know if you can be at Catalyst One Day by Sunday, September 18th.

So if you would like to go, please contact Calli (909-629-5277, ext. 3044; calli@pfblive.tv) and sign-up.  But please know that if you sign-up, I need for you to commit to going because we will be paying for this before September 22nd.  If you have any questions, give me a call (you should have my phone number) or shoot me an email (brian@pfblive.tv).

Love you guys.  I sure hope that this is helpful to you.

Prayer Update...

Hi all,
First of all I want to say thank you for praying.  I've been reminded of how much I need your prayers.  So, thank you.

I had a great time away with the family last week.  It was so needed for us to have that time together.  It was wonderful.

Here's how you can be praying for me this week:

1).  This Wednesday night at FLOOD I am starting a new 3-week series ("GHOST") , an in-depth study of the Holy Spirit. I've been studying and reading up on the Holy Spirit and am overwhelmed with his immensity.  And I don't hear a lot of sermons on the Holy Spirit.  So, I need prayer for

• my prep time as I study and prepare the messages for this series.
• my message when I preach.

I seriously am so excited for this series, but I am intimidated by the size of this topic.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit would lead and guide me through this process.

2).  This Sunday morning I get to hang with the young adults at PFB at "TOGETHER".  I have truly missed that amazing group of people on Sunday mornings.  But, I'M BACK!!!! :)  Please pray as I prepare for that.

AND FINALLY, A PRAISE:

My youngest boy, Dylan (5), prayed to surrender his life to Jesus on Sunday night.  You can read about it here.

Thank you so much again.  You all mean the world to me.

Heaven Celebrated With the Hollands

This past Sunday evening I went to the store for Kelley while she was putting the boys to bed.  When I got home, I went upstairs to hear a theological conversation between Kelley and the boys.  Dylan, our 5-year-old, kept asking questions.  Those questions were answered which led to more questions.  And these were good questions.  Kelley then told him about his need for Jesus.  Dylan looked at her and said, "I want Jesus in my heart." AND MY JAW DROPPED!!! It was all him.  It was completely his decisions.

She led him through prayer, and Dylan surrendered to Jesus.  And his prayer was absolutely beautiful.  We walked out after saying goodnight to the boys and went downstairs.  When we got downstairs we just stared at each other.  We prayed together and thanked Jesus.

We are so thankful.  We are so excited.  I just had to share with you what happened so that you know what all of that partying in heaven was all about on Sunday night.

The purpose of God is not to save men from hell; the purpose of God is to save them unto Christ-likeness.

— A.W. Tozer

We Can't Understand How Much God Loves Us Without God's Help

It's true.  We can't understand how much God loves us without his assistant.  And even with his help, I'm convinced that our brains do not have the mental capabilities needed to grasp his infinite love.  I've added this video of me teaching from Ephesians 3 as an encouragement to you.  I am not the biggest fan of posting videos of myself teaching, but this passage in Ephesians 3 blew my mind.  I pray it's encouraging to you as well.

And if you don't want to hear me preach on this passage, just hang in there for the very beginning to watch our friend at FLOOD, Jason Oliver, get an award for being the World's Best Percussionist for Jesus.  It's priceless.



07/13/11 FLOOD from Pomona First Baptist on Vimeo.

Please Pray...

Hi all,
This is just a quick update to thank you for your prayers for so long.  This week I am getting a much needed break with my family.  A week of vacation.  I am so thankful.