Prayer for this Week...

Hi all,
This past week has been a whirlwind. From the teaching opportunities to the young adults retreat this weekend, I'm having trouble just remembering my name. :) Thank you for praying. I'm convinced that God said what he wanted and accomplished what he had in mind even though I wasn't completely excited about the outcome of every single message (Thursday morning was tough for some reason). But I trust God's word more than I do my own emotions or feelings (read Isaiah 55:10-11).

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

1.  This Wednesday night at FLOOD we are in part two of "PERSPECTIVE: Getting Through the Pain". Please pray for me as I pray through, prep and preach this message. It was POWERFUL last weekend. I'm expecting even greater things this week. I'm convinced that Jesus wants to bring some serious healing to us. Please pray for that.

2.  On Thursday morning I am teaching at Upland Christian Academy to the high schools students. This is a pre-Ignite chapel, a way for us to get the word out about Ignite happening on March 3rd (www.igniteusnow.com). So please pray that God would reveal what to preach about and also that he would use Ryan Hall and myself in a great way that morning. We are so excited!

3.  Please be praying as we are about 4 weeks away from Ignite. God has been doing amazing things over these past few years. Please pray that God moves like never before. Please pray that God helps us get all of the plans done and things ready. Here's the promo video for it:

That's it for this week. Thank you for praying.

Jesus: My Brother King

I just read this from Charles Spurgeon and it blew me away. I pray that it blesses you.

"I have exalted one chosen out of the people." — Psalm 89:19

"Why was Christ chosen out of the people? Speak, my heart, for heart-thoughts are best. Was it not that he might be able to be our brother, in the blest tie of kindred blood? Oh, what relationship there is between Christ and the believer! The believer can say, “I have a Brother in heaven; I may be poor, but I have a Brother who is rich, and is a King, and will he suffer me to want while he is on his throne? Oh, no! He loves me; he is my Brother.” Believer, wear this blessed thought, like a necklace of diamonds, around the neck of thy memory; put it, as a golden ring, on the finger of recollection, and use it as the King’s own seal, stamping the petitions of thy faith with confidence of success. He is a brother born for adversity, treat him as such. 

"Christ was also chosen out of the people that he might know our wants and sympathize with us. “He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.” In all our sorrows we have his sympathy. Temptation, pain, disappointment, weakness, weariness, poverty—he knows them all, for he has felt all. Remember this, Christian, and let it comfort thee. However difficult and painful thy road, it is marked by the footsteps of thy Saviour; and even when thou reachest the dark valley of the shadow of death, and the deep waters of the swelling Jordan, thou wilt find his footprints there. In all places whithersoever we go, he has been our forerunner; each burden we have to carry, has once been laid on the shoulders of Immanuel. 

“His way was much rougher and darker than mine

Did Christ, my Lord, suffer, and shall I repine?”

"Take courage! Royal feet have left a blood-red track upon the road, and consecrated the thorny path for ever."

Dead Man Walking

"When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of [Jesus] but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead." — John 12:9, ESV

Can you even imagine it? You're dead. Then all of a sudden, you're alive. What did Lazarus see and experience when he died? What was it like to wake up from death at the command of the Son of God? What was it like?

"He's alive!" What was everyone thinking? What was everything doing and saying? What were people saying as they took off the grave clothes that covered Lazarus? What emotions flooded the hearts and minds of Jesus' disciples? Martha and Mary? The crowd? And as word spread all over the place about what just happened, what were people thinking?

What were thinking? I have no idea. But I know this: "When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead." The crowd came out to see Jesus. However, the crowd was also coming out to see Lazarus. They wanted to see "the dead man walking."

Here's what stood out to me on this. The crowd wanted to see Lazarus because of the drastic change in his life. He went from dead to being alive. Well, here's the truth for us Christians: we have gone from death to life as well. The life that I live is a testimony of the transformational power of God in my life. I want people to want to see me because of the fact that Jesus has done a work in me and I will proclaim him to them.

How about you?

Prayer for this week...

Hi all,
Here is how you can be praying for me this week. It's kind of a jam-packed week so your prayers would be appreciated again.

1.  On Wednesday afternoon I get to go and teach the high school students who are part of the Christian Club at South Hills High School.

2.  On Wednesday night at FLOOD I am preaching out of Philippians on the topic of perspective during the pain. This will probably be a three-week series on getting through trials and pain. Please pray for me. I want to be gracious and loving as I tackle this topic with the people of FLOOD.

3.  On Thursday morning I get to go and teach the junior high students of Crossroads Junior High in Corona.

4.  On Thursday at noon I get to partner up with Campus Crusade on Cal Poly's campus and speak to their group.

5.  Friday through Sunday is the first of our two FLOOD young adults retreats. Please pray so I am sensitive to hear what God is leading me to share to this amazing group of people.

Thank you again for how much you lift me up in prayer. I don't take it for granted. Love you all.

They Believed Because He Shared

And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." And many believed in him there. (John 10:41, 42 ESV)

John the baptist did not do miracles. He had no signs that people would consider miraculous. But he had words. He spoke things about Jesus, telling those things to anyone who would listen. And that was it. Nothing flashy. Nothing "impressive." Instead, he merely spoke things about Jesus to those who would listen.

But the aftermath of his sharing about Jesus brought the miraculous. The result: "And many believed in him there." And there it is. Many believed in Jesus because of what John told them about him. They believed in Jesus.

The same thing is true for us. You may not be doing the things that others consider to be "miraculous," but telling others about Jesus leads to the miraculous of them believing in him. May God use us to usher in the miraculous as we tell others about Jesus and they come to believe in him.

Update and Prayer...

Hey all,
I just wanted to give you an update about the retreat that I spoke at this past weekend for Maranatha High School. How do I describe it? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! That should suffice.

• Saturday night: saw 9 students stand up to surrender to Jesus. The place went nuts.
• Sunday morning: saw 9 students stand up to surrender to Jesus. The place went nuts.
• Sunday night: saw 21 students stand up to surrender to Jesus. The place went nuts. I was awestruck. Jarret Lemaster (he lead worship for the weekend) was blown away.

It was an incredible weekend. Out of the 250 or so high school students that attended this retreat, 39 of them went home forgiven and in a new relationship with God through Jesus.

Please pray...

This Wednesday night at FLOOD I am preaching on the vision of FLOOD that God has called us to. I am so excited about this. I love preaching about our specific mission. Please pray for me as I pray, prep, and preach this message.

Also, I ask for prayer as I have experienced stronger spiritual opposition as of late. It feels stronger, and I've felt more discouraged, frustrated, and defeated. The day before we left for the retreat was such a difficult day for me. But I hold on to what Scripture tells me: that the devil will flee from me as I stand firm. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to enable me to stand firm for him.

Thank you so much. I am so thankful for you.

Prayer for this Week...

Hey all,
Thank you so much for praying last week. Again, last week was a powerful evening at FLOOD. I was excited about the turn-out of FLOOD family members as well as the response to worship. It was powerful.

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

1). On Wednesday morning I have the opportunity to teach in chapel at Whittier Christian High School. This will be my first time with these high school students. I'm really looking forward to it. Please pray that I am sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that I teach only what he wants me to teach.

2). On Thursday morning I am teaching in chapel at Maranatha High School. I have been there often and absolutely love it every time. Please pray that God gives me his message to pass on to the students.

3). This weekend, I get the chance of hanging with the high schoolers of Maranatha High School in Big Bear for their annual spiritual emphasis retreat. Not every student will be there, but only those who want to be part of the retreat. Please pray for me as I pray through and preach each message.

4). Finally, please be praying for FLOOD this Wednesday night. We are spending the whole evening focusing on the horror of human trafficking and what the Church can do to combat it. Pastor Lisa will be teaching. Please pray for her as she preps, prays through, and preaches.

That's about it for this week. Thank you. Your faithfulness to continue to pray for me is so valuable to me. I cannot explain the difference that I have seen in how God uses me to teach his word ever since I asked you to pray for me. Thank you. Love you all.

Christians Fighting to End Present-Day Slavery

LOVE IT!!!

HEAVEN IS SINGING!!!

Last night was explosive at FLOOD!!! Oh my goodness. I have to be honest: I honestly felt that I would be preaching to myself last night being that we had a week off the Wednesday before. But, the FLOOD family came out and came prepared to bring it.

I preached out of Colossians 1:9-20, sharing with the FLOOD fam my prayer for all of us this coming year. POWERFUL would be an understatement.

And here's the best part: we had a young adult stand up and surrender her life to Christ. Our first worship time of 2012 and we see Jesus rescue someone. That never gets old!!!

Thank you for praying. God is on the move and I'm still convinced of this truth: the best is yet to come.

Please Be Praying...

Hey all,
Well, I'm back from my time away. It's been a restful week or so. I did speak in Santa Clara over New Year's weekend, and God was so faithful in that time with those students. I was so blessed by my time with them. Thank you for praying for that.

Here's how you can be praying:
1). Tonight I am teaching at FLOOD. This is our first FLOOD worship service of the new year. I have Colossians 1:9-20 all prepared to shared, but something is stirring in me that is keeping me open to the fact that God may have other plans for the message tonight. I'm not sure but there's just something. Please pray this prayer for me: That I would continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:29b-30, ESV).


I want to only speak God's message tonight - that's all. Please pray that I would be able to hear and follow the leading of God's Holy Spirit so that his will is accomplished.

Thank you so much for praying.

It's a new year. I can't wait to see what God gets done this year.