Weekly Bible Study

Hey Everyone,

Hopefully you were at church on Sunday and heard the message. I believe that God is calling our church to amazing things. I believe that he wants to do transformational things in our life, our families, and this church. I hope that you and your family will be in prayer over that.

I hope that you have had a great beginning to your week. I am spending my first three days of this week in beautiful Ventura, being blessed through planning and prayer over YouthWAVE, which is one of our week-long events during the summer. Whenever I am a part of planning an event I am reminded of the importance of community in our walk with God. It is through the strength of this community that God can continually work on us and through us.

I pray that this Weekly Bible Study will be a blessing in your life.

Weekly Bible Study
"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." -Mark 9:35

When you think of leadership, what comes to mind?

Is it someone who is out in front of others?

Someone who is outgoing? Extroverted?

Is it someone who we view as more talented than others? More gifted?
Someone who is in charge? Someone who is older or more wise?

The picture that we get from Jesus is one of servant hood. His example and lead was through service! How contrary to what we sometimes believe!

Here is my challenge to us all. Who can you serve tomorrow?

The next day?

This week?

Maybe you serve your waitress by talking with her about her day and encouraging her. Maybe you serve your boss and tell them that you are thankful for them. Find someone to encourage. Find someone to serve.

I pray that we can lead like Christ.

Through service!

Have a blessed, service-filled week

-Dan

Family Devo and W.B.S. (Weekly Bible Study)

Hey Everyone,
I hope that you all had a great weekend. We had an awesome family devotional on Sunday night with over 30 teens and nearly 10 old folks, I mean adults (I'm included in the latter according to the teens). I hope that you will be a part of one soon. We have a family devo in March and May. Please try to make one of those.

You will be receiving the semi-annual calendar and letter in the mail by weeks end. If you have any questions once you receive them please let me know. We would love for you to be involved in all the wonderful things that we have going on in the ministry.

Weekly Bible Study
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." -Mark 2:17

In this day and age with shows like The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Fit Club; magazines like Men's Fitness, or Women's Health; culture is pouring on the need to be healthy. There are entire sections in nearly every grocery store that are deemed "The Healthy Foods."

Society tells us that we need to eat this meal, or be a part of that gym, or own that piece of equipment which will let us reach our full exercise potential. Our society is standing on the healthy soapbox.

What if we ran our churches like this? We'd have sermons entitled "The Biggest Loser: Losing Sin in a World that devours it" or "Christian Fit Club: Using Jesus as Your Trainer." Would we have areas of our building that are devoted to becoming healthier followers of Christ?

One thing that Christians can learn from society in this is the passion to become healthy. Every gym that I drive by each day is packed! It doesn't matter when I drive by it.

What if we treated our building the same way every day? As a place to come and get spiritually healthy. A place that was packed every day.

Let us be challenged. How can we use our building to create a culture of spiritual exercise and health and are we doing this? I pray that we are a people who are always looking to get healthier and help others see Christ.

Remember, Jesus came for YOU. He wants to heal you. Let us continually go before God in humility and love.

Have a blessed week,
Dan