Reflections: December 27-28, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries

If you were able to join us this past weekend we looked at what scripture has to say about a new way to human. This new humanity the journey that God leads us through as He shapes us into the person he created us to be. The reason God does this...because of His amazing love for you! Discovering a new way to be human is to become the person God created you to be. So, what will you do with your new identity, new community, and new eternity? How can understanding these aspects change your life? That is what God wants to reveal in and through you.

If you weren’t here this weekend make sure to download the podcast or watch the message online. I would love to hear your thoughts on how this can new humanity is shaping you personally. If you would like to share please post your comment or question on the Reflections Blog. May God’s abundant grace and love fill your life.

God Bless,
Pastor Matt 

Reflections: December 13-14, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Does joy have to be so elusive? Does the Christmas season have to be a joyless time? How can we get joy to stick? The four things we talked about this week in regards to joy were:

1. Choose to believe truth. (You are a loved and forgiven child of God.)
2. Choose to do right. (Right and wrong choices both effect our ability to have joy.)
3. Choose to live joyfully. (Sometimes joy is something we have to choose to find and acknowledge.)
4. Choose to remain in God's love. (Love people and live fearlessly.)

How are you doing with joy? What are some ways that you find joy in the midst of difficult circumstances? Your responses could be a huge encouragement for those struggling with joy. Please re-gift joy to us all with your stories of joy from your own life.

Reflections: December 6-7, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

Peace is an elusive quality of life to experience and yet I think we all want to have peace. There may be certain environmental issues working against us here in Southern California, but I still am personally optimistic that experiencing peace is possible. This weekend we learned that to experience peace we need to live under the Sar Shalom.  Who is the Sar Shalom? None other than Jesus Christ. Sar Shalom is Hebrew for the name of Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6 where Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the one in charge of peace. any peace we experience in life comes from Jesus - he gives us our peace.

 

As you consider how to have peace, what are the obstacles that block you from living in peace? How can you let Jesus be the Prince of Peace in your life?

Join the blog below and let's learn to live in peace together.

Reflections: November 29-30, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Hope is something everyone desires, but all too often what we try to put our hope in collapses around us. Jesus' birth demonstrates how seriously God desires to have relationship with us and how committed He is to loving us, that He would give us His only son to mend our relationship with Him. How do you practically put your hope in God? What has that looked like in your life?

How can you re-gift this hope that Jesus has given us to others?

Reflections: November 22-23, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries

As we concluded "The Language of Thankfulness" series this weekend, I want to ask each and everyone of us to reflect on our expression of this language and how it is communicated to God and those around us in a way that goes far beyond words. A couple of things to think about are: How do we communicate a language beyond words in our response to God and people? Do we focus on people and make them the priority? Are we are demonstrating our
thankfulness because that is what God does with us?

As you live your lives as thankful people for who God is and what He has done consider these things: How can you allow the peace of Christ to be the motivator? What changes do you need to make in order to allow Christ's message to fill your life even more than it is now? What is one thing you can identify this week that you can, in the name of Christ, be thankful for? The staff at LBF would love to hear your comments, so click on the link below to post your thoughts.

Reflections: November 15-16, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

As you consider the relationships in your life and the different circumstances in which you engage in those relationships, what are some ways that you know you have been successful in generating thankfulness in others? What are some new things that you are going to try and implement into your relationships with hopes of bringing people to thankfulness, either for your presence in their life or for what you have brought to their awareness of what they have to be thankful for in their lives?

Reflections: November 8-9, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

This week we looked at Paul's words to the Thessalonians that says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." I've heard it said that we don't have to give thanks FOR all circumstances, but the command here is to be thankful IN all circumstances. What do you see as the difference?

 

After the four services this weekend I felt a little melancholy. Even though I can now give thanks for God, those stories I shared were difficult times for me. At the same time I'm thankful to God for His refining work in my life. I count it a blessing to be a part of His kingdom here on this earth today.

 

How did today's message connect with you? Are you going through a difficult circumstance right now? Are you able to give thanks in it? Let's not forget the other side of life – What good circumstance can you give thanks to God in?

 

Next week we will continue to look at the Language of Thankfulness, I'll see you then.

Reflections: November 1-2, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

This weekend we started a four part series on "The Language of Thankfulness." Our goal was to start our time by focusing on God. Without considering the things God does for us and the things God gives us, we can give thanks for who God is. Psalm 100 gave us four reasons to thank God. He is our creator, He is good, His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.

 

Which one of those four has the most meaning to you? How can you spend some time this week just thanking God for who He is? To go deeper, review the bulletin insert and the attributes of God listed there. Take some time this week to ponder those attributes and then in your own words express your thanks to God for everything He is.

Reflections: October 25-26, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Proskineo: It's worship, with options! Joyful praise and adoration, or humble surrender at the feet of our Savior. How amazing it is to know that we serve a God who is there for us no matter what. To know that we can go to Him with our joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures should cause us to proskineo and live our lives as sacrifices for Him.

It is not always easy to worship simply because our moods do not always cooperate, but I want to encourage all of us to allow the act of worship to usher in the mood of worship. I think you will find that once you are in a place of praise that the joy of the Lord will become your strength and you will be glad you went there. Feel free to share some of your praise experiences with us so that we can be encouraged to continue a life of praise. Have a great week.

Reflections: October 18-19, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Worshipping God when you just aren't feeling it can be really tough. We see in scripture that God can be honored even in our laments and in times when we feel "blah." What are some ways that you have brought worship to God while feeling as though you are in a wilderness? Your responses could help others as they go through their own wilderness experiences.

Reflections: October 11-12, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

This weekend ended our series on Habakkuk. (If you missed the service you can watch it online.) How did Habakkuk turn his questions for God into confidence in God? Habakkuk chapter 3 revealed three things he did that we can do this week to help with our difficult situations in life. He prayed, but just not the typical prayer asking God for things. He pondered God, which lead him to trust God more fully. He also praised God in the midst of his difficult life situations.

 

What do you think about these three? Do they seem like the same old things you've heard before? How is Habakkuk's approach different from the usual? Do you think if you do these that you will experience a deeper relationship with God? Send me a note, I'd love to hear how this message has affected your life.

 

Finally, I appreciated Habakkuk's perspective on prayer – I want to try that this week. I want to stop and ponder God more this week. In fact, I'm setting some special time aside to do just that. And Lord help me to praise You in the middle of tough times. God Bless you this week as you grow deeper with God.

Reflections: October 4-5, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

I confess, I just hate it when I see somebody getting away with something that is wrong. This weekend we learned that God answered Habakkuk's questions about the injustices he saw. There were five areas of injustice that God spoke to in the passage this week. God spoke about people who steal things, people who gain wealth dishonestly, people who exploit others, people who betray theirs friends with alcohol, and people who embrace a false religion.

 

We learned that God is not okay with this. We learned that there will be a time when God will deal with these injustices. Do you think this passage covers the topic of injustice? After considering these five issues what questions do you still have for God about the injustices you see? Habakkuk asked God some important and hard questions. What is a question you have for God that is left unanswered?

 

Let's talk about it.

Reflections: September 27-28, 2009

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Understanding why God does or allows some of the things that we see or experience is something any of us have yet to fully understand. "What do you want to bring out of this?" and "What role do you have for me in this?" are key questions as we wrestle with the "Why are you allowing this to happen?" dilemma.

What are some roles that you have felt God has called you to play in situations in life that you have found difficult? What were the effects of your involvement and faithfulness to do what God was asking of you?

We all grow from each other's experiences, so please feel free to share your own of how you have seen God work in the midst of things you didn't understand.

P.S.
I had several people this weekend share some of their terrifying taxi
experiences. Countries that were included in the unofficial "Scariest Taxis in the World" survey were Thailand, Japan, and France. How about you? Had a scary taxi experience? Share it with us!

Reflections: September 20-21, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

"I am doing something"
                       - God

Is this easy or difficult for you to believe? What are some of the factors that cause you to struggle with this? How do you work through this in your own life?

The "God how could you..." questions are rarely easy, so let's talk about how we handle those wrestling times in our faith. What God has done in and though your life could really make an impact for others who may be struggling the way you have. Let's talk about it!

Reflections: September 13-14, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastof of Teaching & Worship

There are approximately 2,350 verses in the Bible on the topic of money. In these past four weeks Pastor Jeff and I touched on no more than 25 of those verses. In those four weeks we spent our time looking specifically at what God says about how to live as rich people, but it is safe to say that there were many more "money" things we could have talked about as well.

 

For example, on Friday night at the "Money You Get, Budgets & Debt" Seminar, I had the opportunity to talk for a few minutes about stewardship. That's not a word we hear very often in our normal conversations, but it is an important concept in the Bible when it comes to our money. The basic thing to know about stewardship is that all that we have, our money and possessions, are owned by God and we are His stewards. To be a good steward is to be a good manager and caretaker of what God owns.

 

When you add this important Biblical concept to the message from this weekend we find that it also helps us even more to "take hold of life that is truly life." I know that these past four weeks have changed my heart – I hope that it has done the same for you. I'd be interested in knowing how these past four weeks have made a change in your thinking when it comes to money. As you open the case and take a look at what's in your heart what do you see? And how will this make a difference in your life?

Reflections: September 6-7, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastof of Teaching & Worship

I just returned from attending the Invisible Improv event at the church. It was a great evening on many levels. It's been said that laughter adds years to your life. Well, if that is true then I added more than a few years to my life tonight!

 

As I thought about this event tonight, I couldn't help but think of one of the ideas I talked about in the message today. The idea was the one about not giving God our leftovers, but instead pre-deciding how to be rich in good works. Without a doubt this event was an example of our college students living out this principle. They didn't give leftovers, no, they pre-decided and gave of their best, whether it was the students on the stage or the students serving at the ticket table or the students serving ice cream or the students doing other behind-the-scenes work. And what be the result? Be ready to hear stories from our college students of how God was faithful to them and how God opened their eyes to something bigger than themselves.

 

Thank you college ministry for living out 1 Timothy 6:18 with this event. Now, let the stories begin. Let the impact of serving a cause larger than yourself begin. Let the impact of this event reach beyond this country and save the lives of kids in Africa. My bet is that many in our college ministry are feeling rich right now! What do you think?

Reflections: August 30-31, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastof of Teaching & Youth

So, what is it that makes it so easy to rely on money for satisfaction and security? Is it because it is tangible and something we are so familiar with? Is it because society says that money is really the most important thing and we believe it?

This week write down some of the ways that you intentionally make Jesus the Lord of your life and surrender to him. These practical examples can bless us all and be an encouragement for how we too may be able to give the Lord our whole selves...even our wealth and possessions!

Reflections: August 23-24, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastof of Teaching & Youth

As we have begun our Deal or No Deal series we talked about a few very important principles when it comes to how we view wealth and riches. First, contentment is itself, great wealth. Solomon said chasing contentment by the accumulation of riches and possessions is like chasing the wind. Contentment and a heart of gratitude is how we can truly experience great wealth.

What are some things in your life that you are grateful for and are able to say that you are content with? (Hint: it may come down to some of the simple things in life.)

Reflections: August 16-17, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Dan Jepson, Director of High School Ministries

I’ve had a lot of contact with people in the last week that have expressed how worry affects their life. I’m reminded more and more that this is something that we are all faced with. I think there is comfort in sharing a struggle with other believers. By standing together, we’re more likely to have the strength to overcome.

What are practical ways that you can be held accountable in the next week? How about the next year? Is there anyone in your life that would be willing to stand with you so you can support each other in this area? How would that work itself out?

Reflections: August 9-10, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

The idea of being reminded of things has really had me thinking lately. I don't know about you, but when I am reminded of something, or something is repeated to me, my natural response is not always to think of how valuable that truth or information could be for my life. Often times my thought is, "yeah, yeah, I know." As I have thought about this I have come to the conclusion that for me, this is very much a pride issue. To be confronted with truth means that I need to see how I measure up to that truth, and when I fall short it can cause something inside of me to rise up and be defensive, and part of that defense can be to tune out.

What are some ways that you remain open to the truths of God without letting your pride or the need to pretend like you have it all together cause you to close off? What are some things in your life that you use as reminders to examine your spiritual walk and relationship with God? I pray that each of us remains open to the truths of God in our lives and the variety of reminders that He has put in place. 

Reflections: August 2-3, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

This week we looked at the temptation of Jesus. Just like our own daily lives Jesus had a choice to make: Do I say "yes" to God or do I say "no" to God? As I reflect on this a bit more, the time preparing for this message has renewed my need to find the appropriate scripture for the temptations that I face. It was clear that Jesus used scripture to win over temptation. So I need to be about finding the right scripture to combat the temptation I face frequently.

 

I had several people talk to me after the message asking how I knew so much about them. After I had a little fun joking around saying that God had spoken to me about them (He didn't really) I was reminded about the commonness of our temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). If you have a few minutes, why don't you join our weekly blog reflecting on the sermon for this week. Maybe you could respond to the following question: What will I be doing differently this week after hearing the message from Matthew 4:1-11? 

 

God bless and have a great week. May your winning over temptation be frequent!

Reflections: July 26-27, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Russ Parker, Pastor of Administration & Leadership Development

God has created each of us in his own image (Gen. 1:26). In each one of us, He's given us the desire to make a mark, to make a difference. He has hard-wired us this way, much like he's hard-wired us to hunger after Him. This weekend we took "how to be a super hero" lessons from one of God's greatest super heroes – Jonathan. We learned that if we're going to make a mark, it can't be about our ego and comfort. It will likely involve faith, action on our part, and ultimately trusting God with the results.

For many of us, God is speaking, stirring our hearts, directing us in the ways He wants us to make a mark. Whatever it is, post your post-it note and don't let it go. Don't put it off. Don't cover it over. Continue to ask God to reveal it and to grow it.

It would be an encouragement to us all if you would be so bold and
vulnerable as to share what God is stirring up in you.  If it's appropriate, click on the link below and bless us all with how God is working in your life.

Reflections: July 19-20, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

What a weekend! In addition for hearing from Dr. Peter, 17 people were baptized this weekend, each one declaring his or her faith story in giving their life to Christ. What a glorious time!

 

Recently I read about a spiritual survey of 500 hundred churches across America involving 187,000 people. One of the important facets exposed in the survey was that nearly a third of people who were identified as Christ-centered, believed that there was more than one way to get to heaven. How important then was the message of the weekend from Ephesians 2:8-10.

 

We are saved by grace, not by our works. That is the clear message of these verses. I'd be curious to know how that message resonates with you. Here are some questions we can dialogue with on the blog below: What is the grace spoken of here? How goes this grace of God work? What does it look like in our lives? How do works fit into the scheme of things with grace? Does being saved by grace mean we have nothing to do when it comes to good works? How do we do good works without them becoming something we think earns our way with God? Let's talk.

 

This was a very timely message given the fact that Serve Day is this Saturday. By the way, I hope you've signed up.

Reflections: July 12-13, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Fuz Rana, Ph.D., Vice President of Research & Apologetics, Reasons to Believe
This past weekend we took a look at the problem of evil and suggested that Genesis 1:2 and Deuteronomy 32:9-12 provide a clue to why God might allow pain, suffering, and evil. Based on these passages of Scripture, it seems to me that God creates out of chaos and then takes His creation (life, the Nation of Israel, the Church, and the Children of God) through hostile conditions, persecution, and hardships as a way to transform what is precious to Him with a greater good and higher purpose in mind. I find it deeply encouraging that throughout the difficulties, the Holy Spirit “broods” over His creation.
What hardships have you endured? How did the Holy Spirit comfort you in the midst of your trials? Looking back on those experiences, how do you think God used them to transform you?
I find Genesis 1:2 (and Deuteronomy 32:9-12) helpful as I wrestle with the problem of evil. What passages of Scripture encourage you through hardship and help you make sense of evil and suffering?
In my ministry, I find that the problem of evil is the number one reason why nonbelievers reject the Christian faith. Have you had a similar experience? How did you answer the charge that evil, pain, and suffering are incompatible with God’s existence?

Reflections: July 5-6, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

So, are you ready to live a Life in HD? Based on what we have talked about over the last three weeks (living as image-bearers of God, troubleshooting and helping those around us to make the connection of who Christ is through the way that we live, and being aware of what kind of customer reviews we would receive from those who observe us) what are some things you are doing to live an HD life? It can be so easy to settle into a religious routine and stop looking out for the opportunities we have everyday to live out what God has called His followers to do: love people.

Our salvation comes through our belief in Christ, but the evidence of whether or not it is true faith comes from the ways that we love and serve others. What do you strive to do in your life to consistently love others and demonstrate God's love for them? Do you have any stories of when your love, kindness, and service to others have made a difference in their life? Tell us about it so that we can all be encouraged.

Reflections: June 28-29, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Being a true reflection of the image of God can seem like an impossible task, but one of the things that continues to be on my mind is the promise of Jesus in Matthew 6 that He will be with us always!! With that being true there is hope for us to be able to live an HD life. One of the most important responsibilities that we have as we live our lives in HD is to help people make the connection between who God is and what they see in us. This can come through actions or a conversation or an attitude. What are some ways that you hope to help people make the connection in their understanding of who God truly is? What are some ideas that you have to reach out to people in a practical way that will help them discover the truths of a personal relationship with their Heavenly Father? What does it mean to you when you read the words of Jesus who tells us to love one another? What will that look like in your life?

Reflections: June 21-22, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries

This weekend we began the series "Life In HD: It¹s In The Mirrors." We looked at how scripture helps us to see that there is a life to which God gives us, and a life to which he calls us to live. As we looked at the question of why buy in to HD life, we hopefully understood a few important reasons of why we should buy in. The first is that God created us to be in His image and buying into this HD life is about reflecting it to others. The second reason to buying in is because we are His reflection. Thirdly, we get to play a part in God¹s will being on earth as it is in heaven.

Living life in HD, is simply being restored daily into the image that your Heavenly Father created you to be, and reflecting it to others around you. Hopefully this message is reminder for each of us that it is time to do some soul searching as we individually ask God to reveal the areas in our own lives and that we reflect His image to others around us. This week I would love to read your posts about how you are reflecting Christ to those around you as we are used in establishing God¹s will in our communities.

Reflections: June 14-15, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

 

This weekend we looked at one verse, John 3:16. In this verse we found four ways our heavenly Father relates to us. Then we took those four things and applied them to us as earthly fathers on this Father's Day weekend. The four ways God relates to us is that he loves us, he gives to us, he requires from us, and he has prepared a future for us.

 

This message was a good reminder for me that whatever the age of my children and now grandchildren, I can still learn and I can still grow in these four ways. I know that this can also be a time that is hard for many people due to the type of relationship they had or have with their father. If you were there, you may remember the quote from Bill Hybels that I shared. He said, "The healing power of our heavenly Father is greater than the wounding power of our earthly father." What a great thought. Whatever your relationship with your father, my prayer is that the healing power of our heavenly Father is at work in our life.

 

I'd love to hear how this message touched your heart. God Bless.

Reflections: June 7-8, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

What has been your concept of worship in the past? This weekend we talked about the possibility for worship all around us in any situation as we seek to bring glory and honor to God, and that worship is more than an event but a lifestyle, as we were made to worship.

What have been some of your most worshipful moments? Were they in a time and place where you expected it, or in a spontaneous moment of awareness of the presence of God all around you? I have to say that some of my deepest moments of worship have been when each of my children were born. I have also had many intimate times before the Lord worshipping in song, both by myself and in a large congregational setting. How about you? We would love to hear your stories of worship.

Reflections: May 31-June 1, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

I know the subject of weight can be a sensitive issue. This weekend I didn't want to talk about our physical weight, but the weight of things and the weight of worry as we talked about the exercise of simplicity. As I prepared for this message I couldn't help but remember my own struggles with the topic of simplicity and really appreciated the perspective from Richard Foster.

 

I was captivated by his concept of the inner reality and the outward lifestyle. It made sense to me and I know I'll be working on living the words of Jesus this week on this subject. Be sure to take some time to read the first eighteen verses of Matthew 6. Join the blog below and let me know how the message touched your heart, created questions, or confirmed what is unfolding in your life right now.

Reflections: May 24-25, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

This week in our series, 24 Hour Fitness, we talked about the subject of confession. As I reflect on the message, my focus turns to having a trusted friend to confess our sins to. James 5:16 instructs us to confess our sins to one another. I had several people come up after the messages and ask about that part of confession. It seems we all can agree that confessing to God is a good thing, but confessing to a friend is something that requires a little more thought.

 

During the message I shared about my trusted friend and the difference he has made in my life when it comes to confessing.  So here is what I want to ask: Do you have a trusted friend that you confess your sins to? If so, how did that come about? What has been the positive connection to building spiritual muscle in your life? If you don't have a trusted friend, what are your thoughts about this part of our spiritual life?

 

You can reply by using the blog feature below. Let's dialogue on this important way to build spiritual muscle in our life.

Reflections: May 17-18, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

Ok, here is a great opportunity for you to really help others out in their walk with God! As we talked about this weekend, for some, silence and solitude is extremely difficult, if not seemingly impossible to do in this day and age. But some of you have found some ways to get silent before the Lord, and we want to know how you do it. What are some ways that you allow silence and solitude to penetrate your heart even in the midst of a hectic schedule or crowded space? What opportunities have you taken advantage of to have some quiet and alone time with God?

For some, this idea of silence and solitude may sound like a good thing, but is something they have all but given up on. This is your chance to help others in their journey towards God by sharing some practical ways that you make silence and solitude happen in your life.

If you are one who really struggles in this area please feel free to express what holds you back and maybe someone will have an idea for you to try! This is an opportunity for us to get involved in people's lives. Let's do it!

Reflections: May 10-11, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Youth

I hope you all had a nice Mother's day. This past weekend we talked about the idea of surrendering the children in our lives to God. This could mean with your biological children, adopted children, foster children, nephews, nieces, kids on a team that you coach or a class that you teach. 

Surrendering can look so many different ways.  What has it looked like in your life? What are some ways you have learned to surrender your kids that may be an encouragement to the rest of us who will need to do it some day? Click on the link below and tell us your story. Have a great week!!

Reflections: May 3-4, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

As I was reflecting on the message this week, I was reminded once again of the value and importance of prayer. I think it would be true to say I have learned much about prayer by praying. My goal this week was to get us praying. I hope that you will take the three points of this weekend's message and work them into your life this week.

Remember to begin where you are, be absolutely honest with God, and keep the conversation going all the time. By the way, when praying while driving, be sure to keep your eyes open. God still hears those prayer just fine.

Shoot me a BLOG below of how it’s going this week as you become spiritually fit through prayer.

Reflections: April 26-27, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

This week we took some time to explain both baptism and the Lord's Supper. It was noted that the early church took seriously these two practices and so should the church of the 21st century. Both were modeled by Jesus, both were established by Jesus, and both are to be embraced by followers of Jesus. As I reflect on today's message I come away with a renewed sense of the value and importance of these two unique practices. May each of us at LBF take seriously both something to do and something to remember.

 

If you were in one of our services this weekend, join our blog below with your thoughts and reflections on the message of this weekend. What was one thing that you heard that was new? What was one thing that you knew already but appreciated being reminded about? What is one thing you will do differently now?

 

Thanks for taking the time to blog with us. God bless!

Reflections: April 19-20, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth
The more I think about it, the more I realize how easy it can be to allow the "soil" of my heart to become unhealthy. There are so many things in day-to-day life that try and attack my heart and my attitude and my perspective that I must do something to protect my heart from all the attack it is under. Some of the attack we feel can just be the effects of living life and the normal struggles that most people have. There is also the spiritual aspect of the things that Satan does to try and keep the seed of truth from being planted in our hearts. I believe this is one more application for what we are called to do in the book of Ephesians:

Eph. 6:13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

What kinds of things do you do to try and keep the soil of your heart clear and healthy? How have you had to clear the weeds of your heart in order to allow God to use you and bear fruit in, and through your life?

Reflections: April 12-13, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth
Evidence of God's desire for friendship to be part of our relationship with Him is found throughout scripture. Our willingness to embrace this aspect of our relationship with God can have a huge impact on the ways that we approach and interact with our Heavenly Father. Consider the following questions and let us know how a friendship relationship with God plays out in your own spiritual walk.

1. What will this mean for your relationship with God when you view Him as a friend?
2. What kind of impact does this have in the way that you approach Him?
3. What difference will it make when you talk about Him with others who don¹t have a relationship?
4. What kind of struggles and hang-ups are there for you in envisioning having this kind of relationship with God?

Reflections: April 5-6, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

How Do I Find Out What Works?

 

One of the main reasons Miriam and I changed from the church we were attending in 1977 to LBF was on this subject of remaining in Jesus. I was at the point in my Christian experience where I asked the question, "Is this all there is to the Christian life?" I had made a friend who had the same question. We both had a desire to see the reality of remaining in Christ a bigger part of our lives. That friendship lasted for many years and made a big difference in my understanding of how to remain in Christ.

 

That was 30 years ago. Today I'm still open to learn new things everyday about how to remain in Jesus. The one thing I know for sure is that the spiritual life is all about Jesus. Those who try to experience the spiritual without Jesus will not find the one true living God. If we want to become serious about the spiritual life, it must involve Jesus. I hope these past two weeks have helped to make that more of a reality for you.

 

What did you think about the way I explained what it means to remain in Jesus? Did it make sense? Have you experienced something that you could share on the blog below. I'd be interested in hearing about your ideas and experiences.

Reflections: March 29-30, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship
 

As I reflected on the message of this weekend, my first thought was centered on the name and person of Jesus. Why do so many try and explain spirituality by leaving out the name and person of Jesus? I have never personally been offended by that name, but it seems that so many in our culture ignore or dismiss or altogether reject the name of Jesus. I must confess, I just don't understand how someone could have a problem with the message Jesus brought.

 

I know that I have found meaning and purpose in life through the message of Jesus. I have found the answer to why I'm here and who I am and it all revolves around my relationship with God through Jesus. What about you? Why do you think others reject the name of Jesus or try and ignore him? You can respond by using the blog link below.     

Reflections: March 22-23, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth
What an exciting truth that the God of the universe, the creator of Heaven and Earth, knows who we are, what we need, and that we can't earn His love and forgiveness so He did something about it. Jesus' death and resurrection offers us the opportunity for real life, with a very real and personal God.

This weekend people in each of the services (between 3 and 7 each service) committed their lives to Christ. What an exciting thing to see people allowing God to touch their souls and give their lives to Him! Along with those people, many others made the choice to allow God to come and bring freedom to their relationship with him by removing the performance aspect of their faith. God's love and forgiveness is something that He offers us freely, and what a joy it was to see people desire to embrace that freedom and look forward to a life of understanding the love God has for them.

Praise God for what He is doing in the lives of people here. Please join us in praying for those who made commitments to God this weekend – that He would reveal Himself daily and they would reach out to others with the good news of the salvation of Christ that has been offered to us all.

Reflections: March 15-16, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth
The more I think about it, the more it excites me to see how Jesus was willing to use people, like His disciples, who had issues and struggles in their faith, because it demonstrates God's willingness to use people just like any of us!!

How are you encouraged in your life and faith to know that Jesus knew you were coming and followed through with His purpose to die so that we can live? What are some ways this knowledge can play out in our everyday life? And as we look forward to celebrating the resurrection next weekend I hope we will all take time to go before the Lord and express our gratitude for His sacrifice, to give us the opportunity to have a new beginning in Him.

Reflections: March 8-9, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Matt Sasso, Pastor of Jr. High Ministries


This week we looked at how “He [Jesus] knew what He was doing.” For us as believers we can find comfort, hope, and even peace that Jesus knew what He was doing because He knew why He came. It is my hope that we can see how Christ came to be like one of us so that he might experience what we experienced and ultimately conquer life and death. He knew that He came to reveal the Father to us so we might truly know what God looks like and that we might have a relationship with God.
As I shared this weekend, one of my favorite passages is John 17 because it is a prayer that I believe Jesus prays for us. I would encourage you this week to take 10-15 minutes and read John 17. Would you examine how you are letting Christ’s authority be lived out through you? Would you look at the way you view God and how you might grow your relationship with Him? Would you share your thoughts and experiences on the Reflections Blog?

Reflections: March 1-2, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

The Beginning of the End...of the Beginning: Jesus knew who He was!

I realized that I mis-spoke during the message on Sunday. During the message I talked about our calendar being separated in time by the birth of Jesus; B.C meaning before Christ and A. D. meaning after the death of Christ. A.D is after the death of Christ, but A.D. is really a Latin word, "Anno Domini," referring to the year of our Lord. The time of the change is centered around the birth of Christ not His death. I'm sure some of you wondered about this. I hope this clears it up.

Beyond that it seems clear to me that Jesus knew who He was.  Jesus knew He was God in the flesh when He said, "Before Abraham was even born, I Am" (John 8:58 NLT-SE). This claim of Jesus demands a response of some type from each of us. We can accept this claim and allow it to change our life. We can reject it, calling Jesus a liar or something worse. Or we can be somewhere in the middle, seeking answers. What we cannot do is ignore Jesus. Every person at some point in their life must make a decision about what Jesus said about Himself. If you are still seeking, what questions do you still have about Jesus? What do you need to understand? Please feel free to send me an email or make a note on the blog below. Let's talk!  Please just don't ignore Jesus. His claims demand an answer!

Reflections: February 23-24, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth


Well that's it. We made it through 1 Peter and I know that I have come to understand a lot better what God expects from me and the way I live my life to be different for Him. How about you? As we have gone through this series in 1 Peter, what are some ways that God has challenged your heart to be "a little different" in how you live for Him? What are some of the areas in your life that you have just gone with the flow, but now feel the tug from God on your heart that you need to make some different choices and live for Him? Your story can be so encouraging to others facing the same challenge to be different. I hope you'll share your story with us.

Reflections: February 16-17, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth

Nobody likes suffering, but there really can be joy found when suffering is due to choosing to follow what is right and living our lives by God's standards.

Have you ever suffered for your faith? Maybe it was someone giving you a hard time at work or school, or maybe it was someone making it very clear that you need to keep your beliefs to yourself and just go with the flow. How did you handle these experiences?

As we have gone through this series in 1 Peter, what are some ways that God has challenged your heart to be "a little different" in how you live for Him? What are some of the areas in your life that you have just gone with the flow, but now feel the tug from God on your heart that you need to make some different choices and live for Him? Your story can be so encouraging to others facing the same challenge to be different. I hope you'll share your story with us.

Reflections: February 9-10, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

Relationships - Aren't they the most challenging part of our lives? The Bible speaks often and plainly about how we are to relate to one another. The message this weekend may have been simply stated, but I dare say the ability for us to live it is anything but simple. I want to stay focused this week on the four keys Peter gave us by being humble in spirit, confident in God, realistic in expectation, and hopeful in eternity.

I plan on working this week on all four of these, but especially the expectation one. Miriam mentioned to me that many may think based on my story about driving that when I get behind the wheel of a car I become this angry person. Let me assure you that is most often not the case. But it is a place where, when people do unsafe things near me, I need to be confident in God and hopeful in eternity.

I pray you have a great week being a little different by keeping your relational boat afloat. I'd love to hear how it's going. Use the blog below and let me know what you thought of the message and how it is affecting your life. God Bless.

Reflections: February 2-3, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

If you were in one of our services this weekend, you heard me talk about mutual submission in the context of the relationship between husbands and wives. I defined submission in marriage as simply putting the needs, interests, and desires of your husband or wife ahead of your own.

I don't think living in submission to your spouse is easy or comes naturally. We are encouraged though to be a little different than those in our culture who live first and foremost for themselves. How does this work itself out in your life? For wives, how have you lived in submission to your husband? For husbands, how have you lived with your wife in an understanding way? What plans do you have to take today's message and make your marriage better? If you're single, did the message give you any principles you can use now?

I'm sure we can learn from each other as we share our thoughts and experiences with each other on the blog below. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with myself and others.

Reflections: January 26-27, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth

As I think more about this issue of submitting to authority, I think it can be tough. Our idea of what should be done or what is fair is not always the same as what an authority in our life thinks should be done or is fair. However, our willingness to submit says so much about our walk with God. I keep coming back to the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. To go against authority means that at least one, but usually several, of these fruits must be lacking in our life.

In the area of submitting to authority, what are some of the struggles that you face? What are some of the fruits of the spirit that you feel you need to work on in order to have the attitude toward authority that God's chosen people are called to? Maybe you have overcome some of these struggles and could share what God has done as an encouragement to other people. It can be difficult to talk about our own struggles, but this is an opportunity to come together as a family and encourage one another so that our lives reflect God for who He truly is.

Reflections: January 19-20, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching/Youth

Being "a little different" – probably something that all of us could
succeed at occasionally. However, one of the things that has hit me the hardest as we have been going through this series in 1 Peter is that we are called to be different for the purpose of making a difference, which means that it will take consistency. Each of us can probably muster up a positive comment or a good attitude when things are going well. We can all express our thankfulness in times when we feel that our needs have been met. We would probably all be more likely to stand up for what is right and make the right choices when there are 10 or 15 others willing to do the same thing. Unfortunately these ideal situations don't come along as much as we want and everyday we are faced with opportunities to either live in a way that will glorify God or not. Our decision is reflected in our reactions and responses to things as well as the choices and decision we make.

Being a little different does not work when it is only when we feel like it or when the situation plays in our favor. Anyone can do that. To be truly different we are called to live our lives marked as God-chosen people everyday, in every situation. Of course none of us will attain perfection, but I pray that starting right now, at this very moment, each of us would pray for a craving that would drive us to live differently. And that when we do stumble and fall, the craving to live for God would only increase.

Reflections: January 12-13, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship
I want to fly high in my spiritual life, how about you? I mentioned during the services that I love to fly airplanes. This weekend I was able to spend some time at the annual air show at Cable airport. I watched Doug Jordan, an aerobatic pilot perform some hair-raising maneuvers. Here was a husband, father of seven, and owner of a business giving us his best. He was thinking clearly, exercising self-control, and doing things with a plane that the rest of us could only dream of.

May we live a life that others can only dream of as we keep our hope in the Lord, by thinking clearly and exercising self-control this week. I know that my time in 1 Peter this week will change my life forever. I pray that learning from 1 Peter this week will change your life as well.

Have a great week flying high!

Reflections: January 5-6, 2008

This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Pastor of Teaching/Worship

Deliberate Strangers! The more I think about these two words the better I like them. Peter in his first chapter wanted to make sure that believers have a deep sense of gratitude for the gift of salvation and our eternal inheritance. I know that after being a Christian for many years I can take my salvation for granted and not appreciate the rich blessing it is not only for eternal life, but also for everyday life. It is good to start with a reminder of the truth of God's about His wonderful gift of salvation.

Share with me on the blog below how you see this idea of deliberate strangers working itself out in your everyday life. Also what are some of the "many trials" you have endured in your life with Christ?