This Weekend's Message: What Does God Pray for You?

I once had a professor who brought me great joy whenever he would pray. The joy I had was not because he was praying for me; it was because his prayers seemed so different from the prayers to which I was accustomed. For me, prayer often seemed boring and routine. There was the maintenance of thanking God for some stuff (most often food), asking for safety and health, and then maybe sometimes apologizing for sins that I was aware that I had committed. For this professor, though, it was very different. It was as if he was deeply in tune with God. It was reverent, and yet conversational. It was deep and moving, yet very personal. His prayers reflected a life that was deeply connected to God and deeply committed to aligning with what mattered most to God.
           
For all of us, our prayers say something about who we are and what we value. When we pray only in times of crisis, this reveals what we think of God’s role in our lives. When we pray only for safety and health, this reveals what we think is most important. When we have great gaps with no prayer at all, this reveals the importance we place on being connected to God. This is why I am so impacted anytime I am in the presence of someone whose prayers reflect a powerful connection with God.
           
But what about being in the presence of Jesus while He prayed? What would that be like? What would we learn about Him, about God, about what is important, and about ourselves? This Sunday we will get to walk through the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, as He prepared to fulfill His ultimate purpose. Come prepared to learn how Jesus declassifies God through His prayer, and also to learn how His prayer reveals what He values most for all of us.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Be Known, Making Jesus Known (Back to Church Sunday)

Summer is a time when many of us take the opportunity to change up our routines – to spend time going places, slow down, see new sights, and find refreshment during times of vacations. But with the fall comes a time when routines are re-established – our children go back to school, college students go back to their dorms, vacations are over, and we go back to work. And while church has not stopped this summer, the fall does feel like a time of new beginnings – of starting something new and focusing on something that will make a difference. This Sunday will be an exciting time as we look ahead to what we believe God has for us. You won’t want to miss because we have a special surprise just for you.

Gary

This Weekend's Message: The Wrong Side of History

“The wrong side of history” has become a common phrase in recent cultural and political conversations. It is used to describe people who cling to a way of life, a system of beliefs, or a moral code that is fading out of existence (or at least out of favor). The threat of being on the wrong side of history can seem daunting. It can feel like being an aging, broken-down boxer, while the young up-and-comers begin to take over. All of us want to be the kind of people who, when our grandchildren look back on us, will be viewed as being on the right side of controversial and divisive issues.
           
It can often feel like Christians are on the wrong side of history. In our culture, many Christian beliefs are viewed as unenlightened. Many Christian moral beliefs are viewed as outdated. Many Christian movements can feel like they are fading. At a global level, and at an individual level, it can be intimidating to feel like many Christians are viewed as the aging boxer who refuses to hang up his gloves.
           
If you are a Christian, do you ever struggle to feel that you are on the wrong side of history? If you are not a Christian, do you tend to view Christians as people on the wrong side of history? This Sunday, in some of his last words to His disciples, Jesus gives a different perspective—and a different grid—for understanding what it looks like to be on the right side of history.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Stay Connected

When was the last time you were about to embark on some task that felt utterly overwhelming? Whether it was a work project, a school assignment, a family problem, or some physical challenge, you probably – at some point – started to wonder if you had what it took. This is what we all wonder when we face something daunting. Do we have what it takes? Is what is inside of us – our intelligence, our skills, our experiences – enough to make us sufficient for what is before us?
           
Many of us feel overwhelmed when we think of what it means to follow Jesus fully. We need the strength to fight against sin, the courage to speak boldly to others, the compassion to sacrifice for those in need, and the love to pour out to those around us. Do we really have what it takes? The answer, according to what Jesus says in John 15, is "No." We don’t have what it takes. But we have access to the one who does.
           
This Sunday we will explore Jesus as the one and only source and we will explore how we stay connected to Him.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: The One That Got Away

If you watch enough baseball, you will occasionally see a pitcher dramatically lose control of one of his pitches. Everything will seem to be normal and then suddenly the pitch will get away from him and sail over the catcher’s head, or past him toward the backstop, or—even worse—directly at the batter. It is dramatic to watch him as he—at one moment—seems to have complete control over where the ball will go, and then as he—the next moment—seems to have no say in the matter.

Have you ever had a situation get away from you? Have you ever—at work or at home or in your personal life—had something that you thought was under control, spin dramatically out of your reach? Have you ever had that helpless feeling that a significant situation had gotten away from you and that you have no power to fix it?

What do we do when a situation gets away from us? And how does the dramatic story of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas help answer this question?

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Washing Up

Some people are uncomfortable receiving gifts from others. Let me just say...I’m not. If someone offers to pay for lunch, if someone opens a door for me, if someone gives me tickets to see the Dodgers, I don’t say, “I couldn’t possibly accept these.” Instead, I say a genuine, “Thank you,” and I accept. I have friends, though, who have a lot of trouble receiving gifts. They feel uncomfortable and feel like they “owe” the gift-giver or that they need to make themselves worthy of the gift. This is not a struggle that I have.

I can brag that I am not too proud to receive gifts from others, but, on the other hand, I am not always as cognizant of ways that I can meet the needs of others. I am a pretty good receiver, but not a great giver. Some people are poor receivers, but they are active givers, constantly seeing the meeting the needs of others.
           
Most of us are good at giving or good at receiving, but very few of us are good at both. We probably, unconsciously, feel like we need to choose. Givers get frustrated with the mooching receivers, and receivers get frustrated with the uptight givers.
           
Does God call us to choose? Does He call us to get up out of our seats and make sure we are giving? Does He call us to rest and relax and simply receive? The answer is that it is not either-or. On Sunday, as we observe Jesus perform one of His most beautiful acts of servanthood, we will see the relationship between giving and receiving.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Everything to Lose

How much are you willing to lose?

How much are you willing to lose for your career? Your leisure time, your energy, your freedom, your integrity? How much are you willing to lose for your family? Your tastes and preferences, your pride, your anger, your discretionary income? How much are you willing to lose for your health? Your time, your energy, your favorite foods, your mental focus?

How much are you willing to lose for your relationship with Jesus? A little bit of time? A little bit of money? A little Bible reading, a little Christian music, a little volunteer work, a little prayer before meals? If you’re not willing to lose very much for your relationship with Jesus, is it possible that you’re missing out on some amazing gains?

At Life Bible Fellowship Church on Sunday we will talk about what Jesus has to say about what we need to be willing to lose in order to experience the full benefits that He came to bring.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: What Did You Expect?

When I was a kid, I used to hate it when my ears needed to pop. I would try just about anything to get the discomfort to go away, but my options seemed limited. I would yawn. I would try to get any excess wax out of them. I would drink some water. Sometimes, though, none of these tried-and-true methods worked. Then, one day, someone told me to plug my nose and fill my cheeks with air.
           
Imagine hearing that as a kid. It sounded so silly that I thought that the person who said it to me was making fun of me. Eventually, though, I gave it a try. Immediately my ears popped and I said, “I can’t believe that worked!” My problem ended up being solved by a method that I would never have tried, never have conceived, and never would have imagined would be effective.
           
Jesus was an expert in surprising people with His own actions and with the actions He called them to take. This Sunday we will explore a story in which Jesus shatters others’ expectations of Him, and surprises everyone with how He presents Himself. And, in doing this, He also invites us to follow Him into a very surprising solution to the problems that we deeply long for God to resolve.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Extravagant Worship

Have you ever been given an extravagant gift from someone, but had a difficult time receiving it? Maybe you’ve said to the gift giver, “This is too much, I just can’t accept it.” And then the giver insists and then the two of you argue back and forth for a while, but after some time you relent and finally accept it. 

How does that make you feel and what do you do next?

If you’re like many people, maybe you feel like you must out-give the giver of the gift and do something bigger and better. And so you figure out a way to give back. Or maybe you just try and show your appreciation over and over again to the giver. Or maybe you say nice things or do nice things in an effort to feel worthy of the gift or somehow make up for the extravagant gift you've received. How should we respond when we’ve been given an extravagant gift? 

This week as we worship through music and message, we will look at what it means to bring our extravagant worship to Jesus. We will see Mary bring a very extravagant gift to Jesus and as she brings her gift, we’ll see how others respond and we’ll see how Jesus responds. And in the process we will explore how we can respond as we learn from Mary about the worship we bring to Jesus.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. It’s going to be a great morning!

Gary

This Weekend's Message: When God is Too Late

There is a dramatic scene near the beginning of the movie Braveheart. William Wallace’s wife is captured by British soldiers and is about to be executed. As she awaits her own death, she looks beyond herself to the hills. Clearly she is hoping to see her husband come riding in to save her. As her execution grows closer, she looks all the more urgently, hoping to be rescued. Without him intervening, she is sure to die. And William Wallace does arrive, but not until long after her death. He arrives far too late to do anything.

Have you ever been in desperate situation and prayed—I mean really prayed—for God to intervene and keep something terrible from happening? You probably have. And, sadly, sometimes you have probably experienced the disappointment of God not intervening before the tragedy struck. Your faith may have suffered because it seemed that, if God arrived at all, he arrived too late.

On Sunday we will look at a time, a long ago, when Jesus seemed to arrive too late. Many people thought that the story had already ended. But Jesus was only beginning.

Dan

What’s Happening in Student Ministry?

By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor

Since the end of April, we have been experiencing a transitional time in our Student Ministry as we have been praying and searching for the person God has to be our new Pastor of Student Ministries. I have been the pastoral presence during the midweek and Sunday youth group times and have had the privilege of working alongside our youth ministry adult volunteers who are wonderfully committed to our students. 

With this change and time of transition, I know that many of you have been in prayer for what’s next. We know that a new pastor to students is essential for the health and vitality of a student ministry, and our prayer has been to find the right person as soon as possible.

In recent weeks during my own personal prayer time, I heard God whisper a name to me of someone who could meet this need to our students and become our new Pastor of Student Ministries. I didn’t act on that whisper right away but gave it some time, and each time I would go to God on this subject the same name would come to me.

After many confirmations in my heart, I went to this person and asked if they would pray about becoming our Pastor of Student Ministries. This was not something I was going to mandate or try and make happen, but something I wanted this person to pray about and see if God would either confirm this whisper or if maybe I had heard something wrong.

After a period of praying with his wife and close family, seeking God’s direction and will for this time in his life and ministry, believing that the role of youth pastor is what God has for him here at LBF, I am excited to let you know that Jeff Taylor, our current Pastor of Worship, will be stepping into the role of Pastor of Student Ministries, effective June 1.

Jeff was first hired in 2003 as our Pastor of Student Ministries. He was in that position until 2007, when he took on 50% of the teaching team role in the main services in addition to his youth position. In 2009 Jeff left youth ministry when he took on the Pastor of Worship role – a role that he has functioned in since. As a youth pastor, Jeff demonstrated over and over again that he has the ability to connect with and reach junior high and high school students. Jeff is excited to follow God’s lead back into student ministry and be used by Him to minister to the lives of our young people. 

This is not a band-aid or quick fix. This is where we believe God has us and are  excited to see how He will move.

Understandably, this change may seem abrupt and quick, but it is with great confidence that God is leading this way and Jeff is stepping into this role. Summer camp and other youth activities are right around the corner, and Jeff and the volunteer staff are hard at work, assuring a safe and spiritually meaningful time for our students.

This change means we will also experience a transition in our worship ministry and the main services as we look for a new Pastor of Worship. During this transition we will have some familiar faces leading our adults in worship through music. And I hope you will join me in praying for our next worship pastor – pray that God would be smack-dab in the middle of this process and that we would see His Spirit lead us to the right person quickly, just as I believe He has for our Student Ministry.

It is with great anticipation that I look to the rest of this year and beyond. As I told our staff recently…

Healthy things grow – growing things change – changing things challenge us – challenge forces us to trust God – trust leads to obedience – obedience makes us healthy – healthy things grow.

I believe this speaks to where we are right now. Things are changing and this will challenge us, but I would ask you to join me in looking to God as we trust Him and walk in obedience to Him and as we do, grow in our health.

If I can answer any further questions about all of this, please feel free to send me an email.

This Weekend's Message: The Good Shepherd

On March 23, 1997, 39 members of a religious group called “Heaven’s Gate” participated in a mass suicide. They had been taught that by taking their own lives and exiting their earthly bodies, they would end up on a space ship that was following the Hale-Bopp Comet. They trusted the teachings enough to take their own lives, believing that in the end their devotion would lead them to a better life.

This sad story illustrates two powerful truths. The first is that we long so deeply for a better life that we are willing to go to great lengths and take great risks to try to get it. The second is that we are all looking for someone to follow. We all want to hitch our wagon to the right person, the right teaching, the right path, the right guide, so that we will be led to a better life. The problem with the members of Heaven’s Gate was not that they trusted someone else too much. It was that they trusted the wrong guide. Because of this, their noble attempt to trust ended in disaster and tragedy.

Who do you trust to guide you? To whom are you looking to lead you to a better life? This Sunday we will walk through a passage in which Jesus offers Himself as the only one who can guide us to life. Though this passage we will see why we should trust Him, and we will also see what it looks like to trust Him.

Dan

Let’s Give Ourselves to the Lord And Then Act on What He Leads Us to Do

By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor 

It’s time to give you – our church family – a quick financial update. Our fiscal year ends on June 30 and that is the time we take a good look at how we did in comparing our giving and our budget. Included in this Scroll (below) is a quick rundown of how our giving has been in relation to our budget. As you can see, we are behind as we enter our last month for this fiscal year.

I believe LBF is making a difference in our community and around the world as your giving reaches a great many people. This year we have sent out four adult missions teams to international projects. We support other international missionaries who are helping to bring the gospel to people throughout the world. We support a variety of local ministries such as the GAP, Assure Pregnancy Center, and Pacific Lifeline. We fund our core ministries such as Life Kids Children’s Ministry, Exit 83 Student Ministry, adult ministry, LIFE Groups, worship, teaching, and administration. We help people who are in financial need. We keep our property and facility well maintained and cared for. And most importantly, all of the funds you give are at work in advancing the Good News of Jesus.

Financial giving is one of those areas that I think we can all use a reminder about throughout the year. So as we begin June, I wanted to once again challenge each of you – as the LBF family – to seek in the Lord in prayer about your financial giving. Our belief about giving is based on 1 Corinthians 8. In that passage we learn that we are to first give ourselves to the Lord and then act on what He leads us to do. So I’m asking you to go to prayer and then simply act on what God reveals to you. If each of us will do this, I believe we can erase the deficit we now face.

May God bless you as you pray and give.

VBS Kicks Off July 14

By Laurie Baiz, Director of Life Kids Children’s Ministry

Summer vacations are about to begin and there is excitement in the air over the fun activities planned for the warm weather! So as you make your plans, I hope that your kids will be available July 14-18, from 5:30-8 p.m. for Vacation Bible School (VBS). This year the kids will put on their detective hats and become secret agents. Their mission is to discover, decide, and defend the truth about who Jesus really is! These secret agents will get to search for evidence, play games, make crafts, share a meal together, and worship God through music. Don’t miss out and register today (and sign up to volunteer!) at lbfchurch.com > VBS. Can’t wait to see you at Agency D3 Headquarters!

This Weekend's Message: Blind Spots

If we find out that our vision is going bad, we take extreme action. We get eye exams. We get glasses or contacts. We have laser eye surgery. We know how important it is to be able to see clearly, and so we act swiftly if we find out that we are having vision problems.

            

The question is this: Are we that passionate and committed to identifying and dealing with our more significant areas of blindness and ignorance? All of us have certain truths that we don’t want to see about ourselves or about the world. When someone brings up our blind spots, most of us shut our eyes, preferring not to know.

            

On Sunday we’ll see Jesus’ power to free us from our blindness. If you are serious about seeing clearly, come and see how the Light of the World opens our eyes.

Dan

Quick Summer Missions Update

By Carol Hawkins, Missions Coordinator

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our summer mission teams. Three of our teams have served
during the month of May. 

Team Honduras was blessed to be able to help in many ways at the Orphanage Emmanuel, sharing the love of Christ with precious children and staff members.

Team Nicaragua served by drilling a well to provide fresh, clean water for a village. They also did some community education in hygiene practices to improve health. 

Team Mexico was able to build a house for a family in great need in a poor community. 

Karly McCroskey served for three weeks in Kipkaren, Kenya, helping out in the children’s home in meeting many needs of those children. 

All of these teams were able to be Christ’s hands as they served in practical ways and were able to share God’s love. Thank you for your partnership. 

Megan Robinson will head to south Asia with her team from Cal Baptist from June 4-24. She will serve in the slums in that region. Please keep her in prayer.

This Weekend's Message: Have You Found What You're Looking For?

Bono from the British band U2 sang a song with the following lyrics: "I have climbed the highest mountains - I have run through fields - I have run I have crawled - I have scaled these city walls - But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for." Some believe this song is about a search for the meaning of life. Others believe that this song speaks to man’s inability to find lasting contentment. But whatever the meaning, it is clear that many people in our world have not found what they are searching for and live with a constant state of discontentment.

Is it possible to find lasting contentment? And if it is possible, how and where do we find it?

This week as we complete our two week series called "The Gamble,” we will look at what God says about how to find true contentment.

I hope to see you this Sunday!

Gary

Family Events are Coming at You, LBF

By Phil Shahbaz, Pastor of Community Life

If you have been to LBF on a Sunday morning, it’s likely that you’ve noticed an abundance of kids. From the little ones in diapers to the older ones with iPhones, they are exceedingly present at our church. On a typical Sunday, we see them darting through the Worship Center hallways, digging through the doughnut boxes, playing on the play-set, and during the summer, occasionally coming back to mom or dad soaked with water – but with a smile on their face. Our kids energize our church campus and bring a joyful presence to our Sunday mornings. They also bring their parents. 

Families with young children have been growing at LBF, more so than any other constituency we have. In the past year, many of these families have come together to express a desire for more connecting events here at the church. This desire comes from the realization that in many ways our families live life apart from one another. Many of our families are in the same stage of life, dealing with many of the same issues, and hoping to raise our children to love Jesus.

Yet we only see each other briefly on Sundays or at Life Groups. There are families at the church who recognize this issue and are taking steps to bring us together for fun and creative events. 

The first of these events was back in December. A few volunteer families came together and programmed a movie night in the Worship Center. Kids watched a fun movie while they munched on cookies and popcorn and sat in cardboard race cars they made and decorated a few minutes earlier. Parents sat in the background and smiled. This event was not advertised, yet it was very well
attended and an example of the creativity of our LBF parents and their willingness to bring us together. 

Next on the calendar is the LBF Summer Picnic on Sunday, June 22. This is being put together by a community of our families and will be open to everyone at the church. 

This picnic, however, will resemble the kind of old-style church picnic that many of us remember as children. The focus of the picnic will be on fun games that we can all participate in. Remember the potato-sack race as a kid? We will be bringing it back! 

There will be a pie-eating contest, a dessert competition, and a dunk tank
(yes, you will have an opportunity to dunk Pastor Gary Keith, and we may or may not put ice in the water). This picnic will be a fun community day for the entire church family and hopefully an opportunity for a new generation to create memories in a way that we fondly remember. 

As summer continues into fall, we will continue to have events for families such as beach days, movie nights, and game nights. Most importantly, our families at LBF will be brainstorming, hosting, and leading these events as a team. If you are a mom or dad, and would like to help with these events, we 

would love to have you on the team. Please contact me at (909) 981-4848.

This Weekend's Message: Who Are You Betting On?

Imagine that a group of people go to place bets on who will be next year’s Super Bowl MVP. The first gambler picks Peyton Manning. The next picks Marshawn Lynch. The next picks Aaron Rodgers. Then the final gambler chooses...himself. Although he is not an NFL player, he decides that he would rather bet on himself than on anyone else.

You would think someone like this was crazy, right? It simply is not smart to bet on yourself to accomplish something that is way beyond your reach. It is much better to put your money on someone who has shown that he is capable of getting the job done.

This Sunday we will be presented with a choice. When it comes to our money and our happiness, on whom will we gamble? Will we bet on ourselves, believing that we have the capability of using and managing our money and resources in a way that will bring us our greatest good? Or will we conclude that we are not qualified to accomplish this? Will we instead opt to bet on someone who has shown Himself to be more than able to work all things together for the good of those who trust Him? It is a gamble either way. Who will we bet on?

Dan

The Gamble

By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching

In 2007, the Boise State Broncos played the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. The game was surrounded by intrigue because Boise State, a small school from a small conference, had gone undefeated. But they were matched up against Oklahoma, a perennial powerhouse in college football. It was a classic David vs. Goliath match-up. The game went back and forth and eventually it came down to one final play. 

Boise State had scored a touchdown and they were down by one point with no time on the clock. They could kick an extra point (a pretty sure bet) and send the game into double overtime. Or they could go for a two-point conversion and end the game then and there. If they were successful, they would win by one. If they failed, they would lose by one. As all the viewers watched in anticipation, the Boise State coach decided to take the gamble and go for the two-point conversion.

You may or may not remember this game or remember the result of this gamble. Regardless of this, however, you probably understand the choice the Boise State coach had. He could play it safe and hope that things eventually worked out, or he could take a big risk. If the risk worked out, he would be at the center of something amazing and memorable. If the risk didn’t work out, he would be ridiculed for being reckless.

Most of us are not coaches, but we are still consistently faced with the choice either to play it safe or to take a gamble. Will I stay in this comfortable job or will I branch out and start my own business? Will I try to remain friends or will I ask her out? Will I go for low-risk-low-interest or will I invest in something more aggressive?

Now think about what it is like to walk with Jesus. Is it safe or risky? While Jesus surrounds us with promises of provision and security, even a passing glance at His life and His commands makes it clear that following Him does not lead to a calm or risk-free life. He calls us to take the gamble and tell our neighbors and friends about Him. He calls us to speak up and gently confront other believers when they are off-track. He calls us to trust Him financially and to give generously to those in need.

Focus in on that last one. Jesus calls us to gamble with our money. No, He doesn’t call us to do this by going to casinos or buying lottery tickets. Instead He calls us to bet on Him. He calls us to take the gamble that giving generously will reap more benefits that playing it safe and keeping what is “ours” to ourselves. This feels incredibly risky (and sometimes reckless), but there is no doubt that Jesus calls us to be sacrificial and generous with our money.

Despite this, many of us play it safe. We tell ourselves that instead of gambling on God, we will play it
safe and avoid the risks involved with generosity. 

But the fact is, when we do this we are fooling ourselves. Our choice is not between playing it safe and taking a gamble. Our choice is between betting on God or betting on ourselves. Will we trust that God will come through, or will we trust ourselves to make a better life out of what we have? Either way, we are making a gamble. Either way, we are betting on someone. Do you want to bet on yourself or on God?

For two weeks in June, we will pause from our series through the Gospel of John to address the issue of financial generosity. The goal of this series will be to challenge each of us to take the gamble and trust that God will come through when we follow where He leads us financially. And the good news is that any risk we take for God is a risk that will absolutely pay off!