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!