Meeting with Pope Tawadros in Egypt

March 6, 2014

Haven't been able to post all week and the reason why is because I’ve been in Egypt since Monday. Yep, that’s right. American priest visits land of Egypt. I’ve had quite the experience and thanks be to God, all has gone well.

And the highlight of my trip by far was getting to meet with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.

I was truly humbled and honored by His Holiness' love and care for both me and our church. Below is a short 1 minute video clip that His Holiness recorded as a personal message to the entire STSA family.

May the Lord keep His Holiness Pope Tawadros for us and confirm him on his throne for many years to come.

Can I Trust the Bible? - YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT Part 1

March 3, 2014

Have you ever read the Bible and wondered if what you’re reading is true? Do you wish you could open your Bible and actually understand what you’re reading? Do you sometimes feel like the words in the Bible don’t really apply to your life today?

If so, then you’ll love the newest series that kicked off yesterday. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: Learning to Live on God’s Word.

Too many of God’s children don’t know His Word, don’t really believe His Word, or worst of all, don’t DO His Word. The goal of this series will be to transform us from simply “hearers” of God’s Word to active “doers” of God’s Word.

Solitude or Loneliness?

February 28, 2014

Whether in a crowd or alone, married or single, young or old – everyone experiences loneliness from time to time. It’s okay to admit it. I mean, who among us hasn’t felt this way before? It sounds so negative (and it feels that way sometimes!), but I am here to say that I believe loneliness is something positive that God uses to knock on our door.

It’s natural for us to want to fill the gap that loneliness creates. The question is, are we filling it with the RIGHT things? We pursue relationships, wealth, fame, busyness, shopping :) , etc. While these may help alleviate the feeling for a while, avoidance is not healthy. Deep down, we know that nothing can fill the void within us permanently, except the One who made us, as the quote above says.

UnFriending - #reFriending PART 4

February 17, 2014

Series finale in the #reFriending series and the subject was the toughest one of all...UnFriending.

What do you do when you realize that your "friends" are bringing you down? Do you distance yourself from them? Do you try to help turn them around? What is the right thing to do?

That's the topic in this week's message. Check out the video and see for yourself what I believe is the right approach that we need to take.

I Owe Jonah An Apology

February 14, 2014

Years ago, I read the Old Testament book of Jonah and decided that I didn’t really like Jonah very much. Whenever I say that out loud, I imagine myself getting to Heaven and running into Jonah as he stands with his hands crossed, head shaking, waiting for an explanation. This week, I got to thinking about what I would say in response. Why am I so quick to discount him?

Every Sunday School teacher will tell you that Jonah’s main struggle - the reason the Ninevites were almost destroyed - is because he was disobedient. Obedience is not my struggle. When God asks me to do difficult things, I do them. Now, never mind that when I do them I am worried, afraid, doubtful, begrudging and searching for every way to justify cutting corners and that those things are just as sinful. But in the end, I obey. And Jonah didn't.

And that makes it easy for me to look down on Jonah; because his sin is different than mine.

Learning to Blame God

February 12, 2014

Certain passages in the Bible always touch my heart – no matter how many times I read them. Genesis 45 is one of those passages. It’s the account of when Joseph finally comes face-to-face with his brothers and confronts them with the sin they had committed against him years earlier.

A quick recap of the story. Joseph’s family was kind of a dysfunctional one. He was the second youngest of twelve brothers. Those ten older brothers didn’t care much for Joseph. He was somewhat of a brat – an annoying little brother who always got special treatment from their father.

“But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” Genesis 37:4

They didn’t like him. And gradually their dislike turned to anger. Anger to hatred. And hatred to murder.

“Now when they saw him [Joseph] afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’” Genesis 37:18-19

Uhhh…that’s not good. Look, I got two brothers and we used to get into fights when we were younger; but there were limits! We never used weapons. We never tried to injure one another. And we never threw each other in pits and left one another for dead. Period. Those are the rules.

But not these guys. These “brothers” hated Joseph so much that they wanted to kill him right there on spot. You can only imagine how Joseph felt as he was attacked by his brothers… thrown down, beaten, kicked, mocked, spit upon and then left for dead in an empty well. I shudder just at the thought of how helpless he must have felt – ten burly men attacking and assaulting a weak young boy…AND THAT BOY IS THEIR OWN BROTHER!

Finding Community - #reFriending PART 3

February 10, 2014

Community. One of the most over-used and least-realized words in churches today. We all want it. We all talk about it. We all think we know what it means.

SO HOW COME WE CAN'T FIND IT?

Check out Part 3 in the #reFriending series and see for yourself. Maybe the reason we can't find it is because we don't know what we're looking for.

The Power of Prayer

February 7, 2014

One day I was sitting on my recliner in the living room and as I was looking outside at the backyard, I fell asleep. While sleeping, I had this vision:

I saw a lion hiding in a bush in the backyard. I was afraid of him and I instantly started praying and making the sign of the cross.

I then picked up the phone to call for help. I tried many times to call but no one answered the phone. The lion came out of the bush and came near the door of the living room where I was sitting. I was very afraid as he came closer to the door and I kept praying and making the sign of the cross.

I called again and again for help but no one responded to my call. My wife and my son came and tried to close the door of the room but they couldn’t. The lion pushed the door and came inside the room. I kept on praying and making the sign of the cross.

What is Character?

February 5, 2014

WHAT IS CHARACTER?

Will Rogers, the great comedian of the Great Depression, once commented on the definition of character. He told to people to "live in such a way that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip!"

Gordon H. Taggart struggled with the whole concept of character, wishing he had more of it. As he wrote about what he lacked in character, he did a fantastic job of describing what it meant to BE the right kind of person. He described 11 characteristics.

"I wish I were...

What's One Friend Worth? - #reFriending PART 2

February 3, 2014

How much is a friend worth? How might my life be lacking without the right ones? Is it really possible that just one friend could really change my life in a meaningful way?

YES! ABSOLUTELY! In fact, I believe that you might be just one friend away from a whole new life (assuming of course it's the right kind of friend). You may not realize it, but often when God wants to change our lives for the better, He does so through people...friends...real life people...not the Facebook kind.

And you might be just one friend away from a whole new life.

Don't believe me? Check out Part 2 in the series #reFriending, Real Relationships in a Virtual World.

Redefining Happiness

January 31, 2014

Happiness. Everyone wants it. Many people define happiness in a certain way, claiming that they have the ‘secret to happiness’. The dictionary defines ‘being happy’ as ‘feeling or showing pleasure or contentment’.

In today’s world, it is becoming more and more difficult to define what happiness is. Personally, I've struggled with defining the concept of happiness. I don't remember anyone ever teaching me what 'happy' meant.

But as a little girl, I felt happy. I was satisfied with my life and I felt at peace. Looking back now, I wonder how I could have been happy. My family was not well-off, and we didn't have much. I wore my sister’s hand-me-downs, and I didn't own any toys. My family never went on vacations, and we didn't eat out at restaurants.

Yet, as a small child, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on anything. I made use of what I did have - a loving family and a wonderful church community. I had clothes to keep me warm, and even the hand-me-downs felt new to me!

Momentum 2014: STRIVE FOR GREATNESS

January 29, 2014

MOMENTUM IS BACK! Woo hoo! Time to get excited! Why? Because this year’s conference promises to be “greater” than ever! That’s because the topic this year is STRIVE FOR GREATNESS. And believe me when I say that I have never been more excited for a conference than I am for this one.

You see, I have this fundamental belief inside my core that I just can’t shake. Whenever I read the Scriptures or look at the lives of those who have given themselves into the LORD’s hands, I just can’t help but coming to one conclusion: WE WERE MADE FOR GREATNESS.

Not greatness in the world’s eyes (riches, fame, etc.), but greatness in God’s eyes – the kind that comes from being “His workmanship” and from being “sons of the Most High.” God didn’t create us for “normal-ness” or “average-ness” or “barely-getting-by-ness.” He made us to be great!

Today God Was a Kyrgyz Woman Named Aigul

January 24, 2014

I stood at what felt like one of the largest intersections I had ever attempted to cross in my life. There were cars coming from every direction by way of a streetlight that hadn’t factored in pedestrians at all. My heart sinks every time I cross any street here in the Kyrgyz Republic because THEY DO NOT YIELD!

This time I stood there, and went into a state of shock. I was imagining myself being plowed by a trolley bus, or getting trapped between lanes. I know, you think I’m being dramatic. But you would be too if a hundred minibuses and cars were coming at you from several directions at over 60 mph.

I looked over at a woman next to me who took one step forward, and had a determined expression on her face to make it across the street. I don’t usually make eye contact because I like to avoid the mental exhaustion of introductions and chitchat – in not one, but two, foreign languages which I have not yet mastered.

It was not like me at all actually. I was so caught up, drowning in these horrible thoughts, that I mentally and physically couldn’t have given myself a second to look away from the dust clouds and racing tires.

But she looked at me. And I looked back. It was too late! Our eyes locked, she spoke in very fast Russian, grabbed me arm in arm, and led me across the street. I asked her name, and then she left. Her name was Aigul (eye-goul), and today, this was God coming to meet me.

The One Skill You Need to Make Relationships Last

January 22, 2014

There’s nothing better than a couple “in love” – especially an engaged one. Walking on air. Head in the clouds. Living in a state of bliss and happiness and certain that they will live happily ever after.

I’ll often meet an engaged couple like this and they’ll say to me “We are so blessed because we haven’t had any conflict in our relationship.” They assume that I’ll be so happy for them. But I’m not. In fact, my response usually comes as a shock to them: “You really aren’t ready to get married then. You don't need to learn how to AVOID conflict; you need to learn how to RESOLVE it.”

That isn’t what they were hoping to hear.

Are You Willing to Be Rudolph?

January 17, 2014

Everyone loves Christmas music right? This morning I heard one of all-time classics on the radio, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Like you, I’ve heard this song millions of times, but for some reason today, I actually thought about the words. They kind of made me think that each of us is a little bit like Rudolph – but just with different names.

Uhhhh….excuse me…what are you saying about my nose?

Think about it. Rudolph is owned by Santa; he works for Santa, bringing gifts to Santa’s children across the world. Similarly we are children of God. We “belong” to Him and our purpose is to spread love to His children across the same world. And just like Rudolph, we aren’t always accepted by the rest of the world.

“Christians are weird…they behave differently…they speak differently…they aren’t like us.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise to us. The Bible predicted this would happen:

“In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” (1 Peter 4:4)

Letting Go of Your Past (video)

January 13, 2014

"I cannot REALIZE my future if I'm still REACTING to my past."

Ever tried to drive a car looking exclusively in the rear view mirror? Think you'd be able to get very far that way? I'd say that your chances of crashing are significantly higher than your chances of success. Right?

Well, that's how many of us are living today - especially when it comes to relationships with friends, family and loved ones. We think we moving forward but the truth is that we're just dragging the past with us. And it is SABOTAGING THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR LIVES!

That's why today's message at The Well is a must-listen. Listen to it prayerfully and with an open heart and God just might open your eyes to something that you've never seen before.

The Monkey and His Pebbles

January 10, 2014

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:12)

“MAN.” In that little three-letter word, there is a deluge of grace. Knowing that we’re created in the Image of God whilst entertaining that whisper of fatalism – assuring me that my spiritual transformation is pretty much impossible – tells me something isn’t right.

In Psalm 90, Moses prays for the Israelites wandering the wilderness in spiritual inertia; a feeling which, in all honesty, I’m no stranger too. Yet considering God is the same God who held the sun at a standstill over Gibeon and licked the Earth in flames on Mt Carmel, I can’t help but feel more than a touch of un-fulfilment. I find myself craving the transformation of the renewal of our minds St. Paul writes of in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Where Will You Be At the End of 2014?

January 9, 2014

One week into 2014 and by now, statistics say that 60% of New Year’s resolutions have already been abandoned. And by the end of January, that total will reach almost 90%! WOW!

But it doesn’t have to be that way – at least not for you. You don’t have to be part of the 90%. You can make 2014 different. Believe me, I struggle with New Year’s resolutions just as much as the next person and I don’t claim to have any secret tricks to make it any easier. But I have discovered some helpful hints throughout the years that have helped me stay on track.

The most important concept/idea to keep in mind is this (this is a good one to post above your desk or somewhere prominent):

We all end up somewhere, but few people end up somewhere on purpose.

God's Promise for 2014

January 2, 2014

Happy New Year! I hope that 2014 has been good to you thus far and that you’re still going strong on those new year’s resolutions (only 364 more days to go!).

We started a New Year’s tradition at STSA last year and it has quickly become one of my favorites. What started as “it might be a cool thing to try this year” has quickly turned into “it just wouldn’t be New Year’s without it.”

What is “it”? RECEIVING OUR NEW YEAR’S PROMISES!