A Christian is someone who knows they need to be saved not only from their bad deeds, but also their good deeds.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. -Isaiah 64:6

Many people who sit in church think they are Christians because of their righteous deeds.

This is where nominal Christianity comes from. For many who grew up in the church/Christian culture, salvation is no longer salvation–it’s entitlement. Some believe they’re entitled to salvation because of their righteous deeds.

That’s not salvation. Salvation is knowing that you’re a sinner–that even your best deeds are disgusting to God, for they are unable to save you. Salvation is humiliation, seeing that you are desperately lost in your sin, under the wrath of God for your sin, and that your only hope is outside help.

Jesus is that outside help. Jesus saves sinners. It’s all of grace. Entitlement has zero place in Christianity.

Jesus doesn’t save the righteous and the entitled. Jesus saves the sinful and the desperate.

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. -Jesus

On Sunday we had our 2nd round of outdoor street baptisms at Garden City Church. One of my great joys of the day was baptizing Sameer, who left behind 20th row tickets to the 49ers playoff game to worship with his new church family and be baptized.

Join us this Sunday, 4pm, at Garden City Church.

The Bay Area is a heavily unchurched region. We need all the help we can get out here. We need all the unity we can get out here. This past Sunday I told our church that we need to plant 1,300 churches in Santa Clara County in order to get the the 1-church-per-every-1,000-people mark that many say is the tipping point at which the gospel begins to dramatically saturate a city (and this isn’t accounting for the 33% population growth we’re projected to have here over the next 25 years).

I know some people criticize The Elephant Room, thinking this event will create disunity rather than unity in the church. I disagree. I believe that by thoughtfully talking about the elephants in the room in the American church and the unchanging truth of Scripture, The Elephant Room conversations will help advance our mission here in Silicon Valley to unite around the gospel of Jesus Christ, make disciples, and plant churches.

The Neighborhood Group that I lead at my church is putting on this event. This great group of people is doing all the leg work to make this event happen. And our group is taking the money that we’ll make from the event to bless some single moms in our community. We’re excited to kill two birds with one stone: create unity through The Elephant Room and generate money we can give to single moms.

The Elephant Room is 8 days away. You should decide right now to register for The Elephant Room in San Jose and join us next Wednesday. Come by yourself, or bring a team. BONUS: We are now able to let anyone and everyone register under the discounted student rate (just $29). If you already paid the full rate, don’t get mad at me. Be thankful that your money is making this event happen and helping single moms. If you feel bitter about having paid the full rate, invite a friend and we’ll let them in for free.

Last night I wined and dined the Garden City staff and deacons to thank them for what they do for our church. We had such a fun night. I gave gifts to every member of the team and spoke words of encouragement to each of them. We’re making this January appreciation dinner an annual event. We’re excited to watch this table grow as Jesus keeps building our church and as we keep training and adding leaders to the team.

Leaders, make sure you plan events to appreciate your team.

In a tepid economy, people look to save money however they can. One strategy? Not having kids. After hitting a high of 4.3 million in 2007, U.S. births tumbled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to about 4 million in 2010.

It makes sense. Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture produces a study calculating how much it costs to raise a child to age 18. In 2010, the price tag was $226,920 — curiously close to the U.S. median house price ($221,800). Given how vexing housing has been, families are understandably wary of adding similarly-priced babies to the mix.

But a closer look at these numbers shows that the real sticker shock happens when you have the first kid — something the vast majority of couples do. After that, the marginal costs decline considerably, to the point where the third kid — the one most families don’t have — is downright cheap. That’s good news for would-be bigger families because, despite vague talk of overpopulation as this planet crossed 7 billion inhabitants in October, Americans tend to undershoot, not overshoot, their preferred family size.

In generations past, there was far less talk about “compatibility” and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for.

In John Tierney’s classic humor article “Picky, Picky, Picky” he tries nobly to get us to laugh at the impossible situation our culture has put us in. He recounts many of the reasons his single friends told him they had given up on their recent relationships:

“She mispronounced ‘Goethe.’”
“How could I take him seriously after seeing The Road Less Traveled on his bookshelf?”
“If she would just lose seven pounds.”
“Sure, he’s a partner, but it’s not a big firm. And he wears those short black socks.”
“Well, it started out great … beautiful face, great body, nice smile. Everything was going fine—until she turned around.” He paused ominously and shook his head. ”… She had dirty elbows.”

In other words, some people in our culture want too much out of a marriage partner. They do not see marriage as two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love and consolation, a “haven in a heartless world,” as Christopher Lasch describes it. Rather, they are looking for someone who will accept them as they are, complement their abilities and fulfill their sexual and emotional desires. This will indeed require a woman who is “a novelist/astronaut with a background in fashion modeling,” and the equivalent in a man. A marriage based not on self-denial but on self-fulfillment will require a low- or no-maintenance partner who meets your needs while making almost no claims on you. Simply put—today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner.

Garden City,

I moved down here to start Garden City Church with just 3 people committed to the church plant. We are now a church of about 150 adults (plus a lot of kids), so we’ve grown by 4,900%. That’s a really good growth rate.

But, I’m not satisfied. And you shouldn’t be either.

This Sunday we had 127 adults at our service. The sanctuary holds 466 adults. Do the math:

466 – 127 = 339

This Sunday we had 339 open seats, seats that could’ve been filled by people who need to hear the gospel, be discipled, and join our mission. To me, that’s unacceptable. We all know so many more people in Silicon Valley who should’ve been with us this past Sunday.

We need to solve this problem together. We need to fill the sanctuary.

I’d like you to join me in taking action to solve this problem. Let’s do 2 things together:

1. Let’s pray a 3-word prayer together: “Fill the sanctuary.” I’m praying this prayer. I’m saying, “God, fill the sanctuary. Bring more and more people into our church family, fill these 339 empty seats with people who need to hear the gospel, be discipled, and join our mission.”

2. Let’s invite people (co-workers, neighbors, etc) to join us at Garden City on Sundays at 4pm.

Our mission drives this. You’ve not just joined a church, you’ve joined a mission: Making disciples to impact the city for Jesus.

We are all on this mission together.

Let’s pray. Let’s invite. Let’s fill the sanctuary.

I love our church,
Justin

Decades ago, when Dr. Harry Ironside finished preaching the gospel to a university audience in California, he was approached by a student who asked:

Dr. Ironside, there are literally thousands of religions, how do we know which is true?

Ironside replied:

Well, before we can get into the question of which one is true, we need to clarify something. There are not thousands of religions. There are not even hundreds of religions. There are only two: one which tells you that salvation comes as a reward for what you have done, and one which tells you that salvation comes by what somebody else does for you. That’s Christianity. All the rest fit under the other. And if you think you can get your salvation by your own efforts, then Christianity has nothing to say to you. But if you know you need to be saved, then you are a candidate.

-Quoted by Ben Patterson in Muscular Faith.

When a man once had a good thought, he should not be afraid of it because nobody else had thought of it. He should do it and dare it, defying custom if it thwarted him, tearing it to pieces if it stood in the way of right. All God’s true servants were innovators. Those that turned the world upside down were the very descendants of the Lord Jesus Christ. -Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon on Leadership, p. 143

Silicon Valley Map by Hugh MacLeod.

God gave you a body and he wants you to take great care of it. Approaching the new year is a great time to decide to take better care of your body. My favorite way to take care of my body is through running. I’ve never been obese, but three years ago I did get rid of twenty extra pounds I’d slowly put on after college football (I’d kept the football player appetite without the football player workout schedule), all through running.

I like how Ben Davis got rid of his obesity through running. I read about his story in Runner’s World. Whether your obese or not, watch this five-minute video. It’s inspiring. Watch the video, share the video, and start running in 2012.

Here is my Best Books of 2011 list. This isn’t a list of books published in 2011. This is a list of the books I read in 2011 that gave me the most profit/pleasure. See last year’s list: Best Books of 2010.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

This is story telling at its best. Over a three-week period I re-told this story to my boys while tucking them in at night. They were riveted.

California: A History by Kevin Starr

Californians, it’s important to understand the rich, exciting, sinful, and fascinating history behind our incredible state. I think this is the best one-volume history you could read on California. Kevin Starr is smart. He’s actually too smart. This book would be stronger if it said less, if it was about fifty pages shorter.

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim and Kathy Keller

The best book I’ve ever read on marriage.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life Without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz

This is a great read on leadership.

Investing for Dummies by Eric Tyson

I hope you’re investing money, not merely saving money. To get a jumpstart or refresher course on investing, read this book.

King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus by Tim Keller

One of the few books I know I will re-read, a book to be mastered.

On Being A Theologian of the Cross by Gerhard O. Forde

This is the message of grace! A brilliant book.

Church in the Making: What Makes or Breaks a New Church Before it Starts by Ben Arment

Great common sense that is often forgotten in the church planting/ministry/leadership world.

Muscular Faith: How to Strengthen Your Heart, Soul, and Mind for the Only Challenge That Matters by Ben Patterson

I read this book last month. It motivates me to enjoy God, not waste my life, and go hard after what matters most. Ben Patterson is a great guy. He’s the real deal.

RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel by Matt Fitzgerald

Get out there and run!

The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity by Richard Florida

It was fun to think about and interact with all the ideas in this book.

The Last of the Prune Pickers: A Pre-Silicon Valley Story by Tim Stanley

I loved this self-published account of life in Silicon Valley before it became Silicon Valley.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian

Amen! This equation changes everything. Tullian is a good friend, he’s the real deal, and this is the good news of Jesus Christ stated in bold and beautiful fashion.

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson

Now I have better words to explain what started happening to me in my early 20s. Read Wilson’s book and Tullian’s book together. A gospel double-decker.

Strengths-Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow by Tom Rath

Quit thinking only about your strengths. Identify the strengths of those you lead and help them play to their strengths.

San Jose: California’s First City by Edwin Beilharz and Donald Demers

Good history and photos of California’s first city.

HT: Mi amigo, Jerome Gay

I wish every church planter could experience the training, mentoring, friendship, and help that I’ve been receiving through Fellowship Associates.

Read this overview of the residency program.

Check out the five other guys I’m in the residency with.

Learn about the type of men Fellowship Associates is looking for and consider whether this might be for you.