Grace SLO: Feed

Growth Group Buzz

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:19:00 GMT

Winter Growth Group enrollment opens on Janaury 1. You can enroll in the courtyard on Sundays or online.

Maybe you've been pondering jumping into a Growth Group, but are still hesitant? We recently asked folks in Growth Groups to share their experience and some encouragement for their shepherd/leaders. We were excited about what we heard and have posted a whole page of Growth Group "Buzz". Check it out and then enroll on Sunday.

Here's a sample about a Growth Group that meets in Morro Bay. . . this is what Gospel community is all about. . .

Ron and Laura are some of the most gracious and kind people I have ever met. I am so thankful to be a part of their Growth Group and now call them my friends. If it wasn’t for their Growth Group, I don’t know that I would’ve ever been able to sign up for one. They have opened their home and make it easy to be able to make it in a GG in a busy life these days. It is wonderful eating together and enjoying fellowship with each other. I started in the beginning and it was one of the best things for me the past 2 years. Ron is a kind and gentle leader and always puts himself out there to offer his own struggles and stories. He is real and I think everyone appreciates that. Ron involves everyone in conversation and is totally understanding and relaxed about toddling, crawling, distracting or crying babies! He even invites us to the musical events at Cuesta! Laura McCarly is the most beautiful hearted person I have EVER MET! She is loving, sweet, caring and super, super thoughtful. She remembers birthdays, and is always willing to help or be there for anyone. She ALWAYS looks at things and situations with a positive heart and she gives everyone the benefit of the doubt first… it is hard to believe she is even real! She has the most wonderful things to say about people, and when introducing people she makes everyone feel so comfortable, like we were already all friends anyway. We have seen God’s blessing many times over within our own group. And for myself personally, Growth Group has been one of the only things that has helped me get through a very tough year and a half. Our family had dealt with a lot of heartache, saying goodbye to a foster child after a year and a half, it was like a death in our family and it was the prayers and fellowship of good friends that helped me the most. I have also been dealing with a lot of health problems and even though it makes it hard for me to make it to church in the mornings a lot of weeks, I can find the Lord and his people at Growth Groups... and some members have helped get our daughter to Sunday School, so that has given me peach. I could go on and on and on…and that is not just an expression… Ron and Laura are truly loving Godly people and anyone who has the pleasure of knowing them is BLESSED! I also wanted to say that Grace is the first church this large that I have ever attended and if it wasn’t for Growth Groups, I may have continued to look around… It has been hard to connect at a church that size and everyone seems to already know each other or assumes you know everyone too… It is nice to have a group of people from a home group. So great move with Growth Groups… I think it was perfect timing! God’s timing.

Merry Christmas

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the world’s began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega--
He the source, the ending He
Of the things that are, that have been,
And the future years shall see
Evermore and evermore

O that birth forever blessed,
When a virgin, blest with grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race;
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.

This is He who seers in old time,
Chanted with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.

Let the heights of heaven adore Him,
Angel hosts, his praises sing:
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King;
Let no tongue on earth be silent;
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore

Christ, to you, with God the Father
And the Spirit, there shall be
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And the shout of jubilee
Honor, glory and dominion
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore!
Amen.

--Marcus Aurelius Prudentrius, from the 5th Century, translated by Jason Mason Neale (1854) and Henry W. Baker (1859)

what good . . .

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:15:00 GMT

12.21.11: Life @ Grace

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:19:00 GMT

Beloved Family of GraceSLO,

You've got to know . . . our staff agonized over the timing and number of Christmas services this weekend. Some of us voted for two services on Saturday evening, and no services on Sunday. Others couldn't swallow the thought of the church not having services on Sunday, Christmas Day. After much discussion and deliberation, we opted for one 5:00 PM service on Saturday, Christmas Eve and one 10:45 AM service on Christmas Day. Both services will include lots of Christmas music, a devotional with the kids, a few, brief thoughts on the incarnation, and candle lighting.

I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous. My daughter sat down next to me last Sunday morning and said, "Dad, everybody I've talked to is coming to the Christmas Eve service." I could tell she was nervous, too.

So here's the REQUEST and the REALITY. . .

The REQUEST
If you are able, would you consider coming to the 10:45 AM service on Christmas Day? It's going to be warm and calm and intimate. Invite your friends! Christmas Eve is going to be full and crazy and crowded . . . and it's going to be cold outside, too!

The REALITY
We are going to jam as many as we legally and safely can into the Worship Center for the 5:00 PM Christmas Eve service. We are committed to adhering to the firecode which says we cannot put chairs or bodies on the floor down the aisles. We will have extra seating in areas of the room, but cannot seat people in the aisles. When it becomes necessary, we will regretfully turn folks away . I've asked Pastor Ken to work with ushers to help direct traffic. So, arrive early and squeeze in! Still, invite friends to come consider and worship "The Wonder of the Incarnation."

Despite my nervousness now, I know it's going to be a superb weekend together. Work hard now, so you can worship, rest and rejoice then!

Merry Christmas. I'm looking forward to worshipping with you.

Because of and for the Gospel. . . . Tim

P.S. Thanks for helping us catch up on our budget shortfall as we press ahead in ministry at GraceSLO and ministry beyond GraceSLO, locally and globally. As of last Sunday, we are now only $38K short of our budget year to date. Don't forget that all year-end gifts must be dated and postmarked by 12.31.11 . . . and you can give online by CLICKING HERE.

from the mouth of babes He has ordained praise

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:41:00 GMT

Did you miss Sunday's worship services? Then you missed these precious ones. . .

(thanks, Josef K., for the footage)

Christopher Hitchens is Dead

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:57:00 GMT

Avowed New Athiest and author of "God is Not Great", Christopher Hitchens, succumbed to cancer last Thursday at the age of 62. No one knows the soul of another, but there is no evidence of a Gospel confession.

Peter Hitchens, Christopher's brother, was also an athiest until his recent conversion to Christianity. He has writen a book entitled "The Rage Against God" explaining his conversion to faith.

He was interviewed in the June 2011 edition of Tabletalk Magazine and made these insightful comments about death. . .

Death is the great reminder that this life is limited, and that it may not be the end. For most of our lives, we behave as if this is not so. It is only when death touches those close to us that we are forced into this understanding, especially in a modern world where death is kept at a distance, ignored, undiscussed, and shuffled off into corners.

I found Hitchens an intriguing, provacative figure. I especially enjoyed his debate with Douglas Wilson in the documentary Collision. Here's a sample . . .

I used to own a copy of the Collision DVD, but haven't been able to find it. We really need to purchase it for the church library.

Let us, this Christmas, not behave like life is unlimited. . . as we interact with friends, family and co-workers who do not know the hope of Christ.

reasons for covenant membership

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:35:00 GMT

One of the most common things we've heard from folks in response to our commitment to move toward Covenant Membership is . . . .

Why fix what isn't broke?

It's a reasonable and legitimate question. It's true that GraceSLO is a vibrant and, for the most part, healthy fellowship of believers. We are far from perfect and certainly haven't arrived, but our leadership is stable, united and operating from a common ministry philosophy. The congregation is active, engaged and serving. The church is alive, stable and slowly growing. We are generationally diverse and becoming more socio-economically diverse. The Bible is central and the Gospel is preached throughout the church. GraceSLO is not broke.

At the same time, there is always room for improvement and growth. Paul writes to a relatively healthy church in Thessalonica and he encourages them to "excel still more" . . .

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. . . . ⁹ Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more . . . --1 Thessalonians 4;1, 9-10

We believe Covenant Membership is a means for us to "excel still more" in our love of the the brethren. Here are 7 specific reasons our leadership believes Covenant Membership is both Biblical and desireable for our life together.

GROWTH: we believe membership is a means to help one another grow at GraceSLO, since God has designed us to spiritually grow and thrive in intimate, committed, Gospel community together.
CARE: we believe membership is a means to better obey and live out the “one another commands” together at GraceSLO.
CONNECTEDNESS: we believe membership is a means of embracing and living out our connectedness in the Gospel at GraceSLO, while at the same time confronting the rampant consumerism and individualism that characterizes our day.
COMMITMENT: we believe membership is a means to build deeper commitment to the Gospel and one another at GraceSLO in a day when so many fear and avoid commitment to a local church.
SHEPHERDING: we believe membership is a means to more intentional shepherding by our pastors and elders because membership will more clearly define “the flock” God has entrusted to our care.
ACCOUNTABILITY: we believe membership is a means to greater Biblical accountability here at GraceSLO, as we give one another permission to speak into each other’s lives and pursue each other when we stray from the way of the Gospel.
PROTECTION: we believe membership is a means of practically and spiritually protecting GraceSLO and the Gospel from false doctrine, false teachers and lawsuits.

As usual, we're open to your thoughts and invite your input.

song in my head

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:43:00 GMT

Starry Night by Chris August has been rolling around in my head for months now. I find myself singing it often. . .

It reminds me that Christ is Sovereign Lord of All who cares for little me!

Achievement House

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:42:00 GMT

Brian Trapp, one of our GraceSLO family, was involved in helping to put this vid together highlighting the work of Achievement House. Don't know what Achievement House is or what they do? Take a look and find out.

Great work, Achievement House! Great work, Brian, and the others at Barnett, Cox & Associates.

He shines in all that's fair!

On Tebow & Providence

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:16:00 GMT

Ok sports fans, what are you making of Denver Bronco's Quarterback, Tim Tebow, and his late game heroics? Is God's hand upon him in some special, miraculous way in all these 4th quarter wins?

I agree with this guy. And I especially like the last couple of paragraphs.

Covenant Membership Update

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:52:00 GMT

We've been talking about Covenant Membership for a LONG, LONG time here at GraceSLO. . . since before I was called as the 5th Lead Pastor of GraceSLO over 9 years ago. If the Lord wills, we will finally implement/launch Covenant Membership in 2012.

There has been a ton of work, but steady progress happening behind the scenes all through 2010 and 2011. I thought I'd share an update of what's been going on, where we are, and what's next.

This big project has involved 4 primary parts or sub-projects:

Revision of our Declaration of Faith: Since Covenant Membership involves a commitment to our statement of faith, we saw this as an opportunity to revise our statement to more fully reflect our commitment to a robust view of our great God, His glorious Gospel, and the doctrines that surround the Gospel.

This work is now complete. I have preached through the Declaration of Faith in the Spring and Summer of this year. You Declaration of Faith is on our website HERE. An FAQ related to the Declaration of Faith is HERE. The sermon series audio can be found HERE.
Rewrite of our Constitution/By-Laws: Our long standing Constitution/By-Laws were built upon an assumption of no church membership at GraceSLO. After multiple amendments, these vital documents really were in need of an overhaul. Again, our move toward Covenant Membership seemed like a fitting time to address this need and get it right.

After much Elder discussion and review, our new Constitution/By-Laws are currently being reviewed by legal counsel before being submitted for final Elder approval. This document will then be submitted to the Congregation for review and approval at a special Congregation Meeting in early 2012 (Stay tuned for the exact date!) Our current Constitution requires that the by-laws and constitution changes be approved by the congregation (I think it's a 2/3rds majority of those who attend the meeting, but I'm not sure. Need to check on that.)
Creation of a Membership Covenant. A Membership Covenant is simply a set of stated commitments shared by and signed by the members of a church. Our membership covenant begins like this. . .

Our Commitments to One Another in the Sight of God

The basis for our commitment to and caring for one another is the Gospel. The Gospel is the great news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Trusting the Gospel involves actively trusting, following, and obeying Jesus in every area of life. This is what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ. As disciples, following Jesus is not something we do alone, but together with others in a caring and committed community of a local church.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ and member of GraceSLO, I will joyfully endeavor to live together with others in our church, through the following commitments:

What then follows is a series of 8-10 commitments. Signing the the GraceSLO Membership Covenant will be one of the requirements for membership.

Our Membership Covenant is almost complete. The Elders are doing some fine-tuning and word smithing and hope to submit it in its entirety to the congregation as soon as possible. The Membership Covenant will be another one of the big topics at our special Congregation Meeting in early 2012.
Creation of a Membership Class Curriculum: We are about 50% finished with the curriculum for what we anticipate will be a 4 session class. We hope to launch our first Covenant Membership Class in Spring or Summer 2012. We are still discussing whether or not we will require everyone in the congregation to go through the 4 session class or if we will provide an initial "fast track" window to speed up the process.

That's where we're at and what's ahead. Lots more thoughts to share and frequently asked questions to address. I hope to do that here at Life Together as we get closer to launch.

If you're nervous, suspicious, upset or unsure about Covenant Membership and what it's going to mean at GraceSLO, please be assured our elders and pastors only desire God's best for GraceSLO. As the elders have said throughout the years, "We want to go from a Biblical position to a MORE Biblical position." We believe Covenant Membership is a move in a more Biblical direction. Please understand there is nothing in this for us. Our hearts are not to "command and control" but to "commit and care." Hang in there! Do not fear. Trust the Lord and the plurality of Godly men He has raised up and appointed to lead GraceSLO. We are trusting the Lord with you.

Stay tuned for more soon . . .

Meet Our India 2012 Team

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:10:00 GMT

The Lord has raised up a team of 11 others who will join me in North India February 1-10 to "SEE & SERVE". It's a great team and I can't wait to see what God does IN and THROUGH us. Here's our team. . .

Mike Allshouse
Dave Beals
Sean & Lindsey Cheney
Kris & Brittany Couch
Travis Hasson
Ken & Judi Peet
Dan & Leslie Woods
Tim Theule

We gathered together for the first time last Sunday after church and I forgot to snap a pic. (I'm just kicking myself!) Support raising is under way. If you'd like to support our team as a whole, you can send a check directly to Empart and your contribution will be spread across the entire team. Please put "GraceSLO India 2012" in the memo of your check. Here's the Empart address. . .

Empart USA
466 Foothill Blvd, #352
La Canada, CA 91011

Some go. Some give. All have a responsibility to pray. Thanks for doing what you can as we pursue the Great Commission together.

Here's a great post that highlights the power of our global partnership with Empart.

Here's the latest vid from Empart to encourage and challenge your heart. . . .

GraceSLO Living the Gospel this Fall

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:44:00 GMT

140 GIFTS

That's the number of Christmas presents that the church family at GraceSLO joyfully bought for needy children in our community. Our people bought Christmas presents for 30 children in the homeless shelter and for 110 babies born to teen moms in San Luis Obispo and the North County. It is more blessed to give than receive.

$900 to help 10 needy families

That's the amount of money GraceSLO gave in November to meet needs in the community. Here's how this works: We've been partnering with the Salvation Army here in SLO to help assess and meet the needs of needly families in our community. When people show up at our door, we send them to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army screens them by listening to their story and evaluating their needs. If the story seems truthful and the need is legitimate, the Salvation Army gives to meet the need with funds we've given to them for such purposes. We enable the Salvation Army to give up to $1000/ month in the name of Jesus and on behalf of GraceSLO to needy families who come our way. So far this has been a terrific partnership. The Salvation Army is much more equipped to screen needs than any of our staff and yet we have the ability to help. When you give to the Benevolent Fund on Communion Sundays, this is where some of this money goes . . .to meet real needs in the community.

90 to 130 families served weekly

That's the number of famiies being served EACH WEEK throughout the Fall through our God's Storehouse Ministry. Again these are real needs being met in concrete ways. The food is being donated by grocery stores and other outlets in and around SLO. The labor is being supplied by you, the Family of GraceSLO. Your giving to the Benevolent Fund on Communion Sundays is how we got things started and how we pay for unexpected or extra expenses associated with God's Storehouse. It's easy to jump in and volunter by CLICKING HERE.

50 families fed Thanksgiving Dinners

God's Storehouse provided food for Thanksgiving celebrations for over 50 needy families in our community this year. God provided in amazing ways. When we started this food drive we didn't know how much food we would get, so we simply prayed that we would have enough to give every family at least a couple of Thanksgiving items. Through the GraceSLO church famly God exceeded expectations and every family got a bag overflowing with everything they needed for a wonderful meal including stuffing or mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, sparkling cider and dessert. We even had a little left over! The Parable Group as well as our AWANA families also donated food items for our Thanksgathering Bags.

This is living the Gospel. We have been blessed to be a blessing! This is God at work in the hearts of His poeple to move their hands and feet and wallets. This encourages my heart greatly. I hope it encourages yours, too.

Friday Fun: every little thing that you do

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Here's why I love this song by Steven Curtis Chapman:

It avoids the common false secular/sacred split.
It affirms that variety of noble, God-given callings in life.
It affirms the power and place even the most mundane tasks in life, the things most of us spend the majority of our lives doing.
It reminds us that all of life is an opportunity to worship.
It presents important, transformative, deep, Biblical truths in a fun, catchy, memorable way.

church of the no doors

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:59:00 GMT

We haven't said anything about it, but I'm sure you've noticed . . .we've been replacing our Worship Center doors and frames over the last few weeks. I hate to see us spend this money right now in the middle of a budget shortfall, but the project could be put off no longer. We realized it needed to be done 5 years ago when we repainted, but didn't want to spend the money then. The issue is dryrot and termite damage. Its to be expected on a building that's coming up on 70 years old, but its still a bummer.

The money for this project is actually surplus from last year's budget earmarked for this project, so its not affecting this year's budget, but it is affecting our valuable cash reserves. Trusting the faithful Lord will continue to provide for His Gospel work here on the corner of Pismo and Osos.

(SiDENOTE: Stepping back from this project, I do believe in the power of place. The church is a people, not a place, but the people of God meet in a place. Place matters. The way we build it. The way we maintain it. The way we steward it. God loves matter. . . after all He made it. Any place God's people gather to worship should reflect the excellence and beauty of the God we worship. We see this reflected in the meticulous detail and prescribed excellence of the Old Testament tabernacle and temples. We need a Biblically informed "theology of place." Our friend Jim Estes, used to say "No junk for Jesus." I couldn't agree more. The issue is NOT "Is this a worthwhile and valuable use of the Lord's money?". . . . but rather the unfortunate timing of the expenditure.)

The World and Everything in It

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:06:00 GMT

Been too long. A hundred and more posts in my head. Focussed on other things. Hopefully you had a great Thanksgiving. Our family enjoyed camping with my folks and brother's family in Northern California. Deep fried turkey for the first time. Good stuff.

It's no secret that I'm a huge World Magazine fan. We've been subscribers for over 10 years. I'm excited about World's recent moves to become more of a player in the rapidly changing media scene. One of these moves is the creation of a new weekly audio news program/podast called "The World and Everything in It." I just listened to the my first episode last evening and I highly recommend it . . . thoughtful, integrative, wide-ranging. and offering news from a Biblical perspective. For me, it's like taking World Mag on the go. I can listen while I excercise or do the dishes or whatever.

Check it out and subscribe in iTunes HERE

waffle bar with Stella

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:32:00 GMT

Eden, Haaken and I had the privilege of enjoying yummy waffles at The Villages with Stella Nuncio this morning. We ran into Norm Hawthorne. I asked him how old he was and he told me 96! Doesn't he look great? We got to see Stellas cute apartment and see her warm, friendly and kind care for all those she lives with and all those who work there at The Villages. Love these faithful, stalwart saints showing me what it looks like to live by faith in the twilight years. . .

Bucket Busters

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:52:00 GMT

Check out this fun video of the Music Motive "Bucket Busters" performing live at GraceSLO this AM at the monthly Good Morning San Luis Obispo program. Our own Austen Peterson is the third from left, behind the plexiglass podium (argh!).

focusing GraceSLO missions

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:50:00 GMT

Our Missions Team, under the direction of our elders, has been evaluating our current missionary support and, where possible and prudent, realigning our resources toward unreached peoples of the globe. Below is a letter from our Missions Team explaining the process and some of the results. With global missons making up over 18% of our 2011/2012 Annual Budget, we aim to steward these resources strategically and carefully. If you have any quesitons, do not hesitate to contact the Missions Team or Elders . . .

Dear Family at Grace Church,

It is our pleasure to give you a brief update regarding some important and exciting changes in our vision for missions at Grace Church and, in particular, to inform you of our recent Missionary Evaluation Process (MEP). As many of you know, the history of Grace Church is rooted in a love of missions and a desire to accomplish the Great Commission by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. This love of missions continues at Grace SLO and in light of our national and global economic climate we feel compelled to be more purposeful and strategic in the specific ways we allocate the funds given for this purpose.

Simply stated, our vision for missions is being focused on people and people groups who haven’t been exposed to the Gospel and who have no established Church. The global evangelical community calls this “unreached” people groups. The following paragraph is a small portion of the mission’s policy of Bethlehem Baptist Church where John Piper is the senior pastor and was influential in helping us focus our vision:

We are promised that the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). It has been revealed to us that when all is said and done there will be men and women worshiping the Lamb from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues (Revelation 7:9); for Christ has purchased for God with his blood individuals from every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Revelation 5:9). While we wholeheartedly support the continued multiplication of churches within people groups where an evangelizing church has already been planted, we must also be vitally concerned about planting churches in a culturally relevant manner where Christ has not yet even been named (Romans 15:20). Therefore we propose that a special focus on penetrating unreached people groups is warranted. It is our policy to identify, equip, and send qualified believers into the entire world as our Partners to accomplish this priority, supporting them through our prayers, finances, and in every biblical way possible.

This refocusing of our vision has led the Missions Team to start the process of evaluating the current support of our existing missionaries to ensure that our partnerships will continue to thrive and to assess whether the relationship with our currently supported missionaries is in line with our missions vision. This focusing of our mission’s vision will play a critical role as we see God provide missionaries from within our local body and as we watch the door being opened to us by the Lord through our partnership with EMPART ministries for church planting in Northern India.

Our desire is to care for our missionaries, carefully stewarding the Lord’s resources and aligning our hearts with His in the strategic fulfillment of the Great Commission. To this end we believe ongoing evaluation of our missionaries and adjustments in our financial support as necessary are part of this wide stewardship.

Each Grace Church missionary was sent a detailed evaluation form in November, 2010 and asked to return it by the beginning of 2011. While this evaluation process (MEP) had been set forth in the Grace Missions Policy, because of extensive efforts needed to implement, the process of evaluation had not been attempted since the current policy was updated. The goal of the MEP is to discern the primary activities of our missionary partners and then to evaluate whether their activities are consistent with our missions strategies.

The first group of missionaries who have been evaluated are those who currently live in North America but take frequent short term trips abroad throughout the year. The following missionaries were evaluated: Ray Albrektson, Jim Katekaru, Wayne Lidbeck, Mark Piester, Nancy Pryor, Jo Ann Ray, Lee Shirey, and Bob Willis.

In light of our mission’s strategy, the mission’s team has recommended continuing current levels of support for Ray Albrektson, Jim Katekaru, and JoAnn Ray. They recommended tapering off current financial support for Mark Piester, Nancy Pryor and Bob Willis over a period of 1½ years and then transitioning them to “Adjunct Missionary” status where they would continue to be supported as Grace Church missionaries in every way but full-time financial support. They will be encouraged to apply for short-term financial support before each of their short-term trips and will be considered for higher funding on these trips than the usual amount given. The team has recommended tapering off support for Wayne Lidbeck over a period of 1 year ending with no financial support. Financial support for Lee Shirey has ended already in response to his recent resignation from his mission agency.

The above recommendations have been made in collaboration with the Elder team. Currently, the four missionaries that will have their financial support tapered off have been contacted with the Elders’ decision. Each one of them has expressed thanks for the thoughtful and gracious way these difficult decisions were reached and communicated with them.

We encourage you to contact the Missions Team and/or Elders if you have any questions about our process or the decisions that have been made.

GraceSLO Mission’s team

post Sunday thoughts on "Jacob's Desire & Deceit"

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:46:00 GMT

Sometimes I just can't fit it all into the message. Here are 3 more thoughts related to last Sunday's message "Jacob's Desire & Deceit" from Genesis 27. . .

1. Related to the idea of God's sometimes disguised blessings . . . All week long, I've been singing Laura Story's excellent and Biblical song "Blessings." Goes well with the story of Jacob for sure. God's blessings are not always what they seem. God's blessings vary from person to person. God's greatest blessings are not material. It took Jacob a long time to learn it . . .and me, too.

2. Did you catch the Growth Group question that I did not cover in the message? It was this one. . .

How in the world can Hebrews 11:20 say that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau by faith?

Didn't have time to cover it in the message, but it's an important "puzzle question" for sure. Hebrews 11 is the "faith hall of fame" and when we get to Isaac, surprisingly, it's the blessing of the sons that is highlighted as Isaac's moment of faith. But in Genesis 27, Isaac is trying to bless Esau, the wrong son. How can the author of Hebrews say that this was "by faith"?

Make sense?
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Do you get the puzzle?

I'm convinced there are actually two pieces of evidence which point to Isaac's faith in the blessing. Here they are.

Evidence #1 of Isaac's Faith: The giving of the blessing. Isaac, even though he tries to thwart the purpose of God by giving the blessing to the wrong son, still believes in the blessing. He still believes in the covenant of God to Abraham, passed to him. He still believes God blesses and has a special, huge plan for this family to bless all the nations on the earth. He doesn't know what that's all about, but he clearly believes it. This is evidence #1 of his faith.

Evidence #2 of Isaac's Faith: Surrender to the Sovereignty of God after Jacob is accidently blessed. When Isaac realizes what has happened and what Jacob has done, he trembles and then he says, "Yes, and He shall be blessed." (Genesis 27:33) Isaac then goes on to reiterate the blessing to Jacob when he sends him to Haran at the beginning of Genesis 28. At the beginning, Isaac is acting apart from faith, but by the end, he is surrendering by faith to the soveriegn purpose of God in blessing Jacob. This is evidence #2 of Isaac's faith.

This is why the author of Hebrews can say "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come." (Hebrews 11:20)

3. On the subject of waiting. . . in the message, we mentioned that faith has different faces depending on the circumstance. Sometimes faith involves action, sometimes faith involves waiting. Earlier this week, I stumbled across this excellent blog post by Ted Tripp entitled "5 Reasons Why God Calls Us to Wait." If you find yourself today in circumstances requiring you to wait by faith (who doesn't?), definitely check it out.

I loved the last 3 paragraphs. . .

Finally, we are called to wait because everything in life and ministry exists not for our comfort and ease but for God's glory. The whole redemptive story is written for one purpose and one purpose alone: the glory of the king.

Waiting is hard for us because we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often are tempted to live and minister for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure. So when God's glory requires that these things be withheld from us---things we look to for identity, meaning, and purpose---we find waiting a grueling, burdensome experience.

Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to his glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives you opportunity to forsake the delusion of your own glory and rest in the God of awesome glory. Only when you do that will you find what you seek, and what you were meant to have: lasting identity, meaning, purpose, and peace in Christ. In this way waiting is is much more than a burden for you to bear; it is a precious gift for you to receive with joy.

God's Word is rich. We need to work it in and work it out. Hope this stuff is helpful for you and for our Growth Groups.

downtown people puzzle 2011

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:11:00 GMT

Its been a very long Student Ministries tradition and a ton of fun for students. . . and I think the staff, too! To see a ton more pics, CLICK HERE.

give us clean hands

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:29:00 GMT

Every Growth Group at GraceSLO is very different. I wish I could be a "fly on the wall" in all of them to see what's going on and how they work. Some Growth Groups work better than others. Some Growth Groups "click" with time, some never really work. Every group needs to figure out how to make their unique dynamics work. It takes time, creativity, vulnerability, risk-taking, perseverance and effort. But it's worth it. After all, this is the way Jesus and the church in Acts made disciples and lived the Christian life.

Our Group is full of kids and, therefore, nuts! But it's a good sort of nuts. By welcoming and including kids...

We're growing in God's Word in the same direction together.
We're modeling what the Christian life is all about. Fun and opening God's Word can happen together.
We're challenged to be integrating spiritual things in our homes, not just on Growth Group nights, but on other days/nights as well.
We're involving kids in real ministry. Older kids work with younger kids. Younger kids get to share their insights and musical gifts (we had a 6 year old play Amazing Grace on the keyboard last night while we all sang along. He came to me and asked if he could do it . . . . and it wasn't my kid!)
We're encouraged by watching our kids connect around spiritual things.

Family style is not for everyone and some parents simply need a break from the kids, but it's what we do. There will come a day when our kids are out of our house and long gone, but that day is not today.

On Sunday we sang, "Give Us Clean Hands" in the service. On Monday in our Growth Group we sang it together. Some were doing the dishes. Some snuggling their kids. But all were worshipping. Here's what it looked like...

is it worth it?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:50:00 GMT

As with most things in life, Growth Groups are not usually about what happens in a single meeting, but about the process over time, the rhythm of gathering and sharing your life with others.

Sometimes the conversation is awkward and hard. The long silences can be challenging. I wonder if anything is happening and if our meeting is worthwhile. And is it worth the sacrifice it takes to get the house ready and fit it into our nutty schedules?

But then I come back the Scriptures and I'm reminded that this is how Jesus did ministry and made disciples. . . . 12 guys hanging out for 3 years who went on to change the world. It looks pretty awkward and mundane along the way in Jesus' ministry.

Then, I'm reminded that this is the pattern of the church in Acts . . .they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and devoted themselves to one another, meeting from house to house.

And then I hear this dad and daughter talk about the role of Growth Groups in their family. . . and I know its worthwhile and its working. . . . though its hard, and a hassle, and a sacrifice and awkward . . .

where worship leaders come from

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:12:00 GMT

Worship leaders do not spontaneously generate. Then how do they emerge? Like this . . .

Here is Emily Pahler working with our Middle School Students to help them get their own worship team off the ground. Week after week she's worked with them in the basement before they actually lead the rest of the group. This was their last practice before their debut last Wednesday. I'm fired up on the intentional, strategic, patient discipleship of the next generation.

Many thanks to Ryan and Emily, Brandon and Jenna and all our Student Ministry Staff for their week after week investment in our students.

Oh yeah, my daughter Eden is the one with the red bell bottoms playing the electric guitar. I tell her maybe she'll be the first female guitar player to play in Big Church. She just smiles.

Have you served at God's Storehouse yet?

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Last Saturday, I had a chance to pop into God's Storehouse, our SLO County Foodbank ministry. I snagged this pic of the staff for the day and this video of the prayer for the day. So encouraging to see the people of God at GraceSLO stepping out and going for it . . .You can sign up to serve HERE.

sermon notes of an almost 7 year old

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:30:00 GMT

We are committed to Family Worship at GraceSLO. (LISTEN HERE to learn what that means.)

In yesterday's service, we talked about the Scandal of Grace and the Struggle of Grace (LISTEN HERE, if you missed it). This note was passed from a son to his dad . . .

And yet dad said. . .

He sang every song and even retold the story of Jacob and Esau with clarity so I know he's picking it up. I thank God for your faithful teaching of his Word.

Thought you'd get a laugh!

Yep, I got a laugh. Hopefully you do, too, on this Monday.

join me in India to see and serve

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:25:00 GMT

I am returning to North India over February 1-10, 2012. I'm looking for up to 9 more people from GraceSLO to join me. Below is the basic information. You can click the image to download for better visibility. Our aim will not be to go and fix, but to see and serve. To see what God is doing in North India and serve how ever we can. Its going to be an amazing trip that will change your life. I guarantee it! If you're interested, email me and let me know at tim@graceslo.org.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF

Growth Groups Launch

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:35:00 GMT

Hopefully, you have jumped into a Growth Group this Fall. This week is the launch of Growth Groups, so all around the Central Coast, God's people are gathering to study God's Word, care for one another and pray together.

We're convinced Growth Groups are the best, most scalable way to grow and disciple the people of God at GraceSLO. For this reason Growth Groups are our "Big Rock" priority around which we design everything else.

Every Growth Group is different, but this quarter, I thought I'd try to showcase what happens in ours. So for this week, here's a picture of all our kids hanging out during our dinner time.

Our group has 12 adults and 15 kids. Every week we enjoy a light potluck dinner. The main course is usually a simple soup. This week my 12 year old daughter led worship with her guitar. I talked to the kids about Isaac, which was easy because so many of them were in the Worship Service. The older kids took the younger kids away for some fun and we adults talked about life and Isaac, and then prayed. It was so good to be back together and connect.

Jacob the Wrestler

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:41:00 GMT

We introduced our Fall Series, "The Life of Jacob" last week at the Fall Kick-Off. If you missed it, you can LISTEN HERE. There were no visual slides and no room for an outline in that jam-packed worship folder, so I thought I'd post the outline here for your review and in prepatation for this week. . . .

Why study the life of Jacob, a middle-eastern nomad shepherd who lived 4000 years ago?

I. First, because of WHY Jacob's Story is in the Bible . . .

1. Jacob's story is "wisdom that leads to faith in Jesus Christ."

2. Jacob's story is "encouragement for hope."

II. Second, because of WHAT Jacob's Story is about . . .

1. Like all of us, Jacob's life is a MESS.

2. Like all of us, Jacob's life is a mixture of FAITH and FAILURE.

3. Like all of us, Jacob WRESTLES WITH THE LORD.

III. Jacob's story is the story of SCANDALOUS GRACE . . .

INTO Jacob's story, God's grace SHINES.

OUT OF Jacob's story, God's grace COMES . . . for Jesus comes from the line of wrestling Jacob and rejected Leah.

Hang out with us at GraceSLO this Fall and let's wrestle together with scandalous grace.

we want your Fall Kick-Off feedback

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:03:00 GMT

Many thanks to all who served at last Sunday's Fall Kick-Off. It was an awesome day!

Here is some encouraging "fruit" so far. . . pray that fruit lasts and grows. . .

Near as we can tell, we had 150 more in attendance this year over last year.
We had 178 fill out visitor cards for a free lunch.
33 of those represented new families.
63 of those were new college students
48 of those referenced God's Storehouse and the Overflow Homeless Shelter as the way they heard about the event.

Our staff "hotwashed" the Kick-Off, looking carefully at "what went well?" and "what do we need to take a look at?".

Now we'd like to hear from you. Can you take 5 minutes and give us some feedback either by clicking the comment link at the bottom of this post or by emailing me HERE?

You might think about these big categories. . . promo, set-up, welcome, service, food, fun, clean-up, miscellaneous. We have room to improve in all these areas and are asking you to help us do that by providing some quick feedback.

Here's a slideshow to take you back. . . .we will be adding more pics in the next couple of days. . .

Machine Gun Preacher

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:54:00 GMT

(Disclaimer: I recognize that Christians have different sensibilities/convictions when it comes to movies/TV/media. I believe these are areas where Romans 14 and other passsages having to do with principles of Gospel liberty are relevant and must be carefully examined. We ought to be graceful with those who have different convictions than our own in these areas. This post is not intended as a recommendation to go see Machine Gun Preacher, but intended to get us thinking and spur some discussion about these complex nuanced issues. So lets see how and where this goes . . . if this is offensive to you in anyway, I encourage you to simply move on to other posts and topics. I don't want to offend you or cause anyone to stumble.)

Machine Gun Preacher has just come on my radar. (I'm so out of it and really don't keep up with pop culture very well at all!) Last week someone mentioned it. Today, I stumbled on this thoughtful review. I have not seen the movie and don't know if I will, but it clearly raises complex issues about the use of violence to protect the innocent . . .

Have you seen this movie? If so, what did you think?

Are you interested in seeing this movie? If so, why? If not, why not?

Would you see this movie? If so, why? If not, why not?

Here's the trailer. . .

Machine Gun Preacher brings to mind the now nearly ancient movie, The Mission, which I think deals with the same issues . . .

a church in the community, serving the community

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:40:00 GMT

I had an opportunity to attend the SLO Chamber "Good Morning SLO" program this morning, hosted every month here at GraceSLO. As usual, it was stimulating to get a larger snapshot of our community here on the Central Coast. It made me think again about all the ways we're striving to be "a church in the community, serving the community". . . . from our God's Storehouse Food Pantry . . . to hosting the Women's Overflow Homeless Shelter . . . from paying taxes on lots of our square footage so we can open up our campus to the community at below market rates (like the SLO Chamber Events) . . . to this Sunday's Fall Kick Off in Mitchell Park.

Two ongoing questions for myself and our staff (I'd love for you to ask them with us) are . . .

#1

"How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus
in such a way that if we shut down and closed our doors,
they'd have to raise taxes in our community
to pay for all the services we provide?"

and

#2

How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus
in such a way that stepping foot on our campus or interacting
with our ministry/people is unavoidable because of
all that is happening at and out of our church?

This is part of what we mean when we talk about "Living the Gospel." It's making the Gospel real and live in the way we live and serve.

One of the things that happened at the Chamber breakfast today is they introduced the new SLO City/SLO Chamber collaborative website at openforbusinessinslo.com. It looks like a great resource for the many in our community (and church) who are starting and growing businesses. It highlights well the "work hard, live well" vibe that exists here on the Central Coast. I loved the design. It's worth a look. Here's a sreeenshot of part of the front page. . . .

What was given?

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:36:00 GMT

Many thanks for your generous giving to famine relief in Somalia through last Sunday's Benevolent Fund Offering following the Lord's Table.

$4035

was given to World Concern

Our normal Benevelent Fund giving per month is between $2000 and $3000, so this last Sunday the family of GraceSLO gave above and beyond. Thank you.

You can learn more about what's happening on the horn of Africa and about World Concern, the partnering organization recommended by the Missions Team to the Elders at worldconcern.org/crisis.

that the generation to come might know

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:00:00 GMT

What a joy to again be able to open God's Word with God's people at GraceSLO this past Sunday! Breaks are good. They restore and renew. Preaching week in and week out definitely takes its toll on my life and soul. I'm convinced long term, faithful ministry is about pacing. Its a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks for the time away from preaching. But it was great to come back Sunday. I DO enjoy what I DO and thank God for the privilege.

Last Sunday we looked at Psalm 78. If you were at the GraceSLO Campout or missed the service for any other reason, I encourage you to LISTEN HERE.

Several have asked about various slides and quotes, so here's the slidedeck from Sunday . . .

In light of Sunday's message, here are some additional resources and links I've stumbled upon since Sunday. . .

For Parents of Young Children . . . R.C. Sproul's Children's Books . . . Literature and story are terrific ways to pass on God's Word to little ones (and older ones). R.C. Sproul has written some excellent children's books. We have enjoyed "The King without a Shadow" in our family, but he's written some others. I stumbled on to this review this week explaining why they're worth reading to your kids. . . .

For All Parents . . . Avoiding Blindspots . . . I stumbled on to this article today entitled Homeschool Blindspots. While addressing homeschoolers, it really applies to all parents and reiterates the spirit of much of what I was saying on Sunday about grace in the home and the dangers of legalism. When we take seriously our responsibility to pass on our faith to our children, we walk right into these dangers on the other side of the spectrum. Hands off, lax, passive parenting (under-shepherding) and legalistic, over-bearing, controlling parenting (over-shepherding) are equal dangers. Our goal is Gospel Shepherding of the heart.

Gospel Shepherding in the Home . . . Here's a link to a message I taught out at Catalina Island this summer entitled Gospel Shepherding in the Home. My wife, Susie, even jumps in at the end to toss her wisdom and perspective into the mix. (She's a a way better parent than I for sure!)

For Parents of Prodicals . . . Since we are an intergenerational church, there are many among us whose children are wandering far from home and/or the Lord. Here's an article entitled, "12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child" by Abraham Piper, who describes himself as a wayward child. Excellent and practical suggestions here.

Hope some these resources help, depending on where you're at in the parenting journey. Let's stay in the game together. We can't talk about talk about this stuff enough around GraceSLO. Remember, we have a responsibility in these matters, but the outcomes are not our responsibility. Only God can save our children. He is our only hope in this and all things, so as we humbly parent, let's put our confidence in Him.

God's Word Sounding Forth from SLO to The Gambia

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:03:00 GMT

Can't tell you how much this encourages me. This is what its all about. For this I labor and strive.

God is always at work. HIs Word, like the rain, never returns void, but always accomplishes His intended purpose. Often His work and purpose are hidden from us. Sometimes He is gracious to show us His work. God doesn't owe me this and I'm not "entitled" to know this. But still He is gracious. Once in a while one like this shows up in the inbox. Posted with permission, but anonymously . . .

Hi Pastor Tim,

I have not met you in person, but I have heard you preach at Grace SLO a number of times. I fell in love with the city of SLO as a high school student, the place where my best friends from high school ended up for college and are now settled. I attend Grace SLO whenever I am in town with my dear friends Brian & Jenna Burns. Though I have a wonderful church in beautiful Santa Clarita, I look forward to the ministry "vacations" and weekends I get to attend and be an innocent bystander at the church you shepherd.

I am currently serving with the Peace Corps in the smallest country in Africa, The Gambia. I have been here only 2 months of a two-year commitment, and it has already been the most difficult phase of life I've encountered. Christianity is allowed in this predominantly Muslim country, which I am ever thankful for. I have had more opportunity to share the gospel of true salvation among the nationals as well as my peers than I think ever before. I'm learning the theology and fallacies of Islam. It's a truly humbling experience.

Culture shock (and spiritual shock that goes right along with it) has been right on par. Some days are mountaintop experiences, and some days I can't bear the pain of being alone and out of touch with life as I knew it. I've never felt the pain of missing my family like I have these past 2 months. My relationship with Christ has grown exponentially, in ways that could not have been accomplished otherwise. I am situated in a little village with no electricity, a hand pump for water, and about 25k from the nearest Christian or Catholic church. Needless to say, I've had to be pretty creative with the ways in which I am spiritually fed. One of those ways has been to listen, almost nightly, to past sermons preached at Grace SLO.

Laying in bed at night and listening to the Truth of God's Word, trusting in His sovereignty, and realizing the purpose set before me both calms my heart and encourages me to press on for the Kingdom. I am writing to say thank you for your faithful shepherding and sound teaching of the Word. Know that I pray for your congregation regularly. My dream is to end up on the Central Coast, and perhaps, someday at Grace SLO. May you be encouraged, and may you "excel still more" in your ministry.

Thankful . . . A Friend

CONNECT resuming tomorrow

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:12:00 GMT

I lead an open study for men from 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM on Thursday mornings. We call it CONNECT. Together we focus on who God is and what it means to be and lead as His men in the familly and church. We read good books together. The idea is to encourage and "spur one another on" as we strive to walk with and serve the Lord.

Tomorrow we resume our gathering after a 6 week summer break. I'm looking forward to it. If you've ever thought about hopping in, tomorrow is an excllent opportunity.

We meet in the Fireside Room on the Pismo side of the campus.

Hope to see you!

The Mirage of Virtual Community

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:54:00 GMT

Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend.

This morning we had a plump, full staff meeting with Pastor Al back from his sabbatical and Pastor Ken back from his vacation. To help us gear up for the Fall together, we spent some time reading a chapter from Dave Harvey's Rescuing Ambition entitled "Ambitious for the Church."

Here's a couple of insightful thoughts from the chapter . . .

First, on the challenge to avoid loving an abstract, idealized idea of the church. . .

The church represents Christ's reconciled people. As we live in community, we exalt Christ's purposes. Though sin once isolated us, the cross now unifies us. As citizens of a new kingdom and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19), we're no longer merely individuals, concerned only with ourselves. We're now "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possission" (1 Peter 2:9). We're the church universal, the sum total of all the redeemed everywhere for all time.

Christ's promise introduces us to a radical, countercultural idea: the satisfaction of individual ambition is linked to our collective identity as the people of God. The individual Christian simply cannot understand his purpose, and therefore his ambition, in purely individual terms.

This community Christ is building is something he loves - and not in a merely abstract way. He cherishes it as a husband cherishes his wife. He prizes it as his greatest possission. And he pursues it, even to the point of sacrificing his own life for the church - for us.

If Christ displayed such a love and ambition for the church, shouldn't we also? Should we not prize and pursue that which Jesus himself prizes and pursues? Shouldn't our ambition be modeled after his?

Sure, we say, but what does this look like on the ground? The reality of the universal church is a wonderful, profound truth. It is glorious and grand. And it's easy to let it stay out there with all those other great, inspiring, abstract ideas, like justice, beauty, the well-behaved child, and the empty in-box. But Christ is talking about real people, in real community. That's why we must move beyond abstraction and learn to love a specific local church.

Second, on the mirage of virtual community. . .

The virtual community in its rapidly mutating forms feeds on self in two ways: it's a logical outlet for individual spirituality and also a primary shaper in how we view relations with others. In the online world it's possible to have at lease some sense of what we call "church." We can listen to the best sermons on the planet, listen and sing to cutting-edge worship music, share our spiritual experiences, organize our religious activities - all without ever getting out of bed. In fact, the only things that have yet to be replicated online are the fundametal sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, though I'm sure somebody somewhere is trying to figure that out.

summer reading

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:44:00 GMT

This summer I've focused my reading in the area of discipleship in the church. I've read two books I've enjoyed and want to recommend to the family of GraceSLO . . .

1. The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. I'd been hearing about this book and then had a chance to hear the authors lecture at the Gospel Coalition Conference last Spring. I finally picked it up. The Australian authors offer up a great metaphor for thinking about the local church. The trellis is the organization and structure of the church. The vine is the people work of Gospel discipleship. Both are necessary for the life, health and growth of the local church, but the trellis exists for the vine, not the vine for the trellis. The danger for any church leadership is that we spend so much time tending to the trellis that we neglect the vine work. Lots of helpful, Gospel-centered ideas. The Australian perspective is fresh. I've already used the metaphor to encourage our staff toward the fall.

Let's keep making vine work our priority at GraceSLO!

2. Real Life Discipleship by Jim Putman. Putman pastors a growing church in Idaho that is passionate and focussed on discipleship in the church through small groups. The book lays out their philosophy and approach. Hard to argue with the strong and compelling Biblical basis. I've been challenged by by their thorough, strategic intentionality. Very challenged. Based on Matthew 4:19, Putman begins with a very straightforward definition of a disiciple.. . . A disciple is one who is 1. following Jesus, 2. being changed by Jesus and 3. committed to the mission of Jesus (making disciples who make disciples." I think that's spot on.

I'm going to use Real Life Discipleship in my Thursday Men's Study this fall (which resumes next Thursday, BTW. Love to see you there men of GraceSLO!) and likely with our elder's and ministry staff at our Fall retreat. We're sticking it in the hands of our Growth Group Shepherds this fall as well. We're making progress, but we can be more focussed and intentional. The challenge is to avoid being formulaic and/or legalistic.

Here's a quote I loved from Real Life Discipleship. . . .

Have you ever noticed how often these early Christians spent time together? In the book of Acts, we see that they met together on the first day of the week and daily in their homes. The also met together in the temple courts in large numbers. Like people today, the early Christians were busy. They had character flaws, bad attitudes, and bad breath. They came from different backgrounds and had different preferences. They had kids, work, and chores, yet their hearts were for their brothers and sisters in Christ. At times they were annoyed with each other, but they were still committed to meeting together. They felt that being together was better than being alone in the faith. They had a desire to be with people of the kingdom. Something had happened to them that changed the way they saw life and its priorities. They had something that bound them together. Something in common. The members of the early church shared what they had with each other and even with people they didn't know. Conflicts arose, and they dealt with them and moved on.

In today's world of conditional relationships, the early church model seems wonderfully different. The early church was not without its problems, but in spite of them, God was working and being glorified and the church was storming the gates of hell. These Christians were committed to each other and to a cause bigger than themselves. Their mutual faith in Jesus gave them purpose and stability --- and peace. As a result, the early church found favor with all the people. It was hard to hate a group of people who had that kind of love.

A great desciption of Gospel community and my desire for GraceSLO. For this I labor and strive.

Reset: Family Devotions

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:42:00 GMT

As the summer winds down and we settle into more consistent fall rhythms, it's a great time to reset family devotions. We are doing the same around the Theule household.

Here are some content suggestions. . .

Children's Story Bible by Catherine Vos

We've been using it for years and we're still using it. Very Christ/Gospel centered. Great for kids 5 to 14 at least, since that's who is sitting around our table.
The Jesus Story Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones

We just picked this up for little Haaken (almost 6) and we're loving it. He loves it. VERY Christ/Gospel Centered as the title implies. The stories are well written and funny. I laugh out loud. I really want to recommend this book for families of toddlers in our church. Great way to start teaching kids how to read the bible. You'll learn something too.
Luther's Shorter Catechism

Though we are not currently using a formal catechism around our table, we believe in the concept and have used various catechisms in the past. Luther's shorter is great and available online here. I'd recommend for preteens and teens.
Verse of the month or week.

We are going to try and be a bit more focussed on Scirpture memory as a family this year. We are choosing verses that coordinate with virtues/character qualities that the kid's school is highlighting throughout the year.
Hymn of the month or week.

I was thinking about this while sitting in the worship service yesterday and we sang "I Sing the Mighty Power of God". That song is so doctrinally rich, as are many of the great old hymns. I'll use the hymns as a springboard to ask, "What does this song teach us about God?" We're going to start this week with, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God." Why don't you join us?
Other Books.

It's time for me to start reading and discussing some other good books with my teenagers. Tim Keller's The Reason for God is top of my list, because I think it's such a great defense for the Christian worldview and gospel. The possibilities are endless.

Here are some practice suggestions. . . .

Less is more. If you ask my wife, I always go too long with the kids. Keep it short. 5 to 10 minutes after dinner is great. Anything more is a bonus.
Aim for some sort of consistency. If your family is anything like ours with lots of commitments, a varried schedule and evening meetings, finding a consistent rhythm is hard. Stick with it and do your best. 1 time a week is better than no times a week. Shoot for 3 or 4.
Ask questions. My kids love for me to ask them questions. Different ages get different questions.
Lead, Dads. This is your role. My wife and kids want more from me than I give oftentimes. I know I'm slacking when my kids start bringing me the Bible or start saying, "We should read the Bible more." Single moms, with the absence of a father in the home, the Lord will provide a special grace in your leading and initiation.
Be graceful with yourself and start again. My past failures create a fear of future failure and paralyze me. I need to face this and lay it before the Lord, develop a new plan and just go for it again. When you fail the next time, start quicker. Don't wallow in your failure. Admit your struggle to your kids and say, "We haven't kept up with our family bible reading very well, but the Lord is graceful, so let's just start again!"
Show up. It's not about any one family devotion, but about the rhythm. It's about establishing the priority of spiritual things and an easy and natural dialogue about spiritual things in your home.
Pray. Thank God for His Word and key off of whatever truths are studied. Let your kids see you admitting your spiritual need and crying out to the Lord for help.
Keep It Real. You don't have it all together. You don't have to have all the answers. Admit your own questions/doubts/struggles. Talk about your own spiritual life, what you are learning and thinking about.
Talk to other families about what they do. They may do nothing, but your asking will spur them to this good deed. They may have great experience and wisdom to share.

If you don't have kids or if your kids are long gone, you should still be intentional about connecting spiritually with your spouse. Pick a book and read it together. Susie and I are committing to read "Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas this year, because we want to keep investing in our marriage.

I'd love to hear some more ideas about what you're doing in your home.

doubling up

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:52:00 GMT

Caught a ride with Pastor Brandon this AM. He's a new mountain biker but is doing great. We huffed and puffed, but also chatted and prayed.

When I can, I exercise with others, because its a way to doubly "redeem the time" ala Ephesians 5:16. . .

Here's B gripping . . .

Sweaty, stinking, endorphines pumping. . . about to storm the Throne with prayer . .

The morning declaring the Glory. . .

Where in your life do you double up?

Did you enjoy the Ravine?

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:16:00 GMT

Back from a great family vacation, but my kids were so bummed to miss the Grace Summer Night at the Ravine last week. Sounds like a rockin' time was had by all. Want to do again next year?

2011 Beach Night BBQ

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:48:00 GMT

Great time of fellowship the other night at Port San Luis. Jack Hutchinson caught the vibe on this short vid...

Please Join us for our next Grace Summer Nights at The Ravine Waterpark in Paso Robles.

Click HERE to sign up.

Grace has a bus avilable and will be leaving SLO High School at 5:30pm. Be there!

Hume Lake Pics

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:15:00 GMT

High School Hume Lake Trip 2011

Middle School Hume Lake Trip 2011

John Stott

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:48:00 GMT

John Stott died today. A great loss for the body of Christ. A great gain for Him. I use his voluminous body of commentaries continually in my sermon prep. Always fresh. Always relevant. Always Biblical. Always practical.

Here's a tribute from the Gospel Coalition website which includes the last paragraph John Stott penned at the end of his last book, The Radical Disciple (which I just happen to be in the process of reading!) . . .

As I lay down my pen for the last time (literally, since I confess I am not computerized) at the age of eighty-eight, I venture to send this valedictory message to my readers. I am grateful for your encouragement, for many of you have written to me. Looking ahead, none of us of course knows what the future of printing and publishing may be. But I myself am confident that the future of books is assured and that, though they will be complemented, they will never be altogether replaced. For there is something unique about books. Our favorite books become very precious to us and we even develop with them an almost living and affectionate relationship. Is it an altogether fanciful fact that we handle, stroke and even smell them as tokens of our esteem and affection? I am not referring only to an author’s feeling for what he has written, but to all readers and their library. I have made it a rule not to quote from any book unless I have first handled it. So let me urge you to keep reading, and encourage your relatives and friends to do the same. For this is a much neglected means of grace. . . . Once again, farewell! (pp. 136-137)

Amen. Couldn't agree more. Read a book today and remember John Stott.

justification/sanctification/glorification

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:07:00 GMT

Here's the promised slide from Sunday's message on "Sanctification", which I encouraged you to use around your dinner tables this week. Talk your kids through it and then hide it and see if they can draw the diagram themselves. Teaching the diagram will reinforce it for you and they'll learn it too. Remember sanctification is:

Growing in holiness
Becoming more like Christ
A Life-Long Process
A Work of God the Spirit
The Fruit of Justifcation leading to Glorification

This is basic doctrine all believers should know and be able to explain.

Inner City High School Missions Trip Pics

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:00:00 GMT

I keep hearing great things about the Inner City Missions Trip. Here are some pics to give you a little taste. . .

a great family investment

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:30:00 GMT

Our family just returned from our 6th year out at Family Camp at Campus by the Sea on Catalina Island. Though it was hardly a vacation for me, as I spoke 5 times over the course of the week, it was nevertheless, a valuable time to recalibrate and rebalance.

I came back committed to doing what ever I can to get a few more GraceSLO families to one of the 6 weeks of camp next year. It's just such a powerful week for our family and for all famliies who go. I've been trying to figure out why. Here are a few reasons I've come up with so far. . .

Concentrated Family Time: Spending a week together where family connection is encouraged and faciltated is powerful. Family hiking, kayaking, fishing, Bible study, worship and eating, game playing are all part of the program.
Relief from some of the chores of life: No meal prep, no dishes. No work.
Unplugging: There is no cell service and no wifi. There is no electricity in cabins. Campers are encouraged to unplug from technology altogether.
Contained Isolation while living in Christian Community: While less than 30 miles away, being on an island and looking out on the open ocean makes it feel like you are a world away. Campus by the Sea is self contained, isolated and safe. You either hike in or boat in. We let all our kids and even our 5 year old wander around the small grounds by themselves. At the same time you are spending concentrated time eating, talking and worshipping with other families who are committed to family.
Great Food: I have never had better quality food over a week's time. I'm not kidding.
Fun in Creation: It's breathtakingly beautiful which is soul -restoring.
Biblical Instruction about the Priority of Family: We don't realize the impact of our culture and busyness on our famliy lives. Marriage and parenting are always the focus of the Friesen's instruction. I always come away encouraged and challenged to keep investing in our family.

Our family is looking forward to next year already. I honestly don't think there is a better investment you can make in the life of your family. Here's what family camp costs, lifted for the Campus by the Sea website. . . .

That may sound like a lot, but remember, that includes all your meals for a week. Compare that with, say, the cost of a week-long camping trip including meals, campsite, gas to get there and any family activities you might pay for. I think family camp is a great deal.

If you are interested or have questions, I'd love to talk to you. Or you can talk to the Erb or Kardel families, who also are family campers. Enrollment opens March 1, 2012 and sells out fast. I don't need you to come to our week. You hear me all the time. Pick another week. I'd recommend the week my friend, David Hegg, speaks (usually week #3).

I'll cue you again around the first of the year, but make a commitment and start saving and planning now. I have been reticent to promote this thing, for fear of sounding self-promoting, but I'm truly convinced your family is missing out by not being there. So I'm pulling out all the stops and going for it this year. My goal is to see 5 more GraceSLO families get to Family Camp next summer.

Serve Day 2011

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:29:00 GMT

Here finally is that terrific Serve Day 2011 vid that was shown in the service a few weeks back. Many thanks to Jack Hutchinson for running around on that day to catch the vibe. And many thanks to all who served. Serve Day 2012 is in the planning stages right now...

The Great Double Exchange

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:56:00 GMT

Since my girls were serving in the nursery and toddler classes last Sunday, I asked my 9 year old, Zeke, to draw the diagram from Sunday's message and explain justification to his sisters. He did a bang-up job! After Zeke's explanation, I hid the diagram and then asked the girls to each draw their own without looking. That lead into a fantastic discussion of justification. So quick. So easy. So fun.

Here's the diagram, if you happen to listen to the message online. . .

miss the 2011 Annual Meeting?

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

What were some of the hightlights of this last year?

(There were lots!)

How big was the 2010/2011 budget surplus and what do we plan to do with it?

(It was significant)

How are we going to reach out both locally and globaly
in stretching ways next year?

(We're excited!)

Who on our Pastoral Staff is heading off on a summer sabattical?

(What is a sabbatical anyway?)

For this and a whole lot more valuable "behind the scenes" info, listen to our Annual Meeting audio and download the 2011 Annual Report by clicking the banner below. Our aim is to put this information in as many hands and heads as possible. Its Christ's church first, but its your church second, so be engaged and informed and involved.

More on Justification

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Last Sunday in our ongoing "Doctrine Matters" series, I preached through the "Salvation" statement of our Declaration of Faith.

I argued and explained that what lies at the heart of salvation is the doctrine of justification or God's declaring us righteous through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

While many in the church today, would question the importance and value of a deep doctrine such as justification, others would say they disagree. Over the last two decades there has arisen a new school of thought which has come to be known as the "New Perspective on Paul" which challenges this historic understanding of Paul's teaching on justification.

Just today I was going through my desk pile and came across a recent issue of Sundoulos, the alumni magazine from my alma mater, Talbot School of Theology which contained two terrific articles on justification.

The first is a helpful summary on the New Perspective on Paul

What is “The New Perspective on Paul”?

The second is an excellent general article on justification by two of my formerTalbot profs. Its long but worth the read (remember, we're pressing on to maturity, right?). If you don't have time for the whole thing, I bold a few of my favorite thoughts. . . .

Justification and the New Perspective

by Robert Saucy, Alan W. Gomes

The great reformer Martin Luther once declared that the biblical teaching of justification by faith alone “is the doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” Historically, Protestants have understood justification to mean that God declares us “not guilty” for our sins because Christ bore them in our place, and also that God declares us as being positively righteous in his sight because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, i.e., credited to our accounts.

However, a recent teaching called the “New Perspective on Paul” (hereafter NP) has called into question the traditional Protestant understanding of justification. Adherents of the NP claim that the church, both Catholic and Protestant, has misunderstood the biblical teaching of justification for most of its history,¹ primarily due to a failure to apprehend the underlying problem that Paul was addressing in his epistles to the Galatians and to the Romans.² Thus, before we can understand the NP’s revision of the doctrine of justification it is necessary first to identify what they claim is the real issue that Paul was confronting in these epistles.

The Context of Paul’s Polemic According to the NP

According to the NP, Paul was not countering legalistic Jewish individuals who were attempting to earn their salvation through works-righteousness. Indeed, these Jews believed that they were already members of God’s covenant people by grace alone. Rather, their sin was one of ethnocentric pride. These Jews had erected barriers between themselves and their Gentile brothers and sisters by insisting that, along with faith in Jesus, the Gentiles must also follow such specifically Jewish ceremonial practices as circumcision, the kosher dietary laws, and Sabbath observance, which were to serve as “identity markers” that they too belonged to God’s covenant community. Thus, the sin of these “Judaizers” was that they were alienating themselves from their fellow believers in a spirit of ethnic exclusivism and pride, not that they were attempting to earn salvation in relation to God through moral effort.

With this as background we can now look at the NP’s retooling of the doctrine of justification.

The NP Understanding of Justification

According to the NP, justification is the declaration that a person is in the covenant family. Accordingly, “righteousness” is simply a statement of that person’s status. He or she is not regarded as morally virtuous (whether through an inherent or an imputed righteousness), but is simply declared to be in the covenant.³

In the NP, justification is not central to salvation or to the gospel as such. That is because justification is not about a person “getting in” to the family of God, or “staying in,” but rather is about “how you could tell who was [already] in.”⁴

Therefore, justification is not the gospel itself, nor even a part of the gospel message, but is merely the pronouncement of who is or is not already in the covenant community through faith. Instead, the gospel refers only to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is by faith in the gospel, and not through justification, that we receive forgiveness of sins and are made members of God’s covenant people. By the time the declaration known as justification happens, our covenant membership is already a “done deal,” as it were.

According to Wright, our present justification, which is on the basis of faith, anticipates our future justification that will take place on the day of judgment, which is “on the basis of the entire life.”⁵ In other words, while our present justification is by faith, our future justification is, in some sense, by works.⁶ Wright eschews the idea that this final justification by works means that the Christian “earns” his or her final salvation, since the works in question are produced in the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4).⁷

We believe that the NP take on justification is fatally defective because it has failed to grasp justification’s true essence. And we believe that the problems with the NP view are not merely theoretical but have serious practical consequences as well.

The Biblical Meaning of Justification

The word “justify” normally translates verb forms based on the Hebrew root sdq and the Greek dik that also are used in forming the adjective “righteous” and noun “righteousness.” “Justify” in the Old Testament normally translates the causative form (Hiphil) of sdq with the forensic (judicial) meaning, “to declare righteous” (e.g., “I will not acquit [declare righteous] the guilty,” Ex 23:7).⁸

The forensic sense is evident especially when it is contrasted with condemnation (e.g., Deut 25:1; Prov 17:15).⁹

Where the Old Testament Hebrew word for “justify” clearly has a forensic sense, the Greek translation in the Septuagint is always the verb, dikaioō, which is also used for “justify” in the New Testament. Again, the declarative meaning is evident when Paul refers to those “justified” as “just before God” (Rom 2:13; cf. 3:20), and where he contrasts justification with condemnation (Rom 5:16; 8:33-34). While dikaioō can occasionally have a demonstrative sense, i.e., “to show someone as righteous,” it is generally agreed that in Paul’s letters the word always has the forensic sense, “to declare righteous” or “acquit.”¹⁰

Now, if God’s justification of us means that he declares us righteous, the important question is, what does “righteous” mean in this declaration? Far more profound than NP’s concept of the non-moral status of membership in God’s people, scriptural righteousness refers to a moral quality that is in radical contrast to all sin, lawlessness, and uncleanness—e.g., “all are under sin . . . there are none righteousness” (Rom 3:9-10); one will hardly die for a righteous man, but Christ died for us “while we were sinners” (Rom 5:7-8); “what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness” (2 Cor 6:14); believers are no longer to present themselves as “slaves to impurity and to lawlessness,” but “to righteousness” (Rom 6:19). Righteousness thus entails doing what is right or what conforms to God’s laws, i.e., his moral and spiritual order for human life. This order is the expression of his own person and word, or of his own righteousness, which Piper aptly defines as “his unwavering commitment to preserve the honor of his name and display his glory.”¹¹

The meaning of “righteous” in our justification by God is thus similar in that it is a declarative act that we are in conformity with God’s righteous order for human moral, ethical, and spiritual life—we conform to what people ought to do in relation to God and to our fellow humans. In human courts, the declaration of being righteous is based on the person’s own righteousness. But God in abounding love and grace “justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5) and “sinners” (5:8-9) by giving them “the gift of righteousness” in Christ (5:17). For this reason, while our justification is ultimately God’s declaration of our righteousness, the saving work in Christ, or “the justice enacted in Christ” on our behalf, is rightly seen as an aspect of that justification.¹²

Scripture’s longest exposition on justification in Romans 3:21-5:21 is preceded (1:18-3:20) by the apostle’s strong demonstration that “both Jews [under the Law] and Greeks [Gentiles] are all under sin” (3:9) and “accountable to God” (v. 19). Biblical justification thus goes beyond the surface problem of Jews in the church demanding that Gentiles take on certain non-moral “badges” of the ceremonial law. Rather, Paul recognized that they were joining law keeping—“by which no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16)—with the work of Christ in order to be right with God. In other words, they were attempting to mix the old Mosaic covenant with the new covenant wrought by the work of Christ. The apostle declared this a distortion of the gospel (Gal 1:7) and in fact a “different gospel” (v. 6). He branded the purveyors of such a gospel “false brethren” (Gal 2:4).

The demand for Gentile circumcision no doubt revealed a certain Jewish ethnocentric pride in the Law on which the NP focuses. But the apostle saw something much more fundamental: they were denying the gospel of grace. The emphasis on justification by faith apart from any works demonstrates that for Paul the gospel rests on the doctrine of God’s gracious justification of believers solely through the work of Christ. Because justification levels all humans as sinners and debtors to God’s gracious salvation, the doctrine obviously has ramifications for any self-aggrandizing behavior among God’s people. But for the apostle it is first and foremost a part of the gospel of our salvation from sin.

The Need of Righteousness for Life

The doctrine of justification is central to the biblical story of salvation. Scripture repeatedly connects life with righteousness. “Those who receive . . . the gift of righteousness will reign in life” (Rom 5:7). “Through one act of righteousness [the obedience of Jesus] there resulted justification of life” (Rom 5:18). Grace reigns “through righteousness to eternal life” (Rom 5:21). “Being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit 3:7; cf. also Gal 3:21).

Life requires righteousness because life is found only in God (cf. Ps 36:9, “For with you is the fountain of life”; Prov 8:35, “For he who finds me finds life”). If we would have fullness of life, therefore, we must live in full communion with God, which entails conformity with his own righteousness and life. As Scripture says, “You shall be holy, for I am Holy“(1 Pet 1:15); “For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness” (2 Cor 6:14; cf. Ps 15:1-2; 24:3-4). Thus, the justification that brings life must be grounded in a perfect righteousness.

The Consequences of the Fall and its Remedy

Sadly, Scripture tells us that human beings did not maintain their original integrity but defected from God in an act of willful rebellion. And this rebellion brought with it horrific consequences.

First of all, humans became subject to death as the wages of their sin (Rom 3:23). As early as Genesis 2:17, God warned Adam that if he disobeyed and ate of the forbidden fruit he would “surely die.” God, the righteous judge, thus made it clear that his commandments must be obeyed. This death, both spiritual and physical, is the penalty for sin and must be exacted because God, being just, will in no wise let sin go unpunished (Ex 34:7; Nah 1:3). It was therefore necessary for Jesus to propitiate (i.e., satisfy) the wrath of God in our place if we are to be saved (Rom 3:25-26). Christ bore our sins in our place, i.e., as our substitute (Isa 53:6, 10; Matt 20:28; 1 Pet 2:24, etc.), tasting death for every man (Heb 2:9). Another way of expressing this same truth is to say that our sins were imputed to him, i.e., our sins were reckoned to him as if he himself had committed them.

But Christ’s work for us does not stop there. As we observed previously, we need more than mere exemption from punishment: we also need to have perfect moral righteousness as a condition for life. Jesus furnishes this perfect moral righteousness through his own immaculately holy life, just as he furnishes the required payment for our sins through his death on the cross.

It is at this latter point in particular that the NP runs afoul of the biblical (and classic Protestant) position. According to Wright, it is nonsensical to speak of moral righteousness as something that can be “imputed” or otherwise bestowed as a gift. Wright states:

If we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or a gas which can be passed across the courtroom.¹³

According to Wright, when God vindicates his people they have a righteous status, i.e., of the court having found in their favor. But this verdict is not based either on the defendant’s own moral righteousness or on the righteousness of another imputed to him.¹⁴ It is merely the judge’s decision to vindicate the defendant on the basis of faith in Christ.

However, if, as we have seen, a perfect moral righteousness is needed, the question becomes, from where must this righteousness come? It must either be (1) our own inherent righteousness—whether wrought in us purely through our own moral exertions, or through the Spirit working in us, or through some combination of these—or (2) imputed to us as a gift from a source outside of ourselves, i.e., what the reformers called an “alien righteousness” (iustitia aliena). These are the only two possibilities, logically speaking.

The first possibility—attaining life through our own inherent moral righteousness—is a non-starter. It is clear from Scripture that even the holiest and most spiritual of Christians attain only an imperfect moral righteousness (1 Jn 1:8).¹⁵

What about the second option, i.e., that of a moral righteousness reckoned to us from without? Although Wright regards this as nonsense, Scripture teaches otherwise.

The Scriptural Teaching on the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness

While Scripture does not state in so many words that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us, we are not contending here for the specific wording but for the thing itself. The Bible does not say directly that our sins were imputed to Christ, either, but this is certainly the meaning of passages that say that Christ was made a curse for us (Gal 3:13; cf. 2 Cor 5:21), that our iniquities were laid on him (Isa 53:6), and the myriad of texts that teach that he made satisfaction for our sins as a substitute (e.g., Matt 20:28; 1 Pet 2:24, etc.).

So let us now examine just three of the many biblical passages that teach the fact of imputation: that Christ’s righteousness is our own.

1 Corinthians 1:30 – “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” Though this verse does not use the language of imputation it does state that Christ “became to us…righteousness.” From this we conclude that because we are “in Christ Jesus” (more on that later), he is our righteousness, which is as much as to say that his righteousness is imputed to us.

Wright disputes this conclusion, stating that such an interpretation proves too much. He avers that if we are to take this verse as teaching imputed righteousness then “we must also be prepared to talk of the imputed wisdom of Christ; the imputed sanctification of Christ; and the imputed redemption of Christ….”¹⁶ But as John Piper counters, Wright’s reasoning is fallacious. “There is no reason to think,” Piper states, “that Christ must ‘become’ for us righteousness exactly the same way he becomes wisdom and sanctification and redemption. This is not said or implied….He may become each of these things for us as each reality requires.”¹⁷ For example, Christ “becomes sanctification to us”—“Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19)—not by imputation but through the Holy Spirit working in and with us “both to will and to do his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13).

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The juxtaposition of Christ being “made sin” on our behalf clarifies what it means for us to have “become the righteousness of God in him.” Certainly the part of the verse that says that he was “made sin on our behalf” can only mean that our sins were reckoned to Christ, who had no sin of his own. Accordingly, when the text says that we have become the righteousness of God in him, the meaning is that the righteousness which is inherent to him and not to us becomes ours by being reckoned to us. As Charles Hodge succinctly put it, “His being made sin is consistent with his being in himself free from sin; and our being made righteous is consistent with our being in ourselves ungodly.”¹⁸

This text is one of the clearest passages teaching the imputed righteousness of Christ. Therefore, it is quite illuminating to see what Wright does with it. Repeatedly insisting that “the righteousness of God” means “covenant faithfulness” rather than something like Piper’s more fundamental definition mentioned earlier (i.e., “his unwavering commitment to preserve the honor and display of his glory”), Wright concludes that Paul himself becomes the “covenant faithfulness” of God in the sense that he is “the covenant ambassador, who represents the one for whom he speaks in such a full and thorough way that he actually becomes the living embodiment of his sovereign.”¹⁹ We are not surprised that this idiosyncratic interpretation is altogether novel in the history of the exegesis of this passage.

Philippians 3:9 – This text reads, “[that I] may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” Here Paul speaks explicitly about having a righteousness that comes to us through faith in Christ. What we have here is clearly, by definition, an alien righteousness (i.e., a righteousness “not of my own”).

Wright takes the expression “righteousness from God” (Greek: ek theou dikaisoune) in this verse as different in meaning from the expression “righteousness of God” (dikaiosoune theou). The latter he says refers to God’s “covenant faithfulness,” whereas the former is strictly a status that God bestows on the believer through justification.²⁰ This present status, granted on the basis of faith,²¹ looks forward to the final day when we will see “the outworking of actual holiness and then in final vindication, of the status already given.”²²

In response, it seems to us that there is no biblical warrant for shifting the meaning of “righteousness” in these various expressions. That is, righteousness means the same thing whether we are applying it to God, or from God and to ourselves; in either case it refers to true moral uprightness and conformity to a moral norm. To see it in the first instance as merely a status without an underlying basis for that status is to distort seriously the meaning of righteousness in Scripture. And even to understand righteousness as God’s “covenant faithfulness,” as in the second instance, still fails to do justice to the concept of righteousness, because it confounds what righteousness is with what righteousness does.²³

Now, adherents of the NP might object that it is unfair to characterize their understanding of justification as lacking a real, substantive basis in actual moral righteousness. After all, the recognition of our covenant membership in the present (as indicated by our faith) points forward to “the outworking of actual holiness and then in final vindication, of the status already given.”²⁴ To such an argument we would reply that such a basis, whether present or future, would be wholly inadequate. The point is not whether the holiness in us is actuated through the power of the Holy Spirit (as Wright stresses) or whether it arises purely through Pelagian self-effort. No, the point is that our inherent righteousness is imperfect, as we have already shown, and this is not good enough.

Verses that speak of us as being “in Christ,”“joined to Christ,” etc.

There are many verses in the Bible that speak of us being “in Christ,” including all three of the verses listed above. The same idea is also expressed through such language as having “put on” or being “clothed” with Christ (Gal 3:27), being “joined to Christ” (1 Cor 6:17), etc. We believe that the relationship of this truth in connection with justification merits special attention.

Long before the NP arose, some assailed the traditional doctrine of justification by faith as “a legal fiction.” That is because, its detractors say, God has to pretend, contrary to all reality, that we are something we are not: morally righteous. But this is to misunderstand the historic doctrine. The reality is, we really are righteous, and that righteousness is due to the fact that we are truly in Christ. It is a union so intimate that there is an actual sharing with Christ of all that he is and does for us. Luther, a favorite target of NP adherents, stated it as well as anyone. According to Luther, justifying faith is “a certain sure confidence in the heart, and a firm consent by which Christ is apprehended; so that Christ is the object of faith, yea, rather even in faith Christ himself is present.”²⁵ The believer is “cemented” to Christ on the basis of faith, so that the two are made, as it were, one person. The believer can say, “I am now one with Christ, that is to say, Christ’s righteousness, victory, and life are mine. And again, Christ may say, I am that sinner, that is, his sins and his death are mine, because he is united and joined unto me, and I unto him. For by faith we are so joined together, ‘that we are become one flesh and one bone’ (Eph 5:30).”²⁶

If anything, it is the NP reformulation of the doctrine that involves a legal fiction. Piper pinpoints this defect when he states that it leaves the gift of the status of vindication without foundation in real perfect imputed obedience. We have no perfect obedience to offer, and, Wright would say, Christ’s obedience is not imputed to me, nor does it need to be….So we have no perfect obedience as the foundation of our status of vindication (i.e., justification).²⁷

Justification All of God through Christ and Therefore by Faith Alone

From the foregoing discussion it should be evident that our justification, and in fact every facet of salvation, is all of Christ. There is nothing we can add. We are “justified as a gift by His grace” (Rom 3:24). “In Christ” we are free from the condemnation due our sins—future as well as past (Rom 8:1). Our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). In fact, Christ is our life (Col 4; cf. Gal 2:20). Attempting to add to God’s grace by keeping regulations of the law (or any other work) is to make Christ of “no benefit to us” and to leave us “severed from Christ” (Gal 5:2, 4). In the words of J. Gresham Machen, “Christ has done nothing for us or He has done everything; to depend even in smallest measure upon our own merit is the very essence of unbelief; we must trust Christ for nothing or we must trust Him for all. Such is the teaching of the Epistle to the Galatians.”²⁸

James’s statement that “a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (2:24) does not contradict this. Scripture says again and again that at the end we will adjudicated “according to” our works (e.g., Matt 12:36-37; 25:31-46; Rom 2:5-8; 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:9). This is because our works will reveal the gracious work of God in our lives (Phil 2:13). They are thus the evidence of God’s genuine saving faith that works in our life, or what the apostle calls a “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6). As Stott cogently explains, “Works are never the ground or means of salvation, but they are the evidence of it, and therefore they constitute an excellent basis for judgment.”²⁹ To use Jesus’ illustration of recognizing the tree by its fruit (Matt.7:17-18), our works are the fruit, but the source of that fruit is the life of Christ in us through faith alone. Ultimately, “the ground of our justification lies not in works, nor in faith, but ‘in the revelation of God’s grace in Christ embraced by faith.’”³⁰

Justification and Salvation

Contrary to Wright, we have seen that the doctrine of justification is a vital aspect of our salvation and of the gospel. Paul clearly connects the three as follows: “with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness [justification], and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Rom 10:10). This message is the “good news” or gospel (vv. 15, 16). But where does justification stand in relation to other aspects of our salvation, e.g. sanctification, adoption, glorification, etc.?

Concluding his indictment of all humans before salvation, Paul sets up our situation. All are “under sin,” “there is no one righteous,” “no fear of God [is] before their eyes,” and “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” (Rom 3:9-20, NIV). Enter justification: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the Law, has been made known” (3:21). J. I. Packer rightly calls the doctrine of justification by faith the “backbone” of Paul’s gospel, “God’s fundamental act of blessing, for it both saves from the past and secures for the future.”³¹ It is the foundation from which other blessings of salvation flow because it sets us in a right relationship with God. As the order of both Romans and Galatians demonstrates, the truth of justification not only precedes, but lays the basis for instruction on living the Christian life.

“Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom 5:1-2, emphasis added; cf. Gal 5:4). Justification by faith apart from works places us in the realm of grace for all of life. Without a justification that places one absolutely righteous before God through faith alone we will never know the peace of security. Moreover, only a constant awareness of our right relationship with God through justification by faith alone guards against our ever present temptation to insert our own works as a condition or contribution to our salvation. And when our works become part of our justification they easily become a source of boasting (cf. Eph 2:9).

We are designed by our Creator to live a life of love—motivated by love in response to his love. Only a justification by grace through faith alone apart from our works provides the foundation for such life.

Conclusion

The doctrine of justification by faith alone is both the foundation of life for God’s people and the heart of the gospel proclamation to a dying and sin-ravaged world. God’s justification of sinners is indeed the reality by which the church stands or falls, for it is only through the gospel, with justification by faith as its core, that Christ through his Spirit forms his church and communicates his vital presence in and through it. If we are to discharge our office as ministers of the gospel we must not be trumpets that blow an indistinct sound. As his ambassadors we must powerfully convey this glorious truth with all of the clarity and cogency that God may grant us. May we see the precious reality of justification by faith as the dynamic living reality captured so well in Charles Wesley’s great hymn And Can It Be?

No condemnation now I dread:
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.

Notes

1 “The church has indeed taken off at an oblique angle from what Paul had said, so that, yes, ever since the time of Augustine, the discussions about what has been called ‘justification’ have borne a tangled, but ultimately only tangential, relation to what Paul was talking about.” N. T. Wright, Justification (InterVarsity Press, 2009), p. 80 (emphasis in the original). See also pp. 83, 91, and 102.

2 In what follows we shall quote Anglican scholar N. T. Wright as a representative and well-known advocate of the NP.

3 Wright states, “Justification … is not a matter of how someone enters the community of the true people of God, but of how you tell who belongs to that community….Justification’ in the first century was not about how someone might establish a relationship with God. It was about God’s eschatological definition, both future and present, of who was, in fact, a member of his people….Within the law-court setting, the ‘righteousness’ which someone has when the court has found in their favor is not a moral quality which they bring into the court with them; it is the legal status which they carry out of court with them.” What St. Paul Really Said (Lion, 1997), p. 119 (emphasis in the original). And again, “First, it [justification] is membership language….the covenant status Paul now enjoys is the gift of God: it is a dikaiosune ek theou, a ‘righteousness from God’….Paul is here referring to the status of covenant membership; it is the gift of God…bestowed upon faith” (pp. 124-5 [emphasis in the original]).

4 Wright, What St. Paul Really Said, p. 119.

5 Wright, What St. Paul Really Said, p. 129.

6 We say “in some sense” because Wright is not altogether clear about the relationship between these works and our final justification. Are they literally the basis of our final justification in a causative sense? Are they the evidence but not the cause of it? See the discussion in John Piper, The Future of Justification (Crossway, 2007), pp. 118-120.

7 Wright, Justification, pp. 236-7.

8 The Piel form of the verb can also have a declarative sense, cf. Job 32:2; 33:32.

9 See also 1 Kings 8:32; 2 Chron 23:3; Isa. 5:23; and Job 27:5.

10 Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Eerdmans, 1996), p. 86.

11 Piper, p. 66.

12 Mark A. Seifrid, “Paul’s Use of Righteousness Language against Its Hellenistic Background,” in Justification and Variegated Nomism, vol. 2 (Baker, 2004), p. 63. This thought is also supported by the concept of God’s “righteousness” which is given to us as entailing his righteous character and his vindicating actions (setting right) that flow from that character (Seifrid, pp. 40-41). According to Moo, “God’s dikaiosyne (righteousness) can denote God’s character as that of a God who will always do what is right, God’s activity of establishing right, and even, as a product of this activity, the state of those who have been, or hope to be, put right” (Moo, p. 84).

13 Wright, What St. Paul Really Said, p. 98.

14 Ibid., p. 119.

15 Some have wrongly suggested that our faith is our righteousness, rather than faith being merely the instrument by which we receive the righteousness of Christ. But since our faith is also imperfect, such “faith righteousness” would likewise be imperfect.

16 Wright, What St. Paul Really Said, p. 123.

17 Piper, p. 173.

18 Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the Second Letter to the Corinthians; cited in Piper, p. 174.

19 N. T. Wright, “On Becoming the Righteousness of God,” chapter in Pauline Theology, Vol. 2: 1 & 2 Corinthians, ed. David M. Hay (Fortress, 1993), p. 206. See Piper’s discussion, pp. 174-180.

20 Wright, Justification, pp. 150-151; What St. Paul Really Said, p. 124.

21 Ibid.

22 Wright, Justification, p. 152.

23 Piper, pp. 23, 62.

24 Wright, Justification, p. 152.

25 Luther, Commentary on Galatians, 2:15.

26 Luther, Commentary on Galatians, 2:20.

27 Piper, p. 128.

28 J. Gresham Machen, What is Faith? (Eerdmans, 1925), p. 202.

29 J. R. W. Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church (Eerdmans, 1972), p. 80.

30 P. T. O’Brien, “Justification in Paul and Some Crucial issues of the Last Two Decades,” in Right With God: Justification in the Bible and the World, ed. D. A. Carson (Baker, 1992), p. 94; citing Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology (Eerdmans, 1975), p. 180.

31 J. I. Packer, “Justification,” The New Bible Dictionary, ed. J. D. Douglas (Eerdmans, 1962), p. 684.

Robert Saucy Distinguished Professor of Theology, has taught at Talbot since 1961. He has written seven books and numerous book chapters and articles. Bob now has the joy of sometimes teaching children of former students. He and his wife Nancy live in Anaheim.

Alan W. Gomes (MDiv, ThM, Talbot; PhD, Fuller) is Professor of Historical Theology at Talbot. Alan has authored numerous scholarly articles in journals, encyclopedias and dictionaries, and was general editor of the Zondervan Guide to Cults and Religious Movements series of booklets. The Gomes family lives in La Mirada, but Alan can sometimes be found at Catalina Island, reading dead theologians aboard his sailboat.

Biola University

13800 Biola Ave. La Mirada, CA 90639

1-562-903-6000

Maps & Directions

Guess Who's A Grandpa?

Tue, 31 May 2011 13:27:00 GMT

Ethan Pierce Tarr

born to Jake and Jen Tarr

on Monday May 30, 2011 at 4:33am

Weighing 7lbs 3oz , and 20 inches long

Pastor Ken & Judi Peet are glowing grandparents

Congrats to all.

Get It Together

Thu, 26 May 2011 10:41:00 GMT

Confession: I hate the area of money. I tend to neglect it and don't want to deal with it. I tend to procrastinate on my banking and bill paying.

But I know its an important area and one that God cares deeply about, because our wallets are connected to our hearts. Financial stewardship is a vital area of Christian discipleship.

If you're anyything like me, I just want to encourage you to jump into the Financial Peace University. Hundreds in our chruch have taken the class, and virutally everyone who has, has raved about it.

If you're still on the bubble, take a second to watch these testimonies from past attendees here at GraceSLO.

Our current FPU classes are full, but If you would like to be put on our waiting list for the next session (TBA) please email Pat Rusco.

Rent a Kid

Thu, 26 May 2011 07:43:00 GMT

Have you considered renting a kid? Its a win-win, for sure. You get some work done and they get to earn money for Hume this summer. Its an investment in eternity, that just happens to pay some earlthly temporal benefits as well.

We rented Kyler Villa a few weeks back to do some weed-whacking and other odd jobs around our house. He worked hard for 8 hours while I worked off and on beside him, between my boys' baseball games.

We rented Tyler O'Brien, Larson Patty and Joel Nakamura last week to dig some holes for some bare root trees that needed to get in the ground ASAP. I got them going, told them what I wanted, and then had to run off to a wedding rehearsal. They got it done and did a great job.

So, how about you? Need to get some things done, but having a hard time pulling if off? Make an investment and a difference in the life of a young person by renting a kid. When they come to your come, take some time to chat a bit and maybe even pray with/for your student. This is really a discipleship opprotunity. Let's see it that way.

Time's almost up, but its not too late. . .

For more info and to rent a kid online, CLICK HERE.

wrestling together

Wed, 25 May 2011 09:14:00 GMT

On Sunday, May 15th, I preached on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit which focused on the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration for faith. LISTEN HERE.

Sadly, it's a little understood truth. It's a misunderstood truth. It's a controversial truth. It is a truth that must be wrestled with. I'm encouraging wrestling.

Well, as is to be expected, sparks were flying in our Growth Groups as folks have been wrestling through what the Bible teaches and what we feel about it. Below is an email exchange I've enjoyed in response to that message. With permission from the other party, I have posted their inquiry and my "elder-approved" response, in the hopes that our exchange might encourage us all to keep wrestling for the greater glory and praise of God.

I think when we're confronted with hard or confusing truths, we tend to react in one of two ways. #1. Either we back away from the issue and devalue doctrine ("These things are confusing. No one knows. Why are we talking about these things? Does this really matter?") OR #2. We hunker down around a truth with an ungracious dogmatism, ("I'm right and you're wrong and you're bad because you don't believe what I believe."). I'm suggesting there is a third option. . . . call it "humble deep wrestling." I'm convinced God tells us hard and confusing things, because He wants us to wrestle and go deep, but He wants us to do so graciously, freely and humbly.

Anyway, I hope the dialogue is helpful for some. My response has been well received by the inquiring couple.

Here's the ORIGINAL INQUIRY

Hi Tim,

We have done what you challenged us to do about your message on Sunday and have examined the scriptures about this. And we will continue to do so. Our growth group on Sunday went deep on this as well.

And we respectfully disagree with you on the matter of regeneration preceding salvation. You chose a series of verses to support this position, but we think that there are plenty of others that do not, and that indeed lead to an opposite interpretation.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul writes:

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

In Romans 9, Paul writes:

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

We cannot reconcile these two statements about God except in the context of Christ's atoning sacrifice. If God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, then why would he predetermine that some will, without any hope whatsoever, perish? It is clear from this passage that Paul is defending the extension of God's salvation beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. It's not judgment Paul is proclaiming, but the extension of mercy.

Jesus stated unequivocally:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

and

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

God gave us the choice to accept his grace—to come to him and give up our burdens, and he created us with the ability to make that choice. We can exercise that choice to accept or not accept.

The concept of "total depravity" that states that a person" is utterly unable to choose to follow God or choose to accept salvation as it is offered" is a human construct, and is nowhere stated in the Bible. It is as much an outgrowth of human logic as the Roman Catholic belief in the "immaculate conception" of Mary, or many of the Jewish hedges.

We are very concerned about this step toward Calvinism. It's divisive, and we think theologically unsound. Indeed, it has the potential to lead to a works-focus and to doubt about salvation. Who can know if he or she made God's short list? So try harder?

Ultimately God knows who will and won't make that choice, but he gives us the choice. If we are mere marionettes then logic, taken to the end, would make God the author of all of all of the decisions humans make, including our sins. And we don't accept that. There is no pride in coming to the Lord in humility —just as I am without one plea. That's an acknowledgment of our position before God, that we and all others have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. God wants all people to be saved—but there is a choice, and each individual must make it. And if God chooses to extend mercy to those on whom he will have mercy, outside of our box, that's his choice.

Here's MY RESPONSE . . .

Dear _________________.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments and for wrestling together with me (and our elders) over these important issues. I love that you are searching the Scriptures for what the Bible actually teaches, just like those noble-minded Bereans in Acts 17:11. I have appreciated our past dialogues and jump at this opportunity to strive together to understand what the Scriptures teach. In the end, I think it's ok to agree to disagree on these matters, as we live together in Gospel community. I see these as important, but not essential issues and definitely not issues over which we should break fellowship. Along the way, if we need to, let's gather in person or you may request an audience with our elders. But let's see where we end up as we go back and forth. . . .

First, a few general comments. . . .

My personal process: I have been wrestling with these issues throughout my entire 18 year ministry. Like Jonathan Edwards, convinced by the preponderance of Scripture, I find myself believing things I do not always like. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God in salvation is becoming sweet to me now, but on some days, it still feels terrible. My convictions were set when I arrived here at GraceSLO and they have only deepened and strengthened as I've experienced the joy of studying and teaching the Scriptures week after week. I was clear with the elders and search team concerning my convictions on these matters from the moment GraceSLO called. I have consistently taught from what I am convinced is the Biblical perspective on these matters throughout my 8+ years here, and can easily point to messages where these issues have been addressed. All that to say, this is nothing new for me personally and there has been no recent shift in perspective. What is new is that our elders have decided, after years of wrestling together and countless hours of prayerful discussion, to embed this perspective in our GraceSLO Declaration of Faith. I shared our reasons why on Sunday.
My personal stake: Please keep in mind, I have no personal stake in these views. They are hard truths and teaching them is hardly the way to "win friends and influence people" in today's world. There is nothing in this for me. It would be easier not to believe and teach these truths. I believe these things because I am convinced the Bible teaches them and I believe my responsibility is to preach "the whole counsel of God." I think my commitment to dealing with, and not skirting, difficult, thorny or unpopular issues is clear to all who have been here over any length of time.
My approach to the Scriptures: When the Bible appears to teach two seemingly contradictory truths, how do we deal with that? One approach is to throw up our hands and default to the "mystery card". Another approach, and my approach, is to weigh, consider, and measure all the relevant Biblical passages on each side of a Biblical issue and then ask, "What is the preponderance of Biblical evidence? Where does the Bible seem to lean?" I'm convinced, when possible, that the minority texts should be interpreted in light of the majority texts. The unclear texts should be interpreted in light of the clear texts. These are guiding principles for me when it comes to these issues. There are issues where it's ok to say, "I'm not sure", but, for me, this is not one of those issues.

Now on to the specific issues you raise. . .

• I'm overwhelmed by the number and sheer weight of the Scriptures which point to the sovereignty of God in salvation. Virtually every book in the New Testament addresses this issue.   The entire book of Genesis argues for this from the flood of Noah to the Tower of Babel, to the call of Abraham to the continual crossing of the hands in the blessing of the next generation, to the story of Jacob and Esau.   The entire history of Israel is premised on God's sovereign choice of Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6+). The story of Jonah and the story of David both show the sovereign grace and choice of God.   The New Testament purposefully employs this same sovereign choice language used of Israel, but now applies it to the church.

• The Biblical metaphors used to describe our sinful condition seem to point to our complete inability to come to God by yourselves.   The Bible describes us as lost, blind and dead. We must be found. We must be made to see. We must be born again.   Why does the Bible use these pictures? What are we meant to see in and learn by these pictures?

• There are large and sweeping texts in which the NT authors develop long and complex arguments which center, not just around the work of Christ, but also on the sovereignty of God in our salvation.   These texts and their flow of thought must be honestly and thoughtfully considered and reckoned with: 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5, 2 Corinthians 4:1-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 6, Romans 8-9, John 3. I am overwhelmed and humbled by these texts.

• In addition to the many texts I shared on Sunday, here are some more which I just cannot get around. . . .

Matthew 11:25 - 30
(11:25) At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants."
(11:26)“Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight."
(11:27) "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
(11:28) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."
(11:29) “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS."
(11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

(You reference Matt. 11:28-30 in your email, but please look at what Jesus says right before about the revealing and concealing work of God. . . how do we make sense of this?)

2Timothy 2:10
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

(Why does Paul use this language? What is he saying about why and for whom he suffers?)

2Timothy 2:24-26
(2:24) The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
(2:25)with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
(2:26) and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

(2 Peter 3:9 speaks of God's desire for all to come to repentance, but who grants repentance? This passage teaches God grants repentance.)

2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

1 Peter 2:4-10
(2:4) And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
(2:5) you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(2:6) For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
(2:7) This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
(2:8) and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
(2:9) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
(2:10) for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

(2:8 is scary!   What does that mean?   2:19-20 is all OT language toward Israel, now applied to the church)

1 Peter 1:1-2

(1:1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
(1:2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

(How are we chosen? By the sanctifying work of the Spirit. For what are we chosen? To obey Jesus Christ. To obey in this context implies belief. Foreknowledge does not mean merely to know our choices, but to know us intimately in a relational sense)

Titus 1:1
Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness . . .

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Revelation 17:14
“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”

Colossians 3:12
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. . .

Matthew 22:14
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

(This seems to distinguish between the external call of the Gospel and the internal call of the Spirit)

John 15:16
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

John 10:26-29
(10:26) “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
(10:27) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
(10:28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
(10:29) “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Given all these big and little texts, I would say this is not a minor theme, but a pretty major one. The NT authors don't have to talk this way, so why do they? Why does Jesus keep bringing up this theme?

Now, how do I interpret the texts you raise. . .

1 Timothy 2:1-5 and 2 Peter 3:9

1 Timothy 2:1-5 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

First, we must keep in mind that the authors here are Paul and Peter, the same guys who wrote so many of the other texts referenced in my message and above. So either these guys are talking out of both sides of their mouths, OR they are crazy, OR these things can be reconciled somehow.

Second, I think it's pretty clear, based on Deuteronomy 29:29 that the Bible distinguishes between God's SECRET (ordained) will and God's REVEALED (desired, commanded) will. I think 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 both fall into the REVEALED will category. These are things that God commands or desires, but doesn't in all cases ordain or purpose. God desires all men to be saved, but ordains that some will. As I father, I desire many things for my children, but in many cases, I refrain from insuring that they all happen, though I have the power to make them happen.

Again, take a look at Matthew 11. . .

Matthew 11:25 - 27
(11:25) At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.
(11:26) “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
(11:27) “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

In verse 27 speaks of the Son who "WILLS" to reveal the Father to some, but clearly not all. So how can God desire all men to be saved, but also will that the truth be concealed from some? The astounding thing is that Jesus praises the Father for His revealing and concealing work, which is well pleasing to God! That's a crazy statement!    So we must distinguish between what God desires and what God purposes, since Scripture does.

Not sure if that helps at all, but that's how I deal with those 2 tough texts. I think these must be interpreted in light of these many other texts.

Romans 9

I'm pretty sure this text supports my view. Reading the whole chapter is compelling, because Paul brings in the story of Jacob and Esau to make the point about about the sovereignty of God in 9:11. .. . .

Rom. 9:11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

While this is part of a much larger argument in chapters 9-11 and the whole book, Paul is clearly not just speaking of grace/mercy, but also God's judgment. And chapter 9 follows upon Paul's massive argument that centers around election in the latter part of chapter 8.

John 3:16

My view of John 3:16 is that "world" in that context means "world beyond the Jews" meaning people from every nation, tribe and tongue. I do not think that Jesus, in this context, means every single individual on the planet, but every ethnos (people group) on the planet.   This was a shocking statement to make to Nicodemus, a typical ethnocentric Jew, who thought that only Jews were blessed and chosen by God.

This unequivocal statement of 3:16 must be interpreted alongside the unequivocal statement earlier in John 3:8 and the unequivocal statements of John 1, John 6 and John 15:19.

John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

In other words, I don't think John 3:16 is really that unequivocal. Its an awesome and precious text, but we tend to rip it from its paragragraph/chapter/book contexts.   John 3:16 must be interpreted and understood in its contexts.

As you know, my view is that the "whosoever believes" are those who have been born again by the Spirit which enables them to do so. . . . after all, Jesus states both things in this same chapter. . . either he's being nonsensical or these things go together somehow.

Matthew 11: Come to me.

Referenced above. Pull back and look at what precedes this invitation. . . . a clear statement about God's sovereign concealing and revealing of truth. He conceals truth from some, and the result is they don't/won't come. He reveals truth to others, and as a result, they respond to the invitation to come.

Regarding total depravity: we clearly differ on what the Bible teaches here. That's a subject for another email, but please do ponder those pictures of our condition: lost, blind, dead, helpless, enemies, etc. That's a bunch of strong language. I believe that humankind is free within the bounds of our fallen nature, but that choosing/believing/trusting the Gospel is outside the range of our fallen nature until God's Spirit makes us spiritually alive.    All this happens behind the scenes, but we're told about these things, so we might, in time with maturity, glorify God and not take an ounce of credit for even choosing God.

I think you know my heart and my passion for evangelism. I don't know in whom God's Spirit is working, but I know He is working in some, so I am eager to preach the Gospel in our church every Sunday and I'm eager to take and push the Gospel to the unreached of the nations. Our role is to preach the Gospel, to issue the external call to decision and trust (the front end of evangelism) and leave the results to God (the back end of evangelism).

I will send, in separate emails, two chapters from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology for your consideration. One is on the subject of Regeneration. One is on the doctrine of Providence. All doctrines are interconnected, and our discussion centers around both these issues. Since we've opened the can of worms, I hope you'll take the time to read these chapters with your Bibles in hand. I'd love to know what you think afterward.

Again, in the end, we may reach different conclusions about the "back end" of salvation, but let's be vigilant to preserve our Gospel unity and fellowship.

Thanks for engaging and hearing me out. I love you guys and give thanks for your family and your part in our church.

Because of and for the Gospel. . . . Tim

Serve Day Pictures

Thu, 19 May 2011 16:49:00 GMT

Serve Day was amazing. Thanks for all who served. Here's a bunch of pics. Vid coming soon . . .

See you Sunday?

Thu, 19 May 2011 09:36:00 GMT

Not according to Harold Camping. . .

I'm pretty sure Jesus said no one would know the day or the hour . . . Oh well, if nothing else, it's a good reminder that we are to live ready. Are you?

2011 Serve Day is here!

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:02:00 GMT

Saturday is our 2011 Serve Day. I hope you're signed up to be involved. You can still jump in HERE.

And don't forget about the Serve Day Rally . . .

The Bloodmobile from the Blood Bank will also be at the church from 9:00am-1:00pm on Sunday as a part of our Serve Day weekend. You can get involved and hop on to donate after or before services. See you there!

Adoption & Foster Care Picnic

Thu, 12 May 2011 08:19:00 GMT

The Gospel is the mind-blowing truth that God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live and die in our place to make possible our adoption into God's eternal family. That Gospel of eternal adoption is the fuel for our commitment, here at GraceSLO, to adoption and the foster care of orphans and needy children, both locally and internationally.

What a joy to see a growing number of famlies here at GraceSLO open their hearts and homes to needy orphans, in response to the Gospel of of God's grace. We want to keep encouraging and supporting adoption and foster care however we can. We want to create an environment of support and care, so that those who take on this challenge don't have to go it alone. Yet, we want to be realistic along the way. Its often not easy. Its a huge committment. There are no guarantees and there can often be trials and even heartbreak that comes with adoption and foster care. But the love of Christ compels us. And the need is great.

Did you know we've got an Adoption and Foster Care Ministry Team? Check out there section of the website HERE. They are hosting a two part event this Sunday for all those who have adopted or done foster care or all those who might be interested in adoption and foster care. Come to one or come to both!

Part I: Informaiton Seminar & Q & A Sesion, 10:45 AM in the Founder's Hall

We will view the Cry of the Orphan DVD and answer any questions people may have related to adoption, post-adoption, and foster care.

Part II: Family Friendly-Picnic in Mitchell Park, 12:15 after the second hour

Come share some fellowship, food and fun time at a casual picnic in Mitchell Park. Lunch is free with an RSVP! All families who have or are interested in adoption or foster care are welcome.

An RSVP HERE would be helpful for planning purposes.

My wife, Susie, says she's going to the seminar, while I'm preaching. (Not sure what that means!?) Who knows . .. maybe we'll see you at the lunch, too.

A good time to jump in, men!

Wed, 11 May 2011 13:59:00 GMT

ATTENTION MEN: We need one another. We were not built to live life alone, isolated, with no relationships. There are a bunch of great men's studies that meet different mornings of the week. (CLICK HERE for the list)

I lead one on Thursday mornings from 6:00 to 7:00 AM. You are invited. We read good books together. We pray. We talk life, leadership, God and the church.

If you've thought about it and are wondering how you might join, now is a great time to hop in as we are just now starting a new book . . . Samson and the Pirate Monks by Nate Larkin. Samson tells of Larkin's 20 year battle with pornography and how he finally found freedom through the Gospel and Gospel relationships with other men.

So come and jump in tomorrow or any Thursday morning at 6:00 AM SHARP!

Mother's Day Dedication Pics

Wed, 11 May 2011 09:46:00 GMT

So fun to dedicate a few more kids and parents to the joys and challenges of Gospel parenting. Here's some great pics. In case you were gone, these are the Simonian and Caldwell families. . . .

Jesus loves the little children

Thu, 05 May 2011 10:49:00 GMT

The kids from the Women's POW study popped into my office yesterday to share their verse and song for the year. We missed the verse, but someone hit play for the song. Precious. Many thanks to Ceslie Patty and her faithful crew for their love and labor for these little ones.

(just ignore the messy desk. . . how embarrassing!)

The Gospel & Worship

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:28:00 GMT

Pastor Al gave me a copy of this terrific article entitled "The Gospel & Worship" by Donald Whitney from the April issue of R.C. Sproul's monthly Table Talk. I found myself repeatedly saying "AMEN" as a read through it. I asked Pastor Al to send me a link. After not finding it, he contacted Ligonier Ministries, they have given us permission to post here. Many thanks to Ligonier.

May the Gospel give rise to heartfelt worship and more true worshippers here at GraceSLO!

The Gospel & Worship by Donald Whitney

There may be nothing in the realm of religion by which people vainly attempt to establish their acceptability to God more than by acts of public or private worship. As a result, worship can degrade into one of the most legalistic activities a person can pursue. In the minds of many, you are right with God if you go to church. They are convinced that anyone who worships God is accepted by Him. Though perhaps they do not expressly state it, they believe that because they discipline themselves to regularly attend an event where the gospel is proclaimed, they have sufficiently participated in the gospel.

Many worshipers fail to realize that it is possible to worship God in vain. In Matthew 15:9, Jesus quotes the rebuke of God given through the prophet Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” So people can worship the true God – even with the God-given words and forms of worship – and yet worship in vain.

Jesus said of Himself, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), meaning that apart from a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no access to or genuine worship of God. Of course, more than a mere knowledge of the gospel is needed to worship God. As Jesus declared, “God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). In order to “worship in spirit and truth,“ a person must be indwelled by the One who is “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive” (John 17:17).

So only those who receive the gospel, that is, who believe the message about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, are given “the Spirit of truth” who enables them to worship God acceptably. But no one can believe a message he has not heard or does not comprehend. In short, a person must have at least a basic understanding of the gospel before he can begin to understand and engage in true worship.

The gospel takes the natural, worldly view that worship is a person justifying himself by reaching up to God and corrects it with the truth that worship is a person responding to the God who has reached down through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

People do not decide to become worshipers of God; rather, the gospel produces worshipers. God, through the gospel, changes a person’s nature such that worship changes from mere participation in the outward forms of veneration into adoration and enjoyment of God from the heart.

God made our hearts, and He made them to find their greatest joy and satisfaction in Himself. So when, through the gospel, we “come to know God, or rather to be known by God” (Gal 4:9), our hearts turn to God and open in worship to Him like flowers turn and open to the sun. Thus it is that worship begins with an understanding of the gospel.

The gospel not only prepares us to worship, it guides our worship and sustains us in worship. In biblical worship, the gospel is proclaimed in Word and sacrament; in the worship of God, His gospel is read, preached and sung. The same gospel message that kindled the initial fire of worship in the believer’s heart rekindles worship as the gospel is proclaimed and remembered.

We also need the gospel during worship in part because of the sins we commit in worship. We may sing, speak, or pray thoughtlessly or hypocritically in various moments of worship. The application of the gospel to our minds and hearts in worship encourages us that our sins during worship are forgiven and that the Lord receives us even though our worship is imperfect.

The gospel reminds us that our worship, although flawed, is acceptable – not because of what we do or how well we do it, but because of what Christ did for us. He made worshipers out of rebels, and because our worship comes to the Father in Jesus’ name, He sanctifies our worship to make it pleasing to the Father.

Yet some can misunderstand the new freedom that comes through the gospel and think that subsequent worship is unimportant. Thus, they use their gospel “freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” (Gal 5:13) and begin to neglect worship. So worship - both public and private – should also be a discipline in that believers must sustain an intentionality about worship and by this overcome the temptation to allow worship to be crowded out by “the cares of the world” (Matt. 13:22).

Love of the gospel and love of worshiping the God of the gospel are inseparable. A true grasp of the former leads to devotion to the latter.

Thank You, GraceSLO

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:31:00 GMT

Gettys at TGC 2011

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:14:00 GMT

Modern hymn writers Keith and Kristin Getty have been leading worship here at The Gospel Coalition Conference. The Gettys are the authors of the popular "In Christ Alone" but have written a whole bunch of other stuff as well. Their sound this week has been very Irish/Celtic. It's been awesome worshipping together with 5500 and has made me long for that great gathering that no one will count from every nation, tribe and tongue.

Here's a sample from Thursday morning. . .

Fun fact: the instrumental intro and conclusion are from the movie, The Mission. Susie and I included the song as part of our wedding ceremony. Hearing it today took me back almost 18 years and made me long to see my wife. Soon.

Thai

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:48:00 GMT

We had great Thai food together tonight between Tim Keller and Alistair Begg. . . it doesn't get any better than that.

Keller's message was amazing . . . . as usual. . . it's already posted HERE.

Gospel Coalition 2011, post #1

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:41:00 GMT

While the family of GraceSLO is enjoying our 2011 Missions Conference, several of our staff are together at the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago. Not ideal timing, but we were committed to the conference before the Missions Conference was moved to accommodate Jossy Chacko.

The theme of the conference is preaching Christ from the Old Testament, a topic I'm passionate about! The conference started this afternoon with Al Mohler speaking from John 5, a text I referenced just a few weeks ago when we looked at the doctrine of the Scriptures. Such good stuff and so great for our young guys to hear.

We are blessed to be here, to be fed and to fellowship together. Many thanks to the church family for making that possible. It's encouraging to be among 5500 Gospel-centered pastors to be reminded we are not alone.

If you'd like to see what we're up to, and even listen along in real time via the live stream, you can go here. . .

http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011-media

Missions Conference 2011

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:00:00 GMT

We started thinking together about the spiritual harvest fields in North India a month back (listen here). Our 2011 Missions Conference is going to take us further. Our aim is to strategically and passionatly align our hearts with God's heart for the nations. Below is a run down of conference events. Plan to join us.

Sunday, April 10

9 & 10:45 a.m.

Pastor Tom Ferrell, Senior Pastor of Atascadero Bible Church will speak about their church’s involvement with Empart, an organization with the goal of planting 100,000 churches among unreached people by 2030 (Worship Center, both services)
Meet our Missionaries – Twelve of our Grace Church missionaries will be visiting us during the Missions Conference. Join us for a lively, interactive opportunity to meet for the first time or catch up with some of our beloved missionaries. (Founders Hall, both services)

Sunday, April 10

Between 2 & 5:00 p.m.

Ned Steffens Open House at the home of David and Ceslie Patty in San Luis Obispo; all are welcome; RSVP 543-7047

Sunday, April 10 to Saturday April 16

Visiting missionaries will be joining our Grace Growth Groups

Sunday April 10th:
11:00 am:Ladies
Denise Gimball: 255 Rosita Street / SLO
Missionary: Jo Ann Ray

1:00 pm: Career Singles
Tyler Burns: 1259 W. Newport / SLO
Missionary: Jim Mock

5:00 pm: Family
Chad Theule: 1060 Hidden Springs Road / SLO
Missionary: Michael Grainger

5:30 pm: Family
Tim Arlen : 575 Hill Street / SLO
Missionary: Ray Albrektson

5:30 pm: Family
Mark & Rick Ernstrom: SLO
Missionaries: Jake & Jen Tarr

5:30 pm: Family
Kendall Mattina: 1117 Holly Way / Pismo Beach
Missionaries: Wayne & Kathy Lidbeck

6:00 pm: Family
Ted Malley : 2424 El Dorado Street / Los Osos
Missionaries: Lloyd & Pamela Goss

6:30 pm: Adults
Charlie Herrera: 1750 De Anza Court / SLO
Misisonary: John Nadolski

6:30 pm: Adults
Peter Rynning : 1149 Atascadero Street / SLO
Missionary: Ned Steffens

Monday April 11th:
6:00 pm: Family
Ryan Caldwell: 1492 Tanglewood Ct. / SLO
Missionary: Ray Albrektson

6:30 pm: Family
Eric Collins & Jonathan Miller : Fireside Room @ Grace
Missionary: John Nadolski

8:00 pm: College co-ed
Steve Leonard: 1523 Eto Circle / SLO
Missionary: Jim Mock

Tuesday, April 12
6:30 pm: Adults
Mike Ward: 625 Evans Road / SLO
Missinary: Lloyd & Pamela Goss

7:00 pm: Adults
David Leece: 228 Mission Lane / SLO
Missionary: Michael Grainger

7:00 pm: Adults
Matt Weeks: 2232 Bushnell Street / SLO
Missionary: Jo Ann Ray

7:00 pm: Adults
Glenn Oden : 2122 Canvasback Place
Missionary: Jim Mock

7:00 pm: Adults
Matt Gillette: 8615 San Carlos / Atascadero
Missionaries: Jon & Noonie Fugler

7:00 pm: Adults
Steve Potratz: 851 Merced Street / Pismo Beach
Missionary: Ned Steffens

7:00 pm: Young marrieds
Scott Nanninga: 740 Rougeot Place / SLO
Missionary: Tim Cleath

7:00 pm: Young Marrieds
Andrew Smith: 2978 Rockview / SLO
Missionaries: Wayne & Kathy Lidbeck

6:55 pm: AWANA
Erik Ernstrom: Grace CE Building, 2nd floor
Missionary: John Nadolski

Wednesday, April 13
6:00 pm: Adults w/kids
Ron McCarley: 2616 Adobe Road / Morro Bay
Missionaries: Jon & Noonie Fugler

6:45 pm: Adults
Dennis Petersen: 6088 Marshall Way / SLO
Missionaries: Fred & Marilyn West

7:00 pm: Adults
Colin Lewis: 1312 Aralia Court / SLO
Missionary: Nancy Pryor

7:00 pm: Adults
Roger Moore: Fireside Room @ Grace
Missionary: Jo Ann Ray

7:15 pm: Adults
Danny Edwards: 1716 Lee Ann Court / SLO
Missionary: Ned Steffens

7:00 pm: College gals
Heather McMillan: 314 Corrida Drive / SLO
Missionaries: Lloyd & Pamela Goss

Thursday, April 14
9:00 am: Pearls Of Wisdom
Debbi Weeks: Founders Hall
Missionary: Nancy Pryor

6:00 pm: College guys
David Haken: 2355 Madrid Court
Missionaries: Jon & Noonie Fugler

6:30 pm: Adults
Jeff Martin: 254 Talley Ho Road / Arroyo Grande
Misisonary: Ned Steffens

6:30 pm: Adults
Korey Carroll & Aaron Barker: 280 Tally Ho Road / Arroyo Grande
Missionaries: Fred & Marilyn West

7:00 pm: Adults
Paul Evangelista: 462 Woodbridge Street / SLO
Misisonary: Nancy Pryor

Sunday, April 17

9 & 10:45 a.m.

Jossy Chacko, Founder of Empart will share about what God is doing among unreached people groups in Northern India, where approximately 500,000 villages have never heard the gospel message of Jesus (Worship Center, both services)

Sunday, April 17

Between 2 & 5:00 p.m.

Ned Steffens Open House at the home of Darrel and Sally Andrews in Atascadero; all are welcome; RSVP 461-1270

Sunday, April 17

5:30 p.m.

Missions Dinner – Our Grace summer mission trips to Nepal and the Czech Republic and the Summer Student Ministries’s trip will be presented.
SIGN UP HERE

The Mystery of God's Providence

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:34:00 GMT

I preached on the too often neglected topic of God's Providence last Sunday (listen here!), the third message in our "Doctrine Matters" series. It's a sweet, but challenging topic for sure. One of our Growth Group Shepherds sent me the following question. . .

How can God be all knowing (including future) if we aren't robots? If he knows what we are going to do and say and all of our days are numbered and mapped, how is he not controlling our every movement and thought? I am having a hard time reconciling the omniscient and omnipitent verses with providence not being determinism. Can you fill that in for me?

Those are great questions and the right questions to be asking in response to Sunday's message. It's beyond our understanding in some ways, but I think the answer lies in the mystery of concurrence. Once more I think Wayne Grudem is helpful in providing some understanding. . .

We must guard against misunderstanding. Here also, as with the lower creation, God's providential direction as an unseen, behind-the-scenes, "primary cause," should not lead us to deny the reality of our choices and actions. Again and again Scripture affirms that we really do cause events to happen. We are significant and we are responsible. We do have choices, and these are real choices that bring about real results. Scripture repeatedly affirms these truths as well. Just as a rock is really hard because God has made it with the property of hardness, just as water is really wet because God has made it with the property of wetness, just as plants are really alive because God has made them with the property of life, so our choices are real choices and do have significant effects, because Go has made us in such a wonderful way that he has endowed us with the property of willing choice.

One approach to these passages about God's concurrence is to say that if our choices are real, they cannot be caused by God (see below for further discussion of this viewpoint). But the number of passages that affirm this providential control of God is so considerable, and the difficulties involved in giving them some other interpretation are so formidable, that it does not seem to me that this can be the right approach to them. It seems better to affirm that God causes all things that happen, but that he does so in such a way that he somehow upholds our ability to make willing, responsible choices, choices that have real and eternal results, and for which we are held accountable. Exactly how God combines his providential control with our willing and significant choices, Scripture dooes not explain to us. But rather than deny one aspect of the other (simply because we cannot explain how both can be true), we should accept both in an attempt to be faithful to the teaching of all of Scripture.

Here is Grudem's full chapter on Providence, if you want more. Its excellent. It will make your head spin and your heart soar.

Grudem: Systematic Theology: Chapter 16: God's Providence.pdf (16.94 mb)

If you want to hear Grudem lecture through this chapter in a Sunday School Class in his church, you can listen in iTunes here. . .

God's Providence #1

God's Providence #2

God's Providence #3

Are we willing to surrender to the mystery of God's sovereign providence over all thing?

Sunday Parking

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:59:00 GMT

We blew it in not letting our church family know about the SLO City proposal to start charging for meters and structure parking on Sundays at 11:00 AM. This came up back in 2006 and we were involved in fighting it. It didn't pass then, but with city revenues down considerably, the issue has arisen again.

A couple of weeks ago, we were informed about the proposal. I wrote and sent the following letter back to the Parking Coordinator and then also sent it to other downtown churches to alert them of the proposal.

March 28, 2011

Mr. Robert Horch

Parking Services Manager

1260 Chorro St., Suite B

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Dear Mr. Horch,

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the proposed changes to the current Sunday parking regulations. We appreciate our thoughts being represented to the City Council. We understand that parking fees and regulations have been a topic of consideration for a number of years. Our former Business Administrator, Kathy Borland, served on a parking task-force committee in the past. We also understand the financial challenges faced by the City of San Luis Obispo in these tough economic times.

The leadership of Grace Church, San Luis Obispo strongly opposes the city’s proposal to begin charging for metered and garage parking on Sunday mornings. This proposal will have a huge, adverse impact on our community of faith, and, we believe, on the downtown community, as a whole..

Between our two Sunday morning services at 9:00 and 10:45 AM, we serve over 1000 people, hundreds of who often stick around downtown for lunch and shopping. The proposal to charge for parking beginning at 11:00 AM on Sundays will undoubtedly trigger a decline in our Sunday service attendance as well as a decline in downtown activity afterward. If our congregants have to pay for parking, they will likely leave the downtown area and move to another part of town with free parking for lunch. We’re certain downtown restaurants and other merchants will see a drop in their revenue. Furthermore, since we are only one of several downtown churches, this decline in revenue and adverse impact on downtown will be compounded

Since our second service starts at 10:45 AM, if meters turn on at 11:00 AM, our congregants will have to start paying early, or leave during a service to put money in the meters. That would be the case if meters turned on at noon, as well, since our later service is not out until 12:15 PM.Another factor to consider is that people will be forced to park further out from downtown, creating overflow in the neighborhoods. We’re certain residents will not look upon that favorably.

It is a pleasure and convenience to be able to eat, shop and enjoy downtown on Sunday without having to pay to park. If there are no other options for increasing city revenues, we recommend a compromise and start charging for parking at 1:00 PM on Sunday. This would allow our church members, as well as other downtown churches to park for free while attending services.

Thank you for your consideration. Please keep us updated on this issue and opportunities to express our position before the SLO City Council.

Sincerely,

Tim Theule

Lead Pastor

Grace Church, SLO

Yesterday KSBY did a piece on the issue and asked if they could interview me. Here's the piece. . . . as usual they edited as desired, but it's neat to see GraceSLO all over the place in the background. . .

Last night the SLO City Council took up the issue, heard community feedback and then voted. Our own Phil Gray spoke on behalf of GraceSLO. In light of the community feedback, the proposal was amended to begin charging for parking at 1:00 PM instead of 11:00 AM. This is still a bummer, but way better than in the middle of our second service. The change goes into affect in July.

Here's the post vote KSBY piece. . .

We are praising the Lord for this around here and consider this an answer to prayer. Many thanks to Phil Gray for showing up and taking leadership in this matter. In retrospect, I wish I would have said something last Sunday morning in our services, so that others might have had an opportunity to pray and show up at the council meeting. I really wanted to be there myself, but just couldn't pull it off. We were praying as a family throughout the evening.

Friday Fun | 04.01.11 | Cream the Commander

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:17:00 GMT

Erik Ernstrom has got to be the King of Fun. Not sure how many pies he took in the face that night, but here's two of them. Not sure I could do it. He's a stud. The kids obviously love it. Thanks Erik and all our great AWANA Leaders.

Why we need a BIG Biblical vision of God . . .

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:18:00 GMT

In last week's message, "The Triune God" in our current series "Doctrine Matters" I quoted from A.W. Tozer's classic, "The Knowledge of the Holy."

Since the book is now in the public domain, I thought I'd give a taste of the first chapter. The entire book can be downloaded HERE as a PDF for your Kindle, iPad or other reader. It's only 81 pages. I encourage you to read it.

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God.

Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the Church will stand tomorrow.

Without doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God, and the weightiest word in any language is its word for God. Thought and speech are God’s gifts to creatures made in His image; these are intimately associated with Him and impossible apart from Him. It is highly significant that the first word was the Word: “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We may speak because God spoke. In Him word and idea are indivisible.

That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.

A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.

It is my opinion that the Christian conception of God current in these middle years of the twentieth century is so decadent as to be utterly beneath the dignity of the Most High God and actually to constitute for professed believers something amounting to a moral calamity.
All the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem of God: That He is; what He is like; and what we as moral beings must do about Him.

The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems, for he sees at once that these have to do with matters which at the most cannot concern him for very long; but even if the multiple burdens of time may be lifted from him, the one mighty single burden of eternity begins to press down upon him with a weight more crushing than all the woes of the world piled one upon another. That mighty burden is his obligation to God. It includes an instant and lifelong duty to love God with every power of mind and soul, to obey Him perfectly, and to worship Him acceptably. And when the man’s laboring conscience tells him that he has done none of these things, but has from childhood been guilty of foul revolt against the Majesty in the heavens, the inner pressure of self-accusation may become too heavy to bear.

The gospel can lift this destroying burden from the mind, give beauty for ashes, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. But unless the weight of the burden is felt the gospel can mean nothing to the man; and until he sees a vision of God high and lifted up, there will be no woe and no burden. Low views of God destroy the gospel for all who hold them.

Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is - in itself a monstrous sin - and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind, according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges.

A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no true likeness of the true God.

”Thou thoughtest,” said the Lord to the wicked man in the psalm, “that I was altogether such as one as thyself.” Surely this must be a serious affront to the Most High God before whom cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.”
Let us beware lest we in our pride accept the erroneous notion that idolatry consists only in kneeling before visible objects of adoration, and that civilized peoples are therefore free from it. The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him. It begins in the mind and may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place.

”When they knew God,” wrote Paul, “they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Then followed the worship of idols fashioned after the likeness of men and birds and beasts and creeping things. But this series of degrading acts began in the mind. Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.

Perverted notions about God soon rot the religion in which they appear. The long career of Israel demonstrates this clearly enough, and the history of the Church confirms it. So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God.

Before the Christian Church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology. She simply gets a wrong answer to the question, “What is God like?” and goes on from there. Though she may continue to cling to a sound nominal creed, her practical working creed has become false. The masses of her adherents come to believe that God is different from what He actually is; and that is heresy of the most insidious and deadly kind.

The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him - and of her. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place. We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past. This will prove of greater value to them than anything that art or science can devise.

O, God of Bethel, by whose hand Thy people still are fed;
Who through this weary pilgrimage Hast all our fathers led!
Our vows, our prayers we now present Before Thy throne of grace:
God of our fathers! be the God Of their succeeding race.
---Philip Doddridge

check out History of Painters

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:08:00 GMT

a bit of Friday fun. . .

Two of our own, Justin Hooper and Josh Cody, also groove under the monicker History of Painters. My kids dig their music. My wife digs their music. So much so that I can't seem to steal the CD out of the player in the family wagon.

Their new album called "The World is Greener" is now available on iTunes HERE. Its not a worship album, but the guy's Christian faith clearly comes through. Click over and give some of the tracks a listen. If you like what you hear, drop the $ and support these guys.

For concert information and other news about History of Painters, follow them on Facebook HERE.

Justin and his wife, Kayla, helped lead us in worship just this last Sunday and are a regular part of our worship teams at GraceSLO.

Why these 66 books?

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:09:00 GMT

We all ask that question at some point in our lives? It's a legitimate question!

In Sunday's message, the first in our series, "Doctrine Matters: An Exploration of the GraceSLO Declaration of Faith", we looked at what we believe and teach about the Bible. In the message, we talked about the SCOPE of the Bible and why we believe the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are the inspired and inerrant Word of God. I talked about the unique and designated authors of the Scriptures and other criteria used to determine inspiration. If God inspired the Bible then it makes sense that He would also oversee its collection, transmission and preservation.

As Wayne Grudem says. . .

The preservation and correct assembly of the canon of Scripture should ultimately be seen by believers not as a part of church history subsequent to God’s central acts of redemption for His people, but as an integral part of the history of redemption itself. Just as God was at work in creation, in the calling of His people Israel, in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, and in the early work and writings of the apostles, so God was at work in the preservation and assembling together of the books of Scripture for the benefit of His people for the entire church age. Ultimately, then, we base our confidence in the correctness of our present canon on the faithfulness of God.

Here are a couple of resources for those who might want to explore the collection, transmission and preservation of the Scriptures some more. I think this is fascinating stuff. . . but maybe it's just me! My friend, Dave, asked me if I had anything. . .

In Defense of the Bible: This is a dowloadable study guide for a 4 week series on the reliability of Scripture that I taught 10 years ago at the church where I served before my call to GraceSLO. Steve Leonard was also part of the teaching team.

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, chapter 3, The Canon of Scripture: Do you own your own copy of Grudem yet? What are you waiting for? Chapter 3 is a great place to start for an introduction to the canon of Scripture.

From God to Us by Norman Geisler and William Nix: Somewhere along the line, I loaned my copy out and it's never returned, but I found this to be such a helpful clear resource when I was exploring these issues sometime back.

The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce: A classic.

The Inspiriation and Authority of the Bible by B.B. Warfield: Another classic.

Studying up on these issues will give you greater confidence in the Bible you read and you will be motivated to read and study it more. Don't let your questions and doubts fester. Get them answered. Don't walk away from your faith. Go deeper. I'm willing to loan anything I've got, if you'll actually read it and bring it back.

Growth Groups are working!

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:46:00 GMT

I was so encouraged by our Shepherd's Contact Meeting yesterday after church. Growth Groups are working! People are connecting and caring. The lives of men, women and whole families are being shaped as they live life together and open their lives to one another. I was pumped as I heard shepherd after shepherd talk about how God has worked in their groups over the Winter quarter. I give thanks for those, our diligent sacrificial shepherds! They encourage and challenge my heart!

Our continual challenge is our shortage of shepherds for all the groups we need. Pray with us that God will continue raise up men and women with a heart and vision to pour their lives into others.

We talked yesterday about two issues . . .

1. The ongoing tension between intimacy and multiplication. We want both in our Growth Group ministry. We want groups to really connect and go deep together, but we also want them to own a vision for multiplication. We're finding when groups really connect, they don't want to split and they lose a vision for multiplication. Our desire is to see good heathly full groups plan in advance to purposefully split into two half full healthy groups. Pulling this off depends on advance notice, purposeful leadership development and a willingness to push through resistance. We know it can happen, because we've seen it happen. One of our big groups just split into two. They meet on the same night and meet together at the beginning and end of the quarter. So now they are a cluster of connect groups. We want to see it happen more.

2. Growth Groups as an incubator for "making disciples who make disciples." If the Great Comission is what it's all about, then let's be purposeful about making disciples who make disciples. We've seen Growth Groups as a means of making disciples, but we have not gone so far as talking about making disciples who make disciples. To put it another way, multiplying Growth Groups is not the end game, multiplying disciples is the end game. Multiplying Growth Groups serves the larger purpose of multiplying disciples.

It was a great discussion and an encouraging time. The Shepherd's are catching the vision!

Remember, Growth Groups is the "BIG ROCK" of our ministry here at GraceSLO. If you're not yet connected in a Growth Group, enroll in a Spring group online now by CLICKING HERE.

6000 unreached peoples . . . where are they?

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:35:00 GMT

In Sunday's message, entitled "Lift Up Your Eyes", I shared a bit from our recent trip to India and the strategic place of North India in the global purpose of God If you missed it, I hope you'll take the time to listen HERE. Here are two images from Sunday's slide deck for your continued reflection.

The first is the map of unreached peoples and where they're located around the globe. This map is produced by an orgnization called Global Reseach/IMB (connected to the Southern Baptist Convention, I believe) and in no way related to the ministry of Empart. Red dots represent the least reaeched people groups. Clearly you can see that India has the highest concentration of unreached peoples on the globe. . . .

The second is a map of the locations of the current 17 Empart Church Planting Training Centers across Northern India. We had a chance to visit the Luchnow and Varanasi Training Centers. Notice also the other ministries that often grow up around a local church that is planted including children's homes and women's sewing centers.

Finally, if you've got a few minutes check out the Empart USA website. This introduction to Empart offers a great summary of some of things I mentioned on Sunday, but didn't have a chance to develop.

I hope you had a chance to pick up a copy of Madness, which tells Jossy Chacko's story and the story of Empart, at the Missions Table on Sunday. If not, grab a copy next Sunday. If you'd prefer to read the book on your Kindle, Nook or iPad, you can download it from the Empart USA website or email me and I'll send you PDF copy. Anything to get you to read it!

Indian Slavery

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:57:00 GMT

What can I say? India is now on my radar. There is no going back for me. A friend pointed me to this story which showed up this week about Indian slavery. I don't know where this is taking place, but it is sad to me. India needs the Gospel.

Living for the Line!

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:12:00 GMT

I've been challenged by my friend, Jon Fugler, and his commitment to leverage his life for the Kingdom of God. This week I had a chance to sit down with Jon, with Jack Hutchinson's cameras rolling, for a short conversation about what God is doing in their lives. I hope you are challenged, too. Look for a way to enourage the Fuglers over the next couple of months before they head out. . .

Join us at Family Camp on Catalina Island

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:10:00 GMT

Once again I've been invited by our good friends, Paul & Virginia Friesen, to speak at Family Camp at Campus by the Sea on Catalina Island the week of June 19 - 25. Once again, we'd like to invite families from GraceSLO to join us. Its a great week to unplug, slow down and recalibrate. Our family looks forward to it every year.

Fire me an email if you'd like more info. Check here for info on pricing.

India Reflections

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:51:00 GMT

Our India Team returned home safely last Sunday after 30+ hours of travel. Needless to say, we're all still recovering and trying adjust to the 13.5 hour time difference. It was an amazing trip. I'm looking forward to sharing my full heart in our worship services on Sunday, March 13. Until then, here are a few early reflections . . .

India is BIG. 20 million people in Delhi alone. There are people EVERYWHERE. A sea of humanity.
India is organized chaos. Driving lane markers are merely suggestions. Horns honk incessantly. It's dirty and smoggy and crowded. But most people are going somewhere and doing something. Somehow it all seems to work at some level.
India is a study in contrasts.. Mobile phones are everywhere, but so are rickshaws. Indians place a high priority on personal grooming, but apparently put little stock in their surrounding environment or in maintaining stuff. There is broken stuff all over over the place. Education and ambition is exploding, but many live in squalor.

North India is a strategic place of Gospel investment because 1) it's such a hotbed of religious ideas and sacred sites 2) it's so strategically located with 70% of the worlds population within a 1 hour plane flight of New Delhi, 3) it contains the highest concentration of unreached people groups on the globe.
Gospel transformation is the only hope and help for North India. Poverty is rampant. The caste system, though illegal, still keeps people in poverty. Begging is organized crime. The issues are longstanding and systemic. We are ignorant and naive as Westerners if we think we can solve the problems of North India. But partnering to see the raising up of an indigenous church planting movement holds great potential for, not only, the salvation of men and women, but also community transformation.
Jossy Chacko, the founder of Empart, is a man of vision. He's a great Big-Picture thinker. Compelling to listen to. A great balance of faith and organization. He's got a passion for combining the strengths of the West and the faith/devotion of the East. It's a bit overwhelming to hear him talk.
God is at work through Empart. God continues to supply gifted, skilled, people with passion and influence to the ministry. It's amazing to hear the stories. The growth has accelerated over the last 4 years and they are "building the plane in the air."
The general mindset of all involved in Empart is: "Jesus has charged us to lift up our eyes and see the harvest. At any given time, there is a harvest somewhere. The harvest is small in the West at present, but great in India. It is our responsibility and calling to move resources toward the place where the harvest is most fruitful. It takes money and work to reap the harvest. Let's not miss it." That's hard to argue with.
God is at work in India through Empart. In visiting now a couple of different locations a 5 hour train ride apart, I've become convinced that their strategy is working. They have a local church-centered approach to community transformation. Local pastors are trained for a year, then sent to areas of their own choosing (often back to their own villages) to plant churches, start children's homes, women's sewing centers and other community service outposts. I've been touched by the rooms of 25 pastors-in-training that I've had the privilege to interact with. These guys are being trained well and given a vision for multiplication.
It is a joy and challenge to see Indian believers living by faith and willing to sacrifice for the advance of the Gospel. Their passion for the Lord is contagious.

Here's a delightful video of some women from the Empart Pastor's Training Center in Lucknow. We all loved their rhythmic, free worship. . . .

Here are boys from a children's home singing More Love, More Power. . .

Our New GraceSLO Declaration of Faith

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:37:00 GMT

As promised, posted below is the new GraceSLO Declaration of Faith, which is also now posted on the "What We Believe" page of the About Us section of this site. But first a few questions that some might be asking . . . .

Why "Declaration of Faith" and not "Statement of Faith"?
Though less familiar, we really like "Declaration." It feels stronger. With this collection of statements, we are declaring our faith to the world and our community . . . .to both believers and unbelievers who may be wondering what GraceSLO believes.
How did the new GraceSLO Declaration of Faith come about?
Through a painstaking, but delightful, 8 month process involving first our Constitution/Membership Team, then our Ministry Staff and finally our Elders. Along the way, the Declaration underwent at least 15 revisions. Back in October our Pastors & Elders spent our 2010 Elder Retreat carefully reviewing and revising the Declaration. Since then, multiple changes and improvements have been made throughout. The Elders approved the final version as it reads here in the first half of February 2011. The Declaration, like everything else at GraceSLO, is the fruit of a healthy, Biblical plurality of leadership.
Why a new Declaration of Faith? What was wrong with the old one?
It was our shared view that our old Statement of Faith was weak and lacking in some areas. We serve a glorious, excellent God, who has given us a radical, world-changing Gospel. The Christian faith is rich and deep. . . not something we add to our lives, but an entirely new worldview by which we see and live all of life. We desired that our Declaration of Faith reflect the excellence of this God, the richness of His truth and the robustness of His glorious Gospel. The Declaration is our best attempt, at this point in time, to capture this fulness as we, by faith, look to the future of GraceSLO together. In a day and age, when so few can articulate what they believe and why, and when so many churches are downplaying and hiding their statements of faith, we want to keep moving the other direction . . . proclaiming to the world and passing on to our children a Big God, a Glorious Gospel, a full Bible and a robust faith. On top of that, our old Statement of Faith didn't at all match the original Statement of Faith in our Constitution. We're not sure when they fell out of alignment, but we thought that the disconnect needed to be addressed. Our move toward covenant membership has triggered a rewrite of the Constitution (still in process) and the new Declaration of Faith.
What is different? What's in the new Declaration that was not in the old Statement?
A whole bunch of stuff. We think it will be pretty obvious as you read though it. More about the Bible. More about the character of God. More about the Gospel and its centrality. Some new stuff about the local church and its leadership. Some stuff about marriage and singleness. Heaven and hell are in there.
What's not in the New Declaration?
Nothing about baptism by immersion. Nothing about the timing of the rapture. Nothing about the age of the earth. Nothing about sign-gifts. Nothing about other stuff, too, I'm sure. We see these as non-essential issues about which many Christians disagree. We give room for respectful disagreement on these and other issues.
Where are the Scripture references to support the Declaration of Faith?
We have them, but are still organizing them and slimming them. We didn't want to wait any longer to get the Declaration into your hands. We promise to post extensive Scripture references by the time we start preaching through the Declaration on March 13 or 20.
What if I don't agree with the Declaration in some points? Can I still become a member?
Absolutely! We expect that many will differ at points in the Declaration. While our leadership is of one accord on the Declaration, we want to allow for respectful disagreement within the congregation. In our membership process, we will ask members to "support and abide by the GraceSLO Declaration of Faith." That doesn't mean members have to agree with every line or statement made. The Declaration is a summary of what we, the leadership at GraceSLO, believe the Bible teaches about the matters addressed. We have been striving and will continue to strive to teach these truths across the ministry of GraceSLO. The Declaration just puts down on paper what has been our heartbeat and the core of our teaching for some time. Hopefully, the clarity of a written statement will be helpful to those who currently call GraceSLO their home and those who may consider committing with us.
Why did you include a statement on Marriage in the Declaration? I've never seen that before?
Every Statement of Faith is both a product of its day and a product of the community from which it emerges. We believe God's gift of marriage is under attack by the culture in a way it's never been before now. In the past, it was not necessary to define and defend Biblical marriage, because a Biblical understanding was built into the cultural understanding. All that is changing and so now it becomes necessary to address marriage in our Declaration. A Biblical understanding of marriage can no longer be assumed and must be intentionally confessed and declared by those who believe what the Bible teaches about the God's design for and gift of marriage.
What about ____________? I wish you would have addressed ________________ . I wish you would not have addressed _____________.
We get it and we felt that too as we worked together. It's important to understand that for every doctrine/truth/issue there is a spectrum of positions and perspectives that range from "loose/undefined" to "tight/super defined." Our leadership felt this acutely at points in the Declaration. It's impossible not to pick a place on those spectrums. We picked a place on the spectrum in every one of our statements. Some wanted more detail on certain tenets and others wanted less. Our attempt together was to remain broadly evangelical, but not be light or dumbed down. We were aiming to robustly express what we together believe and teach about the matters addressed. What we, in the end, included, we felt needed to be addressed in our day and age and for our life together at GraceSLO. What we left out we together determined was unnecessary for the Declaration. That doesn't mean those things are not true or important. Every truth is important, but you have to stop somewhere and you can't include everything.
One more thing. . . . It's not perfect.
You can tinker with something like this forever. That's not practical. We're not perfect and our leadership doesn't have it all figured out. We're learning and growing, individually and together. At this time, our leadership is of one accord concerning what is here, presented to you. We are speaking with one voice in the approval and adoption of this Declaration. That does not mean we will not make changes/amendments/improvements down the road, as we learn and live together under the authority of God and His living Word. We present our new GraceSLO Declaration of Faith humbly and with great care for you. We ask you to humbly consider, contemplate it, and support it.

If you have questions and or comments, you may leave them here at Life Together or address them directly to the elders as a group at elders@graceslo.org. Either way, we will be happy to address questions, comments and concerns. I'm out for a while, so if you desire immediate attention, its probably best to email the elders.

Here it is. . . hope you llike it . . .

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GraceSLO Declaration of Faith

The Scriptures

We believe the Bible, consisting of 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of God’s plan of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and the divine and final authority for Christian practice and life. The Bible is to be joyfully and carefully read, studied, applied, obeyed, and proclaimed by individuals and when the church gathers together.

The Triune God

We believe in one Holy and loving God, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who know, love and glorify one another. God, by His Word, created all things out of nothing and continually sustains all things. He created all things for the praise of His glory and created humankind for a love relationship with Himself. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, self-sufficient, unchanging and sovereign in His reign and rule over all things.

God the Father

God the Father is the Author of creation and redemption. His plans and purposes are sure and cannot be thwarted and He works all things together for good to those who love Him. In His incomprehensible grace, He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for humankind’s redemption.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal, sinless Son of God, fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where He is now our advocate and intercessor. He will one day come again to judge all humanity, reconcile all things to Himself, renew all creation, and consummate His everlasting kingdom. Forgiveness and a right relationship with God is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. He is the head of His body, the Church, to be worshipped, adored, loved and obeyed by all.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who convicts and gives spiritual life to sinners (regeneration) leading to belief in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit continually indwells, empowers, instructs, and guides believers for Godly living and service. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers for the glorification of God, the building up of the local church, and the bearing of spiritual fruit.

Humankind

We believe God created humankind, male and female, in His own image, as the crown of creation. Humankind was created to glorify, love and enjoy God forever as the stewards of creation. Humankind, tempted by Satan, rebelled against God and sinned. As a result, all human beings are alienated from God and corrupted in every aspect of their being (i.e. physically, mentally, volitionally, emotionally, relationally and spiritually). All human beings are lost, blind and dead in sin, under the just judgment and wrath of God and in desperate need of the saving grace of God.

The Gospel

We believe Jesus Christ is the Gospel. The Good News of God’s sovereign, saving grace is revealed in His incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious bodily resurrection. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Christ’s death completely satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice and wrath toward sin, while demonstrating His mysterious love and amazing grace toward sinners. The Gospel is central to our understanding, interpretation and application of all the Scriptures.

Salvation

We believe salvation, also called justification, is an act of God, whereby God, in His unfathomable grace, declares righteous undeserving sinners who repent of their sins and trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. God calls all humankind everywhere to repent and trust the Gospel. Biblical repentance is characterized by a turning from sin and heart trust in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ. Biblical trust (saving faith) is evidenced by perseverance, obedience and good works.

Sanctification & Glorification

We believe sanctification is the life-long work of God by which those who trust the Gospel grow in holiness and are conformed to the character of Jesus Christ. Sanctification is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Sanctification begins at the moment of justification with the giving of spiritual life (regeneration), and continues by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through an ever-deepening understanding of, application of, and obedience to the Gospel in every area and circumstance of our lives. Glorification is the promised completion of our sanctification at the moment we meet Jesus at our death or upon His glorious return.

Marriage

We believe marriage is ordained by and given by God for His own glory and humanity’s good. Marriage is a picture of the eternal relationship between Christ and His Church. Marriage is the building block of the human family, human society and human flourishing. Because God created male and female, in His image, to complement one another, we believe marriage is between one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy is a gift of God to be fully enjoyed in the context and life- long commitment of marriage. Singleness is affirmed by God and ordained by God for some individuals. Those who are single in the local church are recognized as vital members of the body of Christ.

The Church

We believe God, by His Word and Spirit, creates the Church as He calls sinful humans out of the whole human race into the fellowship of His family. By that same Word and Spirit, He guides, grows and preserves His Church. The universal Church, the global body of Christ, consists of all those who trust the person and work of Jesus Christ in all times, places and locations. A believer’s membership in the universal Church is to express itself through consistent worship with, service in, commitment and accountability to a local church. We believe the local church is God’s primary vehicle for spreading the Gospel in the world. God raises up and gives a plurality of male elder-pastors to serve, lead, shepherd, and care for the local church. We recognize the proclamation of God’s Word, baptism and the Lord’s Supper as means whereby the Gospel is consistently communicated and experienced by God’s people in the local church.

Proclamation of God’s Word

We believe the proclamation of God’s living Word occupies a central place in the life of God’s people living together in the local church. The Scriptures are God’s self-revelation climaxing in the Gospel, the person and work of Jesus Christ. We believe the accurate, passionate, continual proclamation of the Gospel is vital and effective for the salvation of unbelievers, but also the ongoing growth of believers. Through the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word by its elder-pastors and others, those who have not yet trusted the Gospel are welcomed and challenged to repent and trust Jesus Christ. Likewise, through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, God’s people are nourished and equipped to proclaim and live the Gospel together with one another, the surrounding community and the nations.

Baptism

We believe water baptism is the command of Christ for all those who trust the Gospel. Baptism is not a saving work, but an expression of faith. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward spiritual reality, a visual picture of a believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

The Lord’s Supper

We believe the Lord’s Supper is to be enjoyed regularly by all those who trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the giving of Christ’s body and the shedding of Christ’s blood on our behalf. As we partake of the Lord’s Supper together by faith, we remember and proclaim Christ’s death, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls, grow in grace, are encouraged in hope, and signify our unity with other members of the family of God.

The Return of Jesus Christ

We believe in the visible, personal, glorious return of Jesus Christ, which will bring about the consummation of all things. The dead will be raised and all humanity will be judged. Those who trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ will enter into joyous, everlasting life with God. Those who do not trust the Gospel will experience everlasting, conscious punishment in hell. We believe in the new heavens and the new earth, where Jesus Christ will reign forever and all creation shall proclaim the glory of God and the praise of Jesus Christ, who makes all things new.

Really? And they're going to charge me for it?

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:31:00 GMT

Sounds a bit like the pre-Reformation sale of indulgences . . .

Gospel Centrality in a Distracted World

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:06:00 GMT

Here at GraceSLO, our leadership resonates with the spirit, doctrine and focus of the Gospel Coalition. In April, our staff will return to the semi-annual Gospel Coalition Conference back in Chicago. It is a great time of encouragement and fellowship.

The Gospel Coalition website offers an ever-changing compendium of great, Gospel-centered, thought-provoking resources from a broad range of pastors and scholars who share a common commitment to the Gospel.

I handed out and we briefly discussed the following article at our staff lunch today and I wanted to put in front of you. If you're new to GraceSLO, we want you to understand our commitment to build and grow a Gospel-centered church and live Gospel-centered lives. This article is a great start in understanding what that means . . . enjoy!

The Centrality of the Gospel in a Distracted World

Posted By Richard Lints and Stephen Um On February 7, 2011 @ 5:00 AM In Articles of Interest,Commentary,Opinion

Most of us are too busy to slow down. Kind of odd, huh? Our lives move at such a pace that we can barely remember what’s actually important. If our lives are a story, the narrative seems to have too much filler and too little real plot. It probably wouldn’t make a good novel. By contrast the story of Jesus moves with the feel of an epic drama. It is almost too grand to keep fully in view. A different kind of problem forces its way onto our conscience—can the Good News of Jesus Christ actually be simple enough to understand and integrate into life? After all, why do we need so many different books of Scripture to tell the whole drama of redemption? Why are there so many diverse words used to depict the nature of salvation?

One of the chief challenges today in keeping the gospel central to ministry and to life is the claim that there is just too much in Scripture to distill the gospel into a single framework. There are just too many parts and too many descriptions of Jesus to make it all cohere into one simple story. By analogy there are also just too many parts of ordinary life to keep it organized by one central idea. Life is too complicated to suppose there might be anything that makes it coherent.

One temptation that follows is to suppose that the gospel is simply one piece of a large and complicated puzzle that gets us started in the Christian life. But as Tullian Tchividjian has written in his blog on this site ^[1], “I’ve come to realize that once God rescues sinners, his plan isn’t to steer them beyond the gospel, but to move them more deeply into it.” The gospel is not simply a once-and-done phenomena. The gospel is more than just the forgiveness of sins. It is the redemptive arc of God’s creation, fall, redemption, and the new creation. Or as Don Carson has put it ^[2], “for many today the ‘gospel’ refers not to the glorious, comprehensive Good News disclosed in Scripture but to a very simplistic reduction of it. . . . [The gospel is] God’s comprehensive Good News that not only initiates salvation but orders all of our life in this world and the next.”

No Simplistic Tag Line

Instead of congealing the whole of the Scriptures into a simplistic tag line, we must expound the depth and richness of the gospel that defy simplistic accounts. The plot line of redemptive history is deep and rich because redemption is deep and rich. The Bible’s articulation of the gospel mirrors the depth and richness of the gospel. It affirms what Kevin Vanhoozer calls ^[3] “aspectival realism”—the notion that there are many aspects to biblical reality, all of which are not captured by a single “true” statement. An analogy might help. Husband and wife ought to be best friends, and yet they are more than friends. They share a legal relationship to one another, but they are not tied together merely by legal bonds. They share ownership of many possessions, but this common ownership does not exhaust their relationship. Marriage is rich and deep, and the language of friendship, legal bonds, and common possessions speak truly of marriage but by themselves do not express the fullness of what marriage is.

So the gospel must be articulated in a host of ways, to help congregations more fully grasp the depth and richness and thereby the centrality of the gospel. The gospel is the dynamic of life under God’s sovereign kingship. It is an upside-down, ironic kingdom in which the King extends grace to sinners rather than the powerful and the strong, and the privileged. It is a reversal of the values of what the world highly regards, namely, affluence, status, accumulation of wealth and power. Better than anything else, the cross displays the gospel as the reversal of life through death, power through weakness, wisdom through foolishness, leadership through service.

The Bible uses different word pictures to articulate the breadth and depth of the gospel. The language of the law court (justification, punishment, judgment) illuminates the fundamentally moral character of redemption. The language of the temple (atonement, sacrifice, sanctification) highlights the mystery of the universal presence of God as creator interwoven into the local presence of God as redeemer. The language of the family (adoption, bride and bridegroom) explores the central relational quality of God’s dealing with his creatures. The language of the marketplace (ransom and possession) captures the dynamic of God’s ownership of his people in all of life.

Why so many word pictures? Not because God wants us to choose whichever one appeals to us the most. Rather it is because life is full of dimensions that can never be fully captured by one word picture. Different word pictures help us capture different aspects of this reality. Recognizing this helps us understand the multiple ways in which the gospel serves as the glue to the complexities of life. We must refuse to accept the realities of a distracted world at face value, and look instead for ways to build bridges between the disconnected parts of peoples lives through the richness and depth of the gospel.

Too often pastors don’t help congregations keep their hearts and minds focused on the gospel. The gospel becomes one program among many others. Sermons meander. Missions are short-term projects for people with special interests. Worship is disconnected from ordinary life. Churches build multiple “short attention span” programs in a cafeteria-like smorgasboard and inadvertently contribute to the “overload” problem so many of us experience in ordinary life. There are already too many distractions, and too often the gospel gets our attention only when the other distractions of life aren’t exploding in on us. Too many pastors and too many churches chase after the short attention spans of their congregants, only to find that the gospel sits light on people’s lives and may even be one more of the distractions. However, if the gospel is about finding ourselves in an alternative universe, it will not do to simply rearrange the furniture in the old universe. The gospel is not simply a piece of furniture in the “old” spiritual house. It is a different house altogether.

Article printed from The Gospel Coalition Blog: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc

URL to article: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/02/07/the-centrality-of-the-gospel-in-a-distracted-world/

The Wonder of Love among the Tri-Personal God

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:49:00 GMT

Yesterday's message, from First John 4:16 entitled, "God is Love", is now posted HERE.

In the message, we discovered that the root of that oft-quoted verse is found in the wonder and mystery of love between the three persons of God. I argued that we have not thought near enough about "God's love for God" and what that means for us. The doctrine of God, while intensely mysterious, is also immensely practical. Any real understanding of true love, must begin with God's love for God. Any true practice of real love must find its fuel in God's love for God.

So I thought I would post some resources that were helpful for me in preparing the message, in the hope that some will go further and deeper into the study of God's Triune person. . .

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson. I mentioned this book in an earlier post. The book is not specifically focused on the doctrine of the Trinity, but is really a reflection of God and the awe of creation. The very first quote in the message was from one of the last chapters in Tilt.

The Reason for God by Tim Keller. The last chapter, chapter 14, is called "The Dance of God" and is focussed on the doctrine of the Trinity and the fast implications for us and the world. This is an excellent read and the place I'd go if you have limited time.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. In the latter half of the book there is a chapter called "Good Infection." Its clearly the basis for many of Keller's thoughts. He quotes from it and I quoted from it twice in the message. Outstanding and timeless.

The Deep Things of God by Fred Sanders. I looked briefly at this book and loved what I saw. I plan to read more. Our College Director, Tim Fox, couldn't stop talking about The Deep Things and my friend, Lisa Lewis, recommended it after the service. Fred Sanders is INTO the Trinity! I just discovered his blog stuff which points to a great, short article on the doctrine of the Trinity HERE . . . a great follow-up to Sunday's message.

Father, Son & Holy Spirit by Bruce Ware. I have this book on my shelf and glanced through it in my prep. Ware is a bit more dry in his approach, but explores roles and functions of each person in the Godhead and the practical implications for our lives. Ware was a featured speaker at Piper's Pastor's conference a few years back and those audio messages can be enjoyed HERE.

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem. For those who are taking the Sunday Morning Adult Seminar and for those who aren't, but own it, be sure to read chapter 14, for some great diagrams.

Well that's all I've got at this point and probably more than enough for most. Again I hope you'll go at least one step further than we went in the message. The banquet table is stretched out in front of us, so let's reach as far as we can.

More than a Feeling

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:50:00 GMT

What is love? We throw the word around a bunch. We speak of "falling in love" and "falling out of love." We talk about "loving" foods and music and cars and movies and lots of other things.

The Bible, too, speaks much about love. The Bible says, "God is love." But what does that mean? Jesus says the greatest commandment has everything to do with love. According to 1 Corinthians 13:2, if I don't have love, I am nothing. Biblically speaking, love is a very important thing. Arguably, THE most important thing. But what is love?

Beginning this Sunday and continuing for five weeks through Sunday, March 6, we'll explore some of what the Bible teaches about love, rooting our study in the book of First John. Unlike our Second Timothy series, this series will not be a straight walk through First John, but rather a cross cut of the book specifically focussed on what John says about love. And he says a lot. In fact, by my count, he speaks of love at least 42 times.

Here's a rough outline of our series and where we're going. Titles and texts are subject to change without notice, but here you can see the general direction. . . .

February 6 God is Love (1 John 4:15-19)
February 13 God's Love for Us (1 John 3:1-3, 4:9-10)
Febraury 20 Loving God (1 John 5:2-3)
February 27 Loving One Another (1 John 3:16-20, 4:7-12, 4:20-21)
March 6 Do not Love the World (1 John 2:15-17)

February is the month of love. . . . so I hope you can join us for our series on love. I have to warn you, First John is tough. Its not linear. It swirls. Its rational and logical, but it doesn't go in a straight line. It requires reflection and contemplation. I don't think its meant to be understood in a single read-through. I think we've got to sit a while in First John to begin to understand it. So I encourage you to begin reading First John as preparation for our study. Read it and keep reading it throughout these 5 weeks. We'll look for you on Sundays at 9 & 10:45 AM.

ATTENTION MEN: the door is open

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:29:00 GMT

Our Thursday morning men's study, which we call CONNECT, is jumping into a new book on Thursday, February 10. Its a great time to join us. You are invited. We start at 6:00 AM and are out by 7:00 AM. Its a time of men's fellowship. A time to connect. A time to pray. A time to think and talk. A time of challenge. Its not about any one week, but about the rhythm of being together and opening up our lives to one another. We talk God. We talk the church. We talk leadership. We talk life. Its never easy to get up and get there in the dark, but its always good. We men need it.

So what are we reading next?

My friend, Ben Collins, turned me on to N.D. Wilson's Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World. (It was required reading for one of his classes at John Piper's Bethlehem Seminary). It took me a while to pick it up, but I thought it sounded like a fun read for the beginning of a new year.

What can I say? Its like nothing I've ever read before. I won't say much, because I don't want to spoil it. But I will say this: it will make you think about a whole bunch of stuff you've never thought about before AND it will make you think about God in ways you've never thought before.

I highly recommend it, whether or not you can make it on Thursday. (I'll put a copy in the church library next week!)

I'm curious to see the reaction of the men to Tilt-A-Whirl. Some may not like it. Some are going to love it. But once you get on, you can't (or you shouldn't) get off, until the ride comes to a complete stop.

Men, if you're sitting on the fence, I want you to know that you are welcome. We'd love to have you.

Here's a couple of paragraphs I read this morning to give you just a taste. . .

Heaven will be wonderful (understatement). It will be more wonderful than we can imagine, even if our imaginations weren't so stunted by marshmallow visions. You will have a body more physical than this one. Heaven will be hard and bright, and the winds will be strong. You will have a body and the eyes and the purified, well-aged soul to bear it.

We will remake this world with blistered hands.

Do not resent your place in the story. Do not imagine yourself elsewhere. Do not close your eyes and picture a world without thorns, without shadows, without hawks. Change this world. Use your body like a tool meant to be used up, discarded, and replaced. Better every life you touch. We will reach the final chapter. When we have eyes that can stare into the sun, eyes that only squint for the Shekinah, then we will see laughing children pulling cobras by their tails, and hawks and rabbits playing tag.

But we cannot hope to reach the final chapter by dreaming, by holding our collective breath and staring at unshaded acrylic escape paintings. The only road to that final chapter began at the garden and led into the wilderness. It runs through these chapters. Live now. Relish the tensions, the challenges, and laugh at the pretty pains.

See you Thursday?

Soli Deo Gloria

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:54:00 GMT

The aim and final end of all music should be none other than
the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.
—J.S. Bach

I was in attendance at the SLO Chamber of Commerce "Good Morning SLO" program this morning. The monthly program usually happens here at GraceSLO, but today it was held at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center to commemorate the 25 year anniversary of The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center.

Part of the program included an organ performance on the magnificent PAC organ by Cal Poly organist, Paul Woodring. Woodring performed a Bach piece. They had a very cool live video closeup of the organ and, about 10 seconds in, I whipped out my phone and began to tape the performance and then uploaded it to YouTube. Here it is for your enjoyment (Sorry for the balding head at the bottom of the frame!) The middle section is all footwork, which was fun to watch . . .

I sat there, as I always do when I hear Bach, reflecting on His God-given talent and his singular focus on the glory of God. On most of his works he added the notation SDG -- Soli Deo Gloria -- for the glory of God alone. (Remember the end last week's message?)

So here this morning was a room of 300 + community and business leaders enjoying the music of Bach created as worship for the glory of God. Unknowingly they were glorifying God in their enjoyment this morning, because that music is His --- reflecting His beauty, grandeur and design. God is the first, real, and true Composer of music, creating the beauty and wonder of pleasing sound and creating our ears so that we might hear and enjoy it.

And yet, sadly, so many present this morning love the music, but apparently fail to love the real MusicMaker. But Bach's music is a pointer. . .

If you'd like to explore the extraordinary life of Bach more, here is a sampling of articles from Christian History & Biography Magazine. . .

The Gospel According to J.S. Bach: Did You Know?
A Musical Vocabulary for Budding Bach Fans
Compiled by Calvin Stopert and Jennifer Trofton

A Joyful Noise
Jennifer Trafton

To the Glory of God Alone
Fueled by his Lutheran faith, J. S. Bach devoted his life to creating music for refreshment, proclamation, and praise.
Calvin R. Stapert

Caffeine and Counterpoint
The coffee craze unleashed Bach's whimsy.
Elesha Coffman

Singing the Word of God
Protestant reformer Martin Luther planted the seed that grew into a rich musical tradition culminating in Bach.
Mark Noll

The Gospel Truth
Luther believed that music has the power to teach Christian doctrine. He put this belief into practice with his catechism hymns.
Mark Noll, translations by George MacDonald

Grace Notes
Luther's example inspired Christian composers to fill the church with the finest music they could create.
Carlos Messerli

What Language Shall I Borrow?
When Bach wanted to express the depths of Christ's suffering, he used the words and melodies of well-known hymns.
Jennifer Woodruff Tait

The Christian History & Biography Timeline
Johann Sebastion Bach

Sermons that Sing
As part of his century's lengthy worship services, Bach's music reinforced and deepened the proclamation of the Word.
Robin A. Leaver

Bach & the Bible
His underlining and marginal comments give us a window into his personal faith.
Robin A. Leaver

Freedom and Faith
Bach still speaks to the church today.
Paul Westermeyer

The Gospel According to Bach: Recommended Resources
Dig deeper into this issue's theme.

Bach in Japan
With the help of conductor Masaaki Suzuki, Bach's music is bringing the message of Christian hope to a secular nation.
Uwe Simon-Netto

confronting electronic creep

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:37:00 GMT

This January, like most Januarys, our family has been reflecting on where we've come from, where we are, and where we want to go. We've been really working on our calendar for the coming year, as well as recalibrating our balance just a bit.

One area we talk about a ton is the place of electronics and technology in our lives and in our family life. We love technology. I'm an "early adopter" of new technologies. We have smart phones and laptops and email accounts and I blog here at Life Together. I've recently been very involved in leading our graceslo.org website redesign and the entire way we communicate at GraceSLO. We're pretty plugged in.

But as we've reflected, we've noticed the captivating power these electronic devices exercise in our lives. We've noticed how these electronic devices pull us away from other things we value like book reading, game playing, outdoor fun, good face-to-face conversation and time with friends. Amazing tools become controlling tools. Good things become ultimate things. Electronics and technology begin to occupy a larger and larger place in our lives. We call this "electronic creep."

So this year our family is working hard to confront electronic creep through a few specific practices. . . .

An electronics "blackout" everyday between 5:30 and 8:30 PM. No iphones, laptops, computers or ipods, no email, no websurfing. We focus on family relationships, conversation and working together. After a couple of weeks, I can tell you it's not easy, but it's really good. When I come home I set my smart phone down in a specific spot and there it stays until after the kids are in bed. Multiple times every evening I can feel its pull and I find myself thinking, "Did I get an email or text?" Just setting this boundary has exposed "the pull" and the power this silly technology exercises over my life. But forcibly unplugging has also made me more present with my family. Removing the electronic option has freed me up to again enjoy a leisurely game and even resent the dishes less. I may even be ready for some cooking next (don't tell Susie quite yet). It's freeing to sever the electronic tether for a designated time each day.
A return to Family Reading. For years we've enjoyed the practice of reading out loud together. From the Chronicles of Narnia to the Little House on the Prairie series and more, we've treasured this shared experience. The last few years with an under-five-year-old has made it more challenging and we haven't been able to pull it off as well. Our electronics blackout and Haaken's growing-up has made it possible for us to return to family reading. Currently we're reading Farmer Boy by Laura Engalls Wilder, the boyhood story of Alonzo Wilder, who later becomes Laura's husband. Delightful.
The practice of Sabbath. While I believe the Sabbath as a strict and narrowly defined law for the Lord's people has been lifted with the fulfillment of the law by Christ, I'm convinced the practice of the principle of Sabbath is still a calling for us. God works and rests. We work and we are to rest. Sabbath is a principle given by God for our good. The practice of Sabbath is an exercise in trusting the Lord. (punch Sabbath into the search bar at the top of the page for at least one message I've preached on the principle of Sabbath) Practically, our intentional practice of Sabbath has slipped considerably over the last couple of years. We are working to restore the practice of Sabbath in our lives, because we know we need it. For us, as a beginning, this means designating 4 - 8 hours sometime in the weekend for fun family activity and connection. Last weekend we took a drive out to the end of High Mountain Road and did some nature explorning. The week before we went to a park to rollerblade and play basketball and then got ice cream afterward. We've talked about going to the beach, reading, watching movies, reading together or alone, hiking, outdoor activities, game playing, crafts, shopping, and gardening. Again, our aim is to unplug from our electronics and our "work". The goal is to be together, connect, slow down and look to the Lord. We try to be flexible, not rigid and not legalistic. Sunday afternoons are best for me, but last weekend, one of the kids had a B-Day party on Sunday, so we begain our Sabbath at 2:00 PM and hung out til bedtime. We don't have it all figured out and it's not easy, but we're trying it. I've found getting away from the house and all the things that need to be done there is key for me to be able to enter into Sabbath. The kids seem to love it and are eager to be involved in planning family activities. We've talked about letting them take turns in planning our Sabbath. We'll see where it goes.
A Weekly Date. This one is for Susie and I, because we need it. We are just trying to set at least a couple of hours aside each week to talk or enjoy time and activity together. It's a way to prioritize our marraige, since so much in our busy lives seems to pull us away from one another. It's so easy not to prioritize our relationship in these busy years. This has suddenly become much easier than it's been in past years, with our kids getting to the age where we can leave them alone. We're trying to take full advantage of this new freedom and use it wisely. We're trying not to spend a lot of money. Last week, we put the boys to bed and then snuck out for a coffee and some 2011 calendar planning. It cost us around $5. Again, getting away from home makes it special and defines the time. A couple weeks back we shared a simple bite to eat and caught a 5:45 showing of "The King's Speech." (excellent movie, by the way!). This week we're still trying to figure it out, but it's in the works. Men, my wife needs me to lead in initiating this time. That's requiring me to give some mindshare to it each week. Again, we're working at it and this intentional practice is one more way we're addressing the electronic creep.

I'm finding that these four practices together are feeding into one another. One makes the other easier and together they are breaking the power/domination/control of electronics and technology in my life. It's helping me be more "present" with the people I love in life.

I share my experience not to put you under the pile, but to encourage you. Sometimes we don't realize the choices we really have in life. The world stuffs us into its mold and we don't realize the forces that are shaping our lives. Just because we can, doesn't mean we always should. Obviously, as I am blogging these thoughts, I still love electronic technology, but in its proper place in my life. I want to use the tools, not be used by them. We definitely don't have it all figured out. Please don't think we do. But we are trying to remember that we live "Coram Deo" . . . before the face of God . . . who sees our lives, cares about the way we live, and to whom we will one day give an account.

For further contemplation, here's an article about a family that entered into a 6 mo. electroncs blackout. These people really went off the grid. The author echoes some of my thoughts. . . or maybe I echo hers. . .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_fea_parenting_teens_unplugged

I'd love to hear how you and/or your family are confronting electronic creep in your lives?

Update: This post originally also referenced a commercial which smartly highlighted the subject of the post. However, one commenter found it offensive, so I have removed it out of sensitivity to other readers. My apologies. . .

Resources for you and the world

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:38:00 GMT

I love and am challenged by 1 Thessalonians 1:8 . . .

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth . . .

That verse really describes our desire and philosophy behind our ever-growing online Resource Library. As the Word of the Lord sounded forth from the church in Thessalonica, we desire the Word of the Lord to sound forth from GraceSLO. The web really makes that possible in new and exciting ways, like never before. So, here are some notes about our Resource Library to make it useful for you and useful globally . . .

At this stage, our online resources go back to March 2003 and span my ministry at GraceSLO. In other words, every message I've preached at GraceSLO is available online. One of the first things that happened when I began preaching at GraceSLO is we started recording messages digitally. We have lots more resources before 2003, but they are all in analog tape format and it's a big job to convert everything to digital. Maybe someday...
As we wrap up our series in 2 Timothy, it's taken me back to two Sundays in November 2002, when I "candidated" at GraceSLO. These were Sundays I preached and the elders and congregation together considered whether or not the Lord was calling us to partner in ministry and if I was to become the 5th Lead Pastor at GraceSLO. On those back to back Sundays, I preached from 2 Timothy 3. I chose that text because I believed (and still believe) it focused on the place and priority of the Word in pastoral ministry. Just last week, we converted those messages from analog to digital and they are now available HERE. (I'm a little afraid to listen to those messages myself, but you may, if you are so inclined! Hopefully, I'm growing.)
The messages I have preached are not the only stuff we've posted. All who have preached from the pulpit at GraceSLO since 2003 have been posted to the Resource Library. In addition, we are recordng and postng college messages, POW messages, special event/holiday messages, Growth Group Shepherd Training Audios, and congregational meetings. There's a ton there and the library grows every week.
There's an amazing engine behind the Resource Library that enables us to access all these resources in a variety of ways including by recent Sunday messages, by scripture, by series, by speaker, by date and by meeting context. What good are all these resources if you can't easily access them? We're doing all we can to keep the Word of the Lord sounding forth! Here's a shot of the sorting bar. . .

Topical sorting is coming soon, but even now you can use the search bar at the top of the page to search for specific topics and oftentimes what you're looking for will pop up. For example, if you search for "homosexuality", the oft requested message I preached in June 2010 entitled "A Biblical Perspective on Homosexuality" pops right up. If you search for marriage, several messages I've preached on marriage over the years show up. Give it a try. It doesn't work perfectly, but it's a start until the topical sorting project is completed.
Our aim is to make these resources availble to you ASAP. We strive to post the Sunday message to the website by 1:00 PM on the Sunday it's preached. That doesn't happen every time, but almost always. We also work to make CDs of the 9:00 AM message available by the start of the 10:45 service, so you can take them with you on that day. CDs can be requested anytime by calling our church office at 805.543.2358, if you prefer the hardcopy format.
Sunday messages are also podcasted through iTunes HERE. The nice thing about the podcast is you can subscribe and don't have to manually "pull" the message. Rather the message is "pushed" to you each week and dropped into your iTunes program.
Sunday messages are also broadcast weekly on 890 AM. The previous Sunday's messages can be heard on Sundays at 11:00 AM and the following Saturday at 6:00 PM.
We hope to begin experimenting with some video stuff throughout 2011. Currently, and for some time now, a DVD of our Sunday services has been recorded. A first step may be excerpting clips (like our India interview yesterday). Down the road, if we like the quality, we may consider posting whole messages on the web. (Your input is invited. Do you think this would be useful? Would you use it?)

Hopefully that's helpful for you. Do you have any other ideas for us as we endeavor to "sound forth" the Word of the Lord from the corner of Pismo and Osos?

Life Together has moved!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:53:00 GMT

I am thrilled to announce that Life Together has moved
to its new home at our redesigned website at

http://graceslo.org/lifetogether

Thanks for clicking over, giving it a look
and telling me what you think.

Please update your blogrolls.

what happened to the rest of it?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:23:00 GMT

I'm fired up that my familiar friend, "Life Together", has finally found its new home at our spiffy and fun new graceslo.org website. This has been no small task. Many thanks to Aaron Barker over at Tap Consulting for his patience with me and his ongoing diligence on the project. After 1025 posts on blogger, I've had definite ideas about how Life Together should look, feel and function. Aaron is making it happen!

Speaking of all those posts, what happened to them? Are they gone forever? What about all those great conversations in the comments? (come on, there were a few over the last 5 years!)

The answer is, "Do not fear, it all gets to move into the new house, too!" Aaron is committed to porting all that past content over and he's got a plan to make it happen in the next 30 days. (Don't ask me how, because I have no idea!)

So for now, I'm going to start posting away and getting acquainted with the new digs. We'll add a feature here and there for a time to get things humming along, so stay tuned. For the indefinite future, we'll keep the old blog where it is a pointing over here. You can help, by pointing friends and acquaintences this direction, too.

I'd love to know that you've dropped in, so can you leave us a nice house warming present in the form a short or long comment.

Thanks for stopping by . . . Tim

Sex in a Broken World

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:42:00 GMT

Sex is good. God created it. He knows how it works. He knows what's best for us.

We so need to reclaim the delicate topic of human sexuality that's been hijacked by our sex-saturated culture. Parents desperately need to create an ongoing conversation with their kids about God's design for sex, but so few feel comfortable doing so. It's not easy.

We are thrilled to once again host my good friends, Paul & Virginia Friesen, for a unique evening for teens and parents of all ages on Wednesday, February 16, from 7:00 to 8:45 PM in the Ministry Center. The evening will be broken into two sessions. Session #1 will be to engage parents and teens together. Session #2 will be focus on encouraging and equipping parents to engage their kids.

Having spent regular time with Friesens and having watched them engage teens and parents on numerous occasions, I can't recommend this evening more highly. They are funny, relevant, engaging, and Biblical. The Friesens have spoken previously at GraceSLO on the subjects of marraige and teen parenting and those messages are available for your listening enjoyment HERE.

If your kids are not yet teenagers, they will be very soon. Get prepared early. Make a commitment to be there. If you've got teens, be a parent and require them to be there with you. I urge you to put it on your calendar now.

Pray for the India Team

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:25:00 GMT

I'm excited to share that I have a privilege to be a part of a team heading to India for 10 days from February 17-27. Our team members include Tim Arlen, Steve Leonard, myself and my 14 year old daughter, Sage. Our team will be part of a larger team from Atascadero Bible Church. Its been my vision to do some international ministry for some time, but it has not worked well for our family until now. The purpose of the trip is two fold:

To check out and explore the ministry of Empart, a church planting ministry in Northern India. As some of you are aware, for the past two years we have been committed to adopting an "unreached people group." The Lord, through a long process has led us to Empart and a whole region of unreached peoples. Throughout the Fall, the elders have been exploring the ministry on paper, it is now our privilege to go see the ministry on the ground.
Equipping and teaching church planters. At GraceSLO we are passionate about theology and its high place in the local church. We think the area of theological education may be a specific area we can be involved over the long haul with church planters in India. To that end, members of our team will be meeting with Jossy Chacko, Founder and International Director of Empart, and his top-level leadership. The goal is to develop a plan to begin biblical and theological training for hundreds of church planters later this year using the curriculum developed by Biblical Education by Extension World (BEE World)

Details and specific responsibilities are still being nailed down, but I'm eager for the opportunity to open the Word with these amazing men God is raising up to extend His kingdom among the unreached in India.

On a personal note, it is our family vision to instill in each of our children a global vision of our great God and His grand Gospel of gathering a worshipping people from every nation tribe and tongue. I'm humbled by the opportunity to take my daughter along on this trip to India. Her role will be to support and serve whereever she is needed. No doubt it will stretch us both, give us an unforgettable experience together, and be one more thing God uses in His shaping of her.

The church is graciously sending me. We are raising support to send Sage. The cost of the trip is $3500. If you are interested in helping, shoot us an email (sagetheule@gmail.com, tim@graceslo.org) or send a check directly to:

      Empart USA
      P.O. Box 1887
      Atascadero, CA 93423

All checks should be made payable to Empart. Please do not include Sage's name anywhere on the check, but on a post-it note stuck to the front of the check. All contributions are tax deductible.

We invite you to begin praying for our Missions Trip to India now. Pray along these lines. . .

Pray for our team's personal and spiritual preparation for the trip.
Pray for great fruitfulness and effective ministry on the trip. We don't see this as a sightseeing tour, but want to make a contribution.
Pray for the unity and fellowship of our team.
Pray for our safety and travel.
Pray that those we serve will be built up and encouraged by our ministry with and among them.
Pray God will confirm His leading in our GraceSLO partnership with Empart.

Grace SLO: Feed

Growth Group Buzz

Merry Christmas

what good . . .

12.21.11: Life @ Grace

from the mouth of babes He has ordained praise

Christopher Hitchens is Dead

reasons for covenant membership

Why fix what isn't broke?

song in my head

Achievement House

On Tebow & Providence

Covenant Membership Update

Meet Our India 2012 Team

GraceSLO Living the Gospel this Fall

140 GIFTS

$900 to help 10 needy families

90 to 130 families served weekly

50 families fed Thanksgiving Dinners

Friday Fun: every little thing that you do

church of the no doors

The World and Everything in It

waffle bar with Stella

Bucket Busters

focusing GraceSLO missions

post Sunday thoughts on "Jacob's Desire & Deceit"

downtown people puzzle 2011

give us clean hands

is it worth it?

where worship leaders come from

Have you served at God's Storehouse yet?

sermon notes of an almost 7 year old

join me in India to see and serve

Growth Groups Launch

Jacob the Wrestler

we want your Fall Kick-Off feedback

Machine Gun Preacher

a church in the community, serving the community

#1

"How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus in such a way that if we shut down and closed our doors, they'd have to raise taxes in our community to pay for all the services we provide?"

and

#2

How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus in such a way that stepping foot on our campus or interacting with our ministry/people is unavoidable because of all that is happening at and out of our church?

What was given?

$4035

was given to World Concern

that the generation to come might know

God's Word Sounding Forth from SLO to The Gambia

CONNECT resuming tomorrow

The Mirage of Virtual Community

summer reading

Reset: Family Devotions

doubling up

Did you enjoy the Ravine?

2011 Beach Night BBQ

Hume Lake Pics

John Stott

justification/sanctification/glorification

Inner City High School Missions Trip Pics

a great family investment

Serve Day 2011

The Great Double Exchange

miss the 2011 Annual Meeting?

What were some of the hightlights of this last year?

How big was the 2010/2011 budget surplus and what do we plan to do with it?

How are we going to reach out both locally and globaly in stretching ways next year?

Who on our Pastoral Staff is heading off on a summer sabattical?

More on Justification

Justification and the New Perspective

The Context of Paul’s Polemic According to the NP

The NP Understanding of Justification

The Biblical Meaning of Justification

The Need of Righteousness for Life

The Consequences of the Fall and its Remedy

The Scriptural Teaching on the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness

Justification All of God through Christ and Therefore by Faith Alone

Justification and Salvation

Conclusion

Notes

Guess Who's A Grandpa?

"How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus
in such a way that if we shut down and closed our doors,
they'd have to raise taxes in our community
to pay for all the services we provide?"

How can we serve our community in the name of Jesus
in such a way that stepping foot on our campus or interacting
with our ministry/people is unavoidable because of
all that is happening at and out of our church?

How are we going to reach out both locally and globaly
in stretching ways next year?