This is Not Wishful Thinking

I want the world to sing in her Native Tongue
To sing it like when we were young
Back before the pendulum had swung to the shadow 
I want the world to sing in her Native Tongue
Maybe we could learn to sing along
To find a way to use our lungs for love and not the shadow. 
(©️Jon Foreman, Tim Foreman, Brent Kutzle)

The shadow is so easy to see and so familiar to us. Each week there are news reports about the darkness of man. It seems we think the commandments of God say we should murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, and covet. Last week's killings in the U.S. bring another reminder that the pendulum of humanity has swung to the shadow. It is clear to see there is something broken inside mankind.

For more proof of that brokenness we can also look within our own hearts. Like a good guy in the Bible named Paul says, “The good I want to do, I often don’t do. The bad I don’t want to do, I often do. What a confused and wretched man I am.”

But that is not the whole story.

For those who believe in the God of the Bible, we know mankind was made in the image of God. We know being a slave to the sinful nature inside of us is not our only option. We know the shadow did not rule in the beginning, and the shadow will not rule in the end. Though we hear the news stations' continuous reporting of bad news, we also hear the Spirit of God within us continuously singing the good news. Though we walk in this world filling our lungs with the air of carnage and shadow, we take time each day to be caught up with God in the abundant skies, where we take deep breaths of hope, joy and peace. 

This is not pretending. This is not wishful thinking. This relationship with God is real and transforming. The shadow of death that hangs heavy in this world is real, no doubt. But it is not as real as the glory of the kingdom of heaven.

How do I know the glory of the kingdom of heaven is more real?

1. The glory of the kingdom of heaven preexisted this world's shadows.

2. The glory of the kingdom of heaven will continue to exist long after this world burns out.

3. The glory of the kingdom of heaven is God, who was and is and is to come.

4. The glory of the kingdom of heaven sustained me through the dark shadow of my dad’s suicide and my mom’s cancerous death.

Today, please take some time and invite the glory of the kingdom of heaven into your life by taking time to...

1. Pray by casting your cares on Jesus

2. Worship by listening to some worship songs or writing your own down in a journal

3. Read some Psalms and write on your hand a phrase that speaks to you

4. Ask someone to share what God is teaching them 

If you go through these steps of drawing near to God and seeking His face, God Himself promises He will draw near to you and you will find Him.

See you Sunday for our next sermon on our Origins of Innocence. 

David

What an Incredible Team

There it was on display for all to see. People of all ages, colors, socioeconomic classes—all gathered together for a night of joy, peace, and the glorious Phoenician fall. It was beautiful. My primary takeaway from last night's Fall Fest, which was also the culmination of our Urban Kinetic initiative, is that the dreams God has for us are beautiful dreams.

A year ago we felt God nudging us toward an idea for our church family. We sensed God asking us to find a way into the pockets of our society where there is hardship and pain. (Now, I know that there is hardship and pain in every part of society, but what was in our minds was the hardships and pain of the refugee, homeless, addicted, nursing home, and impoverished parts of our city.) We wanted to find a way into their homes and families, and then invite them into our church home and family. We hoped to create bonds of exquisite mutuality and extraordinary kinship. 

We did our best and the Lord did the rest. It is funny, because when the Lord first puts a hope, a dream, or a vision on my heart, I love it. Then, when the process of seeing it come to pass begins with hard steps that need to be taken and all the patience that needs to be applied, I don’t love it anymore. Without fail, the process between dream and realization of dream always has severe moments of discouragement and uncertainty that make me want to give up and walk away quietly in order to minimize shame. But also without fail, others show up to encourage me, and the Lord shows up to fill the gaps, and the dream—His dream—becomes a reality. At that point I love it again. 

The second takeaway for me is what an incredible team of staff and volunteers we have at our church. Alec Seekins led the charge, and many people gathered to form an awesome team of caring, hard working, skillful, kind worker-bees. Their collective effort took what could have been a wild, chaotic night and made it into what felt like a lively, yet intimate, backyard party. There were so many people there last night. I looked out at one point and it seemed the entire west field was teeming with life and activity. Yet, with all those people, there was a peaceful, easy feeling. And boy, did the weather cooperate. 

I really want to say a heartfelt thank you for all those who have taken the last six weeks to bring this vision to reality. Your sacrifice and faithfulness has caused a stream of life, dare I say a living stream,to flow into our city. I heard from different ministry leaders that the Urban Kinetic wave that crashed upon their ministries and the people they are ministering to was a wave of refreshment and invigoration. Well done, everyone! 

I know our Father in Heaven delighted greatly in what He saw on our corner of Phoenix last night. 

Grace and Peace to You and Yours,

David

A Place that Triggers Memories

I just got back from Belize where I spent a week with old friends, some new friends, and a super-fun team of guys from Living Streams. 

Every ten seconds Nick was either leading us in worship or cracking us up with a funny comment about what we were experiencing.

Every ten seconds Nate, our money manager, was keeping us “on the cheap,” or making us smile with how much he loves Belize and its people.

Every ten seconds Drew was figuring out how he could serve in a gap that needed to be filled—or falling asleep.

Every ten seconds Matt was either writing emails or praying powerfully and boldly for someone.

Every ten seconds Terell was getting sunburned or setting an example of the man of God all of us want to be when we grow up.

Every ten seconds Jason was crossing another scary threshold of faith and doing it with inspiring grace and trust.

And every ten seconds Thomas was loving on the men in his group—or he would go missing.

It was awesome. As for me, I was either showing up late to the airport or sitting back reveling in all that Jesus has done and all that He is currently doing.

Belize was once an unknown, scary, and uncomfortable place for my family and me. But now it is a place that triggers memory after memory of God’s faithfulness, kindness, provision, and goodness. 

I pray that as You allow the potential for your life to become kinetic in Christ, you will experience the substance and evidence of our faithful God’s kindness and goodness—that the things or places that currently give you fear, pain, or pause will become the places of great testimony to the power and love of God. 

By His grace and for His glory,

David

We Are Privileged

Well, we studied Acts 22 over a month ago, but there is a phrase in that chapter that I cannot get out of my head. It has lingered like a wonderful fragrance that causes me to pause and take a deep, delightful breath. This is the phrase: “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from His mouth.” 

Oh what a privilege it is to know what God is thinking, to see Him as the Righteous, Innocent, and Holy God that He is, and to hear His gentle whispers of guidance and identity. 

Just last week I was with a group of guys and I shared that I was having a heavy week. As they gathered around me and prayed, God spoke to my soul. The way He spoke to me relieved my stress and the words He spoke to me guided and strengthened me at the same time. 
 
Oh what a privilege it is to know what God is thinking, to see Him as the Righteous, Innocent, and Holy God that He is, and to hear His gentle whispers of guidance and identity. 
 
Today, I hope that you are enjoying this marvelous privilege that Christ made possible for us. 
 
In last week’s post, Jay Murphy shared with us what God was teaching him through the Urban Kinetic project. This week I want to share with you another testimony. Funny enough, this one is from Jay’s wife, Kirstin:
 
"I joined my hubby (Jay) and Faith and Judy today for the Urban Kinetic outreach at Phoenix Rescue Mission. Oscar, who runs the place, asked me if I would be willing to help the people walk their groceries out to their car, load them up and offer to pray for them.  I said, "Yes, of course!" 

"One by one I had great connections. They were grateful for my help and the majority of the people I asked accepted prayer. We prayed for healing in their bodies, favor, provision, direction, more of the Lord, for a smooth delivery for a pregnant mama, for families—it was sweet!

"When we got back to Living Streams, I saw a Living Streams staff member crying, and I stopped to ask what was going on, and heard her story. I sensed the Lord say, 'This is the idea behind Urban Kinetic. Be available wherever you are. If you’re helping people who need food assistance or you're at church with people who can buy their own food, it doesn’t matter. They are all my children. They all need someone to reach out, be present, and call upon Jesus.' 

"So, may we, the Body, be present. Present In the grocery store, our homes, our kids' sporting events, a rescue shelter—wherever we are, long after Urban Kinetic is over."
 
By His grace and for His glory,
 
David

Renewed Vision

Jay Murphy shared this with me. I asked him if I could share it with all of you. Enjoy reading:

_______________

ON MONDAY…

I was on my way to a ministry called Hope for the Hungry as a part of my commitment to Urban Kinetic. I didn’t feel very enthusiastic about my commitment. I don’t necessarily mind serving those less fortunate than me, and I certainly don’t mind hard work. But I think I may have had a little selfishness lodged in my heart about it. 

When we reached Hope for the Hungry, I thought we were just going to fill and stack boxes of food in a warehouse. As it turned out, we personally filled grocery carts for people as they came through a miniature grocery store with prepared boxes of produce, bread, meat, dairy, etc.
 
At 8 o’clock, they started letting people in one by one. What I noticed most was the many different looks on their faces as they entered the room. Some had smiles and an upbeat demeanor. They came ready to share their joy. They smiled. They engaged in small talk. Maybe they didn’t have much, but no one was going to take away their smile. Others looked a little embarrassed to be there. They didn’t say much. They kept their eyes and heads down. It was almost as though shame were written across their chests in big bold letters.
 
When it came time for us to leave, I began to process the significance of my being there. These beautiful people were only allowed to visit once every few weeks or so in order to prevent any one person from taking advantage of the resource. My small investment of time wasn’t going to make a dent in the problem of hunger in this community.

LATER THAT EVENING…

I coach my younger son’s 9- and 10-year-old football team along with Nate Rupert. Near the end of practice that Monday evening, two of our players collided at mid-field. One of them began screaming and writhing around on the ground. It was so dramatic that at first we thought he was just playing a joke on all of us; but as he continued we realized he was in real pain.

As we approached, we could see that his thumb had been dislocated. It was pretty awful to look at and most of us gave a pretty natural human reaction: we turned our heads and looked away. Fortunately for the player, Nate ran toward him, took him by the hand, calmed him down and gently returned his thumb back to its natural place.

THE NEXT MORNING...

As I was processing the day I had just had, the Lord uncovered something for me. I learned something from that football practice that He was trying to teach me in connection to Urban Kinetic. Often our natural, human response is to look away from someone else’s pain; but Urban Kinetic is teaching us the heart of God—to move toward people’s pain and look at it—actually see it.

It isn’t that we need to be the solution that ends people’s pain forever. (Our player will experience pain beyond having his thumb put back in place!) It is to allow the Holy Spirit to train us to stop looking away from it. 

NEXT WEEK...

When I return to Hope for the Hungry, I will do it with renewed vision, and fresh perspective on what the Lord wants to work in me when it comes to engaging in the pain around me.

I don’t have to have all the answers, I just have to stay connected to the One who does.

—Jay

This Made Me Smile Big

Celebrating. Rejoicing. And really, just being happy about things is not a natural thing for me. I do get happy, but for some reason it doesn’t last that long. I am not exactly sure why, but it is true. I think that the sadness that has happened in my life has caused me to distrust happiness. When I really start to rejoice and be happy I somehow feel like I am letting my guard down, and I'm not bracing myself for sadness which can strike at any time. 

I often find that this attitude within me is not at all what the Bible prescribes. The Bible clearly prescribes celebrating, rejoicing and being happy about things: 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. — Philippians 4:4
 
Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.  — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

The God who made us and all that we are (and all that we have capacity for), desires and commands us to be a people who celebrate. And after seeing all the people showing up excited to engage in society's pain last night at the Urban Kinetic kick-off, all I can say is…

You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
Come on now (Shout!)

It is beautiful and uncommon to see a whole gymnasium full of people gathered for one purpose: to serve the needs of others. One of the ministry organizations' representatives said about the people and atmosphere last night, “I was not expecting it to be so energetic.” This made me smile big. 

Whether you were able to make it or not, will you pray these outcomes with us for the next 5 weeks?

We want to see our attempts at exquisite mutuality and extraordinary kinship put a bright smile on the face of God.

We want to see each of the established ministries we are working with feel the weight of our collective shoulders under the burden God has asked them to bear.

We want to see each ministry team bond together like a true band of brothers and sisters going on a mission together. 

We want to see the places where the darkness of hurt and shame usually reign be infiltrated and overwhelmed by the supernatural light of Christ’s healing and hope. 

We want to see people warmed with the love and tenderness of Christ and awakened to the identity that Jesus has been whispering over them from the moment they came into being.

We want to see the powerful Bride of Christ on the move, bringing the beauty that comes from Jesus’ love, and the cleansing that comes from Jesus’ words.

See you Sunday, 

David

The Meaning of the Metaphor

CHRISTIANS SAY SOME CRAZY SOUNDING THINGS.

In my sermon last Sunday I said, “to be a Christian is to be the bride of Christ, pregnant with the kingdom of heaven.” See? That sounds crazy—especially if you're a dude!  But if you’ve read your Bible, walked with Jesus for a while, and been to a lot of church-y things, then you have no trouble digesting and gleaning from this metaphor.

The truth is, if you have read your Bible, walked with Jesus, and spent quality time with other believers, you’ve probably heard of this metaphor and experienced the reality of it. When the indwelling Spirit of God compels you toward certain tasks, or places, or people, your pulse quickens, you feel drawn to labor on someone else’s behalf, and you are usually very uncomfortable with it all. At least I usually am.

THE SECOND METAPHOR SOUNDS JUST AS CRAZY.

In my sermon last Sunday I also quoted Jesus, who said, “Whoever wants to follow me…must take up their cross…” Now. this sounds crazy for a couple of reasons. First, it sounds crazy because crosses are not something used in our culture. However, in Jesus’ day, everyone knew what a cross was. It was the pieces of wood erected on the sides of streets where bad people hung bleeding, suffering, dying or dead.

This leads to the second reason “take up their cross” sounds crazy: because it soundshorrible. Why would anyone calling for people to follow him, conjure up such a horrific metaphor as carrying a device used to humiliate, shame, and painfully kill bad people? It sounds masochistic. 
 
But let’s dig a little deeper into this metaphor. Here are two thoughts about what it means to take up your cross:
 
First, the cross was more than just death and dying. Crucifixion’s cross was used to ultimately bring death, but prior to death, it weakened a person through pain and shame. When Jesus did what His Father asked Him to do, it led to pain, shame, and weakness on the cross. With this in mind, I think it is safe to say that to “take up his (her) cross” means to accept assignments from God that will potentially—and probably—lead a person to feeling weak due to pain and shame. 
 
Second, we learn from Jesus’ cross that a true cross will bring the opportunity for forgiveness, salvation, and right relationship with God to others. With this in mind, I think it is safe to say that we can know we have “taken up our cross” when our weakness, pain, or shame leads to the opportunity for others to find forgiveness, salvation, and right relationship with God.
 
For my family and me right now, we have been asked by Jesus to open our home and hearts to some kids in the foster care system. It is hard for me to consider this a cross at this point, but it is something Jesus has asked us to do that has depleted our strength. So far it has not brought much pain or shame, but it has the potential to. It is also something that has the potential to bring the opportunity for forgiveness, salvation, and right relationship with God to these two little boys. 
 
I hope that these words may help you to discover what cross Jesus is asking you to carry for Him—and for others—because, if we follow Him to the cross, then we get to follow him to resurrection life. 
 
If you know what cross Jesus is asking you to carry in this season of life, I would love to hear about it. I will even throw a prayer up on your behalf when you tell me.  

Old Christians Never Die

Old Christians never die...they just get more radical.

My dad used to have a shirt that said, “Old skiers never die…they just get more radical.” It was an embarrassing, brightly colored, 80's style shirt and he wore it all the time. He liked the shirt because he loved to ski and he knew that, since he was in his 40’s, we, his three sons, thought he was old. Now that I am in my 40’s, I have a different definition of old. And, after last weekend, I have a greater appreciation for the radical old guys I get to be around. 
 
First, I was with “Old Christian Guys” at our Living Streams elder’s retreat. Not all of our elders are “old,” but some of these incredible men of God are in their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. They have committed themselves to seeking God for wisdom for the governance of our church. That governance includes spiritual covering in prayer, church protection, church discipline, annual budgeting and finance, some staff-related issues, the senior pastor role, and accountability. (Wow. Doesn’t that sound like a fun party?)

Each of these guys has stories of God’s faithfulness to them and years of solid apprenticeship to Jesus. And by God’s grace we have had wonderful unity in this season that gets me excited for future blessing. 

Psalm 133 says, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity…for there the Lord commands His blessing.” I really believe our church has been blessed through all the years and through our leadership transition because of the wisdom and unity for which these guys have faithfully fought.
 
Second, at the Thrive Men’s Retreat last weekend I had multiple encounters with “Old Christian Guys” that left me dumbfounded, inspired, and filled with hope. I don’t think many of the “old guys” slept well, felt good physically, or really wanted to spend a weekend away from home, but they came anyway. They added pure gold to the Men’s Retreat by their attitude, example, and contribution to the small groups. There are few things more beautiful for this pastor to see than a whole bunch of groups with “young” and “old” all together, getting deep.

I have said it before, and I will say it again and again and again: I long to see this in our church—the older gathering the younger under their wings and creating exquisite mutuality and extraordinary kinship across generational lines. Not a domineering, “Let me tell you what you need to know kid,” but a gentle, caring guidance and sharing of wisdom. 

We will be a strong church family to the degree that our wisdom-rich older folks will seek out and reach out to the unsure and unproven younger folks. First Corinthians 4 says, “There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers (or mothers) willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up.” 
 
I know it is a challenge. I know the younger folks don’t often ask for help or respond well the first, second, or third time help is offered. I know it will take sacrifice and discomfort—especially on behalf of the older—but I am so thankful that our church is full of those willing to do and be in this direction. 
 
Now, if I may be so bold, whether you are old or young, register for Urban Kinetic at livingstreams.org/urbankinetic. Let’s loosen the courageous, competent, multi-generational army of Living Streams Jesus-followers on the parts of our city in which pain, loneliness, and shame usually reign. 
 
By His grace and for His glory,
 
David

Grace and Peace

Here are a couple thoughts about grace and peace…

FIRST FOR GRACE…

Recently, a friend asked me how I was doing and I responded like this: “Things are good for the most part; but with the addition of our new foster kids, I feel like Brit and I have been pushed to the outer edge of God’s grace again.”

We have noticed a low-grade exhaustion that comes with too much stress and are adjusting our lives to get back in the center of God’s grace. Since we know that God has asked us to do foster care, we can conclude that He is asking us to not do some other things. God’s grace is deep and wide and amazing, but we can find ourselves living outside it if we are not paying attention. 

Today would be a great day let go of some things in order to steer the ship of your life and family away from the edge and in the heart of God’s sufficient grace. 

NOW FOR PEACE…

I think peace is powerful and I’ve notice peace is shy. No doubt, peace is what recharges our souls and give us energy for life. Yet, it seems peace is a timid virtue that requires time and patience to draw out of hiding. Yet, instead of being patient enough for peace to do its replenishing work, our society chooses morning coffee instead.

Peace is also what is supposed to settle us down after the day’s activities so we can sleep deep and recover our spent souls. Yet, our society does not have the patience to wait for shy peace to come and wrap its arms around our minds and hearts. We settle for a counterfeit brought to us courtesy of alcohol, Netflix, and/or porn.

Today, take some time to quiet the voice of the world around you and inside you. Stand still, hold still, be still long enough for the Jesus peace to wash over you.

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ has apportioned it.” Ephesians 4:7

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27

Grace and peace to you my brothers and sisters,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

David

P.S. This is not a treatise against coffee and alcohol, they are perfectly fine. They are just a poor counterfeit for peace.

It Feels Like the Book of Acts is Happening

There I was, walking down the road, following my GPS to the creek. I reached a gate that blocked where my GPS was pointing me. I now had to decide if trespassing was worth it or not. Now you have to understand, it would just be a little bit of trespassing. There was clearly no one home, I had a fishing pole in my hand, I had heard great things about this creek, and I really love fishing and rivers and creeks and water and…

In the middle of the Bible there is a book called Ezekiel. In the middle of Ezekiel there is a description of a glorified version of Israel. In the middle of the glorified version of Israel there is a temple, and out of the middle of the temple there is a river flowing into all the world. What happens next is incredible.
 
“The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.” —Ezekiel 47:8,9
 
Yes, yes, and yes! Salty becomes pure, swarms of living things appear where there was only dry desert, and dead things begin teeming with life. That is what the Spirit of God brings into the life of a believer.

And this is what seems to be happening around Living Streams these days. The testimonies of the Kinetic missions trips have been about new and renewed life. The people joining our church family through the Explore Group show signs of stirring, awakening and life. The stories of supernatural physical healings, practical needs being met, and extraordinary generosity, all indicate the Spirit of God is flowing like that Ezekiel stream in our fast-paced desert city context. It feels like the book of Acts is happening all over again—and we are just one little church family among many thousands more. Alleluia!
 
When you combine that with the purity of vision, direction, and unity our leadership and congregation is experiencing, I get excited that the Spirit of God that sets our feet dancing and fills our hearts with cheer has much more in store for us. The truth is, these tastes of life we are experiencing now are only appetizers and previews of the fullness of life God has planned for all those who are faithful to follow after Jesus.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art"
 
I hope that, whatever your circumstances, you will spend some moments today in prayer, inviting the Spirit of God’s guidance and perspective into your routine. And as you do, I pray you will experience the life, purity and flourishing that God desires for you and yours. 
 
See you Sunday,
 
David
 
P.S. Let me know if you want to hear what happened next in my creek trespassing dilemma.

And Now, Something a Little Different

Though the heat is still on in Phoenix, summer break is over for my family and we are already moving on. This week two of my daughters started school, one of my daughters started volleyball camp, and we now have two boys fresh out of the foster care system living with us. (By the way, last night I had the super fun privilege of telling them the story of David and Goliath, which they had never heard before. Woohoo!)

 As you and your peeps get back into town, school, work, or doing the same thing you did all summer, I want to let you know about something coming soon that I hope will be a grand endeavor for our church family. For the last two Autumns we have called everyone who is a part of the Living Streams family to come together on Wednesday Nights for a season of connection and community. It has been wonderful to see hundreds of people respond and come together for some food, friendship, and spiritual growth. 
 
This Autumn we are sending the same call out, but we have something a little different in mind. We want to see the same hundreds of people come together, but instead of focusing on our own spiritual growth, we will go out to help someone else’s spiritual growth. (There is some irony in this, because, often, helping others' spiritual growth will actually cause your own spiritual growth.)
 
To make this happen, we have identified 20+ ministries in Phoenix that currently exist to bring the goodness of Jesus into some part of our society's pain. We want to get hundreds of people from our church organized into smaller teams to join forces with these ministries for 6 weeks from September 19 to October 24. The way I picture it is that we will be like platelets and white blood cells bringing healing to the wounds in our society. (There is irony in this also, because it is often in bringing healing to others that we find our own healing.)
 
Now, some of you might be saying to yourself, “It's scary just to show up to church. How much scarier must it be to go out and be the church!”

Well, that is where we come in. I promise that, if you can muster the courage to show up, everything else will be taken care of and set up for you.

We will be talking about this in the coming weeks at church. We will have a lot of clear information coming your way. So, save the dates on your calendar: Wednesday nights September 19 through October 24. And stay tuned for more information!
 
David

The Message is Simple

It still blows my mind every time I think it through: 

Right now my brain sends signals to my finger muscles, and they move my fingertips in a way that strike specific keys at sequential moments, producing signals within my computer. Those signals travel to the motherboard, which sends signals to produce words on the screen. (Well, since I dropped my computer, my screen doesn’t work. So, in my case, the signals are sent across the time space continuum from my computer to my television screen. Whoa!) Once I finish this email, the computer will send signals to a satellite, which will send signals to your computer, from there to your screen, eyes, mind, etc.. 

Bam! Mind blown.

In Acts 17, it was a very different world. For Paul to get his thoughts to the people with whom he wanted to communicate, he could not send an email. He could and did send letters at certain points, but mostly, Paul sent himself.

His message was simple: God sent His Son into our world to suffer under the weight of our sin. God’s Son died under that weight, but rose from the dead three days later. Now, God’s Son is poised and ready to judge the world of their sin in order to rid the world of sin. Those who repent of their sin and take the hand of God’s Son will be free from sin’s grip and penalty. Those who reject God’s Son will forever suffer under the weight of their sin. 

Paul preached this message until the day he died—almost 2,000 years ago. That message is still true and is still being proclaimed all over the world. Though God has been extremely patient with our world, He promised there will be a day when He sends His Son into the world again. This time God’s Son will not suffer under the weight of sin. Sin will be forever crushed under the weight of His glory. 

Today many people think this message is a harsh, mean-spirited, divisive fairytale. I would agree with them if the message was not true. But since the evidence of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is so convincingly true, this message is the most wonderful, generous, and unifying message the world could ever hear. It is truly worthy of the title, “The Gospel.”

Today, if you hear God’s voice in this message, turn from your sin and pray, asking God to forgive you and guide you on His path of salvation. 

This Sunday bring someone you know who needs to hear this message. And pray.

Peace to you and yours,

David

Soul and Spirit

How does your soul feel?

Your soul is made up of your emotions and thoughts; and your emotions and thoughts are housed in your heart and mind. 

So, a more specific question is...How do your heart and mind feel? 

Does your heart feel at ease, or does it feel like it's going to burst if one more emotion—good or bad—tries to fit in it? 

Is your mind at peace, or is it racing with thoughts, leaving you exhausted with worry and confusion?

In my life, my mind is usually where the challenge is; but, right now, there is an emotional overload going on. The painful hardships some of my friends are going through, as well as the joyful victories other friends are experiencing, has my soul all stirred up.

Now, another question: How does your spirit feel?

This is a deeper question. This is a prayerful question. Your spirit is the real you. It is the everlasting part of you. According to the Bible, the spirit is the part of humanity that came to life when God breathed into Adam. It is what makes us different from the rest of creation. God did not breathe His breath on the trees or animals or fish or galaxies. 

Like the mind houses a person's thoughts, the spirit houses the person’s will. When the spirit is strong, the will power is strong. When the spirit is weak, the will power is weak. 

One time Jesus said to His disciples, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In other words, Jesus was saying that the spirit within His disciples was willing to do right things, but, at that moment, there was no power in their spirits to overcome the weakness of their flesh; therefore, the weakness of their flesh was greater than the power in their spirits, causing wrong things to be done and right things to be left undone.

Now back to the question: How does your spirit feel?

Does it feel intimidated and unsure, or steady and strong?

There are a few, surefire things that cause my spirit to feel steady and strong. First, when my spirit connects to the All-Powerful Spirit of the Living God through prayer, my spirit is enlivened and empowered. Second, when my spirit connects with the inspired and living Word of God, it is fed and nourished. Third, when my spirit remembers God’s faithfulness through the storms of life, it is filled with hope and compelled to sing the chorus, “Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus. How I’ve proved You o’er and o’er. Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus. O for grace to trust You more.”

No matter what your heart, mind, soul or spirit are feeling today, the best thing you can do is pray. 

And we will see you Sunday at Living Streams, which desires to be a house of prayer. 

David

A Lesson on Prayer

I can hardly wait for July to be over because that is usually when everyone comes back home. I feel a sense of disconnection around the church right now and I don’t like it. I love that the disconnection is mostly because we have eight catalyzing team mission trips happening this month along with many families out and about on camping trips, vacations, and staycations, bonding and breathing deeply. But I am already longing for the fall when we are all back home and plugging back into the heartbeat of what Jesus is up to in our church family. We have some great things in store for the back half of this year.

In our church services last Sunday, I promised to send out some thoughts and tools to help our vital prayer life become more vigorous and impactful. Here they are….

Simply put, prayer is communication with God. What makes it wondrous and mysterious is that it contains both natural and supernatural aspects. It requires speaking and listening on behalf of God and me. What a marvel it is that Almighty God would invite any kind of interaction with me. What an even greater marvel it must be to God that I am often so flippant and unfaithful about taking Him up on His most gracious invitation to prayer.

Up first, we have Jesus. Luke 11 is a chapter in the Bible where Jesus is teaching His disciples about prayer. In that passage I see first, that God is supposed to be preeminent and revered in our prayers and second, that we cannot be too persistent in making our request to God when we pray. 

Next, we have the great Apostle Paul. In 1 Timothy 2:1, Paul is teaching the young man, Timothy, about being a man of God and caretaker of God’s people, which we all are to some degree. He urges Timothy to pray for people. When he does this, he writes that Timothy should offer petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people. This indicates to me that our communication with God can be categorized in different ways. I see the prayer categories like this…

                Petitions - Personal requests we make to God for ourselves.                                Intercessions - Persistent requests we make to God for others                            Thanksgivings - Praises we offer to God for ourselves and others.

There can be other divisions, but this sums prayer up in a general sense. There is a time and place for each, and Paul wanted Timothy to be doing all of them regularly. It is a helpful focusing practice to spend a few minutes on each type of prayer when you set yourself apart to pray.

Another interesting study is to look into the different types of Psalms in the book of Psalms. Psalms is basically a book of prayers and each prayer/psalm can be categorized as…

                Lament Psalms - Prayers for God's deliverance in moments of despair
               Thanksgiving Psalms - Praise to God for His gracious acts

                Enthronement Psalms - These describe God's sovereign rule

                Pilgrimage Psalms (Songs of Ascent/Celebration) - These were sung by worshipers as they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festivals

                Royal Psalms - These are prayers for the reign of the earthly king, as well as the heavenly King of Israel

                Wisdom Psalms - These instruct the worshiper in the way of wisdom and righteousness

                Imprecatory Psalms - These invoke God's wrath and judgment against enemies.

Everyone one of these is legitimate prayer and teaches us to be free in our communication with God. God loves it when we share with Him our emotions and thoughts. He is not intimidated by them, He can handle them. He may need to correct them, but the Scriptures teach us that He welcomes them. He does not want us to come to Him pretending. 

Now, at the risk of giving the lazy and busy people out there a way to cheat the full work of a deeper study on prayer, I will give a few highlights of a great blog/essay about prayer entitled, “Prayer For Beginners.”  Please use these highlights to whet your appetite and not consider it a full meal. :)

God means for your life — married or unmarried, student or employee, young or old — to run on the power of prayer.

Prayer might be, at the same time, the most pivotal and most puzzling activity in the Christian life.

Prayer is objectively real — a real God, real communication, real work, real answers. But it also comes in a million shapes and forms. Prayer happens in seconds — short moments in the cracks of our day — and it can happen for hours at a time, even throughout a whole night.

“Prayer is the most important thing you can do for the most important people in your life.”

Read the full article here…  https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/prayer-for-beginners 

Lastly, we have Spurgeon. I found an essay on the prayer life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was a highly influential preacher in England during of the last half of the 1800’s. Each of the following guiding points comes from that essay and has an example of one of Spurgeon’s prayers. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to pray in your own words.

1)  Pray the Bible

Spurgeon’s prayers are saturated with phrases from the Bible. The man not only read and studied the Bible; he lived and breathed it. Here is an example, a short passage of prayer that draws from Psalm 145, Luke, Exodus, and Ephesians: 

O Lord, Thy works praise Thee, but Thy saints bless Thee and this shall be our heaven. Yea, our heaven of heavens eternally to praise and magnify the great and ever blessed God. May many a maiden this day, may many a man break forth and say, with the virgin of old, "My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit doth rejoice in God my Savior." May there be going up this day sweet incense, of praise laid by holy hands, privately upon the altar of God. May the place be filled with the smoke thereof, not perhaps to the consciousness of everyone, but to the acceptance of God who shall smell a sweet savor of rest in Christ and then in the praises of His people in Him.

2)  Pray Humbly

Spurgeon always seemed to approach God on his knees, so to speak, with a consciousness of and sorrow for sin, both his own and that of others, such as that displayed in the following: 

Glorious Benefactor, we can meet Thee on good terms, for we are full of poverty, we are just as empty as we can be. We could not be more abjectly dependent than we are. Since Thou wouldest display Thy mercy, here is our sin. Since Thou wouldest show Thy strength, here is our weakness. Since Thou wouldest manifest Thy lovingkindness, here are our needs. Since Thou wouldest glorify Thy grace, here are we, such persons as can never have a shadow of a hope except through Thy grace, for we are undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving, and if Thou do not magnify Thy grace in us, we must perish forever.

3)  Pray Compassionately

Preaching and praying, as he did, in Victorian England, Spurgeon’s language is rather antiquated, but it is nonetheless always laced with deep compassion for souls, as the following shows: 

May we love God. May we love Thee, O Savior. May we love the people of God as being members of one body in connection with Thee. May we love the guilty world with that love which desires its salvation and conversion and may we love not in word only, but in deed and in truth. May we help the helpless, comfort the mourner, sympathize with the widow and fatherless, and may we be always ready to put up with wrong, to be long-suffering, to be very patient, full of forgiveness, counting it a small thing that we should forgive our fellow-men since we have been forgiven of God. Lord, tune our hearts to love and then give us an inward peace, a restfulness about everything. 

4)  Pray Fervently

Anyone who reads Spurgeon’s prayers is likely to be struck by the passion with which he prayed. He prayed like one who was calling down fire—and often he did! Here is a sample:   

O Savior, reveal Thyself anew, teach us a little more, help us to go a little deeper into the divine mystery. May we grip Thee and grasp Thee. May we suck out of Thee the nutriment of our spirit. May we be in Thee as a branch is in the stem and may we bear fruit from Thee. Without Thee we can do nothing.

5)  Pray Boldly

When construction began on the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which could accommodate crowds of 6,000, Spurgeon prayed boldly and publicly for the safety of the construction workers, that none would be injured, let alone killed. His prayer was answered, prompting London businessmen to plead for his prayers during their own construction projects.

You and I may not possess Spurgeon’s communication skills, but we can pray in the same way. What is more important than any tool or precision we may have or use to aid our prayer times is to be faithful to pray. So pray when you wake up before your feet hit the floor. Pray when you go to bed as the last thing your mind does before sleep. And pray each an every time someone shares with you a burden or challenge they may be having. The prayers can be short or long, deep or simple depending on the circumstance. But more than anything just remember to pray because God loves it when we pray. He even silences heaven when the prayers of the saints are offered (See Revelation 8:1-3.)

This Sunday we will be in Acts 15 trying to gain some clarity on when it is right to punch someone in the face.

Peace to you and yours,

David

Prayer For America and For Mission

Greetings fellow Phoenicians frying in the formidable fires of this desert floor on the fifth of July.

Yesterday America turned 242. Yay America! Even with all the division and actual problems, she is still a wonderful country, filled with opportunity. We who live here and experience her bounty should be grateful and pray for her. 

Sometimes the promises God has given us reveal the plans God has for us. What follows here are a couple verses that have wonderful things promised by God if we will do what God asks of us. 

Then, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7

So, America, I will pray for you. Though you are still so young, I will pray that you will not go the way of so many powerful nations before you who succumbed to division, self-consumption, pride, and the forsaking of God Almighty. I pray that you will find a revival sweep across every part of your beautiful land from loft to mansion, from suburban neighborhood to low income hood, and from homeless under the bridge to the White House. I will pray that your leaders and your citizens will walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of His Holy Spirit. Rejoice and be generous America, for God Almighty has been so good to you.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28

This month we have seven kinetic missions trips, yeah that’s right seven. They include Ecuador, Peru, Belize x2, Houston, L.A., and Royal Family Kids Camp in Payson for kids in the foster care system. Lord, please grant safety and success to each of these trips. Please let each team bring You glory and be a long-lasting blessing to the people they interact with, both ministers and those they are ministering to. Let each heart that goes be broken by the hardships of others so that You can remake it with a greater purity and an increased capacity to love. And please make good on Your promise to be with us always to the very end of the age.

This Sunday we will be gathering together to humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face. Please join us and if you are able, read Acts 14.

David

Pray We Do Not Shrink Back

Okay, mighty men and women of God who just so happen to be planted in Phoenix, Arizona, just after the turn of the 21st Century, when the cities of America have become predominately Post-Christian. 

The continent we live on existed in a pre-Christian state until some explorers and immigrants decided there was something for them on the west side of the Atlantic. Once those explorers and immigrants landed on the shores of the continent of North America, the influence of the Christian worldview began there. (When I say Christian worldview I mean people whose thoughts and culture have had Christian influence.) Today, the part of North America we live in is filled with people in cities that have built up an intolerance and in many cases a distaste for Christian influence. Today, it seems Christian influence is rejected not because it is wrong or harmful. It is rejected simply because it is Christian. In a book from a very intriguing author name Rosaria Butterfield our culture is described like this…

“Let’s face it we have become unwelcome guests in this post-Christian world. Our children ride their scooters in neighborhoods where Christianity is dismissed or denounced as irrelevant, irrational, discriminatory, or dangerous. Many of us work in places where sensitivity training has become an Orwellian nightmare. Christian common sense is declared hate speech by the keepers of this culture.”

What Rosaria is describing is not the intense physical, emotional, or psychological persecution that many Christians are going through today in many parts of the world, but it is a form of persecution. We could deny it or ignore it, but I think it is only going to increase without a beautiful revival. But the message of the Bible and the heritage we have as followers of Christ clearly demonstrates that whatever the cultural climate, the increase of the word of God and the multiplication of Jesus’ kingdom can happen. We are seeing this on display in the book of Acts and I hope to see it in our day as well.

Please join me in praying that we will not shrink back or be naive in our day and age. Please pray that we will “shine among our generation like stars in the sky as we hold firmly to the word of life.”

Praying for you today and hoping to see you Sunday,

David

For further reading about the persecution of today, you can visit Voice of the Martyrs at 
https://www.persecution.com

For further reading from Rosaria Butterfield you can visit 
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/april-web-only/rosaria-butterfield-gospel-comes-house-key.html

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

Hello again! I hope your summer is off to a great start. Through a series of fortunate events, my family was able to spend the beginning of summer road-tripping Italy. All I can really say about it is, WOW!

Wow!  because my eyes can hardly drink in all the beauty and wonder of the ancient buildings and scenic landscapes.

Wow!  because my heart can hardly contain all the joy and hope that floods in when my girls, my wife, and I get to experience the deep bonding that has taken place on this prolonged and isolated adventure.

Wow!  because my mind wavers between laughter and embarrassment as I think of all the gracious promptings and provisions our Heavenly Father has granted us.

And Wow!  because, though Layah dislocated her toe, our vehicle was towed because I’m an idiot, we got lost multiple times, and I backed our rental into a stone wall, the laughter and moments of family sweetness overwhelmed all dismay. 

From the very beginning, family and marriage were hardwired into humanity by the Creator of all things. Family is meant to be an expression of God, who is three in one. But the intense individualism being fostered in our society, combined with unhealthy pace and demands, threatens to diminish the strength, beauty, and power with which God endowed the holy office of family. 

In our world today, fathers use so much energy and skill just to bring home a paycheck. It would be a beautiful thing to see that same amount of energy being used to build the bond of the family that God has entrusted to them. If fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters would lean into one another and see each other as high priority, it would bring about some seismic, positive shifts in our society. 

My family has taught me so much; and the more I pay attention to them, the more I feel the pleasure of God upon me.

I want to encourage you to look at your family as an extremely valuable investment that will bring about massive dividends in this life, and in the life to come. And I want to encourage us all to include someone who does not have a family into the families that God has graciously given us.  

Peace to you all. I look forward to preaching on Acts 12 this Sunday. 

David

When Bad Things Happen

There are some big questions out there that we all wrestle with from time to time: Will a team in the West, other than the Warriors, make to the NBA Finals? Will a team in the East, without Lebron, make it to the NBA Finals? Can a number one draft pick get the Suns back in the playoffs? Could “Space Jam” actually happen? Wait, no, those aren’t the big questions. Sorry.

The big questions are: Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? How could a good God allow so much suffering? 

These are all challenging questions about which I have heard some passionate arguments.  I have also heard some people only able to whisper these questions out of their broken hearts and reeling minds. Though the answers to these questions can never remove the pain of true suffering, they can help us find some meaning and hope in the midst of the pain.

The gospel of Jesus Christ does not shy away from the big questions at all. Instead, the gospel of Jesus Christ provides the best, clearest and most logical answers to these metaphysical questions. 

This Sunday we will be looking at Acts 7, where a very bad thing happened to a very good person. The question we will be trying to answer, more than all the other ones, is: Where is God when a bad thing is happening to a good person? Acts 7 shows us the answer clearly, and the answer is good.

God bless you and yours as you finish this week and start to brace yourself for summer heat coming our way.

David

O Humanity

O Humanity

Drenched with the image of God
Crowned with glory from above
Capable of the greatest—love

Yet,

Broken by a great fall
Broken by the brokenness of all
Broken in every way imaginable

This week I spent time with some young Belizeans who have come to Phoenix to enjoy what Jesus is doing here, and to learn how to better build Jesus’ kingdom in Belize.

This week I spent time with a wonderful couple, digging deep to discern the will of God in the wake of their third miscarriage in a row.

This week I spent time with 25 interns who display a myriad of differences, yet posses a singular desire to learn how to serve Jesus more effectively and consistently.

This week I spent time with an incredibly strong couple who is fighting through the fog of grief after the loss of their 6-week-old baby.

I don’t know how sorrow and joy can occupy the same space at the same time, but I sure know what it feels like. 

Today, I am taking comfort in the hope of heaven: 

• when we get to see the full revelation of the children of God, 

• when we discover that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed, 

• when we no longer see in part, but face-to-face, knowing fully, even as we are fully known.

David

The Heart That God Seeks

It seems there are two things that keep people from making Jesus the Lord of their life.

The first is false ideas. There are a million counterfeit ideas dressed up as truth, parading through social media, songs, books, popular culture, and from our own bruised and battered hearts. Some are more crafty and cunning than others. Some are clearly and maliciously evil, and others are milder and more likable, but just as evil. 

The second thing that keeps people from Jesus is false people. There are people who vehemently oppose all things Christian and they try to limit or hinder the hopes of Christians. Also, there are often Christian leaders who, either through hypocrisy or legalism, make it harder for people to know and surrender to Jesus. Literally, the deeply religious Pharisees of Jesus’ day told their people not to associate with Jesus or to even speak about Him. They were the people who were supposed to know and teach the truth, but instead became false people. They looked like they were close to God on the outside, but they were far from Him on the inside. Today, there are still many hypocritical fakers in the church that can talk a good game, but their walk is a shame.

The saddest part to me is that, when we are false people, we limit what Jesus can do in our lives. We are supposed to be receiving righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit, but we allow the false ideas and false people to overwhelm us and turn us away. I really don’t want that to happen to me or to anyone else who calls Living Streams their home. 

So I’ve done a little research and come up with a checklist to help you see if you are a legalistic, Pharisaical faker, or if your heart is ripe and ready to see and know all that God is up to. (I mentioned this list in my sermon last Sunday, but only one person emailed me about it. Ha ha.)

Here it is:

• Do you listen to critique rather than to understand?

• Do you find faults in others where Jesus saw needs?

• Do you spend more time telling people what you stand against, than being known for you are willing to stand with?

• Do you use the Bible to confirm your convictions, instead of letting it shape you into God’s image?

• Do you have all answers and no questions about God and life?

If you answered “yes” to any of these, you could be in danger of missing out on what God is up to in your life because of your mindset. 

Another good question is…

• Have you said a sincere “sorry” to anyone in a while?

If you answered “no” to this question, you may be hard-hearted and blinded by pride, which can cause you to miss what God is doing around you.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their pride, lack of compassion, and hypocrisy. We have to be vigilant to not fall into the same trap. The heart that God seeks is humble, grateful, generous, and quick to serve.

Lord, please help us where we are limiting or resisting You, and help us to repent and surrender control to Your mighty hands. 

David