A Refreshing Change is in the Air

September 23 was the autumnal equinox. For us Phoenicians, the change from summer to fall usually feels like summer to more summer. September is supposed to bring a change in the weather, but usually the weather change is only felt by those who are awake at 3:00 a.m.. This year, however, was different. On September 22, everyone in Phoenix went to bed in summer and woke up in fall.

We all woke up to clouds that covered and cooled this vast, concrete city. Cool, misty breezes swirled around our dried-out, sunburned skin. Gentle rain washed and revived our parched land. And we all took deep breaths of clean, fresh air into our dusty lungs. Now it is Thursday and we are still basking in the refreshing shift in the atmosphere.

Last night I was at my daughter's soccer practice. Standing in the middle of the large field of grass made it possible to notice the vastness of the sky above. The waning sun was pouring out a soft light instead of giving off heat, and the colors of the sky were marvelous. There were many patches of bulky clouds slowly passing overhead, bringing constant change to the imagery all around us. At one point, one of the bulky patches of clouds released a blanket of soft rain over everyone.

I stood next to one of my daughter's coaches, who is from England. I jokingly asked him if he ever played much football in the rain. He smiled and laughed. He then told me that on Monday night when the heavy downpour came, he was sitting in his back garden, soaking it up. He told me he felt like the guy from “Shawshank Redemption” who, after nineteen years of prison life, escaped from prison during a heavy rainstorm. As he crawled out of a tunnel, he stood up, took off his shirt, and soaked up the moment in sheer ecstasy, freedom and cleansing. It is a great moment in cinema, but it also made me wonder if the Brit next to me had escaped prison or something. 😂

What I want to leave you with are some words from a songwriter named John Lucas. This song is called “Hope” and it is worth listening to; but since you are probably already trying to rush through this blog, I will give you the lyrics. Let them wash over your soul and fill up your mind. Though we are imprisoned in this broken world and weighed down by sin's curse, this is not our destiny. We are headed for freedom forevermore.

I feel the earth trembling under my feet
I feel the waters churning, rising from the deep
I know the trees are swaying with their family's seeds
And I feel the harvest returning, no more dust and weeds

I've seen fathers running for their prodigal sons
And I've seen the nooses empty and the chains undone
I've seen beggars leaving their crumbs of bread
And I've seen orphans dancing with crowns on their heads

And I hear the King whistling through the trees
To meet Him at the sea, all the murderers and thieves
And there amongst the tide and all the judges of the land
He will wash every foot and take His children by the hand

Alleluia. May God’s marvelous plan and Jesus' majestic love sustain you in your battles today.

David

Birthday Foot Washing

Last Sunday was my birthday. I completed my 42nd trip around the sun and began my 43rd. Woohoo. After 42 years my overall feeling is one of contentment and peace; but at the same time I can never shake an undercurrent of heaviness and sobriety about what the future holds. 
 
My birthday started when I woke up hearing my family sneaking around, trying to surprise me with some birthday breakfast. They might have gotten away with it, but the delicious bacon smell made their sneaking ineffective.
 
I got ready for church and came out of my room. When they saw me they all yelled at me and made me go back in my room for five more minutes. I smiled and did a little more getting ready. 
 
They made me a nice breakfast and each one gave me a homemade card. One of the cards read, “We love you, even when we are mad at you.” 
 
The next two items on the birthday agenda were preaching and basketball. I love preaching God’s word, but sometimes the frequency and pressure causes me to forget how much I love it. I also really love basketball. Basketball has been a good friend to me. Basketball provides me with exercise for my body, and a break for my mind, especially on the days I preach.
 
After basketball, my family went to Bucca Di Beppo for a birthday dinner and then headed back home. 
 
All day long I was thinking about the message I preached in the morning. What Jesus did with His disciples the night before He went to the cross was stirring in my soul. When Jesus passed out the bread and wine He was teaching His disciples two lessons at once. He was definitely letting them know that He was going to be crucified, but I really believe He was asking them to give their “body and blood” for the sake of others as well.

One of the reasons I know Jesus was teaching the second lesson is because, in three of the New Testament Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—the focus is on the body and blood aspect of Jesus' last meal with His disciples. However, in the fourth Gospel account, John tells a different part of the story. John tells us that at the “Last Supper” Jesus began by washing all the disciples' feet. After washing their feet, Jesus tells His disciples that they should go and do the same for others. 
 
Compelled by all of this, I finished the day by washing my family's feet. I told them a little bit about John 13, and got a bucket of warm water and a wash cloth. They giggled a bit, and smiled a lot, but I think they really got the message that I would give body and blood for them. Then, when I finished, Brit said they all wanted to wash my feet. It felt like a moment of truly loving one another. It was a great gift. 

I am still chewing on the message of Jesus. A message powerfully supported by the example of His life and death. Jesus wants us to give our body and blood on behalf of others, just like He gave His body and blood for us. 
 
God bless you and yours as you love one another deeply,
 
David

The Stocktons are Closed for September

August tricked us. We were in summer mode, having time and space to fill with adventure, opportunities and boredom. Then, August 1st our kids started school. All of our time and space filled quickly, but we weren’t ready for summer to end. Without intending to we tried to do summer mode and school mode at the same time. It was exhausting. It left us totally wound up and tired at the same time. That is not a good combo for maintaining healthy relationships, gracefully resolving conflicts, and hearing Jesus’ still, small voice. So, the Stocktons are closed for September. Like the popular song a few years back says, “My name is NO, my number is NO…”

I believe pace is very important when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. When we walk or run at a pace that is quicker than the grace Jesus has for us, we run in our own strength. With the challenge of maintaining healthy relationships, gracefully resolving conflicts, hearing Jesus’ voice—while at the same time resisting the world, the flesh, and the devil—our own strength runs out super quick. Jesus wants us to move forward, but He wants to set the pace. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is growing us into the fullness that He designed for our lives; but we often fall behind or run ahead of His pace.

Picture the great cloud that was over those Israelites walking across the desert. The cloud cast a shadow, keeping the Israelites cool in the hot, sun-scorched land. If the people would lag behind or run ahead they would be outside the shadow and feel the burning sun upon their head and under their feet. That shadow is a picture of God’s grace. Whether you need the “ruthless elimination of hurry” or to start “chasing Jesus,” the grace of God is ready for you to enter in.

When we are in the grace of God we still have challenges in this life; but we also get the benefits. If you are having trouble remembering His benefits, pause for a moment today and read Psalm 103in the Message translation at a peaceful pace.

This Sunday we are starting a new series called “Church Around The Table.” We will be learning the way Jesus lived His life while wrapped with our injured flesh around Him, breathing our polluted air, and walking our slippery sod.

David

What to Do With Stress

The sensation is somewhere toward the top of my brain. It is more of a dull, shallow pain, as opposed to the deep, sharp pain of a headache. I imagine it would be the same feeling that an engine straining at high rpm’s would feel, if an engine could feel. Or, maybe what rubber bands would feel that are stretched out and balled up at the core of a golf ball or baseball. The sensation comes on slowly, but once my brain begins to feel this type of pain it takes a long time for it to go away. The sensation I am speaking of goes by the name stress. 

Just writing the word makes that part of my brain tingle a bit. My temples pulse and shutter a bit and my heart rate quickens.

Stress. 

It sounds like something a snake would say when it is trying to get into your head. “Stressssssss.” “Ssstressss. “

This month of August has been so full of activity and problems to solve that I have felt a low-grade stress constantly and a high-grade stress a time or two. 

So what do we do when we feel the low-grade stress? Or what do we do when we are stubborn enough not to take low-grade stress’s warning and press on into the high-grade kind?

Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus has done this for me a thousand times. If I can acknowledge that I am stressed, humble myself enough to be still, and patient enough to trust Jesus, restoration comes. I have also found that many times the challenges I have been stressed about somehow resolved themselves. 

Grinding it out, drinking a red bull, and trying to prove you can keep going will only leave you revved up, stressed out, and possibly headed for a break down. 

It is amazing that we serve a God who is not a slave driver. Jesus actually said that if we come to Him He will give us rest. As He departed from His disciples He said he was going to leave something with them. What was it? He said, “Peace I leave with you. Not peace like the world gives. The kind of peace that only I can give.” Later in the New Testament we find that the peace Jesus gives is a peace that passes our understanding and goes straight to our heart. 

To me, the hardest part about all this is admitting to being weary, heaven laden, or stressed out. But take a moment. Focus on the top of your brain, and see if there is a sensation like I described in the beginning.

Peace,

David

P.S. If you are ready to sign up for a Life group at Living Streams you can click here and it will be awesome.https://www.livingstreams.org/groups

 If you don’t know what a Life group is at Living Streams, you can click here. https://www.livingstreams.org/groups

God's Plan for 2019

Woohoo! Men’s Retreat was amazing once again. Raw authenticity, relentless encouragement, biblical authenticity, and genuine friendship all over the place. It was also fun to get shot with arrows, skid on the top of water after zip-lining down a mountain, and playing basketball at midnight! (I guess you had to be there.)

As we study the Bible and seek to be a community that puts God’s glory on display, builds courageous people, and engages in society’s pain, we are consistently asking ourselves what our church family is lacking. For the past three years Jesus has given us a direct answer.

In 2016 we experienced leadership transition. Our leadership spent countless hours refining a renewed vision for Living Streams. In the end, we launched something called, “Vision Nights”—six weeks of sharing and teaching designed to infuse more vision into our church culture. 

In 2017 we heard Jesus say we lacked community and unity. In response, we launched “Fam Nights.” The goal was to bring together different age groups, socio-economic categories, and ethnicities, to eat together, and to grow in our relationships with Christ and each another. 

In 2018 Jesus told us we lacked in the area of service.  We went a little crazy and launched, “Kinetic Missions” and “Urban Kinetic.”  The response took our breath away. Over two hundred people participated in catalyzing missions experiences; and over three hundred people engaged in society’s pain by serving in a variety of outreaches right here in Phoenix. 

Now, that brings us to 2019. This year our leadership is hearing Jesus say that we lack in “the church” that which is supposed to happen outside of church: People gathering in the name of Jesus outside of the Sunday morning context. As a response, we are launching Life Groups—small groups of adults who gather consistently for raw authenticity, relentless encouragement, biblical counsel, and genuine friendship.

We believe participation in a Life Group is vital for those who consider themselves a part of the Living Streams family. Some of the richest “pay dirt” in Christian spiritual formation takes place in Life Group experiences.

Beginning August 25 we will ask everyone attending Living Streams to join a Life Group. We understand that it may take some courage, as well as some adjustment in weekly routines; but we promise to try to make this easy and enjoyable. We will provide the groups, leaders, and curriculum to help our congregation find the pay dirt that God has for us in these Life Groups.

If you are ready, click on the link below to register.

If you are not ready, click on the link below to register…or at least to get more information.

https://www.livingstreams.org/groups

David

No Easy Answers

Last week, I had two friends call me to ask what they should do. Both of them were trying to figure out how to help their kids navigate our culture’s current struggle with gender dysphoria.

They were conflicted because there seem to be so many different messages being shouted from the rooftops of society. Even within Christian circles, many highly influential leaders are saying opposing things when it comes to the topic of gender identity. With society’s rhetoric getting more extreme and divisive, it is easy to simply agree with the loudest voice. But the truth is - there are no easy answers.

But just because there are no easy answers, doesn’t mean there are no answers. 

The Bible is the guidebook for everyone—not just Christians—who are seeking the kind of abundant life that God designed. Yet, these days, the Bible is becoming increasingly disregarded and disparaged by non-Christians and Christians alike. 

Today, powerful voices are using individual’s painful experiences with gender dysphoria to try and rid themselves of God’s authority over their lives. But we need to remember that we are not the first civilization that has tried to get rid of the need for God and His Word. Throughout history, many have tried to usurp the authority of Scripture, but no matter how hard people have tried, the Bible has withstood the test of time. 

The Bible can give us answers because it is not swayed by the emotional whims of society. The Bible is not subject to the influence of our leaders or the cunning craftiness of their messages. The Bible boldly calls sin, sin and righteousness, righteousness. 

Can the Bible be misinterpreted and misused? Absolutely. Yet, when the Bible is interpreted by people filled with God’s Spirit, accountable to a Christ-centered community, and filtered through reason and experience - life-giving truth is discovered. 

If we will anchor ourselves to the Bible in this way, there is no end to the good it can bring. Remember the words of Jesus, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will bear much good fruit.”

As the Apostle Paul said in the face of Roman culture long ago, “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

— David
 

God's Dream

When our eyes have been blinded by the searing pain of deadly shootings, the heavy burden of poverty's ramifications, and the crippling curse that sin has brought upon humanity—we need a vision. 

Like Martin Luther King Jr. said at a dark, tumultuous time in our nation’s history: 

“We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop…and I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land….'mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.'”

Or when Matisyahu sings over our world full of war and hate violence: 

"Sometimes in my tears I drown, 
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
Because
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play"

Like when Paul the Apostle writes to a painfully persecuted minority: 

“God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight… With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will…to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

And like when my old friend Zach Vestney sang to hearts worn down by the  ceaseless, gnawing of sin's curse: 

“We will soon be with Him forevermore,
where we can walk with Him on that crystal shore.
And talk with all the of saints of old.
And bow before the mighty throne of God."

One day we are going to see the full revelation of God’s dream. We get glimpses here and there. Prophets remind us from time to time. And the Scriptures stand firm, like a soldier pointing the way to that perfect day when our faith becomes sight. 

Onward Christian soldiers. Keep your eyes on the prize.

This Sunday we will start a series on Ephesians and we'll take a look at God’s dream.
 
David
 

Brief and Powerful

This week I heard a John Adams quote on a podcast.

The quote was not about how to be a good president, or how to win a revolution, or how to form a nation. The quote was about how to be a good son, dad, grandfather, great grandfather, etc. He said, “The best time to start raising your child in the right way is about five generations before the child is born.”

This quote is remarkable because it teaches something that is very hard to learn. Our life is both brief and powerful. This is a hard lesson to learn because, when we are young we are good at believing our life can be powerful, but we don’t believe our life is brief. Then, when we are old we are good at believing our life is brief, but don’t believe our life is powerful. We also have a hard time believing anything that is brief can be powerful. But in the Bible book called James we are taught that life is brief (like a vapor) and life is powerful (the fervent effectual prayer of righteous person accomplishes much).

The fascinating thing to me is when we add the value of right and wrong to the brevity and power of life. Life is brief whether it is lived good or bad. Eighty or so years is not even a blip on the radar of eternity. Yet, since God has placed eternity in our hearts and breathed His breath into our human form, our words and actions, thoughts and attitudes, feelings and personalities, biology and chemistry have all been invoked with power to create lasting good in our world. God has given each of us the gift of giving and being a generational blessing to the generational age group we were born into, as well as the generations to come after us.

Though I don’t think anyone will be quoting these words 200 years from now, I do hope these words can educate and inspire us to run with perseverance in Jesus’ direction.

—David

Hope for Your Family

Hey, everyone—I'm still out, but I'm coming home really soon! Until then, please read what Ryan Romeo has written about our current sermon series:

The New Testament begins in an unexpected way. You would think, with all the miraculous and powerful works of Jesus, that it would start with more pizazz. But no. Matthew Chapter One begins the story of Jesus with a genealogy. With the 42 generations between Abraham and Jesus. Boooring. 

Not only that, but the line of relatives behind Jesus are far from spiritual rock stars. Among those listed were Judah, who slept with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute. Yikes. Also listed is Rahab, a gentile prostitute. And many other sordid, controversial people. All related to Jesus.

But, like with everything that God does, maybe there's more beneath the surface of this genealogy.

This week Pastor Gary Kinnaman reminded us that we are all part of a story. We all have painful and embarrassing spots in our lineage. Maybe we are in the middle of one of those times now.

But our lineage does matter. Family matters. Our family isn’t important because it’s perfect, but because it’s redeemable. That is the power of the genealogy in Matthew Chapter One. It's all of the good, the bad, and the ugly of Jesus’ family line, but it ends with Jesus. It ends in redemption. 

Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

No matter where our family history has gone off the rails—no matter how off the rails it is now—you and I were chosen for redemption. We were hand-picked before God had ever created anything at all. And he adopted us into his story of redemption. He he calls us children. At the end all of the 42 generations listed in Matthew, sits name number 43: You.

No matter what ugly stories your family has in its past, it doesn’t shock God, and it’s never beyond hope. No matter how messy and ugly it may look now, God is calling you to be the agent of redemption in your genealogy. And where God calls, he equips. You are equipped. 

So shift your prayer to having hope for your family this week. Choose hope over fear and pessimism. God is able to do far more than you could ask or imagine with your family. And we can stand firm and believe this because of the redemptive story told through the genealogy in Matthew Chapter One. 

—Ryan

Honor Each Other

I’m on vacation this week, so I’ve asked Ryan Romeo to share a message with you. Read on:

Honor Each Other

As many of you know, this weekend David kicked off the new sermon series called Generational Blessing. We dove into the desire to hear wisdom from scripture about the blessing and wisdom that generations can pass down. We also tackled the sobering reality that our days on earth are numbered.

I loved how it spurred on many conversations on the subject. I talked with young and old about how we need to honor and respect one another. We talked about differences between the older and younger generations. It is definitely a subject that people are anxious to dive into. 

But why?

Our culture is changing rapidly. We have five generations alive on the earth today. Technology is shifting exponentially, and along with it, cultural norms and values. Everyone, the younger generations included, is struggling to keep up. And as everything changes, divides among generations are widening.

Scripture tells us a lot on the subject. Proverbs speaks to young people and tells them to outwardly honor and value your parents (the generation before you). Solomon puts it this way:

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
—Proverbs 1:8-9 (NIV)

I love this! Wear it as a garland to grace your head. In other words, wear it on the outside, as something you are proud of. We have a rich and beautiful past that needs to take the seat of honor. There is wisdom we need to take time to glean from the previous generation. The wins and how they accomplished them. The mistakes and how we can avoid them. The consequences of not valuing this wisdom are dire. Our spiritual and physical lives are on the line, and we can use all the advice we could get. So, young people, go out of your way to soak up this kind of wisdom. You won’t regret it.

But, as it is with everything, there is also another side of this coin.

Recently, I have noticed something that troubles me. When anyone mentions millennials, there seems to be a collective, derisive groan that arises. And it isn’t just the baby boomers groaning about them. I’ve noticed younger people do it too. Millennials groaning about millennials! 

And I get it! I’m a millennial. We can be entitled and slow to step into responsibility. We can spend too much on coffee and expect our jobs to be easy. So yes, millennials, in many ways, have earned a derisive chuckle. I’m willing to bet it isn’t unique to this generation either. The greatest generation probably chuckled at baby boomers for a lot of the same reasons.

But here is the danger: You cannot influence a group of people you have derision for. You cannot pass on wisdom to a person you don’t like or respect. Condescension undermines influence. 

And it goes both ways! If you are young and have derision and a condescending attitude toward the previous generation, you will miss out on gleaning wisdom.

So what’s the antidote? How do we build bridges and not walls?  Humility. Honor. Respect. On both sides. 

Young people, take time to learn from the previous generation. Seek them out. They have done a lot more than you have, and they have invaluable wisdom to share.

People over fifty, millennials are about to turn forty, and they are the largest number of people in our workforce. They need your discipleship and wisdom. They need your support and insight. Seek them out. Take them out to coffee and share your insight.

We need to pray that the church is the odd-but-beautiful place where generations love and honor one another. Where we value connection more than we fear differences. If we do, we will see godly wisdom flourish for generations to come.

—Ryan

Manifesto on the Gifts of God's Spirit

So…last Sunday was different…

In 1 Corinthians 12, a preeminent framer of the Christian Church wrote about something called the manifestations of God’s Spirit. Most people refer to these manifestations of God’s Spirit as spiritual gifts. These particular gifts are wonderful gifts that excite and edify the one who receives as well as those who are able to witness someone receiving them.

Last Sunday we saw the manifestation gifts of God’s Spirit in a few different ways. People were healed from physical problems. People were encouraged in their faith. In one particularly special case, Jesus singled out a person in our first service with a word of knowledge about In-N-Out Burger. Yep. that’s right. In-N-Out Burger! I met with him this week and he recounted the amazing way each of the words of prophecy and words of knowledge applied to him. He was hit by the word about a shoulder needing healing, a marriage needing God to bring some walls down, and the super specific word about In-N- Out Burger. It was fun and holy to hear him share the rest of the story with me and to see God’s radically attentive love for him. 

Now, just like Paul didn’t want the Corinthians to be ignorant about spiritual gifts or manifestations, I don’t want us to be, either. I don’t want us to be ignorant, because there is a lot of confusion and mistreatment out there which can lead to deep hurts and shameful manipulations. I also don’t want us to be ignorant because I don’t want us to miss out on any good thing that God has for us.  

So, first off, we need to understand the New Testament translators’ use the word “gifts” where the original Greek text uses three words: charisma, doma, and phanerosis. Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 12 are all gift lists written by Paul, but each one uses a different word in the Greek. (This email would be far too long if we dove into these three, but you can do a deeper dive for your own personal development.)  

Second, the list given in 1 Corinthians 12 is different from the other lists, because it specifies that the manifestation gifts are given momentarily, as the Spirit decides. They belong to the Spirit of God and are only given by the Spirit of God. Some may be more comfortable receiving and giving some manifestation gifts more than others, but they do not possess that gift. 

Third, Paul makes it very clear that all the manifestation gifts of the Spirit are worthless without the gift of God’s love. Love is the greatest gift we can receive and the greatest gift we can give. 

Last Sunday was exciting and edifying, no doubt. The manifestation gifts are special and wonderful, and I want us to eagerly desire the manifestation gifts of God’s Spirit. But I don’t want us to forget the other gifts God has given to us, like His word that’s found in the Bible, His will that’s found in prayer, His love that’s found in communion with Him and one another, and His generosity that’s found every time we sacrifice for His name. 

Remember: No gift of God is isolated to a Sunday morning church service context. All of God’s good gifts are for you and yours, whenever and wherever you take time to wait on God. 

David

In God’s presence we receive His presents, and the greatest present of all is His love.

Sometimes You Just Need to Sit on the Floor with Your Kids

Yesterday afternoon I arrived home from work and everything seemed calm. When everything seems calm at my house, someone is usually about to get hurt, or someone is trying to sneak something that they know they should not be sneaking. So, my antennae were up as I found all my people and checked on what they were doing.

Surprisingly, everyone was okay and no one was sneaking. It was a rare moment of calm and I thought I should try to get something done. My mind jumped to my to-do list and I started to try to think of a task that would be satisfying to my Eneagram 3 soul. As I was mentally scrolling through tasks, a thought came that caught me off guard: What if I just hung out with one of my kids?

My wife was on the floor with one of my daughters, making bracelets. I was inspired, so I went for it. I walked into another daughter’s room and sat down on the floor. The next thirty minutes were hilarious.

At first, she was confused by me. Next, she was telling me all kinds of things that were bouncing around in her head. Next, her dog came in the room and looked confused as to why I was on the floor. Next, the dog and I were play-wrestling. Next, my daughter, her dog, and I were play-wrestling. Next, we were all laughing. (At least, it seemed like the dog was laughing. I can’t be quite sure.) Next, we were just chilling there as a wave a contentment washed over us.

This was good.

Sometimes you just need to stop and sit on the floor in your kid’s room.

This Sunday we are going to do something similar. In the Old Testament we are told how God wanted His people to approach Him in worship. God told Moses that He wanted to tabernacle (dwell) among His people. In the Tabernacle, there was a place called the Holy of Holies, and it is the place where God would come and sit.

Hope to see you Sunday,

David

It's the Giving that Counts

There's a fire coming that we all will go through
You possess your possessions or they possess you
And if the house burns down tonight
I got everything I need when I got You by my side 
– Jon Foreman
 
In these words, I hear the same truth that reverberates throughout the Old Testament, New Testament, and the words of Jesus. Everyone will pass through the fires of judgment before the Righteous Creator of all things. We will either be judged by God when Jesus returns to do away with sin and death, or right after we take our last breath.  
 
Now don’t get too worked up. This is not supposed to freak us out. We often cringe at the idea of God’s judgment, but I believe God has planned judgment for us because He wants to bless us and reward us.

God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He loves to reward the righteous. He is the kind of Father who studies you and your movements so He can find what is good and pleasing and worthy of building upon. He is the kind of Coach who tries to catch you doing the right thing, instead of only talking to you when you do the wrong thing.

One of God’s messengers gives us insight into God in the book of Ephesians. He writes that God has rewards prepared for you when you do the work He has prepared for you in the way He has prepared you to do it. What? I know it sounds crazy, but it is actually extravagant love. God really does want to reward you and me. 
 

At the same time, if we do not adhere to God’s commands and follow His lead, He will be compelled by His desire for righteousness to do two things: 

• First, He will withhold the rewards He would love to give (and we would love to receive).

• Second, for those who do not have Christ in their lives, He will punish.

Those who have received Christ are free from God’s punishment because Jesus took it for us; but we can miss out on rewards that God wants to give us. For those who have not received Christ as their Savior—they will have to receive their just punishment. 
 
 I wrote this little poem to try to say all this in another way:
 
The words of Jesus linger strong still
What’s done will be judged according to His will
It’s not wrong to enjoy all that we’ve been given
But it’s the giving away that counts up in heaven
 
The Master commends those with eternity in sight
See Jesus honor the widow with her mite
Keep up the giving even when things get tight
’Cause heaven rewards those who get giving right 
 
David

What Makes a Person Shrewd

The dictionary defines the word shrewd as “having sharp powers of judgment.” In the Greek language, which is what the New Testament was written in, the word is phronimōs. This Greek word translates into English as “wise.” 

The Message Bible translation helps us understand what Jesus taught about shrewdness. There are six phrases that the Message translation uses to define the shrewd manager that Jesus commended in Luke 16. I hope these phrases provide some clarity for your understanding and some application for your financial life.
 
The shrewd person is:

1. On constant alert — They know there are many pitfalls in the area of finances. They watch out for greed, vanity, waste, fear, forbidden pleasures, seasons of plenty, seasons of want. They try to find the razor's edge between generosity and taking care of their own. They stay vigilant to find a good balance between enjoyment and self-control. They are not seduced by the advertisements around them or the subtle temptations within.
   
   

2. Looking for angles — They know there are opportunities all around them. They know the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. They do not adhere to a scarcity mindset, but know that with God there is always plenty. At the same time they know there are people trying to con them—and they are wise to that.
   

3. Surviving by their wits — They know prayer is important, but they also know God has given them a brain to figure things out. They know that they must have a plan and a strategy to do well financially. They know that if you don’t aim at a target you will rarely hit it.
   

4. Using adversity to stimulate creative survival — Instead of giving up when things go bad or get hard, they find a way to get creative. When they don’t have enough or don't have what they need, they make it work. They are not afraid to stop something that becomes unproductive. They take advantage of the hard times through ingenuity and grit.
   

5. Concentrating attention on bare essentials — They live inside of their means. When they have a lot, they spend a lot. When they have less, they actually adjust and spend less. They understand the difference between want and need, between God’s dream and the American dream. You could take a lot away from them and they would still be able to find joy, peace and friendship.
   

6. Not getting by on good behavior alone — They work hard. They do what is asked of them and then surprise everyone by doing something more beneficial to the organization than what was asked of them. They don’t just do the bare minimum, they go the extra mile. They don’t play it safe, but take risks intended to benefit the whole team they are working with.

The shrewd person that God the Father will commend is the one who understands these things and carries them out faithfully through all the seasons and tides of life. The shrewd person knows that what they do with what they now have greatly effects what they will do and have in the future. They know that if they are faithful in the little, God will know they can be faithful over a lot. 

So, I pray today that you and I would be found rich in the economy of heaven. That we would spend some money and time on things that may not benefit us now, but will bring great benefit to our next life with Jesus.
 
David
 

God's Authentic Design

It is almost Father’s Day, and I find myself compelled to write about femininity. 
(I know. I’m weird.)
 
I think I am being compelled by a combination of things:
1) I want to join the good work that's happening in our world today to empower women. 
2) I feel a nudge from the Spirit of the Living God to write in this direction, due to the confusion regarding gender these days. 
3) I have three daughters.

Recently, I heard a woman share about a time in her life when she viewed her femininity as a liability. That phrase was so interesting to me. In her story, she described a few ways that this lie played out in her life:
 
First, she thought the way forward was to become more masculine. Her attempts at this brought more emptiness and guilt.
 
Second, she thought the way forward was to discredit and disassociate with masculinity completely, because it seemed evil, dangerous, and worthless. This only brought her more confusion.
 
Third, she thought the way forward was to completely associate with another female in an intimate, sexual way. But she found this to be in the opposite direction of the love, life, and truth her soul was seeking.
 
Finally, God’s light shone on the lie she was believing about her femininity, and showed her the path to forgiveness, healing, and fulfillment. She discovered that the damage and disillusionment caused by unhealthy relationships was undone by restoration—by participating in the kind of healthy relationships prescribed in the Bible.

It was awesome to see how free and secure she has become because of the Spirit of the Living God in her life.
 
When God created the world, He drew lines differentiating women from men—female from male—feminine from masculine. Just as God has limited the mighty ocean from going beyond its shoreline, He has drawn lines limiting what is female and what is male. He did not do this to limit our joy or power. He did this to help us find our joy and power. He made female and male in order to reflect what He is like. Together, female and male give us our best image of what God is like.
 
Today it seems our society wants to blur the lines that God has drawn. The challenge is, if we lose sight of what is truly male and truly female we damn society in many sociological ways, gender dysphoria, sexually transmitted diseases, addiction, absentee or unhealthy moms and dads, etc.. But much worse than that, we lose sight of God. If we lose sight of God we and our children will be tossed to and fro by every wind of false doctrine, destructive philosophy, and demonic deception.
 
I don’t want this for my girls. I want my girls to know that God is for them and their femininity—that God delights in them and desires to develop their femininity to full maturity. I want them to know that their femininity is a gift for helping them connect with God, and for showing the world the image of God only found in femininity. I want them to be able to wear the t-shirts that declare, “Girls can do anything,” and “Never underestimate the power of a girl,” without having to discredit or disassociate the image of God found in masculinity. 
 
Here is a little something someone shared with me as I set out to write this piece on femininity. I have adapted it from its original purpose of describing the mission of a magazine called Darling, which you can find at darlingmagazine.org.
 
I want to help my girls “...hold the modern mold of woman up to God’s word and be led by God’s Spirit to re-discover God’s authentic design for femininity. I want to help my girls discover beauty apart from vanity, influence apart from manipulation, style apart from materialism, sweetness apart from passivity, and womanhood without degradation. I want to teach my girls to practice the arts of virtue, wit, modesty, and wisdom—all the while creating beauty and embodying love. I want them to know that women are not only interesting, but integral to all God is doing in the world. I want them to know they are not only good enough, but under God’s sovereignty they are capable of greatness. I want them to know they are not just here, but here for an everlasting purpose.”

I hope this is helpful for you and for the girls in your life. 
  
David

What is Faith?

In my early years, when I would try to describe what faith in Jesus is, I would fumble over vague, ethereal-feeling words. I would say things like, “You just feel it,” or “It’s like hoping or trusting in something,” or even, “Faith is believing in something.” The responses this would invoke were usually a wrinkled forehead, raised eyebrows, and confused eyes. If the listener was really nice, they would say something like, “Oh. Okay,” in a slight, faint voice. 
 
In those days, I could not explain faith very well, but faith was becoming a very real thing to me. When I came across the definition of faith in Hebrews 11, a massive change took place in me. The author of Hebrews writes, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” The words substance and evidence blew my mind.

Substance and evidence are concrete words. They are solid and strong. They are neither vague nor ethereal-feeling words. And though substance and evidence had been nowhere in my attempts to communicate about faith, they were spot on with what I was experiencing in my relationship with Jesus. 
 
Fast forward to now. This past Tuesday, our pastors went into the city to share our faith with anyone who would want to hear or experience it. I went with one of our Belizean interns to Christown Mall. We were headed to talk to a couple of people when a guy came out from around a corner and we almost crashed into him. He had a book under his arm and I asked him what he was reading. He said it was some trashy crime novel. We laughed, and then I asked him how he has been doing lately. He told us he lost his job, got in a car wreck without insurance, had to sleep on the street last night, and some guys beat him up pretty bad. He also told us he was at Walmart to get a backpack. 
 
When we told him we were walking around looking for people to pray for, he said he would love some prayer. As we prayed for him, we did our best to say what we thought Jesus was saying to him.

By the end of the prayer, he was crying a bit, and I sensed God telling me to buy him the backpack. So, we opened our eyes and I asked him if we could buy him the backpack. He started crying again and said, “Are you serious?” I told him that I sensed God telling me to buy him the backpack. With tears in his eyes, he told us that his plan was to steal a backpack.

We all sat for a few seconds, feeling the holiness of God surround us. I told him that God knows him, sees him, and cares about him—that God set this whole thing up so he would know how much God loves him.
 
When we walked away, the intern that was with me said, “Man that really strengthened my faith.” I knew exactly what he was talking about because we had just experienced substance and evidence.
 
I pray that today you can think back on times of God building your faith with substance and evidence—and that you will join us on Sunday as we continue to teach God's word on sexuality and God's heart for all of us who are sexually broken. 
 
God bless you,

David

An Intimidating Topic

Oh no! It's time for us to teach on sexuality! Why in the world did we pick sexuality as a topic for our “Other Hours” sermon series? Does anyone reading this want to take my place this Sunday and preach on Sexuality? 
 
I know that we are sexual beings. I know that our current cultural moment regarding sexuality is riddled with confusion, embarrassment, exhaustion, and disillusionment. I know that everyone I talk to has either been singed, scarred, or shattered by sexual sins committed against them or by them. But as I sit here, I don’t feel inspired—instead I feel intimidated by the thought of speaking into this area of life. 
 
I have spent my entire adult life trying my best to apply God’s word and Jesus' love to every challenge, struggle, and conflict I have experienced. I spent many years in educational institutions, deepening my understanding of God’s word and Jesus’ love—demonstrated by the bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies and the master’s degree in Theology and Biblical Studies hanging on my wall. And now, I have spent the last two weeks wrestling with God’s words on sexuality, the Christian church’s contributions on sexuality, my own sexual formation, and the thoughts and feelings of my homosexual friends. Though it seems all this should help me feel confident, I still feel intimidated. 
 
Though feelings of intimidation have found their way into my soul, I know that God feels no such thing. God created our sexuality. He knows how to form it into a powerfully life-giving and deeply fulfilling part of our life. Sex and desire are creations from His own mind. Gender is a concept He came up with, and our gender is what He chose for us. God is not surprised, or ashamed, or intimidated by any of our sexual feelings, questions, or struggles. Jesus simply says to come to Him with whatever we are struggling with, and He will settle our souls.
 
Today, I want you ask you to do a potentially scary and intimidating thing. Take a little time and talk to Jesus about your sexuality. Tell Him about the unwanted desires you have. Tell Him the questions and struggles you would never tell anyone else about. Then listen. Listen for He might say to you. 
 
And if you are reading this and need to hear some Christ-centered teaching on sexuality. I can recommend this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTGrYxeEZ9U
 
God bless you,

David

A Backyard Baptism

Last night I was in a nice back yard, on a nice, warm evening, standing with a bunch of nice people by a nice swimming pool. My wife, Brittany Stockton stood up in front of all the people and explained to us that there were thirteen kids in her 3rd through 5th grade youth group that wanted to be baptized.

She told us that she has been teaching the kids that Jesus’ life is a good blueprint for our lives; and since Jesus himself was baptized, it would be good for the kids to be baptized when they were ready to follow Jesus. One girl told Brittany she was ready to follow Jesus by being baptized. Brit asked if anyone else was ready and a whole bunch of children raised their hands. The parents were involved and the kids were given the opportunity to go to a baptism class. Those who know each child best concluded that the child was truly ready—and last night was the moment of truth.
 
Scripturally and theologically, baptism is a sacrament. The word sacramentis reserved for very few things in life. Communion (or the Eucharist) is considered a sacrament because, though it is has a natural aspect—eating bread and drinking juice— it has a supernatural aspect as well—God communing with man. Marriage is another thing the church has traditionally considered to be a sacrament. The natural aspect of a man and a woman coming together physically has a spiritual component when, as the Bible teaches us, the two become one.

Now, back to the backyard baptism.

As each child got into the water, feeling wonder, excitement, a tinge of uncertainty, and a lot of love, their pastors Brittany Stockton and Blake Romeo prayed for each one. These prayers were prayers of understanding both of God and the child being baptized. These prayers were prophetic at certain points, speaking over the kids' lives. And these prayers were deeply moving as God‘s love was being poured out in and through the people participating. A number of moms and dads added their heartfelt prayers, filling the backyard air with beautiful sentiment and inspiring love. I definitely saw some grown men crying. 

So, in the end, we had thirteen young people take a step further in their relationship with Jesus. We had parents and pastors fulfilling the great commission Jesus gave us to teach people His ways and baptize them in His name. We saw a whole community gathered around, witnessing the beautiful love of Christ, and being caught up in that love. And the one thing we couldn’t see, but we could definitely feel, was the radiating pleasure of God himself as He looked down on this group of children getting it right.

I pray that this weekend you would experience a sacramental moment where some natural aspect of your life becomes infused with the supernatural wonder and love that only Jesus’ Holy Spirit can bring. 

David

What is the Mother's Blessing?

In society, we hear a lot about the damning effects of an absentee dad on his children. In Christian circles, we talk about the importance of “the father’s blessing” in his children’s lives. Sociological studies show us that a child without a good, strong father figure in their life will have a decreased self-concept, feel more insecurities, and be more prone to truancy. With all this information about the father’s blessing, and with Mother’s Day fast approaching, I have been wondering about “the mother’s blessing.”

My ponderings about the mother’s blessing have led me to these words: comfort, conviction, teaching, and guidance. Though I recognize there are a million different ways people relate to their mother—some good and some not good—this is definitely the way I relate to mine.

My mom was the wind at my back. She was the spur in my side. She was the one who opened up the world to me, and was my tour guide through it all. We were close, and she was my home. Some people say “home is where your heart is;” but for me, home was where my mom was. Even when I moved away from home, it was so amazing to me that, whenever I was with her in a hotel, at a restaurant, in my own home, or in someone else’s, if my mom was there, it felt like home to me. 

Then, in March of 2015 my mom went home to be with Jesus. We found out she had cancer and three months later she was gone. But this did not end my experience with well-done motherhood. My wife Brit somehow moved right in and brought me much comfort. Since then she has also been great at bringing healthy conviction, teaching, and guidance for me—and our girls, as well. It amazes me how ecumenically, fervently, and passionately she loves our children, and other people’s children as well. 

As I write about all this, I can’t help but notice those same words that came to mind about motherhood can also be applied to another blessing. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter. He said that the Holy Spirit would convict the world. He told his disciples the Holy Spirit would teach us what to say and guide us into all truth. There is no greater blessing than to receive God’s Holy Spirit.

So, whether your mother was one who blessed you or not, a relationship with Jesus’ Holy Spirit can fill every void. Our natural parents sometimes don’t know how to give a blessing, and they sometimes withhold a blessing intentionally. But our heavenly Father will withhold no good thing. At some point today, sit at God’s feet and let His Holy Spirit embrace you, convict you, renew your mind, and light the good path before you.

See you Sunday as we celebrate moms and learn some more about rest. ☺️

David

Prayer for Arizona's Governor

Well, sometimes your job requires you to go pray for the governor. So this morning, I woke up, reached deep into the back recesses of my closet and grabbed my once-every-couple-of-years suit. I brushed some of the dust off and it looked pretty good. Since today is the National Day of Prayer, and Living Streams has earned a good name over the years, I was invited to join a small group of pastors to pray for the governor of the great state, the 48th state, the born on Valentine’s day state, of Arizona.

Since I was headed downtown to the belly of our city, I checked Google Maps and found out how long I would be jammed up on the freeway. I said goodbye to my fam and I started driving/crawling my way toward the capital. I was told that we would gather in a room and then be presented to the governor at 9:00 a.m. Then, he would share some of his concerns for our state and we would pray.

What I experienced was wonderful. The twenty pastors in the room were full of truth, full of grace, full of humility, and full of power.  As they prayed for the gubernatorial concerns, you could feel God‘s presence filling up the room. The words spoken into that mental space were clear and resounding and effectual in the direction of beauty and strength and goodness. Some pastors prayed prayers of profound wisdom, some prayed prayers of poignant prophecy, some prayed prayers of heartfelt compassion, and some prayers were pulsing with authority.

The concerns the governor asked us to pray for are:

1. Discernment for who to engage with and who to not engage with in the political game

2. Continued success in caring for the kids in Foster Care (in the last few years the number of kids in Foster Care has gone from 19,000 to 13,000)

3. A decrease in the number of addicts in the opioid crisis

4. An increase in awareness and success of the Care Portal (https://careportal.org)

5. Wisdom for the challenges

When it was my turn to pray, I sensed the Lord saying Governor Ducey is a man of humility and wisdom, that he understands the Biblical principle, “God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” I prayed he would maintain humility that would stand out as a mighty breath of fresh air in today’s political scene. I prayed he would have discernment to know who the wolves are, and be able to fight them off for the sake of the people of Arizona. 

Please take some time today to pray for our state, and join us on Sunday as we begin to talk about that part of your life called Rest.

David