Someone recently told me that "Jeep" means "Just Empty Every Pocket." Thinking of all the projects I've done on my jeep, I began to think it was true until they told me that the jeep is the most accessorized vehicle on the planet. A few weeks ago I replaced the front leaf springs on my jeep. I had never replaced springs before, so I took out the repair manual and followed the 5 easy steps. The first side went great. The old parts came off easily and the new went on quickly. The manual said to do one side at a time, so I tightened the new side and started work on the other. That's where the difficulty started. I had to grind off the old parts and finally was able to install the new. But I had a problem. In the middle of the spring is an alignment pin that protrudes both top and bottom of the spring. I could not get the top aligned with the bottom, no matter what I tried. I asked my friends what they thought. Rick said I should buy a new car. David works in a body shop and I thought he would know what to do. He said, "I know your problem. Did you tighten up the other side?" "Yes" I replied. "Loosen it and you will be able to move the axle and get everything aligned." After loosening 4 bolts everything snapped into place. I realized the Lord was teaching me an important lesson. How many times do we struggle with things of life when we need to loosen something else in order for it to click into place? By now you have heard that I'm on a sabbatical. The sabbatical is like loosening the 4 bolts so that the other areas of my life might begin to click into place. There are many commands in the Bible which we know we ought to do, yet struggle with doing it because we are too busy. Jesus said to "love your neighbor" and "to make disciples." We hold up such commands as mandates, yet how often do we strike up conversations with our neighbors or take the time to share our faith? We might claim we are too busy so the command gets set aside for another day, perhaps forever. What could we loosen up in our lives that we might give us more opportunities to do what we believe? Could you go through your day allowing God to set your agenda as you go about doing your errands? What conversations might start and friendships develop or someone hurting gets an encouraging verse to help them along their way? What if we went through our day not in a hurry but actually welcomed the interruptions? What are we missing out because schedules are so tight that these other things simply don't click? I'd love to hear from you what you loosened up on and what happened as a result. Blessings, Pastor Pete

God Is With Us

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the very cornerstone that our faith rests upon. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then our faith crumbles. But if the Scriptures are true, then the resurrection of Jesus proves that nothing is impossible with God. Zephaniah 3.17 says "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. he will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Did you notice the first phrase of this verse? "Your God is with you." The God who raised Jesus from the dead is with you. How awesome is that? Since God is with us and raised Jesus from the dead, He is more than able to save us from whatever mire we find ourselves in. God also takes delight in us. We may delight in many things, but God delights in us- for who we are now, not who we will become. We are His child. As He holds us He delights in us and quiets us with His love. Imagine a mom or dad holding a fussy baby and whispering nice things to calm their baby down. That is what God does with us. But He doesn't stop there. God expresses His delight and love in a soothing song that calms our fears. I used to sing the "Cares Chorus" to my children. "I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet. And anytime I don't know what to do. I will cast all my cares upon You." What a privilege it is for us know that God cares for us, and loves us, takes delight in us and sings over us. Not sure what song it is that God sings, but I am sure that it is exactly what we need for the present moment. Rejoice! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Have a wonderful Easter. Pastor Pete

The view of our Christian faith is enriched by figures of speech. The Apostle Paul mastered metaphor and similes. In Colossians 2.6-7 he wrote, "...just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him..." and again in Ephesians 3.17 when Paul prayed for believers (including us) that we would be "rooted and established in love." Being rooted and established in our faith is a beautiful picture, for a tree, when rooted and established, is strong, healthy and able to withstand the storm driven winds. A tree with deep roots is near nutrients and water. The Christian whose roots of faith are deep has found the secret of growing strong, healthy and able to withstand the storms of life. Each of us have the option where to sink our roots. But Psalm 1 reminds us that God wants us to sink our roots near the stream of God. The more we mediate on His Word and put it into practice, the deeper our roots will grow and the more stable we'll be as we encounter difficult times. The time to grow roots is before the storms come. If we're shallow in our faith, we'll get blown over when the storms come. But if we have taken time to daily nurture our relationship with God, then even when the storms come, we will remain strong, for our roots run deep and near dependence upon God is sure. Are you firmly rooted and established in the faith? Are you near the streams of God? If so, you will remain strong in the Lord and able to stand even when storms come. Isaiah 7.9 says, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." May you grow deep roots of faith, trusting in God's promises and standing in His grace. Blessings, Pastor Pete

I watched with fascination the two climbers making their way up Half Dome. What was unique to their climb is that they did not use any tools to enable them to climb. They did it freestyle, placing fingers and toes on ledges no wider than a dime. They wisely used a safety rope which was tested multiple times as they fell. If not for the rope, they would have fallen to a certain death. God has a way of directing each of us in our life stories. Most of us will never attempt to climb Half Dome, but sometimes God leads us over mountains. When God does, He also promises to help us over it. 2 Samuel 22.34 says, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” Sometimes God leads us to go around the mountain, and at other times, God removes the mountain altogether. In each instance, we are to go where He leads and listen for His tender voice, knowing that He will keep us safe regardless of the route. Our tendency will be to fear. But God says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41.10) When we face any challenge of life, whatever the degree or height, God is our safety rope. He only needs one hand to uphold us. The way we know that God will uphold us is when we fall. We may fall a little and even get shaken up. But when we are dangling in the arms of Jesus rather than laying on the rocks below, then we know without a doubt that Jesus is our safety rope and He will keep us safe. Notice the number of times that God uses the word “I” in Isaiah 41.10. “I am with you…I am your God…I will strengthen you and help you…I will uphold you…” Whatever you may be facing today, no matter how impossible it may seem to you, God invites us to put our trust in Him and allow Him to hold us up. God does this for us as we make our way up and over the circumstance of life. We climb by faith, believing that God has us in His sight with steady hands ready to keep us safe. Lord, thank you for being our safety rope, for taking care of us by upholding us, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Since we know that You can hold us up, we entrust our very lives to You, knowing that You will do whatever it takes to accomplish Your perfect will in each of us. Amen.

Light is a wonderful thing. Without it we would stumble and fall. Recently I went back into a darkened room to retrieve something I had forgotten. I didn't bother to turn on the light. I knew where the object was. I realized I had forgotten about something that lay on the floor as I began to trip and scramble to stay on my feet. Light is useful, but only if we use it. We need light. Have you ever driven down a dark road and turned off the car headlights? Fun and dangerous come to mind. Fun quickly fades if we drive into a tree or off the road. Without light we would be in peril. Light enables us to go about our lives in darkness. If you have ever gone on a night hike with a flashlight, you know it is best to walk within the light. If you shine the light in a different direction than you are walking, you might stumble. How good it is to have the light guiding you along the path, making you aware of the obstacles and curves. As Christians, we are given a marvelous light. Psalm 119.105 states, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." God has given us His Word to light our path, to guide and protect us along the path of life. As long as we stay within the light, we are good. For it is God's will that we walk in his light. I have found that the paths of life take us to many different destinations. I've lived in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Hayward, Castro Valley, San Jose, La Mirada, Tustin, San Bernardino, Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. I've also had a variety of jobs: Jack in the Box as a high school kid, Mervyn's warehouse, UPS, Gene's Office Supply, Mt. Gilead, Security Guard, Evangelical Free Church of Orange, Harris and Frank Men's Apparel, Calvary Baptist Church, Occidental Community Church and Buchanan Food Service. I'm realizing that I have quite a resume of experiences. In addition to these, there are more important things, such as where I met my wife and when we were married and our children. Each of our stories continue as does our journey. I have found that the one constant throughout my life is the Lord Jesus who is the Living Word and Emmanuel. As long as I stay in the Word I am staying in the light. When I disobey the Lord and go my own way, I step out of the light and I find myself in danger. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8.12 Where have your feet taken you? Where are your feet taking you now? Are you walking within the light of God's Word or have you veered down a rabbit trail? The challenge is to follow Jesus and keep within His light. In 2015 we'll explore the challenge of staying in the light while the world around us is in darkness. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being the true light and for guiding me along my way. Shine your light for my feet and for my path, that I may walk confidently with you. Take my hand Lord, stay with me and help me to stay within your light. Blessings, Pastor Pete

A Life Well Lived

Each of us has a story. The story is our life. In a sense, each of us has been given a life sentence. From the moment we are born to the day that we die has already been determined and ordained by God. People do all sorts of things in order to live longer and look better, from eating healthy to exercise, from going to bed early and taking daily vitamins. Even modern medicine and technology is enhancing our lives and extending them way beyond that of previous generations. Yet, no matter how hard we try, we cannot exceed the limits that God has imposed nor can we put off the inevitable, that one day we shall die. At a funeral service I heard someone read a poem. I think it was entitled, “The Dash.” The birthday and death day are recorded, but it is the dash that is in between the two dates that counts. The dash, short and small in font size, yet it represents the whole of a life once lived. A life that was either lived well or not so well. What we do with our lives matters. The Bible says that if we strive to keep our lives intact according to the way that we wish, that we will lose it. However, if we are willing to give it up for God that we will find it. Each choice impacts us greatly. One leads to despair and the other to a discovery of an abundant life worth living. God knows the needs we have. He has reached out to us in love, providing us acceptance, joy and peace, in order to make our dash…our life…our story meaningful. Some become mistaken thinking that in yielding our lives to God that somehow God will protect us and keep us from all harm or evil. However, Jesus promised that we would have tribulation, not the absence of it. Instead, Jesus said to keep our focus on Him, for He has overcome the world. Too often we focus on what we think we need, whether it is circumstances going our way or longing for the feeling of comfort and security. This leads us to mourn our losses rather than rejoicing in the gain that is ours in Christ Jesus. Instead of counting losses, try counting your blessings, for blessings certainly outnumber our losses. In gratitude, we accept the victory that is ours through faith in the Lord Jesus. By faith we look forward to the day when God will make all things right, our hope will be realized and our faith will be sight. Until that day, live the dash for His glory and it will be a life well lived. Blessings, Pastor Pete

From the moment we are born to the day that we die, we are on an adventure called life. In the movie "Forest Gump", Tom Hanks portrayed Forest who said, "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Maybe that is what makes life an adventure. There are lots of surprises, from being in the right place at the right time or being rewarded for hard work or finding new friends or falling in love or discovering a new hobby. I suppose each of us has expectations of what life should bring. We want each piece to be our favorite flavor. However, life isn’t like that. Sometimes life dishes out pieces that go well beyond our expectations and at other times falls far short. Sometimes we work hard at making a living in order to ensure each piece in our box of life is just how we want it. Work takes precedence, often overshadowing family, friends and God. Somewhere along the way the least important becomes the most important, and with priorities upside down we struggle for meaning while striving to make a living. If this is true, we must ask ourselves, "What do we want? To make a living or make a life?" Jesus offers us something better. He said in John 10.10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This isn’t offering a sequel that should never have been made nor is it a "make over"- same you but with an improved image. Instead, God is offering something new and refreshing. The Bible says, “If we are in Christ we are a new creation. All things are new” (2 Corinthians 5.17). By faith we grab hold of God who is able to truly make our life new with new meaning and purpose. Consider Ephesians 2.10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Discovering the purpose filled life that Jesus offers fulfills the unmet longing of each of our hearts. By accepting God’s life and purpose for our own, we discover a satisfying fullness that nothing else can come close to, and in the process points others to the One who is the Life. If you want to be miserable, try living the new life in your own effort or embrace Jesus yet continue to live in your own way. It doesn’t work and you’ll never be happy until you settle the issue once and for all. Either we are His by faith and yield to His purpose for us, or we go it alone and try to fill our life with good things but not the best things. In the end, our way will never lead to the fullness of life that Jesus spoke of and we’ll be disappointed with each piece of chocolate…I mean life. If we exhale all of the things we thought so dear and breathe in the life God, we allow God to fill us with His life, a life full of satisfaction and meaning that we never dreamed possible. We may never know what the box of life will bring, but we do know that God is a God of surprises and whatever may come, we know that He will be with us. Prayer: Lord, breathe Your life into mine and make my life into what You want it to be- full and abundant, fulfilling Your holy purpose in me that others may see and glorify You.