Pastor's Perspective - On His Way

Recently in Scripture I have been reminded of how the Holy Spirit works most frequently through us in the service of others – while we’re moving!

Yesterday while teaching Pie Club, I read where Jesus raised Jairus the synagogue leader’s daughter from the dead. The Bible tells us in Luke 8:42 that ‘as Jesus was on his way’ He was approached by a woman who had been tormented by a bleeding condition for a dozen years. Her faith reached out and touched His loving power and she was instantaneously healed! For many years I have taught and preached that passage, but what the Lord reminded me of is, Jesus helped change a precious life while He was in motion. The same can be said of the healing of Bartimaeus (Mark 10), His unforgettable encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and so many others.

Almost overlooked is that fact that the illustrious adventures of the Apostle Paul meticulously recorded in Acts happened as the man of God was moving. As he put motion in his faith, the proverbial wind of the Spirit moved him along, creating many glowing ministry opportunities outside of his anticipated missionary itinerary.

In my years as a pastor, many of the beautiful intersections I experience come as complete surprises to me – but not to God! For instance, while visiting a person in the hospital, the Holy Spirit will open my eyes to another need I’ll discern as divine – moments I affectionately call ‘Holy Ghost ambushes’!

Certainly there were well-documented occurrences in the Word of God where people were beckoned to obedience through dreams, angelic visitations, visions and so on; in other words, no previous human motion required. However, most of the time, the prolific saints of antiquity were busy moving and serving when the hand of God nudged them intentionally into a new and exciting direction.

Do you want to be used by the Lord for His glory? Do you genuinely want to help countless others?

My best advice is to push off from the safety and stability of the dock and start sailing! Don’t be surprised if a sovereign wind changes your course heading and creates an adventure far greater than you could ever anticipate.

Jesus changed a life while he was on his way.

Jesus wants to change a life through you!

Pastor's Perspective - Be The Invitation!

Last month we at FCC instituted yet another way to extend love and hospitality to our first-time guests – a special ‘Guest Reception’ in The 4th Watch. Immediately following each Sunday worship service, guests are invited upstairs to our premium coffee café to meet the staff and enjoy a delicious espresso drink of their choice – on us! Of tremendous importance to us as a church is our desire to make each guest feel welcomed and valued.

 On a personal note, to you our FCC faithful, thank you for giving me this time to move from the platform to the second floor expediently to make these special and necessary connections with the wonderful people the good Lord is sending our way. Means a lot to me.

 One of the first questions I like to ask a new person is how they heard about our church. The answers vary greatly. Many reply that they found us online. In other words, “I googled you guys. I really liked your website.” While several others tell us that the church sign on the corner was the thing that enticed them to check us out. Heard often around here, “I’ve been driving by your church for years, and I always read the sign. I thought I’d finally stop in.”

 Our history has proven that the gateways into a guest coming to FCC on any given Sunday are absolutely limitless! However, there is proven way that we can sometimes forget in the fast lane lives we live – the personal invitation. Polls nationwide agree that one out of every four of your family members or friends would agree to accompany you to church if you asked them.

 Admittedly in our society, there is a temptation to use technology to do all of our personal things for us. However, no gadget or form of social media can replace your warm personal phone call, your knock on the door, or your smiling face. If people know that you genuinely care about them, proven by selfless acts; and, that you have true peace, contentment, and hope in your life, they will most likely say ‘yes’ to your friendly invitation.

 So, as we embark into another toasty Solano County summer together, remember that everyone you live near, work near and play near needs Jesus. Let’s not rely solely on our church website or marquee to be our primary invitation instruments as a congregation. My challenge to you is – BE THE INVITATION!

Heart Check - If You've Got One This Will Move It!

Pastor's Perspective - Ephesians 2:1-10 Personified

I, Steve Kiefer, was absolutely dead – a corpse – from birth - ‘dead on arrival’. I was separated from a holy God – and I absolutely deserved it. There was a time when I chased after the empty promises and hollow illusions of the world. I gladly and unashamedly followed the enemy of my soul without resistance – the same fallen angel who is hunting, trapping, capturing , destroying and using countless people all around me. I used to really love the world and all it deceptively offered; proving that love, by satisfying my endless appetites - fueled by my fallen nature. What was wrong with me? My core was broken! The deep-down me hated God and His ways; therefore, I exalted my will and desires above His and thought only of myself, giving the devil free-reign over my mind, making every dimension of my thinking putrid and toxic. Simply put, I was my own god. But, the true God who sees everything, saw what a mess I really was. He knew that I offered Him nothing of intrinsic worth. All of the raw material that was me was hopelessly and helplessly unusable. He was my enemy, and I was His. But something happened - His love. His love for an archenemy, in His fathomless mercy, knowing I was dead and rotting, resuscitated me through Jesus! His grace alone lifted me up from my casket and stood me on my feet for the very first time. But it didn’t stop there! After raising me from the realm of spiritual death, He gave me a seat at His family table – right next to Jesus – all because of Jesus – so that throughout all eternity He could overwhelm me lavishly and continuously with unmerited kindness thanks all to my seatmate! I didn’t deserve even one breath of this new life. I still don’t. I offered Him nothing. I still offer Him nothing but fear, worry and inconsistence. Praise my name! Even my needy quivering hand of faith was all His doing. I couldn’t even receive His grace without Him providing me the hand of faith to accept it! It was all Him and none of me. It still is. He made me alive through grace – period. I didn’t earn it. Dead people offer nothing to anybody! Instead, it was all a gift – all Him. I can take no credit for it. If I could contribute to any of it, knowing me, I’d draw attention to my measly part. That’s why He did it all! All I can really do is thank Him for it. To take even a sliver of merit is to vandalize His gift and discredit the power of His cross. So, now that I am alive, my plate is wonderfully and scandalously full. Now that His resurrection life has overpowered me, I now have the rich, humble, responsibility and privilege of being part of His glorious resuscitation in others. He raised me up not just to be raised up! No. He raised me up on purpose and for a purpose – His praise in my life, family, community and generation. Admittedly, all of this is beautifully new to me – but He knew about it from timelessness past. He knew that my life would now serve a grander purpose and mission – not the exaltation of the dead god that was me – but instead the exaltation of the life-giver Himself – Jesus Christ.

Shisasari Orphan Project - Kenya