ethos

Remembering 9/11 – Joy Despite Circumstances

jimlugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:16:16 +0000

Today marks the 8th anniversary of 9/11, one of the most horrific moments in American history.
This is a really tough day for many people who lost loved ones in the attack on our country.
Its a tough day for everyone. Just remembering where you were when you first heard of the attacks, watching in horror as the planes crashed, buildings tumbled, people fleeing, and witnessing more suffering than we’ve ever been exposed to. But today might be an even tougher time for you. You might be facing an economic crisis in your family, the pain of relational struggles, difficult health issues complicated by the uncertainty of changing health plans, and you’ve never felt farther from God. But despite the circumstances youface in your life right now, you can have real joy. Joy isn’t something we just sing about at Christmas, its available to us every moment of every day.

We invite you to visit Life Journey Church this weekend as we begin our new 5-week series for such a time as this,“Joy for the Journey.”

The music rocks, and is better than ever.

The atmosphere is relaxed, so come in your jeans, we do.

Your kids will have a blast!

And your teenagers will be more equipped to face their challenges than ever before.

Moved to Worship

jimlugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:03:09 +0000

What moves you to worship?

That is the question I asked the Life Journey congregation yesterday after we studied Revelation Chapter 5 and caught a glimpse of ultimate worship as “every knee bows in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Revelation 5:13, Philippians 2:9-11)

The reason God is entitled to our worship is as Deuteronomy 30:20 says, “Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey Him and to commit yourself to Him, for He is your life.”

He is your life!

It is because of Him that you exist. It is because of Him that you took your first waking breath this morning. It is because of Him that you are able to read this blog and do the things you do each day. It is because of Him that you have a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat. It is because of Him that all of creation exists for your enjoyment. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then it is because of Him that you have eternal life.

Everyday we miss multiple opportunities to worship God, because of all the things we take for granted. And so I ask you, “What moves you to worship God?”

Is it waking to a new day? Is it your morning cup of coffee? Is it your abilities and the wisdom God gave you that you can earn a living? Is it the family and friends God has blessed you with? Is it enjoying the beauty of creation? Is it spending time with God in His Word?

Find new reasons each day to worship God. Worshipping God should never be relegated to a brief time on Sunday morning…worship should be our life lifestyle, because He is our life!

What Are You Giving Your Life To?

jimlugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:12:51 +0000

In the course of your life, you will give your life to something. You will…all people do. People give their lives to pleasure or possessions, the pursuit of popularity, the acquisition of wealth and power, or hundreds of other things. The question is what are you giving your life to?

Take a moment and consider how you spend your time, your resources, and your abilities. What do they all point to?

As people living in a highly consumeristic society, it is easy to fall into patterns of living your life for yourself. But Jesus was very clear on the subject: (Mark 8:35 NLT) If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. (Emphasis mine)

What does it mean to give up your life for Jesus’ sake? (See Matthew 25:31-46)

What does it mean to give up your life for the sake of the Good News? (See Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

If we’re going to follow Jesus, we need to give our lives pointing people to Christ!

Desiring Only Jesus

jimlugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:51:16 +0000

Many times throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus performing miracles and instructing everyone present not to tell anyone what happened. But in most cases, they told people anyway. That always stuck me as odd. Why would Jesus not want them to tell? Then I read Mark 7:36-37 which states, Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more He told them not to, the more they spread the news, for they were completely amazed. Again and again they said, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even heals those who are deaf and mute.” NLT

As a pastor, I have struggled with the idea of marketing church for several years. My struggle is that we spend so much money and time and energy with marketing campaigns that in the end only draw a few people into the church. But I usually concede to that because we live in a consumer oriented society, we must leverage the system we’re in to reach people.

But perhaps we should instead seek and desire Jesus so much that His presence is so strong in our lives and in our churches, that people encounter Him in such deep and profound ways, that they can’t help but run and tell everyone they know where Jesus is. What would our churches look like if people encountered Jesus there?