Thursday, December 30, 2010

Family Photos

Our friend Rob Wang took our annual family photos for us this last month, here are a few shots - check out his website: http://robwang.com/2010/12/lomelino/


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Derika's Blog - Jesus Burgers, IV, & More

Our really good friend Derika, who has helped plant the church in Isla Vista with us and others, blogs about Jesus Burger's, IV, and her life...she is a good writer, I always look forward to reading her latest entries:

Check her blog out from time to time:

http://derikabrendsel.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 27, 2010

Isla Vista - Winter Break



We returned home from visiting friends in Palm Springs and then family in San Diego Christmas night...I took this picture Sunday morning. If you have visited IV or live in IV you know how rare of a sighting this is, as the streets are almost always lined with cars making it difficult at times to find a spot anywhere on our street.

The majority of the students return back this weekend, we are stoked for another quarter - God is making Jesus more and more famous in our city!

God looks like Jesus

Ever wonder what God acts like, talks like, or thinks like...the answer is simple = Jesus

Hebrew 1:3 says this of Jesus, "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature..." Jesus wasn't kind of a representation of God, He was exactly like God, an imprint of God - this is why the more we get to know Jesus the more we get to know the Father.

I read this today and it reminder me that Jesus is like God and that God is like Jesus:

Jesus spent his ministry freeing people from evil and misery.
This is what God seeks to do.

Jesus wars against spiritual forces that oppress people and resist God's good purposes.
This is what God does.

Jesus loved people others rejected - even people who rejected him.
This is how God loves.

Jesus had nothing but compassion for people who were afflicted by sin, disease, and tragedy.
This is how God feels.

And Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, suffering in the place of sinful humanity, defeating sin and the devil, because he passionately loved people and wants to reconcile them to God.
This is how God saves.

By Greg Boyd, Is God to Blame? Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Suffering

Sunday, December 26, 2010

JESUS

Over the break our family was able to witness a Living Nativity in the Palm Springs area...it was such a sweet reminder of what this season is all about = Jesus!

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isaiah 9:6)

* The picture on the man was Isaiah the prophet reading a scroll announcing the coming of Jesus from his book.


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Church is a Family

This is part of an update from Francis Chan about his current life situation.  I really like it, as it touches on two important truths:

1. church is not a place we go to, but a family we belong to.

2. the church in America is not the model or the example of how to do it.
 
"Speaking to underground church leaders in China was equally enlightening.  Most surprising to me was their response when I told them about “church” in America.  I did not expect the response I got when I explained how common it is for people to switch churches if they find another with better child-care, better music, or a more gifted speaker.  They laughed really hard.  It was weird.  It was like they thought I was joking.  It opened my eyes to the uniqueness of our situation.  Remember that India and China combined represent almost 40% of the world’s population.  The U.S. represents about 4%.  Too often I have looked at other cultures as being strange.  I forget that we are the minority..."

http://www.francischan.org/#/updates

Post by Jason

Thursday, December 9, 2010

He loves us just as we are, not as we should be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQi_IDV2bgM

"to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Sunday Gathering

I took a few pictures before the gathering yesterday while the worship team was getting ready...this first school quarter has been an incredible season of family, love, and growth for the church! God is good - we are so thankful as we see Jesus become more and more famous in Isla Vista!

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory," (Psalm 115:1)