Family Pictures

It is that time of year that our friend Rob Wang takes our family pictures for the year...Holly and I are super thankful to be raising these kids in IV and in a home that loves Jesus!

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward." (Psalm 127:3)

Days Away...

We are days away from launching http://www.jesuslovesiv.com

  

The site is dedicated to the glory of God in Isla Vista. It will consist of 3 things:

  

1. Videos (amazing stories, jesus burgers, testimonies, weekend recaps, sermon clips, etc)

2. Calendar (classes, conferences, etc)

3. Isla Vista House of Prayer (this begins at the end of September)

  

The site will hopefully be live in 9 days...we are super stoked to put on display some of the wonderful things that God is doing in IV and beyond. Our hope in creating this site is to encourage faith and a greater devotion to Jesus & living for His kingdom!

  

I can't wait, as I have been watching the videos that all you will be seeing soon...God is good!

Favor

This last week Mac, the worship pastor, and I went to pick up a drum set. The add on craigslist said $100, as the mom wanted the drum set out of her life asap. Mac called and said we can come right now and asked if she would be up for taking $75. She repliled by saying yes, so we decided to go right away and pick it up.

When we got to the home we noticed a bumper sticker from Calvary Chapel in SB...when I walked into the house I asked if her family attended Calvary and she responded with a yes. I then shared that we were from IV Church and I was the pastor and Mac was the worship leader. As soon as I said that she said we could just have the drum set. Ah, the goodness and favor of God.

In a church located in a college town these kind of gifts from God are greatly appreciated and a reminder of His faithfulness to His church and IV. This picture is from this Sunday, with Erik on the new drum set. We are still meeting in our backyard...we move to the church building at the end of September, the family is excited as we are getting a bit full with Santa Barbara City College returning last week.

9 Years of Love

Today marks 9 years of being married...it has been by far the best years of my life (hopefully Holly can say the same)!

In these 9 years we have had 4 wonderful children and we absolutely love the life we have been called to live together...I can't say it has been easy, but I can easily say it has been worth it! God has been faithful to us and faithful in growing our love for one another..I am way more in love with Holly today than when we first got married!

Holly and I are finding that married life only gets better every year...growing more and more into the one flesh that Jesus promised us when we entered into the covenant of marriage on August 17th, 2002.

"and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh." - Jesus

Here is the home that Holly and I first met at in 2001...it's located in IV on Sabado Tarde. It was love at first sight, just playing...our love grew with time, not sight, and has only continued to grow over the years!

I love you Holly, happy 9 years today Beautiful!

* bottom right corner is the unit we met in

Problems in Life

Jesus will not end all the problems in your life, but He will walk through them with you.

There is a subtle pervasive lie today that tells us if we believe in Jesus we will not experience problems in life...that if we can arrive to a certain place of maturity or order our life in a certain way we can avoid problems.

However, we never see this in Scripture - from the OT to the NT it is full of conflict, problems, and trials. The life of Jesus was full of them and the apostle Paul lived a life that was never without them:

"Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches." (2 Cor 11:24-28)

Life is hard, challenging, and scary at times...there is nothing easy about it if we are really going to live it and face the curve balls that get thrown at us. However, the good news is that we have a God who promised to walk with us through each of them, even when we strike out along the way.

Problems are a common denominator to life, not an abnormality. Our faith is not about arriving at a state of utopia, it's about facing the life we are living...knowing that God uses problems to grow us, love us, and make us more like Him.

We all have core values we live from, regardless if we know that or not. One of my core values in life is never to waste my trials...knowing that they come from a good and sovereign God. I never pray or ask God for them, though they come all the time into my life. One of the ways I allow God to use them is by letting them remind me that life doesn't have to go my way...less of me, more of Him.

It's a good reminder to remember that Jesus is our Savior for a reason...we all need to be saved daily, as we have daily, if not hourly, problems we are facing. This shirt is a depiction of the mindset we need to shift from: mindset that thinks that once we come to Jesus all of our problems will be eliminated.


I get the shirt, as long as it's not saying push the Jesus button and problems in your life will be no more.

Here are two great verses about what problems can do in one's life if we choose not to waste them:

"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

* If you are overly familiar with these verses check them out in The Message Bible

Our Home & The Sunday Gathering Home

This is a picture of our home that we have lived in the last 4 years in IV. We have such an amazing testimony of how God provided it for us last minute, the amazing landlords He gave us, the location, and so much more...God is good, beyond good!

Over the last 10 years IVC has probably met in over 20 locations (IV Elementary, IV Theater, Embarcadero Hall, homes, parks, the beach, the prayer shed, the study shed, our backyard, etc.). Last year and this coming year we have been given permission to meet at the church building located on our street about 3 homes away.

"One generation will praise Your works to another, and will declare
Your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:4)

Joanna Joy

Our friend Ashleigh took this picture at the family gathering (IV Church) yesterday...Joanna Joy has been nothing but joy and love since she has been born. This picture is funny, not sure what she was doing?

IV Culture

Isla Vista is our promise land! It is a land where we believe we will see the glory of God in a tangible and real way one day...a city that will one day no longer be known for its infamous parties, but for its radical love of Jesus!

Holly and I feel beyond honored to be called to this city, neither one of us picked it, our Father picked it for us...though like all things, He knew what would be best for His kingdom, our family, and this city. We are stoked for another year of seeing heaven touch earth in this land!

Here are a few pictures taken by our friend Josh Morton of IV culture:

Del Playa House - Men

This is the 10th year year of the Jesus Burger House - 8 guys on the bottom, 7 gals at the top. Today the guys from the house and I (minus our friend Larry) spent the day together eating, hiking, playing bocce ball, and talking about next year. I keep saying it's an all star group living at the home next year...please be praying for those living there as their lives are being poured out daily for Christ and His kingdom.

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity...For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133)

Samuel From Nigeria

This last Sunday we had a father in the faith visit us from Nigeria...he encouraged our hearts to believe in the God of our fathers and to trust Jesus with all of our lives. Samuel is a pastor of a church in Nigeria, he also started a school there that began with just a few students and now is around 1,000!

This summer has been such a gift as we have met each Sunday in our backyard to worship the King of kings together with music, testimonies, prayer, teaching, and eating together...God is good, faithful to His church in IV and growing His kingdom that has no end!

"There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7)

The Love of the Father

Embracing the love of Father is crucial to the health of any child of God...Jesus said in John 17 that eternal life (not a duration of time but a quality of life) was to know Father God. The knowing that Christ is referring to here was an intimate knowing, not just a head-knowledge about Him, but genuine heartfelt knowing. We as humans were created for intimacy (in-to-me-you-see)...to know Him as our Daddy, our Papa, our Abba, our Father, and for Him to know us by name as His son or daughter.

I believe the greatest need in this generation is for fathers to step into the role that God designed them for, and in so doing giving their children identity, safety, value, worth, provision...making it easier on the child to understand what Father God is like.

The OT closes with a profound verse, reminding us of the importance of family and heart connection between fathers to sons and sons to fathers.

"“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”(Mal 4:5-6)

9 kids, 4 Adults, & 2 dogs

Our friends from the Palm Springs area came and visited with us Friday through Tuesday...we met them at a family camp in San Diego 2 summers ago and have visited each other about four times now. They have 5 girls, the oldest is 7 years old and the youngest in 8 months, as you can imagine they're full! On Sunday the parents, Cory & Becky Jo, led worship at our gathering (may I add with an 8 month old strapped to the mom) and it was awesome...the presence of God showed up and refreshed the IVC family! We are honored and thankful for the gift this family has been to us and how they love God so powerfully as a family...the only thing that was hard in the 5 days was saying goodbye.

Love = Covenant

The Bible open up in a marriage (Adam & Eve) and ends in marriage (Jesus & the Bride)...and from eternity past God has always been Father God...a Father that has a heart for many sons and daughters!

God the Father is the God of covenant. Covenant the relational bond of unconditional unity. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God on the cross not only forgave our sins, but it restored us back into a covenant relationship with God. A covenant is the only form of relationship that God will enter into with humans, because it's the only type of relationship that offers complete safety, security, and trust. God the Father promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us, not to mention that His love never changes (it remains the same on our best days and on our are worst days).

"...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down!" (Heb 13:5 AMP)

Children in the natural flourish were there is covenant between dad and mom. I strongly believe if the church can understand covenant, not solely as a doctrine, but as a lifestyle, we will begin to see lives, cities, and nations changed for the glory of God! Jesus said that the world would know we belong to Him because of our love for one another - covenantal love, sacrificial love, love that expects nothing in return, love that comes from heaven into the heart of men and women that have said yes to Jesus.

The other day we had a gal over who was sharing her life story...it was filled with divorce, broken covenant, and separation. Samuel was listening, and I could tell he was a bit confused, he finally asked me while she was talking, "what is divorce daddy?" For my children that word is not in their vocab, nor do they even have an understanding that people would do such a thing...may we as the church learn to enter into covenant relationships with our spouse, friends, and His church...we live in a society that wants intimacy without covenant, benefits without the willingness to sacrifice, and love without commitment. In a covenant you are called to always give 100% of yourself, scratch someone else's back regardless if they're scratching yours, and give and continue to give, expecting nothing in return...Father help me and help us your children to understand covenant.

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16)

New Strength

Over the last week or so God keeps bringing Isaiah 40:31 across my path...the promise in this verse is astonishing, in that those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength...ponder that for a bit (selah)...NEW STRENGTH...strength you never had and never would have if you didn't wait upon the Lord.

Often in life we want to take things into our own hands and do it our way and in our timing...waiting requires trust, trust that God's ways and timing are far greater than our own ways and timing. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 8:5, "...for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure."  I believe waiting is a posture of our hearts toward God where we live surrendered, where we take time to reflect, and where we ask and wrestle with God through real life issues and questions. Waiting is relational.  Waiting on God takes trust in Him.

My prayer is that I would be a man who knows how to wait upon God, trusting Him and relying on Him, not my own wisdom and strength in life.

If we want to soar like an eagle we must learn to wait upon Him.

"Yet those who wait upon the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

Embracing the Mindset of a Farmer

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (James 5:7-11)

This last weekend I gave a short word to the IVC family about us being in a season of farming. Farming requires great patience, trust, and work without seeing fruit right away...a hard concept to grasp for us who are part of the microwave generation.

In my early years in Christ I had a lot of zeal..a zeal that caused me go from hype to hype...always looking for the next great meeting, sermon, book, worship experience, encounter, etc. (granted I was hungry too). However, when we live like this over a long period of time, never learning contentment in Christ and life, we can become a lot like the man described in James 1: double minded, driven, tossed, and unstable in all his ways.

This last Sunday morning God spoke to my heart and reminded me that His sons and daughters go from glory to glory, not hype to hype. He was also reminding me personally, as a loving Father does, to not measure growth and success by what I see but rather by my obedience to His word (Joshua 1:7). I have been a bit restless coming off of an incredible year and entering into summer where everything changes, and the pace moves from running to a slow walk as about 60% of the fellowship scatters for the summer. Having ministered in IV for a decade now, I know the summer season is a crucial time of resting and preparing for the next year, though each year by the grace of God I have to adjust to it and embrace rest.

In a culture filled with messages of instant gratification, the kingdom of God gives a message of eternal satisfaction...which means at times you might not always see the fruit, the reward, or the promise.  Yet you know you're sowing and laboring for something that pays great dividends both in this life and the life to come.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

Art With the Kids

A few weeks ago our dear friend Allie, an IVC and DP House alum who now lives in the Bay Area, came over to do some art lessons with our children.  She teaches art to 4-7 year olds in her hometown, and was excited to share her expertise with our family!  The kids had such an amazing time and it was so great seeing their creativity as she encouraged them and showed them some new mediums to work with and new ways to use them!  We try to do art once a week in our own "homeschool" and have used lots of different mediums before, but oil pastels is one of the few we haven't used and that was what she brought for them!  They did a combo of oil pastels with watercolors and made some impressive creations.  Thank you Allie for doing this, and thank You Jesus for all the different people You've put in our lives with so many different skills and gifts that they share with our family!

The Del Playa Gals

This year concluded our 9th year of the Del Playa House (aka the "Jesus Burger House") where 8 guys live on the bottom and 7 gals live on the top.

I am beyond thankful for the people that God picked to live in the home this year...these 7 gals are women of faith and are going to be missed greatly from the home! Fortunately, a few of them are sticking around after graduation and Claire (the one in the zebra shirt) is living at the home again next year.

The last picture is of Lindsay and Annalisa who are like daughters to Holly and I. We met the two of them their freshmen year and have been family since...Annalisa is beginning a House of Prayer in IV this summer, we are super stoked for what God is going to do!

The Covenant of Marriage

The Bible opens up in a wedding and ends in a wedding...God is all about weddings, especially those that are rooted and grounded in Him!

Mac & Braelyn got married this last Sunday, it was absolutely a beautiful day - full of love, joy, and celebration! Both Samuel & Hope were in the wedding too, as they love M&B so much!

I couldn't be happier watching our worship leader take another step into the destiny that God has made him for...and Braelyn is a woman of faith, hope, and love...these two individually are amazing and now they're one flesh!

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5)

Jesus Burgers - Video

http://www.vimeo.com/24969380

Consider It Joy...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1)

It's that time of year...the great exodus of students out of IV for the summer and the extravaganza of our friend Mitchell collecting furniture and everything else from the streets of IV to bring it back to our house to sell.

June is a crazy month for us, fortunately we love IV, we love Mitchell, and have been given grace to live where we live and do what we do. It's easy in life to waste our trials (ie complain through them, take on a victim mentality, etc), rather then see the sovereignty and goodness of God in allowing them into our lives.

June has traditionally been a month of trials for me, tbd how this month goes...I am stoked for growing older in God and having a greater perspective for life and why curve balls get thrown at you.

And the end of the day the bedrock foundation never changes: God is good, always!

DP House Brothers

This year concludes our 9th year of the Del Playa home...8 guys on the bottom and 7 gals on the top...I always say if it wasn't for Jesus the majority of these people would not be living together. However, because of Him it brings people together from all different backgrounds, interest, and life experiences. And not just together, but it bonds them as brothers and sisters and allows the world to see a love that is really supernatural!

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity...for there the LORD bestows his blessing,even life forevermore." (Psalm 133)

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

Baptisms & More Baptisms

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16)...these last two weekends 10 people have entered the waters of life and experienced the joy of their salvation!

My heart is overwhelmed at the goodness of God this year, as this last Sunday marked the end of the school year...finals for UCSB are this week and once done many students begin the great exodus out of IV for the summer.

This year has been a 'more than we could ask or imagine' year (Eph 3:20), as we have watched God transform and set so many people free! Not to mention, the family in IV continues to grow and become stronger in Him...more faith, more hope, and more love!

I believe God is positioning the believers in IV for a major move of His Spirit in the coming years...please continue to pray for IV and like Paul said in Ephesians 6, "pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,"

The Glory of God in IV

This is a video that captures a bit of what we are doing in IV...this video is specifically about the Upper Room, which is what we call the time together before Jesus Burgers on Saturday nights.
 
http://vimeo.com/24588120