How's your heart?

Something we don’t think about often, but is so true, is the idea that what comes out of our mouths stems from what is in our hearts. And we are not talking about the physical heart, but rather the invisible part of you that poets and philosophers write about. You see, life is hard on the heart. The world lodges stuff in our heart that have no business being in there. And over time those things grow and grows until eventually they makes it way out.   And usually the anger or guilt or greed or jealousy that has been in our hearts, when it comes out it wrecks havoc on all the relationships we are in. Which is why above all else we need to guard our hearts. Everything we do flows from it. It is literally where life comes from. But how do we guard it? Hopefully you will follow along during the month of November as we teach habits that can help you guard your heart.

Based on a couple books (Renovation of the heart and Enemies of the heart) I have developed a list of questions I ask my children (and myself). Ask away.

• Is everything okay in your heart?
• Did someone hurt your feelings today?
• Did someone break a promise to you today?
• You mad at anybody?
• Are you waiting around for someone to come to you to make things right?
• Have you had any extended imaginary conversations with anybody lately?
• Do things come out of your mouth on a regular basis, that you have to apologize for? That embarrass you?
• Have you secretly celebrated someone failure in the past few days?
• Got any secrets eating at you?
• Anything going on you hope no one discovers?
• Is there is a question you hope no one ever ask you?
• Is there something you need to tell someone?
• Have you lied recently to someone you love?
• Are you worried about anything?

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.

Ridiculous Provision

Pastor Rey continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. This message is for anyone who has felt overwhelmed. Anyone that feels there is just not enough. Anyone that feels like they are running on empty.

Main Idea: When you don't have what you really want, God is what you really need.

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Family Devotional Scripture: Read 2 Kings 4:1-7 Observation: In your own words, what is this passage saying? Application: How can you practice this bible verse in your own life? Prayer: Ask for God's help to live out this passage and tell God anything else that is on your heart.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

The God Who Sees What We Don't

The God Who Sees What We Don't

Pastor Tim continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. Looking at a story about what could have been seen as a perilous time for Israel, Pastor Tim parallels Elisha's faith and trust in God to the exciting future of Washington Cathedral.

Why we are always excited to bounce back and hope for tomorrow.

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It is always a joy to follow Jesus into tomorrow:

1. From a building to a movement
2. Freedom from debt, Focus on family
3. New strides ahead as a Godly, healthy, and joyful church
4. Breakthrough to grow a better caring network

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

Ridiculous Recovery

Ridiculous Recovery

Pastor Rey continues the sermon series, Tales of Ridiculous Faith. Looking at the life of Elisha, Rey reminded us how easy it is to lose our spiritual edge. We must be aware of spiritual health and with God be restored when we've dulled.

Main Idea: God can help you find what you didn't mean to lost. Our God restores.

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What do you do when you're swinging away and you lose your spiritual edge? 1. Be honest as to where you lost it. 2. With God's help take back what you lost.

It is not too late to be the person you could have been. It is not too late to get back what you lost... with the power of God.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

Ridiculous Promises

Ridiculous Promises

We all want to know God's plan for our lives, but sometimes God's plan doesn't feel very close to our lives. This week, pastor Ben showed that it just takes is a small change in perspective to be able to see it.

The Story

The story of Naaman and Elisha shows us that God's providence is always near, usually closer than we realize. God had used Naaman to liberate Israel from the wicked king, Ahab. Later, when Naaman fell ill with leperousy, God used a servant girl in his house bring him to Elisha; he sent another servant boy to show him the wisdom in the Elisha's words; and the Elisha himself made Naaman go through the steps to be ritually clean so that he could worship God.

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God was evident in so many ways that Naaman couldn't see:

• saved Israel from Ahab
• wife who speaks up
• prophet in israel
• servant boy who speaks up

A Better Way

Naaman expected to be healed from a disease, but he left having been cleansed so that he could worship God. Elisha was a great prophet, but even Elisha wasn't willing to speak to Naaman, much less touch him. Jesus shows us a better way. Jesus was willing to touch lepers and remind them of their human dignity.

Jesus heals us, but he also cleanses us. It is through Jesus that we're able to find wholeness and comfort, but it is also through Jesus that we become cleansed of our emotional filth and our past wrongs so that we can come to God freely. We know that we are loved by God because Jesus says that we are forgiven.

God's Plan

God's plan is underneath every little piece of our lives, the problem is that we can't see it most of the time. Just like rebar is to construction, God's plan is there underneath the surface, holding us together and making us stronger. It is God's providence that makes us capable of the great things that we do in our lives; it's also the thing holding keeping us from falling apart when our world goes bad.

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So what do we do when God's plan isn't as clear?

1. Listen to someone from that you don't normally listen to. Maybe your kids. Maybe your spouse.

2. Tell the rumor! Share about what God has done. Share on facebook, in your work, to your family.

3. Take a day off to pray and ask God what his mission for your life might be.

Like what you see but want more? Check out Washington Cathedral's website for more information.

Great Faith Requires Great Risk

Pastor Tim begins the new series about ridiculous faith, centering around Elisha. Like the prophet Elisha we all have risk in our lives.  The only way to have anything is to have risk in our lives- to live to the fullest. Risk and faith, resulting from that risk, makes life more beautiful.

““If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

 "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it,

but that it is too low and we reach it."

Michelangelo

Wouldn't it be nice if we could say that faith was a no risk proposition?  But life is all about taking risks; if you're afraid of taking risk, then you're afraid of life.

On our Board of Directors we have a Mathematician by trade, B.J. Eliason.  He has been an incredible blessing to our church.  He is a strong quiet man.  You might know him because he has run the math tutoring class at our church for years.  I don't know how many kids in our church have passed Calculus because of him (not to mention the adults going back to school).

His job is in actuarial mathematics.  He helps companies mathematically figure the risks of projects.  He and I were having coffee the other day and discussing the lessons that we have learned over the past several years at our church.  He told me something quite shocking.  You can never completely eliminate risk- every mathematician and businessperson probably already knows this and deals with risks on a daily basis.  You can try and predict the outcome and you can try and learn from it but eliminating risk it is impossible.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiMiKgbQOd8]

I had the chance to meet Peter Drucker, the dean of American Business, more than once and had the honor to sit under his teaching.  He had a calling to teach pastors the art and science of business, so he invested his time hanging out with the pastors of Churches Uniting In Global Mission.   Peter Drucker said, "People who do not take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.”   That can leave us to the conclusion that we will make mistakes, no matter whether we are risk-takers or not.

Now in scripture we are taught to seek wise counsel and engage in two-way conversations with those who are mature enough to be involved in it.  It is not always so easy to find wise counsel in a world where everyone thinks they are right and just want to throw rocks.  But when you do find them it is all the more valuable.  You will benefit from reason, wise loving advice, and those willing to get involved in the process to make the best decisions.

Then there is risk. It is a part of faith.  But when your goal is so beautiful that even your failure is a success then you have a winning combination.  Risk is tough but when you are sincerely following Christ - walking with him faith still moves mountains.

“Either life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

Helen Keller

Want to know more?

Please visit us by checking out our website, or you can email us if you have more questions.

The Lord's Prayer of Freedom

Pastor Tim concludes the "Can You Hear Me Now?" series, diving into prayer life and growing closer to God. He looks at the last few verses of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and the importance of forgiveness from God and between ourselves and others.

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Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  As we close the series on the Lord's Prayer, it ends with the issue of forgiveness being a two way street. Resentment is a poison we drink thinking it will impact the person we are struggling against, when in reality, we are the ones to suffer.  Prayer allows us space to get away from the busyness of life and to work on giving and receiving forgiveness.  When we give up resentment that is a big step, because when we do so, we are giving up our fruitless hopes of a perfect past.  Only God can help us in this all important area. Through Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6:5-15, we are able to experience a sense of freedom.  Freedom from our past. Freedom from our mistakes. Freedom from bitterness and resentment. Freedom to joyfully let God work in mighty ways in our lives.

Want to know more?

Please visit us by checking out our website, or you can email us if you have more questions.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Pastor Linda continues the "Can You Hear Me Now?" series, diving into prayer life and growing closer to God. Looking at Matthew 6:11, she looks at God's promise to give us everything we need, even if we don't know exactly what that is in our lives.

I love fresh baked bread.  How about you?  I especially love the smell of it baking in the oven.  My mom was a bread baker and one of my fondest childhood memories was waking up to the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven.

When I was traveling in Israel many years ago our group was touring Cana (where Jesus performed his first recorded miracle of turning water into wine for a wedding reception).  Across the street from the church commemorating this event was a little bakery where they were baking the wonderful flat bread of Israel, in stone ovens.  The smell was out of this world.  As a matter of fact, it was hard for us to remain focused on the tour because we couldn’t wait to get finished so we could go get some of that bread (As I’m writing this I’m getting hungry for some fresh baked bread.)

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Throughout the Bible, bread is essential for sustaining life.  Jesus referred to himself as the “bread of life” in John 6:35 and goes on to say that when we come to him we will never be hungry or thirsty again.  So when Jesus gives us this model prayer and asks us to prayer for “our daily bread”, it means so much more than just praying for a loaf of bread.

Jesus is reminding us here that God wants to provide us with everything we need for a healthy and happy life – physically, spiritually and emotionally.  “And God will generously provide all you need.  Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

“Give Us” is another interesting choice of words for Jesus to use in our instruction.  “Give” is a power-packed little word.  When we are asking God to “give” something to us, we are acknowledging that God is the source of everything.  James 1:17 reminds us “that every good thing we have comes to us from God.”

The fact that God is the source of everything we have, reminds us that we are to care for and use those gifts in a way that pleases Him.  In 2 Corinthians, we are reminded when we share freely and give generously that is what is remembered forever.  What we do with what God gives us is very important to Him.  The next verse in 2 Corinthians “For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat.  In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

God will provide us with everything we need.  Jesus reminds us to include those needs in our prayers every day.  With that, we need to remember that as He provides it is also our responsibility to use those resources wisely and to be generous with everything he gives us.

As you use the Lord’s prayer as your model this week:

1) Pause and think about who you are talking to (Our Father who is in heaven hallowed be your name….).

2) Before you get to the needs section, you need to surrender your will, not impose it (Your kingdom come Your will be done….)

3) Now ask yourself, “what do I need today and how will I use what God give me to glorify Him?” (Give us this day our daily bread.)

Want to know more?

Please visit us by checking out our website, or you can email us if you have more questions.

The Prayer that Works 100% of the Time

Pastor Rey continues the "Can You Hear Me Now?" series, diving into prayer life and growing closer to God. This week he addresses the difference between praying for things as if God is our magical genie verses fully submitting to God's will.  To prayerfully surrender to God.

It’s not what you think.  It’s not a prayer that will make God do your bidding.  Most of my efforts in prayer have been trying to figure out how to pray in such a way so that God would always answer my prayer.  I would never have said it, but basically I wanted an all-powerful genie I could summon for my request.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s not just me looking for a magical panacea to my problems in prayer.  Maybe that’s why most of the best selling books on prayer promise us a method or strategy on how to pray in such a way so that we can ‘move’ God.  Maybe there is something in all of us that likes the idea of having God on a leash.  At our command.  At our control.

This kind of thinking isn’t new to us.  In the book of Acts chapter 8, there is a guy named Simon who wants to buy the ability to control God.  The disciples probably wanted the same ability when they asked Jesus “Teach us to pray.”

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Jesus does teach them to pray.  In fact I believe he teaches them the right way to pray.  I believe he teaches them a prayer that works every single time.  After teaching them to ‘pause and think about who you are talking to’ (check out last weeks message if this makes no sense - http://youtu.be/_hUkswuF-KE), Jesus teaches them a prayer that works 100% of the time –

“Your kingdom come.  You will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

It’s the prayer of surrender.  It’s getting to the place where you put God’s will above your own.  It’s moving in God’s direction and not trying to move God in your direction.  It’s not trying to bend God in your direction, but allowing God to bend you in His direction.

This prayer is different.  It’s unusual.  It’s not the typical prayer I pray.  Usually I have a need and I’m begging God to answer my request.  Usually, I don’t say things like “God, before we go any further, before I get to my needs, before I get to my kingdom, I want you to know, I’m more committed to your will then I am my own.  I want your will.  Even if it hurts.  Even if I hate it.  Even if I don’t understand it.”

It was hard to even type those words because it’s so scary. But that is why Jesus told us to pause.  So that during the pause we could see God as our heavenly Father and King, who we can trust.  The prayer of surrender requires trust.  And when I trust God, I can say, with my whole heart “Your will be done.” Because I know His will is best for my life.

You see, this prayer works every time, not because it moves God, but because it moves you.  It moves you in God’s direction.  And that is the purpose of prayer.  To recalibrate our hearts.  To realign our hearts.  To sync our hearts with the heart of the Father.

So let me ask you a few questions:

-   Do you trust God? -   What areas of your life do you struggle to surrender to God? -   Why do you think that is? -   What would your life look like if you truly surrendered to God?

Even you want to hear the whole message, please visit us by checking out our website, or you can email us if you have more questions.

Learning from Jesus

Pastor Rey starts off on a new series "Can You Hear Me Now?", diving into prayer life and growing closer to God. The first step as we learn from Jesus is to pause, slow down, and get away from the crazy.

Imagine learning to throw a football from Russell Wilson, or how to coach a team from Pete Carroll, or how to manage a company from Paul Allen, or how to talk smack from Richard Sherman.  Minus the last example, I think most of us would relish in the opportunity to learn a skill from one of the greats.

Now imagine learning to pray from Jesus himself.  Imagine if you could somehow figure out this whole prayer thing from the person who was most connected to God.  Well you don’t have to imagine because you can learn to pray vicariously through the disciples who once asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray.”

I have been trying to figure out prayer ever since becoming Christian.  I have tried praying silently, aloud, writing down my prayers, reading other’s prayers, walking through nature and praying, praying while I jog, praying through scripture, praying on my knees, praying on my back, praying with my eyes open, and every other way you can imagine.

And for most of my life the results have been mixed.  Sure I have experienced answered prayers but they are sandwiched between unanswered prayers.  Honestly I can’t help but think that I must be doing it wrong.  Not saying the right words or not saying them the right way.

I think we have all had our doubts at some point.  Can God truly hear us?  Jesus answers that with an emphatic ‘YES!’  And he teaches us how to.

He  begins his lesson by introducing us to God.  He reveals the nature of God to us.  He reminds us who we are talking to because I think they struggle with the same issues I struggle with.  I tend to overlook God.

From the very beginning Jesus reminds us – Before you pray, I want to you pause.  I want you to slow down.  I want you to take a deep breath and think about who you are talking.  God is your Father.  Holy and different than all others.  None can compare.  Though He is unseen, he sees and knows all about you.  He knows all about your needs and he is your rewarder.

The essence of prayer is relationship which is why Jesus tells us to pause and think about who you are talking to.  Declare God’s greatness.

Which is what we are doing this week.  We are pausing.  We are taking this week to declare God’s greatness.  To make a list of who God is to you.  To contemplate.  To meditate.  To recognize the God of eternity who has invited us to refer to him as Father.

Don’t miss out next week as we dive into the rest of the prayer.  For those who missed, here is a link to last week’s message.

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Like what you hear, but want more?

You can check get more information by checking out our website, or you can email us if you have more questions.