@tallyphillips leading worship at Radiant @thecenterchurch. What God is doing…#thankful #excited #blownaway
I Love Esco…
It’s fun to travel. To go see and experience other places and culture. But there’s no place like home, and for me that place is Escondido, California. God has called me to this place, to this city.
I even get mad when people trash talk our city, because this place is dear to me, and so are its people.
But before I get too sanctimonious, I must tell you that I haven’t always felt the way I do about Escondido. About ten years ago I was at a leadership conference hoping to become a more effective leader when I heard a pastor share how he had laid his life down for the city he was pastoring in. I could hear the Lord saying to me,
Joel, you don’t have this kind of heart, but I want to give you the same love for your city and its people.
Later that night I read Paul’s words,
“So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” (1 Th 2:8)
When I read that verse I melted. I cried out, “Lord give me this kind of love for people.” Then I said, “Give me this kind of love for Escondido.” I can tell you that He answered that prayer, and I knew it.
There are people who never get attached to where they live. They may enjoy the surroundings and activities available. They may like their home and their neighborhood. They may be loyal to the local sports teams. They may feel compassion for hurting people who live around them and even sense a spiritual burden for them. But they see it as someone else’s job, someone else’s problem, not theirs, and certainly never to the point of laying their own lives down for it. All the while they have a plan to move elsewhere eventually. They live in anticipation of finally arriving at that special place, and that’s when they will really “get involved.”
Before we get too critical of these types of people, I used to be one. But God answered my prayer and changed me, and gave me a love for the city I live in. I pray God will do the same for you, and together we can show the love of Jesus to people here. And together maybe we can do a little trash talking about other cities. Just kidding.
The Way It Was?
I attended a church that had a great history and reputation. It had been pastored by an awesome man of God who had become well known for his radio show and the books that he had written.
The folks I chatted with at this church were nice enough, but they gave me the impression that their memories of the good ol’ days felt as real as though they were still happening. I could sense the nostalgic, sentimental coziness of the their familiar-shaped community. It was apparent that many of them had been together for a long time.
While there was something pleasant about the ease of relationships I detected among the group, there was something fatalistic about it. The majority of the people in attendance were middle-age or older. I saw no young people, only a few children, and later learned that the nursery had been shut down because there were no infants.
This church was becoming a relic
But God began to speak to the current pastor. God revealed his heart and desire was to reach the next generation. God began to redirect styles, approaches, attitudes, mindsets, etc. And instead of this church becoming a relic, it is now among many of the great churches today that are reaching and raising-up young leaders who will carry on the work. But it wasn’t easy.
There were those who confused styles with theology, methods with message, audience with congregation, buildings with church, etc. They would argue that the way things were was not only the only way to do it, but the biblical way to do it.
But how far back do you want to go?
Before the 80’s…most churches had only a piano and an organ. Electric guitar, bass, drums, etc. were considered worldly, if not demonic.
Before the 70’s… you would rarely, if ever, hear a message about the authority that the Believer has in Christ. Teaching on the power of faith and that God wants to bless his people was almost non-existent.
Before the 60’s… most churches were racially divided. Women were viewed as 2nd class citizens. And Christians were often identified by how they dressed (long skirts, no makeup, no jewelry).
How about even further back?… Our Founding Fathers owned slaves, as did the Puritans. The Reformers, like the Roman Catholic church before them, often used the power of the state to punish (and even kill) dissenters.
How about even further back?… The 1st Century Church was constantly attacked with false doctrine and heresies such as Gnosticism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Marcionism, Docetism, Sabellianism, and so on and so on. The satanic onslaught was vicious and unending. They were stoned, beheaded, crucified and had other horrible death sentences. They were fed to ravenous wild animals in arenas filled with cheering crowds.
Of course in all these dark moments of Church history there were bright moments when God intervened by His spirit. Speaking to his people, encouraging them not to look back, but to keep looking up. Time and time again he has empowered his people to make the message of Jesus Christ applicable and relevant to the lives around them.
Just like he did for the pastor mentioned earlier, God has graciously refocused the efforts of various ministries, and refreshed their mission to reach beyond the way it was.
The reason I know this to be true, is that pastor was me.
No Debate
I’m watching the presidential debates. There was a lot of talk about rebuilding America. Getting things back to the way they should be. It’s clear that they all think our country needs changing. It’s also clear that individually they think they’re the only ones that can get it done.
Politics, and its associated opinions, can generate a lot of arguing and finger pointing, but real change is elusive. As a result, two extremes emerge: those who think the nation is going down the tubes, and those who don’t seem to care.
The “goin’-down-da-tubes” gang are upset because no one is working hard enough for the things that matter. The “don’t-seem-to-care” bunch have become numb and indifferent from all the rhetoric, name-calling and hypocrisy. These polarized positions each have some essence of correctness, but are totally ineffective at created change, much less rebuilding America.
There are similar extreme positions spiritually…
Since the beginning days of the church, there have been two extremes: legalism and licentiousness. The legalists don’t think anybody is working hard enough to make it to heaven. The licentious ones don’t care what anybody does or doesn’t do because none of it really matters. These positions not only cannot produce change in a person’s life, they actually bring about spiritual death.
It’s to these dangerous extremes that Jesus stands in stark contrast. To the legalist, Jesus declares His work on the cross cannot be added to, it was enough. To the licentious person, Jesus asks, “If you love me, keep my commands.” And to all people Jesus invites,
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
That’s a plan that will bring about real change. No debate.
The Other Side Again
After Jesus was crucified, Peter and some other disciples went back to where they were from and started fishing again. Fishing was something they were naturally comfortable with, and they knew how to do it. Yet, after working all night they had caught nothing.
They heard somebody yell from the shore asking if they had caught anything. They yelled back that they hadn’t caught any fish. The person yelled again,
“Try it again on the other side boat.”
One of the guys shrugged his shoulders and said, “What’ve we got to lose?” Peter was too tired to argue, so they threw the net out on the other side. Even in their wildest dreams they’d never seen so many fish.
This caught John’s attention. “Peter, that’s Jesus!” he announced. But Peter was already swimming for shore. As Peter was swimming he remembered that this wasn’t the first time Jesus had given he and his friends strange instructions for fishing.
There was the time when Jesus told them to go into deeper water (where no one had ever caught fish before), and their nets were filled like never before. Then there was the time when they needed some money and Jesus told them to catch a fish and there would be gold in its mouth.
When you’re about to give up
In the push and pressure of circumstances that are going wrong, we become frustrated and discouraged. We get confused as to why things aren’t working out. It seems like we keep winding up in the same kind of difficulty. We get tempted to take matters into our own hands, or worse yet, to give up.
But Jesus comes into our situation and tells us to do something that often seems silly or illogical. He requires us to trust him, and to operate in faith. What then transpires is something that could never happen if we were left on our own resources—a miracle!
In any reoccurring difficulty (finances, relationships, attacks, etc.) the temptation to give up can be great, but the possibility for a miracle is greater. It’s in these times that God teaches us how great he is, builds our faith, and then gives us a testimony of what he did, and what he can do.
Cast your net one more time.
It’s Our Son
I’m in South America sitting across the table from a couple who are Pastors in Paraguay. I have known them for many years but something has changed. Besides the dark circles under their eyes and shoulders that seem to hang down, there’s a marked heaviness in their voices.
He tries to make small talk with me, but looks off and totally disengages. She looks at me and says nothing, but something screamed, “Help!!!” “Is everything alright?” I asked her.
“It’s our son…”
As she replied her eyes filled with tears. Hearing what she said, the husband turned and started another conversation with someone else who was in our group.
She went on to tell me about their 14-year-old son who was becoming more and more distant and difficult. “He and his father don’t talk to each other, and when they do they just yell.” Suddenly the husband turned and leaned across the table toward me, “I love my son! I just don’t know what to do!”
I knew exactly what this couple was feeling because I had lived it for over 25 years.
Memories flooded through my mind. Painful dark places and seasons that my wife and I had been through. Frustration, confusion, brokenness, and doubt were very familiar waters to us. Then having God speak to us, standing on His promises, and having our faith built up again and again were survival tactics we also knew well.
More than just words began to pour from my lips to this couple. There was a power attached to what I shared that can only come from a person who’s been in the same place and seen what God can do. The recollections of the pain, breakthrough and healing that have occurred in our family caused them to smile. They we’re getting a second wind of hope.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT)
While I would never want to face again the painful situation that my wife and I went through, when I see how God can use it to stir hope and faith in others, I actually feel honored.
I also feel confidant.
Confidant enough to look across the table into the eyes of crushed hope, and say, “I know it’s heartbreaking. I know it’s painful. But I also know that it’s going to be all right. God showed me.”
Barf On Dad’s Sweater
It was quite a while after my dad passed away that I finally got enough nerve to go look through his stuff. There were lots of things. It might have seemed like junk to most people, but it was treasure to me. Books. Records. Size 7½ shoes. Colorful socks. And a whole case of those collapsible hoses (he could never say no to telemarketers).
But it was a sweater that caught my attention the most.
The sweater was one that I had bought for my dad quite a few years ago. It was a dark plum color cashmere V-neck that looked amazing on him. What made it even better was that he loved it, and wore it a lot.
I grabbed it.
When I got home I noticed the sweater had something all over the front of it. Immediately I knew what it was. In his last few months, dad would get sick and his stomach would get the best of him. One of these times he was wearing this sweater.
I thought about trying to rub the stain out with soap and water, but it was too big. Then I thought about running the sweater through the washing machine, but I was afraid that would destroy it. I decided to take it to the cleaners who are professionals at stain removal.
The sweater came back totally clean
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8–9)
All of us have sin in our lives. It marks us. It’s like the barf on my dad’s sweater. We have received a beautiful gift, but sin dirties it.
Some people think a little eyedropper of God’s Word, and maybe some soap from going to church every now and then, is enough to clean them up.
Some people try to deal with sin themselves. They work hard at trying to do better and trying to stay clean, only to find themselves right back in the same old dirty ruts.
But some people have discovered that there is a professional sin stain remover, who is not only capable, but actually lives to clean people up. He’s looks through the stuff that death leaves behind. Silly things. Worthless things. Gross and disgusting to anyone else, but they are treasure to him.
He’s grabbed our lives, barf and all, and has brought us to his home. And he doesn’t just clean us up, but makes us totally new.
Black Bart’s Still Around
Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot.
The moniker, “Black Bart” was given to him because he wore a black hood that hid his face. And it was this image of a bandit wearing a black hood that caused people to be seized with fear. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard. He would simply command people from behind his veiled face and they did what he said.
Black Bart isn’t the only one who uses fear to paralyze his victims…
Satan uses fear in the same way to rob from us of our spiritual power and potential. As a result many of us live way beneath the level that God intends for us. Satan’s method for using fear is multifaceted:
• He uses our past sins and failures
• He uses the potential of more sin and failure
• He uses the certainty of rejection
But when Hell’s Black Bart confronts us, we do not have to roll over and give up. Instead, we can renounce that foul attack, not because of who we are, but because of whose we are!
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
“Abba” means, “papa.” It’s an endearing term for your father, in this case Father God. When Satan lurks behind the next bend, keep moving, don’t stop, look over at your divine stagecoach guard and say, “Get ‘em papa God!” And he’s got bullets made from nails of Calvary’s cross.
Home, School, Church…Partners in Christian Education
Here’s a sentence that can end a trillion different ways but basically starts the same…
“We need to get back to…”
“Back” to whatever the person feels represents a better time or better way of doing things. It’s heard in literally every circle of discussion and dialogue. While this can be born of legitimate concern, generally it bespeaks frustration and a longing for the “good ol’ days.” The trouble is, the good ol’ days weren’t always that good. Case in point: education.
Teaching the “3 Rs” has worked for years, and still does. But we live in an era when traditional approaches to education are being retooled in the form of homeschooling, charter schools, independent study, online learning, etc. The notion of being loyal to a particular school and/or program is becoming less important to modern families.
Contrary to the so-called “outcome-based” educational philosophy, there has to be criterion for evaluating and identifying a student’s strengths and weaknesses. However, students who have struggled with one or more areas of learning can be neglected, or shoved through the system, or worse, singled out as stupid.
Our School
16 years ago, as the new Superintendent of Escondido Christian School (ECS), I made a decision to make our school a place where no child would be beyond our reach. Whether it was learning gaps, social insecurity, behavioral or family issues, or spiritual problems, ECS would be a place for help and healing, as well as academic excellence and success. I believe this fulfills our mission statement…
Home, School, Church…Partners in Christian Education
There have been lots of steps and answered prayers that have made this possible, but one of the greatest keys to ECS’s success is our incredible faculty. From our Principal Pat Haag, to every teacher, staff member, and aide, God has fulfilled his words to Jeremiah,
I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15)
We welcome Matt Conway back to ECS!!!
One of the current answers to prayer is the return of Matt Conway. Matt taught at our school before moving to Florida and was beloved by all. Recently Matt and his wife Jennifer felt the Lord leading them to return to Escondido. We are excited to announce Matt’s appointment as our Vice Principal! Matt will be bringing his leadership to our entire program, as well as spearheading our new high school program.
With the addition of our fully accredited Infant-Toddler Center, under the leadership of Jodi LeDuc, ECS now has something for all ages. If you have children, or know someone who does, get them to our school ASAP! They will be educated, strengthened, and reminded regularly that they are loved by God and us. Enrollment is taking place now. http://www.ecslions.org/es-admissions.cfm
Go Lions!!!