hey everyone……i thought it would be fun to throw out some questions in preparation for the message this sunday in  our “God is…” series.  respond away….

• when you think of all the things going wrong in the world, do you doubt God?
• is it difficult for you to feel intimacy with God?
• what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear that Jesus intercedes for you/us?
• do you truly believe that God is “for” you?

Hey South County…I wanted to give you a reminder as well as a heads up on a couple of upcoming things.

First, if you were at service this past weekend you heard that we’re doing Church in a House again!

Yup, August 8^th we’ll be meeting in homes all over South Orange County for Sunday service instead of coming to the Laguna Hills High School gym.  If you are new or want more details and information, just click here.

Practically, Jenn and I had so much fun the first time around, but I have also begun to see how this is pointing to something much bigger.  IBint is clear that God is continuing to help us take steps to see and realize what it means to live missionally in our neighborhoods.  I hope you will once again step out in faith and gather in your neighborhood on August 8^th.  Let’s learn together…

On another note there will be Tacos and Bingo on August 1^st. That’s all you need to know right now.  Tacos….and Bingo.  That’s right.

See you this weekend!

Chad

hey south county…

so, we did it! church in a house happened all over south county yesterday. well done!

i have already heard reports from many leaders saying what a great experience it was and many people wanting and hoping for future chances to do this again.

jenn and i met with about 17 or so adults and three kids in a home and had a great morning. the best way i can describe our day was that there was just something that felt very “right” about it. things were very simple and yet profound. we opened god’s word, discussed it, prayed, took communion and then sang together. it was such a joyful sound to hear everyone sing out together in a living room.

we met people or discovered some who live in our neighborhood and didn’t even know it. and now we won’t forget each others’ names with the help of some sweet adjectives – kooky, dr., humongous, dramatic…on and on….

so… great, great, great job everyone. i look forward to hearing more stories this coming week.

what a strong community god is building. jenn and i love being a part of this with you.

see you soon,
chad

Good morning South County…..I loved our talk yesterday about God’s love. I hope and pray that each of us walk in it this week.

Call on the Holy Spirit again and again to help you grow deeper in this.

And fight for it! Fight the lies we hear about our identity coming from performance and approval, especially as we head back into our jobs and busy lives. Do not forget where your worth comes from! Satan knows that our core understanding of God’s love for us is powerful and dangerous, so he may be feeding you many lies this week. If so, I encourage you to read this, meditate on it or say it out loud….

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

Lastly, attached here is the letter we had at the crosses that outlines God’s love for each one of us through scripture. Another tool to remind us of who we are.

Ok…have a great week and we’ll see you Sunday.

Chad

Though I will be making and welcoming some new friends into my life over the next 5 weeks (nice to meet you Mr. beans and rice), I would like to take the opportunity in the following space to say farewell to a dear friend.

As of March 1, I will no longer interact or have anything to do with this friend until Easter Sunday.

This is a friend whom I have counted on to be there each night before I go to bed.  If it’s been a good day, this friend helps me celebrate.  If it’s been a tough day, my friend is there to make things better, if just for a moment.

And even as I say goodbye for these five weeks, my friend does nothing to hold me back.  He only sits and waits with a calm strength.

If only my friend had a long alien finger that would light up in red, he would reach out and touch my heart while speaking this truth to me – “I’ll be right here.”

So, goodbye my friend Caramel Cone Haagen Dazs.  Goodbye.

Until we meet again on Easter Sunday,
Chad

Here are some things I think I think while sitting at Panera Bread in Fullerton.

This weekend we’re talking about how Jesus calls us to lose our life in order to follow him.  We must deny ourselves and take up our cross (his agenda) daily.  I feel like I get this right maybe once every 5040 minutes.  Maybe.

• I feel smarter when I’m somewhere that people are studying.
• I have been very aware this week personally and through our community that the enemy is not pleased with what is happening through the people attending RH South County.
• I was also reminded this week, personally, that the Holy Spirit truly is like the wind.  He comes and goes in ultimate power, but it’s so difficult to discern his coming and going sometimes.  But when he comes….dang it’s awesome.
• Most everyone I see who wears a beanie looks fine in it except me.
• I witnessed and experienced the beauty and freedom of vulnerability in our life group this week.  There is such, such power in sharing our lives with others…really sharing.  There was freedom in that room.
• The Panera lady just came out with free quiche samples!
• Steve Carter is hosting the staff at the new Fullerton campus this morning.  It is so exciting to think of a whole new crew being launched out.
• My 2^nd grade daughter had “quiche” as a spelling word and I couldn’t help her.  Really – I had no idea.

Ok folks…..on with Wednesday……….see you soon,

Ok everyone….

We’re going to be a little random in this space at times to mix it up. So today we’re going to list the top ten movie moments that come to my mind at 6:26 pm. Let’s do it…………

10)  Tombstone – all the guys walking down the street toward the OK Corral in their sweet trench coats.  Doc Holliday “shrugs” his off as he pulls up his rifle.  I think I would look solid shrugging off a trench coat.

9) Lion King – Circle of Life opening scene is tough to beat.

8)  E.T. – Flying on bikes.  It’s reported that in the 80’s, “flying on a bike” wishes when blowing out birthday candles spiked 700%.

7) Rudy – you might be thinking it’s when he sacks the quarterback at the end….but no!  It’s when he gets his acceptance letter while sitting on the bench.

6) Field of Dreams – When Shoeless Joe Jackson first comes back and talks about the feel and smell of baseball.  So awesome.   I would throw batting practice to a ghost if given the chance.

5) Say Anything – When John Cusack holds the boombox outside her bedroom window.  I wish I could hold a boombox outside of Jenn’s bedroom window.  But… that would be my bedroom window . . .too…so that’s weird.

4) Dumb and Dumber – the snowball fight.  I was on the floor of the theater the first time I saw it.

3) The Princess Bride – Anything Inigo Montoya says.  I do a money imitation when I’m driving.

2) Braveheart – All of them.  Every single frame of film.  I’m serious.  Every frame.

1) Karate Kid – The crane kick.  I will cry right now.

Ok, let me have it….but remember, these are just off the top of my head right now, so don’t get all crazy and stuff……

Hey everyone.  I’ve been challenged in a couple of ways this past week.

First, I’m really tired of eating rice and beans for dinner.  Like, really tired.  So much that I just didn’t eat dinner twice last week because I just didn’t want them.  This is a good thing.  During this month of sacrificing a meal for a greater cause (see goodfellowfamily.blogspot.com for more info.  It’s their fault), I am continuing to realize just how much we have and how much we waste at the same time.  So as Jenn and I dug in the other night we stopped and thanked God for the food in front of us, no matter how much we did or didn’t like the taste at the time.  Baby steps man…baby steps.  In moments like that I am astounded at how much I have to learn.   I pray that some of the teaching and habits that have taken place this month will take root and grow.  I need it….

Second, I realized I needed to get my tail in gear to invite some people to Christmas services.  I thought of these two brothers that work at the gas station right near our house.  I see them all the time and have really enjoyed seeing them and getting small glimpses into their lives.  So it came to my mind the other day to invite them to Christmas services.  We had never talked about church or what I do etc, so I was nervous about it.  I walked in and handed the invitations to Daniel and asked him to pass the other to his brother from Chad “the red bull guy”.  As I told him about the service times etc, he smiled and seemed very thankful.

I have no idea if they will come, but I’m not sure that was the goal of my visit.  I truly wanted to invite them so they know that I actually have an interest in their lives beyond just our gas station transactions.  If nothing else happened other than Daniel feeling loved and me getting the chance to express that – wonderful….

I’m continually amazed God is so active and ready to work through us and teach us if we will step into it.

Baby steps…..

Merry Christmas everyone….

Chad

Hey everyone.

As we head into the Christmas season, Jenn (my wife) started a really great discussion for our family tonight.  She had seen on a friend’s blog goodfellowfamily.blogspot.com how they are treating this Christmas season differently.  I know, I know…..this is something we talk about every year about this time.  Whether it’s slowing down, giving less or giving differently we’ve kind of heard it all by now.  I don’t disagree.  But here’s what I’m challenged with: I’m not really doing anything about it.  Yes, we’ve done a couple of things over the last few years that have been attempts to “do” Christmas in a way that focuses on the right things, and that’s great.  But as we were talking tonight, I realized those attempts are still just add-ons.  Without question, the main thing in our house and for this season is still lights and presents.

Even as I write, this is a tough one for me.  I LOVE lights and presents.  I love all the manufactured magic of Christmas.  I love stop-motion Rudolf, I love the new LED Christmas lights and I love the holiday cups at Starbucks.

But there has to be a way to raise my heart and my kids differently going forward.  I would be a blessed man if my children (now 6 and 8 ) grew up with a sense that Christmas was a time when we really did live lives that demanded an explanation.  I would be so blessed if we had traditions and absolutes at Christmas time that involved sacrifice and radical generosity.  And we would be blessed if this started at Christmas and seeped out into the rest of the calendar…

So, I’m now responsible for not just talking about it, and that feels good.  We’re going to see what God would have for our family, and I encourage you to do the same.  Let’s all do it together and then talk about how awesome God is.