Why do people go to church on Sundays?

I know I'm getting myself into a hole here... some will take this the wrong way, and that's okay. I don't mind.


2 Sundays ago I missed church... on purpose.

I have been visiting churches these past Sundays. Ive been to Fellowship of the Woodlands, Kaleo Church with Bill Streger, The Promise Church that my friend Daniel Espinoza pastors, Community Of Faith Church, River Pointe Church... and other churches.


A couple of weeks ago, I told my pastor that I would be looking for the next step in my ministry life and, although that was the hardest thing to do, since Pastor Rios has been my pastor forever, it had to be done.

It has been a good experience to go to these churches and see the way they do church. Some worship differently than others. Some teach different than others. Some pick up offering different than others. It has and still is an awesome learning experience.

2 Sundays ago I decided to stay home and not visit or go to a church.
Dude, when I woke up, I realized that I had slept in and I felt good!
I slowly got ready, put some relaxing clothes on and ran an errand that I had not done that Saturday. After taking my time, I went over to one of my favorite places, Starbucks, and sat outside enjoying the breeze and reading a book and my bible. It was great, man.

I started thinking, "Why do people go to church on Sundays?"
Tell me guys, why do you go to church?

Do you go because you have always been to church every Sunday of your life?
Do you go because your youth buddies will pass notes during service making fun of the lady that has big hair and gets a "breakthrough" every 5 minutes during service?
Do you go because "if Jesus hung on that cross for 6 hours, you should at least sacrifice 3 hours on a Sunday and go to church, brother."

Why do you go?
More importantly, why would any unsaved person go to your church?
Think differently. Think about your lost friends.
Why would they go to your church?

Is there a strategy that's in place for every lost person that sets foot in your church?
Is there a process?
Is there biblical teaching in your church... or does the pastor talk about tithes and picks up an offering whenever you bring a friend to church?

Why would anyone after working hard the whole week, plus Saturday, maybe worked overtime and has Sunday as the only day off....
Why would that person wake his family early and dress them up to go to a service that will not benefit his spiritual life and will cause him to dislike church? How do you think his kids will view church when they grow up?

Ah, I just wonder.
NOTE: I went to church yesterday and will "not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25)

Hey yall!

Well, well, well...

I have not blogged since forever.
My laptop has been acting up and have been getting on from random computers every once in a while to check my email..
Boy, I'm addicted to the computer.

We got so much to catch up on... so much to catch upon.
I have been having this overwhelming feeling that I have for the year 2009.
Some dramatic changes will be coming to my life and I'm ready to go to another exciting phase in my life. I'm excited.. I can actually jump for joy! Hehe. God has been good.

2009 is MINE baby!
OK, forget that I said that. Cheesy...

Lets do this.
This is what you, my friends, have missed on.
Its not that important, but lets go for it:

• I went to a holiday party with my girl 2 Fridays ago... Pretty good, pretty good. My girl was looking fine, I tell you. She always is tho.
• It snowed about a week ago (?) in Houston, TX. Yes it did! (Go global warming! Hehe)
• I did not go to church last Sunday... on purpose. More on that later.
• Ive been hittin the Panera and Starbucks every evening after work to read and to study.
• I recently caught up with a friend that has some talent when it comes to computers. George, it was good to get some Denny's at 10 pm with you... and thanks for fixing my laptop. You re the man.
• My girl is excited that she is going to be moving to Huntsville (1 hour away from home) to go to school (Sam Houston State University). Friends are asking us how we are going to make it.. Hehe. Its funny, we crack up. We've have been going at this relationship for yeeeaars! Haha. No really, it seems that nothing will change since I just see her, maybe once during the week and shell be home for the weekends. Lighten up guys.
• I went to Community of Faith this Sunday and took a friend. Really good message by Mark Shook. Ive been there twice and both times they have shown the different things that they are doing for the community where their church is located... and they're awesome!!
• It was cold today
• Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow, again!
• Did some Christmas shopping for the family.
• Reading The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson. Really good book.
• I saw "The Tales of Despereaux" today with Ruthie, my girlfriend. It was a hilarious movie! A kids movie, but hilarious.
• I love my girl. She is perfect for me.
• 3 more days for Christmas.

Peace and joy to all.
Hit me up.

Consumerism.

Consumerism.
Yep thats the word...
I looked it up on Wikipedia (hehe) and the definition summed it up for me.

CONSUMERISM: The equation of personal happiness with consumption and the purchase of material possessions.

I was thinking about the whole "financial crisis" that Americans are going through... it seems like everyone is being bailed out... Where is the application? I gotta sign up and stand in line.
I'm thinking of gifts for Christmas. What to give people...
But here is a question: What do you give to someonethat already has everything?
Huh...

Really, it seems tha everyone has everything they need.
More than 10 Billion dollars were spent on Black Friday, the day after thanksgiving, at malls and stores.
Did you get that?
More than 10 BILLION!

Here is another question:
Where are the days when a kid could ask for a toy truck or a doll? Where are those days?

I remember as a kid, opening up my presents on Christmas Eve... not Christmas morning. We were too anxious, so that became our tradition.

I remember unwrapping the gift wrap... opening the box and finding out that there was a TOY FIRETRUCK inside... Yea, man, Those were the... Im telling you, man. I vroom-vroomed it all day every day in the hardwood kitchen floor.
I also remember opening up another gift and was so happy to find out that I had a new TOY JUMBO JET!
Oh, I loved that one.
The funny thing is that my brother Abraham had gotten the same identical one. Haha!
But they were fun.

I was not asking for an Ipod Touch.
I was not demanding an Iphone.
I did not desire a laptop computer.

I swear... (forgive me) the next kid that I see at Wal-Mart throwing a tantrum, screaming, demanding that he NEEDS that Wii... Im gonna punch... er, pray for his parents.
Boy, if I ever did that as a kid, my father would have taken off his belt in the store and I would not have felt the seat of my pants for days, man!
I just dont get it.
The world has dratically changed in the last 15 years.

Personally, in my family... It will probably be the Gift Card Christmas this year.
No expensive gadgets, no expensive clothes... just simple, inexpensive gift cards.

Listen, where is Jesus in all your hustle and bustle?
Whereis Jesus when you are standing in line for 30 minutes paying for a gift that maybe the recipient wont even like?

Remember the real reason for Christmas.
These 2-3 weeks of the year, remember the gospel.
Rememner that if Jesus had not been born in a manger your sins and mine would not have been taken away.
Remember that if Jesus had not been born, you and I would not have the hope we have today.

I pray that in my shopping for my gift cards, I can ultimately remember that I am blessed to live this life and that I need more of Him.

He became a curse for us.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by

becoming a curse for us—for it is written,

"Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree."

Galatians 3:13

Wow, what a scripture... I was talking to my youngest sis, Tey! Hehe. We were talking about things and touched on the subject of God's unconditional love for us.

Is it not amazing that Christ died for us?

Ok, you knew that...

But think about it.

God is a just God.

So, if you are a rapist... a murderer... a thief... a liar, God has to be just!

He cannot just say, "Ahh, thats ok... youre alright. Ill let you pass."

He cannot sweep your sin under the rug.

Where is the Justice?

If God would do that, He would not be a just God.

But He is just.

What does God do?

God becomes a curse for us.

God becomes human and bears what we are...

A rapist, a murderer, a thief, a liar... whatever you are!

Jesus becomes our substitute.

Jesus says, "Listen, Tony, I know you are a sinner, but I love you so much that I will bear your sin and... instead of you dying, I will die."

He says, "I will become what you are in order to save you."

God is angry at your sin. He is mad.

But when Jesus steps in and dies for us, he becomes our substitute... and God's wrath and anger is absorbed in Jesus (through the sacrifice of the cross).

And God's anger is satisfied, being able to forgive our sin.

Jesus takes in the anger of God on the cross.

When we sin, we look towards the cross and repent saying, "God is mad, but his anger was spent in Jesus and now I can accept his forgiveness."

What love!

What grace we have found in God, guys!

As I told this to my youngest sister last night, I could not help but think about what God had done for me. We also shared this verse in 1 John 4:10 and I literally received strenght as God's child when I read it.

"In this is love, not that we have loved God

but that he loved us and sent his Son

to be the propitiation (the wrath-absorbing) for our sins."

Think abou that verse.

Recognize his sacrifice.

See his love.

Repent because Jesus paid it all.

Thanksgiving.

Does it feel like Thanksgiving to you?
I don't know you'll, but it does not feel like it.
Maybe its just me, you know? Maybe.

I personally have not heard about turkey much... and the weather in Houston was so warm.
For thanksgiving, I'm used to it getting cold.
What do you think?

Anyway, it does not matter if its cold or hot...
It does not matter if your family is cooking or not...
It does not matter if your cousins are coming over to your house or not to eat on thanksgiving day...
Let me take you to a scripture in the Bible, where we can focus on this last part of the week.

Although we can look at the context of the scripture and come out with some good things.

But concentrate on this verse and look at it closely.

Ephesians 5:20

"giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Remember:
IN everything that happens in your life... give thanks to Jesus.
FOR everything that happens in your life... give thanks to Jesus.

I thank God for the life that He has given me because of His sacrifice on the cross.
I thank God for my loved ones that surround me in my everyday life.
I thank God for the calling that He has place in my life.
Thank you, Jesus!

People are in need of Jesus.

People are in need of Jesus.
Really. we are so used to "just" saying that and we don't really know how much they are in need of Him... or know of any friend that needs God.
I was that type of person.
I used to say to all my friends, "People need Jesus."
Of course, all my friends were Christians... and we HAD Jesus, you know? We had Him!
Now that I look back on it, we were thought we acted like Jesus, but were so far from it. We were full of arrogance.

I cant tell you about it enough without bringing up that one time where Jesus was hanging out with sinners.

Matthew 9:10 says,

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples."

He ate with them at their house. Imagine that!

I bet he heard a couple of words that were inappropriate.
I bet he heard some nasty jokes from these men.
So, when you meet someone that does not go to your church... does not go to your youth group... does not believe the way you believe... then and only then, (hehe) you can ask that one question, WWJD?

Really, what would Jesus do?
He would sit and talk to them.

I was waiting for my friend Joe at Starbucks and was killing time. I opened my calendar and was thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas, my girl, the upcoming weekend (already!)... you know, just killing time.
On my right side of me there was this young guy that was reading his bible.
I was intrigued.
I started to make conversation with him.
We eventually got the point where I asked him ,"What church do you go to?"
He responded, "I don't go."
He then told me that he had moved here from another state, so I thought, well, he has not found a church.
He then told me, "No, I just don't approve of churches."
Oh God, this is about to get interesting, I said to myself.

If I was still hanging around my "Christian pals", I would have said, "Sinner!"
I would have said, "He is not part of us."
I would have said, "He doesn't get our vision, lets move on. Forget him."
I would have judged him wrongly.

But, I asked myself, WWJD? (Yeah right! Hehe)
For the next 30 minutes (Joe was taking too long to meet me), my new friend took me through 1 chapter of Acts and 1 chapter of Galatians.
We talked about God's righteousness, the law, believing in Jesus through faith...
He obviously knew his stuff.

People are in need of Jesus.
I have come to realize firsthand that they do.

I came out of that conversation kind of shocked at the views that many people have about the church.
Its one thing to hang around with your church camp friends... its another to make friendships with people that need Jesus.

People are so full of bitterness towards the church, but yet they still realize that they need Jesus.
We all need Jesus.
Go out there and make a friend this week.
Talk to them about Jesus... because deep down... deep, deep down, they know they need Him so much.

"I pray for my friend. I pray that God reveals to him that Jesus said that the church was His... That He was going to build it. I also pray that the church starts acting like the church. Jesus, help me act and be your church."

Church Planting Boot Camp: Day 2

Im so tired... but its all been worth it.
It took me 4 hours to get to Houston from Dallas, but it was 4 hours of dreaming, some phone calls, listening to John Piper and dreaming some more... I actually dozed off a couple of times on the road.. Not good.

Before I go to bed, let me leave you with the experience that I enjoyed so much today.
As you all know, I have been learning some amaing things at an Acts29 Church Planting Boot Camp in Dallas, Tx.

Well, here we go.
We started out with JR Vassar telling us to go deep with the Sabbath rest.
Ministry will disorient you at times, thats why you need to Sabbath.
Disconnect from TV, myspace, facebook, email, blogs at least one day a week. Huh? Yea, that was harsh to hear.
He talked a little about not abusing people to build our ministries but build our ministries by building people. Wow.
Hey guys, Christ died for you. Jesus did it all... get out of "performance mode" and chill... take a nap. The Kingdom wont desintegrate.
Sabbath deflates our inflated selves.

Jonathan Dodson was amazing.
He talked on this topic: Spirit-led Ecclesiology, Following the Spirit through Church Planting.
We sometimes rely on our research, books, timelines, and blogs to plant our churches.
We sometimes just plow trough all "obstacles" that arise while we are planting a church.
For example, a guy commits a sin, and is supposed to teach next week. What do you do?
I often see pastors just call that "an attack from the devil." Hehe... and they just rebuke it and continue with their plans, leaving the "brother" to fend for himself.
I learned that the question we must ask is this, "What would the Holy spirit have me to do in this situation?"
Lets restore our brother. Lets help our hurt brother.
What a difference that would make.
What do you do when the unexpected and unplanned things happen?
Stephen gets killed in Acts 7.
Angels tell Peter to go to Cesarea to talk with a gentile named Cornelius.
What do you do? You rely on the Holy Spirit.

Matt Chandler talked about Jesus deconstructing worldviews in Luke 15.
Real quickly. this is what got me the most.
When the prodigal son came back to the house, the father made a party for his son sayiong, "My son was dead, but now he lives."
The older son gets angry and jealous because they are throwing a party for the unfaithful son.
Look at me. Ive been here my whole life "serving" in the "house." I have always "obeyed" my dad's orders.
What does the father do?
Does he tell his servants, "My older son does not gt it... turn up the music and lets party. We get it. Forget him." No Way!
The father goes outside where his older son is at and PLEADS with him to come inside.

If you are reading this bulletin/post/blog and you find yourself feeling like you have serves Jesus and have been faithful to Him your whole life, but still feel down and out, ready to give up, feeling anger, jealousy, bitterness....
I encourage you to drop me a message, send me an email, text me... whatever.
Lets pray together so that we may both go in the house and glorify God.

Goodnight.