Influencers of the Central Valley

​M6 May 19th

Thoughts from the Journey The Playground Have you ever had the chance to sit and listen to kids playing at a playground? I live near an elementary school, so I hear it every morning. Amid the chaos and loud volume of kids screaming, laughing, and playing, there’s a sense of order and joy coming from that playground. It’s not just an environment but a kind of microculture, shaped by age, ethnicity, gender, and family background. Yet, among these differences, one sound stands out: the sound of euphoric energy and joy. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to hear testimonies from a few students who had recently been on a mission trip. Two of them shared things that made me think more deeply about their experiences during service. The first student said that as followers of Christ, we need to “love loudly,” emphasizing that Christ's love should not be controlled or sparingly given, but shared generously and without holding back. I liked those two words—“love loudly”—and then, the second ...

 

i:60 SELF EXAMINATION Today, a thought came to me: how do we know if we have become prideful? It sounds a little obvious - pride is pride, right? But if you say you're not being prideful, it's almost like you are being prideful. It's like saying, 'I think I'm a pretty humble individual.' Nothing is more annoying than being around a person who likes to brag or thinks they know everything. I've been around many people in my life and have found pride to be disguised in many different ways, but the worst one I've found, in my opinion, is the pride of oneself, like myself, in not assuming I am being prideful. I hate this type of pride, and when I say I hate it, I mean I hate it in myself more than I hate it in others.. Specifically, when it evolves into something unrecognizable in my life but very recognizable among others. A follower of Christ is most ineffective in sharing the love for Christ when he or she becomes intolerable to be around, or worse, people...

A Wall Licker for Jesus. The more I give up, the more He fills up. Over the past three years, God has worked overtime in my life. What I've found is that all the things I held so strongly, God has shown me how wrong I was. In discovering this, I can't help but think of a man named Saul. For those who are not familiar with Saul, he was a strong and well-equipped Jewish leader, a rising star. He was so zealous for God that he almost missed the point of all that God was showing him. Saul loved God and did all he could to be God's enforcer in his own right regarding the Jewish religion. But God loved Saul. He loved Saul enough to break Saul and sort of give Saul a long “time out”. God's Son, Jesus, met Saul on the road to Damascus, where Paul was on his way to persecute more Christians. But Jesus overwhelmed Paul on his journey and said these words to Saul, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” The last part of what Jesus sa...

We Are Not a Church But We Are a Church. Does not make much sense. But on the contrary, it does. As a follower of Christ my entire life I have been part of the American church. So I am fluent in Christianese. I know all the types of theology. I know church etiquette, the debate about worship, and the debate about free will. When it comes to men’s groups I've been around the block a few times. Most of my life I couldn't stand men's groups and when I had to attend one I would find a place to hide and have a dip of Skoal and sip on an energy drink. For those who know me would say I'm an extrovert always around people but the real me really wanted to be an introvert and when it came to men’s groups I'd easily become one and take off somewhere to be alone with God in my own way. Then something changed about 2 ½ years ago and I won't go into the details because it is hard enough to get a man to read a paragraph let alone 2 or 3 pages. I was invited to attend an event...