Christ, Our Pinch Hitter

As I sit writing this, its just a few days before the opening day of my son's little league season.   This is great time of excitement as the new season begins and the hopes of a winning season and tournament championships are still very much alive for every team.

In a former life I played in a church softball league.  We were not very good, so our championship hopes usually were over by the fifth game of the season (at the latest). We had a lot of fun though. One of the funny things that happened was one time when one of the best hitters on our team smacked the ball really well. I mean he crushed it. In fact, to our duffer-league disbelief  he hit it so hard it cleared the fence.  Duffers don't hit many home runs! And certainly not our team!  So we were all going into hysterics over this out of the park home run.  The funny part  is everyone knew the ball was out of the park except the batter. He ran as fast as he could all the way around the bases with people yelling to him. They were yelling to slow down, but he misinterpreted the noise as a prod to run harder. It wasn't until he crossed home plate that he realized there was no need to run so hard. “Wait...It was over the fence?” he asked with winded speech. While the work was done to enjoy the trip, he ran like it all depended on his "lightening" speed. His, once-in-a-duffer's-life moment, lasted all of half a minute.

Right now, we are in the middle of the season of Lent. It is period of time Christ -followers traditionally slow down to reflect on what Jesus purchased for us on the cross. It's a time, before opening day (Easter) to slow down. Walk slowly.  So maybe today, maybe right now, God is telling you to slow down. Consider and enjoy what He has done for you through the cross and resurrection.

If I could relate it to baseball, here's the miracle victory he has given to us.

In this high stakes game of life we were in the ninth inning of a losing battle with sin and death. We faced an 0-2 count with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. All of creation stood on tip toes as out of the dugout came God's appointed pinch hitter (God always bats last). We stepped aside and He pinch hit for us. And on that dark Friday the game would be decided. Satan unleashes his fury.  Creation, as spectators in the stands, held its breath....then let out a roaring cheer when the Champion saw the pitch, timed the pitch, swung and crushed it.  And out of the park it went! Then instead of running the bases himself, he looked at you and me declaring, "This was for you. This is your victory. Enjoy the trip around the bases." Jesus' defeat of death through resurrection was the sealing of victory to all who believe.

If you've put your faith in Christ, you’re salvation has been purchased. You've got a free trip around the bases. Why then do we make life so difficult? Why do we rush around? Why do live and struggle with God's amazing gift of salvation like it all depends on our effort. It doesn't.

Nothing you do could ever make God love you any more than he already does. Don’t wait till you get to heaven to breathe in his joy and delight for you. The hardest work has already been done by Jesus. So breathe, soak in the jog around the bases. Enjoy the victory that is yours through Christ.

Lent 2015

August We will Pray Hopefully

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ESV). 

With these words The Lord reminds us that there is a role we must play to grow God's kingdom, and there is a significant part that only God can do. Humans plant and water. God makes it grow. We are praying for God to do great things in this coming harvest season. So I am calling our church to prayer.

God has been stirring this in me for a few months.  As I have shared this prompting with other pastors and elders they have confirmed they have felt the same nudging. It’s time to focus and unite our prayers. So for the month of August let’s pray together for Bayside.  The Back-to-School season will present some incredible opportunities to strengthen our church family and to reach people with the gospel. But we need God’s Spirit to lead, guide and make us fruitful. We will work hard at the "planting and watering" but we need God to give the increase. We desire God to show up mightily in our Sunday worship gatherings, in our relationships and in our mission efforts. We want the Spirit to empower us to be effective at our mission to see more people (the lost saved) become more like Jesus (the saved grow).

I've been spending some time this summer thinking and reading about prayer…and of course praying.  I am discovering that one of the many benefits of prayer is it gives optimism and squelches cynicism. As followers of Christ we are to give the hope of Jesus to the world. The challenge is we live in a very cynical world. You've undoubtedly noticed this. There is cynicism about our government, about schools, about our employers, about co-workers, even about church. We who are called to be hope to the world, can unwittingly find that we have caught (and spreading) the cynicism bug ourselves.

Here’s what I'm learning about cynicism. The expectation of perfection breeds cynicism. In other words, believing we must have perfect health, the perfect job, perfect relationships, perfect appearance, perfect children, the perfect church, etc. is a breeding ground for cynicism. We expect perfect. Crazy right? Because we know that perfect is not normal, imperfect is. When we accept that people and things are not perfect but are ‘broken-goods-being-restored,’ then we can be real, authentic and accepting.  Then we can be forgiving and honest.

I am praying our church will continue to be a life giving seedbed of optimism and hope. The Spirit of Christ, accessed through prayer, provides the lens to see the world clearly and hopefully.

In the book, “A Praying Life” Paul Miller offers these six cures for cynicism.

1. Be warm but wary.  

Jesus was ‘eyes wide open’ when it came to the brokenness in our world. He didn’t pretend as if evil didn’t exist. Yet he was hospitable and embracing of others. His posture was optimistic.

2. Learn to Hope Again.  

Miller writes, “The cynic is fixed and immovable, the cynic believes we are swept along by forces greater than we are.”  Jesus on the other hand, is all about hope. Jesus knows that through prayer all things are possible. There is good reason to hope.

3. Cultivate a Childlike Spirit. 

Kids are not cynical. They are hopeful. Playful. They believe anything is possible. It is significant that Jesus told us to have that kind of faith. That is, childlike faith.

4. Cultivate a Thankful Heart. 

Prayer restores a thankful heart. The first sign that we are drifting from God is thanklessness. The sign that we are drawing closer to God is an increase in our gratitude. The closer we are to God the more grateful we are regardless the circumstances.

5. Cultivate Repentance. 

The repentant person recognizes that the cynicism out there, in the world, is also in my own heart. Through repentant prayer I acknowledge my own brokenness and arrogance. Through repentance I change. I can be authentic and hopeful.

6. Develop an Eye for Jesus. 

This is the most effective way to defeat cynicism and celebrate hope. Develop an eye for Jesus. Through prayer and constant communication with Christ, we are made aware of the activity of Jesus all around us. When we look closely, with spiritual sight, we see Jesus at work.

So I invite you to participate in this prayer journey. Pray for Bayside.  Pray for one another. Pray every day. Each day we will have different prayer focus. Let’s join together in prayer and as we do I believe God will do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine! Let’s pray hopefully!

To Participate

1. Pick up a Prayer Calendar for August (available at church). 

2. Visit Bayside Facebook page and/or Twitter feed for Daily Updates. Each day at 8:00am, starting August 3, a prayer focus for that day will be posted.

3. Pray with a childlike spirit.

4. See God show off.

5. Share your God - Stories. There will be a link at www.baysidechurch.net to share your stories of how and where you see God at work.

They Warned us not To, but We Did

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

I’m glad it’s over. I don't like the month of May. My apologies to all the May birthdays and anniversaries. But I haven’t liked it for a while now. Ok, to come clean it's not really the month. It’s me.

Those that know me best know that I'm kind of sentimental. And from four decades of existence I can testify that sentimental and May don't mix. May in the USA is the time of year for endings. Graduations, year-end parties, conclusions. And we 'feeling' types, love beginnings but not too jovial about endings. Like this year, my daughter will stop being an 11th grader (I’m in denial that this begins her last year of High School). My other daughter ends her middle-school days this month. And my son, well we’ve got him for a while! In May kids graduate and many families prepare for summer moves. There are a lot of good-byes in May.

May is the time of year we realize we did it. We were warned to be careful not to, but we did it.  We blinked.

Young parents are warned by empty nesters and grandparents, “don’t blink because before you know it your kids will be grown.” So few of us really take it serious, and even if we do there frankly isn’t much we can do to stop it. We all blink. Each May we reopen our eyes to discover time has flown. They are grown.  That’s why I don’t like May.

To further torture my sentimental personality (or perhaps a clear confirmation of it), I downloaded an app for my iPhone recently called Legacy. To set it up you enter you children’s ages and it counts down (in weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds) how much time you have left with each child until they turn 18. (The weeks remaining as of today is 47 for Kasey, 151 for Kelly, 412 for JT).  It’s a constant reminder that the time for investing in my children is limited and relatively small. With my app, I can know just how long the blink is.

The truth is our time for investing in anything that matters is limited-whether it spiritual, relational or even financial. When it comes to making a difference, investing over time makes the greatest impact. So maybe I shouldn’t hate the month of May. Maybe I should be thankful for it. Because it’s a yearly reminder that time matters. Love matters. And love… over time changes both of us.

“Lord, thank you for the gift and the opportunities of time. Help us to invest it well…in people and in purposes that matter. For the glory of your Son’s great name. Amen.”

More People more Like Jesus? Of course!

More People more Like Jesus? Of course!

Here's just some of why...

No life ever lived on this planet has been so influential in the affairs of men as that of Christ.

Through (Jesus) millions of people have had their inner conflicts resolved.

Through (Jesus), hundreds of millions have been lifted from illiteracy and ignorance and have been placed upon the road of growing intellectual freedom and control over the physical environment.

Jesus…. has done more to allay the physical ills of disease and famine than any other impulse, and (Jesus) has emancipated millions from chattel slavery and millions of others from thralldom to vice.

(Jesus) has protected tens of millions from exploitation.

(Jesus) has been the most fruitful source of movements to lessen the horrors of war and to put the relations of men and nations on the basis of justice and peace.

This is the influence of Jesus through his followers .... 

- taken from Kenneth Latourette's seven-volume history of the expansion of Christianity. 

Without It We Sink

The boat was sinking.  I vividly recall an occasion from my childhood when our family had been invited by close friends to join them for a day out on Vermilion Bay. We all boarded the ski boat anticipating a fun day of sunning, skiing and going fast.

After all the gear, coolers and people were on board the Mercury outboard quickly seasoned the air with an oil/gas exhaust. As we ‘no waked’ our way to open water the back of the boat began to droop. Rapidly it got worse. We were sinking. Someone forgot to put the drain plug in.  Good news is we didn't die.

Truthfully, sometimes as a pastor I feel like the person who has to ask the obvious question before the recreational outing.  Most of my ministry could be summed up with this phrase “Hey my friend, not to be a bother, but did you put the plug in this boat?”

I get it. This question is in one sense annoying and inconvenient. Sometimes it comes across to some even as insulting. Because frankly it’s so basic. When our thoughts are on the bigger adventures and challenges of life, no one wants to be bothered with the ‘plug.’ A self-assured, experienced captain might be insulted by such a novice (nagging) question.  But if the drain plug isn't in, and no one asks the question, then the boat ALWAYS sinks.

The Spiritual equivalent to “is the plug in the boat” is “Is God first in your life.” And I know the question gets annoying to people. It’s so basic. It’s so redundant. But if someone isn’t tending to this question then the boat - your life, your family, your attempts at happiness - sink. Like the open hole left in the boat with no plug, so is the life that avoids addressing this deepest, ok… simplest, of life’s questions. “Is God first?” If God isn’t first, at all times, life starts to take us under.

So here are three really cools things about putting God first.

1. God has a way for you to go. He has a plan for our lives; a story that is being written by him. When he is first we are led to experience the deepest joys and adventures of life. We are led to know Him, ourselves, others, and our world better!

2. God promises to keep you afloat.  When God is first He promises to go with us. He not only points the way, he walks the path with us. God walks with us, wiling do the heaviest of lifting for us. Our God helps us through each and every chapter of life keeping us upright and moving ahead.

3. God’s way is the best way.  God not only has a way, he has the best way. His way is the path the leads to fullness of life. There is no other path that delivers on that promise. God’s way is the best.

So let’s keep asking each other, “Is God first?” I find that when mine, or a friend’s life, is in a mess it can always be traced back to a point when someone forgot the plug. God stopped being first. The boat started sinking. No one asked the question so pretty soon we’re bobbing around waiting for the life saver to be thrown to us. If only someone had the courage to ask the obvious question, “Is God still First.” 

As we begin these summer months of adventure on land, air and sea allow me to bother you once more with the insulting, fundamental question…. Is God still first in your life? I trust and pray the answer is ‘yes.’

“Lord thank you for leading us down the best path of life. Forgive us when we have put other things before you and your ways. We acknowledge that without you we sink, always.  Thank you, that in your mercy and grace you have saved us time and again. Today we put you first. Please help us to always keep you first -  in our lives, in our family, in our church. Amen.”

Dear Bayside Family

Baysiders, I invite you to join me in doing these three things this week.

1. I'm praying.

I'm praying for you and I'm praying for those friends you and I will invite to worship with us this weekend. It is going to be an UNFORGETTABLE Easter at Bayside!

I'm also praying for all the other churches and pastors who will be sharing the gospel of Jesus to filled churches Sunday. I'm praying for Harborside, Calvary, Countryside Christian, Heritage, Generations, Grace Family, and every church I drive by. Would you pray for them too? These are not our competitors but our teammates. They win, we win!

2. I'm Inviting.

I'm inviting my friends to church and I'm expecting great things. We are going the extra mile this year to ensure your invited guests have a great experience. So you can be confident your friends will be glad they came and you'll be glad you took the risk to invite them. So bring your peeps to Bayside.

3. I'm Preparing.

In preparation for the joy of Easter we will be having a special Good Friday worship experience. The service will last one hour and begins at 7:00. It will be a solemn, interactive and reflective time of worship.

For the past several days I've been praying and thinking over Matthew 28:8 as the basis for the Easter message- "Departing quickly from the (empty) tomb with FEAR and GREAT JOY, they ran to tell His disciples the news."  I'm really looking forward to talking about this. I won't give the whole message here but....spoiler alert... it has to do with the Resurrection of Jesus!

Ready? Together we go to the Cross and Empty Tomb.

Everyone’s a Bit of a Fixer Upper

We went to see Frozen in 3D as a family. I liked it. Please don’t judge me. The tunes from the movie have taken the kid world by storm. I can understand why. They’re catchy. Turns out one song in particular has pretty solid theology too, “Everyone’s a Bit of a Fixer Upper.” It is true, no one is perfect, and everyone needs some fixin’ up.

1991 Fixer Upper

So my daughter is driving now and we purchased an old car from a friend. The car had not just a couple of quirks with it. Which, in my opinion, all first-cars must have some "personality". It builds character.

The vehicle is a 1991 Nissan Sentra. It has a few “distinctives.” For example, there is a wooden shim in one of the rear door panels keeping the window from collapsing into the door. And like a stuck zipper, the passenger front window only partially closes. The paint is dulled like powder, the radio transmits only static, and all the speakers in the car are falling apart. I know what you’re thinking…sucker! So why did we buy it? We bought it partially to help out a friend who was moving, partly because we needed a car, but mostly because it had low mileage and was cheap!

Over the past week this little sedan has become my project. First thing I did was resuscitate the red by scrubbing, compounding and polishing it. Next the stereo had to go. Along with the cassettetapes this deck was ready for the museum. Though I hadn't installed a car radio since President Reagan’s second term, after a little help from youtube and a few blown fuses, cha ching…success!

Next came time to tackle the issues I was most afraid of. The windows! This was totally uncharted territory for me. So I turned again to Prof. Google for a diagnosis and instructions. I discovered that it was the switch, the regulator and/or the motor.  I ordered the four necessary replacement parts to fix both windows. I was told the parts would be in the next day, Saturday. “Perfect,” I thought! The car would be out of commission for only a day.

Well, when I went to pick up the parts the next day I discovered we ordered the wrong motors. (Here's the good-news-camouflaged-as-bad-news-part-of-the-story. Garth Brooks sung about this). So we had to reorder them. The bad news was the motors would now not be in until Tuesday! When I got back home I decided to go ahead install what new parts I had. And, just for kicks, I put the old motors back on. Unbeknown to me, all the parts needed I had. Long story short- (good news) the old motors were fine and all four windows now work perfectly.

So here are some fixer upper lessons I've learned from the 1991 Sentra, and from 20 years in pastoral ministry and from being married.

1. Fixer Uppers have little, and not so little, Quirks

We all have issues. Some of them are easily repaired, but some of them will take some work. That is why we all must lean heavily on the grace, mercy and cleansing work of Christ. He is working to perfect us.

2. Someone has to be willing to invest in a fixer upper to bring out its potential.

We are all fixer uppers, but it takes someone who will see our potential to invest in us and bring out the best in us. Jesus did that for you and me. That is why he came to world. He came to redeem us, and to release us from the power of sin, to experience abundant life.  In your life there may be a fixer upper that needs your attention. It may be someone under your roof, on your little league team, in your classroom, or in your company.  You could be the ‘someone’ God will use to bring out the full potential in a fellow fixer upper.

3.  A Fixer Upper’s Good Parts are often overlooked because of the Broken Parts.

It’s true, we all have quirks and we all have weaknesses. But all of us, fixer uppers, also have some pretty amazing gifts and talents. Don’t allow the broken parts in you to negate your strengths. Nor in others.

4. A Fixer Upper is Never Finished

A fixer upper is always a fixer upper. There are always improvements and modifications to be made. That 1991 will never look like it did 23 years ago. Time in the sun and storms has taken its toll. But it can be improved.

You and I will never be perfect until our sanctification gives way to glorification in heaven. But we are thankful for the Spirit of Christ that works with us, making us better than we were yesterday. Aren't  you thankful that Jesus came to redeem the potential in you?! Aren't you glad he specializes in fixer uppers?! I am too.

You are Loved,

Pastor Terry

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Pastor whose house was struck by lightning…

Luke 1:78 A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful.

Today is a new day. The trucks are beginning to move our belongings back into our home. Since our house fire 6-months ago it has felt at times like I was living out some kind of a parable. If Jesus were telling the story he would begin it this way. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a pastor whose house was struck by lightning…

Here’s what I’ve learned through living this parable.
Things are often worse than they first appear. Looking back it seems hilarious the way we were thinking the night of the fire. I mean we literally thought we would be back in the house in a day or two. No one told us that, call it coping, denial, or whatever but we actually thought we would clean the place up, patch a few holes and be back to life as normal in just a day or two.

What we discovered is that the more the walls got peeled back the more damage there was and the more work required to restore our home. Seriously, for the first month it seemed like we were receiving daily updates that things were ‘worse than we initially thought.’ By the time the peeking was done, it would be discovered that several roof trusses were compromised and must be replaced.

You know we are all damaged goods. Life has dinged us all. And it’s when we dig below the surface that we discover the real structure problem that exists. And it is deep within, for own safety, that the real work must take place. Things are often worse than they appear on the surface.

The Hope of ‘Better’ helps when things get ‘Worse.’ Early on in the demolition of our house, even though we couldn’t visualize it (at least I couldn’t) we were promised that when the project was over our home would actually be better than before. Now, I can tell you when I first heard that I was like, I don’t want better I just want what we had. Just give me back what we had. In fact, if someone would have made this offer - Terry you can have ‘better’ in 6 months or ‘just like it was’ right now. I would have picked the ‘like it was (worse), but right now’ option. That is human nature. Most of us will choose familiar over better every time. That is why we need leaders, that is why we need God, (acts of God) to push us toward better.

I remember vividly one day last fall when the dire reality of the situation hit me. It was in October and it had been a few days since I had been to check on the progress of the house. I remember opening the front door and everything was gone. No furniture, no dishes, no cabinets, no interior doors, no flooring, no walls! It then hit me… this is bad. I know. I’m sharp, right? But in a cascade of emotions the severity of what had happened and the enormous scope of the rebuilding project pounded me. Things were at their worst. It was the flickering promise of ‘better’ that brought light in my moment of darkness. When things look bad it is the hope of better that carries us through.

Immanuel Kant, philosopher of a few centuries ago said that three keys to happiness are having something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for. I think Kant is on to something there and we can’t underestimate the third, something to hope for.

Over the past several months, mirroring our house rebuild has been some significant rebuilding at Bayside too. Things have been good but God is calling us to great. And there were days over the past few months that things looked worse rather than better. The more we dug the worse it looked. Deep change and deep hurt. But it was the Holy Spirit whispering to us the promise of better that carried us forward.

Today there are moving trucks bringing our belongings back!  Today, things are better. The house is incredible! God has blessed us beyond what we could have imagined. Our house at Norris Way is better today in practically every way than it was before the fire. I’ve learned that the journey from good to great is actually one from good…to worse…to great. Most people quit when it gets worse.

And there will soon be moving trucks heading to Bayside bringing the dear Stamper family to us - Kevin, Marie, Jane and Oliver. We are so excited about adding the Stamper family to our ministry team. Pastor Kevin is great friend, a tremendously talented young leader that will be our Creative Arts Pastor. They will make us better! We are excited to welcome them.

The smoke has cleared, the worst days are behind us, and we are moving toward awesome days ahead! A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful. Amen!

You are Loved,
Pastor Terry

Known and Counted

Back in the summer, I went out for a long bike ride. I had been riding for a while when I turned down a road with one of those digital signs that displays vehicle speed. You’ve seen those signs, right? It’s a speed limit sign that, through a radar beam, registers then flashes the speed of each car that passes by. If the vehicle is exceeding the posted speed limit, it will yell in pulsating yellow lights the words “SLOW DOWN!”

So one day last August I was peddling away when I looked up and the sign posted the speed of my bicycle. I was pretty excited about this. It caused a smile sweep across my sweaty red face. Mostly I was glad to know I was moving fast enough to be noticed. Right there, eight feet high in lights for the world to see my velocity, “14 MPH.” That was me. That was my speed. I was noticed. I was doing that! Ok I’m humored easily, but here are some principles to take away from this.

1. Known.
It feels good to be known. I was humored by a speed limit sign that acknowledged my speed because frankly I didn’t expect it to. For a sign made to monitor motor vehicles, I didn’t figure a plumb peddler’s velocity would even make a blip. But it did. It saw me. It’s a powerful thing to be seen and to be known.
You may feel sometimes that you are not noticed. You may even think that no one sees you or knows you. Perhaps there are moments when it seems like God doesn’t see you. I’ve met people that feel like that. They feel like a T-baller playing in the Big League. They feel as if no one notices what in their estimation is a miniscule contribution. It’s a game changer for a person when they realize that God does notice us. God knows us. God sees you.
(Sin causes us to hide. Sin drives a person away from the God who sees. An example of this the story of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Adam hid from God after he sinned. But God still saw. Acknowledging that God ‘sees and knows’ draws us out of condemnation into redemption and reconciliation.)

2. Counted.
When we know it counts we want to do more.
A strange rush of adrenaline came over me when I saw my number displayed. I wanted to make the speed go up. When I saw that what I was doing was being noticed and displayed, I wanted to turn that “14” into a “15.” When I saw that it counted I wanted to do more. And I did.

I truly believe that one of most de-motivating things in life is to be busy with matters that we feel are insignificant. Nothing takes the passion out of an activity like realizing (or feeling like) it doesn’t ultimately matter. It has been said that one of the three major characteristics of a miserable job is insignificance. A job, activity, or ministry begins to feel miserable when it seems futile.
On the flip side of that, what energize any volunteer or vocational effort is to know that what you’re doing is making a difference. And like my bicycle speed, when we see that it is noticed a motivation deep within propels us to do more.

So, today I hope this note serves as a reminder (a digital display of sorts) that you are known and what you do counts. You are deeply loved by God and all that is done as “unto the Lord” counts.

Ancient Israel, who at one time was held captive to by an evil Babylonian oppressor, was given this great promise that they were known and mattered so much to God that he promised to sustain them. Isaiah 46:4 “Even in your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

You’re known. You matter. You are loved.
Pastor Terry

Slight Adjustments Make a Big Difference

Running has been a fitness hobby of mine for years. Cycling not so much. Until recently. Last February, I pulled the old mountain bike off the rack and started peddling. It stuck. So for Father’s day, I got a new road bike. With rekindled motivation (and monetary investment) I’ve been pushing through new distance thresholds. All of these have been firsts for me in the past three months: 10 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles and just last week 37 miles.

I’m energized by jumping into a new pursuit, getting introduced to and experimenting with new gear and gadgets. Even my vocabulary has been expanded with new definitions for “clipless,” “cadence,” “cartridge”, “chamois,” and “watts.” I’ve also been reminded of a few valuable life lessons. The most important of which is, ‘Always look both ways before you cross the street!’

Another life lesson I've learned is that slight modifications make a big difference when you are going to be at it for a long time. If I’m out for a quick ride around the block it doesn't matter too much how much air is in the tires and at what height the seat (saddle) is. ‘Close’ is good enough for a casual spin. However, if I’m going to be at it for an hour or two then slight modifications make a big difference. A ¼ inch difference in saddle height, on a short ride is barely noticeable but on a long ride can be the difference between walking normally and bow legged after you dismount (think “City Slickers”). Improper alignment not only causes pain but can actually cause serious injury. Slight modifications make a big difference. So it pays to be dialed in.

Let’s merge a little spiritual application here. Spiritually, the summer months afford the time to let go of the routines of life, at least for a few weeks here and there. Wisely, we use this season to take breaks, gear down, and mix up the routine with shots of recreation and play. There are still a few weeks of summer left, but very soon we will once again saddle up for the long ride. We make our annual tour through Pumpkin patches, be refueled by a Thanksgiving feast, peddle under mistletoe, around the hairpin turn of year’s End, then the steep climb up to Calvary’s hill and peak at the Empty Tomb. It’s no sprint.

As we saddle up for the long ride ahead, it is important to make adjustments now. This is the time to readjust things that have fallen out of alignment this summer.

So let’s do a quick 3-point Tune Up.

1. Check Your Worship
Are you daily engaging in private worship and weekly engaging in corporate worship? How’s your personal bible reading and prayer feeling? How’s your church attendance look?

2. Check Your Community
How’s your connection (unity) with the Body of Christ? Are you in a small group where you can give and receive encouragement, accountability, and care?

3. Check Your Mission
Are you using your gifts inside and outside the walls of the Church top bring glory to His name? Are you giving financially to the mission of the church? Where are you serving?

Ratchet up any inconsistencies. Readjust. Know that little fixes make a big difference when you’re planning to go the distance.

Gowns, Mountains, and Tony Dungy - June 10 Weekend Wrap Up

1. Graduates Sunday. Awesome job Harbor Student Band leading us in worship yesterday. And a special "congratulations" and "God bless You" to the class of 2013!

2. VBS WEEK! The Children's ministry department has been hard at work for weeks preparing for hundreds of kids that will flood our campus each night this week. Please be praying this week that children's hearts will be touched with the message of Jesus.

3. Men's Study, Wednesday June 19th 7pm. - Men, I invite you join me in a study I'll be leading called "Dare to Be Uncommon" (a curriculum by Head Coach Tony Dungy).

4. Sermon in Sentence - Be certain (not like a fog but like a mountain) that there is inherent danger in being the "most excellent" anything, except being the Most Excellent Friend of God.

Four Beats of Rest

Though summer doesn't officially start until later this month, Memorial Day feels to most of us like the beginning of summer. Kids will be out of school, friends will gather around gas grills and at the beach, and family reunions will be taking place around the country. My hope for you is that this summer will provide the opportunity for rest and fun.

You know God has hard-wired rest and play into our very being. He created us to joyfully experience the world he created. Like a Father that enjoys watching his children play, God has fun when we have fun. I mean after all, he gives us taste buds! The very fact that we can be entertained by food is remarkable and speaks to the joyous nature of our Lord! Additionally, God gives us the ability to marvel at colors, hear various pitches and harmonies, appreciate beauty, savor aromas, and through touching discern textures. And he allows us to laugh! What purpose does laughter provide other than as an outlet to express joy. What a great God we serve!

The rhythm of life God created began on the downbeat of play, fun and recreation. Play is Godly and good. God created it and created us to experience it. But lest you think this rest and play thing is a fluke. Check this out. There are four examples of God beating the drum of rest and recreation (play).

1. God Took a Personal Day
Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
The first thing God does after created everything is to take a personal day. On the seventh day, God called off. Literally from the beginning the rhythm of life began on the down beat of play, fun and recreation.

2. Let my People Go…Celebrate.
Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
After 400 years of hard labor, God says to Pharaoh, “Let my people go.” Not, let them go to a construction conference or a trade show to hone their craftsmanship. No Six Sigma training here. Instead, God says let them go play! Let them go hold a festival (party), and have fun and laugh and rejoice and rest. God wanted his people free so they could experience joy in the world he created. During slavery, the rhythm of play and rest had been stolen from them. This is not what people were created for.

3. “Fun” makes the Top 10.
Right in the heart of Exodus 20, the fourth commandment is ‘Take a Break.” Remember the Sabbath as a day of rest, worship and recreation. It’s a command to remember our Creator, who formed us with the need for recreation.

4. Party, Party, Party.
The Jewish calendar, with its 3 times per year, multi-day festivals created a rhythm of work and rest. Passover (spring), Pentecost (summer) and Tabernacles (fall) were multi-day celebrations. They were parties. God mandated parties. They were not evening events, but rather weeklong festivals of fun, shared stories, laughter, and the reconnecting with family of God. The festivals were meant to disconnect the child of God from obligations, duty and work. These festivals were never meant to be weighty religious obligations, but sources of joyful worship and play. That is why they were called festivals. Not fasts. Big parties, holy fun!

I pray you will take time this summer to disconnect and refresh. I pray for God to give you some frivolous and unproductive holy days this summer…all for the glory of God. Don’t let your rest become work. That’s a sin.

You are Loved,

Pastor Terry

April 21 Weekend Recap

Four Cool Things From this Weekend

1. "Kallos"
All day Saturday student ministry volunteers spent pouring into the lives of dozens of middle school girls. The girls were primped and pampered and made to feel very special...because they are! Great job everyone involved in that great event. As a dad of one of those girls I say a special 'thank you.'


2. If you like this you'll love the 11:59 service
Great gospel centered worship this past Sunday in all three services. A refreshing, extended time of quiet reflection in the 9 and 10:30 services, and an energetic passionate offering of worship in the 11:59 service. Let me encourage you, if you haven't yet, come and check out the 11:59 service. Yes, its a little bit louder, its a little bit later in the day, and it's a little bit more rockin'. If you like Passion worship you'll love it. Invite a friend!

3. Leader's Gathering
We shared several yeah God stories from the Easter season. All I can say is God is on the move. If you want to be 'in the loop' don't miss the next Leader's gathering this summer.

4. Sermon in a Sentence
"You were chosen to bear (not produce) fruit for your overflowing (play-ro-o) joy and for the Father's glory."

A Good Day’s Lesson from Elijah

Good days and bad days. We all have them. I was reading recently about Elijah in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. This guy may have the record for the most dramatic 24-hour emotional swing in history.

1 Kings 18.
At the time when this story took place God’s people were losing. Jezebel’s false prophets far outnumbered the prophets of God. Each passing day more prophets of the LORD were swallowed up until Elijah is the only prophet of God left. Elijah, who tended toward the spectacular, had seen enough so he calls for a showdown between Baal’s prophets and himself. It’s a winner-take-all, king-of-the-mountain duel. The Deity who answers his prophet(s) with fire on the mountain will be proven as the one true God.

The showdown was on and all the prophets rallied on Mt. Carmel. The prophets of Baal frantically and ferociously attempted, but failed to awaken their gods. The climactic moment came when Baal’s prophets are pushed off the stage and Elijah steps up to call upon YHWH. Elijah’s God answers in force by sending fire from heaven. And the Scriptures tell us that “The power of the Lord came on Elijah” (1 Kings 18:46). A really good day.

Oh the joy of spectacular moves of God! The joy of “chapter 18” seasons of ministry and of life. Easter season 2013 at Bayside was a spectacular season. More than 1600 in Easter attendance, 20 people baptized, 50,000 meals prepared. These are big, bold, “power of the Lord” kinds of moments. We celebrate and are grateful that this season has turned hearts toward the Lord (1 Kings 18:37).

BUT ELIJAH'S STORY PROVIDES A HELPFUL CAUTION.

I Kings 19.
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life” (19:3). My how things changed. From public triumph to private fear. In the previous chapter he stood on a mountain in victory. And the next day he dove into a cave of depression. In chapter 19 he’s not eating, he’s angry at God and hoping to die. He finally gained enough strength to straightaway hide himself in a cave. God rebukes (19:9) him because Elijah has acquired a thirst for the spectacular and is pouting because God is not giving him more. He wants his God to be in the big, the loud, and the mass production.

God revealed Elijah’s idolatry by refusing to display his power through the windstorm, earthquake, or fire. God instead spoke through a gentle whisper. Disgusted the prophet covered his face in his cloak (blanket maybe) and ran away like a spoiled child. Elijah’s hope had drifted from God, to God’s mighty works.

Even mighty men and women of God, who warn others against idol worship, are not immune from idolatry themselves. Elijah allowed the grand to supplant God as his heart’s first love.

In our personal lives as well as in our community life together we will have days when we stand on the mountain top with hands raised (chapter 18). And invariably there will be those “hide me deep in the cave” (chapter 19) days. Whether on the summit, in the cave or journeying between the two lets always remember The Lord - The Lord he alone is God. May we never mistake the grand for God or His mighty works for Him.

'Do Something' Weekend

Weekend Recap
What an amazing weekend! Special thanks to the "Do Something" team for organizing a great event Sunday.

50 Thousand Healthy Meals on their Way to Nicaragua
Thanks to everyone who helped to prepare meals. The event was a tremendous success! Not only did you accomplish the goal of 50K meals, you did it with a great servant attitude. Thank you for enduring with patience the packed hallways, and at times a little bit of chaos, to make a big difference in the lives of children in Central America. Bayside, you rock!

Local "Do Something" Projects
Thank you to all who planned and showed up to volunteer Saturday for local projects - mission smile, Pinellas Hope, and Matie Williams.

Sunday's Worship Services
We are greatly encouraged by the three worship services. God continues to bring new people each week. And all 3 services increased this week from last. God is working through our prayers. The third service is providing more room at the 10:30 service and is offering a more guitar-driven, "passion-style" worship experience. People who attend are loving it....the pizza afterwards is a plus too
:-)

Reminder: Leaders' Gathering this coming Sunday 5-7pm.
Sunday night we will recap some of the big wins God has done though Bayside throughout the Easter season. You'll hear "yeah-God" stories from each of our pastors. The purpose of these gathering is to be reminded of the vision, encouragement each other, and celebrate what God is doing.

Message Recap
Sunday we talked about remaining in Jesus, who is the true vine. The points we covered from John 15 were:
1. Jesus is the true vine.
2. God the Father is the Vinedresser.
3. We (Christ-followers) are the Branches.

God wants us to bear fruit for the Father's glory and for our complete joy! May your joy be "play-ro-o" (filled to the brim, overflowing) in Him, today.

>Pastor Terry

The Gospel Coalition

3 Observations and a Concern from the last few days at TGC.

1. They aren't Coming cuz' they are Already Here.
There is now here a young mutli-ethnic generation of (tens of thousands) Pastors who are passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are from every US state and continent around the globe. And they are committed to the gospel.

(So many young diverse pastors. I personally spoke to or saw Africans, Chinese, Koreans, Europeans, Candadians, and Brazilians). And when's the last time you saw at a pastor's conference -a large area reserved for nursing mothers! Imagine a pastors conference with more babies crying than hearing aids chirping. It's happening!)

2. Mission Passion.
There is a rekindled fire for missions that is driven by a belief that the (Gospel) Good News is the joy of all nations. There is a desire to see the world reconciled to God in Jesus Christ.

3. The Cross Before Me.
There is an unashamed, unapologetic resolve for the proclamation of the literal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. There's no percieved need of trying to conceal the cross, rather to lift it high for all peoples to see and believe.

My Concern.
I am concerned for the tribe I most often rub elbows with- Wesleyan/holiness people. Most of us are still working on perfecting our worship styles, and being missional (which too often only means being nice). And sadly many in our tribe still avoid 'preaching.' We prefer "relevant talks with overarching moral principles." I pray my tribe doesn't miss the renewal taking place. There is a wave of the Spirit that is lifting up the proclamation of the simple and most effectual Gospel. That message our great grandparents spoke about. Remember it? -The Glorious Greatness of God. -The Depravity created by and result of Human Sinfulness. -The All-Sufficient Redemption brought through the atoning cross of Jesus Christ. -And God's guaranteed Promise to Restore of all Things under the Feet of Christ.

Thank God for the move of his Spirit on the Gospel. Please God, awaken my tribe.

Weekly - April 4

Weekly

EASTER PRAISE
Outstanding job by all of our staff and volunteers on Easter Sunday! We are blessed with so many gifted and passionate servants of Christ. You shined BIG last weekend! It was a long day but an incredibly fruitful one.

Some of the Fruit
1. 1647 people worshipping at Bayside on Easter Sunday. Among the highest Easter attendance numbers ever.
2. 20 People baptized (19 on Easter, 1 on Palm Sunday)
3. 22 First-time Guest Response cards turned in. Each card often respresents an entire family.

THIS WEEKEND
Three services will continue. 9:00a, 10:30a, and 11:59a. With the 3rd service offering a more contemporary worship style. I heard them rehearse...it's going be rockin' :-) .

NEW SERMON SERIES - "Overflow." This Sunday in all three services, we begin a new series that will continue throughout the month of April. Because of the miracle of Easter we are called to live as ambassadors of the resurrection bringing hope and new life everywhere we can. Our joy and gratitude should overflow.

PASSION
This Sunday we get to hear some of the remarkable ways God is stirring the heart of our very own Bayside college students and 20 somethings. What God is doing in this generation is truly exciting stuff!

DO SOMETHING WEEKEND
Choose to Overflow. Make a Difference. An integral part of Overflow will be the 'Do Something' Weekend - April 13 & 14, so get involved.

Bayside family, I want to encourage you. God is at work in our community! I spoke with several pastors today at the National Day of Prayer planning meeting who also were rejoicing with record Easter attendances. God is on the move, stirring people's hearts! These are exciting times.

Have a great week. Hope to see you around campus this Sunday for one of our three services.

Joyfully,
Terry

Love from Leviticus

Leviticus is not usually the book to turn to for a passages on love. So I was surprised to see God's love expressed so clearly there. In one sense it should not be a shock to see love expressed anywhere in Scripture, since God (Scripture's Source) is love. I was reading this morning in Leviticus 26. It's a pretty serious text, where God promises blessing for faithfulness and warns against unrepentant disobedience. Here's what I saw today.
1. Obedience is noticed and rewarded by God.
God rewards by blessing those who act in love towards Him and His people.

2. Disobedience to God's law always has a consequence.
Willful disregard for God's standards result in discipline.

3. God is a loving, not a push over, parent.
God loves his children and wants their best. But he is not a push over so sinful deeds do not go unpunished.

4. Persistent sinfulness brings an intensification of discipline.

5. At every step along the path of disobedience grace is extended to those who repent.

6. Total loss is the inevitable result of life in rebellion against God.

7. Even when sin destroys every good thing in our lives, God in love offers to us grace to start new again. "But if they will confess their sin...then I (God)will remember..." Lev. 26.41-42

The Gospel of John

Irony. Paradox. Sarcasm. Symbolism. Double (and Triple) Meanings. Juxtaposition. With these John retells the events of Jesus’ life. One thing you can be sure of from the Gospel of John, there is always a deeper meaning beneath the surface. Always more going on than first meets the eye. John invites us to dig, uncover and ponder the Truth that permeates the actions and teachings of Jesus. You see the purpose of the Fourth Gospel is primarily theological, not historical. The main point isn’t the precise chronology of events in Jesus life, but the theological significance of those events. So John’s main point is not to merely detail where Jesus went and what he did when he went to a certain place. His main objective is to get his readers (us) to have our souls nourished by the bread of life and living water. He bids us into the spiritual deep in search of the life-giving (eternal) meaning behind Jesus’ words and actions. Ironically, John’s goal in highlighting all of the irony, paradox, and double meaning is crystal clear. His purpose for writing is so that all may believe in Jesus and by believing enjoy life in his name. Join us as we wade into to the deep for a truth search through the Gospel of John. Each week a diffent chapter. Each week a new discovery!

Lime Tree Miracle

The start of a new year always provides a fitting time to examine the trajectory our lives are taking. It’s a good time to review the past, examine the present and consider the future path of our lives. A helpful question I often ask is something like this, "Where are my current actions, attitudes and behaviors invariably leading me?" This is helpful because isn’t it true that our current actions, behaviors and beliefs largely determine our destination. Or to say it another way, your current direction determines your destination. In nearly every area of life, where we end up is based on the path we choose to take. Let me illustrate by telling you about our Christmas lime tree miracle. True story. As you all know, a few months ago we moved here to Florida. In the back yard of our new home is a tree. Not knowing much about horticulture generally, and even less about plant life in Florida specifically I had no idea what kind of tree it was. It’s about 10 feet tall and over the summer it was producing a bright green fruit. Someone told us it was a lime tree. So out of the limes we made guacamole, we squeezed its juices into our water, we even drank the juice of a few limes right off the tree. Over that last few months our limes started to turn yellow and shades of amber. On Christmas Day my brother in law gave us an unexpected gift. He brought in one of our rotten limes and told us that we didn’t have a lime tree at all, we had an orange tree. It’s an orange tree! For the record, orange juice in guacamole isn't so bad… a little sweet, but not awful. Over time the type of tree was proved by the fruit it produced. Given enough time the tree would inevitably be shown for what it is, not a lime but an orange tree. The outcome (oranges) was determined by what it was (orange tree). Jesus once said “a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matt 7:18). Who we are (our current beliefs, actions, attitudes and values) determines what fruit will be produced in our lives. Now at the beginning of the year, I encourage all of us to make a life course evaluation. Is your life - spiritually, financially, relationally, vocationally, physically- heading in the direction you want it to end? Our direction determines our destination. If all is on track then I pray you'll be encouraged to press on toward the prize. But if your direction is aiming toward a bad ending then know there is hope. The good news is that Jesus always allows course adjustments, even all out U-turns. You can turn around at this New Year, adjust your course and Christ will help you. May the Lord be a light for your path in 2013 illuminating the way that leads to life... life in abundance!