Affections are a tidal wave.
They curl up into great heights of bliss and in a moment come crashing down.
This is the wave I have been riding for a while now.
How easily I forget Habakkuk 3:18, “I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
I too often misplace my affections into fumbling hands.
Rather than resting them in the God of my salvation.
Someone had stolen my affections.
And that someone was me.
It’s time to return them to their rightful owner.
“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.”
- Believed to be a Franciscan Benediction
“People criticize what they don’t understand.”
I don’t know who made that statement but I certainly can relate.
Ever since we announced we were starting Project Church last year, we’ve had mud balls throw at us.
Not by non-churchy folks.
But by churchy folks.
I can take the heat.
I expect it.
Thankfully, we have some churches who are all for what we’re doing.
But then there are others.
I wondered why some would talk smack about some small, start-up church.
That is until someone made this comment,
“Project Church doesn’t fit neatly into one particular category.”
That’s so true.
On one hand, some would love to write us off as some heretical faction who doesn’t believe God is sovereign, the bible is true, Jesus is King, and the church has a mission.
But we do.
We’re not looking to invent, or reinvent, a religion.
Just a return to the church as found in scripture.
Theologically, we’re conservative.
Just last Sunday we talked about Jesus, the cross, atonement, propitiation, expiation, God’s wrath, God’s love, sin, and grace.
We believe in grace AND truth.
That frustrates people who want to label us as a liberal church.
On the other hand, we’re unchurchy.
When we say, “come as you are” and “belong before you believe” we mean it.
We aren’t into the whole christian subculture thing.
We don’t beat people over the head with the Bible.
We simply teach it, relate it to people’s real lives, and let Spirit of God do the rest.
We meet in a coffee house.
We’re planning an event in a bar.
One in which many of us have hung out in.
We’re not into religion. We’re into Jesus.
That’s the kind of stuff that bothers some churchy folks.
The truth about Project Church is this:
We’re all about Jesus.
In him, God became a man, entered our messed-up story, and changed the story.
He died for us so that we might live for him.
As a result of what Jesus did (and is doing), our hope, our project, is to be the church Jesus had in mind.
Not some religious institution of self-righteous, judgmental hypocrites.
But a movement of love of jacked-up, yet growing, people who are exploring and following Jesus.
Who are taking our first steps and next steps in living the lives we are meant to live.
Who are an authentic community of grace, truth, mission, and meaning.
Our style and methods may not be typical, but make no mistake about it, Project Church is all about, all for, and all because of, Jesus.
If you want a label, we use three words to describe us:
Biblical. Missional. Relational.
If you want to read more, click here.
Whether you’re a fan or a critic of Project Church, would you pray for us?
We’re certainly not the perfect church.
Nor do we pretend to be.
We’re just trying to love God and people.
Because that’s what disciples do.
Thank you.
Grace & Truth.
God created sex. It’s his idea.
Traditionally, churches have either been silent about sex or painted it in a bad light. But the truth is it’s really something wonderful that God’s given us. Think about it, God didn’t have to make sex feel good. He could have set up procreation without pleasure, but that’s not the kind of God we have.
Why is sex such a big deal?
Sex becomes an issue the same way everything in life becomes an issue. When we turn a good thing into an ultimate thing (worship) which then makes it a bad thing. We do this with sex, people, stuff, you name it. Worship Christ; enjoy sex.
The fact of the matter is this: God created sex, made it good, and we need to embrace his gift to us and reject any notion that it’s somehow dirty.
Religion may say sex is dirty, but God says it’s good. God is always better than religion.
How cool is it that included in the very Word of God is a book of beautiful, erotic poetry? The entire book of Song of Solomon is this amazing picture of a newly married couple enjoying their sexuality and intimacy with one another. In it you’ll find everything from strip teases, to foreplay, to oral sex, to lovemaking- all to celebrate their oneness.
God gives us freedom to be passionate lovers, to do all kinds of kinky stuff, to be free with our body, while always seeking oneness in marriage.
It all goes back to the original design.
Man and Wife…Becoming One Flesh…Naked and Unashamed
Sex in marriage is the closest thing to naked and unashamed in Garden that we will experience in this lifetime.
If you’re married, chances are your sex life is too infrequent. Even in our sex-crazed culture, it’s an issue. Isn’t interesting that the enemy will do everything he can to get you to have sex before you married and then once you’re married, do everything he can to keep you from having sex. That should tell us something. Yes, we’re supposed to wait until we’re married. But once we’re married, we make up for lost time.
Married people are to have lots and lots of sex. In fact, the only exception is a mutual exception so we can pray (spend some time alone with God).
So if you’re married, let me ask you a question: What’s keeping you from having frequent business time?
Too busy? Schedule a date night, enjoy spontaneous quickies but plan for some extended time
Lack energy? Work out and/or just do it anyway.
Kids? Set boundaries (bedtimes), use creativity (afternoon delights).
Fighting? Communicate. Reconcile. Make up sex is the best!
Stress? Finances (budget, spend less, make more), Work (change jobs if necessary)
Health? Do what you can to take care of one another
If you commit to having more frequent encounters, you will find that it actually reduces stress, decreases fighting and tension, strengthens your bond, and can even be a pretty fun workout. Just make sure you stretch out first so you don’t pull a hamstring. 
The best sex is when each partner is seeking to fulfill the others sexual needs with selfless abandon. It’s the most amazing masterpiece in all of creation. We have freedom in our marriages to use our imaginations. To experiment and try new things.
Again, it all goes back to the original design.
Man and Wife…Becoming One Flesh…Naked and Unashamed
Speaking of Business Time…
This epic is revealed within the grand narrative of Scripture in a collection of 66 books known as the Bible. Inspired by God yet written by human hands, the infallible words of Scripture are God-breathed, without error, and are the supreme and final authority for life and faith.
In eternity, this story was formed. It begins with the Author and Creator of all things- the one, true, sovereign God. He exists in community with Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit yet remains one God. He is altogether good, holy, just, wise, powerful, and loving.
In love, the Author created a world of wonder, beauty, and harmony for his masterpiece creation, humanity. Created in His image, human beings walked in relationship with the Creator and enjoyed the paradise of His creation. This is the beginning. All was as it should be.
Then the story took a dramatic turn. Something had gone terribly wrong.
Sin entered the story through the deception of an evil serpent and the rebellion of humanity. Creation had fallen, paradise was lost, and separation came between humanity’s relationship with God and each other. Life was broken and nothing was as it should be. In the darkest moment in human history, sin bled into the story resulting in shame, suffering, pain, distrust, despair, and pride. Although still bearing the image of God, all of humanity would now live in a fallen state of sin unable to rescue ourselves.
In the midst of this horrific event, hope and restoration is promised by God as He reveals the climax of His story. God would become a man with a mission to rescue his beloved creation and crush the evil serpent. God would write clues of His arrival into the story through various messengers, laws, events, and promises. All of which would be fulfilled through the hero of God’s epic- Jesus Christ.
Jesus entered human history miraculously as he was conceived by the Spirit of God and born to a virgin mother. Fully God yet fully human, he did what humanity could not do. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life teaching us to love God and others as ourselves. But it was his exclusive claim to being the only way to God, as well as his claim of being God, that led to his arrest, torture, and execution on a Roman cross.
He would show his great love for us through his willful yet excruciating sacrifice on the cross. There is no greater love.
It is on the cross where the hero redeemed and rescued his beloved creation.
It is on the cross where the hero became our sin, enduring the just wrath of God.
It is on the cross where the hero became our substitute and paid the penalty for our sins.
It is on the cross where those who believe in him have right standing before God.
It is on the cross where we are cleansed from the curse of sin- past, present, and future.
It is on the finished work of the cross where Jesus died for us so that we might live for him.
But the story doesn’t end there…He came back!
Three days after being buried in a tomb, he rose from death defeating hell, conquering sin, and crushing the sting of death. He appeared to hundreds of witnesses and then physically ascended into Heaven and is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father. Salvation is only found by God’s saving grace in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God’s grace is not earned, it is freely given to all who truly believe. Those who believe will spend a life and eternity in relationship with Him. Those who don’t, get exactly what they want, a life and eternity apart from a relationship with God.
The story continues to be written through the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was promised by Jesus to supernaturally guide our stories, work in the hearts of humanity, and draw us near to Jesus. The Spirit resides within us and works to teach and transform us, help us when we are in need, convict us of our sin, secure our salvation, and empower us with spiritual gifts to advance the Kingdom of God on earth today.
The mission of Jesus was, and is, crystal clear: to seek and save that which was lost. And that’s exactly what He did…and what He’s doing.
Through the Church, followers of Jesus are united as one body made up of various expressions of church. They gather in prayer, worship, teaching, community, and service with baptism and the Lord’s supper being visible expression of the gospel story. The mission of the Church is to be a worldwide movement that advances the Kingdom of God and proclaims the story of God’s amazing grace, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth- starting in our local communities.
Today, Jesus Christ reigns supreme as King of kings and Lord of lords. This epic will end when the King returns to earth in all his power and glory to gather his people, judge the living and the dead, and usher in a new Creation, a new Paradise, a new Kingdom, where we will worship and enjoy Him forever.
This is what we believe.
