Jeff's Blog: My Top 10 List, Rain Makes #1

Here we are at the end of a holiday weekend; Thanksgiving. Can't help but think about the things I am thankful for, here's my top 10:

10. I'm so thankful that God had someone invent ice-cream. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has to be a little bit of foresight into heaven! (seriously if you've never had it - run - don't walk - RUN - to the nearest store and get some Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough!!!!!!)

9. For Thanksgiving itself - we all need an extra day away from the office now and then.

8. For the incredible team at Alive that I am privileged to work with - even with an extra day away from the office you guys rock - you still made a great weekend happen!!! (At least I didn't put ice-cream ahead of you.)

7. Beauty. I mean the incredible beauty of God's creation. We live in an awesome place! The mountains, sunsets, desert - all of nature is proclaiming the glory of the Lord. (Don't believe me? Read Romans 2)

6. For my evening fires in my fire-pit in the back yard. Especially over the Thanksgiving weekend. I loved having all my kids (and all their awesome friends) sitting around the fire night after night telling stories, making crazy bets about dumb things we were all sure we had the right answer to, and making up wild games. (To all my neighbors, sorry we kept you up late every night this week - next time - grab a chair an pull up to the fire)

5. I'm thankful the weekend is over - I need to quit eating all the sweets we have around the house. Somehow Monday's are always the right days to get back on track with my eating habits. (I guess I should go finish the pie that's left over so I won't be tempted next week)

4. Church Online - seems like we get use to the idea - but then someone goes and makes a faith decisions at church online like they did this weekend and I'm thankful all over again for how God is allowing Alive Church to leverage technology!!! Yeah God!

3. God's Provision - a couple of weeks I felt like I was suppose to sell my Jeep (my kids are still mourning - me to if I'm being honest) next day a guy came up to me and said "I heard you were going to sell your Jeep and are looking for a beater with good gas mileage". I said "yeah, feel like that's what I'm suppose to do!" Then he gave me a 1999 Honda Civic - Cool! I've never driven a car that small in my life. (I had no idea how tall the drive through windows are at McDonald's until I pulled up in my new - to me - Honda hot rod) Seriously - God's Provision!!! (Hey anyone interested in buying a Jeep? )

2. My wife and family - I know that you think I'm saying that because I'm suppose to say that - but seriously, I'm not just saying it. And, it's not because my wife or kids read my blog and I'm trying to score points. (I don't think Kathy even reads my blog - but it you are reading it this time babe - I hope this scores me some points!) I'm genuinely grateful for my family. I have to put our Alive family in there as well! I love you guys and are so thankful to be your pastor!

1. Christ and the Cross. The older I get the more I see how hopeless my life was and that the path of destruction that I was on was devastating. When I was younger I think I always somehow thought I wasn't really that bad off - I was wrong. I am so grateful for the Grace that my Heavenly Father continues to pour out on my life everyday. No puns in this one: my passionate desire to know Jesus and Him crucified is more intense now than ever and I pray that it will continue to grow. I remember coming into 2011 thinking I couldn't wait to get out of 2010 and get a fresh start - boy did I? I've told several pastor friends - 2012 has been the hardest year in ministry in my life - so far! Yet, I wouldn't trade one moment. God has stripped me of so many things that I was letting get in the way of my passion for Him. I'm sure there are many things that He still needs to strip away from my life for me to live as Paul said: "I am determined to know nothing among you but Christ and Him Crucified." I know the year is not over, and there may be many more days ahead that bring rain, and that's OK as long as it get's me a little closer to Christ and the Cross. I'm not sure if the song in the video (Jesus Bring The Rain, Mercy Me) is my favorite (and has been from several months) right now because of what the last year has brought or because it truly is my prayer - but I pray it:

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Jeff's Blog: Weekend Update

I was so challenged and moved coming into this past weekends talk as I wrestled with the question: if God would say yes to one prayer what would it be? After wrestling with it for several days I came back to Jesus prayer in the garden before His crucifixion; "never the less, not my will but your will be done." If it is good enough for Jesus to pray as His prayer to the Father, then it's good enough for me!

This past weekend at Alive Church we continued in our weekend talk series called "Why". We looked at the question; "Why didn't God answer my prayer?" My prayer from the weekend is that not only did we grow in our faith as we looked at this question but that we would grow in our desire to know Jesus more intimately through prayer. Tonight I spent an hour or so outside sitting around the fire pit praying that prayer for everyone who heard the talk this weekend. As well, praying for everyone as the Lord spoke to us about the things that may be hindering our prayers; broken relationships, not believing God will really answer our prayers. I especially am continuing to pray that we trust that sometimes God during the times He says no or wait because He may have something better!

During our services this weekend there were 2 people who made faith commitments to follow Jesus - I am so grateful to be a part of a church that continues to invest and invite those who don't know Jesus!!!

It was our first weekend to be reunited at one location here in the Tucson area. I was so excited to reconnect with many who have been attending the TP campus. It is a time to refocus and prepare as God leads us forward, into our future; united.

Jeff's Blog: When Computer Backup Doesn't Work

So...this week was the week that it looks like I've been given a complete clean slate from my past. My computer died on Friday of last week, how and why is a story that will make a message someday soon, and I got a new one on Sunday evening. I started the task of loading all of my programs etc...I think I would rather get a root canal. (yes, I've had several - and I would rather) Thinking everything would be fine as far as my data (20 years worth of study, sermons and writing) because I use a major online company, I was at peace until Tuesday. I went to get my backup and it was gone! I mean completely gone. (I won't say the name of the company just yet, because my case has been escalated to their engineers - I will wait to see the results)

I couldn't help but think about how this correlates with God's Grace and Forgiveness through Jesus and all that He did for me on the cross. How cool is that, all the experts of my past looking for my sins and they can't be found - gone - clean slate - it's as though they never existed!!!

As far as my data is concerned I'm hoping the engineers at this major company who guarantees my backup can somehow find it all. One friend suggested that maybe God didn't want me to use any of the research and writings from the last 20 years as I go forward - could be! If my wife is right and my memory is as bad as she says, it would be like a whole new life!!! I wonder what 10,000 hours of research and writing is worth? I guess it depends on whose it was!!! All I know is that I like having a clean slate from the sins of my past and I love God's guarantee that they are gone forever!!!

Jeff's Blog: 28 or 30 Baptisms

I'm still trying to confirm the stats but it was somewhere between 28-30 people baptized this weekend at Alive Church. What's impressive is how lives have been changed as decisions have been made to follow Jesus and to take this Next Step of baptism. I have to share a couple of stories, at least as an overview, that were so moving to me this weekend. The first is of a family reunited after many years and they have made faith decsions to follow Jesus over the last couple of months. This weekend Dad, the son and his family were all baptized. Hearing the story from the daughter who has been praying for them all for so many years is overwhelming. God answers prayers. There were several other entire families or parent/kid combinations that have made recent decisions to follow Jesus that were baptized this weekend - this is why we do this - seeing people. entire families, come Alive from hopelessness to hope in Jesus!

• Baptism kits - for the first time we were prepared with what we are calling batism kits for those who felt led to get baptized but did not come prepared. The kit included shorts, an Alive Church tee shirt and an Alive Church towel. I was thrilled as a few people obeyed the Lord and took the next steps in their faith by getting the kit and getting baptized even though they did not come prepared with dry clothes. As a church this is just one more way we can continue to remove barriers that keep people from following Jesus.



• I have had alot of cake this weeken!d. Baptisum is a time of celebration so we party, not only with worship and applause but with cake. One of the things I love is seeing everyone sign the certificates. All of the pastors and friends sign certificates for those who were baptized. If you have never had a chance to do that - next time don't miss it - many write notes of encouragement on the certificates as a memory of the occasion.



• Reuniting and Refocusing - while it was sad that it was our last weekend to broadcast to the Twin Peaks campus, it is also a time of renewal, reuniting and refocus. I am looking forward to having everyone together next weekend on one campus. Service times will be the same. 5pm Saturday and Sunday 9:30 and 11.



• All New Weekend Talk Series: "Why". This weekend I started the new weekend talk series called "Why" as we asked the question "Why Don't I Always Feel God?" Many of you were very encouraged as we started this series. It was a time to build our faith - if you missed it I encourage you to go to Alive Church.com and watch the weekend talk. Next weekend we are going to talk about the question: "Why Didn't God Answer My Prayer?" Remember, if the weekend talk encourges you, it will encourage your friends, neighbors, co-workers and loved ones. Take a min and invite someone to join you at a servie next weekend - they will be gald you did!!!

Jeff's Blog: Weekend Update, Important Announcement

Today has been crazy busy from the weekend and all that is going on at Alive Church, so I am a little late getting out this weekend update.

First let me start by telling you that after the weekend teaching on Baptism we have 25 people who have made commitments to be baptized next weekend, with 1 new faith commitment! Next weekend is going to be a great time - party! You won't want to miss it. Also, next weekend will be the beginning of a new weekend series called "Why" with the first weeks topic being: "Why Don't I Always Feel God?" Thanks to Phil Starke for painting during the message, Jesus right after His baptism, pictured here in my blog. We are going to use that picture as a give away to those we baptize.

This past weekend I made a very important announcement; our Twin Peaks campus will be re-uniting with the Oro Valley campus. This will be a time for us to re-focus as we re-join forces. Vision church and Pastor Toby will be taking over the lease at the Twin Peaks location as well as the Rock-N-Java coffee house there.

Though it has been a hard decision, we see that the timing is God's timing. Over the course of the last 12 months with two churches launching out of Alive, our resources, leaders, volunteers and finances have been stretched short. While we have seen growth and lives change at Twin Peaks, it has not been fast enough to get us where we needed to be to continue building that campus. After working with our land-lord he encouraged us to sub-lease and ultimately forced a move as of last Monday. We put the word out that we were interested in sub-leasing the space and Pastor Toby stepped forward and said that he and Vision Church would be very interested and were at a place where they could afford to do it at this time. They are going to lease the space, continue to operate Rock-N-Java as a community outreach and have gone ahead and assumed all debt as a way to purchase equipment. Our land lord was very willing to work with them and has decided to go ahead, and instead of us sub-leasing, he is going to assign the lease to Vision Church.

As we continue to go forward by reuniting our forces and resources all on the Oro Valley campus, I believe that God is going to continue to bless in a great way and give us the wisdom to live out His mission and vision for Alive Church and our future.

This coming weekend, Nov. 12th and 13th, we will have baptisms on both campuses and the following weekend, Nov. 19th and 20th, we will all be together for weekend services at the Oro Valley campus. I want to encourage all of you in this that God is working in and through this in ways that we can see as well as in many ways we cannot see.

One question I have had is what about staffing? As a church we have always staffed very lean, therefore a move like this does not force us to have to let go of staff. We have a great staff and have a place for all of them as we go forward - the staff has been stretched pretty thin as well over the last 6 months. As we all re-unite into one physical campus for now, we will actually still be a little understaffed...we are able to operate this way because of all of you - you are an incredible volunteer staff committed to seeing the mission and vision of Alive church go forward.

I want you to know that if you have any questions about this move I am available to meet or to answer questions through email and so is our Campus Pastor from Twin Peaks, Jason Marsden. Jason will continue to serve as a pastor here at Alive and I personally value him in a great way along with the rest of our pastoral staff.