West Pines Community Church

If you could have coffee this afternoon with one person in the world, who would it be? It can be anyone. Someone you admire. Someone you want to learn from. Someone you believe in. Now, here’s the opposite question. Who is the last person on planet earth you’d have coffee with? There’s a good chance the answer to that question came more quickly than the first. One thing that is predictable about Jesus, is that you cannot predict what He’s going to do. The stories about Him in the Bible are so engaging because they are often shocking. One of the things that was the most flooring to those who witnessed his life, are the people He chose to spend time with. It shattered their norms and expectations. But that dynamic about Jesus, is powerfully instructive for us. When we encounter Jesus, we Encounter Grace...

In your world who’s the big shot? Maybe it’s a boss that holds significant authority. Maybe it’s someone well known that influences many people. It is not hard for each of us to think of a prominent figure that commands the respect of those around them. There was a man like this who had an encounter with Jesus. He was a big shot in most circles he walked in. He was a Roman Centurion. While there were officers who outranked him and could tell him what to do, most of the people immediately around him did what he said. But he responded to Jesus in an astonishing way. He said that he was not even worthy to have Jesus in his house. When this man encountered Jesus, he encountered authority.

Generosity is something that makes us feel good, but we still struggle to exercise it. In the story of Zacchaeus, we see how salvation unleashes his generosity. We see the joy that comes from generosity. If we could harness the power of generosity, not only would we benefit selfishly because it brings us joy, but we would be displaying Christ to those around us. This would hopefully open up opportunities to share the source of our joy and draw people to Jesus. This “Pay it forward” mentality could spread like wildfire, not only spreading joy, but the promise of eternal life. How can we unleash generosity in our life?

So often, many of us, are just kind of walking through life unaware or oblivious to how God’s grace and compassion are shaping and encouraging our daily lives. In the moments and seasons of struggle, God, in His time, reaches out with deep compassion. In the life and work of Jesus the Bible shows us the very character of a compassionate God who has reached down to needy humanity. It is a profound, deep rooted compassion that gives us hope. For those that follow Jesus, whom have been touched by Him, His compassion changes everything! Are you trusting in this compassionate God?

One of the most obvious questions that we often don't think to ask is: How can I feel close to God? No matter where we are at in our journey with God, many of us are at a place where we are asking this question. Some might not know what they believe about God, but they see that people they respect seem to have had a genuine encounter with God. They wonder what it would look like for them to feel that. Others may have recently started following Jesus. Maybe they have felt their enthusiasm wane and wonder how they get it back. For seasoned believers, some have felt apathy creep in unnoticed and want to know how to get their fiery passion back. This episode in the story of Nehemiah, outlines the path to renewal that we all need.

What does it look like to show mercy to someone? It’s helping someone out that is in a tough spot. It could be welcoming someone into your circle of friends because they are lonely. Maybe it’s giving a hurting person the gift of your time. Or even more difficult, extending forgiveness to someone who hasn’t asked for it. Mercy is a costly thing to give. But there is one thing that can very quickly extinguish mercy from our hearts. It’s the mercy blocker: self-righteousness. It’s too easy to feel no compulsion to show mercy, when I can so easily make a case that someone doesn’t deserve it. But when we encounter Jesus, we cannot help but Encounter Mercy.

There are some messy jobs out there. It takes a strong work ethic and an equally strong stomach to do what no one else could handle. But sometimes what makes it so messy is not the work itself, but the spiritual environment. Maybe that’s you. You would say that it is just hard to be a Christian where you work. For others, it’s not just the workplace environment. For many, it’s hard to be a Christian in the family you’ve been placed in, or the school you go to. How do you navigate through all the stuff you’re not sure a Christian should be exposed to? What do you do about the elements of the workplace that you can’t endorse? When do you take a stand? And how? It’s MESSY and it’s not always easy to know how to draw the lines. Especially because retreat is not an option. We know Jesus has called us to go into the world and He told us it would not be easy. The good news is that we can learn from those who went before us. And Daniel is a great place to start...

There are things that we teach our families. Some are general life skills and some are significant truths and beliefs. Many of us learned these things by accident, half heartedly, or haphazardly. Yet, the bible has clear cut ways to teach and train our families in the kinds of things that change the direction of our families towards Jesus. So, how can we rest assured that we will teach and influence our children and families with what matters most? Well, God, in His word, is calling people to use their lives and everything in them to teach their families about Him. Yes, God calls us to seize some moments and plant other moments in order to influence the generations ahead of us! The beautiful thing is this, you can realign your family and your generations towards a greater inheritance today!

Some families have heirlooms that have been passed down through the generations. Maybe your family has something like that. It could be your grandmother’s china or a ring your abuelo used to wear. But in families, it’s not just the tangible artifacts that get passed down. We pass along intangible things as well. Have you ever heard the phrase: do what I say, not what I do! Maybe you’ve even caught yourself saying that before. Sadly, we know that phrase is empty. Especially, when it comes to the parent child relationship, most of what is passed along is caught rather than taught. Children are sponges absorbing the perspectives, beliefs and habits of their parents. The reality is for better or for worse, we are replicating ourselves. And that doesn’t just affect our children, it shapes our generations. The only real way to pass down the right traits, is to actually possess them ourselves.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Like father, like son. A chip off the old block. You can usually tell how common a phenomenon is by how many idioms describe it. Everyone has seen how kids take on the tendencies, habits, perspectives, and beliefs of their parents. They don’t have to try to. It just happens. So is it a good thing if someone is a “chip off the old block”? That depends. Good things and bad things get passed down. This very real part of family life is addressed directly in the Bible. It is a tragedy when children are affected by the sins of their parents. But he has provided a way to break that from being passed down through the generations. Through Jesus, what once were dominant family traits can become RECESSIVE TRAITS. And that shift in family DNA can happen with you!