Church Notes | Discover Beauty

Eye for an eye was't obligatory revenge, eye for an eye was intentional and intelligent mercy. Back in the day the punishment often out weighted the crime, at the risk of overly simplifying it eye for an eye was much better than eye for a life. In what ways can I be intentionally and intelligently merciful today? Maybe a better word for "merciful", in this context, is patient. How can I love those who put me down? Serve those who label me closed-minded? Minister to those who consider me stupid or weak? First step is to be intentional. Ask the Lord to show us their beauty, and realize that they too were created for great and wonderful things. So we can see them for who they are, despite what they are doing and how they are acting. The next step is to be intelligent. We MUST ask the Lord to give us discernment on how to interact with them. I would argue that spiritual warfare is much more of an art than a science. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit one step at a time will help us minister to each individual we encounter. It might be sitting down and talking with them about Christ, it might be sitting down and talking to them about Downton Abbey. Most of the time it's just being being a patient and humble person, who is willing to smile and wave on a regular basis. Ask the Lord show you the beauty around you, and turn the grey into color. Trust me, it makes this life much more fun. Not easier, just better.

Church Notes | Matthew 5:29

Matthew 5:29

Ecclesia Advent

 Here are some Church Notes that I have been drawing and painting and just not posting, which is stupid. I love doing these I dunno why I just don't post them more often.

Well last month at Church they did a teaching series on Advent. 

Highlighting 5 different aspects on the Hope what we have through Christ.

Peace (That week I didn't draw anything)

Hope

Joy

Love

Light

I know this is somewhat of an Ironic image of hope, but keep in mind that the night before I had just went and saw The Christmas Carol with my family. But we do need to be carful where we place out hearts. This study was on how we face disappointment, and what can happen to our hearts when don't get something we were hoping for, and how important it is to place our hearts in the Humble and Powerful hands of out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This study was on Joy, and how joy is our anchor in the tumultuous sea we call emotions, and that the reason for Joy is truth. Joy is rooted in truth. Truth is constant and unyielding. "Truth" is the loving and understanding parent patiently waiting out the temper-tantrum of its screaming toddler "Emotion".

This was a crazy good sermon, and I am ashamed it has taken me this long to write about it, many of my first impressions lost. But what is the bug take away now 3 weeks later is that Love has the ability to awaken us. Out pastor, Joseph, was speaking about the pain that Love can bring, and lot of times that pain and sorrow we feel for people is our hearts being awaked to justice and the lack-there-of.

The box in this drawing represents the lies that we believe, the lies that lock up our hearts hearts shutting them up in darkness. The candle represents truth.

A New Season.

It is so cool to see and hear the Lord speak. A common "language" He uses with me is deals with the concept of "seasons". I love how the seasons are a source of consistent change, the perfect braiding of old and new, and great, and arguably the best example, of balance. 

With that said there have been a lot of change in my life within the last month. Three major branches of my life have had a shift, or a color change, if we are going to keep the seasons analogy. At work I rolled off of my first film onto a new movie, where I get a whole new team of people to work with. In my personal life I finally had a conversation the Lord has been telling me to have for nearly two years now. The peace and understanding that came with that humility is astounding. And finally at church, and the reason for this blog post, I got confirmation about looking for a local LA based Church.I am sad to be leaving Rock Harbor, my home of 4 years, but I am excited to see where the Lord is going to take me in this new season. Long story made slightly shorter, I feel the need, call, pressing, desire, or what ever verb/term you feel comfortable using, to be more involved in the city that I live in and work in. So over the next few weeks I will be on the hunt for a new church out here in LA. This first week I went to Ecclesia. I really really loved it! Ill probably go here for the next Month or so because next week they are starting a three week series on their core values. What a great way to start out my hunt.

Below are my notes and a drawing from this mornings message.

This drawing is of a star (you might remember that I like drawing stars in the form of people example A, example B). I drew this in response to a really great point the pastor made at this morning, I would go as far and call it a profound distinction. He said something along the lines of this, "That our lives and ministry are not dependant on our resilience, but our alliance. We do not need to ask the Lord to be with us, but to go where He is." I loved this so much because our eyes need to be on Christ. When I focus too much on what I AM doing I completely forget Who I am doing it for. I wasn't exactly sure on how to illustrate that concept /distinction so I drew the North Star. When Christ was born the North Star appeared to lead people to Christ. To show people where He was. It is not the clearest way to communicate what the pastor said, but it sure was a lot of fun to draw! :) So look for the North Star in your life, and go where Christ is. You can never go wrong when you are with Christ.

Again I am so excited to experience all the new colors and fragrances this new season has to offer. If you pray, pray for me. :) Pray for humility, guidance, and boldness in following that "North Star".

Church Notes | Joy in Hope

This is a drawing of my new friend Heather, she is pretty cool. The specifics of the drawing belong to her, but the over-arching theme of the drawing and sermon is one of hope, and the joy we find in it. "Find" being the operative word here.

Too often we mistake times of silence and stillness for seasons of darkness. That isn't always the case, maybe even never the case. I would even argue that in most cases the stillness only becomes "dark" when we neglect to seek out God and remind ourselves of his promises. If we took the time to remind ourselves of who He is and His promises the darkness wont come. Darkness, what ever it's form, is always held at bay with light.

Church Notes | Thursday's

This post finds itself in a very interesting place.

Last week the study at church was out of Malachi, and was about this concept of, "Thursdays". "Thursday" being a name for the regular days. The times that are not random, that are neither high nor low. Your routine.

If you frequent my blog you know that when I take notes in church part of my note-taking is drawing. For sometime now I have been praying during, and in some cases even before the sermon for the Lord to give me some imagery that will speak to me or others, and hopefully something that will reflect the message.

Last week the image I got was a man walking down a dark path protecting his "flame". With that image was the question, "Do you guard your flame when you should be stoking it?" That was very stirring at the time, and extremely convicting now. Convicting because If I would have set 30 minutes aside earlier this week to do what I am doing now my week would have been so much more effective and brighter. Essentially if I would have listen to what the Lord said to me and showed me then I would have realized that in this season of "Thursdays" I had only been protecting my "flame" and not stoking it. It's heat and light had grown dim leaving it vulnerable to gusts of wind.

I share this as a reminder for myself, and hopefully others, of the importance of faithfulness in our routines. In this of "Tuesday's", "Wednesday's", and "Thursday's" I have grown quite lax. This image of a man needing to stoke his flame was directly for me and I was too lazy to do anything about it! And I KNEW IT but I STILL didn't do anything about it! A fire can not live when there is nothing to fuel it. Forest fires do not need to be shielded from wind and rain. Lord let me heart not be the light a single Candle, but mingle it with Yours, the men and women who went before me, and those who walk along side me now. May we be a raging fire for You. We are young and we WILL set this world on fire for You!

Lost 2011 Church Notes

The Church Notes of 2011 that I was too lazy to allow to see the light of day.


A drawing of my friend Melinda.


A drawing of my friend Carly!
I still need to color this.


I based this off of a drawing Nick Chiurazzi did in Circles AGES ago.


This one is of my brother.


I forget who is was of, maybe my buddy Nate. It is basically quite literal, it is about transformation, and the breaking away of bondage of an old identity.


This is of my then new co-worker Loni. But I didn't show her this until about 2 or 3 months later, not wanting to be a weirdo who drew her a phrophetic-encouragement. Oh the foolishness of me. :)
I would like to color this one too.


This one was of a guy at church who has since vanished.


This is a drawing of one of our then current, now past worship leaders at Rock Harbor Caleb Clements.


This is to illustrate how idolatry is bondage for your heart.


This was a difficult week for me, I remember struggling a lot.
This image ministered to me considerably, I am not bound by the lies of the enemy.


I hate his face but I love this concept. We are all given keys to the Lord's Kingdom, where do these keys fit? In the hearts of his people! We bring his Kingdom to earth through the heart's of his people!


This one was the Lord telling me He is not yet done forming my "crown".
And by crown I mean ministry and character.


Our speech pours out of us and flows into the world around us.


This just a literal drawing of the teaching.
I should color it.


Another drawing of the study.


Our speech pours out of us and flows into the world around us.


This is of my buddy Nick.


This was the Last page of my sketchbook, 2 sketchbooks ago.


This is when I visited OASIS LA. I really liked it.
That was another difficult week.


This one is about how much more powerful and effective we are when we work together.

Church Notes | Out of the Ashes

Some Church Notes to both encourage and rebuke! But in love!!!

For far too long people who call themselves Christians have been doing hateful and fear-fueled things. Francis Chan taught at my Church this past Sunday, it could not have been anymore timely. His teaching really confirmed something that the Lord has been trying to show me. Christians need to restore honor to The Church. A generation or two ago Churches were respected, even if they were not agreed with. We need to love the world again, and not hide from it.

The Church needs to rise the from the ashes of the idiots, morons, and selfish men and women who are Christians in name only. We will need to distinguish ourselves, and the ONLY was we can do that is through love!
Sacrificial love.
Intelligent love.
Funny love.
Gentle love.
Bold love and so forth.

If you aren't a Christian, hold your friends who clams to be Christians to this standard, and challenge them if you see them do something that is not centered and rooted in love. Oh and let us love you as Christ dose :)

If you are a Christian, how do we start this process? Look at your own hearts and ask the Lord to show you areas of pride and fear. Then ask Him to show you and how to replace those areas with trust, humility, and love. It won't be easy, but when has anything that's been easy been memorable or powerful?

Oh and the drawing is supposed to represent coming out of ashes, and the Owl is something the Lord uses to speak to me, and they are cool, AND they are fun to draw. :D

Church Notes | Resurrection

Explanation to follow.

Church Notes | Faithful

When the study started, I prayed that I would be inspired to draw something, or be given an image. I sat and waited for a little while. Darin said something about justice and I got an image of a man holding scales. As I drew it it became more clear, it turned out to be my friend Zach. He was holding scales, in the scales was a heart of flesh that was being out weighted by fruit. After the study I had an opportunity to share the drawing and what the Lord put on my heart about it with Zach. with him. I always get nervous about sharing that stuff with people because I don't want to come off as, "THUS SAITH THEELORD!!" That knee-jerk response is out of fear, not decrement. And fear is never to be reacted out of, so I did my best to die to myself and be bold. And I know and trust Zach, even if I was way off he wouldn't kill me. Long story short we had a great conversation about the drawing. Basically it was an encouragement to Zach that the fruit of the Spirit is abundant in his life right now. At the end of the night he came back up to me and handed me a letter. When I got home to read it I was so blessed. The Lord answered some prayers and questions I had through Zach's letter.

Church Notes | Blood Money

We are going thought a study that will take us up to Easter Sunday titled "Witness' of Christ". Each Sunday is focusing on a person that Christ encountered during the week leading to the crucifixion. So far we have met Mary Magdalene with her unexpected and extravagant manner of worshiping Christ. Encountered the Pharisees and saw how blind their hearts were when what they were looking for was right in front of them. And about 2 weeks ago met the man I am blogging about right now, the betrayer; Judas Iscariot.

For me Judas has been a source of mixed emotions. He was the man who betrayed Christ and then hung himself. I've always wondered why he betrayed Christ? And why he committed suicide and what did his suicide mean? For a long while I would wonder if he even had a choice.

But I realized that we can't really ask the question if he had a choice. We have to assume he did have choice, because we've all had choice, all of us from Eve to Adam to you and me. I truly believe that choice is a primary form that God's love takes in our lives. If we did have the ability to choose we would be incapable of love, and on a side note and slight tangent, that is why addiction is so evil, it mars our ability to choose, but thats a blog for another time so anywho...

I always thought as a child that Judas betrayed Jesus because be was greedy and was supposed to. What I realized in that study, and have been trying to blog about for the last 2 weeks, was that Jesus wasn't what Judas wanted him to be. Judas did not understand how this man was going to establish a new kingdom and he did not submit his understanding to the both the Scripture and the prophet standing in front of him. His pride and vanity stood in the way not allowing him to see Jesus as a true prophet, let alone the Christ and Son of God. Out of what we can assume to be immense frustration and bitterness he turned Jesus in to the authorities. Even after the crucifixion I don't think he recognized Jesus as the Christ. He said that he spilt the blood of an innocent man, not that the Blood of the son of God. I really think this line of thought is supported through the actions Judas took after his admission. He did not seek repentance and redemption, but wallowed in his own remorse incapable, himself, of solving the issue, and I really feel that that desperation and isolation is what opened his heart and mind to suicide.

Basically what I got from this study was that I need to be careful to not allow pride to blind me from seeing how Christ want to work in and through my life. And that there is a world of difference between remorse and repentance.

Church Notes | Faithfulnes is Humility

These are notes from February 6th, Super Bowl Sunday. Every year for the last 4 years I make plans to watch the Super Bowl with some of my best friends. We went back to our friends Matt and Amy's home again this year. They live up in Apple Valley. Before the game and after waffles we to High Desert Church, Matt works there as Graphic Designer. Here are my notes from that sermon. I kind of drew a comicbook-ish Matt. The Owl represents wisdom, which Matt has much of.


That Sundays study was on faithfulness and what it means to be truly and willingly faithful. Basically the more humility you choose to wear the more faithful you will be able to be. My notes, if you can manage to read my chicken scratch, take a certain path. Mainly on reflection; how we view ourselves. And how that reflection effects our hearts and can get in the way of true humility. Maybe I should post an uncolored version too, so the text is a little more legible. :Þ The main point of the sermon was recognizing where to place your worth, and that is at the feet of resurrected and living Christ.

Church Notes | Gathering

This weeks study was titled, "Why we gather..." It was a study on Community and the importance of being in fellowship with one another. The pastor presented a really interesting point. Today we can be fed the Word of God in many different venues, all of which are isolated affairs. Books, PodCasts, and a myriad of different options that the internet can provide. There is even a MMO that provides virtual churches to go to, I think that game is still around. There is nothing wrong with these convenience in and of themselves. These convinces become dangerous when we allow them to take a higher seat in our hearts than they were designed for. What I mean to say is that when we allow a PodCast to replace church, or allow a book to replace The Book. When we allow them to stop being supplement that they should be and become the soul source of our Spiritual food. Much like fast food, it should be a treat or occasional indulgence but like for many people when it becomes the soul source of our food our health reflects that. One of the biggest dangers of not gathering together in fellowship with the intent on seeking God, is missing out on each-other. We can not allow a tool for communication to become a weapon of isolation. We can operate under the lie that each week at church is the same as the previous week. We must remember that each gathering is unique and different. It's alive! We are all gifted differently! We all need to guard our hearts and not allow the enemy to take something good out of context and pervert it into a distraction. He tends to use these little lies twisted with a half-truth the most.

Church Notes | Contentment

I have been wanting to color this for almost 2 weeks now, but I wasn't able to. I had some freelance that ate up all my time. This service was on contentment. The imagery was influenced from the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when they meet the star named Ramandu. I wrote a whole post about him earlier this month, he just really inspired me.

She is a star content with hanging in the night sky. Not needing to burn any brighter than her sisters. Content at playing her part in the symphony of lights in the sky. Resting in the balance of unity and uniqueness. We all need to strive to find our special place in the sky to burn brightly for the Lord.

I am just so cheesy aren't i? ;) But I mean every syllable of it.

Church Notes | Mind the Mind

This past weeks study was on guarding your mind against spiritual warfare. His spiritual eye is open and the Holy Spirit is upon him. The demon can not stand the the fact that he is focusing his mind on the Glory that is God. The concept here is that the eye is like the a combination of the Shekinah glory and the tongue of flames that rested upon the heads of the people at Pentecost.

Church Notes | Double Minded

This was a study on anxiety and worry. What I really loved about this study and never understood until this past Sunday was this: To be worried is to be double minded. That was such a powerful realization! This past year was a nightmare, I had so much anxiety. I was literally letting Satan and his brood tear my heart and mind into pieces. How I fought it was to choose humility and realize that I need to repent from these thoughts, feelings, and fears. I had to CHOOSE to pray against them. The teacher put it perfectly, to escape the pulling and smothering and tearing anxiety you first must 1) repent from the thoughts, 2) pray against the thoughts 3) and meditate on God and who He is to help get your eyes off of yourself and onto Him.

If you couldn't tell, I represented worry as a six headed snake. Even thought it is coiled around him and hissing, it's venom can not touch him when his heart is pointed in the right direction.

Church Notes | Joy

This service was on joy. The drawing here isn't the most joyous, in fact it is not very joyful at all. But it is an image the Lord gave me the week prior on New Years eve. It was of a person only offering only part of their heart up to the Lord and letting the rest of it fall to the spirits of this earth, demons. So I drew a woman only offering up a shard of her heart up to the lord and the rest of the pieces are in the teeth of the demons at her feet. She needs to collect her whole heart, broken and all, and give every piece back to the Lord so that He can heal it and make it whole in Him. Now some of these demons will latch onto the the pieces of you heart as you try and collect them. THEY WILL NOT WANT TO LET GO! But do not fear, that will only give them strength, all you need to do is whisper the name of out Lord and Saviour and they will recoil from the glory and power of mere name of Jesus Christ. If they manage to sneak back in an reclaim a shard of your heart all you need do is remind them of Christ. And to tie it all together is compromise stifles joy.

Church Notes | Citizenship

Church Notes form about a month ago.



When I am stupid and don't post these right away it is very difficult for me to remember exactly what the Lord was telling me, so for that I apologize, and must repent. However what I do remember from this is the drawing. I was praying about what i draw and didn't know why this was coming out of the page. At the end of the service the pastor said something that sparked the last panel which gave the other three panels a narrative. What was once just a random guy standing in the street suddenly had a message; God's Gift can free us from the bondage of this world. When the Gift finds a fertile heart it can break the heaviest of chains. Nurture Gods Grace and Love and you will be surprised by the beauty and power it brings. We are not citizens of this world, there is no reason to be chained to any longer.

Church Notes | Shine like Stars

This was from church like 3 weeks ago, I started coloring it and never finished it. This seems to be a trend with me as of late, and by "late" i meant over a year now. So I am sorry. I do have some good reasons this time around. I moved and got a new job. So I have been a busy bee. And my new job is really faraway. BUT I LOVE IT!!!



The top of the page are the lyrics to a worship song called "Shine" by Matt Redman. Here is the chorus I copied down,


We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.


I just got such a striking visual when singing this song. The study went on to teach about burning like stars for the Lord, with a stress on wisdom and community. We are to seek wisdom together and travel this life with each other. The pastor reminded us of Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend: but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." We need to be there for each other in both giving and receiving correction in LOVE! We can not isolate ourselves and hope to be effective. Think of a time where you saw one star burning in the sky alone, and how long it took you to find her, and how pale she seemed to be while alone against the darkness. Now think back to when you have seen a chorus of white flecks all dancing together in the sky pointing the glory on past even their heavens. Take a minuet to meditate on the difference. The lonely star had to fight just to be noticed, and to remain a dot. Now look toward the chorus of starts, not only do they fight back the darkness, they dance in spite of it. Together they strive in an environment that if alone they would struggle to just exists.

Church Notes | 10 out of 10... outta 10

Church on Sunday was powerful. It was on the second half of Philippians chapter one. What particularly spoke to me was verse 21;

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Now this is a verse that I have heard many times over the years, but on Sunday I finally saw it in the right light, if I can be so aggressive as to say "right" or "correct" light. Paul penned and prayed this out of love and a longing to see Christ. Not out of a desire to escape this world or his current condition. That realization really convicted me. I have prayed this so many times and I am pretty sure EVERY TIME it has been in response to sin, or a horrible situation, NOT of out love for Christ and wanting to see Him. Basically what it boils down to was that I prayed this in reaction to sin, not in response of love. The struggle in this world is inherent, we cant avoid that, and its foolish to say to we are going to live for Christ and not realize that struggle is inherent, we are living a life that goes against the norm. We will struggle and we WILL to rise to the challenge, and we will bring his Kingdom down to Earth brick by brick IF we don't struggle against each other. We should struggle TOGETHER for God's glory not against each other. Too often the Church is know for what divides us and not for what unites us. Lets work against that people okay! Remember to treat others as you would like to be treated, that goes for believers and non-believers alike.

Even the drawing was a struggle, or battle. I drew a heart first with a snake around it, maybe even with its fangs sunken in! But then I got kinda sad that the snake was wining, and then I drew an owl protecting the heart keeping the snake at bay in his talons. Which was cool b/c the whole study was about struggle and growth.