Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

Last weekend I was able to view the movie Jesus Revolution with my wife Karyn. We both enjoyed it very much as the story was told about the revival that took place amongst young adults through the ministry of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa in the early 1970s.

I need to say that I kept wiping tears away from my eyes throughout the movie as we witnessed the welcome of those who were considered “outsiders” into the church. One of my favorite scenes was when Chuck Smith (played by Kelsey Grammar, yes that Kelsey Grammar from Cheers) washed the dirty feet of the hippies that were coming to the church.

It was a good reminder that we need to be a people that welcomes the “outsider.” People don’t have to look or act a certain way to be welcomed by us:

Welcoming others (in Jesus’ name) is a mark of the Christian. We as Christ-followers need to be known for this. We can’t make excuses. It may not be comfortable, or it may not be easy, but we welcome, and as we welcome, we pray, and we let Jesus through the Holy Spirit, lead to the next step. The good thing is that God is in the middle of this, it isn’t only up to us. We just have to be willing to welcome.

Have a great rest of the week.

“the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart . . . “

1 Samuel 13:14

If you missed last Sunday’s sermon, we met King David, before he became the king of Israel. David’s anointment by the Prophet Samuel revealed a young boy that had a heart for God. But how did David develop that heart for God? Were there things in his life that helped to foster this heart for God? I think that there were, and that is what we are exploring in our new sermon series during Lent, Growing a Heart for God.

By no means was David a perfect person. He had many flaws but the one thing that set him apart from others was his heart. It was a heart that was devoted to pleasing God. David’s life revealed a deep-set passion for God, a heart that pursued God.

This week we look at one of the most famous stories about David, one that we have probably heard since we were children. It is the story of David and Goliath which provides some great insights into David’s heart for God.

I hope that you can join us this week. It also is the first week of the month so we will be offering the Sacrament of Communion during our service.  

Have a great rest of the week and I hope to see you on Sunday.

Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, marked the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar. It is a time when we remember our humanness and mortality – “from dust you have come and dust you shall return.” It is a day that begins a season where we are invited to reflect and to remember our frailty, our imperfections and that we bear the mark of sin. All of us stand guilty before a holy God. The cross that is marked upon our forehead reminds us that we are on a journey to the cross of Christ and the meaning of that cross for us.

Let me recommend The Lent Project, (https://ccca.biola.edu/lent/2023/?utm_source=The+Advent%2FLent+Project&utm_campaign=64906a76e1-ccca_lent_2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_78cecb2370-64906a76e1-247614681#day-feb-21) a daily resource for the Season of Lent. It is from The Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts at BIOLA University and when you sign-up, a daily reflection on the Scriptures is paired with poetry, visual art and music, comes to your email in-box. It is a great way to help you along your journey to the cross.

My prayer is that you will find some way to encourage your growth in Christ this Lenten Season. It may be The Lent Project or there may be some other tool that you implement to help abide more and more in Christ.

Have a great rest of the week and I hope you are able to stay warm and dry.

PS Don’t forget about the LCPC Congregational Meeting after worship this Sunday.