Paul
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Your Love Never Fails
Mighty To Save
Love Came Down
Jon
Welcome, good to see you
Coming up
Next week is just signing
Not just words and music
Week after that we’re going to barbecue
This week we’re pleased to have Moses from Crave Life in Buena Park
Ever feel like you’re off center? That you’re alone in the world?
We get together every month and help share each others burdens and get acceptance that we’re not alone
Moses
About a year and a half ago we started meeting on Sunday evenings
Then we started to get people from Downey coming to Buena Park
Beginning of 2013 we decided to move to Downey
Meet at a space center
Robotic exhibits, space ships, airplanes
We meet in there, we create a space for worship services
We recently had 20 people start joining us every week, which is really awesome for a church plant
Last month we had a leadership development training
Complete this sentence: I dream of a church that…
People shared all kinds of stuff
Brenda said, “Ever hear of the theme song to the 80s TV show Cheers?”
It’s this old school show but I never listened to the lyrics
There are very deep things
Freaks, mutants, and misfits at Crave Life
We don’t have just the typical family unit (mom, dad, two kids)
It’s very diverse
I didn’t start it for that purpose, but that’s what God had In store for me
I grew up in a church where everything was perfect and everybody was happy
And there’s something wrong with that
As people started sharing their burdens, something happened
Psalm 55:22
I thought sharing my worries with God was enough
When I started sharing those burdens with others, I started noticing this healing in my soul
Too often we try to hold it in and sustain it ourselves
With a church plant, you have people that come once or twice and then stay away for 6 months, but then they come back and you see their face and you remember who they are and you hug them and say let’s cach up and it’s like they were never gone
Remind you of any Biblical story?
The prodigal son
Luke 20
We’re just glad you’re here and we make a par of it
Hugs, questions, celebrate
They were lost but now they’re found, they were dead but now are alive
There’s just so much truth in the Cheers lyrics
One of the things I’ve realized is that we all have the ability to be equal
It’s all different but we say its the same
We do communion every week, but we put it on the side and invite people to come and celebrate
I like Galatians where Paul says there is no Jew or Greek
Sense of unity, of communion with each other
A level playing field at the foot of the cross
A couple of weeks ago, what’s an issue in Downey
Everybody agreed on the economy
But just to verbalize it and talk about it, put us on the same page
We are alike and the same in Christ Jesus
I asked a few people to testify today, want to tell you a little about them first
Kim came to us through her friend Maria
Kim
Single mom of a 7 year old boy
Something quite tragic happened
I went from 100k/year and started sinking into depression
I was raised as a believer, I had faith
I liked watching Joel Osteen on TV, but the whole church at home thing just wasn’t doing it for me
So Maria invited me to Crave Life
Break free of the anger and the pain that caused me to sink into depression
Daniel and the lions den
That story gave me the
Sales rep for a transportation services company
Trusting in God has been key
I cried out and gave away the pain
I was holding a grudge for people doing the wrong things
Maria, Moses, the fellowship at the church helped unburden me
Maria
I’m a mother of four, we know Brenda and Moses through family
They invited us to Splash day and we loved it
But Buena Park is a bit of a drive
I got so much more from it than just seeing the Columbia Space Center or having my daughters play with Moses’ daughters
I can’t wait to go to Moses’ church every week
I’m grateful for Moses
I love that everybody knows your name
Everyone welcomes you with open arms
You just feel so welcomed
Moses
They were so nervous, you gals were awesome
I know it seems weird to use a sitcom theme song
We’re still small, I wish we could stay that way forever so everybody knows everybody
…
I can’t pray into your life if I don’t know what’s going on with you
I believe God can sustain me, I believe others can help me
A place where we are equal and we find relief
I believe that is what Crave Life is today
I always tell Jon I wish we could grow faster
He tells me that slow growth is the best
Lets you get to know everybody
We’re in the process of finding our own space that makes it easier for us to actually have signs saying we’re here (the city lets them use the space, but they can’t advertise at all)
Please pray for us
Jon
We come to this table tonight that’s set up in the center of the room is for people that are doing well
But it’s also for freaks and mutants and people who are broken
It’s open to everybody
Because everybody needs the grace of God
Maybe someone else will tell me what I need
Grace and peace to you
The table reminds me how desperately I need the grace of God
You’re coming to a table of equality
When you’re ready, come on up and take the body of Jesus
Take and eat and remember me, remember my love, remember my grace, remember all that I’ve done and give to you
This is my blood
Dip and partake, eat and receive the grace of God when you’re ready tonight