Make sure to visit the Seven San Diego Church website beginning July 12th to see if we answered your question. Messages will be available for download.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Questions I've Wanted to Ask God (New Teaching Series)
Next week we will start answering your questions to God. Do you have one? If so, post it right here; right now!
Make sure to visit the Seven San Diego Church website beginning July 12th to see if we answered your question. Messages will be available for download.
Make sure to visit the Seven San Diego Church website beginning July 12th to see if we answered your question. Messages will be available for download.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Summer Youth Olympics Are Back!
Hey Parents! Register your children for our FREE Summer Youth Olympics. Read over the registration information below, print the form, and bring it with you the day of the event. It's that simple!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I Do! (New Teaching Series)
For better, for worse…to have and to hold, from this day forward… Wedding vows are more than a declaration of love—they hold the keys for a strong, lasting marriage. Whether you hope to get married someday, or you’ve already tied the knot, discover what these words can mean for the future of your relationship. Join us as we dive into the depths behind the words, "I Do!" Message titles for each date are as follows:
I Do!: Avoiding a Lame Marriage
pt. 1, June 07 .....Secrets of a Satisfying Marriage
pt. 2, June 14 .....Marriage “Do Over”
Special Event: June 17....Fireproof Movie Night
pt. 3, June 21 .....God’s Model For Manhood in Marriage (Dude Sunday: Father's Day)
pt. 4, June 28 .....How to Keep Your Marriage Growing
Please stop by and visit us. We meet every Sunday at 10 AM at Olympian High School, located off of 1925 Magdalena Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91913.
I Do!: Avoiding a Lame Marriage
pt. 1, June 07 .....Secrets of a Satisfying Marriage
pt. 2, June 14 .....Marriage “Do Over”
Special Event: June 17....Fireproof Movie Night
pt. 3, June 21 .....God’s Model For Manhood in Marriage (Dude Sunday: Father's Day)
pt. 4, June 28 .....How to Keep Your Marriage Growing
Please stop by and visit us. We meet every Sunday at 10 AM at Olympian High School, located off of 1925 Magdalena Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91913.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Your Life Mission ID'd: Guest Blog by Ray Benton
Seven San Diego Church is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for the errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation or staff.
Jesus Christ communicated your mission in life when he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The “gospel” or good news according to I Corinthians 15:1-4 is that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day…”
Did you know that it is mankind’s “sin” that separates us from a holy God? Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and this death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
So what was to be of "sin"? Well, a penalty had to be paid. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (I Corinthians 5:21). “But now Christ is risen from the dead…” (I Corinthians 15:20).
So what is to be said of a resurrected Christ? Well, we are to share what He did for us. If my mission is to share the “good news” with those in my world, and dare to reach beyond my world, and care about the whole world, how can I fulfill that responsibility? Doing the following will go a long way toward us fulfilling this mission:
First, we can PRAY. Jesus said, “…therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). The key to the impact of the early church in the book of Acts was that they were a praying church (Acts 1:14, 1:24, 3:1, 4:24-31, 6:4). As they prayed, their mission became focused and literally thousands responded to the “good news” and became a part of the family of God. As we pray, God will identify someone in our “oikos” who needs the “good news.” As we pray, we can ask God to empower those who have gone cross culturally to share the “good news.” Prayer will bring a focus to your mission.
Secondly, we can GIVE. The mission Christ entrusted to us involves me reaching beyond my world and caring about the whole world. In our society many are taking this aspect of their mission seriously and find themselves going on short term trips with a focus to take the “gospel” cross culturally. One of the ways we can all participate in this aspect of our mission is to give financially to organizations and individuals whom God has called specifically to take the “gospel” to a foreign land. Giving financially funds your mission.
Finally, we can GO. Whether it is going across the street to talk with our neighbor, across the miles to fulfill a short term trip or across the ocean to fulfill a lifetime calling to take the “gospel” cross culturally, all of us can participate by going. Going puts feet to your mission.
Take time today to increase your efforts to PRAY, your ability to GIVE and your desire to GO seek to fulfill the mission Christ has given you!
Jesus Christ communicated your mission in life when he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The “gospel” or good news according to I Corinthians 15:1-4 is that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day…”
Did you know that it is mankind’s “sin” that separates us from a holy God? Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and this death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
So what was to be of "sin"? Well, a penalty had to be paid. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (I Corinthians 5:21). “But now Christ is risen from the dead…” (I Corinthians 15:20).
So what is to be said of a resurrected Christ? Well, we are to share what He did for us. If my mission is to share the “good news” with those in my world, and dare to reach beyond my world, and care about the whole world, how can I fulfill that responsibility? Doing the following will go a long way toward us fulfilling this mission:
First, we can PRAY. Jesus said, “…therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). The key to the impact of the early church in the book of Acts was that they were a praying church (Acts 1:14, 1:24, 3:1, 4:24-31, 6:4). As they prayed, their mission became focused and literally thousands responded to the “good news” and became a part of the family of God. As we pray, God will identify someone in our “oikos” who needs the “good news.” As we pray, we can ask God to empower those who have gone cross culturally to share the “good news.” Prayer will bring a focus to your mission.
Secondly, we can GIVE. The mission Christ entrusted to us involves me reaching beyond my world and caring about the whole world. In our society many are taking this aspect of their mission seriously and find themselves going on short term trips with a focus to take the “gospel” cross culturally. One of the ways we can all participate in this aspect of our mission is to give financially to organizations and individuals whom God has called specifically to take the “gospel” to a foreign land. Giving financially funds your mission.
Finally, we can GO. Whether it is going across the street to talk with our neighbor, across the miles to fulfill a short term trip or across the ocean to fulfill a lifetime calling to take the “gospel” cross culturally, all of us can participate by going. Going puts feet to your mission.
Take time today to increase your efforts to PRAY, your ability to GIVE and your desire to GO seek to fulfill the mission Christ has given you!
Friday, May 22, 2009
How to Become Like Christ II: Guest Blog by James Burdette
Seven San Diego Church is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for the errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation or staff.
How do I become like Christ? This question asked from a sincere heart is the most dangerous question a believer can ask. It is dangerous because the answer threatens all that we love other than God. One can study the gospels in the New Testament and try to piece together a picture of who Christ was and what he did and then do our best to mimic those actions. But my guess is that one would end up frustrated and unsuccessful. That is because becoming like Christ isn't primarily concerned with doing what he did, although someone who has become like Christ may do many of the things he did, I believe that becoming like Christ is primarily about loving who He loved.
When asked what the first commandement was by a scribe (a community religious leader) Christ replied, "'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one; you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mark 12:29-31).
I believe that to become like Christ you must first love God with all of your emotions, thoughts, and ability. To love God like this is the greatest thing anyone of us can do with our very brief lives. Can you imagine a life spent loving God with every action, thought, word and motive? That is what Christ did. His ministry on this earth and his execution outside of Jerusalem were fueled by a deep love for his Father and his people.
Which brings us to the next observation; when we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will naturally love others as we should. When we love God, we learn more about him and as a result love the people and the things which he loves. To become like Christ we must love God. How can we love God? Seek him in his word and in prayer. Hebrews 11:6 assures us that when we earnestly seek God he rewards us. Let's step forward towards becoming like Christ together and love God with all of our ability!
How do I become like Christ? This question asked from a sincere heart is the most dangerous question a believer can ask. It is dangerous because the answer threatens all that we love other than God. One can study the gospels in the New Testament and try to piece together a picture of who Christ was and what he did and then do our best to mimic those actions. But my guess is that one would end up frustrated and unsuccessful. That is because becoming like Christ isn't primarily concerned with doing what he did, although someone who has become like Christ may do many of the things he did, I believe that becoming like Christ is primarily about loving who He loved.
When asked what the first commandement was by a scribe (a community religious leader) Christ replied, "'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one; you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mark 12:29-31).
I believe that to become like Christ you must first love God with all of your emotions, thoughts, and ability. To love God like this is the greatest thing anyone of us can do with our very brief lives. Can you imagine a life spent loving God with every action, thought, word and motive? That is what Christ did. His ministry on this earth and his execution outside of Jerusalem were fueled by a deep love for his Father and his people.
Which brings us to the next observation; when we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will naturally love others as we should. When we love God, we learn more about him and as a result love the people and the things which he loves. To become like Christ we must love God. How can we love God? Seek him in his word and in prayer. Hebrews 11:6 assures us that when we earnestly seek God he rewards us. Let's step forward towards becoming like Christ together and love God with all of our ability!
Monday, May 18, 2009
How to Become Like Christ: Guest Blog by Wes Van Fleet
Seven San Diego Church is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for the errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation or staff.
When Jesus came among us, He had one purpose: to fulfill His mission of becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross by taking our place as sinners. We, in fact, could not accomplish this ourselves. God’s wrath on Jesus was a full payment for our sin. It was a holy wrath that pleased God- because it paid for you!! Christ’s payment on the cross for our sins was sufficient.
So what does this mean for us? Well, it means that when we trust in Christ alone for the payment of our sin and receive eternal life, we should be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This should be our “I.D.”. But the bigger question is how? How do we become or "conform" to the image of Christ?
When explaining to His disciples what true followers of Christ should look like, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).
Jesus expected His disciples of yesterday to give up their lives to Him. And in the same way, He expects His disciples of today to do the same. We are not supposed to fit Jesus into our life only when comfortable or profitable. We are to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). We are to take up our cross at school, at work, and to the local Starbucks. No matter how uncomfortable the situation, we are to carry our cross. Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-40). If we love Jesus with all we are, it will be natural to love those around us. If we love those around us, it will be natural to share the gospel with them and explain to them the free gift of life that was so graciously given to us. When doing these things, you shall become more like Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come".
Meditate on this verse this week. And watch how you will become more like Christ.
When Jesus came among us, He had one purpose: to fulfill His mission of becoming the perfect sacrifice on the cross by taking our place as sinners. We, in fact, could not accomplish this ourselves. God’s wrath on Jesus was a full payment for our sin. It was a holy wrath that pleased God- because it paid for you!! Christ’s payment on the cross for our sins was sufficient.
So what does this mean for us? Well, it means that when we trust in Christ alone for the payment of our sin and receive eternal life, we should be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This should be our “I.D.”. But the bigger question is how? How do we become or "conform" to the image of Christ?
When explaining to His disciples what true followers of Christ should look like, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).
Jesus expected His disciples of yesterday to give up their lives to Him. And in the same way, He expects His disciples of today to do the same. We are not supposed to fit Jesus into our life only when comfortable or profitable. We are to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). We are to take up our cross at school, at work, and to the local Starbucks. No matter how uncomfortable the situation, we are to carry our cross. Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-40). If we love Jesus with all we are, it will be natural to love those around us. If we love those around us, it will be natural to share the gospel with them and explain to them the free gift of life that was so graciously given to us. When doing these things, you shall become more like Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come".
Meditate on this verse this week. And watch how you will become more like Christ.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Climbing the Mountain: Guest Blog by Denisse Cherry
Seven San Diego Church is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for the errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily of the congregation or staff.
Since the beginning of time, God's desire was to have a family. In fact, he expressed it when he created Adam and Eve. The book of Genesis also declares that "it was not good for man to be alone" (2:18). These opening passages should remind us that we were created to be communing with God and other people. But many of us have chosen NOT to be a part of God’s family for several different reasons; personality, past experiences, fear and so on.
Imagine this... You are getting ready to climb the highest mountain on Earth. You do not have a map, a plan or a partner. You know you must climb it, but you have no idea where to begin. And so you start your journey. On you way up, you fall, break your bones, cut yourself and even slip back all the way to square one. You are proud and you will not give up so you try again, not realizing that on top of having to climb the mountain you may have to deal with the weather. So now you are either freezing or overheating...
After so many tries and failed attempts you begin to get discouraged and your spirit begins to break. Though your spirit might be broken you still get up again and give it another shot. When you finally get to the top, you realize that you are there alone, with permanent damage caused to your body and your spirit. Many of us have been there…including me.
Ask yourself this, "Did I have to endure all that pain alone? And how much less pain would I have gone through if I had someone pulling me along, encouraging me, praying for me, and sometimes even preparing me for my journey? God gives us the experiences in our lives to be able to help each other along the way (Galatians 6:2). God uses every experience for his glory. I can personally account for that. Did you know that one of the worst forms of punishment for a criminal is solitary confinement? Why do you think that is? BEACAUSE WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE ALONE!
Being a part of God’s family is one of God’s purposes for your life. That was his plan for you before you were born. The entire bible is a story of God building a family who will love him, honor him and reign with him forever. So, how do we accomplish that? The invitation to be a part of God’s family is universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus. Jesus helps us learn how to help each other, love each other, and be there for each other (John 13:34, Rom 12:10, Eph 4:2). We are born again into God’s family through faith. Once we become part of God’s family we are blessed to inherit everything that our Father has to offer.
I know what is like to internalize everything. I know what it is like to be proud and put up a front as if everything is okay. But I, like many other people, have gone through a lot of pain and unnecessary heartache. Don’t get me wrong, I have learned a lot about myself through those experiences and God has taught me a lot about the kind of person he wants me to be. But now that I have decided to be a part of God’s family, that mountain looks like a small hill. So if you are facing a mountain or a small hill, know that there are people out there that want to climb with you, help you along and pray with you. God strategically placed people in you life to help you grow, to help you conquer and reach the top so that TOGETHER we can bring him glory.
Since the beginning of time, God's desire was to have a family. In fact, he expressed it when he created Adam and Eve. The book of Genesis also declares that "it was not good for man to be alone" (2:18). These opening passages should remind us that we were created to be communing with God and other people. But many of us have chosen NOT to be a part of God’s family for several different reasons; personality, past experiences, fear and so on.
Imagine this... You are getting ready to climb the highest mountain on Earth. You do not have a map, a plan or a partner. You know you must climb it, but you have no idea where to begin. And so you start your journey. On you way up, you fall, break your bones, cut yourself and even slip back all the way to square one. You are proud and you will not give up so you try again, not realizing that on top of having to climb the mountain you may have to deal with the weather. So now you are either freezing or overheating...
After so many tries and failed attempts you begin to get discouraged and your spirit begins to break. Though your spirit might be broken you still get up again and give it another shot. When you finally get to the top, you realize that you are there alone, with permanent damage caused to your body and your spirit. Many of us have been there…including me.
Ask yourself this, "Did I have to endure all that pain alone? And how much less pain would I have gone through if I had someone pulling me along, encouraging me, praying for me, and sometimes even preparing me for my journey? God gives us the experiences in our lives to be able to help each other along the way (Galatians 6:2). God uses every experience for his glory. I can personally account for that. Did you know that one of the worst forms of punishment for a criminal is solitary confinement? Why do you think that is? BEACAUSE WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE ALONE!
Being a part of God’s family is one of God’s purposes for your life. That was his plan for you before you were born. The entire bible is a story of God building a family who will love him, honor him and reign with him forever. So, how do we accomplish that? The invitation to be a part of God’s family is universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus. Jesus helps us learn how to help each other, love each other, and be there for each other (John 13:34, Rom 12:10, Eph 4:2). We are born again into God’s family through faith. Once we become part of God’s family we are blessed to inherit everything that our Father has to offer.
I know what is like to internalize everything. I know what it is like to be proud and put up a front as if everything is okay. But I, like many other people, have gone through a lot of pain and unnecessary heartache. Don’t get me wrong, I have learned a lot about myself through those experiences and God has taught me a lot about the kind of person he wants me to be. But now that I have decided to be a part of God’s family, that mountain looks like a small hill. So if you are facing a mountain or a small hill, know that there are people out there that want to climb with you, help you along and pray with you. God strategically placed people in you life to help you grow, to help you conquer and reach the top so that TOGETHER we can bring him glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
