Estamos emocionados porque estamos experimentando el movimiento del Espiritu Santo en maneras sobrenatural.  Sentimos que Dios nos esta usando para engrandecer su reino a traves de gente ordinaria y sencilla que se ha puesto en las manos del Alfarero.  Queremos darle toda la honra y gloria al Senor por habernos permitido ser parte de algo tan glorioso como dar principio a una nueva iglesia en Berwyn.  Tambien sentimos la necesidad de seguir creyendo al Senor para cosas mas grandes y no poner ningun limite en lo que El puede hacer a traves de nuestras vidas.  Pedimos que se una con nosotros en oracion para creer que esto es simplemente el principio de cosas extraordinarias que continuaran a traves de un pueblo de fe.

It's exciting to see what God is doing in Berwyn.  It's even more exciting to think that He has a divine plan for that community.  We are in the midst of those plans that will spiritually and in every aspect effect that area.  It's been such a blessing to see people from the community coming out to be a part of our church.  We are praying that God will bring key people to help bring about to existence that which the Sovereign God we serve has in mind.  It has also been such a great feeling to sense the hunger in people for the things of God, and we pray that we can be that vessel that allows the Holy Spirit to meet that need.  So please join us in prayer and come in agreement with us so that God will bring those people that we need to fill the gap.

Easter is approaching quickly and on April 12 we’ll be celebrating as a church Jesus Christ’s resurrection.  This is a great opportunity to take a big step outside your comfort zone and invite a friend to church.  As the Outreach Director for our Lakeview and Lincoln Park locations I’ve been tracking our information that we receive from guests as they come to visit.  I’ve seen an overwhelming response that many of the guests that we receive on Sunday mornings have been invited by a friend or family member.  They came because they were invited!

The church does a great job of letting people know we’re in their community through different forms of outreach like postcards, newspaper articles, banners, promotional items that are handed out, evangelism and many other ways.  What we’re finding is that even though these forms of outreach can be effective still the most effective form of outreach involves a personal invitation from a friend or family member to come with them to church.  If this is the case, we need to all take the ownership to invite our friends and family members to church.  This is one of the most effective ways to reach people that are far from Christ.

Research backs these claim up too.  Recently there was a survey conducted by Lifeway Research.  Lifeway asked 15,000 people various questions regarding their openness to outreach from churches.  The research indicated that the highest amount of return for someone to visit a church was through a personal invitation from a friend or family member.  In fact, 63% of people that were surveyed said that they were somewhat likely or very likely to visit the church if a friend invited them and that percentage increased to 67% of people being somewhat likely or very likely to visit when a family member invited them.  These were the two largest percentages that the survey revealed.  Lifeway also asked what celebration people would be most open to visiting and considering matters of faith.  Easter came in second behind Christmas as the service that people would most likely attend if invited. 

Here’s my challenge to you.  If over 60% of people would come to church if they were personally invited let’s keep our eyes open for an opportunity to be an inviter.  Research has shown us that people would visit church if they were personally invited and that Easter is the second most likely weekend people would come to church and be open to considering matters of faith.  This Easter, take a big step outside of your comfort zone and reach out to a friend, family member, coworker or even a neighbor and invite them to a place where God is moving and people are growing Spiritually.  Each of us can be an inviter; we just need to take the chance and trust that God can use us to bring others to church.

A week ago today New Life ended a 21 day season of fasting and prayer. Some fasted from a meal a day or a couple meals a day, some only drank juice for the season, some said good-bye to forms of media. The emphasis throughout was for personal spiritual renewal, and we encouraged one another to keep at it, to pray, and to draw closer to God through the act of removing.

But was it the wrong thing to do?

To clarify - did we go about it the wrong way? Fasting isn't wrong, the Bible clearly teaches and encourages it. But is the manner in which we as a church went about it done in a wrong way?

The question was raised, "Jesus says to not let people know that you're fasting. We're letting everyone know, it's even being pushed on our website. How much more obvious can we get that we're doing it? Isn't that wrong?"

The passage that's being referenced in this great question is from Matthew 6:17-18:

But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

So the honest question is valid - by being obvious that we were fasting were we doing something wrong?

When we bring our good questions to the Bible we have to as much as possible look at the whole message of the Bible, not just a part - not just one verse. Using one verse to back up an idea is called proof-texting, and a lot of damage is done in the name of Jesus by those who do it.

So to bring in some more context, here are some other passages that mention fasting:

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Ezra 8:21-23

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 2 Samuel 1:11-12

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:1-3

You can also read many other passages throughout the Bible that speak of fasting (click here).

The point of showing these 3 texts is to show that there has been a practice throughout the centuries of God's people joining together to pray & fast. Not just individuals but communities of believers participating in the removal of things so as to add more time with Jesus.

So how do we take the community reality of fasting and the "don't be obvious" Matthew 6 passage at the same time?

"so that it will not be obvious" comes from a phrase that means "so it will not be seen." It's the idea of an appearance, an appearance that isn't necessarily connected to an inner reality. Another way of thinking about it would be putting on a costume for a play. It gives you the look of the part, but it's not who you really are.

The Pharisees of Jesus times, the so called religious guys who got it all wrong, were very theatrical with their fasting. For them fasting was an opportunity to put on a religious show through which they would get lots of applause for what they were doing. They wanted to be famous for being spiritual.

Unfortunately, loving God means that we make Him famous - not ourselves. God sees the heart, the secret reality of us all. And that is the point of the Matthew passage. He sees the depths of our hearts and the motives that are connected to our actions. The Sermon on the Mount is the revolutionary teaching of Jesus setting the record straight on what deep spirituality truly is like, flipping the Pharisee's idea of life on it's head. With fasting he basically says, "When you fast - don't do it to put on a show - do it to connect your heart with mine."

I love how Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Matthew passage:

"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well."

So were we doing something wrong with the 21day fast? No & Yes.

No, because it can be seen from Scripture that people joining together to seek out God is a powerful and necessary thing.  Seeking God for spiritual renewal was the reason we were doing it, the motive of our hearts, not to look cool and spiritual.  To be part of such an honest, heart focusing season with our church was amazing!  The 21 days was a powerful thing for me because fasting is a spiritual habit I never really developed. But over the course of the 3 weeks I really got to a point where my heart and mind were more in tune to the heart of God and His word than previously. Knowing I wasn't alone in that but was joining in with my church family was even powerful. I need to fast more, our church needs to fast more. So no, we weren't doing something wrong.

But also maybe a little bit Yes. Not at the community level but at the individual level. Because maybe some did put on a show. Maybe it wasn't a thing of the heart for some. And that should be a constant reminder to those who do desire to fast. If it is going to be a temptation for you to try and get compliments or attention from people by telling them you're fasting - then keep it a secret. If you desire for people to be looking at you instead of looking to Jesus, then keep your fasting a secret.

May the next 21 day fast not be the next time we exercise such a spiritual habit.

May New Life always be a place of people who are constantly seeking to make Jesus famous.

After our evening worship gathering at Lincoln Park last night I had a great chat with a bunch of guys about Twitter, Facebook, blogs, emails and the role of technology in fostering community life.  These men were all 20 something and had been somewhat shaped by technology in their formative years.  All of them were open to and appreciative of technology as a tool to connect.

Here's my conviction--the faster technology moves, the more important it is for spiritual leaders to harness it as a tool to slow down and feed relationships for interconnectedness.  Mark Batterson calls this "digital discipleship" and that's how I view my participation in tweeting, blogging, Facebooking and texting.

Some naysayers say, "status updates, instant messaging, tweets and blogs are indulgent--nobody cares about the minutae of your life."  I disagree.  In fact, the minutae of life forms the mortar of close relationships.  Some of my most treasured pieces of knowledge about my wife are the little bits about her that are mundane but precious to me. 

Connecting with the minutae of other peoples' lives makes me feel like I'm in a small town in the midst of a big city.  Urban life takes away many of our capillary-level relationship connections but technology gives them back.  Good tissue--living tissue--needs capillaries to feed it and make it fully healthy.  When I Tweet, I form a capillary between me and others.

Tonight we gathered at Humboldt Park to pray and dedicate this campus unto God. Pastor Freddy, Pastor Danny, Enrique, Madeline, Beth, Karen, Raul and dozens of other volunteers and workers have been laboring non-stop to get this campus and congregations ready for next weeks Grand Opening. The pieces are coming together. The worship team and musicians have formed a full band and did a great job this evening. I want to say a special “thank you” to Pastor Kevin and New Life Lake View. Lake View has been very generous in releasing people to help start Humboldt Park. There is a great core that is moving to form both the English and Spanish congregations at Humboldt Park.

I look forward to see what God is going to do through this campus in this great community.

Blessings

Pastor Mark

Congratulations Pastor George, Margie and New Life Berwyn. My wife Dee and children were at the Grand Opening representing the Jobe family this past Sunday March 22nd. I received a phone message from my wife at 12:15 saying that the auditorium, including the balcony, was filled with people. Everyone who I have talked to was gushing with excitement about this first service. I am told that over 365 people packed into the church to celebrate this first Sunday. The worship was powerful, the message was inspiring, people made decisions to follow Christ and the fellowship and food afterwards was great.

Berwyn is off to an amazing start. All of New Life is celebrating with you and cheering for your success.

Blessings

Pastor Mark

When we women think of a love story it usually begins with a woman and a man meeting.  The plot may be similar to the 1999 movie Mansfield Park, based on the novel by Jane Austen.  Very soon in the story we learn that Fanny Price is in love with Edmund ever since she was a young girl.  You think that he cares for her in the same way.  Yet, enter Mary Crawford and Edmund has eyes only for her.  You grief with Fanny over her unrequited love, how can Edmund pursue Mary and want her to be her his wife?  Does he not see that she isn’t a woman of good character?  Poor Fanny as she has to watch all of this unfolding before her with no one to confide in.  And Edmund seems to have created a woman in his head whom he pictured Mary to be and finally comes to the realization that she was not who he thought she was at all.  In the end, Edmund seems to wake up and realize that the love of his life has always been in front of him.   He recognizes that has been in love with Fanny all this time.   In the movie, when Edmund goes to tell Fanny that he loves her, she thinks he is just telling her in a brotherly like fashion and you can’t help but relish in this a bit as she barely looks up from her book and casually tells him she loves him too.  For we think Edmund should feel at least a twinge of pain that Fanny went through while he was pursuing that other woman.   Edmund then makes his point clear that it is a love between and a man and a woman, Fanny is elated and tells him she too loves him and they live happily ever after.  You breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice with Fanny as she has finally received her heart’s desire, the love of her life. 

As a woman the desire for a good love story to take place in your life is an exciting prospect.  The desire to be loved and to love someone back is what you seem to be created for.  God did create us for companionship and most of us marriage is something that is probable.  Yet, I do not want to write about a love story between a man and a woman, but about finding the true love of your life, the greatest love you can ever know.   

You may remember the popular television show Touched by an Angel.   The angels, Monica, Tess, & Andrew coming to the aid of someone new each week, with their purpose of telling the individual they were assigned to that God loved this individual dearly.   This message of God’s love changed that person’s life forever.   In life this is a very real message for God does love you and me, a love that is beyond measure and does change one’s life forever.  When I think about how much God loves me (and you) I am so overcome with emotions that the only way to release my feelings is to let the tears flow; tears of joy, tears of gratitude, tears that express more than I could ever convey with words.  Even now as I write and ponder God’s love for me the emotions are rising within. 

As Easter approaches, this is a time to remember how much God loves us.  For Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Please take time out to reflect on this verse and to think about this amazing love.  This is your heart’s desire, the love of your life is Jesus. 

My prayer for you today is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:5 taken from the New Living Translation,   “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”  

I spent the morning with our concept team as we wrestled out our preaching calendar through the rest of the year. Because of the creative work involved and because I like hanging out with the guys on our team, this is one of my favorite occasional meetings.

Afterward, as I was driving down Lake Shore Drive in 70 degree whether with the sunroof open on my way back to the North side, a thought hit me--okay really it was more of a question: how did Jesus preach? And my initial reaction was, "he preached topically".

Usually Jesus was teaching concepts and topics that were grand and sweeping in importance, rooted in particular Scriptures, and powerfully practical while at the same time deeply spiritual. I can't think of an occasion where Jesus taught "exegetically"--straight through a section of Scripture. I also can't think of a time where Jesus' words weren't grounded in some Scriptural fragment or another.

"So what?" you say. Well, I think it just strikes a note of freedom. I think its good to teach exegetically--to tackle a book or section of Scripture and go right through. But there is also important value in attacking life issues with a kingdom-mindset, grounding the life issues in relevant Scriptures and then giving wisdom-for-life application. Its a legitimate form of preaching.

Anywho, just thinking out loud.