What if Christians loved like God?

What if Christians loved like God? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. That's the standard -- the base line. "Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8. As a pastor starting out my third decade in ministry, I've come to realize that all distractions, disunity, disagreement, disloyalty, disappointment, discouragement, disruptive and all the other dis's stem from a lack of God's love. And at the core of all of these are a result of sin, which always fights against love. You see, God's love is unstoppable, unending, undeserved, unexplainable, undeniable, unbelievable, understanding. Recently, the Holy spirit pointed out to me that I didn't love a man I do business with. I was always kind to him. I treated him with respect. He's not always the easiest person to interact with, but I've always tolerated him. Then I imagined John 3:16 saying, "God so tolerated the world that he . . . ." So I decided just to love the guy. I treated him as someone dearly loved by God. I looked at him as a lost person who Jesus loves, and who the Father wants to spend eternity with. So what was my excuse? Why didn't I love him. Because I didn't want to. And for me, that was a sin! If the love of God is in you, than all the qualities of God's love (which would take an eternity to describe), are IN YOU! But you must tap into it. If God's love is in you, you can love the whole world. Think about someone you tolerate. Now ask yourself: "Do I love that person?" If not, ask yourself "why?" Now Think about someone you can't stand being around. Now ask yourself: "Do I love that person?" If not, ask yourself "why?" It's not enough that you believe God loves those people. God put them in your life, so YOU have to love them. And you can love them, because the Love of God is in you. Tap into God's love today. What if you loved every person you interacted with like God loves that person? How would your relationships be different? How would it change your heart? How would people react differently towards you? Try it!

Inner Beauty

Two weeks ago, our newest member of the family was born. Eleanor Hope. It's not surprising that every new parent looks at their child and thinks that it is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. And of course, Eleanor is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen (equal too, of course, my other two girls). And why do I think this? For two reasons: She is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, and she's mine!
I passed a billboard the other day advertising for cosmetic surgery. Of course there was a airbrushed picture of a model and the caption said, "Make your inner beauty jealous." I live in a culture where outward appearance is top priority. My city is the highest per capita usage of elective cosmetic surgery. Breast augmentation billboards are everywhere. Why, because outer beauty is such a high value in our society.
I want my daughters growing up knowing what it means to be beautiful, both on the outside and more importantly on the inside. Outer beauty fades, no matter how many cosmetic surgeries you have. But inner beauty has the opportunity to develop over time. And if our hearts belong to Christ first and foremost, our inner beauty will increase as the lines on our face grow longer. If our heart belongs to

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) God was talking about David, the shepherd boy who would become king. He was not tall, he was the youngest of his family, he was discounted by everyone around him, including his family. Nobody believed in him. It would appear from the physical descriptions of him in the Bible, that he wasn't the most attractive person either. But when God chose David to be king he said, "the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart." (1 Samuel 13:14).

If we want to be attractive for the short haul, then we can buy all kinds of products and surgeries to make us look better. But if we want to be attractive in the long haul, then the best inner beauty we can possess is to be a man or women after God's own heart. Isaiah describes Jesus as one who "had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2) Yet the world is attracted to the real Jesus, not because of how he looks, but because of who he is. And if he is in you, then people will be attracted to you, not because of your physical beauty, but because they will see Christ in you.

Enjoy this video which our church produced, in which I make my hollywood debut.

Why Praise God?

Why should we praise God? Ever think about it? There was nobody who had an eternal perspective in the Old Testament than David. From Shepherd boy to General to King, he always looked beyond his present situation to the One True God.

In Psalm 116:1-3 David writes, "I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave [a] came upon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow."

This morning I sat in the living room of my friends, Eric and Paula Winter. The pastors and elders of our church were there as well. Just 24 hours earlier we had all received the devastating news that a CT Scan revealed cancer in Paula's colon and liver. She had no idea. And the medical prognosis is not good. But we prayed. We worshiped, and we called on the Lord. In my daily Bible reading was Psalm 116. David recounts his trouble and sorrow, but not to pity himself, but to show the greatness of God. We don't praise God because things go well. We praise God because he is good. We don't stop praising God when things go bad. We praise God because he is full of compassion. We don't praise God because it fills us up. We praise God because he delivered us from death. We praise him because he is God, he is Good, and his mercies are new every day. Please Join me in prayer for Paula's complete cancer-free recovery. I will close with the conclusion of David's Psalm. Read it and remember why we praise God.


Then I called on the name of the LORD :"O LORD, save me!"
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,for the LORD has been good to you.
For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
And in my dismay I said,"All men are liars."
How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD—in your midst, O Jerusalem.Praise the LORD.

Stop Griping

Stop Griping (from Psalm 105-106, 2 Corinthians 3)

Psalm 106:7-8 (NIV) "When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known."
People are complainers. Christians are the worst. This should not be, but it always is. David recounts in these Psalms the goodness of the Lord from Abraham to Moses. How God saved, and provided, and loved, and had mercy time and time again. In our rebellion, he saves us. Why? Because he promised he would. And when he saves us, even when we complain and are ungrateful, it makes his mighty power known. I so often gripe about my situations, lot in life, or bills I can’t pay. And when I do, I forget the God who has given me blessing after blessing. I daily need to be saved from myself, so that I can “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” (Psalm 105:1) In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses the Christians as mere infants, who argued and complained, and wanted their own way. Dear Lord, help me to focus on Jesus, to remember your blessings, to grow up and stop being a baby. Help me to remember that you came to save. Help me to make that message known to the nations. Amen.

Getting Robbed

Suppose you were held at gunpoint and robbed. What a scary thought. Then suppose the robber said, "Give me 10% of all you have in your wallet." You give him the 10% and he takes off. How do you feel now. Pretty lucky I suppose. Yet when God says, "Give me 10% of your first fruits (the income you earn), many say "uh-no." Yet God promises that if we give of our income, he will bless us until we can't contain it. Sometimes those blessings are financial, But often times they are spiritual blessings that are far more valuable than we can even imagine. God also says that when we don't give, we rob him, and in turn we rob ourselves and the people around us of the blessings God wants to pour out.

Being in ministry, we haven't always made a ton of money, and have often gotten stuck in situations that looked impossible. But we've also been blessed. One person who blessed us was our Pastor Mike Smith who performed our wedding. As poor college students, we didn't have any money to give him. So we promised each other that we would bless him if we were blessed. And we were in one of those desperate situations, really needing a car, but having no way to pay for one. One day, someone handed us an envelope with $1000 in it. We were shocked! But we wanted to keep our promise, so we sent half of it to Pastor Mike, and kept the other half. $500 wasn't enough to buy a car, but we were happy for the blessing. The next week we got a thank you card from Pastor Mike. He wrote that his washer and dryer both died the previous week, and that they didn't know how they could afford new ones. Then he received our gift. We couldn't believe it. Then a week later someone handed us a box. It contained 50 $100 bills! We were blown away! That was enough to buy a nice used car!

If we really believe that God is really God and all knowing, then he knows our needs. And he is faithful to meet them. When we give our lives and our finances to God, he sees it. He knows he can trust us with spiritual riches. Trusting God with our 10% of our income seems like a no brainer when you think about it. Trusting him with everything we have seems to be the only wise choice. Trust Him, he is Good!

How Much is your Bible Worth To You

How Much is your Bible worth to you? Bible are on sale at stores from $1.00 to $90.00 depending on quality, size and content. It has been announced that the original Joseph Smith Family Bible is going up for auction and expected to sale for $1.5 Million. Here in Utah, that's a big thing. There is great admiration for Joseph Smith here. His name is sacred to many. So the Bible he owned is worth millions. How much is your Bible worth to you? Hopefully it's priceless. Hopefully you read it, memorize it, and live out it's principles. Hopefully you trust that the Bible is God's Word, not man's word. Because no man can trump the Bible. If the Bible says it, and man says the opposite, then man is wrong. If the Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast"(Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV) and man says that salvation is earned, then man is wrong. If man says that grace must be earned and that your works achieve for you eternal reward, and the Bible says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 John 5:11) If God gives us the gift of eternal life, then why should we ever try to earn it. Even the Bible says, "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4:3-5) So if you're lucky enough to win the bid for the Joseph Smith Bible, remember: Read it, and if man says the opposite, man is wrong.



ksl.com - Joseph Smith family Bible goes on sale

My Friends

I have great friends! The last 12 months has been a long year. I have been an interim campus pastor at K2 The Church South Campus along with my buddy Brad Olsen. This on top of our regular jobs, mine as Children's Director, and Brad as Arts Director. In the long hours, endless meetings and conversations, and managing change, I have learned much. First, I have learned that good friends rise to the occasion when the pressure rises. Many of my friends have joined in the sacrifice and long hours. We were not alone in this because we had friends who loved us, cared for us, and carried our burdens with us.

Galatians 6:2 says, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." I am so grateful for my friends. I'm so grateful that my friendship with Brad has deepened. I am thankful to Jesus that he has brought us all together in Utah to reach this community for Him.

This week, we move from one house to another house. And guess who is helping. All my friends. Thank You.

Next Month, my 3rd Daughter will be born. I am thankful that even during all the trials we have faced at our church, that our family is closer than it ever has been. Again, Thank you to all our friends who have supported us, made us meals when we were sick, and took care of our kids when we needed help.

This year I am declaring a year of rest. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I want to rest in Jesus' presence. I want to receive from him the rest only he can give. Not to be lazy but to be rested up for the next adventure he has for me and my family.

Thank you my friends. I pray for you always that Christ will bless you and use you mightily!

The Doors of Honduras have opened

The Doors of Honduras have opened. Last year there was some doubt if our teams from K2 The Church would be able to return to Honduras. You may have heard of the political upheaval that nearly shut the doors. We thank God that the doors have been opened once again. Our Church has been able to feed the hungry, and provide clean water to hundreds of people. Katerina and I will be leaving for Honduras on April 23. We have the opportunity to share God's love with hundreds of school children with the church we partner with. Please pray for us as we go. And we would be honored to have your financial support if God would lead you to give.

What is Eternal Life?

What is Eternal Life?

Some people think that Eternal Life is something we experience after we die. Well that's partially right. But eternal life begins with Knowing God. Many people know about God. Some people have a lot of Bible knowledge. But knowing what is in the Bible, or knowing about God is not the same as knowing God. Here's the deal: You can know God! I hope that this message will inspire you to know the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ! Nothing Compares to that!



"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:8-9 NIV)

Social Action: Who Cares?

Who cares about the poor? There's no doubt that there are many organizations in the world that take care of the poor. A majority of those organizations are Christian. But when it comes down to the individual Christian, what is our responsibility to the poor? Do we have an individual obligation to the poor? We will take a close look into the teachings of Jesus on this subject. If you are a follower of Jesus, then there is a powerful teaching of Jesus about your obligation to the poor in your own community. Let Jesus challenge your heart as you listen to this message.



"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:37-40 NIV)

If I Really Knew God My Knees Would Bend

SOGGY VIDEO: If I Really Knew God My Knees Would Bend
WATCH A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DAVE ELSHAUG:

What are Soggy Thoughts?

Today I start blogging.  If you're interested, here are my thoughts, Soggy Thoughts.  My name is Dave Elshaug (pronounced Dave El-Sog).  Back in Middle school my friend Randy Kennedy called me El Soggy Dog.  It didn't stick past middle school.  Then I joined the staff of K2 The Church.  I am part of the management team.  There are two Dave's on the team, so one of the guys named me Soggy.  It's stuck.  So any thoughts I have will be known as Soggy Thoughts.  

I currently live in Salt Lake City.  More to come in the future!

--Soggy