How do you love 2.5 Million People

How do I love like God? How do I love 2.5 Million people? These are exciting times here in Utah, at least in my little sphere. I'd love to share them with you, and if you want to join me in prayer, please do. There is an overwhelming feeling that comes over you when you're on a mission, and it seems insurmountable. That would be the mission we are on here in Utah, reaching over 2 million people who have never heard the gospel of grace and truth. And that's the majority -- maybe even 95% of the people. K2 The Church: This week the leadership is praying and fasting for God's leading for a property. We've just maxed out every square inch of our current facility, and are lacking essential ministry space on the weekend. We're praying for unity and direction as we seek the place God wants us to go. How is this love? Because God loves every person who has yet to know him. And so we must make room for all the people he is drawing to our church and more. We are seeking a new property out of love for the people of our valley! Loving Utah: I'm excited about a new Church Planting Network that we are launching on Thursday, called Loving Utah. A group of Pastors from different churches and denominations, are joining forces to welcome, train, recruit and encourage church planters for the work here in Utah. We've been pretty grass-roots up to this point, but we will be gathering to pray with over 50 church leaders, church planters, educators, and denominational leaders to share how lovingutah.org can be a blessing to them. How is this love? Jesus said that the world will know his love, if we are in unity, and love each other. We want the people of Utah to know they are loved! Nick Vujicic: Utah Governor Gary Herbert has invited Nick to address every High School and Middle School in Utah on the subject of suicide and bullying, an epidemic here in Utah. Utah has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the country, and bullying is a big problem too. Nick was born with no arms or legs, but is filled with God's Spirit and has the opportunity to reach thousands of people on March 7-9. At the school assemblies, Nick will invite students to three evening events, where he will share his faith. God's love is going to shine like the sun when Nick speaks. So how do you love 2.5 million people? Loving one person at a time. Praying for God's leading. Obeying Him daily. I've got to go pray now! Will you join me?

homeless dirty HIV+ crack whore

Tuesday was a typical day. I had a full day of meetings at the church office: One meeting after another from 6:30am to 4:00pm. Afterwards I took a half hour collecting my things, answering a few emails, and I was the last one in the office, ready to lock up and head home for dinner with my family when up rolled Josie* to the side door. She told me she just got kicked out of the shelter. It’s not unusual for a homeless person to walk into our church office looking for a little help, and usually a couple bucks, or a couple cans of food from our pantry fixes the need and they are off. But Josie needed something else. First, she needed pants. The smell of urine burned my eyes as I talked with her. We don’t usually have an extra pair of pants hanging around, but she asked me if I’d look for some. I obliged her. And to my surprise, in a closet, I found two pair of pants in her size. While I was looking, Josie discovered a counter filled with 2-liters of Coke left over from our church Big Game party. She helped herself to a cup. “Coke is my favorite” she said. In the meantime I called my friend who works on the streets near the shelter to see if he had a solution for Josie. I hoped the solution would take him 15 minutes or so, it turned into an hour. In the meantime, I just got to know Josie. It didn’t take but a few moments for her to tell me her life story, that she was a homeless HIV positive former crack whore. She showed me her 14-inch scar from her recent knee surgery. She has a mom and dad, a sixteen-year-old son, but pretty much has burned those bridges. Now she’s sleeping on a matt on the floor in an over-flow homeless shelter. She claimed they kicked her out because she can’t control her bladder. I’ve been asking myself recently, “What would happen if I loved everyone like God loves?” Josie presented a pretty challenging test of my love. My friend arrived an hour after I met Josie, we got her into his car. I gave her a 2 Liter of Coke, a hug and a smile. The look of surprise on her face was priceless. God is love. God blesses. God redeems. God loves us even in the filth of our sin. “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:23-24 *not Josie’s real name

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!

Utah Church Planter's Summit

Church Planters Summit: Millions of People in Utah have never heard the Gospel. Hearts are now open more than ever. Now is the time for a church planting revolution. Please Mark your calendars for February 21-22. Pastors, Planters, Lay-Leaders, Agency and Denominational Leaders, and anyone who loves church planting are all invited to join us in the great discussion of the future of the Kingdom of God here in Utah. On Thursday evening we'll be discussing the future of Church Planting in Utah. On Friday we'll be sharing some exciting new developments in the world of disciple-making. We will be sharing, praying and discussing how each of us can follow God's leading, and how together we can make a greater impact for the Gospel here in Utah. We will end the evening Friday with an amazing worship concert. The Summit is free. Friday Lunch $10, Dinner on your own. Location: Alpine Church, Layton, UT. RSVP today: ross.alpinechurch@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving. Here's a list of things I am thankful for: Life, Wife, Kids, House, Clean Water, Food, Friends, Freedom, Grace, Truth, Peace, Love, Hope, Salvation. Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy. As I reflect upon this list, I am reminded of how ungrateful I am every single day I take all of these things for granted. How often do I gripe and complain about what I don't have? A lot! Life is filled with hardships. Some are really hard to overcome. I've struggled with my health for almost 5 years now. I hate how it limits me. I hate how pain takes away my ability to give my strength to those I love, and to do the very things I love to do. But I am thankful for life. I still have life, breath, a mind to think, talents to share, people to love. I am thankful.

Yellowstone

If you've never been to Yellowstone, then you're missing some awesome sights. We just got back from a three day trip. We saw nature's wonders, and some very cool animals. Of the favorites, a Bison Calf. It is amazing to be standing on top of a super volcano that could erupt at any time (it erupts about every 600-650 Million years). Check it out if you never have.

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.