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A Heart To Give

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by in Challenge, Christian Habits, Church Planting, Decisions For Christ, mission, purpose driven, seven church, Worship

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Oftentimes, pastors are reluctant to talk about giving because of the way culture has taught us to think about money. Culture talks about giving in manipulative, coercive, and guilt-laying ways. But as many of you know, at Skyline we don’t shy away from hard topics. We’re dedicated to teaching the relevance of Scripture in truth and love.

What does the Bible have to say about giving?

So then, what does the Bible have to say about giving? Let’s throw out the sales pitches and talk simply about what the Bible says about giving and how we view your gifts at Skyline Church. 

Perhaps one of the most popular verses known in the Christian faith is John 3:16. “God so love the world that He gave…” God GAVE His one and only Son for YOU and for me. There has been no greater act of giving than when Jesus went to the cross for all of mankind. And did you know the words “give, gave, and giving” are used over 1,500 times in the Bible? Giving is mentioned more than faith! If we leave out talking about giving we have left out a HUGE portion of the Bible.

Do you know why it is mentioned so often in the Bible? Because you can say you have faith all you want, but if you don’t give, you’re not growing in faith. It’s that simple. Skyline wants to produce followers of Christ that are growing in faith seven days a week. Growing people change. That includes how you view your finances. 2 Corinthians 8:7 is just one verse that teaches us that eventually our faith will be stretched in the area of giving, “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

A Heart To Give

Giving is always an opportunity. God wants us to grow in giving because that means we’re growing in faith. I remember meeting a visitor at Seven Church (now Skyline Lakeside) years ago that approached me after one of our services. He shared how he went to church three times throughout the year at three different churches, and every time the church was talking about giving. He was fuming and he accused churches of always talking about money. And now he was at our church and guess what we were talking about? Giving. I looked him right in the eye and said, “I think God is trying to tell you something.”

If you get frustrated when a church talks about giving, that’s a tell-tale sign that God is trying to work on that area of your life. And I’ll tell you the same thing I told that man … don’t give. Maybe that’s the first time you heard a pastor tell you not to give but I mean it. God is more interested in your heart than your money. Giving with a reluctant or resentful heart is someone who is giving in vain (2 Corinthians 9:7). God doesn’t want your money if He doesn’t have your life. 
Maybe you’ve been excelling in the knowledge of Scripture, serving, and doing all the “Christian things” you think you ought to like 2 Corinthians 8:7 talks about. But there’s going to come a time where God is going to stretch you in the grace of giving because giving reveals where your heart is. Giving allows us to express appreciation for what He has done in the past. It also allows us to check our heart and our priorities in the present, but most of all, giving allows us to grow in faith in the future. 

Why I Give

Giving allows me to evaluate my priorities and motivations. By nature, we have a tendency to make things all about ourselves. Think of the self-centered man in Luke 12. The wealthy man wondered what he should do with all his excess wealth. He decided that he should figure out how to hold on to more of it. So, he tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He kept all his wealth to himself, only to pass away and never spend the earnings he stored up on Earth. 
I remember the first time this idea of “giving” hit me. I heard a message from David Jeremiah at Shadow Mountain Community Church, and he challenged me. He said if you want to know where your heart is look at your checkbook. Sure enough, he was right. God owns everything. We’re called to be good stewards of all that He has put in our lives… And my spending was all about my interests, not God, not the church, not any kind of generosity. I had to decide if I was willing to live with a heart that only thought of myself.

My wife and I are giving to the 101010 Campaign and making a commitment like we’ve never done before because we want to grow in our faith!  And I know, he who gives little, gets little (2 Corinthians 9:6). This is no small aspiration for us as a church and it requires no small act of giving on our part. But we WANT to GROW in faith as a church!

10/10/10 Campaign

Skyline’s goal of the 101010 Campaign is to see more and more people give their lives to Christ. Truly, we want to light up the scoreboard in Heaven. We want more and more souls to one day call Heaven home. We have an incredible opportunity in front of us.

My goal is to influence as many people as I can to experience Jesus. You have 8-15 people in your Oikos (relational network) right now who don’t know Christ, but they will within the next 10 years! That’s what it’s all about. A church of our size is committed to being a model church in our community. That means stewarding your giving well, devoting ourselves to growth, and teaching the relevance of Scripture. I have no business telling you how much you should give, but I do believe in teaching you about sacrificial giving. Whether you give $5, $500, or 5 Million,  I want to encourage you to ask God what you should do. If you’re wrestling through how to steward your finances, I want to invite you to watch your 10/10/10 series on the idea of giving on the Skyline YouTube page. 

With all of us ALL IN, we will absolutely be able to light up the scoreboard in Heaven!!

UPDATE: SKYLINE, SEVEN, MULTISITE AND BABIES!

03 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by in Church, Church Leadership, Church Planting, mission

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A MINISTRY UPDATE: ONE CHURCH, THREE LOCATIONS AND BABIES EVERYWHERE!

It is with great excitement, anticipation, and a tremendous sense of responsibility that I have accepted the role of Sr. Pastor at Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego. I will remain the Sr. Pastor of Seven San Diego Church as well. You may wonder how. On September 9 we announced that we were growing and expanding and that Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego was considering making me Sr. Pastor, which included Seven San Diego Church as part of this plan. In other words, while I’ll technically be Sr. Pastor of two churches the reality is we will have the same vision, mission, values, and outreach focus at both churches. So, we will become ONE church over time. It will take time to transition and for everyone to catch the vision but over time we will see the vision come to fruition. You can see that announcement by clicking this link. The announcement begins at the 32:00 minute mark of the video.

Seven Church Vision Announcement

In that announcement I mentioned that we would become one church in two locations pending a vote of the Skyline congregation on September 30 for me to become their Sr. Pastor.  However, it is actually going to be one church in three locations as I did not mention the fact that Skyline has a church in Clifton/Clyde Kansas that is a satellite campus. So, one church in three locations is actually what is happening. Skyline is an incredible church with incredible people that have such a great heart for the Lord and their community that I believe it is a great fit with the hearts of the people of Seven San Diego Church. This gives us greater reach to make a difference in more areas of East County San Diego, Kansas, and beyond. We are excited and thrilled with the response from Seven church and the response of Skyline church because you are all such a Kingdom minded group of people. We truly believe we are better together.

Skyline voted after all three of their services this last Sunday September 30 and the vote was extremely positive and affirmative which means we can begin to move forward in our one church in three locations expansion. If you would like to see the Sunday September 23 message when I spoke at Skyline and talked about this you can see the video by clicking this link.  Skyline Church Vision Message

What this means is beginning Sunday November 18 we will begin our journey together as one church in three locations. You may have questions about this transition. In my message at both Seven and Skyline I address frequently asked questions about this process and what it may look like in the future. If you have any other questions please feel free to call the office at 619-977-9277 or send us an email at info@sevensdchurch.comwe would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Children’s Ministry Growth

The children’s facility expansion is happening right now. Our growing kids ministry at Seven San Diego Church has needed more space, especially in our nursery. Well, by this Sunday, October 7 you will see that the Nursery has exponentially expanded! It is such a great thing to see more and more babies and kids coming to Seven!

Thank you for inviting your Oikos. We truly believe what we say a lot around here “An Invite Can Change a Life.” We’re seeing more lives changed every week…keep inviting!

God Bless you,

Jeremy

Kingdom-Minded

13 Tuesday Apr 2021

Posted by in Church, Church Leadership, Church Planting, Decisions For Christ, purpose driven

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What does it mean to be Kindom-minded? Simply stated: We are all on the same team! The goal is to help people find and follow Jesus. And it’s going to take more workers to harvest the billions of people out there who have not experienced a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Our Philosophy in helping staff plant a NEW church.

… the more the merrier! Last month, I visited our Skyline Church Kansas location. It was great to see the work that God is doing there. And while we love our Skyline Church Kansas location, we know it takes many different kinds of churches to reach many different kinds of people. That’s why we have helped others plant different kinds of churches. All of these churches teach the relevance of scripture like Skyline, but each approaches how they do it in slightly different ways. For example, we’ve sent out three church planters and a campus pastor in the last three years.

We’ve come alongside Pastor David Ordaz with One Church, who specializes in bilingual, Spanish and English services. We also sent Pastor Weston Stutz to launch Captivate Church, who focuses on doing life together in a community. More recently, we’ve helped Pastor Scotty James plant The Village Church, who is rooted in simplicity and scripture. Others, like Pastor Jason Sneddon in Kansas, relocated from Skyline Church Lakeside to build the same kind of church … Skyline Church Kansas. Whether people leave the current body to build a new church or the same church, we continue to expand the Kingdom of God!

Am I really Kingdom-minded?

Over time, I’ve seen certain churches with an unsaid (or said) philosophy that says “Keep ‘em and if they want to leave guilt ’em, coerce ’em, or threaten ’em if you have to, but they better not leave!”  This philosophy just doesn’t work. Everyone says they’re “kingdom-minded” … until … they’re tested… And we’re ALL going to be tested in that! Because God is never concerned with building our kingdom. His focus is on building the Kingdom. If we try to compete with His Kingdom building we’re going to lose every time.

If someone is called by God to plant a church, they’re called BY GOD! You might as well support that person because they’re going to go if God is the one telling them to go. We have to remember that it’s all about GOD’S work, not our work. When you let people go to do God’s will, THAT says you are Kingdom-minded. I truly believe that at the end of the day we get Kingdom credit, not Skyline Church credit. I’ve learned that when you have your hands open, God can get a lot more to you than when your hands are closed.

Church Planting Is Brutal

We need to be asking ourselves, “How are we advancing the Kingdom of God?” I want to see people experience the freedom of Christ. THAT is my passion! And the reality is, Church planting is brutal. I’ve been there! You are LITERALLY face-to-face with Satan because he does NOT want new churches being planted. 

By deciding to plant a church, you enter a strategic war. Your heart has to be in the right place. Your process also has to be right. I’ve seen hundreds of church plants die. And, I’ve also seen hundreds of churches succeed! That’s why I lay out a church planting formula for those who feel called to navigate those difficult waters. It fires me up and I’m ready to jump in with you. Still … some people want to do their own thing, and that’s okay. But when someone wants to plant a church, there are some key strategies that can help a new church have the best chance to succeed. I love helping people do that! 

Why Are You Planting A Church?

When I hear someone say they think God wants them to plant a church, my goal is to help that person figure out EXACTLY what God is leading them to do. With that being said, one of the first things I ask a potential church planter is … “Why?” The reason I ask this is because their answer says a lot about God’s calling and their motivation.

The number one reason that you plant a church is to reach new people. Your primary motivation should not be because it’s a beautiful area or because you can pull people from another big church nearby. Your mindset should always be to seek and save the lost. That means we need many different kinds of churches (all grounded in the Word of God) to reach many different kinds of people.

Lastly, I want to know from the church planter what God has specifically been putting on their heart. I want to help them get to the bottom of their motivation. Some may think that they can do it better than their current church. While that may be true, it’s never good to plant something with an attitude of strife and division. If you’re not called to plant the church, you won’t last in planting the church. You want to plant a church with good intentions, a good heart, and a Kingdom-mindset. It’s not about building your own little kingdom or wanting to speak more or be the guy upfront or call the shots or anything other than having a heart for lost people. I like to get to the bottom of the church planter’s motivation to give them their best chance at making a difference for the Kingdom. 

The More The Merrier!

We recognize there are many different ways to do church and that ultimately, we are called to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, not a building. At Skyline, we have a very specific way we believe church should be done because we’re intentionally zoned in on our purpose statement. It’s not how every church does it, but we believe in giving you practical ways to apply the Bible on Sunday so you can use it SEVEN days a week. We’re going give you something on Sunday you can use on Monday. We believe that growing people change, you can’t do life alone, saved people serve people, you can’t out-give God, and found people find people! We believe that being Kingdom-minded means helping people plant churches in order to expand the kingdom. The bottom line is this … we serve a BIG God. To be Kingdom-minded, you have to wholeheartedly believe … the more the merrier!

Three Kings Follow A Star

05 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by in vision

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Have you taken down your Christmas lights yet? Me either! For many, the holiday season runs through January 6th, the 12th day of Christmas. If you’ve never celebrated Three King’s Day, this might be the year to start a new tradition! What I love about this holiday is the story behind it. This Bible story can be found in Matthew 1, where a group of incredibly intelligent men (aka kings) follow a star that leads them to Jesus Christ, the Ultimate King!

At Skyline Church, we also follow a star. We call it our North Star, and we’re constantly realigning ourselves to make sure we’re headed in the right direction. A North Star keeps you on track when things may seem dark and dim. When you feel like you’ve lost your way, your North Star affirms that you’re right where God wants you to be. When doubt creeps in, you can rest assured knowing you’re headed in the right direction. 

A North Star is an important aspect of church alignment. Can you imagine the wise men arguing over which star they ought to follow? That wouldn’t be very wise at all. Thus, we too must rally together and align ourselves to the same purpose. If everyone is doing their own thing, you can be sure that we won’t get very far. But, if we’re all working toward the same goal, focused on the same North Star, great things can be accomplished for God’s Kingdom!
You may be wondering, what is Skyline Church’s North Star? While you may not hear us call it the North Star every day, you’ve probably heard us say … we exist to help people find and follow Jesus seven days a week. THAT is our North Star!  

We emphasize three words in this phrase. Find. Follow. And Seven. 

We emphasize FIND because Jesus did.
In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save the lost.” And in Luke 15:7 He states, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Jesus always emphasized reaching the lost. 

We also emphasize FOLLOW. 
Once people are found, we’re committed to teaching them the relevance of scripture to today’s generation. We find and follow, we reach and teach. Everyone needs a next step in their spiritual walk. It’s the only way to keep moving forward. We have an intentional process of discipleship we take people through to help them reach their potential in following Jesus.

Lastly, we emphasize SEVEN. 
We believe walking with Jesus is something we do seven days a week, not just on Sunday. God’s mercies are new every morning and He is always doing something new. His teachings are applicable to all aspects of our life and we hope to walk through it with you every day.  

As Three Kings day approaches, I’m reminded of our North Star. Just as the North Star led the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus, our North Star serves as a compass, leading us where God wants us to go. It’s a powerful tool to get us through our darkest nights. If you don’t have a North Star, we’d love for you to join us on the journey of helping people find a follow Jesus seven days a week. 

Word Of The Year

13 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by in mission, vision

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Whenever it came time to make a tough decision in 2020, which happened often, we came back to one word. Our word of the year, at Skyline Church, was Model. Whether it meant pivoting to online services, reopening our doors, or keeping our doors open, we have strived to exemplify a Model Church. 

Every year, through prayer and seeking the Lord, I choose a word for our church that will help us seek God’s will for our community and church family. While we didn’t know COVID was coming this year, God did! And it’s by His grace alone that we have had a firm footing in the journey of serving our community throughout the 2020 Pandemic. We continuously asked ourselves, what would a model church do. We have kept the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of our community at the forefront of our decision making. In doing so, God’s church has flourished! Despite all the circumstances, hurdles, and challenges … Skyline Church has welcomed 665 NEW decisions for Jesus Christ … and counting! (If you were one of those, say hi below!) Every number has a name, every name has a story and every story matters to God.

We’re in awe of the work God has done through our church family. For us, becoming followers of Jesus is not just something we do on Easter and Christmas, or even just on Sundays. We exist to help others find and follow Jesus SEVEN days a week. That explains how we’ve seen more than a person a day making a decision to follow Jesus Christ in a year as daunting as 2020. 

Every year comes with its highs and lows, but this year stands out exponentially. History books will one day mark people, churches, businesses, and communities just trying to survive in 2020. That is why our word of the year for 2021 is … THRIVE! John 10:10 tells us that, “the thief” (satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have abundant life! We’re believing in that promise FULLY for the year ahead. Faith in Jesus Christ is where we’re meant to thrive, not just survive. And though you may feel like you are just trying to stay afloat and make it through this year, God’s church is standing firm FOR and WITH you. We’re relentlessly dedicated to sharing the truth and relevance of God’s Word for YOUR life! 

No matter what 2021 brings, we’re committed to sharing God’s truth with a generation that needs hope to cope. We plan on thriving in the process, not just skating by. So invite your neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family … In the New Testament original language of Greek, those people in your relational network are known as your Oikos. Invite them all! We want everyone to experience God’s goodness, promises, and faithfulness at new levels of authenticity. This is the year for us to rise and THRIVE! You may feel like you don’t have it all together, and that’s okay! No perfect people allowed here! We’re all figuring it out together. This next year will encapsulate new heights, unexplored possibilities, and untapped inspiration. Our word, THRIVE, is going to catapult us into a prosperous year of growth and worship. We believe it! Do you see it?