Category Archives: grow

Biblical Understanding = Lives Changed

23 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by in Church, grow, patience

≈ 3 Comments

It’s a special time in SO many ways. On one hand, there are so many churches closed and will not reopen all over the world. While this happens in a typical year it is especially true in 2020. At Skyline Church, we decided to open (after clearly understanding the virus and it’s risks) and stay open. That decision has given us the opportunity to see SO many people taking incredibly important steps of faith.

In the past few weeks, we’ve baptized 99 people and even more have made first time decisions and/or recommitted their lives to Jesus. That’s one of the main reasons we can see the importance of ministering to our community by having an open church during this time. People need hope to cope! 
Thank you for continuing to invite people! As we near the the holidays, and even the 2020 Elections, we know that more than ever people are going to be looking for hope. I want to encourage you to remember that an invite can change a life. Extend an invitation to someone to church.

 If they are more comfortable watching the service in the comfort of their own home, send a link to our service (we have been incredibly encouraged by the number of decisions from people literally all over the world who tune in online). Let them know, they are not alone. They matter to God and they matter to us!

Some of the people you may be hesitating to invite, maybe people who’ve expressed doubt and uncertainty about the Gospel in the past. Understandably so, some people get hung up on certain aspects of the Bible before understanding its full context. Whether people think the Bible is confusing, a list of religious rules, contradicting, condemning, or whatever … the truth is, God IS Love and the Bible is His gift to us. In order to truly understand God’s Word, sometimes we need to do some deeper digging. That might mean …

  1. Reading the chapters before and after the chapter you’re reading to get the bigger picture
  2. Learning some basics about the original languages of the Bible; Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic
  3. Maybe God wants us to wrestle with a concept or idea with Him so that He can give us true wisdom and understanding

Every week we do ALL of that! We love to look at the Bible as a whole and give the bird’s eye view. But we also like to dive deep and help you have a clearer understanding of God’s will which helps you understand God’s purpose for YOUR life. 

We believe that God has big plans for each and every one of us. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6. 

We also recognize that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English. We value learning the Greek going to learn some Geek and Hebrew words like “Oikos.” Aside from being a great yogurt brand, Oikos is a Greek word used in the Bible meaning “household.” When reading verses like Luke 8:39, someone was told to “… return to his household and described the great things done for him.” But, someone who understands the original language would understand that “Oikos” actually means MORE than your household. In Greek, Oikos means your relational network! 

That means, tell your family, neighbors, coworkers, local barista, mechanic, carpool buddies, dentist, etc. … Some of you are imagining the last awkward conversation you had with your dentist while they poked around your mouth. Understanding the original text is incredibly important. It makes understanding God much easier. 


Maybe at some point in time, you’ve put down your Bible and walked away feeling like you didn’t understand what you just read. You may have felt offended, discouraged, or even like it was pointless. I want to encourage you to not give up, but look up, in other words pray about it! 

God wants to help you understand and will work through it with you! James 1:5 reminds us that, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” 

More than ever, people need hope to cope! I want to encourage you to invite someone in your “Oikos” to church this Sunday. Tell them about the wonderful things God has done for you! Many people have lost their jobs. Others haven’t seen family in months. And for the first time, many will experience the holidays alone. But as we continue to fix our eyes on Jesus, we can look forward with eager anticipation for what is to come! We can rest in the fact that God gave us His book to prepare us, not scare us.

Growing in Faith

17 Thursday Sep 2020

Posted by in grow, Uncategorized

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Faith is SO important that Hebrews tells us it’s impossible to please God without it. But be encouraged because faith takes time to develop and God wants us to grow in our faith. 

The Bible is clear that planning and preparing is wise, but there will come a time when you have planned all you can, prepared all you can, and you don’t know what lies ahead. It’s in this moment that a decision has to be made. Moving forward is an act of faith.

Faith doesn’t come automatically. Faith takes time. And God is going to take you through a process. Here are five things that you can expect to encounter before you have your break through. 

  1. God gives you a dream or a goal or an idea and there’s something he wants you to do or accomplish.
  2. You have to decide if you’re going to take Him up on His plan or keep going your own way. 
  3. Once you decide to do it, there’s always a delay before the dream or goal is fulfilled. You’re in a hurry but God’s not. It’s not a no, it’s a not yet. Hang in there!
  4. Then comes the resistance. We tend to question things and give ear to doubts when things get hard or take too long.  
  5. Dead End. Congratulations––you have nowhere to look but up! You hit a dead end, you think it’s over, but this is when God’s power is really displayed.

If God has given you this dream and you’ve already gone through these stages … He’s NOT going to break His promise to you. 2 Corinthians 1:9 tells us, 

“ … we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead …” 

2 Corinthians 1:9

Since God can raise the dead, He can raise a dead marriage, a dead career, a dead dream! Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone! There are stories like this all over the Bible and this should anchor your soul in faith.  
So, what’s the best response to a dead end? Expecting God to act. Be confident that at the right time, God will come through and provide a breakthrough. Where God guides, He provides.

Let me give you a personal example when I needed some hope to cope … Not too long ago I made a drive out to Phoenix from San Diego. Some of you may be familiar with that drive. I was in the middle of one of those stretches of endless brown sand and blue sky, with literally nothing in sight for miles when the vente coffee I had earlier was ready for it’s next stop. But the hope I had came from a sign that read, “Rest Stop in 5 Miles.”

I WAS ABLE TO ENDURE the suffering of the moment, because the sign promised me what was ahead.

I want to encourage you, you may be suffering something for the moment, but you can be confident there are good things ahead. Have faith that the Lord will bring you through this time. You can be confident, the future holds something far better than the present. As the “sign” in Hebrews reads, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Misery is Optional

20 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by in comfort, grow, Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

We need to realize that suffering is unavoidable. In fact, we need to be prepared to suffer. While it’s true that suffering is unavoidable, misery is optional. We don’t have to be miserable when we suffer, it’s all in how we choose to see things.

Since the day you said that you’re a Christian, you were put on trial. Non-believers everywhere raised an eyebrow and put your life under a microscope. And you don’t need me to tell you that these people are going to push your buttons. There are preconceived notions of what a Christian should or should not talk about, post online, or do. These people are going to question your integrity. They’re going to question if this “faith” is real to you.

While it’s true that our faith should be tested in order to strengthen it and the more outgoing you are with your faith the more you are likely to deal with various tests from people. On the contrary, if we’re never challenged for our faith, what does that tell us about our faith? 

Notice in James 1:2, it says, “When you face trials of various kinds” … it doesn’t say IF you face trials. WHEN you face trials, because we all will,James goes on to say, “Consider it joy.”  I’m not talking about masochism and hoping for pain. I’m talking about having faith regardless of the circumstance. James says you can have joy in the midst of suffering. Suffering doesn’t have to produce misery.  

I remember my old baseball coaches with the St. Louis Cardinals telling us, “Boys, you want us yelling at you, you want us on your case because that means we believe in you and we think you can be even better! However, if we stop yelling at you and ignore you, you can bet your days as a Cardinal are numbered.” 

When it comes to suffering as a Christian, often times we wonder how to discern whether it is the kind of suffering that is intended to grow our faith or the kind of suffering that is just plain suffering.

The reality is that at any point in time, you are going to be experiencing one of three types of sufferings …  

1. Common Suffering: We’re all human and we’re all in this together. (The Coronavirus is affecting us all.) Some suffering is common to all mankind. No one escapes some kind of suffering on this earth. It’s one of the reasons we, as Christians, look forward to heaven where there is no sorrow, no pain, and no suffering.

2. Carnal Suffering: We make bad choices. We bring plenty of suffering on ourselves by the poor and unwise decisions we make. If I ignore my health and eat poorly and never exercise, I shouldn’t get mad at God if I were to develop health issues. It reminds me of this verse, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord”Proverbs 19:3 | NLT.

3. Christian Suffering: You did the right thing. Now what?
Christian Suffering is where I want to focus today. The book of first Peter can be summarized in three words; Faith, Obedience, and Patience. It’s a story of faith through difficulty, obedience through pain, and patience through suffering. Peter doesn’t shy away from the topic of suffering when he says, “Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world …” 1 Peter 4:13 | NLT
Peter says there are three positives for Christians when they struggle.

A. It draws us closer to Jesus. 
 “… these trials will make you partners with Christ in His suffering, and afterwards you will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory …” 1 Peter 4:13b | LB 

Notice the word partners. This means you’ll get to know God up close and personal. There’s a special kind of depth a relationship gains when people suffer together. Just ask any war veteran. Suffering together for the right cause is what bonds people to one another. The same goes for families that endure hardships together. There is a bonding that can take place as you recognize you are in this together.

B. God can be seen in our life. 
“When people insult you because you follow Christ,you are blessed … because the Spirit of God is with you.”1 Peter 4:14 | NCV

If nobody ever challenges you, then maybe you’re not living a Godly, Christ-centered life. I’m not talking about all the time, like you’re obnoxious so people are constantly upset with you. But, a Christian, according to the Bible should be challenged from time to time because you stand in direct contrast to the values of the world. Remember, you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. So, if you’re suffering, congratulations, you’re standing for something! You’re standing for Christ! and God can be seen in your life. Jesus Christ was not ashamed to die for you, so don’t be ashamed to live for Him. 

C. It means God trusts us. “The apostles (were) happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus.” Acts 5:41 | GN

On average 100,000 Christians are killed around the world because of their faith every year. While nobody will put you before a firing squad in America, sometimes I wonder if God trusts American Christians. Most Christians want Jesus as long as it’s comfortable and convenient for them. 
So often we think God is punishing us when we’re suffering, you need to remember that God is not punishing you He wants to promote you. Trials have a way of purifying us for greater service. There’s a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. That difference is lived out when you go through the fire with Him. If nobody knows you’re a Christian or where you stand on anything, and you’re a people pleaser, you have to realize that you’re not pleasing God.  

When the rubber of your faith meets the road of reality, that’s when your faith becomes real. It becomes real for you AND your Oikos (those 8-15 people in your relational world).

Life is really pushing our buttons right now during this quarantine. Coming up on 6-months and let’s just be honest, IT IS RIDICULOUS. There is plenty of suffering to go around. Maybe you’re facing all three types of suffering right now and you’re experiencing a stretch in your faith. Take heart, friend! Being a believer in Jesus Christ is not about perfection. It’s about progress. God has not lost sight of you and He is walking through the fire with you. 

Stay strong. Stay faithful. And remember that suffering is unavoidable but misery is optional.

6 Week Challenge

13 Thursday Aug 2020

Posted by in grow, Uncategorized

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The best things in life come through a commitment. One of my main goals in life is to help people get into the Word of God more and more. I’m confident in the power of the Word and I know how it has changed my life and I want more people to experience it as well.  That’s why I became a pastor, my life was changed because of the Word and I started seeing more and more people’s lives changed through the Word. Seeing lives changed has become an addiction of mine. 

Often times people ask, why doesn’t the Bible change some people’s lives? I believe there are a few reasons. It could be what I call the dilemma of difficulty. The Bible wasn’t originally written in English. If someone doesn’t understand the original languages, sometimes the meaning behind Scripture can get lost in translation. A lot of people give up in that moment and misunderstand who God says He is or how He’s called us to live. There’s also the factor of familiarity. Some people feel as if they’re familiar enough. Familiarity can breed contempt and cause us to check out or have a lukewarm faith. But perhaps one of the most common hurdles is the principle of priority. We live fast paced lives and our check lists are a mile long so we simply don’t make time in the Bible a priority.

Does your Bible time get pushed aside more often then you’d like? Let’s talk about how to get committed to making time with God’s Word a priority.

1. Crave. Think of something that you crave. You developed that craving over time and with consistency of use it became something you crave. That is the same idea Peter talks about in the Bible, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” 1 Peter 2:2.

Maybe you’re someone who’s new to the Christian faith or you just can’t get the idea of craving something so new to you.  This next point is for you …

2.Consistency.  Have you ever heard the saying, yard by yard it’s hard but inch by inch it’s a cinch? The best way to develop the craving for the Word is to experience God’s Word consistently! If you’re not a reader, that’s okay. You can listen to it or even watch it on the YouVersion App or our own Skyline Church App. But consistency is key. Whether it’s for 1, 5, 10, 60, or 100’s of minutes a day, getting into Scripture will absolutely change your life.

If you’re trying to figure out this whole Christianity thing, you’re not alone. “The Bereans examined the Word daily to see if what Paul was saying was true” Acts 17:11. Do what YOU CAN DO consistently.

3.Discuss it. Whether its your kids or friends, share what you’re reading and learn about what others are experiencing with the Word. When you discuss it, you’ll start to see the Bible becoming more real in your life. This step is transformational!

4. Go from Obligation to Habit. Many things that are a habit, start off as an obligation. We all started off brushing our teeth out of obligation. Over time, as we stayed committed it became a habit (at least for most people).  Sometimes things we have to start doing become things we want to keep doing. The same principle is true in the Word of God.

Maybe you start off feeling obligated, but as you dig in for your minute or 5 or 10 or more, consistently, the obligation becomes more and more of a habit that you can’t imagine doing without. It may be as little as a verse a day, or more like a chapter a day, or even a book of the Bible a day … your commitment to consistency is key. Philemon is only 25 verses. There are 31 Proverbs. That’s a Proverb for each day of the month. If you miss a day you can easily get right back on track the next day.

There are so many ways to incorporate this habit into your daily routine, but I want to encourage you to start today! Join me for the next six weeks in taking time, whether it’s a verse or more a day to read God’s Word. Read at home or watch our Today Matters devotional Monday – Friday. Simply go to our Skyline Church App. or visit YouTube/Today Matters and start your day off with a quick devotional from myself and other pastors at Skyline Church. Each day I’ll give you at least one verse that you will be able to apply to your life immediately.

You become what you’re committed to. Tell me your commitments and I’ll tell you where you’re going to be in 5 years. Trust me, one of the most powerful commitments you could ever make is to the Word of God. It changed my life and it will change yours.

Interested or Committed?

22 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in comfort, grow, mission, Uncategorized, vision

≈ 5 Comments

What are you expecting God to do in your life?

There’s a law that God has established … I call it “the law of expectation.” The fact is, we tend to get what we “expect” out of life. We often see what we expect to see, hear what we expect to hear, feel the way we expect to feel, and succeed at what we expect to succeed in. God says you get to choose! It’s actually “the law of faith,” because “according to your faith it will be done to you” (Matthew 9:29). 

In Luke 17:5, we see the apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith! They had no idea how difficult that would be for them. The problem with acquiring more faith is the process.  We all want more faith, but nobody likes what it takes to get there. 

“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in something you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something you accept no excuses, only results.” 

–– Ken Blanchard

During this time of Covid craziness you might be wondering what God is up to in all of this. How is He going to use this for good, how in the world is my faith supposed to grow through this time? Well, that depends. Are you interested or committed to growing your faith? The next natural question is how does God increase our faith? … He tests it!

Everyday we have faith building opportunities. And, these times of quarantine, open, close, reopen, do this, don’t do that, can drive any person crazy. But, we have to be committed to seeing these problems as faith building opportunities.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t recognize conflicts or hardships as opportunities. Instead, we let our circumstances push us away from God. I believe this time of quarantine is more than a season of conflict, hardship, and restrictions. It’s actually a faith building opportunity!

You see, faith is like a muscle. It has to be worked out, stretched, and pulled with resistance … consistently. Just like consistency is key in getting bigger and stronger muscles, consistency is key in working out your faith muscle! In fact, James 1:3-4 reminds us of this when it says “… the testing of your faith produces perseverance … so that you may be mature and complete …”

A faith that stretches is uncomfortable, but it’s also healthy! Look at your faith like a tree. It requires nurturing and ultimately we hope to produce delicious fruit. But fruits don’t arrive over night. It’s the wind, rain, and storms that challenge the tree’s roots to go deeper and stabilize the tree before the season of harvest returns. 

I want to encourage you to continue to follow Jesus and live out Colossians 2:6-7 which says, 

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.” 

Let the roots of your faith grow deeper throughout this time of Covid, no matter how long it lasts. If you are committed, your faith WILL become stronger. I’m confident that this time of quarantine is an opportunity that will lead you to trust God more than you ever have before. Use this time to allow your roots of faith to ‘grow’ to a whole new level.

The reason that your faith needs testing is because God wants to increase it! God is never going to say “you’ve arrived,” “there’s nothing else for you,” or “that’s all I have to teach you” … He’s always going to want us to take that next step of faith!

So let me ask you again … What are you expecting God to do in your life? Are you interested in Him working in your life or committed? Can you hang in there a little longer, lean on Him a little more, and trust Him to come through? Will you do it with an expectant heart knowing that He has promised to move according to your committed faith?

I am believing that your faith is going to grow in new ways and we’re going to come out of this season stronger than ever! I’m committed to it, and I expect it!