“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”—Romans 13:14

 My guess is that many Christians are familiar with this verse. Some may be doing it. Most are probably not (just calling it how I see it). I say this because I know for a fact I usually do not. To put on Christ is by far the most difficult commandment in the entire Bible. It’s so hard in fact, that we cannot do it. It is only possible because of Christ working in us through the Holy Spirit.

This week I’ve seen the Holy Spirit working mightily in and through a couple of young men in my church. My pastor and one of the other interns have spent the entire week homeless. It was intentional and thankfully it was done for the right reasons. Here are the five reasons Pastor Tim outlined in his pre-homeless blog:

1. We want to show the homeless that we love them.
2. We want to get to know the stories of the homeless in our community.
3. We want to offer them something precious (Jesus crucified and risen).
4. We want the church to grow in her love and understanding of the homeless who live among us. 
5. We want to better understand our Savior (his incarnation).

From what I’ve seen and experienced (as I joined them a few days in), all of these goals have been accomplished or lived out. In my mind, number one and five kind of go together. As we allow ourselves to live homeless, we are acting similarly to our Savior who left Heaven to come to the filth of earth. By becoming homeless we are leaving the comforts of our homes, beds, etc. to say to the homeless we are on an even playing field. We are no better than you.

Being homeless and simply spending time with the homeless is what allows us to hear their stories. Listening is an important technique for any ministry, but even more important when working with the homeless since nobody listens to them. By simply listening we show we care about them. That being said, they generally aren’t going to open up just because they can. They need a reason. The last year and a half, Tim and many in our church have given them that reason. They can now feel free to open up since they know we really do care about them.

This week we have taken advantage of that established trust by listening to people tell us about their lives and their struggles. As we fight to become more gospel-fluent, hopefully we can meet these people where they are and show them exactly how the gospel applies to their life.

A big part of any homeless ministry is going to be providing for physical, tangible needs. It has to be, since they have so little. But if the provision ended there, then we would only be encouraging the ever-growing-in-popularity social gospel. By becoming homeless ourselves we have done a few things. We have evened the playing field in another way. For a week we cannot provide anything tangible to the homeless. And so we have taken advantage of this, and instead tried to provide them with something much more lasting, the gospel.

Each day, Tim has told The Story of God to a group of homeless outside the Library. Each day, the crowds have gotten larger. The truth is that these people (as all people do) need the gospel more than anything else they could possibly get their hands on. We are trying our hardest to ensure they are given every chance to love their creator and savior. It has been sweet to see people really get into the story and think along with it and ask questions about it, and really reflect on it. When this happens, we can be assured the Spirit really is moving amongst us and doing amazing things. Praise God!

The first couple nights, Tim has blogged about his day and posted it on our church’s website. By doing this, a large portion of our church has been able to follow along and actively participate in this week-long journey. Writing the blog is a great opportunity to help people pray for Tim in everything he is going through. Just as important though it has helped people better understand the struggles and issues that the homeless face. Another part of this that is really cool is the reception it has received not just in our community but throughout Acts 29.

My pastor had a phone meeting yesterday morning with a pastor from Missouri. When the two made contact, the Missouri pastor asked why my pastor was calling, since he was homeless. Tim asked him how he even knew that, and his response was that he’d been reading the blog. Then yesterday the San Diego Union Tribune sent out their “best reporter” and a photographer to interview and detail the excursion. In other words, many people are going to have an opportunity to learn about what it means to be homeless, and hopefully come to better understand the gospel as a result of this week.

Finally, I know my short time being homeless has led me to cherish Jesus more. I realize he was homeless for 33 years. So doing this for a couple days does not compare. But it allows me to see just how pathetic my desires for comfort and pleasure are when compared to the pain and suffering Jesus went through.

The amazing thing is he intentionally became homeless so that we (God’s people) would not have to suffer for eternity as a homeless people. Even for those who are currently living homeless, it is momentary. It will one day end, at which point they’ll be able to call God’s eternal palace Home! That is my hope and my joy. I know God will save many from the tyranny of not having a home. He has been so kind to humanity since the fall. It is all part of his plan to bring his people home to the garden.

This week we’ve really been focusing on putting on Christ and taking off the flesh. My prayer is that we are becoming more like our Savior. If we are not, it would be reasonable to say that this week has been a waste. But for the above reasons I trust that is not the case. Again praise God!

My job requires me to travel a lot.  As cool as that sounds, it’s not always so great.  You see, I’ve got a great church back home and amazing Christians friends that I miss when I’m away.  The lack of Christian accountability and fellowship can be hard to handle.  In fact, my travels are sometimes a detriment to my walk with God.  Just being honest….

My job recently had me in the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington.  Seattle was amazing… especially the weather!  In my spare time, I loved walking around the city.  I visited Pike’s Market and went to the top of the Space Needle.  I went to the Science Fiction Museum and even took one of those “Ride the Duck” city tours!  Yeah, I was having a blast.

But despite all of the fun that I was having, I was still a little discouraged.  Things that I’d seen in the city and situations going on at work really made me thirst for some Christian fellowship.  So, I got on Google and did a search for churches in the Seattle area.  My search led me to the website of Mars Hill Church.  The website made me think that this was a church that I might enjoy…plus, there was a location within walking distance of the hotel.  So, on Sunday, I went.

Mars Hill Church Downtown Campus

After a short bus ride and quick walk, I arrived at the Downtown Campus of Mars Hill Church.  It was a nice looking building but not extremely big.  You see, Mars Hill Church has a large membership…around 10,000 I think.  But instead of one enormous building, there are “campuses” in Seattle and the surrounding cities (plus one in New Mexico).  As I walked in, I was greeted and handed a Weekly Schedule.  To the right was an area that served water, tea, and coffee…which you could drink in the sanctuary during church (because of it’s concrete floors) or on the couch in the social area.  With coffee in hand, I was greeted by Trevor, one of the church leaders.  We talked for a while about how I found out about Mars Hill and where I was from…really nice guy.  I took my seat and the service began.

A band by the name of Ghost Ship leads Praise and Worship.  I REALLY enjoyed Ghost Ship.  Cam, the lead singer, and the band have a great, contemporary sound.  You can listen to Ghost Ship and other bands on the Mars Hill website.  After worship, a huge screen falls from the ceiling and the sermon begins.  Todays message is by Pastor Mark Dricoll, one of the pastors of Mars Hill Church.  Because Mars Hill is split up into campuses, each campus has a Campus Pastor and campus Deacons.  Sometimes the Campus Pastor does the sermon and sometimes Pastor Mark does via satellite/video.  The sermon was fantastic (I’ve got the notes to prove it).

The Campus Pastor of Mars Hill Downtown is Tim Gaydos.  Pastor Tim is an incredible guy with a heart for ministry.  It was a privilege to be taught by him on the last two Sundays that I attended.

After that first Sunday at Mars Hill Downtown, I was hooked!  I loved the teaching, the atmosphere, and the fellowship….and I did a LOT more  fellowshipping in the following days!  On that Wednesday, I walked back up to the church for a Q&A service.  Pastor Mark and Pastor Tim answered questions from the congregation submitted via text message.  The next Sunday after church, I was invited to watch the 4th of July fireworks show over the lake (which is a huge deal in Seattle).  I hitched a ride with my two new friends, Blake and Tojo, and ended up in the backyard of a beautiful house overlooking the lake.  The fireworks were spectacular…but the great conversations and new friends that I’d made are what I remember the most.  I spent time talking with Luis and Marie, a great couple that I’d met at church and probably the nicest people on the planet.  I met Rachel and Seba (short for Sebastian) there, a young married couple that I really enjoyed spending time with.

Later that week, I went with Mars Hill Downtown to see the Mariners play (my first major league baseball game)!  The game was a lot of fun and I met more great people.  Luis and Marie were there along with my new friends, Tinamarie and Jennifer.  I also met Rick and Cheri, who lead the community group that Luis and Marie attend.

Community Groups

Community is important.  As followers of Christ, we are not called into isolation, but into community with Jesus and with other believers.  At Mars Hill Church, people are encouraged to join ”community groups.”  These groups (10 – 20 people) meet weekly in houses, apartments, coffee shops, etc.  They discuss the sermon from that Sunday, share what’s going on in their personal lives, pray for one another, and basically just live life together.  I believe that the bulk of the life-changing minstry that takes place at Mars Hill Church happens in these community groups.

I was able to attend a community group before leaving Seattle.  This particular group met at the apartment of  Luis and Marie and was lead by Rick and Cheri.  It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Mars Hill Church

Mars Hill Church is all about Jesus.  And God is doing some incredible things in the city of Seattle through this church.  Hundreds of new Christians are being baptized there every year.  Through the Acts 29 Network, they have planted almost 300 churches in the US and in other countries.  Mars Hill Church has an extensive media library available on their website where you can access free sermon series and music.  They even have an Iphone app that allows you to enjoy their media on your phone.  Mars Hill also has an online social network called “The City.”  This network is used to keep members connected and informed.

I was at Mars Hill Church for three weeks.  In that short time (through the Word that was preached, the friends that  I made, and the community that I was a part of) my walk with Christ was strengthen and refreshed.  I am thankful for the time that God gave me to fellowship there.  If you are in the Seattle area and are looking for a local church, you should definitely check out Mars Hill!

It’s a growing problem, youth ministers have difficulties connecting to younger kids, they have the reputation of not staying around. It’s hard to keep their attention, or conflicting. Who’s going to take their youth group to a The Chariot concert? The point being youth groups who go to Creation is seen as quite contemporary.

There’s an entire group missing from this however, the Christian hardcore genre continues to increase while a few kids may know. I’m not talking about well known Christian hardcore bands, the amount would surprise most people.

This is a reason why I couldn’t fit into my church, after-all it is a community. It was not that I was repelled by the message, I just couldn’s situate myself with how everything was taught. ActionChurch (http://actionchurch.com/) was just the right fit. Live bands, a no pressure preacher, a chance to meet people like me. The messages are moving, the music is loud, the attitude is action.

While I consider myself very conservative in my faith, it was an opportunity to be myself.

At Purple Door when we set up a stand, I was asked and heard interesting questions. There’s something that makes most people start questioning, thinking its just for fun. Well, there is a lot of fun, which makes it so much more personal. It’s one thing being told to “relax God will provide,” and a preacher sitting in a lawn chair throwing people ice-cream sandwiches.

It means a lot to me, it means a lot to people who wouldn’t normally go to church, but gave action church a try and just kept coming. It brings people in instead of being intimidating. For every age.

The point of this being that yes I scream, I mosh, I wear black. That doesn’t mean I’m different, it’s a new lifestyle that has its ways of worship just as others.