Lakeshore City Church

Do You Love Your Church?

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:09:20 +0000

I love what Jesus says about the church. The church is the bride of Christ. He loves the church because the church is a place where we tell people about Jesus and what He did for us. It’s a place where we can share each others burdens and be a family. When you brag on your church, you’re bragging on Jesus and what He did for us. His Word says we should enter His church grateful, with thanksgiving, ready to receive. We know that the church is not perfect because people (us) are in it however the next time you step foot in church… Thank God for the blood that was shed for you to have the right to hear the Word of God. My prayer is you are in a church that teaches you about God and why God sent His son Jesus to that cross. Once we understand that… we will always enter His gates with much Thanksgiving!

Pastor Charlie

The Spirit is Moving

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:46:09 +0000

The word of God says that Jesus has ascended into heaven and at this very time sits at the right hand of God the Father. If that is not enough for you, according to John 16:7, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to live within each believer. John 16:8 also happens to give us the reasons for the Holy Spirit: to convict the world of sin and remind us of the coming judgement. So the next time you hear, “Wow, the Spirit is really moving in that place,” remind yourself of this passage of scripture and line it up for yourself. Remember that the Spirit of God does move when we are seeking first His kingdom.

Love you Church!

Pastor Charlie

Lead!

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:51:08 +0000

When we think of Moses, we think “Leader” with a capital L. The guy was awesome! It seemed like daily he would look to heaven and say “OK God, what next?!” And as another day passed, Moses would again look to heaven and say “How about today, Lord, tell me what to do.”
Moses was dependent upon God, and God alone, for direction. When Moses was given his instructions, he did not delegate them to the people and say “Hey, what would you like to do?” Or, “should we vote on it?”
Not even close! Moses said things like, “I know what to do, and my job is to do the will of my Father.” Do you do the will of the Father or do you take what He tells you and have your friends vote on it? The crowds will lead you astray; however, those that do the will of the Father will be blessed!

Keep the Faith!

Pastor Charlie

Overcoming a Common Objection by Naturalists

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:58:30 +0000

I’ve been getting the same objection to belief in God by naturalists (this would include atheists, agnostics or those with a secular worldview such as belief in Darwinian evolution). I wanted to post this short blog, just in case you come across this common question, to better equip you to give a logical and reasonable answer to defend your faith.

The question is “If God created the universe, then who or what created God?”

On the surface it seems like a very fair question, where did God come from? The Bible gives believers an answer; however that may not be enough for a non-believer who may automatically discount the Bible as being truth. The problem is this question is an argumentative fallacy… A what? That means it’s not a logical argument, and here’s why!

Take the theory of gravity. What causes gravity? Gravity is caused by mass in space. The more mass, the more gravitational pull. However, what if, as a counter to this theory, I asked: “Well, where did the mass come from?” When explaining gravity and it’s cause, one doesn’t need to know where the cause originated. Remember, the original question is “What causes gravity?” The answer is mass in space. One doesn’t need an explanation of the explanation (where did mass come from?), otherwise we would go into an infinite regress of questions “What caused the explanation of the explanation, and then what caused that…” And you get the point.

So, taking it back to the objection “what caused God to exist?” The answer is simple and you could reply with something like this. “I do not need to explain where God came from to show that His creation exists. The evidence of creation is all around us and clearly points to a creator. Whether the creator always existed, or was created himself is irrelevant to the question of creation. Do I need to explain where the painter came from, in order to prove that a painter painted a painting?” This question is meant to do one thing, take your focus off the real issue. This person doesn’t want to admit they are a sinner. If they can show that God probably doesn’t exist, then their sins don’t really matter. Remember, the good news of the gospel is only good news for somebody who recognizes they are in desperate need of a savior. Now that you’ve got them thinking, hit them with the gospel and plant a seed!

God Bless,
Nick Dockett
ndockett@gmail.com

Passing the Test of Relational Conflict

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:02:36 +0000

The conflict in life is like taxes; a guarantee! You will always have taxes and you will always deal with some sort of conflict. So, what we need to understand is that conflict is an opportunity to glorify God. You see, God is watching and testing us as to how we will be different in the way we handle ourselves with regards to conflict. How do you see conflict? Do you see conflict as an opportunity to honor God? I encourage you to see it as it actually is. Conflict is an opportunity to truly separate the immature believer from the mature believer. Ask God to help you in this area as it can change your life. A great verse in times of conflict is Romans 12:18:
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.“

Remember, God is watching how you handle conflict… So go pass that test!

Standing with you!

Pastor Charlie

Leaders are Readers

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:32:09 +0000

A few years ago, I had the great privilege of spending some one-on-one time with Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. He said to me: “You will be the same person in five years as you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read.” When it comes to leadership, no book is better than God’s Word… the Bible! But with that said, there are many other books that have impacted me a great deal on the subject of leadership. Here are three suggestions for some of you leaders out there:

1. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

2. Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

3. The Book on Leaders by John MacArthur

Great leaders are always learning! Pick up a book and use what you learn to advance Gods Kingdom!

Blessings,

Pastor Charlie

Disciplined Severely

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:31:47 +0000

Psalm 118:18 says, “The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.” Translation, He is not done with me yet! Can you identify with that verse? We live in a world where correction and discipline are not very popular – however, they are needed. Our Lord is so gracious that He gives us a lot of rope and says go for it. The challenge is, often times when we “go for it” we find ourselves in situations that are not pleasing to God – hence the discipline! You see God ‘s purpose for correction is to help us to become the people He has called us to be. When we understand the intent of a gracious God we begin to see that He loves us too much to leave us where we are. As we grow in our Christian faith our Lord will correct and redirect our steps many times and there will come a day when He says to you “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Finish Strong!

Pastor Charlie

Getting Hammered!

Sarah — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:39:32 +0000

Take a look at 2 Timothy Chapter 4, verse 14. You talk about getting hammered… check out the Apostle Paul! He was in prison for preaching the gospel. He had ministered faithfully, walked the walk, talked the talk; he was a straight up, Christ-centered man. His apparent reward for his faithfulness? God allowed Alexander the coppersmith to get in Paul’s face and call him a liar, speak ill of him, and, for good measure, helped to create a revolt! Where were Paul’s friends in his hour of need? The Bible says he was alone, tired, cold, frustrated, ready to be murdered for his faith in Jesus. What is that all about?

Verse 17 answers that question, “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me!” I remember reading those words years ago and it just broke me! Why was I broken and what did I learn? The same thing Paul did. That God is all we need, and through the worst of times He stands at the right hand of God the Father and says, “Check out my son, he is faithful, I saved him, and I love him!” Wow! I can just hear the words that Jesus spoke over Paul, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Don’t give up!

Pastor Charlie

What if the Church I Attend Shut its Doors?

Sarah — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:40:54 +0000

As a pastor I often ask myself the question, “What if our church shut its doors?” Would the community even know we were gone? What did we do? What was our impact? What will the legacy be? I think these are powerful questions to ask of ourselves and as I ask those questions to myself, I pray you also ask the same questions because we are the church! What are the things you want said of your church?

As you think of that, ask God what you can do. I believe that the church of Jesus Christ is waking up from a long sleep and revival is at our doorstep right now. Will we open the door? Maybe the question should be will “YOU” open the door? It starts with “YOU”! Let’s beg God to do something “BIG” right here in Corona, Ca. There is so much power in committed men and woman of God who humbly seek the face of Jesus and say… Use Me! Legacy starts with you! Step up and do what you were created to do!

Love in Jesus Christ,
Pastor Charlie

The Cross… Before The Crown

Sarah — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:30:59 +0000

Matthew 27:31-32 “And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him and led Him away to crucify Him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry His cross.”

As Jesus trudged up Calvary, exhausted from His brutal torture, a man in the crowd of onlookers, Simon of Cyrene, was enlisted to carry Jesus’ cross. Simon is, in a sense… us. As believers, we have been called out of the crowd of curious onlookers and made cross bearers. Every Christian helps Jesus carry the cross, for Jesus chooses not to carry the cross by Himself. Jesus never promised His followers perpetual good health, freedom from pain or troubles, or bypassing of death. Jesus did not live the “good life,” nor did He promise us that we, by following Him, would do so. Rather, He assured us that He would never allow anything worse to happen to us than happened to Him. He promised that the world would also nail us to our “cross,” if we follow Him.

Martin Luther King said, paraphrasing Jesus, “The cross we bear always precedes the crown we wear.” In the times of painful experiences He gives sinful men the courage to take up our cross and follow.

The weight of the cross… lift it through prayer, and the reading of God’s Word. The death on the cross… Jesus Christ, obedient unto death for you. God gave the one thing He had, Jesus Christ, and gave Him to you. Lift His name on high this Easter, He is worthy!

In Christ,
Ken Sanders