Happy New Year! It’s been a while, but The Stray Shepherd is alive and well! The Fall of 2019 was a very busy time in my life where some things had to be moved aside to make room for a bunch of other things God put on my plate. This blog was one of them. … Continue reading Happy New Year!
Tag: church
The Power of Presence
My wife had surgery recently on a Friday afternoon. It wasn’t anything major, although any time spent under the knife is always a little concerning. It was an outpatient procedure, meaning she would check-in, get prepped, have the surgery, and be on her way home in time for dinner. Easy peasy! I was told that … Continue reading The Power of Presence
Heavenly Diversity
This past Sunday, in my sermon “Looking Back to Move Forward,” I made the statement, “These two churches with completely different backgrounds, merged and has become one of the most diverse multi-ethnic, multi-generational churches in the Inland Empire, probably all of California, and quite possibly the nation!” While I do not have any hard statistics … Continue reading Heavenly Diversity
Love Them Well!
One of the things I liked about playing sports, especially in high school and college, was that I ate pretty much whatever I wanted. With all the running and working out, it didn’t seem to make much difference one way or another. (I know now that I could have been a much better athlete if … Continue reading Love Them Well!
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #10
Today, as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, my list of 10 lessons from my 10 years as pastor of CrossPointe Church comes to an end. This last one is really short and simple… Lesson #10: God’s timing is perfect. As I look back at the history of CrossPointe Church, it is abundantly evident. From the … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #10
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #8 & #9
Tomorrow is the celebration of our 10th Anniversary as CrossPointe Church, and I am nearing the end of this series of 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe. It has been great to look back at all that God has done over that time and to really reflect on what He has taught me as … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #8 & #9
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #7
In 2010, CrossPointe took on one of the largest evangelistic efforts the church has ever done. We put on a production of “Heaven’s Gates & Hell’s Flames.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the production, it is a stage performance comprised of several different skits. Each skit ends with someone’s death and subsequent … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #7
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #4-#6
CrossPointe Church’s 10th Anniversary is just around the corner! This week I have been reflecting on some of the lessons I have learned over the 10 years that I’ve had the privilege of shepherding CrossPointe. To get through all 10 lessons by Sunday, I’m going to pick up the pace today with 3 lessons in … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #4-#6
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #2 & #3
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe continues with. . . Lesson #2: The church is God’s, not mine. Pastoring a church reminds me of the time my Dad let me drive his car to the Senior Prom. I was looking sharp and feeling good! I had the keys to this really nice car, and … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #2 & #3
10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #1
On May 24, 2009, First Baptist Church of Fontana, CA voted to call me as their Senior Pastor. This was truly a historic day! On the weekend that the church was celebrating it’s 64th birthday, I became the youngest pastor (35) in the church’s history. I was also the first minority pastor and the first … Continue reading 10 Lessons from 10 Years at CrossPointe #1
The Stray Shepherd 