No Pain No Gain

Professional athletes know it. Amateur athletes know it. Bodybuilders know it. Fitness experts know it. If you want to build physical strength and endurance, you will experience a certain degree of pain. But this is not pain for pain’s sake.

Our muscles are created so that they respond to vigorous exercise with microscopic tears in the muscle fiber. This muscle damage signals repair activity in which new fibers are created, thus increasing the number and thickness of our muscle fibers. Certain hormones such as growth factor, pituitary and thyroid stimulate muscle growth and protein synthesis that allows more glucose to enter muscle cells and results in increasing energy and endurance. This cycle of exercise, muscle damage and muscle repair over time produces larger and stronger muscles.

The pain or soreness we experience in our muscles is actually due to the repair process that occurs after we exercise. Critical to supporting a healthy repair process is alternating activity and recovery periods. Every athlete knows that you don't exercise the same set of muscles day after day, because you can cause yourself serious injury. After exercise, muscles need time to repair, and therefore it's important to alternate periods of exercise with periods of rest.

It's also important to support the recovery and repair process by getting sufficient sleep, drinking plenty of water, feeding your muscles by eating lots of protein and nutrient dense foods, and persisting in your exercise efforts. Results take time to show outwardly, so it is also helpful to keep in mind a picture of yourself with those more well-developed muscles you desire.

While we understand this process of damage and repair in muscle healing and building, we often forget that this is a universal principle that applies to all areas of our lives. Challenges in any aspect of our life, our health, relationships, finances, career etc. produce pain and stress. Whether our pain is physical or emotional, involves disappointment or a sense of loss, we need to remember that we can choose to allow the healing process to take us to a stronger and better place.

God makes it very clear in Scripture that He is a healer. He wants to take us through illness, pain of all types, and our difficulties and make us stronger, and more confident through our healing. He has built all types of natural healing processes into our bodies and the world around us.

His love extends beyond the natural healing processes, however. In Isaiah 53:4–5 we are told: "Surely Jesus took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken and smitten by God. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was wounded for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." He loves us so much, that He wants to ensure that we will always have access to healing no matter what we are facing.

The same principles we use to build strong muscles, also apply in obtaining our healing with God. It's important that we rest in confident trust in God's love and promises to us. We need to feed on the spiritually dense nutrition of God's Word and to drink deeply of His Holy Spirit by inviting Him into our lives. Finally, just as we can see ourselves with our buff body when we are building muscle, we need to keep a vision of ourselves as a whole, complete, healed person through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. We will be discussing more on obtaining our healing from Father God, as we continue in our current series, "What's the H in HRock Church?"

If Honor Ruled

Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas.

When Tim Tebow touches water, it turns to Gatorade.

The NFL renamed the two-minute warning "Tebow Time."

Tim Tebow can tweet Scripture from a rotary phone.

When you're a public figure it's inevitable. When you've had public exposure for any time at all, you find yourself the brunt of jokes and the point of peoples’ sarcasm. And while some of the jokes are good-natured, other comments are intended to hurt and demean the receiver.

I just happened to run into these remarks about Tim Tebow following the Broncos very lopsided loss to the New England Patriots last weekend, and these were the good-natured jokes. But it really wouldn't make any difference what type of public figure I chose to follow, entertainer, successful entrepreneur, politician, etc., I would find plenty of unsavory remarks about each one.

It seems that it's impossible for us to allow any one person to receive honor for very long. We build them up, but then quickly tear them down. We see this pattern repeated over and over again. A person will receive positive attention, and everyone flocks to them with praise, but inevitably the negative remarks begin to increase and their every flaw becomes a media item.

Why can't we let honor remain unscathed? How would our lives be different if honor ruled?

Honor is valuing a person, and considering them worthy of our respect. What would the world be like if we chose to honor everyone? I began reflecting on this, and soon realized that it would make a profound change in the way we experience life here on earth.

For starters, our lives would be characterized by courtesy to one another. We would offer our seat to the older lady on the bus, or hold open the door for a person with packages in their hand. We would not go into "piranha mode" over that parking spot in the mall, or stampede others in our haste to reach the special sale item. Think how different political campaigns would be. Candidates would be civil to other each other during debates, and campaign ads would focus on issues, not on smearing other candidates.

These would be only the superficial changes. If we all really valued and respected each other, we wouldn't steal, cheat others, or commit violence against them. We wouldn't use deception or manipulation in our interactions with others either. There would be no crime, so we wouldn't need any prison systems or police departments, or regulatory agencies. That would free up a lot of public funds to pay off the national debt!

If honor ruled in schools, employment situations, and our individual homes, can you imagine how stress would be reduced? If we all gave each other encouragement and constructive criticism, how creative might we become as a society? We would probably reach potentials that we cannot even dream of today.

You may be thinking, "This speculation is pointless because it can never happen." Sadly I have to agree with you, because without a profound change it never will happen. You see we can only give what we have received, and far too many of us have never received real honor, so we don't honor ourselves. We don't really value and consider ourselves worthy of respect, so we don't respect others.

We need to have an encounter with our Heavenly Father. He honors us so much, that He considers us valuable enough to die for. And through His son Jesus Christ He did exactly that. He honored all of us because He knows we are valuable, for He created us that way. You see in God's heart, honor always rules.

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. I will be speaking about honor in our relationship with God and others. This is the fourth topic in our current series, "What's the H in HRock Church?"

“Are We Home Yet?”

Over the holidays, we pulled out a lot of our photo albums and had some good laughs together as a family. I remember so well on family vacations there would always come a point in time, usually a day or two before the vacation came to an end, when I knew it was time for us to return home. Tempers started flaring, whining increased exponentially and we were getting diminishing returns on enjoyment.

At the start of the vacation, there'd be such anticipation with active children incessantly asking "Are we there yet?" Now on the last day of vacation, little heads bobbed heavily with sleep, and the quiet was occasionally broken with the plaintive question, "Are we home yet?" That question expressed what we all felt, how good it would be to get home!

I always felt a sense of relief when we finally turned into our driveway. The first child to wake up would squeal with delight "We're home!" and everyone suddenly came to life, scrambling out of the car and running to the front door. We enjoyed our vacation, but we loved coming home!

Home means different things to different people. Below are several statements that describe how some people feel about home. Which ones do you relate to?

Anywhere as long as its with my family
On the playing field with my team
Where someone is there for me no matter how hard times get
Where things are comfortable and familiar, and I can just be myself
Where I belong
Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy
I'm not sure,. I've never felt at home

While many, hopefully most of us, associate positive feelings and memories with home, I am aware that an increasing number of people do not find a home anywhere. Yet we all need a sense of home. While we often associate home with a place, it is really an inner state of being.

An unknown writer describes "home" as "a sacred, mythical space, even for nonreligious people. It is a special space beyond our doorsills, that simply cannot be violated. We want and need a space where we can close the door on chaos, and find some sense of cosmos, peace, and assurance of purpose. A space where we can say, ‘This is mine. I belong here.’"

I think we have this inner desire for home, because we are created by God for relationship and to be at home with Him. He wants us to have the assurance that we are wanted, that there is a place that is ours, a place where we belong. Jesus tells us in John 14:1–4a: "Don't be troubled and anxious in your heart, but trust in God and also me. In my father's house there are many rooms. I go there to prepare a special place for you. You can be sure that if I prepare a special place for you, I will come and get you so that where I am, there you may be also."

No matter what our personal history of having a home is, God intends for each one of us to always have a sense of home. He invites us into a never-ending relationship with Him, where we are loved and accepted for who we are, and we know that we always belong.

Please come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. My wife, Pastor Sue Ahn, will be talking about home, and the sense of home God means each one of us to have. This is the third topic in our current series, "What’s the H in HRock Church?"

Pick Your Harvest

Do you notice that each year seems to pass more quickly? New Year's brings this into focus as we consider how rapidly the year has gone, and how many things we intended to accomplish that remain undone. Each New Year's brings the reminder we are pursued by Someone we cannot appease, Someone who will not compromise with us.

He is commonly depicted as a very old man, with a long white beard, and wearing a long robe. Around his waist hangs an hourglass with its sand nearly run out from top to bottom. He carries a sickle, and comes to hand over his responsibilities to a baby who wears a sash with the date of the New Year.

He is of course, "Father Time," and he symbolizes the flow of time and its effects. His old body reminds us that time is the universal devourer of all things. Like the sand in the hourglass he carries, his life and ours will inevitably run out, as all good things must come to an end. His sickle indicates that some of us will face the "harvest of time" before the end of the present new year.

As unpleasant as this is, it is an inescapable reality. We remember it when we view TV specials that survey the year in retrospect, and present us with a list of memorable people who have passed on. As the reality of the sickle harvest weighs just a little heavier, even though we can't know for sure, we reassure ourselves that this year will not be our year.

While we are all uncomfortably aware of the "harvest of time," there is another harvest option that we may not be aware of. In fact, we all have an invitation to join it. It is God's harvest of sons and daughters, as He invites all of humanity to become members of His forever family.

Jesus described this harvest to His disciples one day, as he stood watching the multitudes who were coming to Him. He knew they had many anxieties and insecurities, and were seeking for answers they hoped He could provide. Seeing their needs, Jesus was moved with compassion, and He described them as wandering sheep without a shepherd.

He wanted all of them to become members of God's family, and experience the love of their Heavenly Father. He told his disciples that people were ready for this harvest, and that the disciples should labor to present God's harvest invitation to others. Jesus knew that if we respond to God's harvest invitation, in a very real way we are set free from the unpleasant domination of the "harvest of time."

Colossians 1:12–14 tells us: "We are always thanking Father God, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and transferred you to the kingdom of His dear Son Jesus Christ, who purchased your freedom and for gave you your sins."

In the kingdom of light, we have complete assurance of God's favor and goodness. We no longer fear the onward march of Father Time, for we experience God’s plan and provision for us here on earth, and we know He will welcome us home at the end of our journey.

You have a choice about which harvest you will participate in. Today I invite you to pick your harvest. Choose God's invitation and become a member of His family. Make this new year your best year ever!

Please come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM as we consider God's harvest invitation. Our vision for HRock Church is that we participate fully in His harvest.

Gotta Serve Somebody

Several years ago I saw an unforgettable New Year's cartoon. A man was seated at a desk with a long roll of paper falling to the floor. The caption read, “This is the year!” It was obviously a list of New Year's resolutions. At first I thought the length of the list was due to the many resolutions he was making, but as I looked closely, I realized most of the list consisted of scratched out New Year's dates. He was actually making the same New Year's resolutions over and over again for years!

Sound familiar? I’m sure you're aware that many well-intentioned New Year's resolutions are never realized. How many times have you resolved that this is the year you will lose weight, quit smoking, exercise and get fit, get out of debt, or get your life organized? Psychologists report about half of us will make New Year's resolutions this year, but about 80% of our resolutions will never happen. They describe making resolutions as a near pointless activity that leaves people feeling despondent when their willpower fails.

Clearly, sheer willpower alone doesn’t work. As one person put it: “I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” The quote sounds contemporary, but it was written 2000 years ago by the apostle Paul. (Romans 7:18b-19) He had to admit that at times he struggled to be led by the Spirit, and at these times, he found himself in bondage to the desires of the flesh. Anyone who has ever opened a bag of cookies intending to eat just one, and then eaten at least a dozen, can relate to Paul's predicament.

Whether we like it or not, we cannot operate totally autonomously. Psychologists tell us that those people most likely to keep their New Year's resolutions share their goals with others and become accountable to them. We need to keep our own abilities in perspective, and realize that often we need help and encouragement from others if we are to be successful.

Insisting on independence, when we really need assistance, is a sure recipe for failure. This type of unhealthy self-dependence we call arrogance. It is the refusal to recognize our own self-limitations, humble ourselves, and accept the help we need. In order to receive however, we must recognize the abilities of others, instead of seeing ourselves as more capable than everyone else.

This is the essence of true humility: admitting our limitations and appreciating what others can contribute. Philippians 2:3–4 tells us: “Don't be selfish, and don't try to impress others. Be humble. Don't look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.” When we knowledge our need for others, we become aware they also have needs, and we are willing to serve them. God created us to be dependent upon Himself and on others. Understanding we also need God, makes us more willing to serve him.

True success in life depends on whom we’re serving, ourselves alone, or God and others. Serving ourselves, or selfishness, limits us and keeps us in bondage. Bob Dylan describes our choice well in his song “Gotta Serve Somebody.”

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you may like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you've gotta serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you've gotta serve somebody

Come join us this Sunday, New Year's Day at 11:00 AM. Our topic is “Humility,” and we will discuss the freedom that exists in choosing to serve God and others. This is the first in our new series “What the H of HROCK?

Pastor Che

The Face of Peace

If you were to draw a picture of peace, what would it look like? Years ago a group of artists was given just that task, to capture the image of peace. There were many pictures of beautiful sunrises over beaches or mountains, and other pictures of pristine meadows full of wildflowers and peacefully grazing sheep. One artist depicted two enemy soldiers embracing each other at the end of war. Other artists drew children of different nationalities holding hands across the earth under a shimmering rainbow.

One picture stood in stark contrast to all the rest. It was a rocky ocean cliff drenched in torrents of rain that were falling from an angry sky filled with lightning.. The ocean was churning and foaming. Huge waves crashed against the cliff, but tucked away in a cleft of the rugged rocks was a small white dove, her head tucked beneath her wing, resting peacefully. She had found a place of repose and tranquility in the midst of the storm.

Today with all the economic uncertainty, repetitive natural disasters, and civil unrest in one nation after another, life can feel like that stormy ocean picture. Everywhere we look there is instability, trouble, and we are battered by circumstances beyond our control. It is overwhelming, and it would be so wonderful to find a place of peace and safety like that little dove.

While that picture is very effective at capturing a mood of serenity, it doesn't begin to adequately depict the face of peace. Peace is more than tranquility in the midst of troubling circumstances. Peace is much more than the absence of conflict, and it is infinitely greater than personal security.

Two thousand years ago, an angelic host appeared to a group of shepherds one night and proclaimed "Peace on earth. Goodwill to all people!" If they weren't referring to personal serenity, peace of mind, or the end of war and conflict, just what were the angels announcing with the word "peace?"

The peace the angels heralded to the shepherds is explained in Ephesians 2: 12–14. "Remember, that at that time you were separated from Christ, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and being in the world without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were formerly far-off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He, Himself is our peace…"

The peace the Angels were singing about was the good news that God has come to earth to repair the breach in our relationship with Him. In this act of reconciliation, Father God not only invites us back into His family, He fully intends to restore us back to the original position of dominion and authority that was conferred upon us in our creation.

The word for peace in Hebrew is shalom, and it has a rich, extensive meaning. In its essence, shalom is a state of wholeness in every aspect of your life: harmony in your relationships, total health in your body, abundant supply in your finances and joy in your emotional well-being. So you see God was announcing far more than just peace of mind. He was inviting us into a quality-of-life that we have never known before, a life so abundant that we will spend the rest of eternity discovering it.

The face of peace is Jesus Christ. As we gaze upon Him, we see God's incredible love for us in His gift of peace to us. As you celebrate Christmas, may you come to experience more fully that peace the angels announced so long ago.

Come observe Christmas with us this Sunday. We will have only one service at 11:00 AM. Our topic is "The Prince of Peace," which completes our current series, "A Prophetic Christmas."

When Is Ordinary… Extraordinary?

Imagine for a moment that you have some important information to share that is international in scope, information that can potentially affect the life of every person on planet Earth. How would you get that information out? Hold a summit meeting with all the world's leaders? Perhaps you would have a world concert in key locations, using only the biggest name bands and rock musicians. Or maybe you would choose some famous celebrities as key spokespersons.

How would you feel about using a 3rd string quarterback, barely past his rookie year in the NFL? Despite an impressive college career (a Heisman Trophy winner in his sophomore year and 2 NCAA championships), all the experts agree he is not NFL quarterback material. In particular, his passing game is considered very weak. In a league where the average quarterback passes for at least 300 yards per game, this quarterback usually passes under 200 yards, and his passes are all too often intercepted.

Those of you who follow NFL football know where I'm going. In the last few months, Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos has shot to the forefront of NFL football like a rising comet. The Broncos were 1–4, when Tebow became starting quarterback in mid-October. In the 8 games since then, Tebow has led the Broncos to 7 wins, coming from behind in the 4th quarter 6 times, a feat unparalleled in NFL history.

While he's becoming legendary for pulling wins out of defeats at the last moment, Tim Tebow is also creating a stir because of his frank declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. Pictures of him kneeling to thank God in prayer have become iconic, and the stance has been coined "Tebowing." and is being imitated around the world. In 2009, while still a college student, Tebow put the scripture reference John 3:16 on his eye paint, and 92 million people Googled the verse.

Tebow is unapologetic about his faith. He has stated, "My biggest prayer is that win or lose, good or bad, I'm still the same guy. I honor the Lord either way, and I'm not changing no matter what happens." While not everyone appreciates his spokesmanship for God, coaches and the players who know him best describe him as extremely hard-working, obsessed with self-improvement, modest, genuine, and "a real leader who freely gives credit to others."

There can be no doubt that Tebow has been given an extraordinary platform from which to declare his love and loyalty to Jesus Christ. Even his rivals seem to like him. When asked about Tebow, Robert Kraft, owner of the Boston Patriots said, " He's a real fine young man. I sort of like that he's about spirituality, and that the country is thinking about spirituality."

As we approach Christmas, I am reminded that God frequently uses ordinary people to accomplish the most extraordinary things. Take Mary and Joseph for instance. They were just two very ordinary citizens of Nazareth who became the earthly parents of God Himself. When God wanted to do the most extraordinary thing of all time: become a human being Himself, He chose to come in the form of an ordinary infant. But when God touches a situation, what begins as ordinary becomes extraordinary!,

I challenge you to do something different this Christmas. Allow God to touch your life and experience what happens when the ordinary becomes extraordinary!

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. My sermon is ""Mighty God–Everlasting Father," the third message in our current series "A Prophetic Christmas."