Good morning

This is what my Monday mornings start like.

? You Write the title.

Life this way and that
The ups the downs
The straight the narrow
The quiet the loud
The calm the storm
The rush the relax

Just in tune with the melody of our time
Life like this with the daily twist of cirmcumstance
With 24 hours today and a few tomorrows
How will I spend this precious gift I've been given called time.

Time, Yes, Time
Can I find more, or will it shrink as the days go by.
Will Time be friend or foe
Eternity, forever, when time calls for you which direction will you head
Door one or is it two.

Do you know your options, what's on the other side of your door.
Maybe you should look or search and seek for more.

For which door you go through will tell the rest of your days.

My Friend

The Falls on Highway 50. Kiah and Tate in Awe once again.


Do you have someone in your life that is a real friend? Loves you regardless, forgives you when they shouldn't, gives you that word when you need it. I need that, you need that, we all need that. I'm thankful for my friends and I don't use that title lightly. Those of you that are friends of mine, thank you, when you've spoken I kind word or said a prayer or smiled my way. Thank you.

Amazing.

A little pic of my boys and I in the snow last weekend.

My Dream

Do you have a dream? I'm going through a section of my life where dreams are becoming reality. What does it take to make a dream come true! It's something we all probably have thought about but do we ever make it happen? I want to make it happen, I want to see my boys live happily ever after, my wife to come home with a smile and what I do all day to count.

Dream it 08 is a place where all of us can come together for a couple of days and just dream. Tap into what God has for us and dream.

Pd.

What do you hear?

(My Boys and I)


Have you ever noticed that all of us hear things differently. We can hear the same thing, said by the same person even at the same time and still we walk away hearing something a little different. I guess what I'm getting at is this, I want to hear what God wants me to hear. I think sometimes that when we hear things our opinion enters into the equation and we hear what we want to hear rather than what we need to hear and what God wants us to hear. "God, help me to listen deeply for Your message in what I hear and work at putting my own opinion aside in order to hear YOU. "

I'm sitting backstage listening to Pastor Ricks message this morning and I'm realizing there's a whole lot of things I need to work on. Pastor is speaking out of James, my favorite book in the bible. Wow, I've heard this so many times and yet, it sounds different again. I guess that's how God works.

Pd.

Day one done.

Great day! Day one of our remodel service settings for Capital Christian Center is over. Beginning last night at 6pm then today at 8am, 9:30am, 11:00am and then 12:30pm. I'm totally excited about everyone that showed up. What a crowd. overflow was packed, and all the services looked great!

I believe change is huge in our culture today. Pastor Rick talked about living in a lazyboy culture and he's totally right. We are comfortable and because of it often times we never really push ourselves to become what God has for us. Even in church culture, we are comfortable, the change we are going through right now is amazing and actually making us so much stronger. This change is stretching us and causing people to experience church and God from a different angle. New perspective sometimes bring about new thinking which allows us to GROW. Yep, that's what God wants, he wants us to GROW. Never be the same.

Big Question

How should we deal with homosexuals in the church? How do you think Jesus would have us deal with them? Any different then someone else who isn't a christian? These questions are provoked because of some individuals who have decided to parade there message about homosexuality infront of our church. I spent some time talking with one of there young men and now I'm interested in what you have to say.

Pd

40 Days of Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I didn't really think that something so simple could become so profound. God is literally challenging all Christians at CCC and around the world to quit just attending and start doing. Individuals who begin to do and not just sit will experience a whole new vitality in there relationship with God.

I'm in. Yes I'm a pastor I'm in ministry full time but it's a new day calling for new thoughts, new insights, and new action plans.

I hope your in to.

Pd

I'm Sorry?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I believe these are the two most important words in a relationship. No matter a marriage a friendship or whatever. I'm sorry is also the phrase that is most difficult to say. Does it seem that often times that are difficult to do are also things that benefit us most. Nothing good comes easy. I think that's true except in one area. Forgiveness. God does this for free, all we have to do is simply say I'm sorry, forgive me, and it's done. Wow, if we could live that way wouldn't it be awesome.

Lord, we're sorry for not being sorry. We'll definitely work on it.

pd

Colossians 4:5

Kiah's Tball game. Thought you might like this picture.


This is a profound passage of scripture, as well as our memory verse for this week of the 40 days of community.

"Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity." Col. 4:5

This is something God is really speaking to me about. Making the most of every single opportunity, every person that needs my help, taking time to think an help them come up with a great, God solution.

God bless, let's all make the most of every opportunity God puts in our way.

Pd

What matters most?

Thanks for hanging out at my blog. This is the message I presented Wednesday 4-11-07. I've asked anyone who listens to give me some feedback on how they are deciding to improve in the areas of loving others.

Here's my notes. Now I'd like to here your story of how you are loving others.

Thanks

Pd



Love.

What Matter’s Most?

Doug and Conor - 4/11/07

Intro: Story about unconditional Love.
(Missy play song – What’s love got to do with it? Tina Turner)



I. Why Love? Because He first Loved us. I John 4:7-11
a. Often a failure to love others comes from a lack of focus on God’s love for us.
b. Gen. 2:18 It is not good for man to be alone…We are created for love. Ted Cozinsky – Cal Berkeley

1 John 3:16-19 (MsgB)
This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. [17] If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
[18] My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. [19] This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality.

We choose Love. We choose Love. Sometimes we don’t realize it but we do choose love. It doesn’t come natural.

Love is an act of our Will.

I John 4:11. Since God first loved us, we should love others.




II. How Love? Sacrificial - Cost you something. Time/ patience.
i. John 13:34-35-All Rabbi’s had disciples, Jesus’ would be set apart because they would love one another, and promote one another before themselves.
ii. John 13:4-14 (MsgB)
So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. [5] Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. [6] When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"
[7] Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."
[8] Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"
Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."
[9] "Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"
[10] Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." [11] (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") [12] After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? [13] You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. [14] So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet.




III. Results of Love. What happens when we love like Christ? I Peter 1:22-23
a. Lift Weights - Strengthened/removal of corruption and corruptibility. Purity Proverbs 30:5
b. People are drawn to us like a magnet, crowds following Jesus because the message he preached was that of love not of condemnation. -Matthew 16:14-16(people were drawn to Jesus not because he was the Christ, they didn’t know he was, they were drawn to him because he preached a gospel of love.)
1. Removal of lust, gossip, dirty talk, self interest, greed…
2. Our tongue has better uses, thanksgiving to God, and encouraging one another.

IV. Sincere Love: Altar: Love must be sincere.
a. Romans 12:9-10 (MsgB)
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. [10] Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Many of us struggle more on what we get out of a relationship rather than what we give to the relationship.

• God’s love FOR us gives us the reason to love others.
• God’s love IN us gives us the ability to love others.
• God’s love THROUGH us gives us the way to love others.

We know that we have really experienced God’s love when we can begin to love others genuinely.

Sincere.





Handout that says I’m committed to a life of Love.








What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html


What Matters Most? Love . . . .
I’m committed to loving people in these ways:
At home:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At school:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Church: (Oxygen/forward Motion)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Pastor Doug’s feedback blog is at oxygen.cc/doug.html

Christmas

Merry Christmas,

What a great time of year for most and a touph time of year for countless others. I think of how many will have great time during the next two days and then my mind wonders to those who will not. God, will you comfort those that feel lonely and helpless, the homeless the heartbroken will you walk with those have lost someone this year and feel the hurt of seperation deep in there soul. God, help us define Christmas as a time for helping those who hurt and teach us to love when it seems impossible. Somehow, Lord, please do the impossible and provide your true unconditional Love for all those in need. Help each of us as Christians to feel Your love and pass it on to all.

Pd

DAVID CROWDER SHOW!!!!!

Yep, Right Here. Capital Christian Center.

February 8th, You can get your tickets at ccconline.cc

David Crowder Band - Everything Glorious

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Alrighty Then.

My christmas wishes are pretty simple. I'd love to here from students that have come out of our ministry. I love hearing how everyone is doing and what's going on now. I want spend a solid week just playing with my boys. Nothing else. I know these are some weird wishes but there mine. As I grow older I realize that my wishes are totally changing from things to relationships and friends. I think this is part of God's plan to grow all of us into people that are based on friendships and relationship rather than material items.

Where do you find your identity. Many of us find them in many ways. God's desire is that we find our identity in him. He gives us confidence strength and a full like. These things are promised.

Thanks God.

pd

Puppy Time!

Well, I have an announcement! We have a new DOG!! This little guy is a miniture pinscher. His name is Nash. He's a little fireball and we're stoked to have him. He's 8 weeks old today and has great personality. I'm not totally sure if Dog's go to heaven but I hope so. Aren't animals cool. They don't complain, talk back, yell, gossip, they just love us back. I am a firm believer that having a pet is very healthy. This is what he looked like when we picked him up two weeks ago. Ali and Andy Gregory's parents had some puppies and gave us one for Thanksgiving.

Ton o fun!

See ya

New Stuff

Well, after two weeks of meeting in our new room we are excited about the possibilities with the new tool God has given us. I've been thinking about something specific, I really think that as we use the things God gives us to there fullest potential God will give us new tools to work with in order to grow in our purpose of touching more and more students in Sacramento. So this kind of thought makes us look internally, am I using the tools God has given me personally to fullest? I hope so. I truly want the light of God to shine through me.

Thanks God for this new tool, help us to be wise and use it in a great way, your way.

The Conflict - Wednesday night notes.

Here we go. Man this is huge to me. I know that all of us empowered by God can overcome our selfish desires but I also know that we can't do it with out Him. God help us. . . . . . . . . .

The Conflict

Video: Two Face from Batman.

Intro: Do you ever feel that way. I’ve got a great side that wants to do what’s right and a bad side that is pushing me almost feeling like another person to do what’s wrong? Our goal is to know God in a way that directs our life into change and transformation. When we understand that we have a battle going on within us, it helps us identify what we need to do different.

Drama: Both sides at war.

Believe it or not the bible actually talks about this conflict in Galations 5:16-24

Galatians 5:16-24 (MsgB)
My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. [17] For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. [18] Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

[19] It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; [20] trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; [21] the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
[22] But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, [23] not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. [24] Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.



BackGround:

Paul was writing this letter to the church in Galatia. This was a great church with great potential but they struggled with things much like we do. Paul was writing this directive because there was people that took advantage of the freedom we have as Christians. Some of the Christians said Jesus will forgive us and we can basically do whatever it is that we want.

Paul knew this wasn’t right and wrote this letter in response describing to the church the battle we all fight so they understand it then about loving God and understanding that willingly following His ways take us far but mindlessly following rules do nothing for us. It’s easier but we don’t learn from it.


Two Ways:

I. Our own ways. What we naturally desire.



a. The flesh fights for dominance (v.16)
b. The flesh is contrary to the Spirit (v.17a)
c. The flesh keeps a person from doing what he would (v.17b)
d. The flesh fails to keep the law (v.18)

Results: vs. 19-21
· Repetitive, loveless, cheap sex;
· a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage;
· frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;
· [20] trinket gods;
· magic-show religion;
· paranoid loneliness;
· cutthroat competition;
· all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants;
· a brutal temper;
· an impotence to love or be loved;
· divided homes and divided lives;
· small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
· [21] the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;
· uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions;
· ugly parodies of community.



II. God’s Way - His spirit directing our lives.

1 The believer is to walk bearing God’s nature (v.22-23)
a. Source: The Holy Spirit (v.22)
b.Purpose: To stand strongly against fleshly works (v.23)

Results: vs. 22-23
· affection for others,
· exuberance about life,
· serenity.
· We develop a willingness to stick with things,
· a sense of compassion in the heart,
· a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.
· We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
· [23] not needing to force our way in life,
· able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.


The fruit tells you what’s coming out of the inside.

Trees that are well taken care of give out a huge crop.

Eventually it will come out in everyway.



Galatians 5:13-14 (MsgB)
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. [14] For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.

I'm sitting in a meeting right now listening to a presentation about tax exempt bonds. Would you ever believe that a youth pastor would need to set and listen to something like this? Wow, yep that's me. Believe it or not as a youth pastor your involved in almost every aspect of life. You get to hear everything! I hope some of you that read this will have a call on your life to be a youth pastor. Even though there are some crazy things your involved in most of the time what I do is the single most satisfying occupation on earth. Loving God, my family and the students of Sacramento!
Awesome.

Pd

To the hills

Random Picture - Bagpipe Chick at Spanish Bay

I'm heading to Tahoe today to get the Urban Challenge set up. Oct. 5,6 and 7. We like the name so we decided to keep even though it's in Tahoe. We figured all of us from Sacramento would bring the urban to the hills.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Pd

Alrighty, here's the deal. I'm going to start some random thought provoking discussion on different books of the bible. We are starting with the book of James. Here's the first eleven verses of chapter 1:

• James 1:1-11 (MsgB) I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! [2] Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. [3] You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. [4] So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. [5] If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. [6] Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. [7] Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, [8] adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. [9] When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! [10] And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. [11] You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

Questions:

1. Who is the writer trying to get his point across to?
2. Let's focus and the 5th and 6th verses, how does this apply to you?
3. How are you going to live different because of the direction given in this passage?