Hey Harvesters!
One year has almost elapsed since our family has been here at Harvest: thanks to all of you who have made this transition so enjoyable. Our small group has been a great blessing and we enjoy the great range of friends we have made. May God bless our church as we seek how He would use us as a catalyst for change in the South Bay for His glory.

As always, here are the notes from last week’s sermon. I hope that the many teachers who minister to our kids especially have time to listen to the sermon on line. Consider tuning in via the web during your lunchtime at work or some time after you put your kids to sleep. It’s vital that we all “eat” spiritually- which is drawing sustenance from God’s Word on a regular basis!

Byron

Harvest South Bay                November 9th, 2008

Say Again?
Great Expectations: The Gospel of Mark
Mark 8:1-26

God repeats Himself because we are hard of hearing

Exposition:
The feeding:
Mark records the feeding of the 4,000 because it shows that Jesus repeats certain actions because we have learned the lessons He seeks to teach.
The disciples:
The disciples failed to learn the lesson that Jesus could and would provide whatever food they needed- and so Jesus was obviously teaching a spiritual lesson instead of physical one when He referred to the “leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod”
The blind man:
Jesus two-stage miracle was given to indicate our lack of clarity in seeing God and His will. It encourages us because Jesus eventually touches us to the extent that we can see His lessons rightly.
3 lessons that bear repeating

1. Have faith in Jesus’ supernatural power.
Live as if God exists and can be depended upon.

2. Look for Jesus’ supernatural power.
Have a spiritual perspective which is constantly waiting and watching for God’s guidance.

3. Understand Jesus’ supernatural lessons.
Be concerned about how God is informing our lives spiritually rather than being consumed by the pedestrian affairs of daily life.
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Have a discussion with a fellow believer about what God is teaching you about Himself.

2. Do something risky this week for God, depending on His power and wisdom.

Recommended reading
1. Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman
2. How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren
3. Children’s Thinking, Robert Siegler

Additional Questions:
1. How often do you have a productive spiritual discussion with other believers- where you have the opportunity to share about God and His will and directions rather than simply church or work or school? How can you improve on the frequency of these discussions OUTSIDE of formal settings (small group/church)
2. Spend some time assessing the trajectory of your life that God has willed. Where would God want to move you next in terms of your life’s circumstances? How would He want to reshape your soul if you were willing to change?
3. How open are you to change in the church and change that impacts your family and friends? Are you part of a larger vision for God’s people which is exciting and faith stretching and based on bringing more people to the Lord?

Good Morning Harvest!
Don’t forget to go out and vote today! I’ve made myself a nice little “cheat sheet” on all of the candidates, judges and propositions to take into the polls so that I don’t hold up the lines. Now all I have to do is punch everything out correctly and not leave any “hanging chads!”

Let’s continue to pray for all of our nations leaders, the spiritual state of our government, and the direction of our communities. Continue to thank God for the many blessings He has afforded us in living in the United States!

byron

Harvest South Bay                November 2nd, 2008
Hearing Aid
Great Expectations: The Gospel of Mark
Mark 7:31-37

Narrative: Jesus takes a deaf man with a speech impediment aside and heals him while people disobey Jesus’ commandment to keep the miracle a secret.
The lack of understanding of the disciples: The disciples keep displaying a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus and His mission. He tells them on 3 different occasions of His persecution and death (Mark 8:31;9:3; 10:33,34) and each time they display their lack of understanding. This is the reason why we understand Jesus’ healing miracles in this section (Mark 7:31-37;8:22-26;10:46-52) as more than simple healings: they also serve as parables which illustrate the need to hear and see Jesus for who He truly is: the suffering Messiah who comes to redeem us of our sins.
3 prerequisites to hearing God
1. Realize that Jesus is the one who opens our ears
2. Understand our hardness of heart.
3. Challenge conventional wisdom.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Memorize some part of the Bible this week and seek to think on what you memorize throughout the day- seeing how God challenges you with that piece of His instruction.
2. Identify a part of the Bible which you have previously thought as impractical in it’s application. How would God want to challenge you in implementing that Scripture in your life?

Recommended reading
1. Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman
2. How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren
3. Children’s Thinking, Robert Siegler

Some additional questions from the sermon:
1. Recall some sins that you continued in for some time but now have rejected. What was that process like? What circumstances made you hold on tightly to those sins? What kind of excuses did you hold to internally which kept you from giving  up those sins? How does that experience of breaking from from sin inform any present processes in your life in identifying, breaking from, and being victorious from sin?
2. In your life, what has hearing God’s voice and experiencing Him been like? At what times has He spoken to you and in your pursuit of Him, have you simply tried to recreate those experiences rather than recognizing His authority in revelation?
3. Rate your countercultural-ness on a scale between 1-10 (1= very much like society around me, 10= very different than everything!). How does your conformity to norms interfere with pursuing God’s will for your everyday actions and overall plan for your life?

Don’t forget to set your clocks BACKWARD an hour this coming Saturday Night for Daylight Savings Time. See you all bright and early and on time for Sunday Service!

Byron

Good morning Harvesters!
Isn’t it great to see all the new faces in our congregation as of late? I encourage you to get to greet our newcomers, get to know them and show them the love of Christ as the family of God. Let’s see every new and old face as an opportunity to glorify our Lord.

Here are this week’s notes. I know that I’ve been delinquent in getting out not only a POST sermon blogpost but also a PRE sermon blogpost since our second child popped into the world. Now that Christine and I are getting into more of a rhythm I’ll redouble my efforts!

Byron

Hold On!
The Gospel of Mark: Mark 7:24-30
Exposition:
The Contrast between Pharisee and Syrophoenician
IN seeking Jesus: the Pharisees demand that Jesus conform to their opinion
the Syrophoenician to humbly supplicate
IN faith toward Jesus: the Pharisees have none even though await a Messiah
the Syrophoenician awaits no Messiah but doggedly pursues Jesus
IN access to Jesus: the Pharisees can see Jesus at any time, but squander their access
the Syrophoenician breaks every taboo in coming to Jesus in order to gain access to Him

The Controversial Statement of Jesus
“it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”
This statement is most likely a figure of speech from that time period: it seems worded as such. As such, Jesus is not directly referring to the woman herself as a dog- or even to the gentiles as dogs. He is using the proverbial statement to show the importance of priority: that the Father’s plan is to reach Israel first and then those outside of Israel. The woman sees an exception to the proverb: that while first priorities are important, so are lesser priorities- especially in God’s economy where there are no lack of resources!

The One Lesson of Victorious Faith
Victorious Faith is TENACIOUS

Two Instructions to Having Victorious Faith
1. Believe in God’s Reach (That nothing is outside of God’s reach)
2. Believe in God’s Plan (That God’s timing in answering our prayers is appropriate)

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Ask a more mature Christian about their spiritual journey and how you can grow in your own faith.
2. Think of an area of your Christian life which has not progressed as it should: in character, in depth of faith, in depth of love for others, or in practical application. Resolve to bring this area of your life before the Lord more consistently and with greater perseverance.

Harvest South Bay
October 26th, 2008

Good Day, Harvest!
Here are the notes from last week’s message as well as some additional application questions. I don’t know what is currently the matter with the website- you can’t get to the announcements page from the homepage from my computer. However if you type in http://www.harvestsb.org/announcements it’ll take you right there!

Have a great week!
By

Bad Religion
The Gospel of Mark: Mark 7:1-23
The Purpose of the Pharisees: To oppose Jesus even though they themselves were the leaders in their community of faith.

Exposition:
The Practice of Corban: Individuals were allowed to dedicate their wealth or property to the synagogue but retain all rights over the use of said wealth or property. This allowed the religious establishment the ability to increase the offering given to it. At the same time, the individual could claim that whatever resources they owned were not available to lend aid to parents in need.

What makes us unclean: The overwhelming view in the first century was that ritual cleanliness- the practice of obeying certain regulations to maintain a “clean” status before God- was godliness. However Jesus says that it is not the outward adherence to rituals which make a person clean or unclean: it is the state of our heart and how much we love God.

Central Warning: Beware Hypocrisy
We think of hypocrisy as saying one thing and doing another. The hypocrisy of the Pharisees was more sophisticated than that: their hypocrisy was having an outward show of religiousity with no real love for God.

Two Hallmarks of Hypocrisy
1. Selective Obedience: When we choose what to obey and what not to obey from God’s Word, we are not acknowledging Him as Lord or loving Him. Instead we are simply serving ourselves.
2. Shifting Blame: Hypocrisy happens when we focus on external sources as the great evil in our lives- other people, the political climate, the sinful state of the world, the state of the church leadership- rather than seeing the sin in our own hearts as the central issue.

1. Weekly Application Exercises
Take some time to evaluate the centrality of love for God in your life. How often does it occupy your thoughts and concerns in contrast to the mechanics of both your whole life and your spiritual life?
2. How has your heart changed over the course of your Christian life? Can you trace a growing love for Christ as well as a decreased presence of the sins listed in our passage this morning?

More Application Questions
1. How fastidious are you concerning purging your life of the things that offend God? Are there sins which you consider “little” or “not worth paying attention to?” Financial sins? Sins of thought? Gossipping or other sins of the tongue? Realize that all sin is a wounding of God’s heart, confess and make a concrete plan to invite God’s power into  your life to overcome even these sins.
2. In  our sermon this last Sunday it mentioned that honoring one’s father and mother was in large part taking care of them financially in their old age. Have you a plan to honor your parents in this way if somehow their resources were stretched? Would you be willing?
3. What radical commandments in Scripture do you read and come away with a feeling that they are too difficult or impractical to carry out (much like the commands concerning church discipline that we talked about in Matthew 18)? How can you take a step of faith in carrying out those difficult commands?

Hi Harvest!

Here are the notes from last week’s message as well as a couple more application questions! Hope all is well; don’t forget to register to vote so you can go to the polls this November!

GO LONG
The Gospel of Mark: Mark 6:33-56
The Incident of the Loaves
What is the lesson that the disciples have not learned? That God goes to great lengths to love and provide for His people.
Two applications
1. Jesus Goes Long: He goes to great lengths to provide for His people- despite His tiredness and the apparent lack of resources, Jesus takes the time an effort to feed the 5,000+.
2. We Need to Go Long for Others: Following Jesus’ example, we need to give until it stretches our faith because God provides for us to minister to others.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Recall at time when someone did something extraordinary for you- above and beyond what you deserved or expected. How did  that impact your life and opinion of the giver?
2. Think of someone in your life- or perhaps OUT of your life- who you could  impact in the very same way.

Additional Application Questions
1. What resource do you feel is lacking in your life? How might God be calling you to share from that resource?
2. In what ways have you seen your faith stretched in a proactive way in the recent future: where you took a step of faith by giving beyond your means in order to trust in the Lord?
3. Make a list of people who you know as in need who you can give to- if you have a hard time making that list, purpose to befriend someone who does have genuine needs.

2008 Community Election Forum- this Sunday, October 5th 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Want to know more about the candidates, judicial races and propositions from a Christian perspective? Let’s all go to the 2008 Community Election Forum at Bread of Life Church today at 1:00-3:00 PM (2780 Lomita Blvd.). Craig Huey, a Christian radio personality and renown local speaker will be the lecturer. Cry room provided. For more info or other dates and locations in the South Bay go to electionforum.org.

PS: our family is participating in this by having one spouse go and the other take care of the kids. Then afterward, we’ll sit down and discuss what was shared at the forum so that we can both be more informed with our vote! See you there? -byron.

Hi Harvest South Bay!
Hope you are all having a wonderful week. If you have a chance this weekend, take a peek into the storage room just off of the main meeting room (shall we call it the sanctuary from now on?). You’ll notice that the old, worn out, energy hogging refrigerator is on its way out and that Chris and some of the guys moved in a new (used) fridge in. YAY! Please give your appreciation to Chris and the moving team since they arranged SAME DAY pickup of this new fridge and got it up the stairs and into place. Now we can store snacks and other goodies with the confidence that they will be the appropriate, non-disease growing temperature!

Kudos to my wife, too, for arranging the donation of this fridge from a co-worker who no longer needed it. Thanks Christine!

With that, here are the notes from last week’s shortened sermon.
(Oh, and thanks for the good turnout to the congregational voting meeting.)
Byron

Harvest South Bay September 28th 2008
Wonder Why?
Great Expectations, The Gospel of Mark: Mark 6:1-6
The Condescension of the Nazarenes
They looked down on Jesus because of His
1. Profession (He was not a trained Rabbi, but simply a carpenter to them)
2. Pedigree (Their were rumors that He as illegitimate… and so they called Him the “Son of Mary” instead of the more culturally appropriate “Son of Joseph”)
3. Prominence (He was simply the same boy that they grew up with- who had brother and sisters that they knew)

Two principles to Increase our Faith
1. Submit (The Nazarenes failed to have faith because they failed to submit their idea of what a Messiah ought to be to God. We fail to submit because we say that we will obey only  under certain circumstances which is not true submission at all)
2. Wonder (The Nazarenes held no sense of wonder at the person of Jesus. We need to continue to wonder at God’s power, goodness and love in order to be motivated to obedience)

Weekly Application Exercises
1. What conditions do you place on obedience when it comes to sharing the Gospel? What internal scripts are familiar to you when you face a situation where you might be able to share with others?
2. Spend some time meditating on the attributes of God’s immensity, power and mercy. How does your daily schedule shrink your perspective on God and Jesus’ role in your life?

Additional questions and applications
1. Reflect on memorable times when God instilled a sense of wonder within you for Him. What attribute of God were you meditating on at the time? What can you do in your daily routine in order to regain a sense of wonder for God?
2. What new steps of faith can you be taking which will stretch you? God is glorified when we give from what do not have and rely on Him for provision: what resources do you find scarce and therefore something that God might want you to give (time? money? energy?…etc)
3. Spend sometime outside this week (it is NICE AND WARM) looking up at the sky. Even in light-polluted Southern California there is enough to wonder at as we look heavenward. Meditate on God’s immensity and take that experience into your week.

Hey Harvesters!
Here are the notes from last Sunday’s sermon! It’s my hope that, while many of us have been believers for a long time, that we continue to push forward with a proactive faith in God’s power and goodness!

Byron

Harvest South Bay                September 21st, 2008

Don’t Stop Believing
Great Expectations: The Gospel of Mark
Mark 5:21-43
Context and Narrative: Jesus returns to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and is greeted by crowds. Mark recounts a narrative here concerning persevering in faith in order to encourage his 1st century readers who will endure intense persecution under the reign of Nero.

Jesus’ One Lesson:
Keep On Believing: do not cease to believe in the power and goodness of God when circumstances urge you to give up, lay down, or cease being proactive.

2 Applications
1. Don’t Look Back: Do not base your expectations of God’s work solely on what He has done in the past. Jesus was known to only have power to heal, exorcise and control the weather. Here He demonstrates His power over life and death.
2. Don’t Give Up: Do not become frustrated and give up faith. Jairus was tempted to “not bother the teacher anymore.” However Jesus bade him to continue to believe in God’s goodness and strength.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. Recall a prayer request that you may have abandoned praying for or a prayer that you should be praying but have neglected. Purpose to continue to pray for that request with faith that God will answer.

2. Remember the prayers that God has answered in surprising ways: perhaps by denying a request or by changing your own heart through redirecting your desires. How does that history inform how you should continue to have faith?

More Questions to ponder!
1. What new thing would God have you do or believe in which might stretch your faith?
2. Often getting into a rut in life is a symptom of acquiescing to an onslaught of demands: we do a routine because if we break out of it we think that we will break under the strain. How might God be calling us to get out of our rut? What kind of faith would it take and what would be at risk if we lived life differently?
3. Jesus was laughed at in the exercise of His power: Jairus must have felt even deeper ridicule for continuing to bring this preacher to the bedside of the corpse of his daughter. Who’s ridicule do you fear? How does seeking the approval of others figure into the lack of the exercise of our faith?

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever…”
The loss of all of our previous content reminds me not only of the delicate nature of all that we do, but that in this world the only constants are the Lord and His Word.

It also reminds me to back up stuff, because the cloud can’t be trusted (shakes fist at imaginary cloud)…

Well, here are the notes from this week’s sermon, I’m glad that our audio files are preserved!
Byron

Fear No Evil
Harvest South Bay September 7th, 2008

Three Themes:
1. A story of Darkness: Both the setting is dark and the soul of the demonized man is dark.
2. A story of Power: The power of the demon is impressive, but the power of Jesus dominates.
3. A story of Transformation: The man is found completely transformed by Jesus.

Two reminders
1. Jesus has power over all evil: All demonic and Satanic evil as well as the evil intent in the world.
2. Jesus has purpose in allowing evil: All evil is allowed for a reason in this world in God’s greater plan.

Weekly Application Exercises
1. CS Lewis states insightfully that we either have a morbid preoccupation with evil and the demonic or an unhealthy apathy toward Satan’s dealings. Examine  how you can think and live more biblically concerning this area of spirituality.
2. Think of the difference that it would make if you were more conscious of the fact that Satan is a real power working to undermine your spirituality and godliness. How will you this challenge?

More questions for the week!
1. Think of how you would respond if someone were to come to you for help because of an alleged demonic oppression/possession. If you eventually came to witness that circumstance as being credible through many proofs, what, then would be your reaction? How would you proceed and what would your emotions be?
2. Pay attention to the circumstances that you disdain in your life- especially the ones where you feel someone has evil intent toward you. What does this say about your trust in God’s power over evil and in His plan in allowing evil to impact our lives? How can your attitude change toward those circumstances?
3. There is evil in our world and in our own personal environment. If we co-exist with that evil, we cope with it in any number of different ways: we give up on conquering that evil and tacitly admit that God has lost control, or we accept that God has a plan for that evil being in our lives, or we ignore the evil altogether and resign ourselves to simply living in a world with evil without regard to it’s source or purpose. How do we reconcile and cope with the evil that impacts us?