It Came from Within!

If a monster was freely roaming, destroying and terrorizing our city streets, you’d probably want the city to do everything in their power to stop it, right? This morning, Gregg introduced us to some real-life monsters that we’re not always so aggressive in eradicating from our life. These are monsters that seek to invade our hearts.

While we learn from an early age how to monitor our behavior and filter our words and our actions in order to make life work, it’s not enough to monitor our behavior; we have to learn the art of monitoring our heart.

That’s why Solomon, the wisest man to ever walk the earth, said this:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

Above all else…before you do anything, do this one thing because everything in life emanates from your heart—your words, your thoughts, your actions and your relationships.

You guard your heart by watching what goes in and keeping an eye on what comes out. How’s your heart? Don’t be afraid of the monsters. God has given you specific weapons to fight and defeat them.

It’s going to be a great series. You won’t want to miss it. 

Three C's-Connection

At the beginning of the year, Gregg took some time to expound on three of Grace Honolulu’s core values— we’re calling them the three C’s. Since I’ve been lagging in my blogs, it looks like I kept you hanging for over a month to reveal the third “C”.

Well, here is it: connection. Connection is experienced when we’re devoted to loving God’s people and growing through relationship with others. Two of the main ways we do this in the church is through participating in a small group and serving on a ministry team.

How are your relationships in the body of Christ? Are you getting connected with other believers by sharing your life with them in a small group? Are you a part of something bigger than yourself and your own schedule through serving on a ministry team?

As Christ-followers, these are three important groups of relationships for us to have in our life if we’re going to partner with God in becoming all that He’s created and called us to do.

Christ—being devoted to loving Jesus and experiencing relationship with a living God.

Community—being devoted to loving people and influencing our culture by following Jesus into the places where we live, work and do life.

Connection—being devoted to loving God's people and growing through relationship with others in small groups and serving with a team.

Tsunami Adventure

Finally, we are home safe and sound. After watching the news from Japan about the earthquake and tsunami they experienced, we’re so thankful and grateful to God for watching over and protecting Hawaii. Please continue to pray for the people of Japan. What a devastating series of events and long road to recovery they have ahead of them.

My minivan conveniently broke down Wednesday evening and was still in the repair shop when the tsunami warnings went off last night. Having no other alternative, we crammed all seven of us—and the dog—into Gregg’s tiny car. It was already past 10pm, when we left our home in search of higher ground.

After stopping at Wal-Mart for emergency supplies (Oreos, beef jerky, Cheezits, Spaghetti O’s and a toothbrush), we pulled up to our friend’s house around midnight. 

Thanks to our dear friends, Darrin and Jo, for opening up their home to seven stranded people, their dog and all of the stuff each person brought because they were determined they could never live without it.