The Neighborhood

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” Luke 15:4

The Holy Spirit prompted Jason to go out into the neighborhood near ACS and tell people about our church and Jesus.  Jason asked me to join him.  It is interesting that the Lord laid the same thing on my heart, in same neighborhood a few years earlier. We knocked on doors inviting people to church.  We asked them if they needed prayer for anything.  We asked them about their thoughts about God. 

We met several church attenders.  Fusion was the most popular. 

One kind man was mowing 3 or 4 of his neighbor's lawns.  Mowing his neighbor’s lawns is something nice he likes to do.  After talking to us for 10 minutes he gave his life to Christ.  He asked us to pray for his daughter (an atheist) who was moving back home. 

Up the street it was encouraging to see a father and son fixing the son's broken cell phone screen.  They were working together following a YouTube video. 

We met a young man, about 20, who is out of work, smoking pot and drinking.  He lives in his mother's home which is in foreclosure.  He has attended Praise Tabernacle in the past.  I asked about the pictures on the wall.  He told us about his little brother who was killed last year by a texting driver.  He said he wants to come to Sojourn.  

We met a dad and 2 sons working on a car.  The dad and one son seemed to ignore us but the oldest son listened. 

We met a woman who is married to a policeman. She wants to attend to a church.  It is hard for her because her husband’s schedule changes every month.  She liked the 10 AM start time. That would give her time to get her 3 kids, ages 3 to 10, ready.  We may see her Sunday. 

Your perspective changes when you walk through a neighborhood, meeting and talking to people.  You see the struggles more closely.  You see the paycheck-to-paycheck existence that does not have room for home repairs.  You see family members moving into another family member’s home.  You see foreclosures and spouses away for work.  A walk through a neighborhood helps you realize how much we are surrounded by people struggling and in need. 

This is our neighborhood.  We need to soften our hearts for them.  Let’s take a little time to listen and invite them to know the God of the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

Searching for Answers

-By Laura Culleny

A few years back, I was in a discussion with a co-worker's daughter (an agnostic) about faith and world religions. She wanted to know (from a purely logical point of view) why I believed what I believe. I wanted to share my purely logical response while in the midst of GodQuest:

1. Back to the initial question of absolute truth. 

Simple example but proves the point. A perfect square in geometry is a square that has 4 matching corners and 4 equal sides. So, if I created an 8x8 square with all sides being equal and all 4 corners matching, I could say that it is a perfect square and that is absolute truth. Now someone might not agree and say it isn’t a perfect square. Ultimately, one of us has to be right and the other has to be wrong. 

To relate the same question to theology, if one person says that belief in God through Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, and another says it is not, then one has to be right and the other wrong. (For the purpose of this question, it doesn’t matter which one is right, it just matters that there is a right and a wrong answer). This means that in theology as in the rest of life, absolute truth exists. 

Since it was logical for me to believe in absolute truth, then being agnostic (which is neither believing or disbelieving there is a God) is impossible. If there is an absolute truth, then there is an absolute truth about God. 

2. Does God exist?

The answer for me came from logical reasoning. You can’t get something from nothing.

For those who believe in creationism, God created the heaven’s and the earth. For those who believe in the “Big Bang” theory, there was matter and energy at some point (no one knows from where) and about 15 Billion years ago, there was a big explosion and this matter and energy disbursed into what we now know as the galaxies. (Even scientists agree that there was a beginning to earth and it was not eternally in existence). Logically for me, you can’t get something out of nothing. So, even if I subscribed to the “Big Bang” theory, where did the matter and energy that finally exploded come from? It had to be created. Setting aside how it happened Creationism vs Big Bang, there has to be a supernatural being that created the energy and matter that formed the earth and galaxies. I say this being has to be supernatural because it had to live outside the creation to create it. 

Since the idea of a supernatural being made logical sense to me, then being an atheist did not fit. I could not believe that there wasn’t an ultimate creator (no matter how the world was created). 

3. Okay, so if there is a God, and absolute truth means that one of the religions is right, which one makes logical sense?

• Pantheistic religions (ie: Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism). 
• All of these religions believe that God and the Universe are one and are eternal. Logically (for me) if there was a creator (I call God) and God created the universe, then God is not one with the universe. God who created the universe had to come first.  As stated earlier, scientists adhere to the belief that the universe had a beginning. If so, then the universe is not eternal and if a supernatural being created it, then these 3 religions (and all the modern religions that adhere to belief that God and the universe are one and are eternal) don’t fit.  
• Christianity, Judaism, Islam. 
• All of these religions believe that there is a God who reveals himself to us and all have roots in the Old Testament scriptures. 
• Christianity believes that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and has faith that the New Testament is true. 
• Islam and Judaism do not believe in the New Testament and do not believe that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God. 
• The Old Testament does show a God who reveals himself to us. There are scriptures relating to scientific facts that were not known for thousands of years later. 
• Example:
• Isaiah speaks of  earth as a circle. 
• Job says the earth is suspended over nothing. 
• Psalms speaks of paths of the sea which were later identified as currents. 
• In Job it is understood that water was drawn up into clouds and then rain came down. 
• Genesis speaks of the inability to count the stars. Some scientists thought there was an exact number. Now it is understood that they cannot be counted. 

4. So why Christianity over the rest?

The Bible in its entirety was written over a span of 1500 years and by 40 different authors from different backgrounds and different areas. Throughout the Old Testament, there are hundreds of Messianic Prophesies that foretell the coming of a Savior. The most important are from multiple books:

• Isaiah – A son will be born to a virgin. He will be called Mighty God. Also speaks of him dying for our sins and the beatings before the crucifixion. 
• Micah – The ruler of Israel will come from Bethlehem
• Zechariah – Foretells the king riding into Jerusalem on a donkey
• Psalm 22 – Speaks of the piercing of hands and feet and casting lots for his clothes. This describes his crucifixion. Crucifixion didn’t even exist at the time this was written. 

Peter Stoner was a Mathematician and Astronomer at Pasadena City College and wrote of the odds of one man fulfilling these Messianic prophesies. Fascinating. 

• Nine authors in 27 books of the New Testament give the same accounts of Jesus. 
• The apostles were willing to be martyred because they tried to spread the word of Jesus death and resurrection. Why would they be willing to die for a lie? 
• No archeological evidence has ever disproven the Bible. 
• Mormon, Jehovah’s witness, Scientology – None are considered World Religions. All are offshoots of other religions. All were “created” by people.
• Mormon – John Smith
• Jehova’s witness – Charles Russell
• Scientology – (Science fiction writer – L. Ron Hubbard)

So: 

If I then believe all this evidence re: Christianity, I have to believe Jesus when he said “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me”. 

This is not to demean other religions in the least. It is just the logical conclusion that I have found when doing research. 

Having an Eternal Perspective

-By Jacklyn McQuarrie

This past weekend I volunteered at a young adults event in Somers Point.  A well-known speaker was sharing that night and there were 300 people, mostly young adults, in attendance.  I was touched to see that many people gathered together praising the Lord, all from different churches, all from different walks of life.

Lately God has been pressing on me the value of having an eternal perspective and how that is given us in worship.  I wanted to share with my Sojourn family what the Lord has been speaking to me.

I know some of you share my love for Christian rap and hip-hop.  The song "Hero" by Trip Lee, which I recently discovered, speaks about having an eternal perspective.  In an age of Spiderman and Batman movies, where everyone seems to be looking to something or someone else to fill them, this song lifts Jesus up as our true Hero and reminds us of His promise to return again and "rescue" us.  This song made me contemplate the greater Eternal reality that we have as Christians.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is going to return one day and take the Church to be with Him forever.  He is going to destroy our enemy, Satan, and "wipe every tear" from our eyes (Revelation 7:17).  What strikes me about myself is how I can so quickly forget the Eternal reality that God has given us in Christ.  How many of us look to other people, or our jobs, or education, to fulfill us here on earth?  To "save" us?  Even as believers, we are often guilty of taking our eyes off of the Throne and putting them on other people, on ourselves.

So why does God desire us to have an eternal perspective?

1. When we have an eternal perspective, we view God in His rightful place, as the Lord Who holds ALL things in His hands, and has already guaranteed us a home in Heaven with Him. When we realize that He has accomplished it all, we are able to relax and release any feelings of false guilt or condemnation that we may have because He has finished the work for us.  We live in light of His return and make the "most of every opportunity" (Colossians 4:5).

2.  When we have an eternal perspective, we view ourselves and the world in their rightful place.  We realize that Jesus is the only One Who can truly fulfill all our needs.  This allows us to truly enjoy the world He has given us in the way He intended it to work - He is first, then all else falls into place.  We do not expect other people or things to fill the need that God is already filling in our hearts, and that only He can meet.

3.  When we live with Eternity in mind, we treat our fellow brothers and sisters in light of the fact that we have the same eternal Home, share the same Father and are part of the same Family.

4.  When we live in light of our eternal Home, we share our faith with those around us because we want them to know and live forever with Him too.

5.  And finally, having an eternal perspective enables us to "cast all our burdens on Him" because we know that in the end, He will make all things right (Rev. 21:4).  When we have an eternal perspective, we live in the truth that He holds all things in His hands and is sovereign to work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28).  And we are able to rest, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

I think that's what God intends worship to be for - to give us a picture of what our Heavenly Home will be like.  To give us just a taste of the satisfaction and fulfillment that we will experience in completion when we are in His presence.  To get our perspective on Him and off of us.  To give us His point of view over our own.

I hope this post brought you just a little bit closer to our Eternal reality as followers of Jesus.

Reframing Communication

By Sean Griffith
"Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" A phrase made famous by the late Gary Coleman in his role as Arnold Jackson in the 80‘s TV hit Different Strokes.  Little Arnold would say this phrase every time he didn’t understand what his older 

brother Willis was trying to communicate.  Willis would then have to reframe his communication in order to be more clear.  Recently, I’ve had some of you give me the Arnold look and say, “Whatchu talking about Pastor Sean?” when I presented the “picture frame challenge”.  In case you missed this presentation, I placed on tables 50 picture frames with silhouettes in them and a question mark at the center.  They were designed to be a physical reminder that we have all been called to be missionaries to someone.  The question mark was meant to cause us to ask, “Who has God called me to reach?”

Jesus said, "Peace be with you. As the father has sent Me, I am sending you."

Missionary means “sent one”. A wonderful reality to all of us who follow Christ. The focus on being missionaries in our communities is a challenge for all of us to look at the harvest and ask God how He would use us.  This does not mean that we are just trying to fill seats at Sojourn.  Rather, it means we are simply fulfilling the Great Commission by living among those who do not know the Lord, listening to their stories and loving them while we share our story.  This is not a race or a quota, rather it is a lifestyle of being “intentional” about how we live our lives.  We need to create space to invite those outside the church to be part of our world.  Jesus was a friend of sinners and many of us have come to Christ because someone else was willing to be our friend and share the good news of Jesus Christ in a way we could understand it and see it.  

Why the Challenge?  

As we continue to grow, it can be natural to focus on ourselves.  We enjoy being with each other, encouraging and loving one another.   This is one of the things that makes Sojourn so wonderful; however, it should always be balanced with the mission of God to go into the world with the redeeming message of Jesus! 

If you are already doing this, praise God. Keep it up! Let us know what you are learning and how you see God at work!  For the rest of us, I encourage us to pray and ask God for wisdom on how we can make space, or invite others into our space for the sake of the gospel.  FYI, you don’t have to move in with your neighbors, but maybe a first step is to meet your neighbor if you haven’t already. 

This Is Your Home

By: Thom Perkins

Some folks are coming to your home this week for a visit!   How will you treat them?   Will you welcome them, let them know you are glad they came by, offer them a drink or perhaps something to eat (especially if you are Italian!), ask them how they are doing?


Or, will you pretend that you do not notice they are there, yet somehow hope they will return again for another visit?

To most of us, Sojourn is our HOME.    When someone new comes into our gathering, do we make them feel welcome in our home?

Jesus said that in the last days "the love of many will grow cold." (Matt 24:12)   I pray this could never be said of Sojourn as a body! Rather, that we would be the hands and feet of Jesus, and all who God brings into our midst would sense the genuine love of Jesus through each one of us!

I would like to offer you a challenge--Each Sunday, reach out to ONE person you have not talked to before and see if God does not use you to BLESS that person...and you will receive a blessing as well!

Remember, THIS IS YOUR HOME (these will be our code words on Sundays)!

People Ready to Be Redeemed

By: Sean Griffith


Dear fellow Sojourners,

As you may have noticed, there is a renewed energy in our church community for reaching people ready to be redeemed.  I like that title as it speaks of such hope and victory!  I know that if we are willing, there are many people in our communities ready to be redeemed by Jesus Christ! Below I’ve listed some possibilities. 

THREE OPPORTUNITIES 

First, my prayer is that most people would come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through our natural relationships.  These are people we naturally come into contact with in our daily lives.  We’ve already established a friendly relationship and who better to share the gospel with them than us! Let us open our eyes to the harvest.

Second, we will be taking a special collection each week for three more weeks.  These funds will be used directly for evangelistic purposes in order to help people begin their relationship with Jesus Christ (B2).  We have $56 thus far from last week.  Next, we are asking you to come up with some unique ideas for sharing Jesus with others. Think out of the box!  We will use these funds to help support the different ministry ideas that spring up over the next month. 

Third, soon after I return I will be creating a B2 ministry team.  The B2 team will create meaningful ways of helping people begin their walk with Jesus in our upcoming musical production, The Music Man (show details forthcoming).  This may come through a variety of ways and opportunities.  I am very excited about this team!!  NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! I am looking at having our first meeting on Tuesday, February 21st at 7pm. This will be held either at my home or at the Bethel school campus where we will be having rehearsals. 

If the Lord is stirring any of you in these areas please let me know by emailing me at called2go@gmail.com (I’ll check email while I’m traveling), or touch base with me as soon as I return on February 11th.  Actually, wait until the 12th due to jet lag (smile).  

Serving Together,

Sean Griffith

Manly Minute - December 1st

NO SELF-LOATHING ALLOWED

by Sean Griffith

One of my most cherished Christmas memories could have been my worst.  I was a young adult living in North Carolina and spending Christmas ALONE.  This was a perfect opportunity for self-loathing.  It didn’t seem fair that everyone else was home with families, singing Christmas carols in front of an elaborately decorated Christmas tree, being warmed by the roaring fire as their taste buds danced with glee to the flavor of mom’s special eggnog (that’s how it played in my mind anyway).  

Rather than spend the day staring at a scarcely decorated Charlie Brown Christmas tree, I decided to buy gifts for the families at my current employment.   Many of them were barely making it financially and I knew the gifts would be most welcomed.  I had an absolute blast visiting the families and sharing the love of Christ through simple gifts, and sharing the significance of Christmas.  I will most likely forget many of the great gifts I have received through the years, but I’ll never forget that memory!  

No matter where you find yourselves financially or relationally this year, keep your eyes out for opportunities to bless others and as you do so, you might be surprised how much you are blessed in return!  

Phil 2:1-4

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.