Interview with Michael Mata: Addressing Homelessness in LA

Michael Mata has been deeply involved in the policy and grassroots efforts to improve LA for several decades, so I wanted to get his perspective on the large number of homeless individuals in the city. The problem has been around for years, but I’ve struggled to understand why it persists. What has been tried? What isn’t working, and why?“LA has the least affordable housing in the U.S.,” said Mata. “We are not the most expensive, but our wages haven’t kept up. We are also the most densely populated in the United States. And we simply don’t have enough housing.”He explained that the idea of a single room occupancy rental has gone by the wayside. People don’t have a place to start off, paying only a small rate for one room while they work their way up. Because of this, there is not enough starter housing so the alternate option is the street.According to Mata, this is an issue because “the longer you stay on the street, it really affects what you do. It is no longer about moving up. It is about survival.”In the past, Mata was a part of a blue-ribbon commission on homelessness, along with several other religious leaders. They laid out a plan to tackle the lack of housing, but it was not acted upon. Now, a lot of money is coming in to address these issues, and they are trying to make a dent in getting people housed. However, until housing production picks up, as Mata puts it, “we’re really in a tough place.”So what can the Church do, aside from task forces? What are the grassroots means available to meet these needs?“A lot of us have already been doing it. We are speaking to the choir, literally,” said Mata.Many churches, including Mata’s Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene, are currently serving multiple meals each week, they have nurses available to serve those in need, and so much more.Mata said that in LA, the churches have a lot of underutilized property. The question is, what can be done to fully utilize those resources? Can they be used for shelters? Affordable housing?The LA Homeless Services Authority has recently come to many of these churches, recognizing what they are already doing to meet needs, stating they are willing to provide additional funding for them to scale. However, that funding often comes with safety requirements and insurance riders that require more resources than these mostly small to mid-size churches can handle.“Not all of these churches have the capacity to respond to that offer,” said Mata.One such church in LA has more than 90,000 square feet of unused classroom space, but the money and resources it would require to rehab it and meet the necessary stipulations make it impossible to execute. And this is a common theme for many churches.I asked him what happens in the meantime. Mata replied that slowly additional housing is being built and churches continue to respond in ways they are called to respond, improvising until more permanent solutions can be found.

Interview with Michael Mata: A Holistic View of The Church’s Mission

It is easy to see the problems that persist throughout LA, much like every other urban center in the U.S. What is lesser-known, however, are the key players working day in and day out to renew the city and address those problems head-on. Michael Mata, a Community Impact Strategist, is one such player who offers unique insights into the homelessness problem in LA.

Mata has been involved in urban planning, policy, and community development movements throughout LA for several decades and had a major hand in the restoration of Koreatown in the days following the LA riots. These days Mata is still deeply committed to community transformation, Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene being his home base. The denomination found its start at this same church in 1895, out of a concern for the well-being of those on the margins of society. And in keeping with his heritage, Mata’s life work has been about the very same.

Fresh out of seminary, Mata began working with youth, but he would soon find his theological education hadn’t prepared him fully for what he would experience in Central LA.

“Young people didn’t see any value in the church,” Mata said. “We began to develop trusting relationships [with the youth in the neighborhood], engaging them and, I would say, making God real for them.”

Mata mentioned that while those youth were genuinely thankful for being introduced to a saving faith in Jesus, they also needed to address daily concerns like how to get jobs and keep them, how to overcome some of their backgrounds, and what to do about those with records.

“I didn’t have the prescription on my glasses to see that God was interested in their whole being, not just their soul,” said Mata.

He began to realize that he needed to think more broadly about what the mission of the Church should be.

“The majority of the world now lives in urban centers,” said Mata. However, there’s no Christian organization or educational institution that actually prepares people in developing inclusive, life-giving urban environments, and that affects us all.”

He sought to gain an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving, so he accepted an invitation to study urban planning at Berkeley.

Because of Mata’s expertise and hands-on experience in community development, Mata has been invited to participate in several interfaith task forces. Currently, he serves on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Interfaith Collective, which focuses largely on jobs, homelessness, and immigration.

The Future of Cities

On June 13, I attended the Mayor’s Forum, “The Future of Cities,” sponsored by the Los Angeles Headquarters Association at the California Club in Downtown L.A. The speaker’s panel consisted of three mayors from the greater Los Angeles area—Gleam Davis of Santa Monica, Terry Tornek of Pasadena, and Meghan Sahli-Wells of Culver City. In attendance were builders and developers who came to hear the mayors’ visions for their respective cities. The mayors of these three relatively affluent cities shared several issues in common, including the need to create affordable housing and address homelessness.

Davis shared a particularly compelling vision, in which she said that Santa Monica is working toward becoming a “sustainable city of well-being.” For Davis and the other mayors, this vision of a city of well-being is a livable, sustainable environment in which people of all walks of life can thrive. While this was a secular event, her statement brought Jeremiah 29:7 to mind, “Seek the welfare of the city…” Hearing the tangible needs of these cities gave me pause to consider how churches in the greater L.A. area can work together towards the well-being of the city.

One of the recurring issues that all three mayors are facing is homelessness. Meghan Sahli-Wells, mayor of Culver City, characterized homelessness as a “humanitarian crisis.” In an affluent city, Wells argued, it was not fair to build wealth for a few while leaving others behind. In Pasadena, Mayor Terry Tornek took an informal door-to-door poll of his constituents and the most important issue was homelessness. While the mayors brought the issue of homelessness to light, they seemed to offer few tangible solutions to helping these most impoverished people in their cities. More recently, in the Los Angeles Times, there was an article discussing how local officials are planning on using a $1.2-billion bond measure to combat homelessness, along with extra monies from the state government. Among the plans for the funds include the construction of affordable housing units and conservatorships for mentally ill homeless persons.

Even as I walked back to the Metro Station, I was made very aware of the reality of the growing homeless population in downtown L.A. It made me wonder how we as the church might partner with our cities in addressing the needs of the homeless among us. Are our churches turning a blind eye to those in our community who have the greatest need? Or are we encouraging our congregations to volunteer at a local shelter, or to operate a soup kitchen in our own facilities? Some things to prayerfully consider.

God Moving In Los Angeles: A Conversation Worth Having

In what began as a conversation about the movement of God in the City of Angels a few years ago in the form of a three-day conference continued last summer in a panel discussion with four pastors from four corners of the county. And in light of all that's transpired over the last three years, with God still on the throne, it's important to continue that conversation.BY ALEX MURASHKOLos Angeles, like other major cities in the U.S., has become an even greater flash point for communal voices meeting in such places as City Hall to display a viral sort of anger that has escalated to unprecedented heights. A physical statement at ground zero for all demonstrations (protest and celebratory) doesn't even scratch the surface of the dangerous vitriol taking place online through media of all sorts.That's why we felt it important to republish parts of the discussion from the summer of 2017 with links to other related stories at TLA below.Is there hope for the City of Angels even though it often appears so broken, so filled with spiritual poverty among its people that a diagnosis may very well be — beyond repair? The answer as expressed by the four pastors that met at Metropolis Santa Monica was a resounding: “Yes, there is hope!”The pastors on the panel were Steve Snook of Santa Monica, Michael Mata of Koreatown, Cedric Nelms of Long Beach, and Brannin Pitre of Pasadena, all sharing their heart for the city they not only minister to but reside in.Michael Mata, director of the transformational urban leadership program at Azusa Pacific Seminary and a Together LA speaker, is an experienced urban planner and pastor. He has spent over 30 years in leading and equipping others in urban transformation through the creation of community and church-based programs. His work has focused on community transformation, youth leadership development, public health, intercultural outreach, and multiethnic ministry. Mata serves as community transformation specialist for Compassion Creates Change, Inc., and was the director of Tools for Transformation for World Vision’s U.S. programs.Mata lives in and loves his neighborhood — Koreatown.“Even though it’s called Koreatown, 70 percent of the people are not Asian,” Mata told TLA. “Even with this great vitality of humanity it’s broken in that we don’t have the interaction as we should.“We live in close proximity to each other, almost 200,000 people within two-and-a-half square miles, and we bump into each other and we eat in the same places and we hear each other’s music but we’re not necessarily connected. Rarely do we actually know the name of our neighbors — actually I do, but many people don’t.“[Residents] live in high rises, in homes they’ve invested in, they live with multiple families or extended families, and they are struggling to survive because even though there’s a sense of great economic energy there, the per capita is one of the lowest in L.A. County.”

Immigrants and young professionals consumed with ‘making it’

“So, you have a population that’s come to the United States who are contributing and being very productive but it seems their lives are consumed with ‘making it,’ maybe not so much becoming affluent, but certainly surviving,” Mata explained. “In that regard, we need spaces, we need a way to come together. Certainly in 1992, when our community was the second flashpoint in the riots, our community did come together.”Churches in the area and various religious institutions gathered together, he said, and asked “How are we going to rebuild together?”Within less than a year, Koreatown did rebuild, he said.The infusion of energy and “new life and looking for the future” gave way to a retreat of sorts.“We all went back to our regular spaces of work, relationships, and of cultural identity,” Mata said. “So those spaces or that bridge are sorely lacking and that’s where I think the faith community can come in.“We have great historic sanctuaries in K-town. Beautiful French-Gothic structures, some of them thousands of square feet, but on Sunday mornings they are pretty empty because the populations that once populated the pews are no longer living in the area. We have a new influx of not just immigrant people but young professionals and some churches are being more successful at that.“But that’s the space where God calls us to be reconcilers,” he adds. “We need to step up as a faith community to be that person, or that facility, or that body that brings people together and helps us to know one another even though we may not have the same beliefs or traditions. Nonetheless, we are living in the same space so why not move beyond just residing to becoming members or members of a community becoming neighbors to one another.”In talking about Pasadena, Pitre said, “We have a context in which we are divided racially. We’re divided economically. We are divided by educational bounds. We’re divided by political bounds. There’s just a great sense that at any given block in the city of Pasadena you’ll find somebody that’s completely different and aligned differently from you, which can cause a great sense of brokenness.“My joy in that is that it also provides an endless sense of opportunity.”Videos and photos by One Ten Pictures.Read Pitre’s discussion about how the Together LA conference, held more than three years ago, happened in a two part series at the Christian Post here: Interview Church Planter Brannin Pitre: Los Angeles Is on the ‘Cusp’ of a New Mov’t; How Tim Keller’s Church Supported Vision LA (Pt. 1) and here: ‘Together LA’ Organizers: There’s More to Loving a City Than Planting Churches (Pt. 2)We’d love to hear from you! Please join the conversation in the Comments section below. Thank you!>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<< 4 Pastors Get Real About the City – Together LA Pop-Up Part 1 (Michael Mata)Urban Church Planter: First, What Does the City Need? Part 2 (Cedric Nelms)‘Beautiful’ Westside Striken with Spiritual Poverty a Unified Church Can Cure – Part 3 (Steve Snook)LA Pastors’ Bottom Line: We Want to Help the City That We Live In – FINAL (Brannin Pitre)

North American Mission Board: Pray For Church Planters

A church planting core team is essential to the success of a church plant. These faithful servants often work full-time vocational jobs and work alongside the church planter to help execute his vision for this exciting new work.By North American Mission BoardHere are some ways you can pray for a church plant’s core team:1. Pray that they would be disciple-makers. The call to make disciples is for all believers, but it is especially essential that the core team of a church plant takes this mandate seriously. Pray for them as they navigate relationships and lead others toward a relationship with Christ.2. Pray for a sense of ownership and purpose. It is vital that the core team understands the vision of the church planter to truly take ownership of his or her role. Pray that they would have clarity to best understand their purpose in this kingdom work.3. Pray for unity among the core team. Satan often looks for ways to tear down churches starting with the leadership. Pray for these leaders to set aside pride and preference. Pray that they would seek to encourage each other as they pursue the task ahead.

Los Angeles

Known as the “City of Angels,” Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States. The metropolitan area has a population of about 20 million people, and there are roughly 400 people groups represented by culture, ethnicity and language. Home to Hollywood and some of the most influential men and women in the world, L.A. is consistently in the global spotlight. This a city of impact, and the Church is desperately needed among the number.Explore Los Angeles63 CHURCH PLANTS IN YOUR AREA145 NAMB CHURCH PARTNERSOn the Webhttps://www.namb.net/pray/

Pastors Need Non-Christian Friends

I have a confession to make. The longer I worked in ministry, the fewer people I led to Christ. Actually, it happened somewhat quickly. I started spending all my time with Christians.BY ANDREW ALESSOAt one point I couldn’t identify any real friends that were in my life who didn’t go to church.Preaching was still a fruitful evangelistic activity for me, but I didn’t like who I had become. I couldn’t even preach with true conviction and empathy about evangelistic disciple making because I wasn’t doing it.I think my preaching became less relatable to the unchurched over time.The truth was that my life in the Christian bubble was a choice to live in sin. And when I moved into a role that required me to preach less often, the weight of this unconfessed guilt wreaked havoc on my soul. For a season, I wasn’t very fun to be around and I didn’t fully love ministry any more. It was no one’s fault but my own.So, when we started Thrive LA Church I just wanted to begin by being friends with as many non-Christians as possible.I wanted to unashamedly invite others to follow Jesus in the context of unconditional friendship. I coached basketball at the park. I started a secular book club on MeetUp and eventually became a city organizer for them. I started inviting the people I met into my life for meals and board games. I wouldn’t say I’ve been awesome at it, but I’ve invited my own friends to church and I’ve been re-acquainted with the joy of praying with friends to accept Christ.I feel like I’m living in obedience to God for the first time in a long time.Here’s the beauty of the vision, but also the challenge: When I do those things I’m not being a pastor, I’m just being a Christian. Ephesians 4 tells us the job of church leaders: To equip the saints for the work of ministry. God calls pastors to mentor a whole church of evangelistic disciple-makers.These two callings go together. You can’t give away something you don’t have. Spending half my time in the community and the other half training leaders to do the same has been the most fulfilling season of ministry in my entire life.But it takes time to lead someone from skeptic to follower of Christ, and from follower of Christ to ministry leader and evangelist.I realize now that I didn’t spend enough time at the beginning recruiting Christians to our team who were already trained and committed to personal outreach.As I manage the growing demands of our church I can feel my commitment to personal evangelism slipping away. I’m in a new season that involves preaching every week, facilitating our leadership pipeline, meeting for weekly discipleship conversations, planning outreach festivals, etc. I feel the strain of more responsibility and relationships than I have time to develop. I need to share the load in our church with mature believers to continue living a full Christian life.I have to do what it takes to keep modeling the mission as I lead our church.Friend, are you a disciple that makes disciples? Are you living in obedience to the great commission? Can you name the people you are leading to Christ and the people you are imparting this lifestyle?You can’t give away something you don’t have, but I can tell you, it’s worth finding.

God To Legalists: 'You don’t love me or each other as you did at first'

Sadly, there are evangelical Christian churches that have good doctrine and are passionate about evangelism, but fall into overbearing legalism. This results in a church culture that is rigid, strict, and lacking in grace, patience, and tolerance. The end result is that they become like the Ephesus church in Revelation 2:1-7.BY STEVE CHA PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVEEditor’s Note: This article is the last of a two-part series on “Is Your Church Guilty of Legalism?” Part one can be read here.

The Message to the Church in Ephesus“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.”

The Apostle Paul teaches that the church will be full of people with different convictions on "silent issues" or gray areas. No Christian is to judge or exclude others - whether they be the weaker or stronger brethren - because he or she has differing beliefs and understandings of non-moral or undisclosed issues in the Bible.In other words, these silent issues must be left to the individual conscience. If the Christian is wrong and he does things in a way that causes others to stumble, then he will give an account to God at the Bema Seat Judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). We can encourage, pray for, or give a reason for why we believe differently on these issues, but to say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," on those issues and play judge by peer pressuring, excluding, getting upset at, or church discipling another believer is something that Scripture forbids. This is especially true if the Christian's activities do not cause others to stumble and if done with no malicious intentions. These practices include watching certain movies, listening to certain music, drinking a glass of wine every now and then, maintaining social media, length of a courtship, boy/girl interactions within the church, holiday celebrations, eating certain foods, etc.With that said, true legalism is manifested in three ways.1. Legalism to gain salvation: This is the most severest form of legalism that is found in most every religion in the world. It teaches that people need to keep God's law and some high standard of conduct and rituals in order to gain eternal life. People need to earn their way into heaven by living a good life. This is a heretical teaching and the kind of legalism that Jesus constantly rebuked when challenging the Pharisees. It adds an extra-biblical expectation to God's way of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Works are upheld as necessary for salvation because faith itself is not sufficient, according to people in this category.In Matthew 23:15, Jesus says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." Moreover, Paul teaches in Romans 3:28, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 also affirms the validity of salvation by faith apart from works of the Law. The gospel teaches that man is saved by faith in Christ, a salvation which cannot be added or taken away by personal merit. Those who teach otherwise teach a works-based salvation. This is seen in many "Christian" cults around the world that do not affirm the doctrines of grace.2. Legalism to maintain salvation: Believers are taught to keep the Law of God diligently in order to maintain a right standing with God, which can be forfeited by a lack of obedience. This is another heretical teaching that contradicts the gospel message, especially as it relates to justification by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." No person can work to maintain his salvation by following a set of laws, because if that were the case, people would lose their salvation already.Romans 3:10 testifies to the depravity of us all and shows us our inability to keep the law to gain or to maintain salvation. James 2:10 also teaches us concerning the perfection of the law, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." Christians live out the law of God as an act of worship to God, not as a means to maintain eternal life. When done with the wrong motives, works become meaningless. That is the point behind the judgment of the false converts in Matthew 7:21-23, when Jesus condemns so-called Christians who boasted in their achievements. It is not because works are bad, but that they were falsely trusted in rather than in the gospel.3. Legalism to testify of salvation: Believers are taught to follow extra-biblical commandments and traditions in order to uphold a holy way of life, sometimes going so far as condemning believers who do not follow these rules. When Christians do not abide by these rules, they are peer pressured, criticized, or excluded from fellowship. They are judged as disobedient, unholy, and sometimes unfit for membership at the local church. This category of legalism is displeasing to the Lord because it is overbearing and often times judgmental. This is the kind of legalism you will see in hyper-fundamentalist churches or churches that place heavy emphasis on social or cultural traditions.The principle is most clearly expressed in Romans 14:1-12. It teaches, "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgments on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God, and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God..."Legalism can occur on the leadership level in how they govern and create the social structure of the church, or on the layperson level in how one believer treats another. In any case, Christians are called to be dogmatic on biblical commandments, but not on preferences. Commandments are those statutes that are given to us in Scripture which we are called to follow, and if we do not, it constitutes sin and can be the basis for church discipline (Matthew 18:15-20).However, wisdom issues and preferences do not necessarily constitute sin, and God is the ultimate judge on those issues of personal conscience and convictions.When the church elevates those wisdom issues and preferences to the level of commandment in that they judge by getting upset at, condemning, or casting people out of positions in the church, then the church becomes legalistic, and is guilty of lording it over the flock (1 Peter 5:3).Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of Grace City LA.READ MORE FROM STEVE CHA

The Book of Acts: The Never-Ending Story

Preaching the kingdom and teaching Jesus Christ is the perpetual purpose and calling of the Church, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa states in its post about Pastor Brian Brodersen's message titled, "Book of Acts:The Never-Ending Story."Taken from Acts 28, Brodersen gives his teaching in the final session of his Acts series. Watch and listen to his message below.

He shares that the book of Acts doesn’t have much of an ending. This is undoubtedly intentional because the work of the Holy Spirit that began on the Day of Pentecost continued long after the original apostles were gone. It is continuing today and will continue until the kingdom of God comes.

Learn more about CCCM's lead pastor, Brian Brodersen below, as published on the church's website.Pastor Brian Brodersen grew up in Southern California. He became a Christian at age 22 and began attending Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, pastored by Chuck Smith. He met his wife, Cheryl, the youngest daughter of Pastor Chuck and Kay Smith, at a Bible study in Huntington Harbor. They were married on May 23, 1980, and have four grown children, four grandsons, and one granddaughter.Brian served in youth ministry and taught Bible studies. Then he and Cheryl moved to Vista, California, in 1983, where he assumed the pastorate of Calvary Chapel Vista. During those years, he began traveling overseas, initially to Yugoslavia and Hungary, and this led to Calvary Chapel’s outreach to Eastern Europe. Many young men and women were sent out from California in those early days of ministry as pastors and missionaries, and currently there are numerous churches, Bible colleges, and retreat centers all over Western and Eastern Europe.In 1996, the Brodersen family moved to London, England, to plant Calvary Chapel Westminster. The church began small, but God blessed the ministry, and thankfully there are now dozens of affiliated Calvary Chapel churches throughout Great Britain.In the year 2000, at the request of Pastor Chuck, the family returned to California to transition into the pastorate of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Brian began ministering alongside Pastor Chuck, as well as traveling and teaching at many conferences both nationally and internationally. Pastor Brian was elected to serve as the senior pastor in October 2013.Brian is known for his clear and challenging exposition of the Scriptures and can be heard daily on his Bible-teaching program, Back to Basics.Favorite verse: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Is Your Church Guilty of Legalism?

Throughout history, there have been churches that were licentious and loose, but there have also been churches run rampant with legalism.BY STEVE CHA PASTOR'S PERSPECTIVEEditor's Note: This article is part one of two on "Is Your Church Guilty of Legalism?" Part two can be read here.It is true to this day, for legalism isn't a practice that was restricted only to the confines of the 1st century Phariseeism that Jesus confronted in His day. Legalism thrives in churches around the world and is damaging to the Christian faith.If you are a Christian, you've probably heard that term before? What exactly is legalism?Legalism is simply the adding and enforcing of extra-biblical laws or expectations for salvation and/or godly living. Whereas licentiousness is the abuse of God's Law by doing away with its practice, legalism is the abuse of God's Law whereby a form of holiness is forced or manipulated into the life of a believer through a standard that the Bible does not explicitly endorse. Issues that are not condemned or spoken against in the Bible are considered "gray areas," "liberty practices," "wisdom issues," or cultural and social "traditions." If it is not spoken of as sin in the Bible, it falls into one of the four categories above, and is left to the individual's conscience and motives when practicing these things. Legalism puts into law matters that are considered freedom or traditions and treats it as it were sin, and sometimes going so far as church disciplining those who do not abide by that standard.Before outlining what legalism is, it is important for us to know what legalism is not. Legalism is not diligently obeying the word of God, especially in wanting to live a life that is pleasing onto God. Scripture commands us to obey the Lord and to strive to be holy in keeping with our identity as children of God (John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:15). A Christian who reads the Bible everyday, keeps his speech clean, guards his conscience, attends church every Sunday, and does weekly evangelism does not fall under legalism. It is gospel-centered obedience. Some have criticized devoted Christian living as a means to justify their disobedient and rebellious lifestyle.Legalism is also not a social way of life. It is not looking at a Christian and disagreeing with his style of clothes or music. Legalism does not equate to a conservative way of life. When a Christian forces or disciplines another for his social or preferential way of life, that is legalism. But to simply have your own likes and inclinations - no matter how conservative or foreign it is - is not legalism.With that said, true legalism is manifested in three ways: 1. Legalism to gain salvation; 2. Legalism to maintain salvation; and 3. Legalism to testify of salvation.We'll take a closer look at these three main manifestations of legalism more in Part Two of Is Your Church Guilty of Legalism?Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of Grace City LA.READ MORE FROM STEVE CHA

Have Christians Lost Their Credibility? TLA Stories of the Week

Today, while doing TLA Stories of the Week (below) I realized that we should talk more often about how us Christians (as a whole and as individuals) are perceived. Another words, let's talk credibility.Sure, it's not healthy to focus too much on what other people think of us, but like a football coach showing game films (video) of Sunday's game on Monday to his team, the practice of reviewing an analyzing can be very helpful.So, where do we start?Let's start by taking a look at an article recently published at TogetherLA: The Shocking Reasons Christians Have Lost Credibility in Today’s Culture.So, have we lost our credibility?Is it our job to change the culture? Is changing the culture part of the Great Commission? Why or why not?Will deepening our prayer life "do the trick?"Will showing up at church make a difference?How about reading the Bible? Will that help change culture?As stated in the article, LifeWay Research found that 40% of churchgoing Christians read the Bible “once a month, rarely or never.” That means when it comes to the primary book informing us about the God of the universe, His remarkable and unfolding plan for our lives, and our eternal destiny, Christians think so little of it that we read it only when it’s convenient. Maybe it’s time we rediscovered the power of God’s Word.How about politics? Can we change culture through our politics?The authors of The Way Back say we need to be careful with politics. "Vote, join a party, run for office. But keep the Church above the process. Think about it – the country is pretty evenly divided between parties, so when we drag the gospel into party politics, we’ve immediately alienated half of the country. How does that help the cause of Christ?"It is the cause of Christ we are talking about here.Perhaps we start by caring what Jesus Christ cares about.Let's have this conversation! Please leave comments below.

The Shocking Reasons Christians Have Lost Credibility in Today’s Culture

We’d like to say we were shocked, but the truth is, we were expecting the criticism. My friend and marketing expert Jonathan Bock and I were asking people on the street what they thought about “Christians.”BY PHIL COOKE AND JONATHAN BOCKThe response? Hypocritical, judgmental, harsh, phony, insensitive, bigoted, and exclusive. Not exactly the “Fruit of the Spirit” the Bible describes as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.That disconnect — the difference between what the Bible says we should be known for, and how those outside the Christian community actually describe us launched our new book project, The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility And How We Get It Back.We began the book thinking it was a marketing problem. After all, we’re media and marketing experts and know the power of a great marketing campaign. But when we examined the research from major organizations like Gallup, Barna, Pew, Lifeway, and others it didn’t take long to realize that we’re not living the kind of lives that would make anyone want to become like us.To put it simply, we don’t have a marketing problem, we have a salesforce problem. Study after study reveals American Christians simply don’t believe in our product anymore. Can we turn it around? We believe we can, but not until we get serious about living the kind of life that astonishes the surrounding world. Remember in the gospels how people were “astonished” at the message of Jesus? But 2,000 years later, how many people are astonished at our message or our lives today?If you’re serious about changing the direction of the culture, here are eight good places to start:1) Deepen Your Prayer Life - Research indicates that 37% of Christians don't even think prayer is essential. That’s more than a third of American Christians! Our connection with God is rapidly being snuffed out, and we wonder why we’re losing our momentum.2) Start Showing Up - The Hartford Institute of Religion found on a typical Sunday, only 20% of Christians show up at a church at all - which means 80% of American Christians aren't. Over and over the New Testament calls us into a fellowship of believers. You can’t do that in your bedroom, so let’s get up and experience the power of joining together in worship.3) Read Your Bible - LifeWay Research found that 40% of churchgoing Christians read the Bible "once a month, rarely or never." That means when it comes to the primary book informing us about the God of the universe, His remarkable and unfolding plan for our lives, and our eternal destiny, Christians think so little of it that we read it only when it's convenient. Maybe it’s time we rediscovered the power of God’s Word.4) Get Serious about Giving - Only 10% of churchgoers give 10% or more of their income. Think of all the Christian work that never happens because we refuse to support it financially.5) Become a Better Neighbor - Our friend and evangelist J John says, “You want to be a missionary? Great. Go next-door.” Who’s life could you impact on your own street or at your office? Don’t worry about changing the world until you change your neighborhood.6) Be Careful with Politics - Vote, join a party, run for office. But keep the Church above the process. Think about it - the country is pretty evenly divided between parties, so when we drag the gospel into party politics, we’ve immediately alienated half of the country. How does that help the cause of Christ?7) Be an Example With Your Own Family - Right now, the greatest hot-button issues in culture are about sex, gender, and marriage. What kind of impact could we make if Christians became known as the one group who are willing to go the distance to have amazing families? Being a powerful example would have far more impact than criticizing other people’s choices.8) Do It All With Joy - The greatest key to reflecting the fruit of the Spirit is that you never actually have to “witness” to people. Trust us, when you’re exhibiting traits like joy, love, and peace, people will come up to you and start asking about it! Living a joyous Christian life astonishes people and makes them curious about where your joy comes from.All of our research for the book showed us that as a Christian community, we’re simply not living the kind of life that astonishes or amazes unbelievers. Can we turn it around? The first believers certainly did. During the first few generations of the Church, those believers had no money, no political power, no influence, and no plan. But they had one thing the 21st Century Church has forgotten about:Commitment.They believed so much in the reality of the gospel, they were willing to give up their possessions, their status, their reputations, and their lives. And because of the commitment, within a remarkably short time, their example turned the world upside down.The question today is — is it easier to throw stones and blame others for Christianity’s disappearing impact, or take a hard look at ourselves and start showing the world a new way to live.Maybe it’s time to try something “new.” Something that 2,000 years ago transformed the world.Phil Cooke and Jonathan Bock are media consultants and producers based in Los Angeles. They’ve just released a new book, “The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility and How We Get It Back” by Worthy Publishing.

Planting a Church in LA (Part 2): Majority Honestly Doesn't Know God Loves Them

This September, Thrive LA Church in Silver Lake will celebrate our 1 year-anniversary.BY ANDREW ALESSOEditor’s Note: Andrew Alesso, 29, is the pastor of Thrive LA located in the Silver Lake area. The church opened its doors just 9 months ago. Alesso is writing about his experience in an exclusive TogetherLA series, Planting a Church in LA. This article is the second in a series. You can read the first of the series, A Young Pastor's Story, here.I decided on the name Thrive while having brunch with my sister on a quiet Saturday in West Hollywood.“What do you think that God feels about you?”“I don’t believe in God.”“I know. That’s fair. But if you did, then what would you guess?”“Well, I feel really bad about myself when I go to church. I guess he’s mad at me or maybe he’s just ashamed of me.”It hit me like a ton of bricks.Two days before, another friend had already told me that the name “Encounter Church” made him feel like we were going to attack him. I guess I already assumed that most middle aged, gay men don’t feel welcome in evangelical churches, but brunch with my sister drove it home with incredible clarity: The vast majority of people in our city honestly don’t know that God loves them.Or, as another new friend put it after I shared the gospel with him, “God’s justice and standards make sense to me…. I just never would have guessed in a million years that Christianity is about loving your enemies.”I discovered that if we were ever going to lead our neighbors to faith in Jesus, then our church had to help them believe that the God of the Bible is actually for them and His laws are actually for their benefit! That’s why our mission is to invite our neighbors to belong, contribute, and thrive in the family of God as we make Jesus our savior and king.Our neighborhood has been known as a church plant graveyard because of all the new churches that have failed to get off the ground. As one local said about our plans, “I wouldn’t think that people around here are interested in church.” It’s our job to build a church for people who don’t want to go to church. If I thought God hated me, I probably wouldn’t want to spend Christmas with him either!That’s why we’re committed to building an inclusive family where people can belong no matter their story, and find purpose in contributing to the common good. We want to see people of every background loving their city and empowering others to invest their talents for Jesus.[bctt tweet="We want to see people of every background loving their city and empowering others to invest their talents for Jesus. - Pastor Andrew Alesso, Thrive LA" via="no"]We’re praying that our community would genuinely want us to be here to minister. And guess what? God is paving the way. It’s slow work, but he’s opening doors and changing lives. God loves our neighbors. We just need to come along for the ride.

Planting a Church in LA: A Young Pastor’s Story

Rick Warren: How To Be Remarkable in an Increasingly Rude World

To help introduce his sermon topic last weekend, Pastor Rick Warren rhetorically asked his congregation at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and a global online audience whether the world is becoming more respectful or more disrespectful.BY ALEX MURASHKOTogetherLA, EditorThe question shouldn’t be too hard for anyone in the United States to answer, especially considering today’s political climate in America.Just prior to asking the question, Warren pointed to the character of respect as the number one quality to practice in order to have a remarkable life (sermon theme).“If I want to build a remarkable life and a remarkable career I must learn to be respectful to everyone,” he said. “This is the starting point. Respect is the foundation of a remarkable life. Respecting others shows reverence for God, it shows humility in the way you relate to other people.”In case anyone was wondering why he placed respect as the “number one quality for a remarkable life,” Warren said, “Because today, everybody is rude. ... We’re getting ruder. The world is becoming more uncivil. The more rude the world gets the more a person who is respectful of everybody becomes remarkable.”Warren explained that a respectful person in today’s world stands out “like a bright star on a dark night.”He shared the definition he found on respect: To appreciate the uniqueness, value the worth, and affirm the dignity of everyone because God made them.Warren continued, “Anytime you disrespect anything God made it’s an insult to God. When we don’t respect other people we’re basically saying ‘God, you goofed up. You made a mistake. And you should have made everybody like me … I’m the standard of perfection here.’”Watch full sermon below.He said it would be impossible for anyone to be the standard because “everybody is broken.”Disrespect is the opposite of humility Warren stressed.“Anytime I’m rude to you, or anybody is rude to you, or anytime you’re rude to anyone else you are revealing ego,” he said. “You think, in that moment that you don’t need to be respectful.”Warren said there are many times that it’s shown in the Bible that someone is blessed for being respectful.“If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored by others.” — Matthew 23:12"God leaves no wiggle room about this," Warren said.As part of a list he shared, 10 different types of people were mentioned who God said must be shown respect. Included in the list were immigrants and government leaders.“You must never mistreat any foreigners who are living in your country. Instead you must treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you remember that your ancestors were foreigner at one time in a new land. I am the Lord your God!” — Leviticus 19:33-34Warren said he could continue with a list of 30-40 verses that reference respect, however, he stressed one final point on the subject after reading Matthew 7:12.“In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you.” This sums up all the law and the prophets.“This stuff is not rocket science, he said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”He added, “You are never going to win anyone to Christ who you disrespect.”READ: AMERICA, FIREWORKS and JESUS

Church Planting Questions From a Science Nerd

Wow! It's hard to believe, but a few months ago we planted our 500th church! For an organization that is celebrating our 15th anniversary this year, this was a HUGE milestone.BY BOB CARLTONSTADIAAs you can imagine, after planting 500 churches in 15 years we’ve learned a few things along the way. We’ve learned a lot about what to do (and even more about what not to do). One thing that people often ask is what we are looking for in a potential church planter. What is the right profile or the “special sauce” for a great future planter? Our response is often simple… “We are looking for a catalytic leader.”Now, some of you know this about me, but in case you don’t, I am a bit of a science nerd. When I hear words like “catalytic” my ears actually perk up. I also recognize that for some of you, terms like that can cause a spontaneous and/or uncontrollable eye roll – especially if used in the same sentence as “synergy.”Let’s take a look at the actual definition of a catalyst and see what we can learn. (Ok, so this is where I begin to geek out.)

CATALYST: /kad(ə)ləst/ (noun)

A substance, relative to its reactants that modifies or increases the rate of reaction without being consumed in the process.Let me “unpack” that a bit… (See what I did there?)relative to its reactants: Great church planters relate well to those around them and are great communicators – on the stage and across the table. They have an innate ability to connect with people at a heart level and leverage it in order to share the good news about Jesus. They tell great stories and are fun to be around.that modifies or increases the rate of reaction: Great church planters get things done and lead others to get things done for the Kingdom. Church planting is hard work and it requires the kind of discipline, leadership and drive that inspires and challenges all those around them to jump into the vision and join in the mission of the church.without being consumed in the process: Great church planters are in love with Jesus and although they are in the world, they are not of it. They are passionate about seeing those far from Christ drawing near to Him and being transformed by His grace, love and mercy. Their relationship with God impacts their lifestyle and rubs off on those around them.Those are the kinds of “catalytic leaders” we are trying to identify, equip, and connect with multiplying churches around the country. We help these “catalytic leaders” plant healthy, vibrant, multiplying churches. And we won’t stop doing so … until every child has a church!Did I just describe you? Click HERE and hit us up. We would love to connect and talk about your next steps in church planting and help you through our Discovery process.Did I just describe someone you know? Click HERE and refer a friend. We would love to reach out to them and see if we can help them on their journey of church planting.Bob Carlton is the Director of Recruitment at Stadia. After becoming a fearless follower of Jesus in his 20’s at a church plant, Bob knew he was called to help catalyze a church planting movement. Since then he has been recruiting, assessing, training, and coaching planters and pastors around the world. He has helped develop and lead numerous church planting networks, operating systems, and pipelines for planter cultivation. Bob is now leveraging his experience and relationships to identify emerging leaders around the nation that are considering a call to plant healthy multiplying churches. When not out helping others connect with Stadia, he and his wife Kristina can be found working hard to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their neighborhood.