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

'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Reminds Us That All Lives Matter

In a world where kindness toward our neighbors is severely lacking, Fred Rogers — Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood — is a reminder that everyone deserves to be loved.BY JON GARCIAWon’t You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary recently released about the life of Rogers. The film chronicles his life and work from humble beginnings to faithful endings.Rogers believed his calling in life was to serve God through the medium of television. At one point during the film, the audience learns that when Rogers sought ordination with the United Presbyterian Church, he told the denomination that his mission field would be serving children — through educational TV.We learn a lot about Rogers through his TV show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It quickly becomes evident that the show not only benefited a generation of children, but a generation of adults as well — Rogers included.Rogers states that as a child, he was overweight and picked on. To add insult to injury, he didn’t feel the freedom to express emotions in his family (in particular, anger). As a result, he felt that one of the most important things he could do for children was to teach them how to understand their emotions. Rogers believed that if you understood your emotions, you could understand how to love yourself and love others.There were a lot of really interesting themes that Christians could take note of. Perhaps the most profound idea in the movie was Rogers’ commitment to biblical integration. Without fail, his theology was woven deeply into the DNA of his show. The message of every episode was the same — people have intrinsic value, and they are worthy of love because of that. That’s what it means to be made in God’s image. It means you are valuable for no other reason than the fact that you are created in God’s image.In a day and age where people yell at each other, call each other names, and attack each other’s character, Rogers is a breath of fresh air. He reminds us that we should never forget that even the “worst” among us are worthy of our dignity and respect for no other reason than the fact that they are God’s image bearers.As I sit and reflect on Rogers message, I can’t help but think that this is the message the world needs today. We need to remember that above all, people deeply matter.Black lives matter.Immigrant lives matter.Isis lives matter.Republican lives matter.Democrat lives matter.It’s a really simple concept, but if you’re not intentionally seeking to live it out, you’re not going to remember that people matter. You’ll get callous and burned by the world, and you’ll forget that Christians are called to love other people — especially those who disagree with us.Rogers never forgot this because he knew that deep inside each and every one of us, there was a childlike innocence. Rogers knew that the reason Jesus invited little children to come to him was because they were a true picture of faith. So in order to influence a generation of people and remind them that love matters, Rogers centered his life ministry on children.Because there’s something simply beautiful about the childlike faith of an adolescent and the way they love people. They don’t hold grudges against others. They aren’t racist toward others. They don’t judge others. They just love people.It reminds me of my childhood, when my father made us listen to a lot of oldies.By the time I was in high school, I’d heard enough of them to last a lifetime. So at seventeen, I stopped listening to oldies.Although I still have a healthy appreciation for oldies, I just don’t listen to them anymore. But every now and then, I’ll find myself humming one of the classics. And when that happens, it takes me back to my childhood, when I thought much differently about the world.I found myself humming Dionne Warwick the other day. And, as the humming ensued, I found myself singing, “What the world needs now is love sweet love.”Maybe I’ll start listening to oldies again.

4-Year-Old Gives Sandwiches and Love To Homeless [VIDEO]

Delivering chicken sandwiches to the homeless is "just the right thing to do," said 4-year-old Austin Perine of Birmingham, Alabama, in a video interview with a CBS Evening News reporter that's gone viral.Austin, who dresses up with a super hero cape for his weekly rounds among the homeless, tells each person, "don't forget to show love" after he gives out a sandwich.When Austin first learned that people were homeless, he asked his parents to dedicate all his allowance and money they’d spend on toys to buy chicken sandwiches to donate, according to CBS Evening News.Austin also introduces himself as “President Austin.” Austin’s father, TJ Perine, said Austin believes it’s the president’s job to help feed the homeless.“Feeding the homeless is the highlight of my life,” Austin said.He’s also working to establish a shelter facility with hopes to expand nationwide, according to the boy's Twitter account managed by his dad.

A Real Life Fairytale: Actor/Producers Jim and Jenn (Gotzon) Chandler Tell Their Story

Ask a young girl what love looks like and most likely the answer will reflect something like a beautiful girl who can talk to animals, sing phenomenally, and who has overcome a large hardship...flawlessly — we call them princesses.Along with the girl you will also have a boy who is strong, handsome, and can fix just about any situation with a kiss — we call this a fairytale. But this image is not real because love is not a fairytale. It is so much more than that.Love is a word filled with so much meaning that it contains every emotion within it that seems to hit you all at once. It is something everyone strives for and something people will do anything to get. But we keep setting ourselves up for failure trying to obtain this idea of love, for love cannot be achieved without Jesus.For we must establish a relationship with Him to know what true love feels like. This is why looking for love just simply will not work. You see love is something that can’t be found because it is something that can only be given. And sometimes we have to fall completely apart in order to see that God is the only one who can give it to us.In a world filled with lies and temptations about love, you could imagine my surprise when I found out that a movie is being made going completely against every fairytale ever made. You see the difference between this movie’s love story and others is, it’s real. The movie is based on a real life love story where the main characters learn that worldly love isn’t what you want; what you want is an everlasting love. A love that makes you laugh louder, cry harder, and will overwhelm you in every way possible.The Farmer and The Belle not only shows us how to obtain the same romance and love found in made up fairytales, but also shows us how it is not possible without putting The Lord first. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air. The Farmer and The Belle, to be released in fall of 2018, it is jammed pack with comedy, romance, inspiration, and REAL FOOTAGE, this film is like none seen before.Yes, you heard me right, the movie holds real footage from the couples’ actual wedding — meaning you will see the real kiss from the wedding day!Finally, there is a love story we can all look up to, a real life fairytale.I had the chance to talk to Jim and Jenn (Gotzon) Chandler, whose love story is what inspired this film, all about their walk with Jesus and what it is like to film your wedding for a movie.Q: How did y’all two meet?We met on a movie set where we were cast as love interest.Q: So, why do you guys want to share your story?Jim: I want to share our story because I want to entertain people while, at the same time, show our viewers how to form a healthy relationship.Jenn: I want to help others realize what real love is and how to find it. I want people to know not to settle for just anyone.Q: How would you describe yourself before you found God? And how would you describe yourself now, after you found him?Jim: Before God, I was lost trying to do things my own way, only concerned with myself. I always knew God was still there because I grew up in a Christian household, but I abandoned him.Returning to him was shifting the focus off of myself, pouring into others and into my work, allowing God to be the thing that moved me forward in my career and in my relationships. If I am in control, then I experience misery, destruction, isolation and defeat. With him I can conquer all.Jenn: I grew up in a Christian household going to Catholic Church. I accepted Jesus at the age of 17 at a summer retreat in Stubenville, OH at St. Franciscan Center. This changed my life look and allowed me a childlike faith where I pursued my dream as an actor. My walk with Jesus became real and is my friend, provider, savior.Q: How long has this spiritual journey been for you? And what do you do now?The spiritual journey with God doesn't ever end, doesn't have a time stamp. We are committed to each other and our calling as actors to be lights in the entertainment industry to impact and inspire audiences.Q: Okay, one last question before you go. What is it like to have your wedding filmed? Did it add any extra stress? Did you have to film anything twice?Jim: We didn't have any added stress because we didn't want the focus of the filming to take away from the focus of our wedding. We were in agreement that whatever we shot and captured is what we got, no reshoots.Jenn: It was lots more stress (for me). There was one hour before the ‘I do’s that I turned into Bridezilla… because we were behind schedule for the magazine photo shoot I added during the wedding photography, in addition to the wedding and movie we were filming. We commissioned makeup artists (Celebrity makeup artist Brother Zhen from China, Cosmetic line owner Vicki Odeneal and her daughter Leah who we worked on “Saving Faith”) and designers. Everyone was excited to be part of the movie, magazine and wedding. Jeanette from The Bride’s Tailor custom made fairytale bell dress for the ceremony and Dalia MacPhee provided the reception dress. (yes, I wore 2 gowns). LaRae Mychel custom made the yellow bridesmaid dresses and my maid-of-honor (my sissy Shelly) wore a coordinating Dalia MacPhee in green, along with my sister-in-law Amiee. My sister in-law Shannon custom made the sunflower girls dresses and my mother-in-law Jennie did all the alterations. Leah Marie Photography and Stationery captured all the family festive fun, including Jim and my baptism the day before after our rehearsal. God is good! We were married by our friend and pastor David Burris from Freedom Counseling.We had 7 cameras set up for the wedding: JD brought GoPros that were hidden in hail bales, small consumer video cameras on tripods, a drone operated by Rich Goodwyn, my sneaky bridesmaid, Lisa Miosi Martin (filmmaker for Billy Graham Ministries) used her iPhone hidden in her dress jacket pocket (sneaky) and our Director of Photography (DP) Kacper Skowron had a steady cam rig that circled us for our actual wedding kiss. Sheila Munger producer of “The Princess Cut” managed the film production on site. It was a team effort by everyone. Our wedding coordinator was Jim’s mom Jennie. We were married on her century owned historical farm property Camp New Dawn with sunflowers and romantic haywagon pull, it was a day to remember!!! And all the funny moments will roll during our end credits.The newlyweds are offering a promotional code for the DVD release of their Family, Christmas Comedy Movie, "The Farmer and The Belle" by signing up on their website www.ChristmasComedyMovie.comGet the latest from “The Farmer and The Belle” by following them on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheFarmerandTheBelle.ChristmasComedyMovie.

What Should We Do with Difficult People?

It was only a three-minute escape. Listening to my name being chanted over and over, louder and louder, with greater urgency, along with pounding on the door, you might imagine me to be a rock star.But in reality, I’m the mother of a toddler who has decided he is only content when he is in my arms. My escape was merely a trip to the bathroom in which I took a deep breath behind the locked door before re-entering my world of diapers, blocks, and Daniel Tiger. And even though I love this little guy with all my heart, at times he can definitely be a difficult person to keep showing love to, especially in the midst of tantrums and tears.

Difficult People Are Everywhere

It probably isn’t hard for you to think of a difficult person in your own life. In our broken, sin-filled world, they are everywhere. The coworker who is willing to do anything to get ahead, including taking credit for your ideas. The in-laws who always seem to be peering over your shoulder, critiquing your parenting skills, and offering “suggestions” for improvement. The child who knows exactly how to push your buttons to leave you exasperated and flustered again. The person in your ministry who is constantly complaining about your leadership, who thinks he has better ideas and communicates them with a sharp and biting tongue. The passive-aggressive friend who is kind one moment and gives you the cold shoulder the next. The list can go on and on.So, what do we do with these people? With constant strained relationships? Our natural tendency is to want to run the other way, to avoid them as much as possible. But is that what honors God in these hard situations?

Difficult People Have Been Around Forever

Moses was no stranger to leading a group of difficult people. Even after rescuing them out of slavery and leading them safely away from the Egyptians, the Israelites were not happy with him. Instead of being grateful for their new freedom and provision from God, they were shedding tears over the menu (Numbers 11:4–6), grumbling about not having water (Numbers 20:2–3), wishing they had died in Egypt and could choose another leader (Numbers 14:2–4). Even Moses’s own siblings were jealous of his leadership (Numbers 12:2) and complained to God about their brother and his Cushite wife.Yet what amazes me about Moses is that he didn’t retaliate against this annoying group of people. He didn’t even defend himself against the harsh accusations. Instead, he demonstrated amazing humility and compassion on those he led, repeatedly interceding for them.Moses pled with God to heal Miriam’s leprosy (Numbers 12:13). He begged God to forgive Israel’s unbelief when it was time to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:19). He lay prostrate before God, fasting forty days and nights after Aaron and the Israelites had made the golden calf to worship (Deuteronomy 9:13–18).[ictt-tweet-blockquote via=""]Difficult people aren't obstacles to overcome, but the very means God may choose to sanctify us. [/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Admittedly, there were moments when the Israelites’ constant complaints drove Moses to the brink of despair (Exodus 5:22; Numbers 11:14–15), yet by God’s grace he persevered. And even at the very end of his life, he was still lovingly leading the disobedient Israelites.

Keep on Loving

Moses remained steadfast to his last days and made sure God had another leader in place to take over. He didn’t want his wandering sheep to be without a shepherd (Numbers 27:16–17). Moses never stopped loving them, even at their worst.By God’s grace, we too can keep loving the difficult people God has placed in our lives. The easy thing is to cut the troublesome person out of your life when possible, or just avoid them at best.But I suggest we are more like our patient and loving Savior when we bear with each other and seek to show mercy and kindness, no matter how we are treated.Here are six practical ways, among many others, to show love to a difficult person God has placed in your path.

1. Pray for your own heart.

Ask God to soften your heart towards this person, to put off anger and irritability, to put on meekness and kindness, to understand this person’s struggles and meet them with compassion (Colossians 3:12–14).

2. Pray for them.

Ask God to be at work in their hearts, drawing unbelievers to himself and sanctifying believers to become more like Jesus (Philippians 1:9–11).

3. Move toward them, not away from them.

Although our tendency is to want to steer clear of people with whom we have strained relationships, they are exactly the people we need to be intentionally moving toward. Find ways to engage them in conversation, meet them for coffee, send them a text.

4. Find specific ways to bless and encourage them.

Write them a note of appreciation. Buy them a book that has been an encouragement to you. Tell them you are praying for them.

5. Give them grace, just as God extends grace to you.

Remember God’s lavish grace poured out for your own daily sins. Ask God to help you bear with them, forgiving them, as he has forgiven you (Colossians 3:13).

6. Realize that you too could be the difficult person in someone else’s life!

You might not even realize that you are a thorn in the flesh for someone close to you. Don’t be oblivious to your own shortcomings and sins.So, when that child has you on the brink of tears, or you’ve just received a harsh and critical email about your ministry, or you’re confronted with that extended family member who drives you up the wall, ask God for grace not to run away, but to keep engaging that hard-to-love person in love.God will be honored and our hearts will find deeper satisfaction as we seek to love people just as Christ loved us when we were his enemies.Note: The above post was originally published at Desiring God.