Something That's Worth It

I have read about many people that gave everything to follow a dream. I know some personally. I am honored to be part of a team that is continually risking it all to see the Kingdom of God expressed in west LA. I’ve been asked often why we do this. 

There are really only two reasons:

1. Simply the call of God. That thing in our hearts that was birthed in the secret place, alone with God, that simply can’t be ignored.

2. I think everyone wants the opportunity to risk everything for the sake of something that is worth it; something that is truly great. I know that's true for me, and that's what we're doing.

The amazing news is that we ALL have this opportunity anytime, anyplace, and with all our hearts. You have the opportunity. You have the call to follow Jesus. Lose your life in order to truly find it. Love unconditionally. Receive the grace of God. Walk in the promises. Give glory to God. Think eternally and enjoy the moment at the same time. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Walk in it and bring it to others. 


And, when God calls you to do something that is difficult or risky, do it.  

3 Ways to Know You're Under Spiritual Attack

While I was away on vacation the past two weeks, I had several nights of strong spiritual warfare. I would wake up and have to go right to the Word of God and prayer. I realized that God was allowing me to feel and understand what many in our church are currently going through.

So, this Sunday I will begin to teach how to “know when” and “win when” you are in spiritual warfare. Over the past month, many people in our church community have come under more spiritual attack than usual.This is part of the evidence that we are clearly seeing and knowing God, because we have an enemy that hates what is going on. 

Now, I’m not advocating that there’s a demon under every bush or that our sinful nature is not a huge part of this, but I do think we underestimate the kind of spiritual attack we are experiencing. So, here are three areas of spiritual warfare and the possible symptoms. When you are experiencing these things, understand you are in a battle for your soul.

1. You are being seduced and the truth is being distorted.

Possible Symptoms: You operate out of selfish ambition, you are not content in Christ or with what He’s given you, you are running to things that destroy you, you hurt people you love due to not valuing what you have, and ultimately, you are an addict; mastered by something other than Christ.

2. You are living under false religious duties. 

Possible Symptoms: You perceive yourself as a failure and are discouraged; or you perceive yourself as a success and are prideful. Your life can be like a roller coaster; sometimes feeling so accomplished and sometimes feeling like a total loser, all based on your performance and duties. You have become disconnected from the grace and kindness of God.

3. You are hurt and offended. 

Possible Symptoms: You blame others, you run, you are often angry, it is very difficult for you to trust, and you repeatedly disconnect and isolate yourself. You may wonder why you’re always the victim.

Over the next two weeks at Clarity, I will teach through these three areas of attack and how to defend yourself against them. We will be spending time in the Word of God together, learning how to win.

Have I missed an area that you are dealing with? Let me know at info@clarity.la.

Our New Pastors

We recently installed two new pastors at Clarity. This is a first for us. A special time indeed! 

Josh Kollar 

Josh K. has been with Clarity since the beginning as a part of the original team that moved from PA in 2010. In that time he has served faithfully in many different roles, all while working full time, being a husband, and being a father. Now, by God’s grace and direction, he is able to step in as our Executive Pastor. He is giving oversight to all Sunday operations and team leaders. Over the next year, Lord willing, he will assume responsibility over all administration as well. More than that, he will simply serve as a missionary and pastor to the people of West LA, bringing a keen understanding of the wisdom of God to our lives. He follows Jesus whole-heartedly along with his wife, Allison, his son, Hudson, and his soon-coming second son (due in late August).

Josh Houston

Josh H. has been connected to Clarity since early 2010 when he filled in as a drummer for one of our first events. Since then, he and Nathan developed a friendship and a sense of God’s calling to work together. Even while holding a job elsewhere, he has served as a part of our leadership and missional communities. Now, by God’s grace and direction, he is able to step in as our Associate Pastor. He is giving oversight to all of our missional communities and their leaders. He will also be a key part of our leadership community development. But more than all that, he will serve as a missionary and pastor to the people of West LA, bringing a profound gift for spiritual leadership to our lives. His heart for abiding with God and loving people is a gift to our church.

Let us pray for these pastors, encourage them, and move into this new and exciting season of blessing in our church and this city.

5 Reasons Why it Was One of My Favorite Weekends; But it’s Not Over

Live Dead Month at Clarity came to end end this week, but the live dead lifestyle has only just begun. Here are a few reasons that made last weekend so special and reminders that it’s not just about that weekend, but the entire next year and beyond: 

1. We baptized six people; the ultimate declaration of what it means to go down into our own death and come alive in the fullness and purpose of Jesus. Now we are compelled by the love of God to live out that reality together day by day as growing disciples of Jesus and as missionaries to the people of LA.

2. We are VERY close to having enough people step up to raise the $50,000 we need to plant the church in Somalia. Now we must come through with those commitments and give more as we are enabled and stirred to live by faith. God blesses us as we radically align our resources with His heart, even as we are still in need of support ourselves. Give here.

3. Missionary Will Cleveland and his family are in our hearts and now we must pray for them and the other Live Dead team members daily. Like the Facebook page for daily prayer need updates.

4. Seeds were planted for some of you to go as Live Dead missionaries to unreached people groups overseas. If that is you, your response is simple; spend extravagant time with Jesus, do what He says, be faithful today, and talk to us about next steps.

5. We move right into our next series feeling very led by the Holy Spirit into this critical issue; MONEY. We will learn the counter cultural principles that lead to the blessing of God in our finances so that we can be faithful and healthy. It is useless to have radical faith, to take massive risks, and try to move forward in power if we don’t know how to walk in His blessing. See you Sunday!

5 Big Announcements for Clarity

1. New Pastors

We are taking a big step this summer as we bring on an executive and an associate pastor at Clarity! Both of them are incredible men of God that I am honored to call friends. This June, Josh Kollar will move into being our executive pastor and Josh Houston will become our associate pastor. More on that soon.

2. New Worship Leaders

Amanda Ahrenberg will now be with us as one of our worship leaders! Then, Matt and Una VanScoten will be added into that mix after they arrive, find work, and settle down sometime this Fall (they will arrive late July)! God is bringing together amazing men and women of God who will lead the way in worship on the front lines.

3. New Missional Communities

Two of our leaders, Brandon Tyra and Lindsay Deming, have a vision to launch new Missional Communities this Fall! One in the Valley and one in Orange County. Not much excites me more than followers of Jesus getting a vision and stepping up to lead in living missionally where God has planted them.
Note: Stop to celebrate. Recognize the milestone in our journey. There are too many to name, but Clarity is BLESSED with great kids ministry leaders, missional community leaders, worship leaders, pastors, volunteer staff, Sunday operations teams, etc. Most importantly, we are a community of missionaries (sent ones) to LA and to the un-reached of the world. 

4. Pastor Rod Loy

Rod (one of my key mentors and one of Clarity’s primary supporters and encouragers) will be with us on Wednesday, October 24th to hang out, teach, and get to know our team! Mark your calendar now to be with us that evening (location TBA). His teaching and challenging of the status quo has exponentially increased my health and effectiveness in multiple areas! Be there.

5. The Clarity Retreat Dates

It's official, the Clarity Retreat will be held at Frazier Woods Conference Center (same place as last year - an hour north of LA in the mountains) and will be from dinner on Friday, July 27 to dinner on Saturday, July 28. It’s only $67 per person and that covers lodging and all meals! Child care provided as well. It is highly relational, lots of fun, and a chance to get away and meet with God! Don’t miss it. To register, simply go to our giving page, give $67 (per person) securely, and type "Retreat" in the comment box at the bottom. If you need a financial sponsor, let me know! Email info@clarity.la with any questions.

Wow, awesome things are happening! Thanks be to God! I am honored to walk with you all.  

Reflections from The Creativity Expo

The Creativity Expo was an experimental two week series that began on Easter Sunday at Clarity. It featured music, fine art, poetry, VFX reels, live interactive songwriting, a live interactive sermon, and more.

It all pointed people to our master Creator; the one who spoke into existence His brilliant creativity expo and gives us the incredibly good new of Jesus. Here are 10 reflections:

1. People were saved! I saw true redemption in people’s eyes and that is amazing! All of heaven celebrates every single one who returns to God.

2. God was glorified! He was worshiped, exalted, and seen for who He is. This is at the heart of what we were created to do. He is huge, we are small, and that is good news.

3. Our community was built up, pumped up, and encouraged through the Word. It is awesome to be a part of a growing church; in every way.

4. Our Clarity team pulled off yet another excellent event. Sometimes I am more aware of how awesome this team is, and this is one of those seasons. Thanks everyone for being great and serving first.

5. The Clarity Kidz Creativity Expo was wonderful. Kids are not just our future, they are our present! In the Kingdom of God, kids are a HUGE deal. I’m proud of our team and all our kids.

6. The local creativity was brilliant and well appreciated. It is an honor to be a part of people’s intimate, vulnerable, and honest work. Art is key in the expression of Jesus and the renewal of neighborhoods. It tells the story. City developers seem to understand this more than the Church. Strange.

7. The live interactive song writing was insanely fun and hilarious. We have two new hits: “Get Lucky Ducky” and “Bubbles.”

8. The live interactive SOAP sermon was powerful and eye opening. This will be a regular practice for us from this point on; maybe once a quarter. The talk on the 4 stars, the vastness of the universe, and the cross holding us all together gave us new perspective.

9. Our Missional Communities are in full swing again. This is a great place to begin practicing Abiding with God and Missional Living (some of our values that are transformational when lived out).

10. This was a great Expo! There were risks, there were some mistakes, but it was worth it and we learned a lot. We now move into our next series, “Don‘t Look Back.” May is Live-Dead month (focusing on our work in Somolia). The summer is packed with wonderful fun and growth. And this Fall is going to be incredible (expanding team, new MC’s, 2 year anniversary, Clarity 2.0)!

That people will clearly see and know God, and that we would see true renewal in our neighborhoods, city, and world. Amen.

Why I Am Not Quitting - And Why You Shouldn't Either

Why I Am Not Quitting - And Why You Shouldn’t Either

To help me get this point across, let me set the stage with a bit of transparency from my own story. Because of the nature of this post, it’s a bit longer than usual.

The Battle

The past two years and two months of church planting in LA have simultaneously been like the Great Awakening and the Dark Ages. For my team, my wife, and I, we have never seemingly experienced so many wins and losses at almost the same time. While we have rejoiced on the mountain top, we have also become familiar with difficulties in the valley. I have wanted to quit plenty of times, and at one point, during a long night of prayer between the Lord and I, I did quit. Thankfully, by God’s grace, that only lasted one night, and I was restored to the vision quickly.

Yesterday, Jess and I were driving back from a “support-raising” speaking engagement. We had to miss the Clarity service, so I texted my team for a report about how the morning had gone. One of them responded that we were “down in numbers but it was a good morning.” Now, unless you’ve planted a church or led a start up, that may not seem like a big deal to you. For me, I ignored the “it was a good morning” part and this is how I translated the rest in my head… During a time when I was hoping we were growing to a certain size and momentum, we have now had three weeks in a row of being down in numbers. It was like falling back to the difficult times of 2011, all while trying to push with everything I had into a bigger and better 2012.

I was immediately faced with an all-to-familiar mental battle. Maybe I just don’t have what it takes to do this. Soon everyone is going to leave because this just isn’t happening. Maybe I can’t do what others have done. I am just not attracting the blessing of God. I am letting everyone down… my family, my team, my church, my mentors, my supporters. Sound like anything you have ever thought about yourself?

The Shift

As my heart sunk into my stomach and my decent into discouragement commenced, I noticed the beautiful mountains of the Central Coast of California that we were driving by. I noticed the green lush grass on the rolling hills. I noticed the cattle and the horses scattered all around. As we continued to drive, I noticed the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the crashing waves on the shore, and the beaming sun warming up our car. I thought about how God orchestrates it all into perfect harmony. Not only that, He orchestrates all things; this planet, this universe, and all the heavens. Then I heard my daughter laughing and I felt my wife reaching to hold my hand. We exclaimed together the beauty of what we were seeing and experiencing together. I thought, wow, if God can do all this, He can do anything. I began making the healthy shift back to faith in our faithful God.

Then, I remembered an illustration I had just used in my message that morning. It’s about two different orange groves during a drought season. At one grove, all the trees were dying from lack of water. At the other grove, all the tress were healthy; even in the midst of the drought. The difference? When the trees were young, the owner of the grove with the healthy trees would occasionally withhold water from them, forcing them to dig their roots deeper into the soil in search of water. Then, when the drought came, they would still have access to water. The owner, in great wisdom, was enabling the trees to last.

In the message, I encouraged everyone to take heart. I spoke passionately… Even if you are in a season when you feel like the water you need is being withheld, you can rejoice, for God is enabling you to develop deeper roots. He is doing this to prepare you for what is to come; not just the drought, but the greater things. Without these deep roots, you will not be able to handle what God is going to do. So be glad, be full of faith, and rejoice in the wisdom of God as He sovereignly prepares you for tomorrow.

I have used that illustration many times, but I wasn’t really applying it to myself. Our own battles have a way of blinding us to the things we know to be true. Thankfully, by God’s grace in that moment, I was able to take this to heart.

The Point

Robert Frost said, “Lord, help them to lay foundations strong enough to bear the weight You will later place on them.” Jesus said in John 15, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

No matter what you are going through, no matter how much you want to stop, and no matter what set-backs have befallen you, keep going. When all you want to do is quit, rejoice that God is enabling you to develop deeper roots for what is to come. There are no losses in God’s playbook. He does it all for a reason. All motion is forward motion. God has you in this moment. Embrace it and send your roots down deep. Have faith. Trust and believe in His plan.

While it is important to start well, it is more important to finish well. A bad finish discredits a good start. Rejoice that God is empowering you to finish well. Not just you, but those that will come after you. Without you developing roots through this season, the generations after you will not be able stand. It’s not just about you. It’s not just about now.

Personally, I know that even if I did quit right now, this burden would remain and I would want to come back to do it all again. I might gain temporary relief, but I would lose long term effectiveness. In regards to this church plant in LA, I have the burden. There are no limits. It is worth fighting for. A prevailing church. A true expression of Jesus in a place that touches the world. It is imperative. Who will fight? Who is called? God, make your deeds famous in our time. May you be clearly seen and known.

The Scattering Challenge

Our new series, "The Scattering," begins this Sunday. Here's a challenge for the month of March that goes with the talks. It builds up to Easter Sunday when we will begin "The Creativity Expo" series. It's gonna be awesome.

The Scattering Challenge
It’s Simple: One-a-Week during the Month of March

1. Each week in March, connect with someone over coffee, dinner, phone call, movie, etc. Encourage them, love them, serve them, and invite them to Easter at Clarity. Be hospitable. Offer Rides. Invite to lunch afterwards. Follow up. Love.

2. Also, pray for someone you do not yet know. Ask God for an opportunity to meet, love, and serve someone. Invite them to Easter at Clarity. Be hospitable.

The four people/families I will connect with this month are:

Week 1 (March 4-10) _________________________

Week 2 (March 11-17) _________________________

Week 3 (March 18-24) _________________________

Week 4 (March 25-31) _________________________

PRAYER

Lord, I pray for you to bless these friends of mine. Bring them hope, peace, and strength. Open a door for them to be full of life in Jesus, to find deepest purpose and love. May they join me at Clarity this Easter and be blessed.

Lord, I pray for those I do not yet know. Give me an opportunity to meet, love, and serve them. May they find life in Jesus as they join me at Clarity this Easter.

5 Reflections from East Africa

When something impacts me this much, it is hard to try to put it down in words. But, here are a couple attempts at key highlights:

1. There are entire groups of people in the world today that have never heard the message of Jesus or had an opportunity to know the way of the Lord. This means that the job falls to us to finish the task of taking the Gospel to all people. We don’t need to wait to hear from God, He has already spoken in His Word about this.

2. There are reasons that no one has gone to some of the places where there Gospel has never been heard. Right now, there are people risking their lives to go to those places, and they need us to pray for them daily. The spiritual and physical battle is strong.

3. Occasionally there are moments when you are bonded with other leaders about something so critical to God’s heart that it is worth your life.

4. We, Clarity, are partnering in big ways with the Live Dead initiative to see the Gospel brought to some of the most difficult places on earth. I can’t share many details about who, where, and how; but you can visitlive-dead.org to learn more. Be sure to like the Facebook page and pray daily for the needs updated there.

5. The call to bear witness to Christ is as critical here in LA as it is in East Africa; just as it is wherever you are. This trip brought fresh perspective, focus, and power to the daily work.

What I Imagine and Work Toward

Imagine a community loving so deeply that there is none needy among them. Imagine a community whose love overflows to the under served and forgotten in their neighborhoods. Imagine a community where people clearly see and know God, being restored daily by grace. Imagine a community that influences the future of our culture and the next generation of artists that shape the imagination of the world.

Things are not as they should be. The world is full of pain, poverty, injustice, selfishness, coercion, and oppression. Imagine a community that is a part of bringing healing, justice, selfless love, peace, and freedom... joining with God in the restoration of everything.

God imagined a community like this. There has been much misrepresentation and distortion of what it was meant to be, but let us be the kind of church that God had in mind. Let us be a clear reflection of Christ in the city of Los Angeles. Let us see God’s Kingdom come and God’s will be done, bringing restoration to all things.