Church

Our new teaching series at LifePoint is called "Developing a Spiritual Fitness Plan" and will focus on practical ways we can become spiritually fit.If you're like me, spiritual growth has not been automatic -- it's been three steps forward and two steps backward. There are seasons of spiritual growth that are more productive than others. There have been times of feasting alongside times of famine.That's probably why I identify with the apostle Paul, who so openly admitted his struggle to be like Jesus. We often like to think of biblical characters as the ancient counterparts of superheroes. Paul would be the first to dispel any notion that he was a superhero. In fact, he would be downright embarrassed by the thought.I'm glad that spiritual development is a process. That means as long as I keep my feet moving, I'm doing alright. It's dangerous to use human benchmarks to chart our…

I almost spoke up but I didn't.Just a few minutes ago -- at Cosmos, nonetheless -- one of the customers asked to have the music changed because "that man can't sing." The man she was referring to was Johnny Cash!I was dumbfounded, especially since this wasn't some young chick who had never heard of the man in black ... it was a "mature" lady who was quite adamant in her dislike of Cash. She carried on for about five minutes until finally everyone quit listening and she went back to reading.What is our world coming to when people no longer appreciate legends?I've included a picture of Cash for you people who need to develop a greater appreciation for American culture. I hear you can even Google his name and find a few articles about him.

We had our first "ladies only" cafe at LifePoint this past weekend and the music was outstanding. We hosted Annie Bethancourt and Paige Aufhammer, two musicians who also happen to be Christians. Each of them writes and sings with an obvious passion for life. Musically, it may have been one of our best cafes yet!I especially appreciate the fact that they write songs which reflect their faith without becoming sappy or filled with cliches. It's music that takes you from spectator to participant -- in other words, you have to wrestle with what is surfacing in the song. That's not a bad thing!For music to be authentic, it has to spring from a place that is both personal and shared. It comes from an artist's experience yet it relates to the shared experiences in the audience. It's this common ground that makes music a powerful connector.This is why I appreciate…

LifePoint began in our living room with a group of folks who had a dream about creating a new church. We have passed several milestones since then: grand opening, our first baptism, and our first anniversary. We have several milestones still to achieve: becoming financially independent, giving birth to new churches throughout San Diego, and much more! Each milestone, every dream represents an opportunity to watch God at work in our midst.We are most definitely in the midst of a God-directed growth phase. I have been encouraged by how many of you express confidence in LifePoint by bringing friends along with you. Every person represents untold potential in the hands of God.To help us increase our impact and influence, we will be introducing several new things over the next few months. In January we will have our first Starting Point meeting, a time to explore how a person becomes a…

Buried in a little hole in North Park is a great pizza joint. My friend, Jim, took me to Lefty's Chicago Style Pizza on 30th, just north of Upas Street. It's small and lively. Cubs souvenirs hang on the wall and the guys who run it are actually from Chicago.Here's the clincher: they have Pabst Blue Ribbon ... on tap! In fact, only two beers are on tap: PBR and Newcastle. PBR is a definitely a tip-of-the hat to their Midwestern roots.I didn't see any tax lawyers, but there was definitely an eclectic mix of people. Check it out ... and remember to get the stuffed pizza.