I’ve never seen Pastor Sam quite so sad. He walked into the staff meeting this morning like he’d lost his best friend. He explained, “It’s tough. I am dealing with 6 or 7 kid who are contemplating suicide. A few just started coming to the church. “ He held back tears as he shared how tenuous the lives of these kids are.…

From Sunday… I don’t think there is anything much tougher, nor more difficult to cope with, than rejection. Few things are more painful nor more debilitating. But every single one of us have suffered it. Rejection is a universal malady. Many of us have heard heartbreaking words like these: “I don’t want you anymore. I’ve found someone else. I’ve had enough of…

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the earth. You, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens.” Psalm 8:1 “To Him who made the great lights, His loving-kindness is everlasting; the sun to rule by day, for His loving-kindness is everlasting; the moon and the stars to rule by night, for His loving-kindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:7-9…

A Life-Changing Passage: Some of the greatest spiritual wisdom, and one of the most important passages in all Scripture, carrying a definite sense of urgency, is the call of consecration and devotion of our lives to Christ, found in Romans chapter 12:1-2: The verses below are taken from the NAS and Amplified Bibles. “I strongly appeal to you, in view of all…

Born to Create Beauty: I first met Ken Auster around 1980 when he became an exhibiter at the Sawdust Festival, a painter extraordinaire. He turned out to be such a dynamic artist and visionary that by 1989 he was President of the Board of Directors. Year after year he filled the Sawdust with beautiful paintings and his enthusiasm for the arts here…

I posted the “That’s My King” video a couple of years ago but it is so good I am posting it again as I have since then added many new people to my address lists. It was Sandy Davis who commented back then, “I always wanted to be a black preacher,” and Kori Kelso who said , “This is one of my…

A really tough decision was suddenly no decision at all. And I knew it. Not going to be easy. Not at all. But it had to be made. My son Micah had just called and said, “You know dad, we are really having a hard time allowing Dylan to visit you because of the dog. We can’t trust Jasper. We’re really nervous.”…

So, three weeks ago we rescued this mixed-mutt from the Irvine Animal Shelter. On our way to pay a bunch of money to a breeder for another Pomeranian, we stopped by the shelter on a whim. There he was, a mix of who knows what. A little Chihuahua. A little Corgy.  Maybe a little Pom. Perhaps raccoon. Nikki’s heart went out to…

I’ve seen some extraordinary photos during my lifetime but this one taken just a few days ago by Greg Sowle ranks right up there with the very best. It captures a transcendent moment, a blazing Laguna sunset blanketed by the swirling skies of the heavens above. And rising majestically in the foreground –  a simple cross perched on our steeple, reminding us of the…

New Year’s Morning: The whole church and all your family and friends are invited to start 2016 by praying on the knoll, halfway up the fire road between Moulton Meadow Park and Top of the World, where we hold our Easter Sunrise Service. There’s a stunning view of most of Laguna on one side of the knoll and Saddleback Valley on the other.…