My friend Merilyn Evans said, “Jon, I remember being told I was too young to be taken seriously for so long. Then one day, all of a sudden, I was told I was too old to be taken seriously. I don’t know how old is too old or what age was too young, I just know I was.” Merilyn was expressing a universal experience. In Psalm 71 we read about his experience of looking back on his youth and looking to his future. His concerns for the future were about being forgotten “Do not cast me off in the time of my old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.” (Psalm 71:9) The fear of being forgotten, or even discarded, is a universal experience. I believe we all can resonate with being left out or excluded. We often believe our experience is unique, but it is not. We all worry about not having a voice. We all worry about if we will be taken care of in our moment of need. Will we be remembered? I believe the psalmist knew the only way to overcome these basic fears was to look for a greater purpose than to just be remembered. Having our needs met does not bring everlasting contentment. The psalmist looked at the years ahead of him and prayed a bold prayer. Not to just be remembered, but to be used! His primary concern was to be used in God’s greater purpose. “And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation.” (Psalm 71:18) It would be easy to pray, "Lord, make sure people don't forget about me." It would have been easy to pray, "Lord, make sure my needs are taken care of." But, instead, he prayed "Lord use me! Find a part for me to play in Your story." The psalmist found satisfaction in playing a supporting role. He cared more about the story God was telling than the story that would be told about him. He knew the only way to overcome the endless cycle of worry was to turn his attention on what mattered more, God's kingdom. We don't have to let age get in the way of being a part of God story. We don't have to let our daily needs keep us distracted from making a lasting impact. What's keeping you from playing a part in God's plan this week?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

FOMO – is an acronym for Fear Of Missing Out. This is the same fear that drove Eve to take what she knew to be off limits. It is the same fear that drives people in their lack of commitment. They fear that something better is going to come along so they keep their options open. Eve fell for the idea that God was holding something back. That she needed to take matters into her own hands. We continue to fall for the idea that something better is around the corner. So, we take matters into our own hands and keep our calendars open. We don’t volunteer because we don’t believe volunteering is the best Jesus has to offer. We know what Jesus said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.” “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you .... You are blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15 & 17) But, we don’t follow Jesus’ example because we think He is hiding something from us. We think Jesus is playing a cosmic game show. He showed us what is behind door #1, Service. And now we have a choice to make. Do we quit while we are ahead? Do we chance that Service is the best Jesus has to offer? Do we forego what is potentially behind door # 2? What if Jesus has a divine appointment behind door #2? What would happen if I committed to serving and it made me miss my “hypothetical” divine appointment? How could anyone say no to a “hypothetical” divine appointment? I’ll take door #2! Can’t serve this week, my calendar has to stay open for Jesus. We still don’t believe Jesus is giving us the best He has to offer. He shows us in Matthew 25 about the blessing of helping those in need. He tells us when we serve the least of these; we are doing it unto him. In Rooted week 7, day 2 it breaks down the actions of Matthew 25; You fed, you gave, you stopped, you clothed, you invited. “These are actions that require you to be there.” I believe these are the divine appointments that God wants to bless you with. But, you have to be there! You can’t keep your calendar open and be blessed at the same time. You can’t decline the best God has to offer and be blessed. Which door are you choosing?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

Have you ever thought about if Jesus never rose from the dead? Or what if He did not die and survived the crucifixion? Would it really matter if Jesus did not rise from the dead? Well, the apostle Paul clearly addressed these questions. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17). I post this verse on Facebook every Resurrection Sunday. This verse captures how essential the resurrection is to our faith. If Christ has not been raised, then what on earth are we doing? The apostle Paul was writing to a pocket of people in Corinth that were denying the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. They did not mind His teaching, but they did not believe it was necessary to believe in His resurrection. Paul instructed the church with basic reasoning. If A, then B. If B, then C. Therefore if A, then C. If Christ is not raised (A). Then your faith (B) is worthless. Therefore you are still in your sins (C). Let’s take our faith (B) first. Beliefs do not need to be based in reality. For example, I believe the San Francisco Giants will win the World Series this year. My belief is not determined by the fact that they have missed the playoffs two years in a row and they have an aging line up past their prime. My belief in based in “possibility” not “probability.” But, what Paul is saying if your faith were based in reality, then reality has real consequences. Ask anyone who invested with Bernie Madoff. They believed he was trustworthy. They received monthly reports accounting for their investment. But, the reports were fraudulent! It did not matter how much faith they had, it was not based in reality. Their faith could not make the money they gave to Bernie come back. Their faith was indeed penniless. Paul is telling them just because you believe something does not make it true. It must be based in reality for it to be true. Like those who don’t believe in the Christ’s resurrection, then what on earth are you doing? The real consequence if Christ has not risen from the dead is that you are still in your sin! No matter how many times you go to church. You are still in your sin. No matter how many times you give. You are still in your sin. No matter how many times you use your spiritual gifts. You are still in your sin. The logical conclusion is eat, drink, for tomorrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:32) But, life was never about our basic needs. God created us for more. Our relationship with our Creator and His creation give us a lasting purpose to dedicate our limited time on earth to. Paul wanted the church in Corinth and us to know that our faith is based in reality. Christ has risen from the dead! (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) We have victory over sin and death. The reports we are receiving about the investments in the Kingdom of Heaven are true. Our treasure in Heaven will not rust. The peace that passes all understanding is available right now. Jesus' yolk is light. We are new creations. Sin and death are defeated. And that’s what we celebrate on Easter. We celebrated that Jesus conquered sin and death in real life. And His resurrection has real consequences. Christ has risen from the grave (A), your faith is NOT worthless

(B) and our sins are forgiven! (C) Happy Resurrection Day! 

In Christ, Pastor Jon

As I read the devotional material from Rooted, I was convicted by a verse I had memorized long ago. The devotion’s topic was on the various ways God speaks. He can speak through His Word, His Spirit, His creation and other methods. I don’t know if you have ever had a time when you read God’s word and prayed and felt like nothing really happened. I have had days when I felt like God’s words were silent for me. Other times I felt like my prayers were left on an answering machine. As I read Romans 1:20 again I was convicted by what I overlooked. “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” I had ignored one of the main ways God has been communicating with me! I have had the habit of pointing out sunsets to my kids and asking them, “Who made that?” I'd tell them that God is an amazing artist and look at him showing off! But, I had missed what Romans was telling me. I had not connected the dots that God was speaking to me every day! Every day the sun sets, God was telling me I could count on Him to make sure it will rise again. When I was bundled up in my rain gear, God was telling me that He would make sure the rain would eventually stop. It was like I was screening my phone calls from God. I chose to ignore the text messages! He committed by speaking to me every single day and night! I was the one who missed the forest for the trees. The next time you feel like Jesus has not heard your prayers, I encourage you to walk outside and listen to what He is saying. When you are stuck in traffic, you can look at the bumper in front of you or turn your head and look to the hillsides. When people say, "It's a beautiful day," what they are really telling you is "Look at how much God loves you!" It's impossible to plum the depths of the intellect and goodness behind the world we live in. But, that should not keep us from ignoring what God has been telling us every day and night. What has He been saying to you?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

Week two, day 4 of the Rooted devotional gave me time to reflect up on the actions of Adam and Eve. After reading Genesis 3:1-19, the passage describing Adam and Eve’s actions after they disobeyed God hit home. Before they disobeyed God, Adam and Eve were given responsibilities and all their effort was dedicated to fulfilling them. They delighted in accomplishing their tasks. They flourished in their devotion to God. A quote from Mark Twain illustrates the point of drastic change in behavior after Adam and Eve disobeyed. “Almost all lies are acts, and speech has no part in them.” Adam and Eve became a lie after they rebelled. And in order to keep up with the lie, they tried to “cover up.” After they covered up, they hid! Instead of taking care of their responsibilities their attention turned inward. They became the first narcissists. God created them with purpose and meaning. Instead of taking care of the garden, all they cared about was taking care of themselves. Funny thing is, their work doubled. They still had all the responsibilities to tend to the garden, but now they had to figure out a way to cover up what they did. They had to pretend everything was normal when it wasn’t. They had to lie themselves to convince themselves that they could somehow lie to God. They had never had the anxiety of being found out before because they never did anything to hide before! I think we can all identify with trying to cover up something we’ve said or done. I am sure all of us can think of a time when we told a lie and worried we would be found out. Some of us had to tell another lie to cover up the first one and live with double the anxiety! But, that is what sin does to us. It turns us into a lie. Not just a little white lie, more like a lie that that has stolen identity. Sin monopolizes our actions. Sin makes us its slave. Dealing with our sin takes precedence over every other responsibility. Adam and Eve neglected their responsibilities to take care of their sin problem first. How often do our actions mirror theirs? Instead of confessing and repenting, we try to cover up and hide. We neglect everything else till we see that the coast is clear. We are trapped in our hiding place. Instead of living free in the garden, we are imprisoned. Are you tired of hiding? Are you going to let sin monopolize your actions this week? Or are you going to come “clean” by confessing?
(1 John 1:9)

In Christ, Pastor Jon

The beginning of each year we hear the phrase, “New Year, New You.” The beginning of each year is full of optimism and excitement of what might come our way. We start new activities praying they will become natural habits that lead to lasting change. Some pick up an instrument, enroll in a class to learn a new language, or start a gym membership. We are correct in having the calendar inspire us to new activities. We are constantly looking for ways to grow and the turn of the new year is a natural time to begin something new. But, what if I told you we don’t have to wait for a new year to begin. What if I told you God put a natural flow into our calendar and we did not have to wait 365 days to make a transformative commitment? What if I told you the best way to have transformative change in your life was to live out the phrase “New week, New you.” God put and gave us the Sabbath for a reason. All of us violate this commandment all the time. We work and plan 365 days a year. We rarely enter the rest that Jesus offers each week. We come to church with all the burden on our shoulders from laboring all week and take 1 hour to rest. But, the Sabbath was meant for more. Do you really believe the first followers of God thought keeping the Sabbath meant not working for 1 hour a week? Do you think they believed the Sabbath was only one hour? It was a day set apart to trust God and rest. A whole day! Regarding the Sabbath, Mark Buchanan writes in The Rest of God to ask yourself a question, “How much do I care about the things I care about?” Buchanan says, “When we stop caring about the things we care about - that’s a signal we’re too busy.... Busyness makes us stop caring about the things we care about.” How much do you care about Sundays? Some love Sundays during football seasons. Some love Sundays because of brunch or sleeping in. But, how much do you really care about them? Do they rejuvenate you? Do you see them as an opportunity grow closer to God? Do you see them as a blessing from God? Do you take advantage of them? Do you use them to reset? To renew? To rest? We can easily come to church to check it off our list, but it was never meant to be that way. Worshiping on Sunday is meant to encourage you to take advantage of the Sabbath. To help you become a new you. To see what God sees. To celebrate all the ways God has moved in your life that week and to treasure them in your heart. Spending a whole day delighting, remembering, and celebrating can bring dramatic transformation in your life. One of the best things about the Sabbath is if you find yourself drifting, you don’t have to wait till next year to renew your commitment. You can reset in the beginning of the week. Deuteronomy 5:12 states, “Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.” How much do you care about the Sabbath?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole is a Christmas tradition. The funny thing about traditions is they can bind us together or tear us apart. Every Christmas movie shows us the parental figures clinging to a nostalgic past while the younger generation harps for something new. The power of traditions is that they can bring the generations together. Traditions bridge the generations together like batons passed from one to another. The Christmas song has become a longstanding tradition, but most are unaware it has been rerecorded twice! I was shocked to think that someone would mess with a classic. The first recording was in 1946. Cole rerecorded the song in 1953. Now, let’s be honest, if anyone wants to change a family tradition after 6 years, they might as well write themselves out of the will. To my surprise, Cole did it again in 1961, 8 years later he rerecorded over a 15 year Christmas tradition. I am a traditionalist, but I am also a realistic. Growing up, I remember making a fire in our fireplace during the Christmas season. When we moved to Corona, we put in a gas fire place. No kindling, no lighter fluid, no wheel barrels of wood. Just a lighter and a knob. It was really a strategic move with four boys. I did not really want them to be proficient at starting fires. JK. But, celebrating Christmas is not in a wood fire. It is not in who’s at the dining room table to who’s not. It’s not fighting the crowds at the mall. It is not in the hustle and bustle of decorating. It’s in celebrating God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Christmas traditions can be modified, renewed, or updated. But, celebrating Christ on Christmas is what really matters. Taking time to slow down and ponder the miracle of Christmas. Taking a moment to praise the God of the universe. Taking time to pray and thank Him for sending His son. The scene of the first Christmas was astounding. We had messengers of the Lord praising His name and sending ordinary shepherds to Jesus. They testified what they witnessed and then went spreading the good news to everyone who would listen. But in Luke 2:19 is says, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” As we celebrate Christmas through our traditions, let us not forget why we are doing them in first place.

Merry Christmas, Pastor Jon

 One of the most iconic moments in sport history happened in the fall of 1988.  Every little leaguer has dreamed of the words, “bottom of the ninth, full count, two outs. Down by two with a runner on.” Who would have believed a hobbled outfielder would hit a home-run in the bottom of the 9^th off baseball’s best closer? Kirk Gibson pulled off the impossible. His double arm-pump around second base has been etched in Dodger Fan lore forever. Along with this iconic scene of a hero rounding the bases is another image that lives in infamy. As you see the ball fly over right field, you can see the sea of break lights leaving the stadium! People who had a first row seat for history forfeited it for less traffic. Why? I believe it was because of their faith. They did the math. Eckersley with a one run lead, the game is over. Let’s go home and beat the traffic. They did not believe the Dodgers would come back to win. And like those fans, I believe a lot of us do the same kind of math on Sunday morning as well. We've been there and done that. We are tired. Exhausted. We heard sermon after sermon. We sung song after song. We tell ourselves, “we will not really miss anything if we stay home this week.” Let’s beat the rush and go to brunch instead. In 2^nd Chronicles 7, Solomon prays after the temple is complete and we are told what happens next. Fire came down from heaven, consumed the burnt offering, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Would you want to be at brunch and get a text telling you about the Glory of the Lord filling the meeting house? Or would you want to witness it with your own eyes? I believe God is doing miracles each time we gather together and give him praise. Scripture tells us that we are His temples and He dwells amongst us. How can the reality of God’s presence be trumped for shorter lines at lunch? I pray that our faith not only keeps us coming to the stadium, but that we have enough faith to stay till the final out.

    In Christ, Pastor Jon        

In Matthew 17, we see the law and prophets authenticate Jesus’ ministry by Moses and Elijah. Then we hear God speak. God tells Peter, James, and John that Jesus is His son and is well pleased with Him. Then He gives them instructions. This is not the first time He has given instructions to His creation. God tells Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and take care of His creation. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh so he can deliver His people. God gives Moses commandments for His people to follow. God tells Gideon that men who cup water with their hands must stay and fight. God tells Jeremiah to buy a waistband and place it near the Euphrates and allow the elements to deteriorate its value. Then God tells Jeremiah to wear it to show the nation their futile efforts in following other gods. God has given instructions to his creation on multiple occasions. God could have given another set of commandments to Peter, James, and John. The transfiguration is parallel to Moses on Mount Sinai. And instead of a brand new set of commandments, God gives them one! “Listen to Him.” In the first encounter, Moses brings down 10 boundary markers for God’s people to live by. The second encounter, God tells his people that if they do this one thing they will have the life God has intended for them to have. That’s it. Only one instruction. Only one commandment. The secret to life is wrapped up in the instruction God gives to Peter, James, and John. Listen to him. Our task is to listen to what Jesus told us to do. A lawyer asked Jesus the meaning of life and Jesus told him to love God with all of his heart, mind, and strength and love his neighbor as himself. Jesus' final instructions to his followers was to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything he commanded. If you want to have the life that God has always intended for you to have, listen to Jesus. Are you listening today?

Blessings,
 Pastor Jon Castillo

 Imagine the setting; you are floating on the Sea of Galilee. You are with your co-workers. Some are more experienced on the water than others. The wind put you out a considerable distance from the shore. You’ve had a long day at work and you are rocked to sleep by the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the boat. Around 3:00am, you are startled by one of your coworkers. “Hey, wake up!” You slowly gather your senses and realize what’s going on. Everyone is pointing and asking, “Do you see it?” “It’s right there,” they say. You can hear it in their voice, they are terrified. “It’s a ghost!” someone shouts.  It’s coming towards us!! Fear takes over your whole body. You’re paralyzed. You try your best to grab an oar, but you can’t. Then you hear a voice, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” You recognize the voice, but it doesn’t make sense. How could our Master be on the water? We are so far from shore, the wind was kicking up waves on our boat, and there was no appearance of another object that was keeping Him afloat. Then Peter yells, “If it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.” I heard it, but, seriously? Who does Peter think he is? He is not going to walk to our Master. He is posturing like he always does. And then, he does. His body told the story.  He walks to the edge of the boat. He takes one step on water. He stepped with caution. You could see when he was confident that He would not sink, he took the second step. The second step was wobbly, but firm. He did it! Peter was mirroring our Master. They were both doing something impossible. But it all changes in a split second. Peter began to sink. He had the same fear come over him as the rest of us. He yelled, “Lord, save me!” Our master reached out his hand and pulled him from the water. They both climbed in the boat. Peter was soaked. But, not humiliated. On the contrary, he was elated. He worshiped our Master. We all followed suit. We praised our Master. Looking back, at that evening we learned a lot. We all had no problem worshiping and praising our Master when he was in the boat. Only one of us had the courage to follow him in unchartered water! Are you only willing to worship your Master in a familiar setting? Or are you willing to follow Him in unchartered water?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

Raising children has its challenges. Especially, if you have a little tattle tail! No sibling likes being tattled on. There is a common agreement amongst sibling; avoid parental involvement at all costs! The sibling code is to handle all arguments internally. Keep as much away from your parents as possible. The tattle tale breaks ranks. They lay out all the information that was supposed to be secret. Siblings get angry at the tattle tale for that very reason; for bringing information to the light that was intended to be left in the dark. Matthew 12 tells us that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. What Jesus is telling us is our mouths are going to tattle on our hearts! We want things left in the dark. We want to handle things internally. We don’t want anyone to know what we’ve done. And then boom, we open our mouths!! Guess what comes out… all the stuff we didn’t want anyone to know. We try to compensate for our insecurities. We wear a mask and hope people do not look too close. We want people to think we are secure and mature. But, then our mouths tattle on us. The moment we start to gossip we tell everyone how insecure we are. We tattle on our own insecurity by highlighting others. We tattle on our jealousy by putting down others’ success. We are scared of being judged so we judge others. Our mouths are tattling on our hearts everyday. The only thing that is going to come out of our mouth is what is stored up in our hearts. According to Jeremiah, our hearts are so twisted and self absorbed that it is impossible to set straight. What is in our heart is going to come out. So, the only thing we can do is have a heart transplant. Jesus tells Nicodemus that his heart of stone must be made into a heart of flesh. The system is set. You are going to be tattled on. There is no hiding from it. It is good or bad. Either good fruit or bad fruit. We can’t help it. It will happen all by itself. Your mouth is going to show others who you are. Your mouth is going to tattle on how forgiving you are. Your mouth is going to tattle how you are full of grace. You mouth is going to tattle how much you give others the benefit of the doubt. Your mouth is going to tattle how much joy you have in your heart. What is your mouth going to tattle on you today?

In Christ, Pastor Jon

What do you do? This is the question that's asked of you right after someone learns your name. It helps people figure out who you are. Our identity is tied to so many things, but our job often defines us. In the book, Emotional Survival in Law Enforcement, the author actually gives sound advice for officers to make a conscious decision to make friends with people outside their profession. Why? Because it is unhealthy to define one's life by what you do. If your job goes south, so does your identity. If you are passed up for a promotion, you will automatically suffer emotional turmoil. You will begin to doubt and question your place in the world. The only way to help us overcome this common trap is to place our Identity in Christ, and Christ alone. The last stanza of the popular hymn shows us how important it is to place our identity in Christ and the peace that comes when we do. We are no longer threatened from any outside influence. We no longer have to compete to keep our significance in the world. Christ offers a peace that puts our fears and insecurities to rest for good. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us we are new creations. As new creations we are free to live as Christ intended us to live.

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the pow'r of Christ in me

From Life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No pow'r of hell, 

No scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand

'Til He returns or calls me home

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

In Christ, Pastor Jon

On my run the other day, I noticed my neighbor's tree. The tree’s roots had grown so much that it cracked the surrounding planter. At first thought, I was bummed for the planter and the person who installed it. I imagined the hard work it took to carefully place each brick and the time it took to mix the cement. I imagined what it must have felt like to have completed a job well done that beautified the front yard. Then, to see all your hard work go to waste because of roots. It must have been discouraging to say the least. But, then a deeper spiritual principal hit me. The roots did what they were designed to do. The bricks were an attempt to hinder the roots growth. The planter was like a prison wall trying to siphon off the potential ways the roots could grow. The planter was very much like the lies of the enemy. The purpose of the lie is to limit growth. When we believe the lie that God does not love us because of something we did, it stunts our growth. When we believe the lie that we are not as valuable as our neighbor, our roots dry up. But, the image that stood out to me was the root cracking and breaking through the planter. The roots grew so big and sunk so deep that the planter could no longer hold the roots. That is what it is like when we begin to believe our identity is solely in Christ and Christ alone. When we believe the truth that Jesus loves you, you will no longer be imprisoned by the enemy’s lies. When you believe the truth that you are saved by grace, hand crafted and have been given an eternal purpose, then no bricks will be strong enough to hold you in. Neil T. Anderson has a helpful list of helping people find out who they are in Christ. Neil breaks our identity down into three categories: 1) We are accepted. 2) We are secure. And 3) We are significant. We experience acceptance. We live a life free from the fear of being rejected. When we are secure in our relationships, jealousy and insecurity evaporate. And when we recognize our eternal inherent value and worth, we no longer build our identity on what other people tell us. When we believe what God’s word says about us, our roots grow so deep that it will break any barrier trying to limit our growth. I pray your identity is rooted in Christ and continues to break through the lies of the enemy.

In Christ, Pastor Jon

I remember purchasing my first cell phone. I was stunned to find out it came with a two year contract. All the “What if” questions came to my mind. What if there is some terrible tragedy that would happen and I can’t pay? Do they repossess my phone like they would my car? Does a big scary guy come and take my phone right out of my pocket? What if a better phone came out while I was still in my contract? Two years is long time. To be honest with you, I think every time I mention about getting involved in a ministry all the “What ifs” run through your mind as well. What if I am not good enough? What if I say something wrong? What if I don’t like serving in that ministry? Will I get kicked out if I am not good at it? How long do I have to serve? Is this a life sentence? All valid questions. But, we forget Jesus gave us the freedom of a Costco return policy. In John 1, Andrew asked Jesus where he was staying and Jesus replied, “Come and See.” Jesus did not ask for a two year commitment from Andrew. Just a willingness to see what it was all about. Andrew would later follow Jesus’ invitation to a life long apprenticeship, but the first thing he had to do was to see what it was all about. I ask that you follow in Andrew’s footsteps. Be willing to see what serving is all about. You will not be asked to sign a two year commitment. You will not get kicked out of church. All I ask is that you be willing to “Come and See.” It will be like the free samples at Costco. Just try one. If you don’t like, great. If you do, great. Just be willing to see. When Jesus answered Andrew, he wanted to know if Andrew wanted to see. And the only way to find out was to follow Jesus. I pray that you are willing to see what Jesus is doing. All you have to do is show up one time. If you like, great. If you don’t, great. 

Just be willing. 

In Christ, Pastor Jon