RESURRECTION LIVING

Here is the page that goes along with our online devotional with Pastor Scott called “Resurrection Living”. We hope these online devotionals are a blessing to you! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram.

MISSION CRITICAL - Part 1 - Notes from our Midweek Series on Evangelism and Outreach

MISSION CRITICAL - Sharing Our Faith With Others - WEEK 1 - The Call

KEY TEXT: 1 PETER 3:15 (NLT) - “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

-Mission Critical (def.) - a piece that is vital to the functioning of an organization.

-What are the KEY parts of our Christian Faith? What are the pieces and practices that are MISSION CRITICAL? 

-Sharing our faith (what we commonly call “evangelism”) might be the piece that you could say “keeps the MISSION in MOTION.”

-It is the vital, driving force that keeps the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ’s death/burial/resurrection) spreading to others who have not received it.

-Evangelism (def.) - the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.

A DYING ART

-the statistics tell us that a majority of Christians BELIEVE sharing our faith with others is a vital part of their personal faith, but we’re increasingly unsure of the PRACTICE of actually DOING IT! 

SHARE THIS: Like most of the RIGHT things in life, we KNOW we need to do them, but they’re the HARDEST things TO DO! 

Ready—but Not Willing—to Talk About Faith - Barna Group February 5, 2019
Almost all practicing Christians believe that part of their faith means being a witness about Jesus (ranging from 95% to 97% among all generational groups), and that the best thing that could ever happen to someone is for them to know Jesus (94% to 97%). Millennials in particular feel equipped to share their faith with others. For instance, almost three-quarters say they know how to respond when someone raises questions about faith (73%), and that they are gifted at sharing their faith with other people (73%). This is higher than any other generational group: Gen X (66%), Boomers (59%) and Elders (56%).

Despite this, many Millennials are unsure about the actual practice of evangelism. Almost half of Millennials (47%) agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith. This is compared to a little over one-quarter of Gen X (27%), and one in five Boomers (19%) and Elders (20%). (Though Gen Z teens were not included in this study, their thoroughly  post-Christian posture will likely amplify this stance toward evangelism.)

2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-7 (NKJV) - (read) 

-we have to come to an understanding of our PLACE in this world as believers…we are LIGHT to those in darkness. 

-the word LOST should send a shiver down your spine and a powerful thought into your mind that YOU are called to reach the LOST! 

-you have the ANSWER, you have the MESSAGE, you have the CURE, you are the LIGHT to this world! 

THEY’RE SEARCHING

-A common excuse is this, “people just DON’T WANT IT.”

-When asked if they are “curious about what the Bible says” 66% of those polled said they agree. (Barna Reseach)

-that means if you’re at a party with 20 people, 12 of them would be open to talking about the Bible! 

-Yet only about 50% of born again Christians say they’ve actively shared their faith with someone in the past year. (Barna Research)

-36% of millennial non-Christians said, “I am interested in learning more about Christianity and what it could mean for my life.” 

-If you’re sitting down to lunch with three coworkers or classmates (ages 23-39), at least ONE of them is actually interested in the Gospel and how it could impact their life. If we’re really honest, the other two are interested also, they may be too prideful to admit it. 

-Henry Ford once said, 'If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, “A faster horse!”' People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” 

-Part of the human experience is a “SEARCH FOR MEANING” or a deep look within the soul to find their purpose. The natural process of that SEARCH is: 1. Why am I here? 2. I don’t know. But if I knew HOW I got here, I’d have some insight. 3. How did I get here? (how were the worlds formed, where did it all come from, was it accidental or created by intelligent design, God). 4. There must be a God who created the universe. 5. Does He really love me? How can I know this? 

OUR HIGHEST CALLING 

-if you never make a million dollars, never own a home, never get married or have children…if you never leave the county you were born in, you would be considered GREAT if you were a SOUL-WINNER!

-winning other souls to Jesus Christ is the highest calling and part of the journey of every believer. 

PROVERBS 11:30 (NKJV) - The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

-So let’s get ACTIVE in sharing our stories and struggles, encouraging others to open the Bible with us, winning others to Jesus, and seeing their lives grow in faith. 

PRACTICE: 

1. What is stopping me from sharing my faith? Pray against it and declare faith over it: “Lord Jesus, I come against the __________ that is keeping me from sharing my faith and winning souls to you. I declare a new boldness and courage. I am a soul-winner in the name of Jesus Christ!”

2. Be intentional this week about using your time with others to share your story (look for the openings in conversations). Use your social media to share something from church, a Scripture, or an invite. Text or call someone and invite them to coffee/lunch. 

The NEW Coast House in Montalvo

Well, if you haven't been following us on Instagram (you totally should, here) you've been missing out on all the updates about what God is doing through Coast Church. Earlier this month we received the keys to our new storefront location in Bristol Center, located in the Montalvo neighborhood of Ventura. We've been doing some remodeling (huge thank you to everyone who has been donating financially and with their time to make this a possibility) and getting the building ready for our GRAND OPENING APRIL 1st, RESURRECTION SUNDAY. 

It has been a trying time for us at Coast since the Thomas Fire in Ventura and then losing our lease at the previous location...BUT GOD has opened up an incredible door for us to serve our community here in Montalvo. It is clearly evident that God wants a vibrant, life-giving, multicultural, generous, Spirit filled/led, multigenerational, and creative church here in Ventura. We aim to be that church and we strive to be a place where people BELONG. BELIEVE. BECOME. 

From fresh texture, new fixtures, a sparkling coat of paint, and refinished epoxy floors...our volunteer team has been making the new Coast House beautiful and inviting. We will also have a brand new Coast Kids room ready for our children to learn all about God's great love in Sunday School. As we move into the new location we're looking forward to resuming our Current Youth Nights (middle and high school student gatherings with music, preaching, prayer, and a lot of fun), launching an after school program, substance abuse/recovery classes, Bible studies, music and creative workshops, leadership sessions, and more.

Can you do us a huge favor? Help spread the word, share this blogpost on your social, text a friend and invite them. We want everyone to know about Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that is changing lives in our community. See you on Resurrection Sunday for TWO GATHERINGS at 10:00am and 1:00pm 

Current Youth Nights || LAUNCH

We love our middle school and high school students from all around Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Carpinteria, Ojai, Camarillo, Calabasas, and beyond Ventura County.  This FREE youth event is for them to have a safe, positive place to hang out on the weekend, a chance to win some awesome giveaways (Herschel backpacks, Neff backpacks, gift cards, Curren Caples Flip skateboard, etc.), and hear an inspiring message that can radically change their lives and make an impact in their world for Jesus.  

We believe there is more than just another youth group being formed here in Ventura, we believe there is a MOVEMENT of youth who want to see their world impacted by the Gospel.  Join us and help spread the word.  

The Question Every Christian Should Be Asking When it Comes to Injustice

How do you respond to something that is so tragic, so terrible, so littered with injustice that it makes your blood boil?  We see injustices multiple times per day in our social media feeds, on the news, and we talk about it in our circles of friends.  We’ve almost become immune to them.  Am I the only one who has caught themselves scanning past a photo of dead bodies and acting like “that’s normal” when it is really not?  

What in the world is happening?  How do we respond to EVERY injustice with equality?  Do we choose one cause and fight for it or do we spend our lives chasing the wind of every injustice upon this earth?  I believe Jesus gave us answers with His life and teaching that resonate so loudly still today.  Our generation is wanting to make a difference, we want to fight for justice…but we simply can’t find the answer no matter how hard we try.  It could be that the reason for that is because we are asking the wrong question?  

Can I do something to make a change?  So we act in rage.  We cuss.  We destroy things.  We pit race against race.  We make it one-sided.  We fight eye-for-eye.  We face violence with violence, murder with murder.  And in the midst of all of this we overlook what’s really happening…DIVISION.  We are being divided into categories and groups, not united behind causes and purpose.  We are divided into fighting for one injustice that the media makes into a headline while we overlook multiple injustices i.e.. the bloodshed in Chicago’s streets, ISIS rampage in Iraq this past week, political scandals, freedoms being taken away from us left and right, etc. (some of which may even have greater implications than the injustice we are fighting for).

Since the Garden of Eden, the devil’s tactic has always been “divide and conquer.”  Don’t fall into his games.  Know his subtle ways of attack.  He knows and understands that a UNITED group of Christ followers is the most powerful form that he will ever face.  He knows he can’t take our power (1 John 4:4 (KJV) - Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.), but if he divides us up into so many little fractions we will become weak.  

Jesus didn’t go to a cross, die a horrible death, rise again after three days, and pour out His Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost for white people.  He didn’t do it for black people either.  He didn’t do it for a single, particular group of people…it was for ALL PEOPLE.  He died for ALL, that ALL might come to find life and purpose in Christ!  When we unite our power becomes synergistic.   

So the question we should be asking is this, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER?  Jesus showed us that when we simply address the “temporary symptom” and not the “eternal cause” we will fail every single time.  If you’re a Christ follower, if you believe your Bible, if you call yourself a Christian then you will understand that violence, hatred, malice, name-calling, keyboard fighting on Facebook, etc. will never address the root cause of injustice.  

Jesus led like this: 

-1 Peter 2:21-25 (NLT)  “21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 22He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.  23He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.  He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.  24He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.  By his wounds you are healed. 25Once you were like sheep who wandered away.  But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls".

Have you ever heard of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested?  He asked his friends to pray with Him that night (guys like Peter, James, John, etc. who actually wrote books of our Bible) and they fell asleep while Jesus prayed such fervent prayers that He actually began to bleed (this is an actual medical condition called “hematidrosis”).  When they woke up Jesus was arrested and the Roman soldiers took Him away.  As they did so, Peter grabs a sword and chops off the ear of one of the Roman soldiers.  Immediately Jesus goes to the ground, picks up the ear and replaces it with a supernatural healing touch on the guard…just like new.  

What can we learn from this when we flail at our attempts to correct injustice?  Was Jesus perfect?  Yes.  Was Jesus guilty of the charges against Him?  No.  In our society and culture we would be cheering on Peter right?  We would be hailing him as a hero who fought against the racism (yes, that was happening against Jewish people long before the Holocaust) of the Roman Empire, the injustice of the corrupt ruling government, and we would put his name in lights for starting a revolution…except Jesus didn’t do that.  He actually REBUKED Peter and called him “Satan” (the name of the devil).  Wow!  What?  Was Jesus actually on the side of the evil government?  Is this some big conspiracy shrouded beyond the curtain of the Illuminati?  No and no!  

JESUS SHOWED US A BETTER WAY (actually, before the church was called the “church” and before we were called “Christians” we were called “the way”).  Jesus addressed the cause of the injustice: THE CONDITION of the HUMAN SOUL.  Which in turn, was the same reason that Peter acted out of rage against the Roman soldier.  Peter was acting out of insecurity.  Peter knew that he failed miserably by falling asleep in the prayer meeting so he tried to take matters into his own hands.  Jesus rebuked him so hard for this that nobody who reads it forgets His words.  

Christians: stop acting like hatred for hatred, violence for violence, rage for rage, eye for an eye, etc. actually works.  We should know better.  Stop trying to cover up our “PRAYERLESNESS” with an act of “social justice.”  Stop acting like what you’re doing is working.  It’s not.  You’re not making a difference with your outrage on Facebook.  You’re not changing the world when you change your profile photo.  Your hashtags are not changing anything.  Can we just have an honest moment as Christians in 2016?  We are failing miserably at “Christianing” and that is why we are not seeing injustice answered with justice.

Do you really want to know how JUSTICE IS SERVED?  Do you really want to see radical change?  Can we go back to Acts and look at the example that Christ left for us (the original church) to follow in His footsteps?  Because they SAW JUSTICE!  They were actually accused of TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN (Acts 17:6).  Our actions of insecurity that mask our inability to “Christian” are not doing what these humble, powerful people did in the first century.      

How did they do it?  There were TWO THINGS that the Christians were known for that absolutely flew in the face of injustice in their day:  SUPERNATURAL PRAYER and COUNTERCULTURAL LIFESTYLES.

The early church would pray in the name of Jesus and they would see supernatural miracles.  They would pray and sometimes they wouldn’t see miracles (Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8), but they still trusted in God’s WAYS above their ways.  You cannot call yourself a Christian and take things “out of God’s hand” and “into your own hands.”  That is precisely what FAITH is all about.  Even when it doesn’t make sense (Jesus being arrested), even when the party is completely innocent (Jesus on the cross), even when there is no evidence (Jesus being pardoned by Pontius Pilate)…we STILL TRUST IN HIS WAYS above our ways.    

Professional skateboarder Steven Caballero dabbled in Buddhism and even atheism but he found fulfillment in Christ and he said this, “being a Christian is the most punk-rock thing you can do in our modern society, it is totally against the culture.”  Christians in Acts were noticed because they lived counter-culturally.  Is part of our outrage against injustice due to the guilt that we feel from being “too much like everyone else?”  I’m not saying these early Christians were perfect, but they were different.  In a day and age where “anything goes” with Christians are we really making an impact against injustice?  

The Acts church saw babies being deposited in the trash on the streets and they saw those babies being picked up by pimps who turned them into child sex-slaves, so what did they do?  Did they march on Rome?  Did they hashtag until their thumbs were bruised?  No they were led by the Holy Spirt and they adopted these orphans.  What happened next was that people in their community took notice of their LOVE (not hate for hate) and they became Christians.  Then guess what?  They started doing the same thing!  

The early church saw orphans living in the streets (modern day answer for this in America is kids who have two parents working that are never at home) and they saw widows who were starving and couldn’t make ends meet (modern day answer for this is the single mom trying to make it work on one income) and what did the Christians do?  Did they start blaming the tax-collectors who were corrupt?  Did they start campaigning for a particular candidate to become the new emperor?  Did they spew vitriol and hatred from their mouths?  NO, they ACTED in GENEROSITY that could only flow from the Holy Spirit living inside of them.  They gave generously to others, to the cause, to the Way. They actually sold their belongings to give to others.  They trusted in God’s way of doing things above what “made sense.”

I sum things up with some probing questions for those of you who have been impacted by these words:  Does your Christianity resemble that of the early church in Acts or does your Christianity resemble something you’ve made up in your mind, influenced by culture?  Are you doing anything to UNITE or are you saying things to DIVIDE?  I ask all of you who are reading this and call yourselves “CHRISTIANS” or even if you want to start calling yourself a Christian, to take a deep look at the Scripture (our guide) and make sure you’re living a life that mirrors the Word and not the culture.  

My deepest hope is that these words don’t offend you, but that they inspire you to truly see JUSTICE and to fight for something greater than the temporary.  We don’t need another temporary fix, we need an eternal answer and that is only found in God’s justice.  

Practical Application:

I always try to offer some practical things that Christians can do when I speak or write, so here you go:  A Christian response to tragic injustices.  

1. Organize a prayer march (it doesn’t have to be a huge, city-wide campaign, it can be just you and some friends).  Go to neighborhood that has a different ethnic makeup and pray prayers of unity, understanding, hope, faith, and love.  Some of you may be saying, “really, prayer, that’s the answer?”  If you don’t believe int he power of prayer, don’t call yourself a “believer.”  Prayer is more powerful than violence.  Prayer breaks down more strongholds than hatred ever can, even if the hate is warranted.  Prayer is our greatest weapon, use it.  
2. Invest in communities affected by injustice.  Whether it be in Africa, Cambodia, India, in your neighborhood or in a neighboring community you can find ways to invest in areas that are underserved, overlooked and blighted by the system.  Remember, God is greater than the system and He wants to use you to prove it!  Start a Bible club for kids.  Volunteer to coach a little league team.  Organize a park clean-up day. 
3. Build relationships with people who are different than you.  We act in rage against the things/people that we don’t understand.  Intentionally building relationships with others who are not like you (upbringing, skin color, etc.) will help you understand the struggle of being in someone else’s shoes.   

Much love to all, Pastor Scott A. Shoemake, Coast Church Ventura

Ventura Beach Clean-up X Coast Church

DO SOMETHING! Join us for beach clean-up over the holiday weekend (4th of July). We'll be going out in the mornings and evenings on several days to keep the trash out of our oceans. Sign up below in the comments section, email us or tex to 805-215-3558 and let us know what day/time you'd like to join us. More info forthcoming. 

STORIES from the Coast

Juan H. teaching the Current Youth Movement in Oxnard, CA. 

As a new church in Ventura, CA (a church plant started in early 2015) we have intentionally focused on STORIES.  In particular, we are focusing on seeing Jesus write incredible stories for people who may not have been writing the best chapters previously.  

Juan is one such story (you can see him teaching our Current Youth in the photo above).  We started teaching Juan our Starting Point Bible studies before we even had our first Sunday gathering.  Without going into all of the details, Juan had been through some tough pages of life and he was wanting to rebound in a big way.  He was at a place of going "ALL IN" for Christ.  I'll never forget the afternoon when we baptized Juan in the Pacific Ocean in Ventura.  I'll never forget the night he received the Holy Spirit.  It's been so cool to see the pages unfold in a life when the pen is handed over to the Author. 

In the fall of 2015 Juan felt to start a Bible study at his apartment complex in north Oxnard so we discussed some ways of going about this.  We had an open house, meet and greet night and a bunch of young people showed up.  It was pretty obvious that there was an open door to reach the youth in the area so we started having a weekly Bible study there in Oxnard, CA.  The STORY is still unfolding but we've seen these young people touched by the Scripture, we've seen them learn how to pray, how to read their Bibles, and even how to share their faith with others.  

What started with one man wanting to turn his life around has turned into a group of 15-20 young people meeting every Wednesday evening to learn about Jesus Christ and now they are turning their lives around.  The STORY is where it counts and we value every STORY that God is working in.  

P.S.  If you feel moved to partner with us financially, we are currently raising funds to purchase a van to transport youth and the disabled to Sunday gatherings, special events, etc.  You can read more information just a few blogposts down and you can always click the "GIVE" option up top.  Thank you and God bless you, Pastor Scott 

The ASCEND Series || Guest Speaker: Jerry Menchaca

There are TWO reasons that you should be at Coast Church this Sunday: ONE: Pastor Jerry Menchaca (Santa Barbara, CA) will be joining us at our 4:00pm gathering and bringing a message of hope from the Scripture.  He will also be sharing some of personal story of a life filled with a broken home, drugs, gangs, prison, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ impacted him and put him on the ASCENT!  TWO: this may be our last Sunday at our current facility on Telegraph Rd.  We are still working out all of the details and hope to bring some big news soon.  Hope to see you there: 4:00pm Sunday at 4300 Telegraph Rd. Ventura.  www.CoastChurch.com for more info.  #belongbelievebecome #coastchurch #ccventura #vta #ventura #weloveventura #jesuslovesventura #faithhopelove #timetoascend #venturachurch 

David and Goliath - The Most Powerful Part of the Story You've Been Missing All Along

What has been a "built up frustration" in 2015 and what are you planning on doing in 2016 to overcome it?  Tune in next week (or better yet, join us on Sunday at 4:00pm in Ventura, CA) to see how one Bible story shows us how we can grow BETTER instead of BITTER.