Pantano Christian Church

It is just amazing to see what we as a church can do together. Let me just share 3 huge projects we have done and are doing together.

First, the Towne Hall (TH) remodeling is almost 100% finished. Take a minute on the weekend to peak in and see what we have accomplished this summer.

This is truly a multi-purpose room. On Sunday mornings this is where our student services are held. We are averaging about 200 middle school and high school students. On Friday nights, our Celebrate Recovery meets in TH. This is a gathering of just over 100 people recovering from various kinds of hurts, habits and hang-ups. Our newest Saturday pm service called Elements meets in TH.

Then there are various other groups and training events that use this room. One example is our free math tutoring that serves over 60 high school students every week. TH is used every day. TH is now equipped with state of the art sound and video systems (you have to see and hear it to believe it!). There’s plenty of room, a café, a pool table and lots of other kinds of fun stuff. It’s just a great room!

Thanks to the over 225 volunteers who worked through the very hot summer. What a great group of people – from the young students to many retired folks. Thanks to the many who not only donated their time and effort, but to those who donated goods and funds.

So TOGETHER, with all the volunteer hours, gifts and donated goods, we saved over $380,000!!!! The Towne Hall renovation, including sound and video equipment, cost us $164,000. Had we contracted this project out, it would have cost us over $545,000. Wow, that’s the power of together.

Second, this Saturday we’ll see Pantano at work again on Make a Difference Day. We’ll be making a difference throughout Tucson.

Finally, this weekend I’ll be talking about another really significant project that we can all do together to make a huge impact on our world. We are calling it Free & Clear – Advancing the Kingdom.

God is so good. God is leading us in wonderful ways. What a privilege to walk along side Pantano Christian Church folks who give, serve and sacrifice for others. I love this church! I love it when God’s people come together to make something amazing happen.

Together to make a difference,

Glen

The Bible opens with the first game of hide and seek. Adam and Eve sinned, felt shame for their wrong doing (that’s the putting fig leaves to cover their nakedness part) and hid from God. God came seeking them. They did wrong, ran and hid, but God came seeking them – wow!

In Jesus, God changed the rules of the game dramatically. He still continues to seek those who have sinned and are lost. But when Jesus finds us or we find Jesus or we find ourselves in Jesus (All three happen!) the game changes. Previously the “game” was that we hide from God, he finds us (or some variation of that) and we are found. Now, we find ourselves found and then in Christ, God hides us! Let me say it again, we no longer hide from God when we are in Jesus, but we are hidden in Jesus. How does that work? Look at Colossians 3:3.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Without Jesus we stand before God naked in our sin and we are ashamed (or should be if we are not masking it). We cannot hide our sin from God. But in Christ, our sin is now hidden.

What does it mean to be hidden with Christ in God? Wow, that is a great verse to meditate and ruminate on. It is deep! Here’s a few (but not an exhaustive list) of the profound realities of being hidden in Christ:

• Our sin is hidden by Jesus and we do not have to fear punishment. When God looks at us he sees not our sin, but the Jesus who covers us.
• Being hidden in Jesus is another way of saying we are surrounded by him.
• Being enveloped in Jesus means we have nothing to fear, like a mother that covers her child from bad things.
• Being surrounded by Jesus assures us we are not alone and never will be alone.
• In John 15 Jesus labels being “hidden” as “abiding.” He says that when we are hidden or abide (remain), we produce spiritual fruit.

I’ll bet you can think of some more things too. After you’ve spent some time reflecting on this idea of being hidden in Christ, I’d love to hear how you understand and experience this remarkable reality and amazing mystery.

This is the heart of real Christianity – being found and then hidden, covered, surrounded and enveloped in Jesus. If we are hidden in Christ, what do others see? They see Jesus first. My greatest desire in this life is for others to see Jesus first. That is my daily prayer. May we all learn to stay hidden in Jesus that other’s might see Jesus first.

Glen

I confess that I highly value being self-competent. I’m so stinking independent it embarrasses me. If there’s a challenge in front of me I’ll go for it, determined to fix it or blow it up. I can easily work God right out of the picture.

God has decided it is time to address this. I love how God changes me (and I’ll bet this is true of you too). He doesn’t just give me one message; he gives me multiple messages as he knows I can easily miss the first and second one.

The message from God is simple and clear – let go and let Me. God is calling me to deeper dependence and the starting place is to engage in longer, more focused prayer. He specifically is asking me to spend no less than an hour a day in prayer. There are a few prayer giants around that would laugh at that petty amount, but for this highly energetic, self-sufficient, self-competent independent pastor, an hour is a great start.

As I shared that with our staff and Leadership Team, I discovered that God has been saying the same thing to them. So we as a whole staff have committed to praying together. It is so good.

We are facing some spiritual mountains. I’m fully confident that our vision and goals have come from God thus they are God sized spiritual mountains. We face a mountain starting a new church in Sierra Vista. We have regular requests to start churches in the Sahuarita/Green Valley area, on the west side and in Benson.

We face a spiritual mountain to see the 29th Street corridor neighborhood transformed in every way.

We face huge challenges to make budget and to pay off our mortgage debt. And that’s just some of the mountains. They are way bigger than me or you or all of us together.

So God, in his gentle but firm way, reminded me that moving these spiritual mountains is not my job but His. Twice Jesus said if we trust him (have faith) we can say to this or that mountain “Move!” He said nothing is impossible. He said: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (See Mt. 17:20 and 21:21).

I believe God wants to use us to change the world, but he is the one who does the work and it really is as simple as just showing up (see John 4:35-38 and Mt. 9:37, 38). The spiritual harvest is ready. God will do the work. God is at work. We pray.

Dependent on him to make the world different,

Glen

Jesus says to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). That’s a tall order. We all have folks that don’t like us. We have people who have hurt us. Some of us are victims of abuse, lies and intentional attempts to destroy us. Some of us have experienced the incredible pain of betrayal. How can we love people who clearly want the worse for us? Then add to that our own prejudices and weaknesses (and we all have them). It is really hard to love our enemies. How? In real life, how can I do this? If Jesus tells me to do it, it must be possible. How?

It is obvious there are no simple or easy answers. I happen to have a job (which I love) where I’ve managed to create a few enemies. I avoided for many years God’s call to be a lead pastor because I knew that I would have to face “enemies” in that role. While it is intellectually comforting to know that I’m in the same place Jesus was (He made a few enemies didn’t he!), it still does not take away the emotional pain. But here are some ways I’ve found that help put and keep me in a place where I can actually forgive people and love them.

• Don’t allow your mind to focus and dwell on your enemies and their actions or words. One way I’ve done this is committing to immediately pray for my enemies when they come to mind. Part of that prayer is to release them to God and let go of dwelling on them.
• Refuse to try and figure out how to change them and give up that project.
• Remember that hurting people hurt. Pray for them, asking God to heal their hurt.
• Remember that our enemy is never of flesh and blood. Behind every human “enemy” there is the Evil One who wants to destroy our “enemy” and destroy us. Refuse to allow the Devil to hurt you through someone else.
• Live in the reality that Jesus will NEVER abandon us. He’s always for us. He’s forgiven us and our enemies long before we even thought to do it. He will never turn on us or wish us ill-will. And when we must face our “enemies,” he is there with us. I’ve been amazed at the power of the simple prayer remembering that Jesus is with me before meeting an enemy. I’ve experienced fear and anger leave me in that moment of prayer.
• Maintain conviction in your cause and allow that to keep your courage strong. Don’t back down from what God is calling you to do and be because of an “enemy.” Again, Satan uses “enemies” to distract us from obedience to Jesus.

These are not intended to come across as “simple answers” to a complex challenge. These are some paths that have helped me. I’d love to hear some of the ways God has worked in your life to help you forgive and love and pray for your enemies.

Together on the journey of learning to love,

Glen