Back – John Markum

Re:Church

Posted on August 22, 2011 by johnmarkum

Edgewood is very excited to bring a new event beginning on the weekend of September 17-18. In all 3 of our adult services (as well as Elevate, our youth service on Sun. 10:45am) we are bringing the focus back on church. A lot of people get out of church for many reasons:

Had a bad experience.
Got busy.
Got bored.
Got hurt…

And there are so many distractions, pressures, and priorities pulling us in every direction. Over and over in the Bible, we see God with this habit of not throwing things away. He recycles, restores, and rebuilds. This fall, it’s time to rediscover the God who has never once given up on you. Join us, and return to a church that wants to help you reconnect with God.

We’re believing God to do powerful things in many, many peoples lives this fall. If you haven’t been in church for awhile, we want to welcome you back for another look. We believe you’ll be surprised by what you find. If you are already in church, then this is a great opportunity to bring a friend with you. People reach people.

Begin praying now, and inviting others to experience God at Edgewood for Re:Church!

Blessings,

John

Bizarre Memories from my Childhood…

Posted on August 7, 2011 by johnmarkum

I saw a facebook post by one of my friends that made me remember some mildly suppressed details from my growing-up years. So here are some bizarre facts that I recalled today. Parents out there, this is descriptive not prescriptive. I do not suggest your kid do most of these things. Mom and Dad, none of this is intended to incriminate you!

Driving with Dad: Long before Brittney Spears was making headlines for doing it, my father had me in his lap in the driver’s seat of the car steering it down the road. Every 7 year old today would be jealous!
Helmet-less Bike Riding: You would think we were really living on the edge by today’s standards.
Catching/Killing Snakes: I was blessed to grow up, in part, among the well forested hills of Georgia. My Dad was an Army Ranger. So my friends and I would often go off in the woods to scout the “enemy base,” devise attack plans, and come back with their snake minions as hostages. G.I. Joe was popular then too, so “King Cobra” may have had some influence on the obsession with killing snakes.
Riding in the back of a pickup: I know it’s not that safe, but man was it fun! I’m pretty sure it’s still legal to do this in at least 10 states; all of which are below the Mason-Dixon line.
Using your Fists: Ok, look… I was not some kind of big brawling bully! But both my parents taught me that there were times that physical force was required. Real men don’t walk away from every fight. We just don’t fight over the wrong stuff. I actually got in trouble once for running away from a kid that said he was going to hit me. My father taught me to avoid fights when I could, but to stand up for myself when I couldn’t. I only had to use what he taught me on a handful of occasions. Well, then there was junior high, but… nevermind…
Drinking from Garden Hoses: I only find this so peculiar now because of the overwhelming popularity of bottled water and home water purifying systems today. By contrast, it’s really funny to me!
Chicken Pox: I distinctly remember getting chicken pox as a 4 year old. Now, kids get vaccinated at 4 weeks old. Lucky!

All that, and my generation still survived! So it wasn’t “5 miles, uphill, through the snow, both ways” kind of stuff, but still! My grandkids will think I’m older than Moses when I tell them these things and more. But by then, I’ll get to drive a space ship around on auto pilot anyway. So who cares! And Mom and Dad… As far as I’m concerned, these things made you GREAT parents anyway! Thanks for not smothering me (too much) as a kid!

Blessings,

John

If you haven’t been to church in awhile, I hope you read this.

Posted on August 5, 2011 by johnmarkum

In ministry, we constantly see people come and go. On one hand, we have to focus on the people who will come, who will listen, who we can reach. But on the other hand, we love the people who haven’t been around. We long to see everyone growing in Christ, finding healing, and getting connected to others on the same spiritual journey. They are important to us, because we believe in the potential God has placed in them. And when we are being the church, God’s love is suppose to be flowing into us, overflowing, and pouring out on to others.

If you, or someone you know, has gotten out of the habit of being in church there are a variety of reasons you may have for not being there. Without a doubt most of them are good reasons and sound perfectly logical. So I’m not going to argue whether you have good reasons to miss or not. Instead let me give you a few reasons to come back. And not just show up again, but really get connected and belong. And if you do not have a church, or have been looking for a place to worship, I hope you’ll consider LifeCity Church, here in Santa Clara, CA…

It feels right – You know you would have a clearer conscious. If you truly belong to Christ, then there is a Holy Conscience inside of you telling you that you need to come back and be connected.
Worship – I missed church a week ago because I had family in town. The week I returned, I realized how much I missed our worship on Saturdays. Not just the songs. I could listen to most of them at home on my own. But I missed singing with my church and worshiping together with them. It’s something powerful!
The Word – By the teaching and preaching of the Bible, God challenges us. Yes, you can/should read the Bible on your own. No, that is not enough.
Relationships – You need people. People need you. You are a part of a whole. When you’re gone, the whole suffers. And so do you. We grow closer to God when we grow closer to each other. (John 17)
Purpose – You get to use your time and talents to be a part of helping other people reach their full potential in Christ. Every ministry plays a significant part, and you get the opportunity to unite your potential with that of others.

Come to church… I know you probably have a legitimate reason for being gone. But you’re missing out! God is alive and doing powerful things in His church. I know here at LifeCity, this Fall season is going to be epic! And the rest of this summer is building up for it.

Instead of finding a reason not to be there, challenge yourself to make a way to come back. In fact, just get back in church this weekend. Be ready to have a front-row seat to see what God is going to do! You’ll be blessed for making it!

Blessings,
Pastor John