A family who is life long friends of my family just lost their 25 year old son. They really need our prayers at this time. It is always terrible when someone so young leaves so early. I don’t have any answers but I know God is in control.
I’m having the huge honour to help out with the funeral and I pray it will give hope and comfort to everyone coming.
This inspiers me to live life at it’s full potential everyday. Everyday is a gift from God and an opportunity to touch peoples lives. Let’s make our days count for something far beyond ourselves!
I am committed to change people’s concept of church. Sometimes it feels like the everyday persons perspective of church is not very good. They think it’s not relevant to them, or that church is just for christians. That you have to be a “good” person to go to church. That church is boring, unattractive and old.
When church works the way it should it is a place where people can experience love in a way they will not do anywhere else, where they feel welcomed based on their value as a human being not based on looks, values, beliefs or performance in life. Where true and lifelong friendships can be build.
But most of all, a place where they can find the God who are on their side, full of love, hope and life. Ready to take them in to a relationship who ever they are or if the feel they deserve it or not.
Our job as a church is to create that enviroment and atmosphere. To make church attractive, open and relevant. In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says: “Now that I placed you on a hill top: shine! Live open lives, by opening up to others you prompt people to open up to God, this generous Father in heaven”. That’s our job.
Last night in church we had alot of first time visitors and several people got made a desicion to open up to God in their life. They got saved as we say in church. When the service was over this young good looking man came up to me and thanked me for the servive. He used many innovative swear words. It made me very happy, I laughed as he was laying it out. I rather hear them swear in church that outside, because then at least we have the right kind of people finding church and God.
I just enjoyed some great teaching from Ps Brian Houston on Hillsong Television. His topic was “Live from the mountain top”. Hillsong offers alot of great teaching through free downloading and podcast. If you haven’t discovered it yet, I would really encourage you to have a look at it.
I am a strong believer of the fact that the output in our lives is depending on what we feed our soul with. That’s why I have my ipod loaded with great stuff, and always stocking up on teaching resources in my car, to try to catch a few minutes during the day of soul food.
No one will ever care about what you fill your life with but you, but the result of making a commitment to always grow and feed your self with God inspired thing will be a blessing to everyone around you.
Well, to me pastor Brian Houston is phenomenal, and he is for sure my favorite. If you want to download his and many other great speakers check out www.hillsong.com
See you in Church in a few hours. It’s gonna be a great day!
Last night we had DNA. Our awesome friends in Elim Church let us borrow their venue. It was great seeing all the people and talk about what God has done so far and all the great things ahead of us. I know I’m biased but to me you guys are the best church on the planet. We finished the night with baptism, the presence of God was so awesome. Peoples lives are being changed and that’s what it’s all about. I really feel that there’s a sense of thankfulness about what God has done so far, and still a real hunger and faith about the future!
Today I took my daughter Selina Jo to the play ground, after a while another young dad (like me =) came with his daughter. He is from America and just moved here with his wife and daughter. We started to talk as our daughters were playing along, turns out they are looking for a church. Can I tell you how awesome the feeling is to be able to invite someone to church and feel really proud about it because you know that all the great people in church are gonna do everything we possibly can to make it a great experience for them.
I love that we’re building a church we don’t have to make excuses about, that we can be proud of and feel confident that people are gonna go out of their way to make others feel welcome. Church is all about people, when we do our part God always does His.
If you never tryed it, invite someone to church: try it! It’s a great feeling seing them connect with God and new friends.
Today I really had a revelation about crossing over. As in crossing over from being a kid to belonging to the old folks. What I am talking about is this: Growing up, christmas and birthdays are all for the joy of children. They always get the attention and the day is kind of designed around their experience and joy.
Well, today it’s my birthday and when my gorgeous wife and my lovely daughter came and sang in the morning this happened: my daughter opened my gifts as I was trying to wake up, ate my breakfast and blew out the candle. And I loved it. It was the first real experience I had that confirmed that I have crossed over to the old people’s side. Things will never be the same.
Seeing my daughter Selina Jo happy fills my heart with so much joy, I’m getting closer to understand how much God loves me… and you!
It’s interesting to follow the new trend were everyone has a blog. I don’t have a lot of time to read other blogs but I have seen that there is a few different types of christian blogs (as if a blog can be a christian =). Some people are trying to pastor and shape the whole world. Some people are trying to push their agenda. Some can’t stop gossiping and in the name of “analyzing” talk a lot of trash about other brothers and sisters. I sometimes get the impression that some people who are running a blog thinks they have a much larger and much more important platform than they really have.
I get a lot of questions all the time what I think of a lot of stuff, what my opinions on different things and events are. I rarely comment on those things, especially in this blog. Here’s why: I have lived long enough to know that in time you will almost always find out that there is more sides to a story that you first though. I also don’t think my opinion in most cases are that important or makes that much of a difference. But mostly because the Bible says that if I have anything to say to a brother or sister I should do it face to face in love.
This blog is about building Passion Church in Stockholm and the Kingdom of God. I love the local Church, I’m dedicated to make her shine not bring up all the bad sides that sometimes exists. I want peoples attention to be drawn to all the things that God does, and the awesome potential of the local Church.
Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and be busy with the future. There are such great days ahead!
Church is growing, and it feels like every Sunday is bigger than the one before. Growth definatly brings along alot of challenges, but I like it! That’s the burden I believe every pastor loves to carry. I do believe that the day we stop creating room and take new steps of faith is the day the growth will stop. But it’s not only a matter of getting bigger venues with more seats, it is as important that we grow as persons and become bigger people and create more room in our lives. Every new christian needs a friend, a guide and Church is about finding relationship with God and with people.
One thing that is growing in Church is our Kids ministry, last night Kids Church had games, worship, offring and a lesson. Eric Liljero spoke to the kids and when my daughter came and told me what she learned I was so happy. They are our future leaders of the Church and deserve the very best we can give them. Hannah Smith is our new Kids leader and she has lifted the whole thing to a new level. She is definatly the right person in the right place.
Babies are popping out everywhere in Church it seems and Elton Gard is the newest edition and his father is raising him the right way from the start =)
Ok, so tomorrow is gonna be great. I can’t wait for church! I know the songs for tomorrow and the worship is gonna be phenomenal!!!
I’m working on the message for tomorrow, I am really excited about what I feel God has put on my heart. I honestly think it is gonna lift people and set them free. God is so good, He really blows my mind.
Such great days a head church! I pray we don’t take it for granted and that we value what God is doing right now. It really is because of Him that people are getting saved every week. But He can touch them because you bring them. So let us keep doing our part.
You’re the best and God loves you so much, even if you feel like you don’t deserve it. That’s why He’s a good God!
We are all very happy and thankful to God for Passion Church latest edition: Elton Gard. Tobias and Evelina who are on our key leadership team and has been apart of church since the very start. Let’s keep them in our prayers! We love you guys!
Well my head is spinning and I can’t sleep. I’m in a season when life seems to go in full speed. I’m living the dream. I have been around long enough to know that life is made up of a whole lot of changing seasons. If you pay attention, there is stuff to learn and grow from in all of them, good or challenging. Actually some of the best learning is done in the valley if we are fixing our eyes on Jesus. After all He is our only hope.
We live in a time where we are constantly encouraged to use and develop our gifts. Maybe sometimes most of all in churches. One of the questions I get most of all is: "how do I know what my gift is?"
Here’s what I think: The best way to find out is to just jump in and serve somewhere in the church and not worry about if it’s your gift or not. I have never seen a person who have wholehearted served God who has not found themselves in a place they could not imagine when started out.
I think If we stay on the side line, waiting for an opportunity to come along that we think is worthy of our talent, we’re gonna find ourselves standing still forever as people fly by.
My advise is to just jump in, start serve somewhere. Trust God with your future, gifts and talents. After all, He gave it to you and He knows what He is doing. In the book of Jeremiah God says says: "I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you…"
His kingdom is build by faithful sevants committed to a cause greater then themselves, not on rare talant.
