Think On This

If your church is serious about reaching the unchurched, you must be willing to put up with the people who have a lot of problems. Fishing is often messy and smelly. Many churches want the fish they catch to be already scaled, gutted, cleaned and cooked. That is why they never reach anyone.
- Rick Warren

A New Chapter

If you have been reading my blog recently, you know that God has led me to embark on a new chapter in my life. After serving at Grace Point Community Church for the last 11 years, He is now leading me on a brand new adventure.

Change is not always easy. It often requires a measure of faith that is greater than what has previously been lived out. That is where I find myself now. A new journey of faith. A new chapter in life.

I am excited to see what it is that God has next for me and my family. As we are seeking God for His next assignment, I have put together a new web site designed for those that may also be beginning a new chapter within their church ministry. My new resume site is a site created to give churches a glimpse into my life and ministry.

If you are part of a church, or know of one, that is seeking God's will for a new pastoral position, I invite you to take a look. I would love to find myself ministering to students once again, or perhaps even in a new area of ministry. You will find my site at http://brianeberly.wordpress.com. Once there you will find various posts, videos, articles, and more all designed to give you a look into my ministry. You will also find easy downloads of my resume, philosophy of ministry, and doctrinal statement. For easy reference, I have also added a link to this new site in the sidebar of this blog. You will find it listed under Sites of Interest

If you have a need in your church, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to talk with you about the new chapter God is beginning in your life and ministry!

Satisfied with Christ

How satisfied with Christ are you? We live in a culture that tells us the end goal in life is the accumulation of stuff. We live in a relentless pursuit of more; more money, more things, more friends, more pleasure, and the list goes on.

I was challenged recently with a John Piper quote I came across while reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. In asking, how in love with Christ are we, he shared the following quote.

The critical question for our generation - and for every generation - is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

When we are in love, everything in life changes. It changes the way we view our stuff, our relationships, and our priorities.

May we love Christ in a way that causes everything else in life to pale in comparison to knowing and loving Him.

The Love of God

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 is arguably the most well known verse of scripture. One would be hard pressed to find someone unfamiliar with it. In all our familiarity with it, I wonder, how often do we just sit and marvel at it's truth.

Take a moment and watch this video of Francis Chan sharing "The Awe Factor of God."



To be loved by such an awesome, big, and powerful God is simply incredible to me! May we remain in awe of His awesome love for us. May we love Him in return, in a manner that He deserves

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19.

I Passed!

I have been asked many times through out the years why I have given myself to working with teenagers. I have always had a pretty impressive list to share that confirms my calling. I now have one more reason!

I passed the teenage audio test! There are actually frequencies that most people over the age of 25 are unable to hear, and I am happy to report ... I can!

Created by Train Horns

How about you? Did you pass? Let me know!

HT to Adam McLane

We're All In This Together

This is the first year in many that I have not participated in the 30 Hour Famine. It is a movement that I so believe in, and am thrilled to see the students I leave behind continue to embrace. If you know a student participating this year, give. Your participation through your giving will have a profound effect on many.

If there is one thing I have learned through World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, it's that we as God's Church, particularly in America, need to realize that God desires, and expects, us to responds to the needs of the world. For it is in fact the purest form of worship. When asked what worship is, the average American church goer will answer, singing. Singing is only but one very small element of worship. Bigger than singing, is responding to the cry of the needy, the suffering, and the broken in our world (James 1:27, Matthew 25:31-49, Romans 12:1).

I so appreciate what Hillsong United will be releasing this year. Were All in This Together, a feature-length documentary, will illustrate the inseparable union of worship and justice - aimed at inspiring people to see injustice, think creatively and act in response.

Watch this teaser and let it move you closer into the heart of God.



May we never forget ... we are in this together.

For more see i-heart.org.

Surprised By God

God is a God of surprises, and a God of blessing. I often stand amazed at how He works in my life. There have been a few occasions in my life though in which God has really taken it up a notch and just completely blown me away, by the way He demonstrates His love and care for me. Here and here are examples of two such occasions. Today He did it again!

After enjoying the blessing of a great conversation over coffee with my friend Steve, I came into the office and read my email. In doing so, I opened an email that absolutely left me astounded and speechless. What follows is an email that was sent to the general email address for our church from a lady I have never met, and who lives thousands of miles from me.


I woke up this morning after having a dream that I couldn't shake. The name Brian and a last name that I couldn't quite make out yet appeared on the hat of a young man with a beard and mustache. As I was waking the last name started to become clearer to me. I thought maybe it was someone from my church that the Lord wanted me to pray for, but there is no one from our church by that name. The heaviness of my heart was so great that I decided to google the name Brian Oberly or Eberly, the last name still wasn't perfectly clear.

When I clicked on the site and saw a man standing with his arms wide open looking to heaven, I was compelled to read on.I only had to read a few sentences and I knew in my heart that this had to be Him. Clearly it wasn't Brian wearing the hat in my dream but the young man that was, is someone that we are supposed to pray for as well as Brian.

In my dream the young man with the beard was very torn about a separation that was taking place in his life, it seemed to be a marriage but I wasn't sure. After reading the site I was very certain that these are people that we are to be praying for.

I am writing to you to let you know that God loves you so much that he gave someone half way across the country a dream to pray for you and the people in your life. And as I read about you leaving and watched the video my heart was so burdened, that I cried. Just know that we are praying for you.

Blessings

I stand amazed! The "young man" with the beard and mustache, wearing the hat, is my good friend and ministry partner Aaron. My departure from Grace Point has been difficult on so many levels, but perhaps one of the hardest is the parting of ways with Aaron. It has been a struggle that both he and I have had to wrestle through. To know that God laid it on the heart of a perfect stranger to pray for the two of us, is incredible to us both!

While I am surprised by God in this, I know I shouldn't be. He is God. I love the way He works. I love that He loves me.

Looking Back ... Looking Forward

Today concluded nearly 11 years of ministry at Grace Point. We were honored this afternoon with a wonderful time of appreciation and love over a great lunch. What a blast it was reminiscing over all the years of great ministry. What a wonderful community of people to serve with; truly family.

Good friend and long time partner in ministry, Aaron Geist, produced this great video looking back over the years.



As we move forward, we now look forward. We look forward to what God has in store for us next, and are anxious for this next chapter in our lives to unfold. Stay tuned!

Letting Go

Letting go of what I hold so dear, has never been an easy thing for me. Yesterday my departure from Grace Point Community Church was announced. It was difficult, and it was painful. To leave a community of people that you have shared life with and love so much, is a task that without God to lean on, would seem unbearable. It for me is a step of faith and a step of trust.

It is one thing to teach, preach, and sing about living a life of faith. It's another matter when God asks of you to step forward and and walk in it. As I feel God prying my fingers from all that I hold so close to my heart, I find myself asking why, but in the process, know that He holds the answer. I appreciate the words of Oswald Chambers, "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading." I love my God, and in this process desire to know Him more than ever before.

As I now let go of the familiar, the things I love and hold dear, I must learn to let go of my pain and my fear as I venture into uncharted territory. God has never let me down. God has always surprised me with His amazing blessings and opportunities. I know He will do it once again.

Jeremy Camp's "Letting Go" is a song that resonates loudly with me right now.



To my family at Grace Point, know that it has been nothing but a pleasure and honor to share life and ministry with you. You are loved and close to my heart, and always will be.

Unique Churches

When asked about the Church, the first thing that often comes to people's minds is what sits on the corner down the street ... a building. We know though that the Church is not a building. It's not a place. It is people. Church is not something we are called to go to, but rather what we are called to be. It is the community of people that have given their lives to following the head of the Church, Jesus Christ.

That being said, I recently came across a fascinating series on Ten Of The World's Most Unique Churches, church buildings that is. What follows are ten remarkable feats of architecture. A true testament to the creativity of man.

May we as God's Church be as attractive and unique as the buildings that follow.

Harajuku: Japanese Futuristic Church

This futuristic protestant church is located in Tokyo and it was first unveiled by the design firm of Ciel Rouge Creation in 2005. The ceiling is specially made to reverberate natural sound for 2 seconds to provide a unique listening experience for worshipers and tourists.

Saint Basil's Cathedral: The Red Square 's Colorful Church

(photo: Lst1984)

The St. Basil's Cathedral is located on the Red Square in Moscow , Russia . A Russian Orthodox church, the Cathedral sports a series of colorful bulbous domes that taper to a point, aptly named onion domes, that are part of Moscow's Kremlin skyline.

The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan. In 1588 Tsar Fedor Ivanovich had a chapel added on the eastern side above the grave of Basil Fool for Christ, a Russian Orthodox saint after whom the cathedral was popularly named.

Hallgrímskirkja: Iceland 's Most Amazing Church

(photo: Stuck in Customs)

The Hallgrímskirkja (literally, the church of Hallgrímur ) is a Lutheran parish church located in Reykjavík , Iceland . At 74.5 metres (244 ft), it is the fourth tallest architectural structure in Iceland . The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 to 1674), author of the Passion Hymns. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937; it took 38 years to build it.

Temppeliaukio Kirkko: The Rock Church

The Temppeliaukio Kirkko ( Rock Church ) is a thrilling work of modern architecture in Helsinki. Completed in 1952, it is built entirely underground and has a ceiling made of copper wire. It was designed by architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and completed in 1969. They chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level, and blasted out the walls from the inside. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki and frequently full of visitors.

Cathedral of Brasília: The Modern Church of architect Oscar Niemeyer


The Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida in the capital of Brazil is an expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. This concrete-framed hyperboloid structure, seems with its glass roof to be reaching up, open, to heaven. On 31 May 1970, the Cathedral's structure was finished, and only the 70 m diameter of the circular area were visible. Niemeyer's project of Cathedral of Brasília is based in the hyperboloid of revolution which sections are asymmetric. The hyperboloid structure itself is a result of 16 identical assembled concrete columns. These columns, having hyperbolic section and weighing 90 t, represent two hands moving upwards to heaven. The Cathedral was dedicated on 31 May 1970.

Borgund Church: Best Preserved Stave Church

The Borgund Stave Church in Lærdal is the best preserved of Norway 's 28 extant stave churches. This wooden church, probably built in the end of the 12th century, has not changed structure or had a major reconstruction since the date it was built. The church is also featured as a Wonder for the Viking civilization in the video game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings.

Las Lajas Cathedral: A Gothic Church Worthy of a Fairy Tale

(photo: Jungle_Boy)

The Las Lajas Cathedral is located in southern Colombia and built in 1916 inside the canyon of the Guaitara River . According to the legend, this was the place where an Indian woman named María Mueses de Quiñones was carrying her deaf-mute daughter Rosa on her back near Las Lajas ("The Rocks"). Weary of the climb, the María sat down on a rock when Rosa spoke (for the first time) about an apparition in a cave.

Later on, a mysterious painting of the Virgin Mary carrying a baby was discovered on the wall of the cave. Supposedly, studies of the painting showed no proof of paint or pigments on the rock - instead, when a core sample was taken, it was found that the colors were impregnated in the rock itself to a depth of several feet. Whether true or not, the legend spurred the building of this amazing church.

St. Joseph Church: Known for its Thirteen Gold Domed Roof


The St. Joseph The Betrothed is an Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Chicago . Built in 1956, it is most known for its ultra-modern thirteen gold domed roof symbolizing the twelve apostles and Jesus Christ as the largest center dome. The interior of the church is completely adorned with Byzantine style icons (frescoes). Unfortunately the iconographer was deported back to his homeland before he was able to write the names of all the saints as prescribed by iconographic traditions.

Ružica Church: Where Chandeliers are made of Bullet Shells

Located over the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade, Serbia, the Ružica Church is a small chapel decorated with... with trench art! Its chandeliers are entirely made of spent bullet casing, swords, and cannon parts.

The space the church now occupies was used by the Turks as gunpowder storage for over 100 years and it had to be largely rebuilt in 1920 after WWI. Though damaged by bombings there was an upshot to the terrible carnage of The Great War. While fighting alongside England and the US , Serbian soldiers on the Thessaloniki front took the time to put together these amazing chandeliers. It is one of the world's finest examples of trench art.

Chapel of St-Gildas: Built into the base of a bare rocky cliff


The Chapel of St-Gildas sits upon the bank of the Canal du Blavet in Brittany, France. Built like a stone barn into the base of a bare rocky cliff, this was once a holy place of the Druids. Gildas appears to have travelled widely throughout the Celtic world of Corwall, Wales , Ireland and Scotland . He arrived in Brittany in about AD 540 and is said to have preached Christianity to the people from a rough pulpit, now contained within the chapel.

How Much Do You Hate People?

How's that for a title to get your attention? Now that I have it, check out this video and be challenged by a man who not only does not love God, but does not even believe in him.

Listen as Penn of Penn & Teller shares his thoughts on how anyone who believes in God, heaven, and hell, should be sharing (proselytizing) their faith with the world around them. Very thought provoking. Very challenging!



What do you think?

Life of Passion

I have been thinking a lot about my life lately. Perhaps because it's that time of year that people are making resolutions to make some kind of change in their life. I am not one to normally make New Year's Resolutions. Not because I am uninterested in change, or out of fear I will break that which I resolve to change. I think it is more a function of wanting to be flexible enough to make change when change is needed. Nonetheless, I have been thinking about my life, and more precisely the things I am passionate about.

Last Friday I returned from a great two week vacation. It was a welcomed time of catching my breath and pulling away from the busy routine of life. The second half of our time was spent in one of our favorite locations, San Clemente. San Clemente is a great beach town about an hour north of San Diego. We spent most of our time on the beach, soaking in as much sun as we possibly could. San Clemente is all about the beach and all about surfing. Surfing is big there.

As one who grew up in Southern California, I am drawn to the the whole beach/surf scene. I love it! I love the laid back approach to life. I love the sun, the sand, the surf, and what I call the "flip flop lifestyle." As I observed the surfers this last week, I quickly picked up on something that characterizes most all of them - passion. If there was ever a culture of people committed to what they love, it is them. I have always considered myself a fair weather surfer. If I am going to head out into the water, it's going to need to be a warm sunny day with nice water temps. For those committed to surfing, that is far from their approach.

For those that surf, being in the water is of top priority. It comes before just about anything else in life. As I watched them paddle out early each morning, it was obvious. As much as I love the beach and all that comes with it, it is not my passion. I want my life to be characterized as one passionate for the things that are close to the heart of God. As I watched the surfers, I was forced to ask myself, do I have that amount of passion in my life.

As I continued in my reflection, the following words of Christ came to mind...

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31

I want that to be the passion of my life. I want to live a life characterized by my love of God, and love for the world around me; the kind of love that takes everything I got. I can't help but think what life would be like if that was truly the passion of God's people.

My ultimate goal in ministry is to see those God has entrusted to me, loving Him with everything they've got. For when we do that, the second greatest command comes naturally. It's my prayer this year that that is what is seen in me - a life of passion.

How about you? Where do your passions lie? A good question for us to continually keep in front of us.