I talked to the boy and his father and realized why he was so happy. The family was homeless. Thus, the reason why the toy was so special. Recently, they lost their mother and found themselves jumping from hotel to hotel to survive. A church member saw them outside of a Rite-Aid and brought them to church. I knew they needed a place to stay at the Dream Center to live and to rebuild.

I also knew we had no more family housing. What do you do when your carefully planned system can no longer absorb one more family?  What do you do? God spoke to me, “Throw caution to the wind.”

BE RECKLESS IN DOING GOOD!

I called my staff in and like champions they arranged to take in another family against the will of convenience (as they always do). We didn’t have room but made room. Miracles happen when we learn to take steps that we cannot take.

The family will move into the Dream Center tomorrow and I cannot wait to hear some more high-pitched screams of joy from that little boy and his sister when they find that they now have a home at the Dream Center. Let’s all decide that we will throw caution to the wind and see which way the winds of compassion decide to carry us.

We don’t use the word rehab in our housing program at the Dream Center because we believe God is bigger than just mending people, HE RECREATES THEM. A person needs a vision of something bigger so that he or she can rise above getting clean. We call it discipleship. The people who graduate our one-year program are not a broken down, slightly “put back together” piece of God’s work, they are modern-day apostles ready to change the world.

People rise to the level of what we call them. If the dream is just to live clean, they will aspire only to that goal. However, if we tell them the best of what God has is before them, they will blast thorough getting clean and move forward to great things…unbelievable things.

My 39th birthday is January 22. People ask me what my ideal birthday present is. It’s simple. Provide bunks for the 30% growth of our men’s and women’s discipleship homes. We are adding more space in April. My greatest birthday wish is to eliminate the words “waiting list.”  We would love for you to help. We are doing a birthday campaign. A gift of…

$39

$390

$3900

…would go a long way to help us provide for this exciting new adventure. We promise to do all we can to get these precious souls beyond rehab and turn them into modern-day disciples.

Would you help by giving on the attached link?

www.dreamcenter.org/birthday

Then all of a sudden I realized that I’m not cool, I’m a dorky dad.  I’m like Phil on Modern Family.  The more I try to be cool the more I blow it.  I think sometimes in life we attempt to try to be cool.  That’s cool!  I have no problem if you can pull it off.  But if you are like me, who just can’t pull it off, roll with your dorky self.  Sure, you might embarrass yourself being a little too weird.  Sure, you might think that the 80′s word “rad” is still in (Maybe it’s coming back).  Sure, you might love on your kid at times in a public place that might freak them out.  The reality is our kids don’t need parents who understand pop culture, they need parents that love them.

My dad said so many corny things growing up.  Still does!  But every corny attempt to make me smile was full of love.  At the end of the day, kids need sincere love.  They might be embarrassed if you put the loving words on a little too strong, but bring it anyways.  I watched my daughter walk away and thought. Yes, I probably embarrassed her in a dorky dad moment.  But let it never be said that she wasn’t loved.

That day, I became the dorky dad. It never felt so good, so right, to lose control of the perception of cool and speak real, loving, sincere words over my children without hesitation.  Kids never really feel loved until they get it from dorky moms and dads. Parents that lose THEIR COOL (In a good way) and just let their mouth speak what their heart feels.

Embrace your dorky side!  Love your kids!  Even at the risk of looking goofy.  This blog is a shout out to all you loving, dorky parents.  Raise your hands in the air like you just don’t care (See I’m a dork).

Comments?

The Dream Center is slated to be awarded $10.2 million dollars through a Federal Government program called New Market Tax Credits.  The funds are available to charities who have invested into disadvantaged communities. The charity must be located in a zone that qualifies as a disadvantaged area of the community. We have invested over 35 million dollars in building improvements over the years. The Dream Center was a perfect candidate for this program. The miracle is beyond amazing. I think about our journey over the past 18 years and the miracles that were needed to keep the doors open.  Not a week has passed that we haven’t had to rely upon a miracle. In fact, we’ve depended upon them.

Funding does not come from the government but from the purchase of tax credits by investors.  JP Morgan Chase representatives toured the Dream Center and were so moved that they bid on this project and have worked hard to help this miracle come to pass.

Today, we celebrate this gift that will allow us to finish off the main tower at the Dream Center.  I’m reflecting on all those days that we didn’t have money to feed people and God would give us “Midnight Miracles.” Often, we wondered how we would house the homeless and take care of our people in our rehab homes. However, repeatedly, our God has proven that He is everything.  The people of God have allowed The Dream Center to sustain for the past 18 years and now we’ve got our one big push that puts us over the finish line……….Of this era.

The new era begins.  Yes, this gift is great. However, $9 million is already allocated towards finishing off the main tower. Debt free!  The completion of this project will allow us to expand our campus residential programs by approximately 30%.  We will be adding a home for emancipated minors sponsored by Pastor Jentezen Franklin and Free Chapel/Kingdom Connection. Kids that have aged out of foster care will now have a wonderful facility to call home.  Our rehab programs will now expand bigger than ever before. Everything is getting ready to go to another level.

The remaining money is just two months of our operating budget.  So once again, we walk by faith.

The reality is that the need is bigger than ever before. 30% more residents means 30% more utilities, daily meals, remodeled rooms, and more.

The truth is the Dream Center is entering into a period of great expansion. We rejoice that this phase is over but what is coming next is far more challenging.

The beautiful thing is that money raised will now go directly towards the daily care of people.  The finishing of the building allows that to happen.  Pray for us as we now take on the challenge of overseeing this massive phase of growth. There is so much more to do and we need your help in keeping these programs moving forward.

I rejoice that the hospital tower will be complete and the dream of my 74-year-old father will become a reality.  We must stop and rejoice. I also thank all the churches that have and continue to support the Dream Center.  The truth is, your generosity has allowed us to stay in this fight to position us to receive such a miracle.  This is a miracle that we did not expect and has left us speechless and full of thanks to our God.  Also, it recommits all of us to be a greater investment and to never grow weary in the fight to rescue the most forgotten in our city.  We have not quit the fight in eighteen years and are more fired up than ever.  This is a day to give thanks, reflect, and rejoice. I want to thank the City of Los Angeles, the five investors, and everyone who believed that this major facility in the heart of downtown was worth the investment to provide housing, help, and a second chance to so many in this city.  The best is yet to come.

I’ll never forget the moment when we as a staff decided that we wanted to start a leadership school. So many questions were going through our minds: what qualifies us to have a leadership school? What would the basis of leadership be from our perspective? And then I heard it…God spoke to my heart something that I’ll never forget. He said, “The greatest strength of a leader is that they have the heart of a servant.” It was like in the cartoons when a literal light bulb would go off signaling the character had an epiphany—I got it!

Our dream was that when a student graduated from our school they would be at a place in their walk with God where they could truly be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” as 1 Corinthians 15:58 states. We saw an army of young men and women passionately pursuing the things of God and radically sharing it with the world around them. An army not shaken by trial or circumstance, but an army fueled by faith in God. We absolutely believed that it would be these students that would lead us into the greatest revival that America—the World—has ever seen by the way they serve those around them.

The journey began and 8 years later we have had hundreds of young men and women go through our leadership school annually; thousands overall, as we have launched affiliate programs from Sacramento to New York City. We couldn’t be more proud of these students. Some have become pastors, some have started businesses, and others have gone back to their respective cities and began to spread the love of Jesus with the heart of a servant. This is the generation of revival!

Where can you go to be trained in practical ministry, activate your leadership potential, and develop your desire to serve in an environment that encourages and cultivates spiritual growth?

Dream Center Leadership School takes a cutting edge approach to equipping Christian leaders.  Participants will strengthen their relationship with God while being involved daily in hands-on ministry and community outreach.

We’ve seen many miracles and unbelievable transformation in so many lives. We continue to hear testimonials and we no longer wonder what qualifies us. We see that God is moving and using this school for His great purposes. Now, in our meetings, our questions are much different:

Who will be next?

Will it be you?

We decided to watch one of my favorite movies of all time Rocky III. There was a part in the movie where Rocky was trying to avenge his first loss to Clubber Lang. He wanted to be a champion again but had lost his motivation to even know where to start. Haven’t we all been there? We want so desperately to get the fire back into our lives that we once had but it feels like an endless pursuit with no results. Rocky lost his will to be a champion. Then Apollo Creed, his new trainer, takes Rocky back to the old gym where he used to train in what appears to be a warehouse on Skid Row in Los Angeles. It’s old, it stinks, and it’s perfect. Then Apollo said something to Rocky so powerful that nearly put me in tears in that rather lifeless moment. He said, “You got to go back to where it all began to find your edge.”

Honestly, ever since my blood clots four months ago, I feel like I’ve lost my edge. I mean I know how to force myself to “Suck it up” but something was missing. It’s funny how God can give you one line from a movie and bring it all back home. Simply put, I have pastored a church for four months with a loss of edge. No excuses!

I’M GOING BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.

It’s time to pray like that teenage kid who was scared to preach his first sermon when I first came to LA. It’s time to serve with the tenacity of my first month when I went door to door just hoping one person would come to church. It’s time to love my wife like the first time we dated. It’s time to go back to where it all began. You see, most of the time we lose our edge is because we refuse to go back to the places of passion that built us. Sure, we weren’t all professionals back then, but we needed God. Losing your edge is a numb place to be. It’s funny that Rocky’s solution to regain his edge was found in a sweaty old gym. Just maybe, the answer to getting your edge back is in the simplicity of revisiting the landmark places you once gained so much strength. The answer just might be going back to where it all began. I know, for me, it’s time to visit some of those old places where it was raw, right, and radical. It’s the place to find the edge.

I often wonder how a few yards can separate communities that should share so much in common. Both communities could rally together concerning fighting poverty or better schools but instead the fight is over something small and meaningless. Kids are raised in camps taught to despise and divide. Usually, it’s over some small beef that took place years ago which simply lingered. Gang division destroys generations.

But there’s something worse. Church gangsters. People fighting over methods and strategy. Blogging about what they don’t like in a minister or ministry based on certain doctrine. It’s the same attitude of Bloods and Crips, raising up a group of people to divide and usually it’s over method, style, or someone else’s success. We should be rallying about Jesus dying on the cross for mankind and cleansing us from our sins. Repentance and confession that lead to salvation.

My heart breaks as I see this play out. The conflicts of street life have entered the church. Pastor, that comparison is too extreme? No, it’s not. People die over this, leave the church, live bitter or angry all in the name of being right or more spiritual than the other group.

A kid was coming to our church. For the first time in his life he was on fire. He found a home in the church. His mother pulled him out of church because we had guitars in worship and wore jeans. The boy never went to church again and we lost him to the world. Street gang thuggery at its finest.

It’s time that we rally around eternal life and what we agree on. Even if we disagree on some things, how in the world is picking on someone who disagrees with you on theology going to change anyone?

It’s time we agree on the important things and leave the gangs of religious camps. The worst thing about arguing over non-essential differences is all the time that could have been used making a difference. I know many people find comfort in their little camp of “Believing their right” but it’s damaging, it hurts people, and has got to stop. Gang mentality amongst ministries might be worse than street gangs because we know the Bible and should know better.

It’s time that the church refuses to “Conform to the world” of gang culture and be famous for our incredible unity on essentials not random things that have no eternal value. Let’s turn in our rags of spiritual camps and come together and change the world.

I thought, “Ok, I’ll go but a hunch?”  Kind of ridiculous.  They did a CAT Scan and found that I had pulmonary embolism.  Major blood clots on my lungs.  Day-by-day choking the air out of my lungs.  The doctor said, “There’s a better than 50% you would not have made it on your plane trip Sunday. You were 48 hours away from possible death.”

I wept at God’s grace.  How amazing it truly is. A doctor acting on a hunch, being forced to go in because of the marathon on Sunday (Normally too stubborn).  A few days before that I was huffing and puffing in a softball tournament about to faint. Our team was winning by ten runs last inning and if we win we would keep on playing more games. The other team made a ten run rally with two outs in the last inning to come back and win. The other team making that comeback allowed us to go home. One more victory would have meant two more games and could have sent me over the edge.

WHEN YOU LOOK DEATH IN THE EYE AND GOD SAVES YOU A SECOND CHANCE ANOINTING CONSUMES YOU.

You see God in everything. You see Him in the little hunches the doctor has, even though the doctor has no idea the Spirit is leading him. You see God in dropped balls and crazy losses that ultimately lead to saving your life. There’s a song by George Strait called, “I saw God today.” It was about a man who finally opens his eyes and sees God in everything. I can honestly say, “I saw God today….and all week.”

I know I received a second chance at life. Now, it’s time to see God in everything. I will no longer live my life bypassing God but will see His hand in everything. I’m thankful, still a little startled, but so fired up to live like a new man. Thank you all for the prayers. I love you!

P.S. – Blood clots are being dissolved and I will be getting home care all week.  Might be at church Thursday; for sure Sunday.

The world has become more cynical.  In fact, horribly cynical.  The sad thing is that this also happening within the church.  Somehow, there is a niche or market for “Mean.” Mean and boldness are not the same thing.  Boldness is fighting for truths that make people better.  Mean, well, is just mean.  Mean is nitpicking on preferences that are not convictions.  Mean is trying to make a name for yourself by carving out an “anti-position” regarding things that have nothing to do with Biblical convictions. Even if you do have biblical convictions, the entire world doesn’t need to see us hurling spears at each other’s back. As Taylor Swift said, “Why you gotta be so mean?” 

Here’s the problem with mean.  Mean preaching is not “Standing out” in an era of so-called compromise, it’s conformity.  The spirit of this age is a mean spirit bent on finding a weakness in humanity and exploiting it.  When those in the church are mean, all we do is conform to the world’s ideology.  In order to not conform we must be the opposite (Drum roll please) NICE. 

My fear is that this young generation has spent so much time debating theology that we have become more divisive in spirit.  All of us (including myself) must daily make an effort to spit out the venom of mean.  We all might not be the greatest communicators of our day but we can all be nice.  We can be non-conformists to mean.  Yes, nice and bold can go hand in hand.  In fact, they were made for each other.

WE DON’T NEED TO TEAR DOWN EACH OTHERS CAMP, WE NEED TO TEAR DOWN THE ENEMIES. 

When we attack each other, all we do is create questions and confusion to the average Christian who doesn’t even understand what we are angry about.  In fact, they don’t even care that we have an issue with someone who uses rap music, or teaches something different.  The average person who comes to our church doesn’t need to hear our frustrations, they need to hear hope.  My prayer is that when people see us as the church they say the words, “Why you gotta be so nice?”  Then we explain the reason for our kindness.  Which comes through Christ. 

Here’s the lie. The enemy will tell you that access to heaven is closed because of the distance you created between God and you. The enemy will try to reflect his nature upon God. What is his nature? Grudges, lies, and animosity. The goal is always to take us away from grace and bring us back to works. It’s always the plan.

I have good news. God is not like us. He’s not even like the best of us. He doesn’t close up heaven based on our decision to disconnect from Him. He doesn’t hold grudges and keep score. In fact, He tells us to “Come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need.” There’s no need to be quiet about coming back to His presence.

I decided to stop the lie and just entered His presence, thanking Him for His patience with this piece of clay. Here’s what happened…time in His presence was just as sweet as before. What a God who welcomes us back even when we become distant. Next time you feel unworthy to be in His presence, stop, and realize that’s the point. We are unworthy but Jesus doesn’t care. He simply says, “Welcome home.”