The Thursday Update

MAY 22, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

Perhaps the most misunderstood person who has ever lived is Jesus Christ.

Some think of Him as someone who never really existed, as just a myth or made-up legend. There are others who believe that He did exist but wasn’t who He, the Bible, and Christians say He is. They say He was just another man, a good moral teacher, a magician, an enlightened leader of a religious sect, a wise sage, and so much more that just isn’t accurate or (at best) isn’t complete.

It’s not His fault. People have lots of reasons for why they believe who Jesus is. Many times, they are derived from convenience and lazy thinking more than from a genuine search for the real Jesus. After all, it’s always more convenient to dismiss or minimize the true Jesus when He calls people to such challenging things as to “take up their cross and follow Him”, to “love your enemies and pray for them”, to “store up your treasures in heaven and not on earth” and the like. Just make Jesus out to be anyone that fits your lifestyle conveniences and any problems are resolved. Right?

Wrong.

Jesus is who He is and our responsibility is to seek Him and find out who He is and live our lives accordingly, not vice versa. The good news is that the Bible helps us see Him accurately again and again. And one of the most incredible, compact, and thorough passages that does this is found in Philippians 2:5-13. In it, I see five of the most incredible and important aspects of who Jesus really is. I’ll explain it more at services on Sunday. I can’t think of a more important message than this one. That’s because your view of Jesus impacts the way you live your life.

Like last week, we’ll be joined by another Lakeshore-supported missionary, Nabeeh Abassi, from Jordan. We went to Seminary together and he will talk about his incredible ministry in this Middle Eastern nation. It’s going to be a great Sunday.

Who do you say that Jesus is? No matter your answer, we’ll help you deepen it on Sunday.

Warmly,
Vince

MAY 15, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

All of us know what conflict feels like.  It’s really no fun dealing with people whom we disagree with, and who make things difficult to resolve when we do.  Sometimes it’s someone we only know a little bit. Other times, it’s someone we know really well.  Still, other times it’s someone really close to us, maybe even in our own family.  Yes, and sometimes we're the one making things more difficult than they need to be in our conflict.

We all dislike conflict.  The sad truth, however, is that we will never be able to avoid conflict in our lives.  About the time we work through one conflict, another one is lurking around the corner.  That’s because of that ever-present, thorny issue we call sin.  Yet, while we can never avoid conflict, we can learn skills to minimize it to the lowest possible level in our lives, whatever level that may be.  The Apostle Paul talks about that in Philippians 1:27-2:5, the passage I'll teach through on Sunday.  I think you’ll find this to be a really helpful passage.  In fact, this series has been just what God has for our church in this season, if what I am hearing from people is accurate.  I think it is.

Almost as if God ordained it, we will also host one of our supported missionaries from India, Naveen Paul, during both services.  He will share what his ministry in India has been like, including the conflict and even persecution he has faced from those who oppose the gospel. We supported his father, Rufus, as one of our first missionaries just after Lakeshore began in 1995. Naveen's visit will add an element of reality to the message and help you get to know one of the longstanding missionaries we support as a church.

I encourage you to invite friends and family who need some help with conflict minimization in their life to join you on Sunday.  I love how so many of you are doing that, and introducing me to those who join you at church.

Keep using your card holder to hand out invites, and remind yourself of the lessons on finding joy in life with the intention cards you get each week.

Warmly,
Vince

MAY 8, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

My heart is filled with so much joy because of you. It always has been, but with our 30th-year anniversary, I have another reason to add to my long list.

So many of you show up so faithfully, and we’re grateful for that. And so many of you are hungry to grow in your faith. You invite people to church and help us reach those who need Jesus. So many of you serve with your gifts. So many of you are generous givers to God. So many of you really love people. The list could go on and on from so many of you. Add to this list that you are so loving to me and my family. Again, that’s always been the case, but your generous gift to me for pastoring Lakeshore for 30 years last Sunday meant so much. Thank you! If there was another more intense word than “thank you,” I would use it. Thank you, thank you, thank you is all I’ve got. Please accept this from a heart filled with so much appreciation.

The gift is nice, really nice. But like the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:17 (ESV), “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.”

I’m excited that we will resume our new series, How to Find Joy in Life in the New Testament book of Philippians on Sunday, as we celebrate moms. In fact, the topic, “Joyful No Matter What,” will be perfect for the day.

Thanks for being a church that brings me and all of our staff so much joy!

Warmly,
Vince