Chapel Message February 1, 2010

Good Morning everyone

For those of you that don’t know me as Siara’s dad, I am Gregg Pinick the Executive Director here at Orange Lutheran. Executive Director is kind of a fancy way to say head of school. I was principal for 11 years, the last being the freshman year of the current seniors, and have served as Executive Director for the past 3 years. My office is by the back stairwell in the 500 hallway.

I am honored to share God’s Word with you today. Thank you for your attention for the next few minutes.

Please join me in a word of prayer.

Lord God, Heavenly Father

We gather around Your Word today remembering why you were born: to save Your people from their sins.

We celebrate the fact You loved us so much to send Jesus

Thank you for Your presence –

May the words of David praise you –

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable to You O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen

I want to share a story with you this morning. It took place over 22 years ago in a little apartment in Anaheim, CA. I was a new father of a week-old daughter and her 2-year old brother. One night, my wife and I were sitting in the living room and for some reason she (my wife) decided to go into the bedroom to check on our daughter. I’ll never forget her cry out for help. She brought our daughter out to me, and she was not breathing. I listened for her breath – nothing. I listened for her heartbeat – very faint. I told my wife to call 911 as I started to administer CPR. Within minutes the paramedics were there and they noticed that she had started to breath again. I handed her off and they took her to Anaheim Memorial.

As we watched her on the big bed, we thought maybe we had imagined this whole thing. Feeling a little embarrassed we called the nurse over. Soon after the nurse noticed that our daughter had stopped breathing again. She was then sent to CHOC where she spent a week being checked out.

After many tests the doctor’s called it a near miss SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. We were speechless, and then terrified it would happen again. To alleviate our fears, the hospital sent us home with a heart and breathing monitor. There were little electrodes on a band that velcroed across her chest. The machine would blink to show she was breathing and that her heart was still beating.

We really got used to that monitor and found it very reassuring to look over at anytime and know that she was ok. It went off once, but that was a faulty wire. It was a nice thing to have that monitor for the three months. Then came the day they took her off the monitor. Her mom and I had to trust God as the monitor from that point on.

Today, by the way, she is 22 years old and getting ready to graduate from college in May with a degree in nursing.

A monitor in life is a good thing. If we approached danger, it can go off and remind us that we need to correct something.

It is my prayer that this school is a built in monitor to let you know if something isn’t right. Your families and true friends are monitors that let you know when you are wandering too close to the out of bounds. As you get older, and have more independence, the desire for a monitor will need to come from within.

What will you have as your monitor as you leave OLu? That is something to be preparing for even today.

Three quick thoughts…

In Psalm 119 David (by most accounts) wrote these words…

⁹ How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, LORD;
teach me your decrees.

¹³ With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

The Message says it this way…

^9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I'm single-minded in pursuit of you;
don't let me miss the road signs you've posted.
I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won't sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.

I'll transfer to my lips
all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
I attentively watch how you've done it.
I relish everything you've told me of life,
I won't forget a word of it.

I truly believe that God’s Word is our monitor. Over the years you have been asked to read it, asked to memorize it, asked to learn from it. That encouragement now needs to become your own. I would encourage you to read a little everyday.

As a man who did not do this until 14 years ago, I would share that my life has completely changed because of the power of His Word. Let His Word be your guide – Your monitor. It is all the power you will ever need to take on any battle in your life.

God’s Word allows you to know who God is. In His Word we learn of His great love for each us. We learn He wants to build relationship with us.

When I was principal, there used to be a mural hanging in the 100 hallway that had the following words on it. It’s never too late to do the right thing – are words that have meant a lot to me in my lifetime. I heard them when a Pastor Chuck Swindoll shared a story about a girl who had not kept her virginity and was struggling with his Waiting until marriage campaign. She said she couldn’t participate because she hadn’t waited. He told her it is never too late to do the right thing. Wait from this moment on.

Paul wrote in Romans 3:23 that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. We have done things that make us feel bad or ugly – things we know that do not please God. When you are faced with those times and you wish you could start over – start over. That’s what forgiveness is – a fresh start, a clean slate, a redo. As long as we are alive we can say it’s never too late because of what Christ did on the cross for each of us. He gave us the opportunity to start new. By His grace we receive His love and forgiveness.

Go through life as a forgiving person. Those that hold grudges and withhold forgiveness are the one’s that are miserable. Forgive as you have been forgiven.

Our God – the Creator of the Universe – who said “let there be” - and there was – is as close to you as a prayer. He longs to be included in everything we do and say: in all aspects of your life. You have a God who is truly 100% faithful and dependable.

So depend on Him. Trust Him. Ask Him.

It has been said…

“When we depend upon organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.” – A.C. Dixon

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You have great days ahead of you. Work hard this semester and finish this year in a positive way – be complete – don’t take short cuts, and your memories back on your days of life at OLu will be wonderful.

Lord,

I thank you for all the students you have gathered here over the years.

Orange Lutheran is not an ending but a beginning –

a spring board into the world where we get to be a part of Your plan to let the world know who You are.

Use us each and every day Lord to get Your message out.

Broaden our platform and our influence.

Thank you for the ministry that is going on in Lutheran schools around the world.

Be with those here today who are hurting and need to feel Your presence in a special way.

Lord we love You.

In Jesus name. Amen

May God bless each of you in all you do for Him every day.

Why Merry Christmas?

I have noticed the intentional use of "Happy Holidays" this year more than in years past. Or maybe I am just more sensitive to it. It seems we don't want to offend people, so we water down the reason for the season by not using the word CHRISTmas. It has become so evident in the retail industry.

As Christians, we celebrate this season because Jesus was born a man, lived among us, took our punishment for us, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead. This a true story, not a fable.

There is a world around us that needs to hear that story of hope. The hope we have for victory over sin, death, and the devil. The hope we have for eternal life one day with Him.

The apostle John wrote these words in 1 John 4:4-5 (The Message)...

"My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception."

As children of God, let us never compromise our love for Him and what He has done for us.

Without apology,

Merry Christmas

Be Unreasonable

Check it this post from Craig Groeschel

Be Unreasonable

Have a great week!

Gregg

Last Chapel Today

This was my message for our final chapel of the 2009-2010 school year.

Good Morning!

Prayer

Grace us with Your presence Lord as You have done all year!

Let the words of my mouth and the dedication of my heart

Be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer – Psalm 19:14

We started this year focused on a theme –

“Our Hope is in Him” - Psalm 25:4-5
“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, My Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

A lot has happened since we first gathered in here on August 24.

We’ve had celebrations and sorrows

Good memories that will last a lifetime and things we are happy to leave far behind

The pages of our lives get filled everyday with something.

Once again the yearbook is really good this year – thank you Ms. Young and the Yearbook staff!

When the year started, it was many blank pages, but the events of the year filled them along the way.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what to say to you on this last day of school. For most of you, you will be back next year. For our seniors and some other students, your time at Orange Lutheran is coming to a close.

Coming to a close, but not the end. We want you to be Lancers for Life. We hope this experience stays with you for the rest of your life.

I hope you can see that the high school experience here at Orange Lutheran is more than just the here and now. We want each of you to own your relationship with Jesus.

Whether you are here or not the thing that is important is you believe that the story of Jesus – His life, death, and resurrection – is not just something we talked about – but it is true.

Jesus is real – He did come into the world – He did live – He did die – and He did rise again on the third day. He lives today, and He will come again.

No doubt about it.

And a relationship with him changes everything

It changes how you think

It changes how you feel

It changes how you live

And it changes how your life ends

There is not a teacher or staff member here that does not want you to be with Jesus forever. Never forget that. We tried to provide an environment where you felt loved and cared for.

As Mrs. Smith shared that the other day – we don’t turn off our care after school or on weekends – we won’t turn off our care this summer.

We care because we never want you to lose hope.

A couple of years ago Mr. Grasz told a story about a former student who had come back to campus who had lost hope…

This young person had been to a hospital and a church, and then came to Orange Lutheran. This person had been kicked out of the house by each parent (separate homes) and struggled with a step-parent as well. The alumnus had lost hope and took a high number of pills in a third attempt at suicide.

Repeatedly this person indicated all they wanted was to feel loved and accepted. Rather than get help at the hospital or church, this person came to a place of refuge, where there was unconditional acceptance, help, and love.

Instrumental in helping this person get immediate professional assistance were several people: One of our security people was the first person who gained this person's confidence, then a teacher this person wanted to see because of the trust and relationship established, our success center contacted the With Hope foundation and connected this student with a support system to ensure appropriate care happened and made sure there was follow through, a trainer provided support to assess the immediate medical danger in a professional and compassionate manner, Pastor Detviler was present providing support and a connection for follow up care. The entire Success Center team was able to manage this to allow this person privacy in a time of crisis so this didn't become "just another drama."

By returning to Orange Lutheran, this person was reminded the answers don't lie in pills or astrology charts, but our Hope is secure in Christ Jesus!

Mr. Grasz added to think that the next time you sing the Alma Mater (after a football game, in Chapel, or whenever) remember the truth of the line: "May your campus be a refuge to all along the way."

We will always be here for you.

Some very special teachers and staff will be going on to different places

Mrs. Jane Besch and Mr. Steve Harder

Two of our staff members will also be leaving us

Mrs. Sara Fessenden and Mr. Nathan Masters

No matter where we end up though you will always be connected by the cross

It is in the cross we find all we need.

That empty cross gives us hope.

You and I have a God who loves us more than anything – that longs for a relationship with us. He searches for us – wanting to bring us back to Him.

There is a story about a poor woman in Brazil who had a beautiful daughter. The woman knew that one day her daughter would leave their small village and go try and make a better life in Rio de Janiero.

One day she came home and there was a note on the table that said I have gone to Rio de Janiero to make a better life. The woman knew what would happen. She took every dime she had and went to a local photo shop and spent much of her money making pictures of herself. Then she spent months and went to every club, every restaurant, every hotel in RdJ searching for her daughter. At every stop she left a picture of herself.

When she money ran out she went home.

One night her daughter was coming down the steps of a hotel and she was with a man. You see, over time she had become a prostitute. As she went down the stairs she passed a mirror. She noticed she looked like she had aged 15 years.

Then she saw something familiar. It was her mother’s picture. She grabbed it and looked at and then she turned it over.

On the backside was written these words…

I don’t care what you have become

I don’t care what you have done

Please come home.

As you leave here I want you to remember these words.

I don’t care what you have become

I don’t care what you have done

Please come home.

I have learned a lot over the years about the doctrines of the church

but as I view the New Testament I hear God saying these words…

I don’t care what you have become

I don’t care what you have done

My Son has paid for it all on the cross

Now come home.

Some of us are daily ruining our lives, some of us have scars from what we have done, we all have stuff we wish we hadn’t done – but never forget…

We serve a living God – who sent us a living Savior – and He calls all men and women to Himself – no matter what we have done – and those who come back He will no ever cast the out.

He is such a savior

He is mighty to save

And I pray that you will never let anything come between you and the one true God

Chris Tomlin has a new song, "Our God", that has the following chorus...

"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, Our God is higher than any other, Our God is healer, awesome in power."

He is bigger than anything you will ever face. You can bank on that!

So, we will close this year, just as we opened it in August.

In the name of the Father

Son

And Holy Spirit.

May God bless us and keep us all safe during these summer months.

Amen

Here God - 100% back to You!

I have just started the book of 1 Samuel in my daily reading. As I began the book a few days ago it started with the story of Hannah and her request of God for a son.

3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"

As she prayed, the priest at that time, Eli, thought she was drunk. Her response…

15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."

Even in those days, someone “pouring out their soul to the LORD” was not seen as the norm.

17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."

What happened next? God gave her a son. What was her response?

24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

She did what she said she would do. She had a son and she gave him up to the Lord. And what was His response?

19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would go home. 21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

Hannah had such faith. She wanted a son, yet when she got the son, she gave him up. God response shows us that you cannot out give God. Give me your first, and I will bless you beyond your wildest imagination.

Malachi 3:10 is one of the verses I bank on. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Nowhere else in scripture does God say test Me – several times He tests us. For those of you that believe in first fruit giving, you know this is true. God has given us everything. We give back so little, even in our tithe – Here God – a dime for every dollar you give me.

Yet we read about people like Hannah – Here God – 100% back to you – and God’s response – you cannot out give me. May we all become people who trust God like Hannah did.

Trust God

When things don't work out the way you had hoped they would, Trust God. Watch Colt's testimony. http://bit.ly/9nuvR1

My Message to the Faculty Today

Good Morning everyone.

Let’s make our beginning this morning

In the name of the Father,

And of the Son,

And of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Someone once asked me what the biggest difference between elementary and high school is and I shared the immediacy. The high school years go by so fast. Those freshmen that “sauntered” in here four years ago are now thinking about where they will be attending school next year. Along the way they learned to drive – or at least took driving lessons – I’ve been hit twice in the lot this year J, they have learned life lessons, they have discovered things about themselves they did not know before. They have won and they have lost, they have laughed and cried, celebrated and mourned.

One of the great joys you and I get to experience in working here is we get to be a part of the process. God lets us be a part of their lives – their memories. A privilege and an honor for us – may we never take it for granted.

To a part of the purpose of helping students internalize the Gospel message of salvation in Christ Jesus is an important responsibility. We need to keep growing in our walk with the Lord to help them grow in their walk.

One of my favorite leadership guys is Pastor John Maxwell. He has written many books over the years. One of the most significant to me was “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”. The first Law was called the “Law of the Lid”. In a nutshell, Maxwell said that people within an organization can never grow higher than the leadership level of the leader. If the leader is a 5, the organization cannot grow past a 4. If the leader can grow to an 8 then the organization can grow to. His challenge was to help leaders see they need to keep growing. Raise your lid and those around can continue to grow.

In a retreat that was held recently with BoD and the Executive Admin team there was poignant moment when the purpose of the school was being reaffirmed. It was stated that if we ever compromise our purpose we should shut our doors, there is no reason for our existence.

My point is this – as we lead in this place towards our purpose – to help kids keep growing – we need to be growing as well. God’s Word is a place where we can never learn all there is to know – there is always new learnings awaiting us.

One of my new learnings happened recently. It is the transformation of Joshua into being the leader of the children of Israel.

· Deuteronomy 31:6 – Moses to the people

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

· Deuteronomy 31:7 – Moses to Joshua
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.

· Deuteronomy 31:23 – God to Joshua
The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."

· Joshua 1:6 – God to Joshua
"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

· Joshua 1:9 – God to Joshua
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

· Joshua 1:18 – God to Joshua
Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"

It took many messages to Joshua, from Moses first and then from God directly, but at some point, after several victories, he owned those words. He then shared them with the people.

· Joshua 10:25 – Joshua to the people
Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."

This story was told and retold from generation to generation and the words were shared with others centuries later.

· 1 Chronicles 22:13 – David to Solomon
Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

· 1 Chronicles 28:20 – David to Solomon
David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.

· 2 Chronicles 32:7 – Hezekiah to people
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.

There is so much hidden in God’s Word awaiting for us to learn and grow and help others grow.

I heard a speaker recently share that as we are growing, we should be sure to surround ourselves with people we want to emulate in our walk. He also shared that we should make our growth a priority – clear time in your day for that purpose – don’t leave it to happenstance.

Good advise.

Find your way into His Word. Our students are depending on us to grow so that they too can grow.