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" The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. "-Colossians 1:15-20 NIV

A historic day occured at the Sacramento Metro church of Christ on August 31, 2011. The Ministry Staff decided that it was best to step out of the pulpit and into secular life. One is dealing with a rare, but serious autoimmune disesease and needed it rest as he recovers. It is the Spirit's calling to have these valliant people of God step back and allow God to move in this transitional period. I am grateful for the Los Angeles church of Christ for their willingness to offer support as our congregation figures out wht to do next.

Transition happened before in terms of leadership. However, unlike in the past, this congregation is willing to make things happen, rather than wait for things to happen. As disciples of jesus, while the Sacramento Church is in transition, we must remember that the Lord Jesus is the Head of His Church regardelss of the leadership that will be installed. Furthermore, this congregation must step in and shephered His people and continue to obey the Great Commission. With a lot of new faces coming to the congreagation (and a lot more old faces returning to the fold), giving up is not an option.

I pray that God continue to bless the Sacramento Metro church of Christ as a new era begins.

Charles Linzie

Reflectioms from the Southwest Singles Conference.

From July 28-31, the Los Angeles church of Christ hosted the annual Southwest Singles Conference in Rancho Mirage, CA. The Singles Ministry of the Sacramento Metro church of Christ took it upon themselves through the Spirit's leading to go and learn from this conference to not only share within ourselves the changes we need to make, but to feed of different perspectives within our two congregations.

I arrived from Sacramento to the venue just as the starlight devotional began. People as far away as Toronto shared their visions and dreams about what they see happening within the Lord's Church. The official kickoff was a song devotional based on the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), hence the theme "Elevate". Later, we went into breakout sections, and I attended a Christian evidences class entitled "Bones, Boxes, and Copper Coins". The speakers not only gave me a new insight on the Bible and the early church, especially the lives of women, but reminded the attendees that the best evidences of Jesus and His Church is found in Scripture.

Later, I attended a cl;ass entitled "Robots, Rambo, and Relationships", which exposed my biggest weakness of relating to the Body of Christ and learned some practicals on how to really build them (One start-be myself). After eating one of several meals from the women in the church, (which not only saved me a ton of money on meals, but blew my mind away), I heard the first keynote speech from AT Arneson of the Chicago church of Christ as he shared candidly about being a cancer survivor and losing his mother to cancer (she knew the Lord when she passed on).

The next two breakout sessions, the first one on worship, is simply about glorifying God and lifting Him up, not about music, lifting holy hands, or even praise. The last, and most challenging was an evangelism class entitled "Jesus and Chewbacca". The Star Wars analogy exposed how unrelatable I am on the mission field and how ineffective I am on winning the lost. Just as within the church, I must be myself to build stronger relationships. The Sunday Sermon by AT Arneson using Acts 27 about spiritual storms as well as the HOPE worldwide offering for the churches in the Ivory Coast and Honduras concluded the conference.

As I traveled home, I knew that the Spirit moved through each of the attendees. Now, it is time to make changes to glorify God. Look for my insights on the breakout classes on my blog in the coming week. To God be the glory!

Charles Linzie

Known by God

Note: This is a sermon delivered by Josh Petersen of the Los Angeles church of Christ to the Sacramento Church on July 17, 2011.

Matthew 7:21-23
-Not all who acknowlwedges Jesus as Lord will enter Heaven.
-Are you a friend of God or see Him as a means to an end?
-Are you performing a religious duty or being real with God?
(Do you really want to tell jokes to Jesus or just see Him as someone distant?)

Our relationship with God is more than going to His church!

John 14:5-11
-Do you really know Christ?
-Do you pray the kind of prayers that only God can answer (even if it's "no")?
-In prayer, be a pioneer, not a settler!

Believe much=expect much!
Great faith=great prayer; little faith, litte prayer.

Matthew 7:24-27
-Build your relationship with God to code (His Word).
-Putting the Word into practice is a sign of a true relationship with Christ.
-Be a friend to God! He can be trusted!

Comment: This is a culmination of an evangelistic campaign in the Sacramento-area colleges led by the LA Church. I appreciate their zeal and willingness to partner up withn us. In the meantime, it is time for all of who claim to know Christ to build a more intimate relationship with Him. It is the difference of spensing eternity with God or apart from Him. -CL

Food that fufills!

Note: This is a Bible Talk held during an evangelistic campaign at California State University, Sacramento on July 14, 2011.

Ice Breaker: What food to you frequently buy at a grocery store?

John 6:25-27
-Do you find stuff that will make you hungry or be full?
-What are you looking for in college? Success? Friendship?

John 10:10
-Jesus wants us to have life to the full?

Do you want a full life?

Comment: I would like to thank the Los Angeles church of Christ for assisting in this thought provoking discussion. As disciples of Jesus, we ought to remember that He fulfills us, not just doing waht satisfies us. -CL

Through Hope, They Will Know

Note: This is the Sunday Sermon at the Sacramento Christian Conference on March 27, 2011. It was delivered by Wes Wright of the Greater Reno church of Christ. I Samuel 30:4-6, Romans 8:18 -Hope has no value until you lost all hope. I Samuel 22:6, 18-19, Colossians 2:20 -False hope will kill you! -Do you place your hope in structure, accountability, and rules above Scripture? I Samuel 23:1-16 -Through hope, they will know. -Rely on God for every decision you make. Comment: legalistic red tape and hopelessness hinders the Spirit's ability to work through us. As the Lord's church, we must always put our hope in Him.

Through Your Faith, They Will Know

NOTE: This is the second keynote address of the Sacramento Christian Conference from Don Splitt delivered on March 26, 2011. Hebrews 11:1-6 -Faith is the human response to God's faithfulness. -Satan atttacks our faith through circumstanses and emotions. vv.35 -Hard situations out to refine our faith. Hebrews 10:32-39 -Have you shrunk back on your faith? -(Does it affect your evangelism?) Hebrews 11:7-21 -Don't complain about God's will! Hebrews 12:1-5 -Be faithful to the end! -True faith in Christ is remaining faithful to Him to the end. Luke 16:19-27 (Lazarus and the Rich Man) -Do you regret not sharing the gospel to more people? -Example from Schindler's List Comment: This is a sobering message about the subject where I am weak: evangelism. Too often, I use circumstances as an excuse not to share the gospel. I realize is that my weakness in social intereaction due to how I was mistreated in the past hinders my desire to win people to Christ. That is something I need to change now!

Through Your Love, They Will Know

NOTE: This is the first keynote address at the Sacramento Christian Conference, delivered on March 25, 2011, from Drew Nitchoff. John 13:34-35 -Jesus command that His disciples love one another. John 15:12-13 -You must sacrafice yourself for others -This is the difference between a nominal believer and a true disciple of Jesus. I John 2:6 -You must walk as Jesus did in love. John 13:1 -The full extent of Christ's love-to the end! -The Lord's church is not some social club! I Corinthians 13:1-3 -Love is not optional! (see I John 1:5-10) Matthew 5:14-16 -Let your light shine; it will lead others to Christ. Comment: The way God shown His love for us through the sacrifice of His Son is the exact same way we ought to show the love of Christ through our sacrifices for one another.

Super Faith Sunday

Note: This a sermon from Don Splitt to the Sacramento Church on February 6, 2011.

Hebrews 5:7-10
-Do you Believe that God has a Beautiful plan for you?
-Do you believe, at one time, you can do great things for Him?

Example: The Masculine Journey; Go beyond the wounded warrior to a sage.

Luke 5:1-11
Because you say so, Jesus...be prepared to go into deep water.

Allow God to help you make things happen rather than watch things happen!

Haggai 2:9
The second house will be bigger than the first house.
(Don passes a post card of our facility once belonging to the Winding Way church of Christ upon its erection in 1972).

DREAM AGAIN! BELIEVE AGAIN!

Comment: On the heels of Phase One of our Special Missions Contribution and the subsequent improvements to our facility, I must dream again. Perhaps, the Sacramento Church will be regarded as a "pillar" church in the Central Valley region. -CL

Go Big or Go Home!

Note: This is a summary of a sermon from Luke Donatello of the Bakersfield church of Christ to the Sacramento Church on January 30, 2011.

Ephesians 1:18
Do you love a big God or do you pray to the "baby Jesus"( aka Will Ferrel in Taladega Nights)?

Romans 1:1
Do not be blind to God's greatness!

Hebrews 11:1, 6
-God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
-Do you have a conviction that God rewards? Does it change with circumstance or environment?

Matthew 9:27-36
-Are you cynical? That makes you blind to God's love!

Matthew 6:6
God sees us even when we don't see Him.
Pray BIG!
Matthew 13:54-58
Lack of faith=lack of miracles.

Luke 11:1, 5-8.
Be disruptive and shameless in prayer.

Luke 18:7-8
Do you ask God in faith?

GO ALL IN! STOP BEING LAZY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS YEAR IS A CAREER YEAR!

Comment: this year, I need to dream big not only for my own faith, but for the future of the Sacramento Church. -CL

Baptized Disciples

Here is a recording of a sermon from Don Splitt to the Sacramento Church. C lick on the link and go to the sermon heading "Baptized Believers in Jesus".

Baptism is a touchy subject, but since it is tied into the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-16), it is essential to our conversion into a saving relationship with Christ. I urge you to examine the Scripture to see where are you in your own relationship with God and tell others about how to really come to know Him.


Charles Linzie

As promised..

Earlier this month, I was in San Diego for the Southwest Christian conference. I noted that I was going to post notes from the lessons. Instead, I am going to give you a link to all of the lessons on this site http://www.southwestchristianconference.com.


In the coming weeks, I will post lessons on the theme, The Core Principles of the Christian Church.

Charles Linzie

Back to school coming soon.

School is starting up again for Sacramento-Area colleges. For next week, I will post several mini devotionals to get all students hearts prepared for the upcoming school year. Stay tuned...

Charles Linzie

Flex Your Faith!

Note: This is a sermon delivered by Drew Nitchoff to the Sacramento Church on July 25, 2010.

Hebrews 11:1-3
-NOT seeing is believing!
-trust in God isinstant obedience to His Word.

Matthew 14:22-33
-Jesus cares about our faith.
-Do being tested reveal where your faith is?

II Corinthians 11:23ff
-Don't allow hardships to hinder your faith!

James 1:1-3
-Are you insecure about trials and failure?
-Are you willing to learn from them?

Comment: Dealing with failure and harships are the toughest things for me to grasp in my walk with Christ. The more I strive to please Him, the more I feel that I am failing God due to my physical and mental limitations. I have to constantly refer to the cross of Christ and learn to rely on the Spirit, rather than my own efforts, to effectively serve Him. -CL

Through the Eyes of a Father

Note: This is a Father's Day sermon preached by Drew Nitchoff to the Sacrmaneto Church on June 20, 2010.

Mark 5:21-24a-"You got to get to Jesus!"
-Do you go to Christ whenever there is a crisis?
vv. 24b-34-Storms will pass in God's timing, not ours!
(Jesus performed a healing before attending to another).
vv.35-43
-Are you critical when bad things happen to you (i.e. a loss of loved one)?
-What is your reaction of seiing a miracle from a desperate situation?
Let us remember the Greatest Father of all for giving us His Son!

Comment: This brief Father's Day lesson dealt with the trials that I go though on a daily basis. We all have to remember that God gets us through tough trials rather than sheild us from them. -CL

Living the Resurrection

Note: This is the Easter sermon delivered by Don Splitt to the Sacramento Metro church of Christ on April 4, 2010.

John 20:1-9
-Do you truly believe Jesus rose from the dead as He promised?
Acts 2:1ff
-Several examples on how the Apostles changed after the resurrection of Christ.
-It is not good enough to acknowledge His resurrection, but we must live it out!
-It is like being kicked out of the nest; are you flying or waiting to build a better nest (i.e. prepared to live for Christ)?
Acts 4:23-31
-The Apostles prayed differently after the Resurrection.
-Every great deed for God is preceded by great prayer.
-How is your prayer life? Do things change as you pray?

"Praying men stop sinning, but sinning men stop praying." -Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries?

I Corinthians 1:18
-The message of the cross is powerful for those raised in a new life with Christ!

Comment: This was not your run -of-the-mill Easter message about Christ's resurrection, but rather to call for us, as His disciples, to live for Him! -CEL

Servant Leadership

Note: This is from the Sacramento Church's Family Group Leaders meeting on January 24, 2010:

I Timothy 3:1
-As leaders in the Lord's church, we respond to a noble task.
-Is our hearts right in this task? What comes along with it?
Jeremiah 45: 4-5
-We cannot seek greatness for ourselves!
Mark 10:41-45
-True greatness requires giving ourselves to others, NOT coaxing others to serve us!

Commnet: Jesus stresses that serving others is a sign of greatness in His Kingdom. If we do not serve others, we cannot be great in God's eyes. As leaders, we are called to give a lot of ourselves to make others around us great as well. -CL.

Reflections of 2009.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." -Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV

2009 for me was a time of transition and the move of the Holy Spirit in my life. God not only showed me that I had to take initiative in my own life, but grow in my own walk with Him. It revolves around the call for me to be a leader and a servant and be grateful for the opportunities which appeared in my midst.

First, while I attended Sacramento City College, I was involved in the Honors service club (which coincided with my induction into Phi Theta Kappa on November 6, 2008). There were a lot of vacancies in officer positions due to several people leaving the institution. Since I was already involved with the Honors Program at SCC, I seized the opportunity to be in leadership. However, the only slot open was the Vice President of Fellowship, which involves being an ambassador for the Honors programs. Being that social interaction is difficult for me, I reluctantly took this opportunity. Basically, all it did was put a face to what I did anyway: get involved with this campus. Upon receiving an AS in Graphic Communication this summer, the Lord used this to help me see that I am valuable.

Secondly, I was privileged to attend a Campus Ministry conference sponsored by the Los Angeles church of Christ. I felt the least worthy to attend a huge faith-building event because I am not a "traditional" student (because I turned 30 a month earlier). However, in listening to the speakers, I caught vision on how to grow in my own faith in Christ and how to build the campus Ministry for the Sacramento Church. Among the many people I encountered was Don Splitt. It turned out that he was hired as the new Campus Minister for the Sacramento Church, which was an answer to my prayer for additional leadership for the church. God has totally blessed Sacramento as more students are willing to be trained for ministry.

Lastly, I saw that I still had a lot to learn about taking things higher. I entered CSUS in Fall 2009 and participated in what I thought was a successful evangelistic campaign. However, a tragedy on campus rattled me and began to lose faith. In addition, the 32% rise in tuition and a so-so academic performance led me to question whether I should stay at Sac State or go elsewhere. While I'm still committed to win this campus for Christ, I am praying that God can help me overcome any of my doubts.

This basically sums up what i went through in 2009. I pray that the Spirit moves in 2010.

Evening of Worship

This is a presentation from Pat Humphreys, the Worship Team leader for the Sacramento Metro church of Christ; it was delivered on November 21, 2009:

Revelation 4:1ff
-Do you see how intense worshipping God is?
-Worship shows our loyalty to Him.
-We must surrender our souls to Him with a humble and contrite heart.
James 4:6-10
-You are responsible for your humility before God.
Habakkuk 3:10
-Do you stand in awe of God's deeds?
Romans 12:1
-Worship is how Christians live!
-True worship demands complete engagement to God.
I Peter 2:9-10
-Are you, as a Christian, living up to your new description?
Acts 17:24-25
-You must worship God to please Him.
James 4:8
-Draw near to God to develop a Christlike character.
Romans 12:2
-You must renew your minds in worship
-Remember, God's people are His treasured possessions.
Colossians 3;16
-Sing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.
I Timothy 2:1
-Prayer is important to remain engaged with God.
I Corinthians 4:8-13
You can either help or hurt the body of Christ by proper worship.

Comment: If each of us worships God in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24), growth occurs. The Worship team is not formed to entertain, but to edify the saints. May God bless this new ministry! -CL

Love your Neighbor

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ,Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. " -James 2:8-10

The second part of the Great Commandment is to love our neighbors. Over the past month in the Sacramento Church, we as a congregation went through a month of repentance. As a fellowship, we have sinned greatly in not loving our neighbors, not only nonbelievers, but within the Body of Christ.

One concept that I personally struggle with is giving my heart to people. Often using my past hurts and the mistakes I made affecting others around me as an excuse, I come off a man who just doesn't want to be around humanity. I often have to fight to allow the Spirit to work with me as i interact with people. Yet, sometimes my ego and my fears conquer me. I even go as far as judging people without really getting to know them based on age, status, and even intellect.

James the Elder in the above passage of Scripture warns us that if we do not love, we are lawbreakers. I personally do not want to continue to commit this sin; I want to move forward and learn how to love as Christ loved me. -CL