January 2012
3 posts
Get Out
In exactly 2 weeks I will be somewhere on the 5, 101, 129 or 1 Freeways on my way home to Santa Cruz with a car containing my belongings (which consists of 3 things: Clothes, Books, Golf Clubs, in ascending order of importance).
As much as I like to complain about LA, about traffic, weather, distance from everything I was involved in, and pretty much life in general, the past 10 years and 4...
Great read. Clarifications on Jesus. (link) →
ohhyemin:
samleewrites:
Kevin DeYoung took the words right out of my mouth. I love that new viral video “Jesus hates Religion” because the infrastructure of its poetic verses is the amazing grace of God. It is a glorious reminder to myself, as I remember that those who do not abide by the law are cursed but that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us when he...
1 tag
Post-Grad Lessons: Mini Goals
vacation was a whirlwind. tried to spend as much time with family as possible (success!) and tried to see friends that i will not see for a long period of time. i didn’t see half the people i had hoped to while i was home but it was a lot of driving back and forth between santa cruz and san jose and semi-restful at best…
so ive more or less been graduated and off of any kind of...
December 2011
3 posts
Skyward Sword
i’ve spent bits and pieces of the winter break hanging out w/ channing and playing the Wii Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword game. the game is fantastic! i have been away from video games for so long that i suck at it which is thoroughly entertaining for channing to watch me fall off of cliffs and die.
i’ve been thinking about why we like video games so much. the graphics, the story...
vacation
first 5 days of being an M.div:
1 tag
November 2011
2 posts
Unorganized Thoughts on Penn State
I am and have always been a big sports fan. On most mornings, unless I feel the need to try and be spiritual, I usually tune in to ESPN radio and listen to Colin Cowherd, an eloquent and informed sports broadcaster who has great minority opinions on everything.
There are no minorities when it comes to the general perception of what took place at Penn State. For a school employee to have sexually...
“The irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately...”
– Francis Chan (via stephanielyu)
October 2011
3 posts
Road less traveled...
i have come to see that more consistently making it a mere 7 days through the week without filling up on gas is better for my wallet, car, physical health, mental health and spiritual health. wish it didn’t take me this long to learn that lesson…
“IT is a lot of work. You have to be organized and able to improvise on your...”
– I Went Back to the Land to Feed My Family - NYTimes.com (via nataleiigh)
God's blessed omnipresence
tomorrow i get the privilege of preaching at UCLA CCM in our attributes of God series on the topic of omnipresence. one thing that God has been teaching me is that His presence is always with us. if you see this, please say a prayer for me!
i can honestly say that if i went through a day like today a few years ago, i would have had a meltdown. Lord thank You that in the midst of struggles that...
September 2011
6 posts
Prosperity Theology
Grace: i’ve been talking to my friend about the prosperity gospel
Grace: he said Grace: “hmm don’t most pastors preach on some version of this: your generous giving will increase the blessings that the lord pours out upon you.”
when i think about this, that this is somehow often what we pastors preach, whether intentionally or not, i shudder to think that salvation and...
semester 9/9
feeling a high degree of inner peace right now. God how did You know that my last semester needed to go this way?
dddgp
starting today, danny sheu and dan matsuoka will embark upon a 50 day journey through the book of genesis…we will be editing and posting our thoughts from our daily devotions per chapter here on this site…happy reading!
dddgp.tumblr.com
in light of the 10th year anniversary of 9/11
some great thoughts found here from my favorite preacher:
http://www.redeemer.com/care/coping/questions.html
guilty.
composeme:
http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/are-you-frustrated-with-your-local-church/
one word: listen →
August 2011
4 posts
identity part 2: what lecrae said...
vegas edition behind, i asked the question, “where do we find our identity?” more simply, what defines us? something defines every single one of us. if we say nothing defines us, that still is a definition of our lives.
God taught me so much about myself this summer. through the things i was able to experience, He showed me who i really am. what my interests really are, what i can...
Identity Part 1: Vegas edition
today was the first day of school and i spent the time leading up to it in vegas with two good buddies. the theme of the trip was golf. in the past i remember posting up pictures of golf trips and talking about it, mostly so i could write it down somewhere for memory’s sake because i dont think anyone else really cares…but this time we didn’t take pictures and i won’t focus...
am i right for this church?
a few weeks ago, Pastor Peter led us in a discussion on how to choose a church. his challenge to us was “what question do we ask ourselves about trying to find a church?” the point he wanted to make was many times we ask ourselves, “is this church right for me?” when the question that we should really be asking ourselves is “am i right for this church?” he made...
some helpful words i needed to hear
“after each failure, ask forgivness, pick yourself up again, and try again. very often waht God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again” —cs lewis to help a bad morning
stolen from kirstie patricia
July 2011
8 posts
WISE WORDS
Hyperactivity is a form of Sloth. We can be lazy at the center, refusing to do the real work of caring for the Soul.- Eugene Petersen
stolen from my homeboy pastor gabe
consider the birds
last night i was asked to teach the bible lesson for the Awana K-5 kids. it was great to see God’s beautiful children and to teach them. the memory verse was Matthew 6:26 and the theme was “God provides.”
as i look around my bedroom and try and find every way possible not to write tomorrow’s sermon, i can see so many things that God has given me. not just necessities, but...
back on CCIC time
1) waking up at or after my alarm rather than before
2) light breakfast around 10 or 11am
3) coffee to wake me up
4) lunch sometime around 1 or 2
5) dinner AFTER church events around 10 or 11
could only be in one place…CCIC baby!
think good thoughts...
dreaming big about the future is important and something we all need to do. i realize i haven’t done it for a long, long time. it’s good to do it again
some joys of youth ministry 2
today my job responsibilities include being present at church while our HS boys and 1 girl play a bunch of computer games that ive never heard of. love my job!
Effort
“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”- Dallas Willard
Memo to self: Dan, nothing can happen without effort. Grace does not mean you sit idly by without action. When you take action, God will meet your imperfections with grace. But nothing...
yes please →
June 2011
9 posts
His Love Never Fails
if i wasn’t before, i’m officially hooked on Jesus Culture/Bethel Live songs and they are currently speaking so much into my life
some joys of youth ministry
i’m folding my laundry and i looked at the t-shirts ive been wearing to church. when you are the person in charge of jr. high kids, you become the target. over the past 3 weeks at church, my jr. high boys look at what i’m wearing and ask a million questions such as:
1) you play football?
2) did you go to ucla?
3) you play softball?
4) what is the vine? is that like in irvine or...
SV super team
super privileged to work with CCICSV super team which is filled with super people
survival
got my IV of caffeine and now im ready to roll for youth group tonight…thank you God for starbucks! don’t know how i can live without it
crazy
after many, many conversations where it was the other way around, tonight was the first time i had a conversation with my dad where he cried and i didn’t…it was powerful stuff, and i know our relationship is never going to be the same
randumbs
used to do this a lot…first time i’ve done it on tumblr
1) God is good and I am blessed…for many reasons
2) went to a meeting with the elders/deacons of CCIC-SV tonight. let me say that the first generation is filled with so much love, purpose, and wisdom. 2nd gen pplz, we must never forget this and never assume that we know better than those who have come before us
3) im...
It’s Not About You - NYTimes.com →
thelittleyu:
“Most people don’t form a self and then lead a life. They are called by a problem, and the self is constructed gradually by their calling […] The graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it’s rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration. It’s the things they did to court unhappiness —...
May 2011
6 posts
who says i'm old?
ccm has turned me into college-type sleeping habits this week…
confirmation
gotta do a quick post while im smack in the middle of finals. what a great night tonight at ccm! greg meeks, formerly a Calvary Chapel church planter, came and shared with us about hearing God’s voice.
a lot of times we don’t know what choice God wants us to make. we know what choices we should make when it comes to going to church, loving our brothers and sisters, sharing the good...
note to self
dan, guard your sabbath…bad things happen to you when you don’t
pray
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theenvoy/20110506/ts_yblog_theenvoy/al-qaeda-confirms-bin-laden-death
i read stuff like this and my only reaction is we need to pray. for so much
thoughts on a memorable monday
i think we will all look back at yesterday evening’s event as something that we will always remember. i will remember that i first heard the news on my car radio about osama pulling up to wahoo’s to grab a burrito before ccm core meeting. shortly after that, the TV inside the restaurant showed Obama’s address to the nation.
how do we respond to such an historic event? what is...
sundays
these sundays may kill me someday, but until they do, i’m going to keep thanking God for how awesome they are
April 2011
4 posts
something to consider
something i read while on a rare night study session (during my abbreviated spring break…everyone else gets 10 days or so and i get 5)
“they wanted stories, i gave them systematic theology. they wanted relationships, i gave them categories of convenience. they wanted explorations, i gave them definitions. they wanted stories, i gave them statements.”
some good food for thought
“Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him...”
– (via stephanielyu)
lets all make sure we get a good laugh today!
Kimberly: seriously! i’m super excited
we just did jenny’s bridal shower yesterday and then in three weeks we’re going to vegas O.O isn’t that kinda crazy? i didn’t even know it was located in nevada
The Veritas Forum
was totally blessed by tonight’s Veritas Forum and blessed to see many people in attendance and to attend it with some of my ccm brothers and sisters.
John Lennox was very well informed, gracious, funny, and on point in discussing issues with regard to whether Christianity is true or not. While all his answers were very well thought out and winsome while all being generally genius at...
March 2011
6 posts
how do you say 'thoughts' in french?: temporary... →
abtmdgurl:
This is my temporary Home
It’s not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I’m passin’ through.
This was just a stop, on the way to where I’m going.
I’m not afraid because I know… this is
My temporary home.
- Temporary Home, Carrie Underwood
Steve’s mom’s memorial…
God provides
let me just say that i have the best and most supportive friends ever. thank You God!