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Pastor Tim's Blog

connecting faith with everyday life

Hi Dad.

10/31/2019

 

Hi Dad.

The other night... I can tell by the enthusiasm you showed as you took your sweet time rolling out of bed, walking down the hall, and slowly opening my door, that you were angry. I mean, it was only 1:00 a.m. Remember that time you woke me up at 4:00 a.m. because we were going to the airport? Payback.

Yes. OK. That was a rough night. Certainly, eventful. And I would have done the same to mom, but she had to get up early for work. I was just giving you practice for when she’s on the Women’s Retreat, this weekend. 

But, seriously, thank you for cuddling with me for the next five and a half hours... on the floor... with all 30-pounds of me on your belly... You’re trying to teach me that apologies are OK, so yes - an apology is in order.

I am sorry for screaming my lungs out. Though, my voice can go higher and get much louder, you did respond within 90-seconds (that might be a record for you... yes, I’ve been keeping track). Not bad for just about getting into your REM cycle. And, I’m impressed that you didn’t say a word about my vocal acrobatics. No cussing. No grumbling. It was either you were too tired or that you love me so much that you just did what you needed to do.

OK. Now that I’ve apologized, I think you owe me an apology, too. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

That song you sang to me. The lyrics are, “Jesus loves me, this I know”, not “Jonah loves sleep, this I know”. You and Matt have been saying it all month long, it’s Simply Jesus. (See, I listen to you guys!). That was very rude and dare I say, sacrilegious. I’m hurt... and Jesus is, too.

And, if you could please apologize to my belly. I can’t help it that I am a strapping, growing young man with a healthy metabolism (more than I can say about you, old man). What I was trying to say between the screams and tears is, “cracker”. All I wanted was a cracker. I know that you graze for hours after I pretend to sleep... but I’m watching you. You eat. I starve. I mean, anything would have been fine at 1:00 a.m.. A piece of bread. Raspberries. A cookie. Fruit Loops. Pencils.

And for crying out loud, come on, I thought mom had made it clear that a bottle of milk usually does the trick. Oh, we were out of Almond Milk? Don’t you know Safeway is open 24 hours a day? And it’s within walking distance? What’s the deal? Just because your bedtime milk is in a glass bottle and mine is in a plastic one doesn’t make your milk any better than mine. Aren’t parents supposed to put their kids’ needs before their own?

So, next time... Almond Milk... $3.29 at Safeway... anytime... and I’d like it in the Dr. Brown bottle... the 4 oz. one... not the 8 oz. one... and, without the blue insert. Thank you.

I just needed to get all the feels out. I feel better now. Since you told mom that you wanted to be a better listener and not a fixer, thanks for listening. I feel heard.

Oh, and one last thing... I know it’s time-change weekend, and I need some extra beauty sleep. So I’ll let you know that I’m awake and ready to go at 4:30 a.m. (new time) on Sunday. I don’t want you to miss church.

Love,
Jonah

Three Realities and One Exciting Solution

10/24/2019

 
Let's be honest: Technology has changed the way we live. It's changed how we live so much that we're planning a message series in early 2020 that will speak into this area of our lives. We need God's grace and truth when it comes to following Jesus in a digital reality.

I want to be clear that not everything about technology is good. But, disciples and leaders live in reality... and the reality is that technology has also changed the way we do ministry. For the most part, it's a very good thing! Today, I want to share three realities about technology and one exciting solution to be looking forward to in the next few weeks here at OSLC.

REALITY #1: oslc.com has become our "front porch".
If you're like me and you have a question - what do you do? We Google it. And, Google leads us to websites. A big reality is that our website is just as much to connect with a changing world searching for answers as it is for those already connected to the unchanging God. Simply put, oslc.com is the front porch for people seeking real answers about faith and life. Every week, we see hundreds of people log onto oslc.com and facebook to engage with sermons, teachings, and seek answers to their questions... our prayer is that God's Spirit leads many of them to move from screen-to-screen to face-to-face. Research shows that people who do not regularly go to church will visit your website and make a decision even to give it a try long before they grace the presence of your parking lot. ​We're finding that many of our first-time guests have been on our website long before worshipping for the first time.
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​REALITY #2: Digital Platforms have changed the way we follow up with people.
Remember the days of knocking on doors of newcomers? I remember going with my dad on newcomer visits, every Sunday afternoon (I understand that Pastor Wildermuth did that here at OSLC, too!). They weren't super deep conversations... we just wanted to say, "thanks for coming", give them information about what we do as a church, and invite them back. Wow, how have things changed! What used to take hours of driving, developing materials, not to mention people who were willing to serve in this way - now takes a few seconds through a Facebook or Text Message. Every week, a team of people make traditional phone calls as well as send text messages, facebook messages, and emails on Sunday afternoon following up on prayer requests, guest visits, and respond to other questions people have about faith and life.
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REALITY #3: Technology has brought the world together.
No doubt, technology has reshaped the world. Just a few years ago, the only people who had access to you were the people physically around you. Now, everyone has equal access. The geographic divisions we've seen in churches in the past will not be the same in the future. Besides, the urban and suburban tween spends just as much time on their tech as their rural counterparts... about 4.5 hours a day. (Teens are about 9 hours a day and adults are about 3.25 hours a day.) Technology is where people are... whether we like it or not. The good news is that Jesus is there, too. Every week, this fall, real people have joined together online to discover Christian Teachings both live and on-demand. More digital resources and content is being developed to help you and all people connect with the unchanging God. Share it! It's a great thing.
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AN EXCITING SOLUTION
So, where do we go from here? We know that technology is here to stay. We know people are already on their devices. We also know Jesus is real and present as ever in an increasingly disconnected and changing world.

One solution is to offer full-access to our Sunday morning services. The full-digital LiveStream Experience will begin on November 10. What does that mean? It means that we will be streaming our entire 9:30 a.m. service from beginning to end. People who engage through this platform will have the opportunity to share prayer requests, complete a connection card, respond generously, and experience the same teachings and messages as we do in-person in Tacoma. Our goal is that this is a resource and supplement to a life of loving God, loving people, and living like Jesus - not a replacement.

Thanks to our entire team and especially Matt Kees and Gerod Bass for working on this (long before I arrived!). It's exciting to see God use ordinary people for His extraordinary mission. When you see them, ask them about how tech and the gospel are making disciples who love God, love people, and live like Jesus... and tell them "thanks" for their commitment, work, and service.
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How You Know Jesus is Alive In You

10/17/2019

 
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How do you know Jesus is alive in your life?

That’s a great question.

So many people I know desire to feel alive in Jesus... growing in their faith... experiencing spiritual breakthrough... and yet feel so stagnant or spiritually bored.

Let's be honest, there is no shortage of spiritual distractions. From busy schedules to work benchmarks and from technology and media to the overwhelming number of ways to grow in your faith - there is no doubt some of us settle for status quo. I know for me, it's easy to say, "I'm fine" without being honest that I desire so much more.

Now, there is a reality that our faith can stagnate, decline, and even die. If you doubt me, check out the Story of the Sower. But, I’m an exceptional optimist. I believe that anyone can grow in their mustard-seed size faith. Jesus told a story about that, too.

So, how do you know Jesus is alive in you and that He's continuing to grow in you?

While that’s tough to answer universally, there are some patterns I’ve seen so often that they’re worth naming. It's important to note that the absence of these signs does not mean you do not have faith or that you have a dying faith... I'm simply saying that these are some patterns that I have seen in living faith. And, sometimes when we don't feel like Jesus is alive in us, we lose sight that living faith is more than just a feeling... it produces fruit.

So, here we go. These are gut checks, so get ready…

  1. I am looking for something more. This is a good thing. A restless faith indicates that God wants to do something in you so that He can do something through you. People generally are OK in the known and status quo. If you desire to go beyond what you already know, then Jesus is alive and well in you. The past has nostalgia that often keeps us comfortable. The future doesn't have any nostalgia at all - it's unknown. The past isn't bad... but the desire to stay where you're at because it's comfortable and predictable might mean that you're holding onto a Jesus that fits your idea of spiritually - not His. Jesus is constantly inviting His disciples to a place of increased faith into areas of life that are unknown. He continues to do the same, today.
  2. I find security in trusting Jesus more than I do in my past spiritual practices (or experiences). We all measure our faith by something. Maybe it's your devotional life, church attendance, or hours of service. By no means am I saying spiritual practices are wrong or bad. (Keep doing them!). These are fantastic lifestyle rhythms, but they make horrible gods. You know Jesus is alive in you when you're trusting your record of righteousness less and trusting your identity in Jesus as a child of God more. Indeed, God is doing something new in you so that He can do something new through you!
  3. I am committed to Jesus' mission more than I am to ministry programs. Ministry programs are wonderful. I came to know Jesus through a ministry program. They're here to stay. But, they're only that... programs... vehicles, strategies, and pathways for us to experience God and join Him on His mission. You know that Jesus is alive in you when you're more committed to making disciples who make disciples more than the ways it happens. Cars that get me from home to work may come and go... I may need different tires depending on the time of year... and eventually, my car will die and I'll get a new one. But, the purpose of why I need a car remains the same - to get me from my house to work. Whether I ride my bike, call an Uber, or drive myself - the method is secondary to the mission... and when Jesus' mission is my mission - then the method is always secondary.
  4. I am becoming less critical of others. This is a big one. It's easy to be critical of other people's sin. So often when Jesus is alive in us, our critical spirits become less and Jesus' spirit of discovery and learning increases. I love what author/speaker Kristen Ivy says, "Seen people see people. When you allow yourself to be seen, you begin to see people differently." When Jesus is alive in us, we see people because we are seen by Jesus. As a result, we begin to see people differently. We become less critical and more accepting and inclusive of them.

Those are four signs I've come to notice in my life that Jesus is alive in me. . .  what signs have you seen in yourself that Jesus is alive in you?

Love you more than you know. See you Sunday!

I See You

10/8/2019

 
When I look out from the platform on Sunday morning, I see you. I see you as a person, not a product. Since Jesus is our mutual older brother, I see you as a sibling. I see you as someone dearly loved by God. I see you as someone who I get to love. I also see you as someone longing to make a difference in someone else’s life. I see you.
 
You know what I don’t see? I don’t get to see the investment of time, prayer, and relationship you make into the lives of others the remaining 167 hours of the week. It might be in your marriage, your family, your workplace, your school, your neighborhood or community, or your Life Group. Maybe you don’t see that either. . . or, at least don’t intentionally think about it, often. But, let’s be honest – most of you spend a whole lot more time living like Jesus with other people than you do with me at church.
 
Let’s face it. You and I wouldn’t be engaged in a growing relationship with Jesus if someone didn’t invite and invest in us. For me, it was David Bell.

David always gave me a high-five at church (even when I go home, I get one!). He found me every Sunday after worship and made sure to ask me how my week was going. He seemed genuinely interested in my lame job at Pizza Hut. . . and yet, more interested in whether or not I was going to join him and a group of 6 other guys at Coney Island for brunch after the service. He led a short devotion or bible study with us. He dropped in on my concerts and games. He convinced me to go to summer camp. He remembered my birthday. He gave me some of the best college advice, ever (change your major at least 3 times before you lock into your career). Dave did this every week for 6 years. That’s 312 times between junior high and my first year of college. And... us 7 guys got to meet his now wife before he even knew he was in love with her! When it comes to our relationships, that's what consistency over time begins to look like. Even when he or I were out of town or not at church, he’d make a point to call me on Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, Dave invited and invested in me as a person before he spoke a word to me about Jesus.
 
I knew that Dave loved and cared for me before he taught and challenged me to grow.
 
And, isn’t that just how Jesus works, too? Jesus asks Peter how fishing is going. “Not so well”, Peter replies. Jesus tells Peter to put his net back into the water. (You can imagine Peter thinking, “really” in my 7-year old’s sassy tone of voice.) Of course, Peter does it and we know the next words out of Jesus’ mouth were, “follow me”.
 
You see, Jesus engaged Peter in a way that Peter understood: “how’s was fishing last night?”. He listened. Jesus invited Peter to follow him. And for the next three years, Jesus invested everything He had in Peter. Jesus taught Peter everything He knew. . . showed him everything He did. . . Jesus encouraged Peter, corrected Peter, and stuck with Peter – even when Peter didn’t stick with Jesus. Jesus invited and invested in Peter as a person before he spoke a word to him about Himself.
 
We all need someone to invite and invest in us… and someone to invite into our lives and invest in for the long-haul. It’s how God designed us to be. It’s who Jesus saved us to become.
 
So, here are three ways you can get started inviting and investing in someone else:
 
  1. Acknowledge who you have already invited into your life. Maybe it’s a child or grandchild. Perhaps it’s a long-time friend. Maybe it’s someone else’s child or grandchild. Most likely, it’s someone if you think about it who you have known for a while. And, perhaps you never thought you influence the way they think, talk, feel, and live. Think about those people and write down their names.
  2. Invite them into things you already do. List everything you do on a regular basis. Grocery shopping. Meals. Walks. Runs. Working Out. Commuting. Doing yardwork. Cleaning the gutters. Invite them to join you in these seemingly “basic” tasks. You’ll be surprised the impact you make simply walking around Fred Meyer while you listen to how their day is going for few minutes. 
  3. Affirm your relationship. Say, “I’m so glad you’re part of my life.” Or, if you’re not one for words like that, you can say, “It means a lot for us to be friends”. Ask that person how you can pray for them.
 
We see people more outside of church than at church. And the best way to see people is how Jesus sees people – harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Translation: Jesus sees people longing to make a difference in someone’s life because He, the Good Shepherd made the biggest difference in yours.

Invite. Invest. I can’t wait to see you on Sunday.
 
Love you more than you know.
Tim

Marriage, Relationships and Careers

10/3/2019

 
​Every week, our staff and leaders receive and pray over your prayer requests. You can share a prayer request - day and night, at www.oslc.com/contact.

One of my spiritual habits is to pray over them, every day before I start my work. I need the constant reminder that God is God and I am not (I can't control any of this) and that seeing God work the lives of people - both near and far from Him, is why I get up everyday to do the things I do and what I go to be to dream about at night.

Over the last 50 days, I’ve noticed many of our prayers surround marriages, relationships, and careers of all shapes and sizes. If you're like me, you think about and pray for your marriage, relationships, and career quite a bit. And rightfully so. I mean, they're super important.

So, I thought I would share five reflections I had during my prayer time this past week surrounding these topics. My prayer for you is that you'd be encouraged and supported.


  1. Be proactive - not reactive. Whether it's with our jobs, our relationships, or our spouses, partners, or significant others, we tend to react to what is happening around us rather than making time to be present, available, and attentive. Honoring people around us - our bosses, co-worker, spouses, and friends both in public and in private is one way to proactively invest in your relationships. Jesus honors us by His presence, access through prayer at all times, and attentiveness to both your darkest and light-filled moments so that we can honor others with our presence, availability, and attentiveness.
  2. Build on Jesus as the foundation of your career. I recently heard that the average professional football player's career is 2.5 years. That's a lot of change and transition. Our lives are filled with just as much change (albeit, perhaps not specifically in your career, but life, in general). Ephesians 2:20-21 says, "Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone in whom the entire building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." If we find our identity in who Jesus has declared us to be, we will still experience change, transition, and hard times - but our lives will be build on the One who holds it all together.
  3. Just be kind... always. Everything you do has an opportunity to demonstrate the presence and power of Jesus to people in your life. From your social media feeds to your conversations and from your grocery check-out line conversations to the smile you share with the person who just cut you off on 112th and Canyon... you have the presence and power of Jesus in you. In all your relationships, you may find it's hard to be angry, bitter or hold a grudge when you are kind to them. Want to learn more what I'm talking about? Check out Romans 12. 
  4. Starve your doubts by feeding your faith. It's kind of cliche. You can find similar sayings on Pintrest, quoted by a variety of authors, and even used by leadership gurus like John Maxwell. But just because it's cliche doesn't mean it's powerful. The world, the evil one, and our own selves want to tear us down, beat us up, and make us feel like losers. Whether it's not being an adequate mate, parent, friend, or worker - we doubt ourselves, which means we also doubt God's promises to us, for us, and over us. Find one of God's promises in His Word and starve out your own self-talk and self-thinking and feed your faith. Need a place to begin? Check out this List of 50+ Promises from God.
  5. Winning isn't everything. Well... it all depends on what we define as winning. I don't believe winning means owning everything you want. I don't believe winning means creating our own kingdoms or dynasties like an ultimate fantasy football team or Play Station game. If you play team sports, winning is being faithful to who you are - even when nobody is looking. Staying on your assignment. Sticking with the game plan. Executing to the best of your ability. Owning your mistakes. In this sense, winning doesn't really matter when it comes to profit lines, promotions, cars, houses, activities, retirement funds... whatever else we may compete with at work or at home. No doubt, these things are important... but, the only thing that counts in the end is when you win at living a life of integrity in your marriage, career, family, and other relationships.

So, we want to help you win at life. Here are three incredible resources that continue to help Beth and me win at life. We are far from perfect. . .  seriously far from it. But, we are always learning, growing, and praying that Jesus continues to teach us how to do life better. Check out these resources:

  • Parent Cue - Helping you win at home as a parent
  • Faith and Work - Helping you win at your career
  • Married People - Helping you win at your significant relationships and marriage (a great site for singles, too!)

Know you're being prayed for and if you ever want to talk about winning at life, send a note to me or anyone on our fantastic ministry team. Truly, we are here to help you win at life as well as your faith.

Don’t forget that we kick-off our Simply Jesus message series, this Sunday. Our creative team is working hard to help us not just learn, but experience what Simply Jesus is all about. Bring the entire family, your Bible, and some friends. See you there!

Love you more than you know.
Pastor Tim
    Connect with
    ​Pastor Tim

    Meet Pastor Tim

    Tim Bayer has served as Our Savior's Lead Pastor since September 2019. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Concordia University - Irvine, a National Leadership Facilitator and Resource, and with the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

    Tim studied sociology, psychology, and theology prior to earning his M.Div at Concordia Seminary - St. Louis. He also is a candidate for an Ed.D (ABD) in Transformational Leadership.

    He is married to Beth and they have three children. Together, they enjoy exploring the outdoors, experiencing culture, and pizza and movie nights.

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