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2010: the year in review

July 23, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

I’m in the middle of our family summer vacation, but I thought I’d take a few moments and reflect upon what was an incredible Annual meeting with our members last Sunday afternoon, the 18th.  Most Annual Report meetings are predictable in nature.  You go over the financial numbers, report on the various ministries, staff changes, past year accomplishments, etc.

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Guard your Heart

July 06, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Continued from last week...

Solomon says, “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”(Proverbs 4:23)  According to Solomon, we live out of the heart.  Simply put, when the scriptures refer to the heart, they are referring to that mysterious union between our mind, will, and emotions.  But how does one guard his, or her heart?  

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The Modern Toilet

June 30, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Have you ever found yourself sitting on the toilet thinking, “you know, this would be a great place to eat dinner?”  Yeah, me neither.  But at least one entrepreneur has turned this crazy idea into a huge profit.  The “Modern Toilet” restaurant in Taiwan has its customers going again and again and again (pun completely intentional).  In reading about this restaurant I was reminded of a phrase my mom used when I was a kid.

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Global rich list

June 25, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

This week I’ll be preaching from James 2:1-13.  As I’ve been spending a significant amount of time reading through these passages over the last few weeks, I’m aware of a nagging deception that is so easy for me to slip into.  Whenever I come across a scripture warning the rich, I immediately pass over it thinking that somehow it doesn’t apply to me.  After all, I’m a poor man if you compare my wealth to the person down the street.  I don’t have to heed warnings to the rich because I don’t have their problems, or so I tell myself.  

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Seattle Harvest Crusade

June 22, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Earlier this week, Corbett Stubbert and I, along with a few hundred other pastors from the Seattle area, had the opportunity to hear from Greg Lauri of Harvest ministries.  Coming to Seattle Nov 5-7, Greg Lauri will be holding a Harvest crusade at the Key Arena that will potentially draw 36,000 people to hear the message of the gospel.  Greg Lauri is an incredible evangelist with a very inspiring story and a passion for reaching people for Jesus Christ (more about Greg Lauri here).  While I was instantly drawn to Greg and inspired by his story, I have some reservations about reaching people through giant crusades in mass quantities.  I’ve had to ask myself the question, is this something we should get on board with and support as a church?  Here’s a few reasons why I believe the answer to that question is, “Yes!” 

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Jesus struck by lightning

June 15, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

The famous “Touchdown Jesus” statue in Monroe, Ohio burned to the ground as it was struck by lighting late last night.  The enormous, 65-foot, six-story creation was the pride of the Solid Rock church located just outside of Cincinnati.  According to news sources, the church membership is devastated by the fire and they are already making plans to reconstruct the statue, which is estimated to cost $300,000.  

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Cell Phone Slavery Cont.

June 10, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

I celebrate advances in technology as much as the next person (will work for Ipad), however, over the last few weeks I’ve been taking a closer look at some of the negative side effects that come along with our beloved progress.  Technology, just like anything else, can be used for good, or evil.  For example, consider the age-old debate about whether or not there is such a thing as Christian music.  The answer – music is amoral and just like binary code it can be used to express something beautiful, or something debase and sinful (to see what I mean check out the imbedded video below).  Sure they’re singing about Jesus, but I question whether or not he still wants to be their friend after they released that song on youtube.

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Cell Phone Slavery

June 02, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

It's a rare privilege nowadays to sit through an entire movie, church service, or school play without the interruption of someone's cell phone ringing.  It's considered public enemy number one when it comes to bad social behavior and we are all victims of these senseless crimes.  Of course, most of us have been guilty of the crime as well.  If it's ever happened to you, you know from first hand experience the humiliation one feels.  Every eye in the room is on you as you frantically search your pockets, desperately pressing every button on the phone to make it stop.  

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Profiling James

May 21, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

This summer, beginning on May 30th, we will be teaching through the book of James at Westside Church.  I’ve spent the past month studying for this series and the more I learn about this book and it’s author James, the brother of Jesus, the more excited I’ve become about what God is going to teach us through the writings of Jesus little brother James.

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Kids say the darndest things

May 07, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

The other day my wife took my two youngest kids to the grocery store.  For those of you don't know, shopping with children in tow isn't always a pleasant experience.  My wife is both gracious and patient, so she usually gives the kids a bit more freedom to roam.  I, on the other hand, strap them into the cart and place them on notice that I will not tolerate any horsing around.  Needless to say, the kids love shopping with mom.  Unfortunately, after this particular occasion, I don't think they will have the chance to enjoy the experience of shopping with mom in the future.   

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Be Great

April 24, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

This Spring, once again, I'm coaching my son's basketball team.  It's the perfect age group.  They are all 4th-6th grade boys.  They haven't reached that too cool for school stage yet and they still think that, even though I'm an adult, I'm a pretty cool guy.  
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1 + 1 = "I love you"

April 08, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Have you ever been to a movie and 10 minutes into it you know exactly how it will end?  We call that predictability.  It's not a good thing in a movie and it's not a good thing in life either.

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Mythbusters: The Resurrection pt. 4

April 04, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Let's be honest, the disciples weren't the “A-team” by any stretch of the imagination.  They were a rag tag group of fisherman, tax-collectors, and zealots.  There wasn't a man among them who could be considered a revolutionary.  In fact, when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, they wilted like flowers in the desert sun.  Peter attempted to defend Jesus when he still anticipated that Jesus would miraculously smite all of his captors, but when it became clear this was not his intention, he ran away.  The scriptures say that all but John and a few of the women were absent at the time of Jesus crucifixion.  John was a teenager who didn't know any better.  The women wouldn't be seen as a threat and were able to be present without fear of harm.   

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Mythbusters: The Resurrection pt. 3

April 02, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Some have suggested that the resurrection narratives in the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John must have been developed long after the events themselves.  They say that the two main evidences for the resurrection – the empty tomb and the eye witnesses were fabricated stories that were passed on by well-intentioned, yet naïve individuals.  Could that be true? 

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Mythbusters: The Resurrection pt. 2

March 31, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Many people argue that unless the resurrection can be proved, they cannot put their faith in Jesus Christ.  I would argue that until the resurrection can be disproved, one is compelled to come up with an explanation for how Christianity emerged in the first century, toppling the Roman empire from within, and has now become the world's largest religion showing no signs of slowing down.  How do we explain this?  I believe the answer lies in the reality of Jesus' resurrection.

But is the resurrection a sustainable belief?  Over the next three days, I want to explore three reasons why I believe the resurrection to be a reality.
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Mythbusters: The Resurrection

March 30, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Gandhi is quoted as saying, “I could accept Jesus as a martyr, an embodiment of sacrifice, and a divine teacher, but not as the most perfect man ever born. His death on the Cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it, my heart could not accept.” 

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the true charm of St. Patrick

March 14, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

St. Patricks day is coming!  Seriously, aren't you excited?  I've never really celebrated St. Patrick's day before.  I can't really say I'm a big fan of green beer, shamrock decorations, or bag pipes and leprechauns freak me out! So, St. Patrick's day has never had much appeal to me in the past.  However, this year my wife signed my daughters up for highland dance lessons and guess what?  We're partying Irish style!

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Disciple

March 12, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

The goal of the Christian life is to be a disciple.  This is how Jesus referred to the twelve men he chose to spend most of his time with – they were his disciples.  In his great commission he charged these twelve to go and make more disciples (Mt. 28).  A disciple by definition is a learner, or a student of the master.  I love this definition.  In life we never arrive.  There's always something more to learn and life is a perpetual growing experience.

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Top Ten Couples' Prayer Tips

March 04, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

This last week we challenged married couples at Westside to pray with each other every day.  Many have taken on this challenge and the feedback we've received so far has been excellent.  It's amazing that something as simple as praying with one another can have such a positive impact upon the marriage relationship.  What's more amazing is that something as effective as praying together as a couple can be so neglected.  Statistically, only 8% of Christian couples pray together on a regular basis.  Obviously, there are some hurdles that we need to clear in order to make praying together as a couple a priority.  So, here's my top ten “Couples' prayer tips”.

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The Woman's role debate

February 26, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

A few months back I ran across an article at CNN.com revealing that many wives are now outearning their husbands at work.  A Pew Research Center survey released in January 2010 found that 22% of men made less money than their wives in 2007.  By comparison, 4% of husbands earned less than their wives in 1970.  I don't think that comes as a surprise to many of us, but is this growing trend a good thing for our society, for our families?

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Genesis 2:24

February 18, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Deborah and I just returned from a five day pastor's conference in sunny Southern California.  The trip was great, however, we returned home to a war zone.  All four of our kids have had the flu and on Tuesday, Deborah was hit with it.  It's weeks like this that really test a marriage.  Ironically, we're in the middle of a series at Westside called “The Vow”.  This week I put together a suggested reading plan to go deeper into God's word and explore further his plan for marriage.  Wow, I really needed that this week.

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The Seven Year Itch

February 11, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Apparently, the seven year itch is more than just a movie, it's a reality.  We live in a generation that has so completely given up on the thought of ever experiencing happily ever after in marriage, that we have decided to flush our expectations down the toilet.  Introducing the marriage license with an expiration date.  Well ...not yet, but it's coming soon to a drive-in chapel near you.   

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Celebrate Divorce?

February 05, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Celebrating one's divorce is all the rage these days.  Sales are skyrocketing for divorce “celebration” cards, divorce party supplies , and divorce cakes.  Yes, the effects of a divorce can be devastating, especially when children are involved, and you may have lost half of your stuff, but what if you could make your friends buy it back for you?  Would that make you feel better?

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Theology for 8 yr. olds

January 27, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Tuesday night has become guys night at the Siers house.  Deborah and my daughters Addie and Gwyn vacate the premises along with my youngest son, Judah, who is not quite old enough to reach man status.  For the next hour and a half, Josiah and I talk about life man to man.  For those of you who are parents with multiple children, the most effective “parenting time” that you could ever spend with your kids is one on one time.  It's amazing how your kids will open up if they know that you are solely focused on them.  
 
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Haiti relief effort

January 21, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

As a church, we are heartbroken for the people of Haiti who are living through the tragic aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that hit on January 12, 2010.  As a people, they have inspired us with their great faith and resilience.  We continue to pray for Haiti that God would be "an ever-present help in their time of need".

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Brit Hume, evangelist!

January 06, 2010 by Pastor Jeremiah

Should Tiger become a Christian?  Apparently, Brit Hume, the Fox news commentator turned evangelist thinks so.  He encouraged Tiger (see video below) to turn to Christ and Christianity in order to seek the forgiveness that he so desperately needs in order to reconcile with his wife and family.  The media has been having a field day with Brit's bold assertion that Christianity could actually reform Tiger.  Could turning to Christ really do golf's superstar any good?

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Christmas gifts by Deb Siers

December 16, 2009 by Pastor Jeremiah

How many of you have finished Christmas shopping?  Well, I only have four gifts left on my list…..both sets of parents. My mom wants leather gloves, I am getting my dad and Jay’s dad musical ties (not really, but they may be reading this so hush, hush), but what to get my mother in law? Buying Christmas gifts is really bothersome to me because it is so expected.  It makes me feel like it is not from the heart. 

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Vengeance is a click away

December 07, 2009 by Pastor Jeremiah

Apparently, getting revenge has never been easier.  With the advent of social networking sites, one can effectively destroy another persons reputation with a few strikes of the keyboard and a click of the mouse.  A recent article from the Wall Street Journal explores the art of “Webtribution” ...

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Be perfect as Tiger is perfect

December 01, 2009 by Pastor Jeremiah

The recent buzz surrounding Tiger Woods little accident over the weekend has peaked my curiosity more than most of the celebrity gossip that is out there.  I could care less about another Brittany Spears meltdown, or the latest appearance of Michael Jackson (is he really dead?), or Jessica and Tony's rocky relationship, but this Tiger Woods story is surprising.  Tiger is the model of perfection.  He doesn't make mistakes.  He has the perfect golf swing that can be repeated under pressure time and time again.  His putting stroke is flawless even in the most pressure packed scenario.  He has the perfect family with two kids and two dogs.  Do I need to mention his perfect bank account, or his beautiful mansion.

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The End of Days Craze

November 18, 2009 by Pastor Jeremiah

I haven't seen the latest Doomsday thriller, “2012”, that hit theaters last weekend.  Then again, maybe I've seen it a thousand times.  I'm guessing it starts with a conspiracy that is met with healthy skepticism, then an earthquake, an explosion, a flood, or invasion happens followed with chaos and totally awesome special effects!  It's an old, and familiar plot which should spell disaster for a movie, but somehow “2012” destroyed the box office competition while amassing 65 million in ticket sales this weekend, triple the revenue of the runner up.  Why?  And what is with our obsession with doomsday films anyways? 

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All Dogs Go To Heaven

November 07, 2009 by Pastor Jeremiah

As I was driving home from work one afternoon, I was amused by a church sign that simply read “Pet Blessing Service”. I had a few laughs at envisioning just what a pet blessing service looked like. After all, what do you do at a pet blessing service? Sit, roll over, shake, good dog! Maybe you could serve communion with an assortment of bird seed, meow mix, and milk bones. I began to wonder if I would be allowed to worship with my pet horse in attendance with me. If I opened up a church for animals, I thought, I would name it “the ark”.

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