
Be sure to Review us on Yelp
Sunday Services: 10:30 AM
505 South Sixth St. Burbank, CA
91501
FaithView, For Storm Riders:
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
— James 4:14
Change isn’t my game.
I agree I have, we have, to account for change because it comes like the tide. Still, though, change is not my thing.
Change has a way of interfering with my dreams and my plans. Yet this isn’t about letting go and letting God. This isn’t about placing our future into his hands…all good stuff. This is about hating change, or at least being no friend of change and not being afraid to let the bomb go off once in a while.
In some thriller, film or book, we are always following the hero through heck and high water to keep the bomb from going off.
In the background an antiseptic female voice is droning: “There are now fifteen seconds until self-destruct…”
We go to the edge of our seats; the bomb can’t go off…It would ruin everything. The storyline, the love interest, how would they ever be able to make a sequel if the bomb went off?
Yet, sometimes, more often than we like to think, I believe God wants a bomb to go off in our lives to disrupt the little worlds we orbit in.
The bomb shakes things up; the bomb clarifies priority, the bomb supplies a definite direction to go.
Our struggles come first in using all of our efforts to keep the God-bomb from going off, and then after it has exploded doing everything we can to maintain the status quo.
We say to God; “What am I going to do? What am I going to do?”
But we either fail to recognize or conveniently deny that the Lord has spoken…through the bomb.
Our best course of action is not to try and minimize the effects, but to step out into the wild blue where God wants us to be.
We live or attempt to live our lives in perfect order; mapping out today and tomorrows with plans pure in intent and Godly in nature.
However, if they are not the course God wishes us to pursue then intentions and desire are worthless.
When called, we are the will of God. Therefore if the bomb doesn’t go off or if it does we are still called to fulfill his purpose.
It is necessary for the bomb to detonate every once in a while, lest we get caught up in living only good lives, and being good people…and never creating a stir…and never causing a ripple in the waters about the Gospel of Christ.
The bomb, the shake-up, the tornado, the hurricane, the earthquake, or whatever you would like to name it, calls us back to the driving force of our lives: Jesus, Jesus crucified, and the empty tomb.
“Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with him.”
— Oswald Chambers
For the world, the bomb is the end. For the believer in Christ, the bomb is the beginning–the stepping off point to something wonderful.
Change is not my game. Change is not the thing I love. I’m sentimental. I remember dates, and times, and places. I remember moments and history, and eras. I don’t like goodbyes.
As I look back over my life though, there have been a whole lot of goodbyes preceded by some sort of bomb going off.
Each time, as the old saying goes, what I thought would come with a roar, came like a whisper. What I thought was the end, turned into a new beginning. A life I never dreamed possible.
Don’t be afraid of the bomb because God–our God, the Creator of the universe–wants to show us something new.
Something marvelous.
Boom!
***

Reminder: VBS is on the way…June 26-30…You can register ONLINE NOW!
A VBS Unlike Any Other:
VBS Goes to Rome: The theme for Vacation Bible School this year is “Rome: Paul & The Underground Church”
The dates are June 26-30…Look at your calendar…share with your friends…Pray for Seana Zilbert, who is directing…Make plans to volunteer.
You can sign up your child and their friends here on our website. Look the button up top, click, and follow.
Note to Church: Expect much work to be taking place around the church throughout the month of June as we prepare for VBS.
***

You need to follow us on Twitter.
Burbank Faith now has a Twitter account. You can follow us at; @BurbankFaithNaz
***
Eric Canto has created a Burbank Faith channel on YouTube and has placed all of our recent services there. Go check it out.
***
Checkout Burbank Faith on YELP and be sure to write a review of our church.
***
July is Camps Month: Remember July is camps month…Junior High, High School & Kids will all have separate camps at Granite Ridge.
District Assembly is July 12-14
(It is one month later this year due to General Assembly (Indianapolis) being held June 21-30.)

Pastor Joe’s second book “The Dead Bug Tales” is now available in both paperback & Kindle on Amazon.com (click picture)—Or if you would like to order from Pastor Joe directly at a sale price contact me.
SrHi Camp: July 16-21
Kids Camp: July 23-28
JrHi Camp: July 30-August 4
***
“Big September” every Thursday in the month of September (7, 14, 21, 28)…Old Testament overview. We’ll feed you and care for the kids. Mark your calendar. Big September is just like Big Wednesday times four…
***
Did You Know?
On this date…
…In 1961, English apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: “Any fixing of the mind on old evils beyond what is absolutely necessary for repenting of our own sins and forgiving those of others is…usually bad for us.”
…In 1967, The Arab-Israeli Six-Day War began, during which Israel took control of the Sinai Desert, the city of Jerusalem and the west bank of the Jordan River. A cease-fire arranged by the U.N. ended the conflict on June 10th.
***

“Big September” is coming. Every Thursday in the month of September we will be gathering for food, fellowship & scripture.
Church Calendar:
June 4: Sunday Service, 10:30 AM…Sunday evening “Prayer Hour” from 6-to-7:00 PM
June 18: Father’s Day
June 26-30: VBS Week
July 12-14: District Assembly
“Big September” every Thursday in the month of September (7, 14, 21, 28)
As believers, we have to remain in continual prayer for all of our first responders…all our leaders…not a political party but for those carrying the heavy burden of leadership in our country and communities.

Kourtney Zilbert (Left) is one of our own…Keep her and her partner Austin in prayer.

President Donald Trump

Will Rogers, Mayor of Burbank

Adam Schiff, U.S. Congressman representing the City of Burbank.

Senator Kamala Harris

Senator Diane Feinstein

California Governor, Jerry Brown