Celebrating Saddleback: Values of Grace and Growth

We are a second chance place of grace. A second chance place of grace. That means we're a place for a fresh start. We're a place to start over. We're a place to be born again. We're a place to get a second chance place of grace. God has shown us mercy, so we cut other people a lot of slack. [00:04:18]

We are a second place, second chance place of grace. And what that means is we understand that everybody's broken. So everybody needs recovery. We are a grace place. We are a shame free zone. And we've had many, many testimonies about every kind of problem you could imagine. [00:05:03]

We support those who struggle and stumble. Why do we do this? Because we know that when you come through on the other side of that struggle where you have stumbled, that your greatest life message is gonna come out of your mess. Your message comes out of your mess. Your testimony comes out of your test. [00:06:40]

We are intentionally multi-ethnic. We're multi-national. We're interracial. We're multi generational. In this church we have every culture, we have every language, we have every age group, we have every economic status. That's intentional. Why? Because in Mark 11:17, Jesus had said this about the church, "My house will be called the house of prayer for all nations." [00:09:17]

We say Saddleback is the church that looks like heaven. We want our church to look like heaven. If you don't like diversity, you're gonna hate heaven. Because not everybody's gonna look like you in heaven. In fact, nobody's gonna look like you in heaven. 'Cause we all are different, we're all unique. [00:10:14]

We focus on doable discipleship. Doable discipleship. That means we're an active church. We're not a passive one. We focus on doing what God tells us to do. Not just knowing it. Not just hearing it. Not just learning it. A lot of churches are learning churches. They hear it but they don't do anything about it. [00:13:05]

James 1:22 says, "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." You know it says that if you read the word of God, or you listen to somebody preach it or teach it, and you don't really do it, he says you're just deceiving yourself. You might think you're growing, but you're not. [00:13:28]

We have a deliberate pathway for personal growth. Write that down. The second D is a deliberate pathway for personal growth. What I mean by that is we give you a simple and practical track to grow on. Now Saddleback Church didn't just make this up. We're built on the Jesus model of discipleship. [00:17:53]

Growth is, spiritual growth, personal spiritual growth, is a journey. You have to leave. That means you let go of some old things, and you have to go on. It implies action. It implies movement. It implies progress. So the Christian life and growing in maturity, growing in discipleship is a journey. [00:18:59]

Love in action. We don't want to be a church that just talks about love. That just studies love. That just defines love. That just prays about love. It's not enough to just say we love people. We have to show it. We have to show it. Here's a great passage on love. 1 John 3:16-18. [00:23:32]

How do we show love and action at Saddleback Church? Well we do it primarily to the world through our local and global PEACE plan. You remember P-E-A-C-E, there's a word for each of these. Promote reconciliation, Plant churches, Equip ethical servant leaders. A is assist the poor. C is care for the sick. E is educate the next generation. [00:24:55]

The love and action is a personal value and it's a culture that we have in this church that says if you see a need, you're it. You know, just this Wednesday night, I went to say thank you to all of our lay volunteers, the 301 team who serve in our 301 ministry of helping people discover their shape for ministry. [00:26:25]