Tell Your Story
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;
yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
I Peter 3:15
When someone you know asks you why you believe what you do or why you follow Christ, what response do you feel inside yourself? Is it fear of not being able to answer the question? Is it fear that you might make a fool of yourself? Is it fear that you might lose a friendship over your answer? Is it fear that your answer just won’t be good enough? We may have lots of swirling feelings when we read the command to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you.” And, yet, the command isn’t just to those who have the gift of evangelism, have been to Bible college, took Navigators training, etc. in preparation, the command is to all of us. Please remember that when Peter wrote this, there was no New Testament to study. The apostle Peter was encouraging them and us to just tell our story of what God has done in our lives. It does not have to be a long story, but your own story can have an impact.
Years ago in the 1970’s, there was an atheist activist named Madalyn Murray O’Hair who filed a lawsuit that eventually led to the Supreme Court deciding that the reading of the Bible in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision ultimately removed public prayer as well. She was an activist atheist and spent much of her time promoting her beliefs and attacking Christianity. In one radio interview, she was poised against a Christian pastor. She spoke first and at some length mocking what Christians believe. The radio host then turned to the pastor and asked for his response. Then this humble pastor just told his story of what Christ had done in his life. He did not give Bible verses, quote famous people, and so on, he just told her why he had the hope of heaven and peace here on earth. O’Hair did not have a way to answer what the pastor shared about his own experience with the LORD. Can we just do that, tell our stories?
But what if they don’t believe me or I sound foolish or it makes no sense to them? This reminds me of years later when Elizabeth Elliot spoke on a Sunday evening in our church. Her missionary husband Jim was murdered by Waorani tribesmen in Ecuador in 1956. Two years later she went to live with that tribe to tell them the gospel. This well educated brilliant woman living in an extremely primitive tribe described herself as a fool. She knew nothing about how to live in the jungle, not how to gather food, not how to hunt, not how to speak the language; the tribespeople would laugh at her. When she spoke to us that night, I will never forget her question, “Are you willing to be a fool for God?” You see, the outcome is up to God; we are just to do what He asks. The Waorani tribe responded to the gospel and there is much more to the story. Please read Through Gates of Splendor written by her if you want to know more.
Are you prepared to ‘tell your story?’ Practice it throughout your day with family members or just by yourself so you will be prepared to answer when someone asks you “Why do you believe that?” God probably has someone wanting to hear your story!
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
The Discipline of Hope
…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you… - I Peter 3:15
I find it interesting that Peter assumes that you will be so filled with hope that people will be asking you about it regularly enough to write this encouragement. When was the last time you were asked, “Why are you so hopeful?” Sadly, I don’t think that anyone has ever asked me that question. Maybe I should be more hopeful… that is, hopeful that the rest of you are perceived as more hopeful than I am. However, something tells me that for some reason, we as Christians don’t always portray the right kind of hopefulness, or maybe the “hope” that we portray is not what it is compelling to the world.
I have a feeling that this is because our temptation is to confuse true faith-filled hope with plain old optimism or wishful thinking. One of the problems is that we don’t have enough words to express the differences. In common English, we often use the word “hope” for everything from winning the lottery, to a desire for someone’s healing, to our strong conviction that the Lord of the Universe will return and set all things to rights. This word carries a huge range of meanings!
Without inventing a new word, I think we can boil down what separates the hope that Peter is talking about from everything else by understanding the object and the subject of hope. The object of hope is the one who benefits from the outcome of your hope. If the hope is only for me, then I would suggest that this is not a very compelling hope. No one is going to ask me about my hope for myself. This, people will assume, is just wishful thinking. However, if the object of my hope is other people and even the world, then this will be a much more compelling hope! That is the kind of hope that someone might ask you about, especially if it includes them. One of the reasons that people might be more intrigued by this kind of hope is because it is so much larger than a me-centered hope. And a hope that has an object larger than what I can comprehend, must have a subject that is even larger! The subject of hope is the one who is doing the action that will fulfill the hope. Once again, if the hope is in myself, in the randomness of the lottery, or even in the skillfulness of a doctor, then my hope is only as compelling as me, bad math, or another human doctor. However, if my hope is in the God of the Universe whose disposition toward all people is love, then that is a compelling hope!
I wonder if we need to examine our hope. Maybe it needs to be bigger than ourselves and our people… so big and for so many, that only God can achieve it. Maybe then, people might beg you to give them the reason for your hope.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor
Be Prepared
As a young mom, I quickly learned that the success of any trip out of the house depended on how prepared I was. Water bottle—Check! Goldfish crackers—Check! Baby wipes, coloring crayons, Matchbox cars—Check, check, check! With each outing, my backpack was filled with proven tools that solve (or at least soothe) any situation I might encounter. Having these items with me gave me confidence for the outing.
“Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:14-15).
How does one prepare to make a defense? What gives someone the confidence to respond? The Apostle Peter reveals that when Christ is the central focus of your life and honored as such in the posture of your heart, you can have confidence because transformation is taking place.
When the holiness of God changes fear into faith, anger into love, bitterness into compassion, perversions into purity, or isolation into connectedness, there is so much experience of hope that it can’t help but flow out of you! Yes, words matter, but so do the embodied changes experienced by others in your tone, posture, and actions. Your experience of being continually transformed into Christ’s likeness is your preparation. And your metaphorical backpack gets filled with practices like prayer, study, meditation, memorization of Scripture, commitment to community, and obedience to living out love as Jesus did.
While as a mom, I may have packed and carried items that I never utilized, this is never the case when it comes to carrying Christ. He’s what people need. Be prepared and bring Him with you.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).
Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director
Stay Stoked
Do you have a favorite T-shirt? I usually have one that I like better than the rest—maybe because of the design, the comfort, or just the way it fits. For the last few years, my favorite says, “Stay Stoked.” People will repeat it back to me or ask, “Are you stoked?” Honestly, it’s a pretty good reminder for me of why I am stoked every time I wear it.
In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter talks about “the hope that is in you.” He’s encouraging believers who face suffering and questioning to remember that their hope has a reason. That reason is Jesus—who He is and what He has done gives us hope that cannot be shaken. In a way, you could say that Peter is calling us to stay stoked in our faith.
To be stoked is to be excited, joyful, and full of anticipation—because something good is happening. That’s exactly what our hope in Jesus should do for us. But let’s be real: life is hard. Peter knew that firsthand. He had moments when he shied away from conflict, even denying Jesus out of fear. Yet, Jesus never gave up on him. He kept working in Peter’s heart, shaping him into someone who boldly proclaimed the life-changing hope of Christ.
Staying stoked in hope doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine or faking it to look good for others. It’s not about ignoring struggles or lying to ourselves to feel better. Sometimes, we bury our feelings because we think we “should” feel better. But true hope isn’t something you have to manufacture—it’s anchored in who we are in Christ. Hope reminds us we are loved. It promises a future. It connects us to our Savior. And that kind of hope, It’s worth more than gold. It’s what allows us to face anything with confidence. It allows us to stand on the firm foundation we have in Christ.
So, how’s your hope today? Could you wear my favorite t-shirt in an honest way and explain your hope if someone asks? Are you staying stoked in Jesus? My prayer is that Jesus blesses you in ways that remind you of the unshakable hope you have in Him—and that your hope and stoke shine brightly to the world around you.
Pastor Jeremy Johnson
I Grew up at Emmanuel Faith
Have you seen the recent FaceBook Groups that are titled, “I grew up in…”? Wherever that place may be, people share memories about how particular locations have impacted their lives. I’m guessing many of you could join me in the “I grew up at Emmanuel Faith Group”. Here are some of my memories and reflections growing up at Emmanuel Faith.
I grew up as the grandchild of a 1939 Emmanuel Faith Charter Member. I watched my grandpa change out locks on doors around the church campus and helped my grandma stuff bulletins on Saturday mornings.
I grew up as the great-niece of Dr. Nielsen, affectionately known as Dr. Willie, who was the first woman to graduate from Westmont College. After completing her Doctoral Degree, she worked as a School Principal in Poway during the week, but her real passion was teaching young women the Bible on Sundays.
I grew up as the daughter of choir members who also served in Children’s Ministries. I sat alongside my dad, as my mom taught the Bible to him, the other male and female Sunday School leaders, and a bunch of 5th & 6th grade students.
I grew up being encouraged and challenged to memorize Scripture by Sally Goswick and Richard Williams (and I have a beanie to prove it!)
I grew up learning about God’s personal love for me from Francie Overstreet, Joe Serrano, John Shell, Lois Calac and so many more, never questioning whether the truth being shared was more significant if it came from a man or a woman, because I knew in my heart that the authority with which they spoke was from God and not themselves.
I grew up worshipping the Lord in song led by Penny Nielsen (Aunt Penny to me), Bette Duncan, Carol Seely, and Tim Mayfield. The words impacted my soul speaking truth that I still recall today.
I grew up listening to stories told by Corky Hook and Sheryl Silzer about the work that God was doing in the hearts of people all around the world. And I sat in awe in a church in Juchitan, Mexico as a group of Zapotec Indians listened intently to Virginia Embrey preach the Bible in their native tongue.
I was challenged by Greg Lane on the dunes in Baja to always remember “Christ in me”. I was trained by Dave Ruscetta how to teach the Bible. And I was taught by Dennis Keating that “when you teach, keep ringing the bell”.
I am grateful beyond words for these men and women, and so many more who taught me about God’s character, introduced me to the compassionate and personal love of Jesus, and helped me understand the power of the Holy Spirit. I grew up in an amazing place called Emmanuel Faith, and I’m still growing.
In my years serving as Women’s Director I experienced the joy of leading women in multiple capacities but I also started to ask if God was calling me to more. I began to study and explore Scripture, and as I did so, I started to discover that God called both men and women to preach and lead. I was challenged to consider what it meant to be a pastor and realized that was the work that I was already doing.
I’ve been asked by some how my parents would feel about the changes that are occurring at Emmanuel Faith regarding Women in Church Leadership. My mom and dad were learners and avid students of God’s Word. I am confident that they too would be growing in their understanding of Scripture and would be proud of me for stepping into God’s calling even amidst the challenges.
I’ve heard it said that I’ve been forced into this change. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am grateful for our Board of Elders that have done the hard work of spending hours in prayer and study with the goal of being obedient to God and humbly honoring his commands.
I am so grateful to have grown up at Emmanuel Faith… and I’m not done growing.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
The Potluck
I had a friend in seminary named Tung Do who used to love organizing potlucks amongst the student body; he called them a potlove! Some of us love potlucks. There’s something fun about bringing your favorite dish to share, loading up your plate with an assortment of home-cooked goodness, and finding something surprising and delectable to taste. Others? You avoid them like the plague, because, let’s be honest, potlucks are unpredictable. You could end up with a perfect plate or with a combination of peanut butter-stuffed jalapeño poppers, jello casserole, and a questionable mystery dish someone “just threw together.” It’s nothing like a catered meal, where professionals prepare a perfectly planned menu, ensuring everything pairs together just right.
I’d suggest that the church in Corinth was more like a potluck than a catered banquet. Paul paints this picture in 1 Corinthians 14:26 writing, “What then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” When the church gathered, it wasn’t just a few professionals leading worship while everyone else watched. No, each person brought something to contribute - a song, a teaching, a revelation, an encouragement, a tongue, and an interpretation. Everyone present was a participant. The expectation wasn’t to show up and consume but to contribute to the building up of the body.
I wonder how often we approach church like a catered meal - coming in, taking a seat, and expecting to be served. We listen to the sermon, enjoy the worship, and then go home, treating church like a spiritual restaurant rather than a family meal. But Paul reminds us that church is a potluck. Every follower of Jesus has something to bring. That means you have something to bring - and we need that something. Maybe it’s encouragement for someone who’s struggling. Maybe it’s a testimony of God’s faithfulness. Maybe it’s a gift of teaching or service or prayer. Whatever it is, God has given it to you to build up others.
So let me ask you, are you bringing your dish to the table? Are you engaging, participating, and using the gifts God has given you for the good of the church? Because here’s the thing: when the church operates like a potluck, everyone gets fed. This Sunday, don’t just show up expecting to be served. Come ready to bring something to build up the body. You never know, what you bring might be exactly what someone else needs.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Creation and Culture Converge
Why do we sometimes enforce and sometimes ignore the clear teaching of God’s Word?
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head. – 1 Cor 11:1-6
I’ve never been to a church that obeyed Paul’s instruction from this passage. I still see some men removing hats when it is time to pray, but I’ve preached on some occasions and in some locations wearing a hat. I don’t see women covering their heads for prayer (although I suspect I know a woman who intentionally wore hats to church because of this passage). We don't forbid men from growing their hair long, but I remember folks in the church getting bent out of shape about it when I was a kid. It seems something was lost culturally from the time of Paul’s writing to today. Paul wrote, “if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved,” but today's culture doesn't find a woman with short hair, or “hair cut off” as he puts it, disgraceful.
So, I guess we just dismiss this passage as containing something cultural that has been lost to us. However, in the next section, Paul justifies his requirement based on the order of creation, not culture.
A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. – 1 Cor 11:7-12
Paul references the order of creation as the reason women need to cover their heads when praying and prophesying. This is the same justification he gives for why women should stay silent and not teach or have authority over men in the letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:12-13, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.” In the 1 Cor 11 passage he uses more words to describe the argument than he does in 1 Timothy 2. He appeals to the order of creation as justification for women needing a public display of authority on their heads during prayer. For some reason, many of us dismiss the one Scripture passage as cultural and embrace the other as an argument from God’s forever plan. In the 1 Cor. 11 passage, Paul concludes the section with even stronger language saying women need to keep their hair long and covered.
Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God. – 1 Cor 11:13-16
Should we repent and confess that we got it wrong all this time by not requiring women to keep long hair and wear a covering during prayer?
Pastor John Riley
Prophecy + Prayer = Power
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NIV), “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.”
Every solution in the heart of God is designed with one purpose and outcome in mind—to unveil His glory and bring the lost home. Our part of the mission is to “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV)
To prophesy is to speak for Christ, to speak forth Christ, and to speak Christ into others to encourage, edify, admonish, and exhort for the building up of the church.
Prayer is a conversation between a son or a daughter and their Father. Prayer often seeks answers. When prayer is combined with prophecy, these types of conversations produce solutions. The strategies of the Father’s heart aligned with His Word are given and then spoken into the core of a situation. This combination sets off a supernatural chain of events directly affecting the natural world and overturning impossibilities.
Prophecy is the intention of the Lord upon a matter; it is the answer of the Father’s heart spoken into a problem ahead of time. When this prophetic solution is released from your mouth, at the same time offered up in prayer to the Father, it is so overpowering to the enemy that it not only destroys his current plans, it disrupts his plans.
For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
(1 Corinthians 14:31 NKJV)
If we can all have intimate conversations with the Lord, all prophesy to build up the church, destroy the enemy’s plans, and help bring the lost home, pretty powerful wouldn’t you say?
Deb Hill
EFCC Staff
Distraction or Focus?
When I had the blessing of being invited to train children’s workers overseas about God’s love for children and how to teach them, I was given some specific instruction on cultural differences. I was to wear long skirts at least to mid-calf, no tops without sleeves, never put my Bible on the floor and never sit on the floor along with a few other things. While in Middle Eastern countries and Eastern European ones, this became part of my practice. I could have ignored the instructions but it would have caused distraction from what God had called me to do. I was reminded of this time as we discussed the passage I Corinthians 11:1-16.
The writing team meets about 10 days before the sermon is preached, reads the scripture reference, prays, and seeks God’s message in it. To be honest, this was a passage that was mystifying in many ways to all of us. How could this relate to us in our day, in our culture? In our perplexity, Donielle Winter drew us to look at the preceding scripture of I Corinthians 10:23-24, 31-32:
“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble…”
It is always good in Biblical study to look at context and these passages coming before Chapter 11 helped clarify what was to come. As Paul was willing to give up his rights for the sake of others and the glory of God, he then instructed on what had been distractions during worship in the Corinthian church. It is not a contradiction when understood through submission to what is ‘beneficial’ to others and for the glory of God.
As we reflect on the sermon, let us also ponder the following questions:
How might God be calling you and me to be less focused on our freedom and rights, and to focus on His glory and kingdom?
How is God calling me to think differently in living for the benefit of others? How is God calling me to live for His glory as I go about my everyday life?
“...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 10:31
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
It’s All About The Mission
When Jesus stood on a mountainside with his disciples, his command was simple and clear: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). However, many of us have heard that command so many times that we no longer hear it. It’s helpful to identify what Jesus didn’t say. He didn’t tell them to establish a religious system. He didn’t instruct them to build buildings, create programs, or even host worship services. Jesus’ mission for them was to become and make disciples.
Every time we gather together as the church, we participate in the mission Jesus set in motion 2,000 years ago. The mission was given before the church was created and it exists to move the mission forward. The church exists because of the mission Jesus gave his disciples on that Galilean hillside. Without it, there would be no reason for us to gather. Christopher J.H. Wright stated this poignantly and provocatively when he wrote, “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission.” This is important because it shifts how we think about our purpose.
The church doesn’t own the mission; the mission owns the church. Every sermon we preach, every song we sing, every small group that meets - these are not ends in themselves. They’re tools to equip us to step into God’s mission. Because of the way the church has grown and developed over the last 2,000 years, it can be easy to think that church services are the mission of the church… but they are not. Discipleship is still the mission and we gather together so we can “stir one another up to love and good deed” (Heb. 10:24), and so that we can be “built up” (1 Cor. 14:26). But it’s all about living out the mission.
As I consider this truth, it means the mission is not just the responsibility of pastors, missionaries, or church leaders… and it means the mission happens everywhere, not just at church. It’s your mission. It’s my mission. It’s our mission to make disciples - as we are going, wherever we are going. This might look like having a meaningful conversation with a coworker, mentoring someone, or loving your family in a way that reflects Christ. Jesus didn’t call us to be spectators; he called us to be participants. The Great Commission isn’t a task we check off a list - it’s a way of life. It’s the privilege of joining God in his work to restore a broken world.
Take some time today and prayerfully ask God to help you live out this mission as you go about your normal day.
Pastor Ryan Paulson