Dudley Rutherford......."Compelled to Tell"

New Birth

2012-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Jesus told Nicodemus in the gospel of John (the 3rd chapter) that he "must be born again". Nothing so depicts that new birth than when someone is baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. I hear so many people today explaining away the importance or necessity of being baptized, while you see just the opposite in scripture. Scriptures are full of accounts of church leaders trying to explain the importance of baptism. I don't see Peter trying to explain away the importance of it in Acts 2:38. I don't see Philip trying to explain how it's not very important in Acts 8:35-39. I don't hear Paul saying anything contrary in Romans 6:3-5. We have become so afraid that someone is going to teach that the 'water' itself is what saves. I don't know anyone who teaches that water saves. We are all in agreement that JESUS SAVES. But even Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 commanded the disciples to baptize EVERYONE in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let's read what the church leaders in the New Testament taught about baptism and then shout a HEARTY AMEN! Don't explain it away... Explain it EXACTLY how the Bible explains!

The picture above was painted by Christina Ramos and is available at our church bookstore. It's her son baptizing her daughter! It's beautiful and I have a copy in my office. May every believer in Jesus Christ be baptized in HIS PRECIOUS NAME!

Does Tim Tebow Walk on Water?

2012-01-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

So I am in a spinning class at the LA Fitness in Universal City when I get called out of class by a lady who says there is a phone call for me. She said that it wasn't an emergency, but it was important. Whew, well at least I knew no one died and ran downstairs to take the call. It was one of my assistants, Shalena, who says, "Fred Roggin of NBC Sports wants to interview you about Tim Tebow."

She then explained I had to be back at the church by 8:00 PM, where they would tape the segment. I raced home, changed my clothes, and got back to the church promptly at 8:00 PM. I did NOT know the questions he would ask, but I did have an idea about the direction of the interview.

I had NO idea what the final question would be and was surprised when Fred Roggin asked the following question. He asked me, "If New England and Denver were playing a football game in a river..." Right there, I was thinking, "WHAT?!?!?! In a RIVER?!?!?!" He continued, "If they were playing in a river, WOULD TIM TEBOW WALK ON WATER?"

Watch the video to see my response!!!

Funny God Has An App For That Photos

2012-01-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

I had two people send in these photos via Facebook. The first picture was someone named Valerie who said this was her husband's idea of Facebook, and the second photo was of a cat who definitely needs to find Jesus!

Will add more later! Enjoy and go to www.GodHasAnApp.com to read more!

God Has An App For That!

2012-01-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

For those who are wondering what they would glean from reading the book, God Has An App For That!, which was released this month, I wanted to explain WHY this book was written.

There are millions of people living in America with no moral absolute. We have bought in completely to the idea that we can live our lives as we please... that we need not worry about anything except what makes us feel good. We have taken God out of the equation of humanity, and we have walked down alleys and roads that lead to depression and unfulfilled lives, not realizing that God's Word has the answers to some of our most difficult issues.

Once we find ourselves burdened by the cares of this world--which often is a result of a life lived in vain--we turn to everything BUT God to help soothe our broken hearts. We will try masking our pain with drugs or alcohol. We will use sex in hopes that momentary pleasure will bring lasting peace. We will spend enormous amounts of time involved in hobbies and recreation to busy ourselves in an attempt to distract ourselves from our problems. We might turn to counseling or search online for a solution to life's dilemmas, all the while NOT RECOGNIZING that God's Word has the solution to all of life's complex issues.

The question at hand then is HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO REALIZE THEY NEED TO SEARCH GOD'S WORD to find their help, comfort, wisdom and direction?

So I had this idea to write a book called, God Has An App For That!, in hopes that the title alone would pique their interest, that a little light would come on, so to speak, and that they would then want to pick up a copy and read, God Has An App For That! After reading this book, my hope is that people would reach a couple of monumental conclusions: 1.) That there IS a vast amount of wisdom and help inside the Word of God, and 2.) That they, indeed, NEED to read the Bible--and actually begin reading God's precious word on a daily basis. We are so optimistic about that this that we've placed a Bible Reading Guide at the end of the book.

When a person reads God Has An App For That!, YES they will find unforgettable illustrations; YES they will find steps to upload to help them overcome some of life's great struggles; YES they will find that the book is easy to read; YES they will laugh and be challenged; but hopefully and prayerfully they will sit down at the end of the day and say, "I need to read the Bible because there is some great wisdom and counsel that God wants to share with me."

So, I would encourage a strong believer to read God Has an App for That! to remind them of the importance of the Word of God, and I would encourage someone who had never read the Bible to read this book in hopes that it would lead them down a more intentional spiritual path that can only be gleaned from spending time in the Bible. Hopefully, this book will lead people to that assessment and discipline.

Remember, no matter what problem or struggle you are facing, God not only loves you, but he has provided the answers to all of life's most difficult issues. God Has An App For That! will lead you to those answers. Check out the website: http://www.godhasanapp.com/ to order your copy today and spread the word concerning this exciting new book.

Hosting the Frank Pastore Show KKLA 99.5 FM

2011-12-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing KKLA 99.5 is radio and not television or a person might actually confuse me for Frank Pastore as seen in the above picture. One of my dearest friends is the man himself "Frank Pastore" who host the Frank Pastore show as heard daily on KKLA 99.5 FM from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. here in the greater Los Angeles area. Frank has asked me to fill in for him today so he can get a little R&R.

A couple of things about Frank you should know. 1) He has a great barber as you can see in the picture. 2) He used to pitch for the Cincinnati Reds. 3) He loves riding his motorcycle. 4) He has a great sense of humor. 5) At one time he did NOT believe in God! I repeat, he did NOT believe in God and yet God got a hold of his life and now he host the largest Christian Radio station in America and his forte is apologetics and talking to people about faith in God. Read his book entitled "Shattered" for a testimony about his transformed life.

Over the years he has interviewed me many times and I can tell you he is a master at his craft. He knows how to engage and discuss numerous topics ranging from detailed doctrinal issues to covering anything to do with the cultural revolution that our country is facing. Every night, during the drive time hours Frank is the main voice of the airways. I do NOT know of another person in L.A. that has an influential voice for Jesus Christ as Frank Pastore.

Tonight from 4 to 7 p.m he has asked me to host his show and I am honored to do so. We have a wonderful lineup which you can read about in my previous Christmas Eve post. I would invite you to tune in tonight with the hopes that you would see the power and influence of talk radio in L.A. during normal rush hours. I hope you'll make KKLA 99.5 FM and the Frank Pastore show a part of your daily routine. Listen to the rookie tonight and then return soon and hear the genius Frank Pastore at the mic and see what a blessing he is to our city!

Some Christmas News

2011-12-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

So often I wish that Christmas was a bit slower for Pastors and staff, because it is always one of the busiest times of the year. Although hectic, I never TIRE of telling the GREATEST story on earth, the night our Savior was born! Where would we be without the love of God who willingly allowed his son to come to earth so that we might one day live with him! It's the life changing message of Salvation!

I wanted to let you know a couple of ways that you can connect with Shepherd this Christmas.

First, all of our Satellite campuses will be conducting their own Christmas eve services and you can locate that information at our church website www.theshepherd.org

On the Porter Ranch Campus we will have 6 Christmas eve services.

Friday night, December 23rd at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.

Saturday night, December 24th at 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Sunday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

On Sunday you can stay 4 minutes or 4 hours. Communion will be set up and

you can bring your Bibles, pray and have your own time of study and meditation.

Other Media means in which you can participate:

All services can be viewed live on internet...www.callonjesus.com or www.live.sothc.com

Saturday 5:00 p.m. can be heard live on KKLA 99.5 FM Radio

On Sunday, December 25th at 12 noon

We are excited to announce our first ever.. one hour TV CHRISTMAS DAY SPECIAL

on KTLA Channel 5 throughout all of Los Angeles!! (Again at 12 noon, Channel 5)

On Monday, December 26th

I will be hosting the Frank Pastore Show on KKLA 99.5 FM Radio from 4 to 7 p.m.

We will be talking with a young man who was sentenced to life without parole who

was miraculously released and is now starting a church in Long Beach, CA.

I will be interviewing David Hernandez who is running for Congress as well as Ralph Drollinger who leads a ministry conducting Bible Studies for members of Congress.

We will talk to 4 different authors about 4 different books that you should read in 2012

I will be interviewing a homeless man that I met at Venice beach and he will explain some

things that you might not know about being homeless in L.A.

Finally, I am going to have Seana Scott come into the studio and pray for people over the

phone who have had some difficult times.

Lastly, I want to remind you to go to www.GodHasAnApp.com and view the new book that is being released next week. I wrote it to let people understand that the Bible has answers to all of our problems. May each of you know that ONLY in CHRIST and through his TRUTH can we truly find PEACE!

Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you!

Blessings

Pastor Dudley

"Famous and Manly" Drew Sherman

2011-12-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

I spent this weekend with my dear friend, Drew Sherman, who is the Sr. Pastor of Compass Church in Colleyville, Texas. Drew and his wife, Michelle, served with me at Hillcrest/Shepherd thoughout the 90's. He was just 23 when he joined our staff, and he stayed ten years. Drew has a gift to make people laugh 'til they cry, which he has done to me several hundred times. Drew is in a sermon series looking at the names of Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 and asked me to preach on the name, "MIGHTY GOD."

The previous week Drew had mentioned that his name meant "famous" and "manly." I looked it up, and that is exactly what I found on my internet search. To be sure, Drew ONLY mentioned that to make us laugh, which I most certainly did, because I know he likes to make people laugh. Although I was there to preach on the "Mighty God" of Isaiah 9:6, I was glad that I was able to spend time with my "famous" and "manly" friend. Drew has done such a wonderful job leading a church in the greater Dallas area.

I was so proud of how far he has come from being a 23 year old rookie to leading one of the best churches in the country. I wish you could see his campus and meet all the sweet people who attend his church. Why, just a few weeks ago, because of their support of the "sanctity" of human life, Drew was able to interview President George W. Bush, and I actually saw a picture of Drew and the President while being interviewed.

When I saw the picture, but more importantly, when I saw all the people's lives that were being changed by the power of the "Mighty One," I thought to myself that his parents named him well.

Just to be sure, the fact that any of us are known, or are brave, or are alive, or are saved is because of the "Mighty One." Thank you, God, for sending the "Mighty One" of Isaiah 9:6, and thank you for my "famous" and "manly" friend, Drew Sherman. May we only be known by what YOU do in and through us. Laughing with joy as I type! :)

The year of the Supernatural-Revival recap 2011

2011-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

2011 has been an amazing year capped off by our fall Revival. We had an outstanding list of speakers who delivered truly inspired messages. But the revival was a result of people who had been praying for the 6 weeks leading up to the revival. And, without question, each night you could sense the power of God at work in the lives of those who were there. Looking back I am still changed and moved by the events of that week. The preaching, the music, the prayers, the changed lives and the power of the gospel. I pray that this video will serve as a reminder that it's "still not the end" and we have many souls to reach.

Summer Highlight Video for 2011

2011-11-28T11:05:00.001-08:00

"Retort To Satan" as read on air (KKLA 99.5 FM)

2011-11-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Prayers to God!

2011-11-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

So many things upon my heart today. Just thought I'd list out a few prayers in hopes that you would join me in praying for our world. First, for all our families. Couples struggling, marriages on the brink, children running in rebellion. May the Lord help men to step up and become Godly men who serve Christ, who honor their wives and who lead their family and children. May women reflect the love of Christ in all situations and give them peace and strength for the challenges of each day.

I want to pray for all the single men and woman and ask that they would remain true to God and save themselves for marriage. Lord help them not to compromise their faith or their purity. Help them not to run ahead of what you have planned for them.

I pray for children, specifically that you oh God would watch over them and protect them. So many forces in this world to lead them down the wrong path. My prayer is that you would raise up a generation of young people that would shake this world for Christ.

Next, I want to pray for all the Pastors and Church leaders and ministries in the world. God that our churches would be evangelistic in nature, making disciples of all nations and to not get swept up in majoring in the minors. Help our preachers and teachers to speak God's word in an uncompromising manner. The Word of God never returns void so help us lift high the Lord Jesus Christ and his plan of Salvation for all the world to hear.

Help Christians to get out of their comfort zone and to not worry about the cost, but the call of God upon their life. Give us boldness and faithfulness and give us a burden to become true followers of Jesus Christ. Lord, help us NOT to compromise but to live each day in complete surrender to your will.

I want to also pray for the following things
1. The flooding in Thailand and to help those trying to recover.
2. The turmoil in the Middle East, to protect Israel and bring Salvation to Jews, Arabs and Egyptians.
3. The economic turmoil in Europe and specifically those in Greece.
4. Pray for the underground church in China, for the Lord's protection and mercy.
5. For Christians in India, China, Egypt and others who are being persecuted for their faith.
6. For Americans to care more for the spiritual than the physical. We need a revival in this country.
7. For College Students in USA and abroad to not be swept away by humanism and secularism.
8. Pray for the poor and down trodden in America and around the world. Let your love be known.
9. Pray for our government that they would have a holy fear and reverence for you Lord.
10. Pray for the men and women who serve in our Military. For police officers and firefighters.
11. Pray for Hollywood and those who work in the Entertainment business to use their gifts for God.
12. Praying for Shepherd of the Hills Church, that we would reflect the church that we see in Acts.
13. Pray that every person who reads this blog would hunger and thirst for righteousness that comes from above.
14. Pray for missionaries who serve around the world. Bless them and empower them to lift high Jesus' name.
15. Ask God to provide for those who are hurting financially and help each of us to believe in HIS LAWS of planting and sowing.
16. Pray for the city of Los Angeles. It seems like the entire world lives in this city or is at least represented. From L.A. we can help change the world as we lead others to accepting and following the Lord Jesus Christ.
17. Pray right now for YOURSELF... that the rest of this day and the rest of your life that you would honor and serve Christ with ALL of your HEART.

Lord... Thank you for the power of your love and grace. May your mercy that shines upon us be forever present and may the personal relationship that we have with you be a testimony that YOU DESIRE to have that same relationship with others. Thank you for loving us and never giving up on us. Forgive us whenever we fail you and speak truth into our lives when we take our eyes off of you. Help us to repent, to turn completely to you without hesitation.
May we read the bible with passion and conviction and see our trials as blessings as you shape and mold our lives.

IN JESUS NAME,
Amen.... and Amen!

Travel to Israel in April 2012!!!

2011-11-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

We as a church are headed to the Holy Land, Israel, next year! Find out more about this exciting trip and how you can join us by watching the video below:

Israel 2012 from Shepherd Media on Vimeo.

NACC Diversity: "A Giant Leap Forward"

2011-10-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

NACC Diversity: ‘A Giant Leap Forward’

President Dudley Rutherford said, “I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme.”

By Darrel Rowland

Dudley Rutherford admits it’s his biggest fear: That the recent increasing diversity of the NACC will fade away.

“We took a giant leap forward. We cannot afford to take a small step backward. We need to keep pressing the issue,” said Rutherford, who has led the drive to bring more minorities as speakers and to fill other key roles on the platform.

Rutherford said he already has written letters to future NACC presidents urging them to continue the convention’s blend of races and ethnicities.

“Usually we put one African-American on the stage and call it diversity,” he said.

This year’s convention had four blacks in major speaking slots, with Asians and Latinos also playing visible roles in every service.

The second verse to the third song on opening night (“Shout to the Lord”) was sung in Spanish. Before one service, John 3:16 was recited in Korean, Farsi, Hebrew, Spanish, and English. Mixed in with the usual Chris Tomlin songs were some Kirk Franklin and other tunes more familiar to minority audiences.

“I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme,” Rutherford said. “All it took was a little intentionality and some perseverance. If we succeeded in this, anybody can.”

But he worries that the people who keep the NACC going year to year lack diversity themselves.

“I stood up before the continuation committee and expressed that I have served my term and one of you has to pick up this mantle and carry it,” Rutherford said.

One of this year’s African-American speakers, Daryl Reed, lead minister of DC Regional Christian Church in Washington, D.C., was chosen as vice president of a future NACC.

During his opening-night sermon, Rutherford apologized to African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other minorities. He traced the lack of integration in Restoration Movement churches to decisions by white-controlled congregations immediately after the Civil War that blacks should leave their fellowship and start their own churches.

Nearly 150 years later, “not much has changed,” he said. “Our lack of diversity is more than a glaring blind spot.”

But without a change in heart—without a commitment from churches across the land to put minorities on their platforms, their staffs, and leadership teams—such apologies mean little, he acknowledged.

Rutherford wasn’t the only speaker to talk about the lack of diversity.

During the convention’s breakfast for Dream of Destiny—a national effort to bring unity through diversity—Scott Williams, author and pastor of LifeChurch.tv, said 93 percent of U.S. churches are still segregated.

During a workshop on growing a diverse leadership, Rob Daniels, executive pastor of Westbrook Christian Church in Bolingbrook, Illinois, pointed out that current minorities will actually make up a majority of Americans in a few decades. That means “the 21st century has to be the century of multiracial congregations” if the church is to survive.

Darrel Rowland is an adult Bible fellowship teacher at Worthington (Ohio) Christian Church and public affairs editor of The Columbus Dispatch.

Ultimate Freedom Conference

2011-10-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today I was honored to speak at the Ultimate Freedom Conference. A group of guys who have been saved by the grace of almighty God. We went to the front of the church to take a group photo and I wanted to post the picture to let you see some men who are hungry for the word of God. Part of this group comes out of our BREWLINE ministry in the East Valley. I am understanding more and more that if we can get the men in our city living for Christ that we can transform our homes, family and culture. Would you take a moment right now and pray for these men pictured that they would, "before their feet hit the floor" each morning, serve the Lord with ALL of their HEART. I was encouraged to see so many men who had come from such difficult backgrounds to stand and boldly proclaim their intent on making Jesus LORD.

I want to thank all the men who shared today and please know that I am faithfully praying for YOU. In Jesus Name..... AMEN and AMEN!

The Real "MEN IN BLACK"

2011-10-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

If I hadn’t seen it myself, I would not have believed it. At first, my reaction was… no way! And then, it quickly changed to… are you kidding?! Then, it was… this is not possible!

For a couple of years now, there has been a group of pastors who lead churches with over 5000 attendees that have joined together to discuss issues that we have in common with leading large churches. Eleven of us gathered in Las Vegas, and our host was Jud Wilhite of Central Christian Church, which averages 18,000 attendees. Dave Stone, who pastors at the fourth largest church in America, Southeast Christian Church, in Louisville, Kentucky was there. Their average attendance is over 22,000. Don Wilson of Christ Church of the Valley in Phoenix (18,000 in attendance), which was just listed as the fasted growing church in America, also joined us. The rest of the men were Cam Huxford from Savannah, Chuck Booher from Corona, Kevin Odor from Las Vegas, Tommy Politz from Amarillo, Tim Harlow from Orland Park, Cal Jernigan from Mesa, George Ross from New Albany, and myself.

The thing that made me laugh was that as everyone showed up, one by one, I noticed that they were all wearing black. Nine of the eleven were wearing black. Tim Harlow and I were the only ones that were not wearing black shirts. I actually took my dress shirt off because I had a black t-shirt on underneath my dress shirt, and so there were now 10 of us… all in black.

It really was quite comical. It was as if someone had sent out a memo, yet we knew that was NOT the case. As we sat around the room, we looked like a strange bunch in contrast to the bright lights of Las Vegas. But we were there to talk shop, not to be influenced by the culture of sin city.

For two days, it was a “yearning to learn” experience. I couldn’t get enough of listening and learning. Each pastor had questions and issues that he needed help with, and each pastor had things to share that blessed the rest of the men in black.

As I sat in that room, I couldn’t help but notice that these men had many things in common besides their black shirts. They all had busy schedules. They all loved the Lord passionately. They are all sold out on supporting and building the local church. They are all blessed with visions and goals. No one thought they had all the answers. They all wanted to be better. They all wanted to reach more lost people. They are all thankful for the Lord’s leading in their life. They all felt called, and they were thankful for the iron sharpening iron experience. They all had their own set of worries and concerns. They all loved their families. They are all looking to be better men of God. And for some strange reason, they all wore black.

Next time you see a group of guys all wearing black, don’t just assume they are on their way to a NFL Raiders game. Who knows, it could be a group of pastors who simply want to be better at leading their congregations and simply looking five pounds thinner during the process. Smile.

Shepherd of the Hills Church REVIVAL 2011 Oct. 22-26

2011-09-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have questions! Do you have answers?

2011-09-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

I always have questions that I wish people would answer. The way you answer these questions will tell me a lot about YOU. For the record, I am not asking these questions for you to make judgements about me. So often, just because someone ask a question we assume we know the motive for the question, in reality, it could just be just curiosity (yes, that could kill the cat) or it could be something that has consequences for us as individuals and all of us in general. Please feel free to answer any and all questions.

1) Why do we forget our blessings faster than we forget our trials?

2) Why is it that if someone disagrees with our President they are considered a racist? I don't remember anyone using that line on the former President and I disagreed with him all the time.

3) Why don't women band together in mass and condemn pornography, especially since it reduces them to mere objects.

4) Why isn't the church more diverse when we are the one entity that's been called to reach all people.

5) How can any politician NOT understand the DANGER of our country being 15 TRILLION dollars in DEBT. That burden falls upon our children.

6) What if the BIBLE were true and the ONLY people who are getting into heaven are those in Christ Jesus (John 3:16, John 14:6) Wouldn't that change everything?

7) Do you know how many signers of the Declaration of Independence were ordained ministers?
If most of them were clergy (which they were) how have we drifted away so far from our heritage?

8) Why is the "spotted owl" more protected than an "unborn child"?

9) How can the same sun that melts butter, harden clay?

10) How can the President pass a mandatory Health Care Bill and then hand out over 1000 exceptions to certain corporations? How come you and I can't get one of those exemptions?

11) Why is paying 75 dollars for a concert or 150 dollars to a musical or 250 dollars for a family of four to attend a dodger game seem like no big deal, but giving twenty dollars to God seems so painful?

12) Why does it seem the older you are the faster time flies?

13) Why don't we spend a greater amount of time on things that are eternal, as opposed to spending most of our time on things that are temporal?

14) Why do people blame God when things go bad and yet they deny God glory when things are going good?

15) At what point did man start to believe that he himself controls the universe and not God almighty?

16) If the odds are greater that you will die by riding on a donkey as opposed to riding on an airplane, then why haven't we ever heard of someone being killed while riding a donkey?

17) Why if the top grossing movies of all time are all G and PG rated, why would Hollywood ever make an R rated movie?

18) What would happen if everyone who claimed to be a follower of Jesus Christ actually let his light shine? How much darkness would be dispelled?

19) Do you think there is a chance that our economic trials in America could be tied to a moral and spiritual problem?

20) Finally, do you think anyone cares about you as much as God? Romans 5:8

9.11 Anniversary Memorial at Shepherd of the Hills Church

2011-09-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

Teary eyed, I made my way out to the memorial knowing that all of those flags, which really seem like too many to actually count, each stood for one of the victims of 9/11. They were color- coordinated. Red is for the firemen and on those that were part of the Emergency Response Team. Blue ribbons stand for the police officers. Green ribbons highlight the men and women in our military who died in the Pentagon. Yellow ribbons represent civilians who died in the towers, and purple ribbons mark those who were on one of the four airplanes.

Here are the exact numbers:

37 Port Authority

23 NYPD

125 Pentagon

246 Airplanes

343 Fire Department - FDNY

2606 in the World Trade Center Towers

Total of 2977.

The pictures above are pictures of the flags that we put in front of our church this weekend. There is one for each of the 2977 victims with ribbons flying. We placed them four flags deep, and it is the length of almost THREE football fields. I know..... because I measured it myself.

And today we are giving 9.11% of our offering to help start churches in New York City.

May you take a moment today to honor them.

They are NOT just numbers. These were normal people like you and I who went to work ten years ago, people who loved their families, country and community. And terrorists decided to take their lives and change our country forever.

My prayer is that God would bring comfort and provision to each of their families, asking that they would never be forgotten.

Praying that God would protect our nation and that this nation would once again seek His protection.

Praying that each person reading this blog will say a prayer for our military, members of our police and fire departments, our government, and our President.

Praying that each of us would humbly bow before our heavenly Father and simply worship Him.

Then live your life in such a way that it brings honor to God, to country and to those 2977 who lost their lives on that fateful day.

The Flag still flies!

2011-09-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

William Vanderbloemen writes the following...

As we stand on the cusp of the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, I thought I would repost this illustration about the US flag, faith, and undying hope:

If you have ever been to a veteran’s funeral, you have probably seen the casket draped in a United States Flag. I remember presiding over both of my grandfathers’ funerals and watching the servicemen carefully remove, fold, and present the flag to grandmothers at each service.

I often wondered, why do we keep the flag? Why not let the fallen soldier take it with him to his grave? Many times people send mementos to accompany the departed. Whether it was enormous treasures for Pharaohs in Egypt, or horses buried with departed generals, or even a stuffed animal with a deceased child, we have a history of burying belongings with the dead. So why not the flag for the fallen soldier?

Some years back, a friend of mine explained it to me. “We don’t bury the flag, because we believe that even though the soldier has fallen, the flag still flies.”

What a great message to have in mind as we remember the tragedy of 9/11 and celebrate the fact that our flag still flies.

And can’t you see the parallels to the Gospel?

The soldier may have fallen, but the flag still flies. We may suffer losses that are here and now, but the everlasting cause is won. It may seem like Good Friday to you on a day of mourning, but those who know the Savior know that Sunday is coming.

Take a minute today and remember the day that the we were attacked. Thank God for those who have laid down their life to preserve our national freedom. And let that theme guide you to reflect on and give thanks for the God-man who laid down His life to preserve our eternal freedom.

No matter how dark it seems now, the flag of that eternal freedom will never be buried. It will fly in the Heavens for eternity, alongside all of those who have chosen to follow the Way of the freedom giver named Jesus.

I came across the above article from William Vanderbloemen (you can follow him at WilliamVanderbloemen.com or his company at http://findourleader.com) He helps churches and their staffing. I have never met him but hope to one day. You know my love for the flag www.flagrespect.com and I am praying that we will have a growing respect for the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. May this article bless you!

Look at the Reader's Best Choice Award for 2011

2011-08-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered what would happen if the Daily News ever had a category for "Best Place to Worship" in their annual poll for Los Angeles. For some reason it had never been one of the questions listed. Well, for the first time ever they asked that question for 2011 and look what church came in on the top of the list? Drum roll............... The 2011 Readers Best Choice for Best Place to Worship is SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS CHURCH. Results will be shown in the August 26th edition of the Daily News.

Just want to thank Michael, Leyla, Christine, Nikko, Charlotte and John for using their talents week after week in leading our church in worship. Also Maxi and Susanne and all the musicians and praise team members, the choirs and all the volunteers. Also the light and sound team. I want to thank all the members who show up each week prepared to sing and worship with all their hearts.

And we are MOST GRATEFUL for the LORD ON HIGH is who MOST WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!

Why not join us this week as we lift our voices, hearts and hands to the Lord God Almighty!

From Down Under!

2011-08-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

At this year's North American Christian Convention, church leaders and Christians from all over the world gathered in Cincinnati (www.gotonacc.org) for a week of learning and fellowship.

One afternoon, Cam Huxford (from Savannah, Georgia) and I met with two pastors from Australia. As Cam and I were meeting with these two men, my mind raced back to one year ago, where an entire group of pastors from Australia came to Shepherd for a day to learn more about our church and to hopefully glean some things that would help churches "Down Under" grow. Recently, I was told that in October of 2011, another group of pastors from Australia are coming again to visit our church.

Isn't it amazing that people would travel so far to simply see and experience what we take for granted week after week? That God is indeed working in our midst and that his blessing is evident to people around the world? We have so much to be thankful for today, but we must be reminded that anything good that is happening in our church or in our lives is due to the grace and mercy of God.

But the thing that intrigues me is how much MUST the pastors from Australia desire to see their churches grow that they would sacrifice time and energy to seek out churches and conventions in America to learn from. Something "Down Under" has motivated them to travel such distances. You see, they, too, desire to see God bless their work and their ministries. They desire to see God impact their part of the world. Wherever one resides, he or she should have a passion to see their land, their country, their people find the Lord.

Oh, I know we fully trust in God for growth and provision, but somewhere in our hearts there should be that Holy burden to see all men come to Christ and to see all of our churches on fire, igniting revivals and renewal wherever God has planted us. Yes I am excited to learn of such desire from the pastors "Down Under", and I know that having such a hunger is half of the battle. How many churches have lost that zeal? How many churches are not growing today and don't care that they are not growing? How many churches have lost their zest to reach the lost? May we, like our brothers and sisters from Australia, search high and low for any bit of information or inspiration that will help our churches reach more people for Jesus Christ.

Praying for our Military!!!

2011-08-06T19:47:00.001-07:00

Today was a very difficult today because of 30 United States Soldiers that were killed (along with seven Afghans that were with them) in Afghanistan today when their helicopter was shot down.

I read these words in an Internet article "It was the largest number of American troops killed in a single day in the war. U.S. officials said the helicopter appeared to have been felled by enemy fire, and the Taliban quickly claimed responsibility. Seven Afghan commandos and a civilian interpreter also were killed, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said.

No member of the Bin Laden raid team was among the dead, said a Pentagon official briefed on the casualties who was not authorized to speak publicly while families still were being notified. But he said 22 of the 30 were Navy SEALs, and a significant number were members of SEAL Team 6, the unit that conducted the Bin Laden raid and is made up of just a few hundred of some of the best-trained fighters in the U.S. military".

My heart is heavy and my prayers are for all of our soldiers who are sacrificing their lives for the sake of our country. Whether it's one or 30, it is the ultimate sacrifice. May God grant comfort to the families of the men and women who lost their lives today.

Freedom can never be taken for granted. We owe a debt to all who serve. Please keep all our soldiers and military personnel in your prayers. www.flagrespect.com

Summer Highlight Video for 2011

2011-07-28T15:52:00.001-07:00

JUST MY VIEW OF UNLEASHED: HIGHLIGHTS!

2011-07-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday morning, and I'm sitting underneath the Arch in St. Louis reflecting on the events of the past few days at the 2011 North American Christian Convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, from July 5-8th. Now, as the "Ex-President" and having officially handed the baton to Rick Rusaw for next summer's Orlando convention, I wanted to share with you the highlights of UNLEASHED: The Church Turning the World UPSIDE down. Hope you enjoy reading (smile).

Not in any particular order....

1) Preaching. Every speaker RANG the bell, and each message spoke to my heart. I will forever be indebted to the speakers for the time and commitment they gave to this year's convention. If you did not get a chance to hear them, you need to find a way to purchase a DVD set of this years convention. Powerful preaching!

2) The Shepherd Praise team and gospel choir. They are anointed and blessed. They led and united our convention with worship from the heart! I love you so much.

3) Diversity! I did NOT want diversity to be the theme. We wanted to show people that you can have a convention or a church service and make it diverse simply with a little intentionality. If each of our churches simply began to be intentional, we could change our lack of diversity in a heartbeat!

4) The offering. I am still teary eyed thinking that on ONE night, we received an offering of over $123,000. And then on Friday, when I announced that we are NOT taking up an offering because we did not need one, but placed a few baskets up on the front of the stage; to see so many people come and place additional offerings in the containers made me CRY even more! It was a moving experience! The total offering for the week was just shy of $200,000. WOW!

5) The book, "UNLEASHED": Getting all nine authors: Francis Chan, Jeff Walling, Dave Stone, Greg Nettle, Jeff Vines, Daryl Reed, Phil Allen, and Mike Breaux to write a chapter in a book and to allow folks to take the UNLEASHED book and use it along with the small group DVD study questions that our church produced allows this convention to have a much longer shelf life than a typical convention. You can order a copy at http://www.callonjesus.com/ or Amazon.com

6) Having the convention streamed live for the first time ever! Stories came from around the world of those who were watching and who had their hearts touched. Thank you for all the sponsors and for those who worked on my executive team to make this a reality.

7) The exhibitors who have such a global vision for the gospel. Walking through the exhibit hall always makes me WANT to become a missionary. They are such a big part of our convention, and it's in those hallways where we meet and greet so many of our friends in ministry.

8) Bob Russell's morning Bible Study. For three mornings, he taught about the Church in Acts. He is STILL the MAN! And I'm so thankful for his participation in this year's convention.

9) Standing with the LGBT community! After preaching on the importance of defending Biblical marriage, we were a bit surprised to see the Westboro Baptist people from Kansas picketing the NACC with their HATE-filled signs towards gay people and towards those who preach LOVE like the NACC. I went out and stood with the LGBT community and told them that even though I disagree with their lifestyle, that each and every person attending the NACC disagree with the hateful signs that the protesters were carrying. They thanked me, and we stood with them. Standing for truth and righteousness with LOVE is always the balance we strive for.

10) So blessed by the MANY who made the journey from Shepherd to show their support. Everywhere I turned I saw Shepherd people who were there to soak it all in. You folks continue to amaze me with your love and support. Thank you!

11) The man who wrote the letter about giving $100 when all he had left was $1000 with $4000 of unexpected bills. Your faith and lavish giving set the tone for the miracle offering. I need to visit with you on the phone, if you are able to contact me through our church office.

12) The opening night with the past Presidents on stage and praying with those who came forward for prayer on Thursday night. Just seeing those men, along with all the host churches and my executive team on opening night was just something that reminded me of our great heritage and history. Thank you to each and every pastor and past President for your faithfulness.

13) The volunteers. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU! Everywhere we turned, we saw gracious and kind volunteers who served diligently. It was OBVIOUS that YOUR HEARTS are focused and committed to JESUS! Thank you!

14) Rapping with Anita Renfro. I am still shaking my head in disbelief over some of the things I heard that afternoon, but the icing on the cake was when she asked me to come onto the stage and rap. I am shocked there was NOT a MASS exodus from the Duke Energy Convention Center. Nothing worse than seeing a white bald preacher rapping at an afternoon session at the NACC.

15) The many stories from the local vendors and restaurants that said they had never seen so many nice Christ-like people in and out of their businesses. Thank you for letting your light shine and being UNLEASHED in such a loving way.

16) Interviewing Rick Atchley and Dr. Jerry Taylor during the President's banquet and hearing of the progress and the sacrifices that these two men have made with regard to unity and diversity. They are godly men!

17) Just want to thank the NACC staff again, the workshop leaders, the host churches, the past Presidents, the tech and service coordinators, my staff and praise team, Kay Moll and the women's program, the exhibitors, the wi-fi hot spot area and those who manned it, the banner of 6900 unreached people groups and those of you who began to pray for God to work through you to reach them, my executive team, all the churches that promoted and gave toward the convention, those of you that gave, those of you that sacrificed, Miles McPherson and Francis Chan and all our other speakers, the Freedom Riders and the volunteers. My staff and church at Shepherd. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL.

18) Lastly, my 4 favorite moments on a personal side note.

a) Handing out pizza to the homeless with Dave Stone and our families at MIDNIGHT on Thursday night in Freedom Square. I will NEVER forget that night.

b) Joining my family on Monday night for a celebration for my mothers 80th birthday. I love you, Mom!

c) Cam Huxford and I met with some pastors from Australia who came to the NACC for the first time and were looking for ideas and wisdom concerning getting churches growing and changing that part of the world. Truly UNLEASHED will have a global impact!

d) Lastly, when I got in my car, with luggage and family and shut the door, I began to weep uncontrollably, because of God's mercy in kindness in allowing me to SEE a vision and a dream come true and to see His hand at work and His spirit unleashed in one of the greatest weeks of my life.

Now, may God truly UNLEASH our church in a "Dunamis" manner!

Can't wait to see what God has in store for NEXT YEAR'S CONVENTION!

See you in Orlando!

Prayer, White House, Daryl Reed and a Muslim.

2011-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Today I spent some time with Dayrl Reed, who is the Sr Pastor of DC Regional Church and he is one of our main speakers at this year at the North American Christian Convention(gotonacc.org)which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 5-8.

Daryl also wrote the second chapter in the book called "UNLEASHED: The church turning the world upside down". We walked to the White House and after taking a picture with the book we walked up to the fence and began to pray. We prayed for our President, his wife and children. We prayed for congress and members of the Supreme Court. We prayed for our Country and we prayed for the North American Christian Convention and asked that God would UNLEASH his Spirit upon this nation and that we would experience that next GREAT AWAKENING/REVIVAL.

It struck me how THANKFUL we should be for the fact that we live in a country where we have FREEDOM. FREEDOM to stand on the front lawns of the White House and pray for the President and this country. WOW! May we NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOMS FOR GRANTED.

When we were finished I turned around and there was a MUSLIM man praying. At first he was down on his knees and then he started to do a cleansing. I was shocked to see him at first and then reminded myself that this is what separates our nation from other nations. That he, as a Muslim man, can pray in front of the White House too. I wish ALL MUSLIM countries would see that FREEDOM is why this man is able to pray to Allah in front of the White House. If a Christian tried to do that in some Muslim countries we would be beheaded.

Even though I do NOT believe in Allah or the Koran, I respect the Freedoms we share in America to worship as we please. If you look at the 3rd or 4th line of his placard you will see that whoever takes a picture will suffer eternal judgement. Even though I took a picture, thus stating for the record that I disagree with his theology, I came away today with an even GREATER BURDEN that we MUST use our FREEDOMS to LIFT UP THE NAME OF JESUS. The ONE TRUE SAVIOR and the SON OF THE ONE TRUE GOD!

The book "UNLEASHED" has arrived!

2011-06-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

As this years President of the North American Christian Convention (www.gotonacc.org), which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio from July 5-8 at the Duke Energy convention center in downtown Cincinnati, there was much planning and praying over a two year window of time.

Working together with a creative executive team, we came up with the theme "UNLEASHED: the church turning the world upside down". The idea is taken from the book of Acts where the first century church was so empowered by the Holy Spirit of God that it (the church) literally IMPACTED the culture of it's day. The church today needs to recapture some that power and influence. The early church was NOT afraid to stand for truth and righteousness. I am afraid we have become so politically correct that we fail to stand for anything moral today.

Prayerfully at this years convention we are going to preach through the book of Acts and uncover and recapture some of the traits of the first century church.

Each of our nine speakers will be speaking on one of those traits.

We then asked the nine speakers to write ONE CHAPTER to be put in book form that will be available at this years convention and each of them agreed. So here is the line up.

Dudley Rutherford "Unleashed" Acts 1:8

Daryl Reed "Kaleidoscope" Acts 1:8, 10:1-48

Greg Nettle "Innumerable" Acts 2:41-47, 4:4

Mike Breaux "Pandemonium" Acts 4:13-22

Phil Allen "Shaken" Acts 4:23-31

Dave Stone "Lavishness" Acts 4:32-37

Jeff Vines "Hazardous" Acts 5:17-42

Francis Chan "Kinetic" Acts 13:42-52

Jeff Walling "Unequivocal" Acts 20:22-24

The idea of course is that people can come to this years convention and listen to the speakers and then pick up a copy of the book and DVD (life group material) and go back into their local church and preach through the UNLEASHED theme. God unleashing his spirit upon the church and then unleashing his church upon the world.

Please consider joining us at this years NACC (July 5 - 8) in Cincinnati, Ohio and pick up a copy of the UNLEASHED book at www.callonjesus.com or amazon.com today!

10 Reasons to ROOT for Dallas over Miami!!!

2011-06-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today in our Pastors meeting I asked how many are pulling for the Dallas Mavericks and all but 2 were rooting for the Mavs. Last night, when I should have been sleeping, I was thinking WHY do I want the Mavs to win. Not to change any one's mind but simply to tell you why I do NOT want Miami to win. Enjoy.

1) Being a Lakers fan, you always want a team from the West to beat the Team from the East.

2) LeBron celebrates too early. He hasn't won YET! If he wins, let him cheer all he wants. His celebrating in front of Dallas' bench was classless. If you had ever played basketball, this is a NO-NO.

For what it's worth. I think LeBron is one of the greatest athletes in the WORLD. He is an amazing talent. That is NOT the issue. It's the extreme celebrating before the season even started and it's something I never saw in Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird or Michael Jordan. Yes I saw Magic Johnson celebrate. But it was a JOYOUS celebration of sheer happiness. Not the type of stuff we see going on today.

3) My son's name is Dallas. ENOUGH SAID.

4) Some of my favorite Pastors are from the Dallas area. This may not be important to you, but hey, it's my blog. Chris Seidman, Rick Atchley, T.D. Jakes, Caleb Kaltenbach, Drew Sherman, Barry Cameron, Jack Graham and Ed Young Jr.

5) Reason number 5 is "DIRK"

6) The head Coach of Dallas is losing his hair. I LOVE THAT!!!!

7) Blue is my favorite color. (Besides Purple and Gold)

8) Mark Cuban is finally being quiet.

9) The Cowboys have been so bad for so long, it's nice for that city to have something to cheer about.

10) Dallas has better BBQ than Miami.

Do I think Dallas will win? I don't know. I have always been a fan of Dwayne Wade. I don't think Miami should ever lose a game with all that talent. But I am pulling for Dallas and know that win or lose they will do it with class.

Recent Article in Church Executive Magazine

2011-06-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

By Ronald E. Keener

Dudley Rutherford Senior Pastor: Shepherd of the Hills Church, Porter Ranch, CA.

Shepherd of the Hills is known as one of the most diverse churches in the country. The mayor of Los Angeles once noted publicly that the church is the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles, says Senior Pastor Dudley Rutherford. “I do not believe that is just because we live in Los Angeles. Right across the street from our church is another church that is all one race. There are churches all over this city that have not been successful at breaking down the barriers that divide.”

Breaking down racial barriers goes back to Rutherford’s youth, he says. “I decided to become a minister in the ninth grade, and when I was 16 years old, I invited one of my basketball teammates – a 6 foot 5, African American kid – to come to my primarily all-white church. I remember the look on everyone’s faces as they turned around and wondered who this was that had just walked into their church.

“That was the first time it dawned on me that churches should not be all one color or race. In that moment, I decided that when I had my church, I was going to make sure that it was a racially diverse church. The diversity of Shepherd is not a result of me jumping on the bandwagon a couple of years ago; I have had this burden for a long, long time and I’ve been intentional about it since the beginning, believing and understanding that the church of Jesus Christ needs to be diverse.”

You have a heart for diversity. How hard is this to accomplish?

Los Angeles is a melting pot of diverse races, ethnicities and nationalities, and this is true in every arena — politics, education, the entertainment industry and professional sports. We drive the freeways together, attend all the athletic events together, and shop at the supermarket together, but when it comes to church – even in Los Angeles – 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour of the week.

When the church is not diverse, I see several problems with that. First, it’s a sign that we’re not fulfilling the Great Commission to go into the whole world and reach people of all nationalities. It seems a little hypocritical to me that we would send missionaries around the world to reach people of color, and yet we won’t do it in the very city in which we live.

Second, segregation sends a message to the residents of our city. When a church is all one race, it communicates to the city’s diverse residents that perhaps they’re not welcome and they’re not included in that church. Third, Revelation 7:9 explains that when we get to Heaven, there’s going to be people of every nation, tribe, people, and language worshipping the Lord together.

The church is supposed to be preparing all people for that grand reunion, and we’re not doing a very good job at that.

So what should churches be doing about it?

There are several steps a church can take to become a more diverse church. When we walk into a church of all one race, there has to be a burden in our hearts to change the flavor of what’s going on today. So, it begins with intentionality; we must be able to recognize the problem and be committed to making a difference.

The next critical step is to transform the platform of your church so that any time anyone from any background walks into your church they feel welcome based on the fact that there is so much diversity on the platform. Most of us live in cities where there is some diversity; there is at least some pocket of diversity in every city. So, when we diversify our platform – the worship team, the choir, and the guy doing announcements or the greeting – visitors will look up and see someone on stage who represents them, and they know immediately, “Hey, I am welcome at this church.”

It slowly transforms who is sitting out in your audience. At Shepherd, we found that when we diversified our platform, it actually contributed to our growth, because whenever anyone walked into our church from a different ethnic or racial background, they would see that they were welcomed right away, and oftentimes they chose to stay. It all began with being intentional and diversifying our platform.

Of all the entities that exist in America, the church shouldn’t be lagging behind in regards to this diversity issue; the church should be on the cutting edge, leading by our example. The church should be saying to the rest of the world, “Let us show you how to break down the walls that divide us racially.”

What is your personal hope?

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will move across the churches in America – especially the New Testament, Restoration churches – that somehow we would be burdened with this particular issue and make the changes that are necessary. Once your church starts to include people of all races, it’s like a snowball effect; it empowers the church to grow even beyond what you thought or imagined was possible because you’re including people from all nationalities and people groups.

And once you’ve experienced what heaven is going to be like – in the church on earth – there’s something that speaks to your spirit and there’s something that speaks to others. It speaks volumes to the community, that we care about people, that we’re not bigoted or prejudiced, that we’re not interested in serving only ourselves, that we’re not a little social club — we are truly interested in getting outside of our four walls and influencing the people of this day and this culture.

Today Shepherd of the Hills runs nearly 9,000 people in attendance each weekend, with close to 12,000 members, on two main campuses and three satellite campuses.

In working at diversity, what is “Dream of Destiny.”

DreamofDestiny.org is a ministry designed to get churches to become diverse. We’ve put together this website — more specifically, a five-star program where we encourage churches to do five things:

1. Be intentional about making your platform/stage diverse (i.e. worship team, teaching, announcements).
2. Be intentional about diversity within your leaders, staff and elder board.
3. Make sure all promotional material, bulletins, and weekly service programs reflect the diversity you desire within your ministry
4. Fund scholarship opportunities (directly through a Bible college or through the DOD scholarship fund).
5. Host internship opportunities for prospective candidates that represent the diversity that we desire to have on our staff and in our congregation.

Your congregation was the result of a merger. How is merger a solution for where you are located?

In California there are many churches that are closing their doors because, financially, it is difficult to keep a church afloat. The land, the cost to build and the cost of living for just one staff person is much higher in California. So oftentimes, churches will consider things they wouldn’t ordinarily consider.

When push comes to shove and it’s either close the door or merge with another church, they will sometimes choose to merge. I don’t think you go around looking for churches to merge with unless you are in a desperate situation. We certainly weren’t looking for it; it came knocking at our door, and we simply decided that as long as God kept that door open, we would continue to walk through each door every day until the Lord closed the door.

You’ve said that “it’s not a sin to be a small church, but it is a sin to stay a small church.” How so?

My father has said that it’s not a sin to belong to a small church, but it’s a sin to remain a small church. I repeated that once, and it was quoted in a newspaper. Afterward, a pastor sent me a letter; he was upset, because he pastored a small church and felt I was taking a pot shot at him. He thought I was criticizing him, and he explained that he felt God had called him to lead a small church. However, I wasn’t talking about pastoring; I was talking about the church itself.

I’m fully aware that there are different pastors who are gifted in different ways: some are gifted to lead a small church, some gifted to lead a medium-sized church, and some pastors are gifted to lead a larger church. But it doesn’t matter if you have 40 people in the church or if you have 4,000, because the size of your church is not a sin. What is a sin, I believe, is if you’re the same size week after week, and there isn’t any growth in your church.

I believe God intended for the church to grow — it’s embedded within our very DNA. He didn’t intend for all churches to be the same size, but with Holy Spirit-provided synergy and energy, every church should be able to grow. Yes, there will always be hurdles, but we should be able to overcome all of these hurdles by the grace and power of God.

If you’re in a church that’s not growing, someone needs to sit down, take a serious inventory, and figure out why it’s not growing. To be a dead, dry or stagnant church is not what I see in the book of Acts where the number of believers grew so quickly that, eventually, there were too many to count. And I’m not talking merely about numbers, but about counting true disciples of Jesus Christ.

How did you change your management style as the church grew in numbers?

I think that the larger the church grows, the less you are involved in things and the more you have to delegate responsibility. I don’t know why, but I’ve always been a little bit ahead of that curve. We have an incredible executive pastor in Tim Winters, and he takes so much off my plate and worries about so many things, which enable me to study, pray, preach, lead, and cast vision.

In a large church, you’re in a constant mode of restructuring and reorganizing, but I believe my executive pastor does more of that than I do. I’ve never been in a church that wasn’t in an upward trend as far as growth, and so we’ve always just stayed ahead of the curve by delegating to an executive pastor who, in turn, delegates to a very committed and loyal staff.

Southern California has been called “a laboratory of church innovation.” Has your church added to that innovation over the years?

I think our church has been very innovative. I don’t think you can pastor a church in California if you don’t have some type of creativity and innovation. Land is very expensive; it’s difficult to get in buildings and to get city permits. So, you’ve got to go to multiple services and multiple campuses in order to grow and thrive.

If you think you’re going to come into California and start a church and that it’s going to be smooth sailing, you’re going to find out in just a few short months that this is one of the most difficult areas in the country to grow a church. One reason is that there are a million things for people to do on any given weekend, especially here in Southern California.

They can go to Disneyland one weekend and snowboarding the next. They can take a relatively short drive to Vegas or San Francisco or visit the San Diego Zoo or Sea World. Here in Los Angeles, the weather is amicable probably three-fourths of the year, so families can drive to the beach for the day or go golfing or to soccer and little league games. Thus, there are always activities that compete with church on any given weekend.

You’re also fighting Hollywood – creative geniuses who produce movies and television shows – and so when people do come to church, there’s a certain quality you’ve got to be prepared to bring people in order to keep their interest.

However, what we do have is a lot of lost people who are hurting and have messed up lives. So, if you can find a way to minister to them, care for the needy, be a blessing to those who are hurting, lift up Jesus, and boldly preach the truths from God’s word, I believe that people will come. Soon, your problem is going to be finding a place to seat them all, and that’s where the creativity comes in.

________________________________________________

‘Unleashed’: Turning the world upside down

Dudley Rutherford is president this year of the North American Christian Convention, meeting in Cincinnati July 5-8. It is a gathering of several thousand from Christian Churches and churches of Christ [ www.gotonacc.org ]. Here Rutherford talks about the event:

At the NACC, held since 1927, we gather to be encouraged, to network, to worship, to hear some of the best speakers in the country. It is the yearly connecting place for some 5,000 to 6,000 thousand churches and really gives an identity to the independent Christian church. We have no state, regional, or national headquarters, because we’re all independent. But this yearly convention is that one moment in the year where we get together.

What sets the NACC apart is that the churches that gather there are truly New Testament-following Christian churches. It’s also one of the few family conventions; there are worship, leadership, and church planting conventions, but this is a convention for the entire family. We have programs and activities for children, for junior high and high school students, for men and women, and for seniors that cover all those areas.

The theme “Unleashed” comes from the intent of my heart to have a convention that encourages the church in America to uncover and recapture the foundational principles of the church in the first century. It is my belief that every church in America needs to look like the church in Acts. So, as people come to the convention, we’re going to have nine different sermons that take us through the book of Acts. So, the idea behind the Unleashed theme is that God unleashed His Spirit upon the church in Acts 1 and 2 and the rest of the entire book of Acts, starting with chapter 3, details how God then unleashed the church upon the world. And by the time you get to Acts 17:6, the church is accused of turning the world upside down.

NBA FINALS, DAVE STONE and RICK ATCHLEY

2011-05-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

Imagine hearing the news that Dave Stone from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky has just resigned. Likewise, Rick Atchley just resigned from The Hills Church in Richland Hills, Texas. And I just heard the news that Dudley Rutherford is resigning from Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California. But why do you ask?

The Three Pastors have decided to leave their churches and join together to start ONE AMAZING church where they will create a SUPER TEAM of Pastors to build a dynasty of a church that will rise above all other churches. They have decided to use the same formula of the Miami Heat in attempting to create a championship caliber church.

You might not believe me but I laughed out loud while writing the two previous paragraphs. For so many reasons it's an absurd thought. First of all, they are NOT our churches. Secondly, we all think we are normal, run of the mill, average ordinary people that are fully trusting in God for his mercy and grace. Thirdly, ONLY God builds the church. Let me repeat that thought unless some of you don't understand how strongly we believe this truth that GOD builds HIS church.

NO SUPERSTARS NEEDED. Just ordinary folk who are willing to be used by God in anyway he chooses. I can speak on behalf of Dave and Rick, we are all three humbled that God would ever do anything good through our lives.

However, what ignited this blog post is that tonight the Dallas Mavericks are playing the Miami Heat in a best of 7 game playoff format and I, for one, vigilantly root against the Miami Heat because the BIG THREE Superstars that joined forces in attempting to win a championship down there in the gator state. Two of the three turned on their team and their fans, pulled up stakes and said "see you later" and headed for what they think is going to be greener pastures. Now, honestly, I don't really care. Did you hear me? I said I don't really care because it's just a game and I agree with their right to go play their game wherever they wish to play.

But so often, I have seen SO MANY people JUMP to what they thought was greener pastures, only to discover what they had originally had, on their side of the fence, was actually the better place.

Sometimes it's a marriage, or a school. It could be a job or a new home. Isn't there a truth to that maxim, "that the grass is NOT always greener on the other side?" Call me OLD SCHOOL but I still believe that it's always a better reward if you stay and work through the problems and you perhaps take longer to get the job done, but you stay and work and turn the soil and work the land on YOUR SIDE of the fence and you will then enjoy the spoils of your labor and the joy and reward will be greater than taking the road of least resistance.

I was actually just out of Bible College when a pastor in a large church showed me the wisdom of Psalm 37:3. It reads "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture". I was told it means just stay where you are and do good. Trust in the Lord and just dwell in the land or place that God has led you and the result of that is you will enjoy or experience the blessing of God upon your life.

You see Rick Atchley (twitter@rickatchley) has been at his church for 22 years. I (twitter@pastordudley) have been at Shepherd for almost 25 years. I know Dave Stone (twitter@davestone920) who has been at Southeast probably that same amount of time. Dave worked with Bob Russell who was the Senior Pastor for 40 years. Anybody can leave and try to take shortcuts to God's blessing, but the real joy and real blessing comes from staying where God has planted you and working diligently with God's help to make your side of the fence "the place to be".

Go Mavericks!!!

The ACCURATE Story behind the Star Spangled Banner

2011-05-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

This has been quite the journey! About 2 years ago we produced a video on the Star Spangled Banner just for our church. We had some of the facts wrong so we did a second version of it. Some how (we don't know how) someone got a hold of the inaccurate version and posted it on youtube and the video went VIRAL on us. Over 1.7 million hits. Only problem is was NOT the corrected version.

For the last 6 months we've done two things. 1) Tried to get the wrong version PULLED from the Internet, which is almost impossible. 2) We have produced a THIRD VIDEO which is the ACCURATE Story Behind the STAR SPANGLED BANNER. We researched and triple checked all of these facts.

And one of the AMAZING details is that it's exactly 9:11 in length. Does 9-11 ring a bell?

This video is a moving, heart stirring video that we pray leads to people all around the world having respect and honor for the FREEDOMS that our country holds dear.

Join us in getting this ACCURATE VERSION of this story into as many hands as possible.

This weekend is so critical that we should NEVER FORGET! We are all blessed by the sacrifices of those who fought for this country and for our freedoms.

Thank yo to all who fought, to all who gave and to all your serve!

DVD copies are available for purchase at www.flagrespect.com

The Pastor just said OMG!!!

2011-04-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard it! The Pastor not only said OMG! He is getting ready to start a new sermon series this weekend called OMG! You see, our world has lost total reverence and respect for GOD ALMIGHTY! We use his name in vain without even knowing it. We don't even realize we are breaking the 3rd commandment listed in Exodus 20:7. OMG! has become so popular it was recently listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Well, starting this weekend, I am going to tackle this issue. It's time that God's people begin to fear him with reverence and awe. We are going to take the next 5 weeks to look at 5 things you should know BEFORE you utter his name. In fact, if you could some how get your arms around any of these 5 things you would NEVER EVER UTTER HIS NAME IN VAIN! Instead of saying "Oh my God" as a curse word, you would bow before him and say "Oh... My Lord and my God"

I am so anxious to preach this weekend and I hope you will join us at one of our many campuses in Antelope Valley, Aqua Dulce, Woodland Hills, West L.A. or Porter Ranch www.the shepherd.org or if you can not attend personally that you would watch it live on www.callonjesus.com

This series, without question, has the potential to change your life forever! OMG!

Be sure to sign up for www.twitter.com/pastordudley

The MOST important Birth Certificate in the World

2011-04-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at all the press concerning Obama's Birth Certificate. My humble opinion is that he should have released this thing 2 years ago. But He has his own reasoning for doing so today and I hope that it allows more time to be spent on our economy.

The whole 14 trillion dollar debt thing and the gas price surging thing concerns most Americans. Hearing Trump and Obama talk back and forth today about the Birth Certificate made me laugh. I hope that doesn't offend you, but I'm just saying.... it made me laugh. I know that there are those who care a LOT about this issue and there are those who could care less. I get that. I understand that. I'm NOT HERE to TALK about THAT.

But I was thinking about the ONE Birth Certificate that is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than Obama's Birth Certificate. It is the Birth Certificate of the Saviour of the WORLD, the Lord Jesus Christ found in Matthew 1:1-16.

I will list it below and I hope that you will read through it and check it out. While not many people are talking about this certificate I wish they would. Because verse 16 shows us IT IS THE GENEALOGY of JESUS. And if you were to study through the details starting with Abraham in verse 2 and following through the entire genealogy you would learn that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and comes from the lineage of David.

This discovery would then matter to each and every one of us in helping us to name him as the Lord of our lives.

And the bottom line is... in another 2000 years from now, NO ONE will care or be talking about Obama's certificate. Yet 2000 years from NOW the Certificate of Jesus' birth will still be found, the history and record of his birth in Matthew Chapter 1.

Only ONE is qualified to be the Lord and Saviour of the World. It is Jesus Christ and you can read all about his birth and get all the details starting in Matthew 1.

Matthew 1:1-16

1This is the genealogy[a] of Jesus the Messiah[b] the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Interested in visiting the Holy Land (Spring of 2012) ?

2011-03-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

Looking at taking a tour to Israel in the spring of 2012. Please leave your contact information at 818.832.3479 (Shalena) if interested. We have 26 people on a list so far. We would love to add you to our list!

Is Jesus the Messiah? You tell me!

2011-03-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

I looked up some of the 300 prophesies that Jesus fulfilled, which prove He is the Messiah. But all the facts in the world won't cause a person to believe. It might lead you to faith and it might open up your heart to the possibility of faith, but faith is when you trust in Jesus fully and completely even when you don't have all the facts.

To me, examining fulfilled prophecy is similar to the "doubting Disciple" Thomas requested to see the nail-marked hands of Jesus before he would believe. Thomas needed to see for himself, and Jesus provides this opportunity for him in John 20:24-31.

Jesus provides that SAME opportunity for us through studying the Scriptures within the Word of God. I hope and pray that you will at least take a look at some of these verses in the Bible, search for yourself, and decide whether or not Jesus is the Son of the Living God.

I am praying that these fulfilled prophesies will cause you to fully trust in Jesus as the Messiah. May your heart cry out and cause you to say "I believe... I believe."

His pre-existence - Micah 5:2 John 1:1, 14

Born of the seed of a woman - Genesis 3:15 Matthew 1:18

Of the seed of Abraham - Genesis 12:3 Matthew 1:1-16

All nations blessed by Abraham's seed - Genesis 12:3 Matthew 8:5, 10

God would provide Himself a Lamb as an offering - Genesis 22:8 John 1:29

From the tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10 Matthew 1:1-3

Heir to the throne of David - Isaiah 9:6-7 Matthew 1:1

Called "The mighty God, The everlasting Father" - Isaiah 9:6 Matthew 1:23

Born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1

Born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18

His name called Immanuel, "God with us" - Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:23

Declared to be the Son of God - Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17

His messenger before Him in spirit of Elijah - Malachi 4:5-6 Luke 1:17

Preceded by a messenger to prepare His way - Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:7-11

Messenger crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" - Isaiah 40:3 Matthew 3:3

Would be a Prophet of the children of Israel - Deuteronomy 18:15 Matthew 2:15

Called out of Egypt - Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:15

Slaughter of the children - Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew2:18

Would be a Nazarene - Judges 13:5; Amos 2:11; Lam. 4:7 Matthew 2:23

Brought light to Zabulon & Nephthalm, Galilee of the Gentiles - Isaiah 9:1-2 Matthew 4:15

This weekend in church (http://www.theshepherd.org/ or http://www.callonjesus.com/) we will be looking at one more prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. It's simple but powerful.

Pastor Dudley www.twitter.com/pastordudley

The Number 53

2011-03-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Today must begin by thanking the ALMIGHTY God for creating each and everyone of us. Before the foundation of the world was made he knew that each of us would be here. God's love in providing salvation through His one and only son leads us to honor him in all that we do.

I thank God for his mercy, for my parents, for my wife and children, for my friends and for our Church.

As I turn another year older, I want to go on record and say if I never live to see another birthday I've had the greatest life ever. I live every day knowing it could be my last and with that conviction I attempt to serve God with all of my heart EVERY day.

But if God is gracious and allows me to live a long and fruitful life I am planning on doing the following if HE so wills.

1) I want to spend the next 20 years doing everything possible to reach the city of Los Angeles and the United States of America and the unreached world for Jesus Christ.

2) My immediate focus is to raise the funds for our new worship facility to provide more room for those who do NOT know Jesus Christ. In achieving this goal I believe that we will provide for generations to come a light house that will SHINE brightly here in the city of Los Angeles.

3) The next 20 years I want to try to train up more leaders. Men and Women who desire to shake and change the world for Jesus Christ. II Timothy 2:2 Who is on board?

4) I am greatly burdened to help shift our country back to God. We must reach the younger generation. I do NOT want to grow old and have a church that is NOT filled with YOUNG PEOPLE who in turn will reach their generation. That might mean having even more of a contemporary sound to our music. It might mean mixing up some things. It might mean spending more time and money on the younger generation. But I am burdened to stand for Biblical principles and to teach them to the youth in our culture.

5) Not interested in slowing down. Smile! I think the older we become the MORE we have to offer. I want to figure out how to be a better steward of my time and talent and resources. I want to give more. I want to serve more. I want to be used more. I want to be ready for whatever God has in store.

6) In my immediate plans... I want to use these next 4 months to complete the task assigned to me of being the President of the North American Christian Convention. July 5-8 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Visit www.gotonacc.org and look at the program. I hope as many of you as possible will find a way to join me this summer for a life changing experience as we see God UNLEASH his spirit upon the churches in America.

7) Want to finish up a book that I'm putting together called "God has an app for that". It's designed to help people who have tried everything to fulfill their needs to know that God has a solution to all of our problems. It will not be released until Jan/Feb 2012 but the manuscript needs to be completed in just a few months. Please pray that this book is blessed by God and reaches those who have little understanding of how much WISDOM is found in the Bible.

8.) This might upset some of you, but I have a growing burden that we might need to change the name of our church. Please here me out on this. Although I LOVE the name of our church it is DIFFICULT on so many levels. First, most people can NOT even spell the name. You should try and have 10 people spell Shepherd and see how many people can NOT do it. Second, it is a tad dated. It used to fit our area when there were nothing but hills around us, but today the hills are replaced by Walmart and homes. Third, it's DIFFICULT to find a logo for Shepherd that looks modern and contemporary. Again, I want to reach the next generation and I have been trying for OVER 10 years to even find a logo for a Shepherd that doesn't look 100 years old. Lastly, the name doesn't work with all of our campuses. And we need a name that will fit with all 5 of our church satellites. Again, don't be upset, just be in prayer.

9) I want to go to Israel again soon. Perhaps the spring of 2012. I feel like the Lord is coming sooner than we think and I would love to visit the city of all cities, the city of Jerusalem. Please contact the church office and leave your contact number if you are interested in joining me on my 8th trip to the Holy Land.

10) My final thought, on this my birthday, is to THANK each and every one of you for the past 24 years of working together, side by side, reaching out and building God's church here in the valley. I trust that God will continue to bless us the next 20! SMILE Will you make these next 20 years the most fruitful years ever. Let's work and pray and give and serve and love and witness TOGETHER. Let's try to do something that ONLY God can get the credit for. Let's believe God for the impossible. Let's use the Internet, the net of compassion, the net of our influence to reach our world for Jesus. Let's HONOR God with our life and our words. Let's give 100 percent of our heart and all of our time, talent and treasure to lead others into a saving relationship with God's son. Let's don't slow up or down in our attempts to build a great church.

May God strengthen us to carry on and to finish strong. Thank you and please know that I love you!!!!!! twitter.com/pastordudley

The Cloud in the Bible

2011-03-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

I know some of you have seen the "cloud" on the TV show called LOST. And in the TV show, which I'm always lost and confused watching, there is a cloud that is a little scary and sometimes death follows. But that is JUST A TV SHOW.

In the Bible there is actually a CLOUD far more powerful and awe inspiring than what Hollywood can produce.

Read these verses and take note what you see when the "cloud" of the Bible appears.

Exodus 33:7-11
Exodus 40:34-38
Numbers 9:15-23
Leviticus 16:2
Numbers 11:25
Numbers 12:10
Deuteronomy 31:15
I Kings 8:10
Ezekiel 10:3
Matthew 17:1-3

To hear a sermon on the "cloud" make sure to visit www.callonjesus.com and listen to this weeks message on Mt.Sinai: Voice of God.

Be blessed and know that God is NOW available, His presence can be in YOU through faith in Jesus Christ.

It Makes Zero Sense. Sheen, Sin, Oil and the Moon.

2011-03-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

I don’t understand why every time I wash my car it rains. i.m.z.s.

I don’t understand why the United States of America would rather be dependent upon oil from the Middle East, which is a ticking time bomb, than drill for oil in our own country and have cheaper gas. i.m.z.s..

I don’t understand how we can put a man on the moon yet I can’t seem to find a garage door opener that works. i.m.z.s.

I don’t understand how politicians, on both sides of the aisle, got our nation into 14.5 trillion dollars worth of debt and continue to keep their jobs. i.m.z.s.

I don’t understand how Charlie Sheen has 1.5 million followers on Twitter, in a few days, for being a lunatic and I have 1000 followers after 6 months and have a good head on my shoulders. i.m.z.s.

I can’t understand why every pro-choice person wouldn’t “pay it forward” for their parent’s choice, to NOT terminate your life. It just seems if someone CHOOSE NOT to abort YOU, that after you have enjoyed life, you would want others to have the same right to experience what you have experienced. i.m.z.s.

I can’t figure out how the spotted owl has more protection and more rights than a child within his/her mother’s womb. i.m.z.s.

It doesn’t make any sense to me that artist, writers and musicians wouldn’t want to use their gifts, ever day, to simply bring honor to God by creating music that is “heavenly” and not “worldly” i.m.z.s.

It makes ZERO sense, why any adult, would hurt any child, in any way knowing that Jesus said “It would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown to the depths of the sea, than for someone to hurt a child.” i.m.z.s.

I don’t understand why going to a football game, which last 3 hours long and cost hundreds of dollars while sitting next to some guys that drink till they’re drunk is not a sacrifice, yet going to church for an hour and bringing an offering to God and sitting next to people of faith, preparing for heaven seems like a most painful experience. i.m.z.s.

It seems a tad bit strange that we would cry over a movie that is all smoke and mirrors (acting and Hollywood) and yet not shed a tear over the millions that are lost and who do NOT know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. i.m.z.s.

I will never understand how God desires to love you and forgive you of all of your sins and take you to eternity to live with him forever, yet most would rather remain locked in their sin and have choosen to reject his love and provision (John 3:16) and spend an eternity is hell. I.M.Z.S.

I can’t figure out why any person, for any reason, would every say no to Jesus. I.M.Z.S.

Will you say YES? www.twitter.com/pastordudley

A Little about a LOT

2011-02-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

Been busy promoting the North American Christian Convention. www.gotonacc.org Hope that you will plan on joining us July 5-8th in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Just got back from Savannah, Georgia where I spoke at the "Next Level Conference" and also spoke for my dear friend Cam Huxford at the growing Savannah Christian Church. http://twitter.com/pastordudley

Next, I traveled to St.Louis Christian College and spoke at a leadership/ministry class and then spoke in their Chapel service. The young man leading worship looked just like Jeff Gordon. Dr. Guthrie Veech is a president that is helping lead in the area of diversity. He was a gracious host.

This weekend we will be studying "Lavishness" in our weekend services. Looking at 9 traits of the early church that seem to be missing in today's church.

Been reading a book called "Radical" by David Platt and it IS Radical. Stretching me and knocking me upside the head at the same time.

I have two books, maybe three in the hopper... First is the book "UNLEASHED: The church turning the world upside down" which will be out in May or June. We have the 9 speakers for this year's NACC who have all submitted a chapter. It will be a blessing to all who read it..

Then I just agreed to a contract with REGAL PUBLISHING to do a book called "God has an app for that"... Which will be ready by January/February 2012.

Finally, I have a book that a friend of mine and I are completing. It's a travel guide for the Holy Land. Can't wait till you see and read through this guide book. I have taken 7 tours to the Holy Land and hope to take my 8th trip in 2012. Let me know if you want to go with me, we'll put you on the list.

If you ever visit the Holy Land, you'll want to take this book with you to enhance your trip.

Family is doing great and Church is still praying for a Miracle in the Making www.miracleinthemaking.com

Easter is around the corner and hopefully our parking structure will be completed by then.

Still trying to figure out how to use FB and Twitter to help expand the Kingdom of God. I know that there are MILLIONS who live in these "social networking circles" who need to find Jesus. It is an untapped galaxy of folks who need salvation. I hope to tap into it to spread the "Good News".

Check back soon... and I will post some NACC video's...

Dudley

The Story Behind the (Wrong) Story

2011-01-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share an apology for something I did wrong. I don't know how to reach everyone that was offended, but hope that you understand the intent of my heart. For those of you who have NO IDEA what this is about... I produced a video on the story behind the Star Spangled banner and the story I told was NOT factual. Please watch this video to learn of the story behind the (wrong) story.

2010-12-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

What a year! Looking back, God has been so good to carry us through another 12 months.

We have been on an adventure of faith, stepping out in obedience to God the Father. We started out looking at the life and example of Abraham, the founder of our faith. We studied through the book of Romans, which is the book of faith. We spent four weeks looking at different faiths and understanding why Christianity is the one true faith. Then we looked at the five greatest stories of faith in the Bible. Peter: Rahab, Job, Noah, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Then this past fall, we as a church stepped OUT in faith in our own Miracle in the Making campaign, where we are attempting to build a new worship facility.

Having looked back at our Passion Play and Easter service, our 4th of July celebration and our Beach Baptism day, our life groups and youth ministries, our monies and missionaries that went around the globe, we truly have so much to be thankful for.

For those of you that were with us for the entire year, you know that it was a year where God stretched us. He stretched us spiritually, emotionally and financially.

Whenever you walk in faith, it's always a journey, it's a life long commitment that requires diligence and perseverance, but for the person who walks down that road, God has His hand of blessing upon that individual that is beyond explanation. God truly blesses and honors those who honor him.

As I write this post, I am so ANXIOUS to share with you the theme and plans for 2011. I promise that it is the NEXT step. After one walks in faith, where you live and act in obedience not knowing what is around the corner, but if truly walking in faith, there is something that ALWAYS happens... something that God has in store for you.

I pray that you will join us the weekend of January 8th and 9th, as I will be laying out these plans.

I am looking forward to sharing with you the theme and direction for the next year that weekend. May God bless each and every one of you, and I wish each of you a MERRY and SACRED CHRISTMAS and a BLESSED NEW YEAR.

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T09:32:00.002-08:00

Remembering Thanksgiving:

Beginning in 1621 both Pilgrims and Indians began celebrating Thanksgiving together giving thanks to God Almighty for his miraculous provisions.

In 1789, a congressional resolution was delivered to President George Washington, who heartily concurred with the request and issued the first federal Thanksgiving proclamation, declaring in part: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to
obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . .

Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.

In 1863 the Thanksgiving proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln was remarkable not only for its strong religious content but also for its timing, for it was delivered in the midst of the darkest days of the Civil War, with the Union having lost battle after battle throughout the first three years of that conflict.

Yet, despite those dark circumstances, Lincoln nevertheless called Americans to prayer with an air of positive optimism and
genuine thankfulness, noting that: The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful
fields and healthful skies.

To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever- watchful providence of Almighty God. . . .

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, Who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

That remarkable Thanksgiving Proclamation came at a pivotal point in Lincoln’s spiritual life. Three months earlier, the Battle of Gettysburg had occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 American lives.

It had been while Lincoln was walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he first committed his life to Jesus Christ.

As he later explained to a clergyman: When I left Springfield [Illinois, to assume the Presidency], I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers,
I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember to retain the original gratefulness to God that has always been the spirit of this – the oldest of all American holidays.

Let me share with you additional examples of Thanksgiving proclamations penned by various Founding Fathers.)

[Congress] recommended [a day of] . . . thanksgiving and praise [so] that “the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and join . . . their supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, to forgive [our sins] and . . . to enlarge [His] kingdom which consists in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
Continental Congress, 1777 – written by SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION SAMUEL ADAMS AND RICHARD HENRY LEE

[I] appoint . . . a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God . . . to [ask] Him that He would . . . pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would . . . spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remote corners of the earth; . . . and that He would establish these United States upon the basis of religion and virtue.
GOVERNOR THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1779

[I] appoint . . . a day of public thanksgiving and praise . . . to render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us . . . [by giving to] us . . . the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. And [to]present our supplications...that He would forgive our manifold sins and . . . cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth. GOVERNOR JOHN HANCOCK, 1790

Brewline Bible Study

2010-11-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was blown away today as I attended and spoke at the Brewline Bible study men's fellowship in San Fernando. About three years ago, some guys from our church started a little Bible study group at Starbucks in San Fernando. Week after week, these men have been faithful to meet at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday mornings. They sing, read some scripture, worship and then have a guest speaker, followed by a time of prayer.

It's lively, funny, serious, engaging and worshipful.

Today, this Bible study group had to meet in a larger room because they had about 250 in attendence. It was such a joy to preach for them and to experience first hand and see what God has done through a group of guys who SIMPLY have a desire to make a difference in San Fernando.

These guys LOVE the LORD. They are hardcore followers of Jesus. It's amazing what God can do when you submit to Him and state, without hesitation, to USE ME LORD. And that is exactly what God is doing. He is using this men's Bible study group to reach the East Valley. They all had their Bible's and they were all hungry for God's word.

I will be faithful to pray for them and if you get a chance, stop by some Saturday morning at 100 San Fernando Rd in San Fernando, CA and be prepared to have God change your heart and direction of your life.

Thank you Brewline for STANDING for Jesus. You blessed me, you humbled me, you taught me and you fed me. Can't wait to do it again.

Be blessed....

Pastor Dudley C. Rutherford

Day of Prayer and Fasting - Recap Video

2010-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

DOPF: Recap from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

Chip's Story

2010-10-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Many of you were as moved by the video of Chip's story we showed in church and have asked to see it again. God still performs miracles! Do you believe?

Chip's Story (Re-edit) from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

More Pictures from Day of Prayer and Fasting

2010-10-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

My Thoughts on Day of Prayer and Fasting

2010-10-22T09:14:00.001-07:00

My heart and soul are still overwhelmed by the spirit and presence of God that I experienced this past Monday. Even bad weather and poor parking could not dampen what God had in store for those who gathered for an entire day of prayer. Despite obstacles, GOD WON THE DAY!!

We started and ended the day with worship, and without question, worship sets the tone and prepares our hearts for God's powerful anointing. Our worship team, led by Michael North, is a team of talented, yet humble, servants that simply allow God to work through them in music and song. Seeing 1000+ people all worshipping and singing at the top of their lungs and with the fullness of their hearts is an experience unlike no other.

Then we prayed. The people prayed. We prayed in small clusters. We prayed at the open mic. We prayed at the wall. We prayed in the parking lot, the offices, the stage, the hall walls and in the FLC.

We prayed standing. We prayed on our knees. We prayed on our face. We prayed with heads bowed and with hands raised.

We prayed for our nation, our city, our state, our governing officials. We prayed for our President, our congress, our Mayor and our Governor.

We prayed for our families, our marriages, our children and our employees.

We prayed for our health, our jobs, our finances and our ministries.

We prayed for our missions, our fellow workers around the world. We prayed for Asia and Africa. We prayed for India and Europe. We prayed for Europe and America. We prayed for the world. Did you see the FLC? The missions department did an incredible job preparing a place where we could see the world.

We prayed that God would provide miracles upon miracles so that we might build a new 3500 seat worship facility.

And then, the church prayed for their Pastor. I wept like a baby. It was unplanned, and I was unprepared for the emotion of an entire church praying for me. I want to say thank you for all who participated, who fasted, who took time to come to the house of God to seek God's face.

I think of the one verse in I Kings 18:36 where Solomon was praying, and he said these words, "Give attention to your servant's prayer and his pleas for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'my Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place."

Those who gathered felt and experienced the presence of God. It is my prayer that we at Shepherd would truly become a PRAYING CHURCH. May we continue in His presence by staying on our knees, humbly asking for His love and mercy. May HIS name be made known in this city and may His eyes be upon us "Day and Night."

Please Join us Monday October 18th, 8:00 a.m.

2010-10-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Day of Prayer and Fasting 2010 Promo from Shepherd of the Hills Church on Vimeo.

70,000 Churches and 3.5 million people!

2010-10-08T08:14:00.001-07:00

This post is from Dave Ferguson who is doing more for church planting than anyone I know. I only wish he lived in California. This was HIS post on his blog. I wouldn't read his blog on a regular basis unless you want to be challenged to make a difference in the world.
That was a teaser....

Here's what he posted today...

When I looked at my calendar on my iPhone on Wednesday morning it said that I had a 1:30 pm appointment with "Sam from India." I had to ask my assistant Pat, "Who is this and what does he want?" She explained as best she could, but I had no idea that who I was about to meet would be one of the most memorable appointments in a long time. When Samuel Stephens and his son Danny showed up you would never have guessed how God has used them. Both were very unassuming and I felt like I had to pull out of them the amazing things that they have seen God do through their ministry, the India Gospel League.

It was Sam's father that founded the India Gospel League and when Sam took it over in 1992 it had grown to 200 churches. Now, 18 years later under Sam's leadership there are 70,000 churches and more than 3.5 million people that are being reached. Wow!

Here are a few take-aways I had from our conversation together:

Every church has a goal to reproduce at least one new church per year.
Every church planter was in a network that meets monthly.
Every network provides training and accountability for meeting their goal of reproducing.
This was an appointment that I will not soon forget!

THIS IS INSANE

2010-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

This stuff drives me crazy....

We have to get this system fixed. Don't we have ANYBODY who can run for office and stop the wasteful spending and get rid of all the red tape. I believe that God has called us to be STEWARDS of all of our resources.

I saw this article today and wanted to share it with you. I know Wendy Greuel is doing a great job. Pray for her for she knows we need to fix all these problems, but she can't do it on her own. According to this report, it's taking 2 million dollars to create ONE job.

Here's the article. It's INSANE!!!

The Los Angeles City Controller said on Thursday the city's use of its share of the $800 billion federal stimulus fund has been disappointing.

The city received $111 million in stimulus under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) approved by the Congress more than year ago.

"I'm disappointed that we've only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million," says Wendy Greuel, the city's controller, while releasing an audit report.
"With our local unemployment rate over 12% we need to do a better job cutting red tape and putting Angelenos back to work,” she added.

According to the report, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works generated only 45.46 jobs (the fraction of a job created or retained correlates to the number of actual hours works) after receiving $70.65 million, while the target was 238 jobs.

The audit says the numbers were disappointing due to bureaucratic red tape, absence of competitive bidding for projects in private sectors, inappropriate tracking of stimulus money and a laxity in bringing out timely job reports.

“While it doesn’t appear that any of the ARRA funds were misspent, the City needs to do a better job expediting the process and creating jobs,” she said

Burning the Quran?

2010-09-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Although I firmly do NOT believe in the Quran, and even though I firmly believe that Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation for all mankind, I believe it's wrong to have a National Quran Burning Day.

A Pastor named Terry Jones from a small church in Florida is planning such an event. And although there are MANY things that are WRONG about the Quran, burning them is not the answer.

Let me give you several reasons WHY we should NOT be burning the Quran. (I found some of this in an Article written by William Harvey.)

1. It really goes AGAINST being a Christian. I am all for standing up for things that are of God. I preached this past weekend on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who refused to bow down to a golden image, and we need to have the same courage as them. Honor was given to their God (the one true God) because of their devotion. They were standing for truth; they were not trying to burn down Babylon.

In Acts 19:18-20 there were some folks who burned some books, but they were actually scrolls that they themselves had owned. The passage refers to "those who had practiced curious, magical arts" gathering to burn scrolls in which they no longer believed. This is quite a different act from choosing to burn a book in which you have never believed or burning a book that is going to cause pain world wide.

Jesus made it VERY clear in his Sermon on the Mount that we are to LOVE our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. We are to TURN the other cheek and try to befriend those that think differently than we do. How are we ever going to reach the Muslim people if our first act is to offend them by burning the most important thing in their religion?

Once you burn the Quran, you lose all hope of ever reaching them. They will HATE you and HATE your faith. You will drive them FURTHER AWAY from where you want them to be. It's possible to reach the Muslims around the world and introduce them to the Savior, but NOT if you start out by burning their sacred book.

Just last week I had a conversation with a Muslim man about the Lord. Just like Jesus with the woman at the well in John 4, I started out by engaging him in a dialogue about current events and then I moved the conversation along until we were able to talk about Jesus being the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

I believe God would have us be merciful to all and to build bridges that enable salvation, rather than burning bridges that divide and hinder the Gospel.

2. It disrespects the memory of those who died on 9/11.

In the words of Mr. Harvey in an open letter to Mr. Terry Jones, "The vicious thugs who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon almost nine years ago did so in order to widen the cultural divisions between Muslims and non-Muslims. Your planned protest would also accomplish this, allowing the message of violent extremists acting in the name of Islam to resonate more widely. The innocent victims of 9/11 deserve better than for you to use the anniversary of their death to commit an act of which their murderers would have approved."

3. It is un-American.

The First Amendment protects Americans from any government effort to abridge our freedom of speech. We are free to say and do what we please, however not all things are benifical and in fact, some things cause great harm. If our government said that you had no right to express yourself, this would be un-American, but irresponsibly exercising that right stains our hard-earned heritage of liberty and our tradition of tolerance. In the same way that many people feel it's within a legal right to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero, just not prudent. The same applies to the burning of the Quran: It might be legal to burn the book, but the wise thing would be NOT to burn it.

I wish everyone felt the same way about our flag. For me the American flag represents the freedom we share. It causes personal pain whenever I see or hear of someone burning a flag. They might have the freedom to do so, but if they were in their right mind they would never do it for the pain it causes in so many people who fought and died for the freedoms we have here in the United States of America.

4. It is endangering American lives.

Your actions endanger not only our military around the world, you are endangering my life and my family. The vast majority of Muslims who learn about the planned protest will peaceably counter-protest, but there will be many, operating under their own perverted interpretation of the religion, who will want to protest by killing Americans wherever they may find them. Thousands of Americans in the military, in the foreign service, and doing humanitarian work in countries from Mauritania to Indonesia (where thousands of Muslims have already marched in protest of your plan) are in danger.

Please join me in praying that this event does NOT unfold and if it does, I pray that we will not be judged by the actions of a few foolish people. But I'm certain we will be, and therein lies the problem beyond our ability to fix.

May God forgive us of ALL of our sins and may we be mericful as God has been merciful to us.

Pastor Dudley

Check out The Vine

2010-09-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that we have a group of college-aged adults who meet every Sunday in the sanctuary at 6:30 pm? The Vine is our Sunday night service led by Pastor Phil Allen, and its mission to promote transforming growth among a generation of young believers through biblical teaching, missions and discipleship.

If you are a young adult, I hope you will get involve in The Vine very soon. Check out this video, which will give you a little taste of what this gathering of dynamic young people is all about:

The Vine Promo from Shepherd Youth on Vimeo.

Standing up for the Church

2010-09-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

I know that there are many reasons and excuses why people do not attend church faithfully. I know that as long as man is involved, that the church will always have her flaws. I totally get that on any given Sunday, there are 1000 other things to do, than to take the time to gather the family and attend a local Church. I also understand that it’s possible, if not likely, for you to actually attend a church, to show up and feel as though you didn’t get anything out of it. (Just so you know, going to Church has more to do with the worship you have to offer than anything you expect to receive. It’s not about you. It’s about God and you giving him your worship and praise).

But for what its worth (which in my opinion, this list is priceless) let me share with you just a few of the many reasons why I believe you should be in Church EACH and EVERY weekend. These are what I call “the benefits of belonging and attending a local congregation”. This is a partial list of why Church should be a priority. While this is a small list, it is a powerful list, because each one is reason enough to attend. Add them or multiply their collective value and you quickly discover it’s the ONLY place to be on Sunday.

1 God will be there…. Enough said.
2 It’s where you learn God’s word…. What is that worth?
3 You are commanded to be there… Sorry, it’s true.
4 Salvation is available and recommended… Why wouldn’t you want that?
5 You’ll discover God’s perfect and pleasing will for your life. Priceless
6 A place of prayer. You actually get to talk to God… wow
7 Communion is served each week, in obedience to Jesus request.
8 People are baptized there, each week, into Christ.
9 It’s literally belonging to the family of God.
10 You’ll find help in resisting all kinds of temptation.
11 A place to use your gifts to serve the Body of Christ.
12 It is an investment in things that are eternal.
13 The best place to reinforce Godly principles to your children.
14 Worship that prepares you for worship in heaven.
15 When Jesus comes back, he’s coming for His Church, the bride.
16 You’ll find accountability in your walk with the Lord.
17 It represents what heaven will look like.
18 It’s a place to find food for your spiritual soul.
19 God’s Spirit moves powerfully through the believer
20 Strengthens one’s walk with the Lord.

What else could I say that would cause you to want to join? I honestly think there is something wrong if you wouldn’t want to join. Seriously, look at the list and think about why you wouldn’t want to attend each week.

Why not make Church a priority and instead of always seeing what’s wrong with the church, find a way to focus on what’s good about the Church. Instead of criticizing the church, why not defend the church and embrace the church.

Don’t forget, she is the Bride of Christ and one day soon, Jesus is going to return for his Bride. Will he find you in the church or will he find you outside the church? I’m praying and trusting that Church will become a priority for each and every person.

Friday night with Glenn Beck and David Barton

2010-08-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a night I will never forget as I attended an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. It was billed as “an evening of prayer and spiritual renewal, hosted by Glenn Beck and David Barton”. I wish everyone in America could have been in that Performing Arts center to hear what I heard and to experience what I experienced.

I sat on the next to last row of the third level and I watched in amazement and thanksgiving for the events that unfolded. It started at 7:30 with music and worship, every song that was sung were songs that we know and sing at Shepherd. The first 45 minutes, everyone on that stage was African-American. The audience was electric in their praise and worship to Almighty God.

The first man to speak, I don’t know his name, was a congressman who led our hearts in prayer. He told us that there are a number of congressman who pray every day and that there have been MANY times where they have stood for the things of God when congress often tried to remove God from the Washington Monument, from our currency, from the flag certificates and other such things. His prayer was stirring… and from that moment on I cried most of the night.

Next a Rabbi spoke from the book of Genesis, explaining that we are all on this planet because of a creator God and that he put us here for a reason. He explained that there are those who believe our only right is choice. That we can choose whatever we want to do and he explained that was not why we were placed here. He said our only task is to do what GOD commands us to do. Therefore marriage is a union between a man and a woman. You can’t say, “I have the right to marry 4 people, or people of the same sex, or to abort a child because it’s convenient for you.” It was a very moving message.

Then Miles McPherson spoke and he stirred the audience with a message that the Church needs to wake up and begin to engage with the world in making a difference for God. Taking Jesus to our cities is imperative. That our cities are in trouble and that Jesus is the answer.

Then…. Drum roll…… Chuck and Gina Norris, who attended our church when they were living in L.A. came out and Chuck read several quotes from our founding fathers about how they trusted and depended upon God for their provision and their protection.

Then, different bible teachers and evangelist spoke along with David Barton who constantly spoke about how preachers helped shape our constitution and that many of our founding fathers listened to the preachers of the land. He talked about how 91 percent of the first 250 colleges in this country were led by ordained ministers.

Glenn Beck got up at the end and simply said that we as a nation need to turn back to God, that our problems will never be solved by any one man. He mentioned that it involves each of us “asking God what God wants us to do and then doing it”.

Not once, did I hear the word “Democrat or Republican”
Not once, did I hear the name of our current or former President.
It was simply a call to our Nation to turn back to God.

As I conclude this brief synopsis, let me explain some things about Glenn Beck. I am trying to figure him out and unlike some of you that have already made up your mind and have no room that you might be wrong about him, whether in a positive manner or negative manner. I am watching a man that God is using to bring together people from all walks of life for a common purpose of bringing our nation back to God.

I listened intently to every word he spoke and here is what I believe is happening. I believe that God is USING him for a purpose not known to us. Glenn loves David Barton and David is a Christian to the core and God is using David to speak to Glenn’s heart and soul. Glenn can NOT figure out exactly what is going on… he keeps saying he’s feeling something that he has never felt before and I feel as though God is surrounding him with Christian preachers and that Glenn is hearing things articulated that you and I have heard many times but he is just now hearing it and God is opening up his heart to the truth found in the word of God. He says things from time to time that you would expect from someone who really does NOT know the Bible, but I believe that God is teaching him the bible from all these Christian preachers that he has gathered around himself. It’s fascinating to watch.

I’m telling you tonight was like the beginning of a Revival for our country with Asians, Latinos, African-Americans and people from all walks of life singing praise songs and calling upon God to restore our Nation and we pray and call out to him.

If you have ever attended our Day of Prayer and Fasting, that was what this event was like and they said tomorrow (Saturday) will be more of the same. I hope you will tune in yourself and watch on TV and make your own judgment on what you see and hear, and I believe, like me, you will cry as you see God using a man that no one would have ever thought to use, to help bring America back to God.

I am hoping and praying that tomorrow will be like tonight. I don’t know, maybe it will get all political and stuff, but tonight I didn’t hear ONE word that came anywhere near being labeled political. Tomorrow, I pray will begin the next great awakening in America.

Have You Had Enough? By Coach Dale Brown

2010-08-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the privilege of becoming friends with the former men's basketball coach of LSU. While I don't like to speak in generalities, I do agree with much of what he recently posted. Wanted to share his words in his post with you:

Have You Had Enough?

By: Dale Brown

Never have I seen the American public so disgusted with our Congress, Wall Street and the large corporations. Partisan politics, negative campaigning and seemingly no control over big business is literally sickening everyone. I plead with you to lead the way in cleansing a system that is totally out of control.

Americans are not only fed up with the greed, the lies and the cheating but they are angry. Please serve as a beacon light to change a system that so begrudgingly accepts change.

150 years ago, British historian Thomas Macaulay made this dire prediction for America, “Your civilization will be destroyed in the 20th century, as Rome was in the 5th century. But the huns and vandals which will destroy you will come from within, from your own institutions.” Yes, I know this is the 21st century but we had better wake up and demand that our Congress start putting the country first or his prediction could come true.

J. Paul Getty many years ago said, “I fear that unless there are many drastic changes in both basic philosophies and actual practices in every sector of human existence, our society will deteriorate and decline. It may well be wracked with upheavals far greater than any in previous history. It could, and I do not take the possibility lightly, be totally destroyed.”

I now ask you, will you just read this and delete it or will you try to do something about it? It has been said that nobody makes a greater mistake than someone who did nothing because he could do only a little. Please contact your congressman and demand change or vote them out of office.

I have traveled in 90 countries throughout the world and fully realize there is no better place to live but if we truly want to make this a better place to live we should follow Gandhi’s advice, “We must be the change we wish to see.”

When I was visiting Auschwitz I was appalled by seeing what one human being could do to another and thought how could this be possible. As I was leaving I saw a small plaque which gave me the answers, it said, “The road to Auschwitz was built by hate but paved with indifference.” We no longer can be indifferent to the ills of our society. Always remember when truth is in danger, silence equals guilt.

Great social transformation such as the end of slavery, the women’s and Civil Rights movements and the end of colonial rule all began with public awareness and engagement. Political leaders followed rather than led. A few courageous and committed people fed up with the system brought about the change. I sincerely hope that you will be stimulated to do something constructive and demand that we return to the principles that made this country the best in the world.

The system in Washington, D.C. and the large corporations in this country are corrupt. It is rigged by the powerful special interest groups to benefit the very few at the expense of the many. William Bennett in his book, “Death of Outrage” said, “The leader must be whole, he cannot have his public character be honest and his private character be dishonest.” We are to blame for many of our current problems because we have not demanded enough from those in powerful positions.

All of us Americans have a duty to end the corruption, greed, ineptness, and cronyism that have dominated the political and corporate world for far too many years.

What we desperately need today on all fronts are men and women willing to stand up for decency, truth, integrity, morality, law and order and who will respond to their conscience even when it is unpopular to do so – especially when it is unpopular to do so.

So now the question is, can we change a sick system and the answer is emphatically YES but only if we are vigilant, committed, disciplined, determined, and courageous enough to demand good ethics and honorable leadership.

The idea of saviors has been built into our entire culture. We have learned to look to stars, leaders, and experts in every field, thus surrendering our own strength, demeaning our own ability and causing us not to act when we see incompetence, dishonesty, and injustices.

Abraham Lincoln warned us when he said, “At what point is the approach of danger to be expected, if it is to reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot – we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we must live through all time or die by suicide.”

http://coachdalebrown.blogspot.com/2010/08/have-you-had-enough.html

Beach Baptisms 2010

2010-07-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

It was another amazing and emotional day at the beach, as close to 200 men, women, and children, young and old, were baptized intot he name of the Lord Jesus. Check out this video:

Beach Baptism Revised from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

Mike and Lucille Williams

2010-07-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick word on the BEST children's pastor in AMERICA. Mike and Lucille (aka Sarah Palin) Williams have been serving here at Shepherd for more than 8 years. Mike oversees birth through 5th grade and has a team of dedicated staff and volunteers that enable him to lead close to 1200 children each weekend throughout all 5 of our worship services.

One of the PILLARS of our church is the quality and care that is given to our children and their parents each week. Mike and his staff are dedicated to making sure each child is cared for and properly taught the Word of God.

Just recently, we had a Baby Dedication Service in which approximately 100 children dedicated to the Lord. Each parent went through a class and the value of raising children in a Godly home was explained. Then, during the service, Mike preached a powerful message from God's Word, furthering the importance of Godly parenting.

Whenever you find a great church, you know there must be a top-of-the-line children's ministry, and we are so blessed here at Shepherd to have such a Godly man like Mike and his entire family working on the Lord's behalf.

A GIANT word of thanks to Mike and Lucille and the time and energies invested in the children of Shepherd.

Pictures before our 4th of July Celebration

2010-07-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Valley Forge

2010-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Winter of 1777 George Washington got down on his knees and prayed asking for God's blessing. It was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.

This is an amazing picture

2010-06-29T19:36:00.001-07:00

A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky around the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, high on the Acropolis during a heavy rainfall in Athens early this morning.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1290289/Greece-lightning-Ancient-Parthenon-lit-storm-breaks-Athens.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0sIeXQmSV

Thoughts on Coach Wooden

2010-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 26th, UCLA honored the greatest Coach in all of sport, Coach John Wooden. He died at age 99 and many people were hoping that he could have celebrated his 100th birthday before he graduated into glory. But an honest and quick question to ask oneself is, "Would you rather celebrate your 100th birthday here on earth? Or would you prefer to celebrate your 100th birthday in heaven with your beloved wife and your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Up to the very last moment, Coach was aware of everything that was going on -- his health, his family, his condition, his place in history and of course his faith. We talked and prayed many times during the last 10 days of his life, and he simply had reached a decision that he wanted to go to heaven.

He would smile and jest with you. He was polite. He was considerate. He said, "I love you," to everyone who uttered those words to him. And, by the way, everyone who came to see him, his players, his friends and his family, said those beautiful words, and every time, Coach returned those same words of affection with such compassion. More than food or water, his only petition was that he wanted to go home. He wanted to be with Nell. On several occasions, a tear would come to the corner of his eye as his mind would flash to that moment that he would graduate into the arms of God.

His family was torn between him staying here in the present, with his 99 year old feeble frame, or allowing him to journey to his next place of residence...Heaven, with its golden streets and pearly gates, and of course, it's eternal clock. As only a true family can do, they came together, strengthened by each other, reaching the only conclusion they could, that they wanted what was best for "Papa".

So when it came time for the public service, they instructed the University that it was imperative that someone should speak and highlight the faith of Coach Wooden. It was one of the pillars of his life as evidenced in his poems, his words and his life. Credit goes to Jim and Nan Wooden, along with the grandchildren, for making sure this was a part of the service.

Thus, I was asked, by the family to make a presentation about Coach's faith. And for those who knew Coach, he never pushed his faith onto anyone else, but he did make it clear where he stood regarding his beliefs. And as I shared in the memorial service, he is in heaven today because of his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He personally declared his intention for the scripture in Matthew 22 about "loving God and loving others" to be used, and thus I used that text. He felt, that the greatest word in the English language was the word love. He was a giant of a man, the likes of which we will never see again in our lifetime.

I want to leave you with the poem that the family placed in the program. It was entitled, "Don't Look Back," and it speaks not only of Coach's faith, but it also speaks of the family's wishes for the funeral to truly represent his life and thoughts.

The years have left their imprint
On my hands and on my face.
Erect no longer is my walk
And slower is my pace.

But there is no fear within my heart
Because I'm growing old
I only wish I had more time
To better serve my Lord.

When I've gone to Him in prayer
He has brought me inner peace
And soon my cares and worries
And other problems cease.

He has helped in so many ways,
He has never let me down,
Why should I fear the future
When soon I could be near His crown.

Though I know down here my time is short
There is endless time up there
And He will forgive and keep me
Forever in His loving care.

May I not waste an hour
That's left to glorify the Name
Of the One Who died, that we might live
And for our sins, took all the blame.

Thank you, Coach, for showing us how to live, and thank you for showing us how to live again.

Carlos Whittaker "Ragamuffin Soul"

2010-06-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Standing at baggage claim Sunday night at LAX, waiting for my 14-year-old daughter's luggage, I overheard a man ask his wife, "Did you and the kids make it to church today?" And then I heard him say "Well, we will have to have church in the car then." I thought, MY KIND OF DAD.

A man who had traveled across the country and his priority was making sure his family had a time with the Lord. We engaged in conversation while waiting for the luggage, and lo and behold I know this man's father--a godly man named Fermin Whittaker was faithful to teach the ways of the Lord to his son, Carlos Whittaker, who I was now witnessing faithfully teaching his children the importance of worship and honor to the Lord Jesus.

I gave Carlos my card and he gave me the recently completed CD of his music called "Ragamuffin Soul." (I came out ahead on that deal.) Well, come to find out, Carlos Whittaker is a man who travels the country leading worship and teaching people how to lead worship. I have listened to his music now several times through and this brother can lead you to God's throne.

If you're looking for some music that will move your soul, written and sung by a man who honestly leads his family in the ways of God, then you will be making a wise investment.

Carlos, it was a joy to meet you. Praying for your life and ministry to influence millions... And if that prayer and dream is never realized, please know that you influenced me to be a better man. And give your papa a "shout out" from Pastor Dudley and Shepherd of the Hills Church.

Pastor David Martinez of Victory Outreach

2010-06-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

A dear brother in the Lord and fellow Pastor, 67 year old David Martinez, pastor of Victory Outreach Church of the San Fernando Valley, whose ministry has affected the lives of thousands of former gang members, drug addicts and others over the last 35 years, has gone on to be with the Lord. This was a Godly warrior who served the Lord faithfully here in our city.

He had suffered a heart attack in December and then passed away of of a heart attack on Sunday while vacationing with his family in Yosemite. His son, Miguel, has been attending our church for the past six years.

Dennis McLellan of the L.A. Times reported this week that "The Pacoima-born Martinez, a former gang member, founded Victory Outreach Church of the San Fernando Valley in 1975, after reaching out to the area's gang members and drug addicts."

I will miss this Brother in the Lord. He served and reached people that were truly hurting and often times overlooked. He reached those who many deemed unreachable, ministering to those caught up in drugs and gangs. He put his own life on the line to help win people to Jesus. Often times when someone passes there is someone who comes along to pick up the slack. But in my opinion, Pastor Martinez will never be replaced. His love and compassion will be an example for all of us. Our valley was impacted by his life and service. He was a dynamic preacher, a man of prayer and he loved our work here at Shepherd. Every time I ever talked to him he was always so encouraging.

His service is today, (saturday June 19th, 10:30 a.m.) at Shepherd of the Hills Church

David I will miss your smile, your spirit and your ability to reach all men. Praying for your family and your church. May you finally enjoy the Jesus that you so greatly preached about.

In love,

Pastor Dudley C. Rutherford

Coach John Wooden

2010-06-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

THIS WAS A POST FROM TWO YEARS AGO...

I was blessed with a chance to visit with Coach Wooden over breakfast a few days ago. I have never known a man as wonderful and kind and wise as Coach. He is now 97 years of age and still going strong. I know that he understands that God has blessed him in so many ways. He loves his family and would do anything in the world for them. He is involved in their lives is so many ways. He loves all of the players who played for him and still is close to so many of his ex-players and coaches. He is respected around the world for his teachings and his wisdom. He has so many books that describe him and I would suggest that if you've never read any of them that you google for his books and you will find a wealth of wisdom. Most importantly he loves the Lord. He has lived his life simply setting an example. He still serves as a teacher, mentor and friend to so many people around the country.

Coach... I love you. It is a joy to know that you have always let your light shine for Jesus.

The Lord has indeed blessed you in so many ways and I thank you for always pointing others to Him... Thank you for always using your life to make a difference in so many other's lives. You have selflessly served those who are in your inner circle as well as those who watch from afar. I pray that God would continue to give you good health, a quick mind and a heart that longs for heaven...

Be blessed in all you do....

Dudley

God's Hall of Fame

2010-06-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

This was one of Coach Wooden's favorite Poems. I heard him quote it once at a banquet for the final four teams in the NACC tournament. He also quoted this poem when he was inducted into the Collegiate Hall of Fame. Truly words of wisdom.

God's Hall of Fame

Your name may not appear down here,
In this world’s hall of fame,
In fact you may be so unknown,
That no one knows your name!

The Oscars here may pass you by
And neon lights of blue,
But if you love and serve the Lord,
Then I have news for you.

This hall of fame is only good
As long as time shall be,
But keep in mind, God’s Hall of fame,
Is for eternity!

To have your name inscribed up there
Is greater yet by far,
Than all the Halls of Fame down here
And every man-made star.

This crowd on earth may soon forget
The heroes of the past,
They cheer like mad until you fall,
And that's how long you last.

But God, He never does forget,
And in His Hall of Fame
By just believing in his Son,
Inscribed you'll find your name.

I tell you, friend, I wouldn't trade
My name however small,
That written there beyond the stars
In that celestial hall,

For any famous name on earth
Or glory that they share;
I’d rather be unknown here,
And have my name up there.

Coach John Wooden 1910 - 2010

2010-06-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

Back in 1994, Coach Wooden was attending the First Christian Church in Santa Monica, CA. After the Northridge earthquake, that church building was red-tagged so Coach had to find another church. I will never forget the morning that he was walking up the sidewalk leading into the sanctuary at Shepherd of the Hills Church, the church where I serve. I said "Coach, what are you doing here?" and he said, "I'm looking for a new church," and from that moment on, he and I became friends, where on many occasions we would get together to talk about spiritual things.

He loved to have me read the Bible to him, and oftentimes he would request a time of prayer. It was obvious that this incredible man was in love with the Lord, and it was quite obvious that he had walked with the Lord his entire life. I do not feel right about sharing the things that he and I talked about in private, but I will tell you that anyone who ever met Coach would recognize immediately that he was a man of love, patience, kindness and gentleness. Galatians 5:22,23, a very familiar Bible passage that tells of the "Fruit of the Spirit," contains a list of things that are the by-product of having the Spirit of God inside of you. The Bible lists the following as "Fruits of the Spirit": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I ask you, which of these characteristics did Coach Wooden possess? I would argue with you that he had all nine. ALL NINE of them. Find ONE on the list that he did NOT possess or show evidence of in his life.

It is quite obvious that Coach was a man who loved the Lord and who deeply loved his family. Please keep his family in your prayers during these difficult days and know that one day we will see him again in heaven, where we be together forever.

Shepherd Antelope Valley

2010-05-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I decided to visit our Antelope Valley campus and invited the Pastor's Posse to join me. The Pastor's Posse is the name of my EMAIL list of folks who love and ride motorcycles. We met at 8:30 in the morning and rode up highway 14 into Lancaster, exited K street and rode east and turned down the first street past Lowes to find our Shepherd AV campus. We had about 30 folks who made the journey and when we arrived we were welcomed with open arms. First thing we noticed was a large truck that had been painted welcoming us, which had to take quite a bit of time.

For the first couple of years this campus met in a School and just recently was able to move into a more permanent location where they have use of the building through out the week.

We were blessed with a beautiful time of worship led by Charlotte Causley. She led us into a season of praise and then I was able to do a greeting before Pastor David Macer preached a powerful sermon on Romans 7 and 8. We found the church FULL of so many people that loved the Lord and I was encouraged to see first hand the extension of our ministry and after listening to the announcements by Robert Norris who grew up in our Porter Ranch campus you then realized why this church is doing so well. God has brought about a group of Godly leaders who are burdened to see the Antelope Valley come to know Jesus.

If you are looking for a campus in the Antelope Valley, Woodland Hills, Agua Dulce or in West L.A. just visit our main website at www.theshepherd.org and look at the bottom of our website for any of our Satellite Campuses.

I just wanted to thank the Pastor's Posse for going with me to encourage the Antelope Valley campus and I want to thank ALL of our Campuses for holding up the banner of Jesus Christ.

Good things are ahead for all of our campuses. Keep praying for God to bless them.

Call on Jesus and the Conductor

2010-05-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Jeff Marsh is a famous international conductor, who I met while serving jury duty in Chatsworth, and he is a member of our church. He helps conduct our orchestra, and recently, he sent me these pictures and a very kind note. I thought I'd show these pictures to you... Notice he is wearing a Call on Jesus shirt and using it as a witnessing tool. I love stories like this and wanted to share it with you. Can you please pray for Jeff, as God has put him into some very high circles that he would continue to let his light shine and use his gifts to point people to Jesus?

Below, you will find a couple pictures of Jeff conducting members of the Seattle Symphony last March. There were 80 musicians in the orchestra and about 35 in the choir.

Click link to view - Hillcrest Christian School Washington DC Trip Re-Edit

2010-04-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

MobileMe Gallery - Hillcrest Christian School Washington DC Trip Re-Edit

Took a trip with the 8th grade class from Hillcrest Christian School and visited New York, Philly, D.C., and visited many of the sites from the Early American Revolution and then spoke at for chapel service afterwards and showed this video to the young people. Hillcrest is where all 3 of my children attended and I am so thankful for the Christian Education that they received. Click on link (ABOVE) to view video.

Jesus Take the Wheel.. Now

2010-04-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ever felt like things are OUT of control in your life? I love this song about letting Jesus take the wheel. A good word of wisdom is to NOT WAIT until things are spinning out of control, but let Jesus take the wheel TODAY. No need to worry if HE is driving your life. It's actually the safest way to live. It will require a step of faith, letting go and letting GOD take over, but it will be the wisest thing you ever did, surrendering control to the Lord.

I wonder if you can find rest in knowing that HE truly knows what's in YOUR BEST INTEREST.
You would think that WE know what's best for us, but in reality we are blinded by our good intentions. The Lord, who knows and sees all, is the only one that can see the big picture.
Walk in faith, truly trusting in His plan and His will for your life.

The video is my daughter singing this past weekend before I preached. It's a good song with some really good thoughts.

Be blessed,
Dudley

Christian Parent Pledge

2010-04-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

1. Each day I will spend as least as much time
with my child as I do with my TV.

2. Each day I will share at least one fun-filled
learning experience with my child.

3. Each day I will affirm my child as a person.

4. Each day I will affirm my Lord (praise Him,
thank Him, honor Him) in the presence of my child.

5. Each day I will affirm my mate in the presence of my child.

6. Each day I will say, “I love you” to my child.

7. Each day I will make one truth from God’s Word the delight of my child’s life.

8. Each day I will pray for my child, by name.

9. Each day I will read something to my child that will build his/her love for the Lord and the joy of reading.

10.Each day I will help my child feel the warmth of my personal presence by an embrace, a hug or a kiss.

Easter 2010 at Shepherd of the Hills

2010-04-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Come join us at 8:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. tomorrow or catch us on KDOC-TV.

Lift Up Jesus with Pastor Dudley LIVE on Easter from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

My time on Praise the Lord

2010-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

In case you weren't able to catch my visit with the folks at Praise the Lord, here is the clip of my time on the show:

Dudley on TBN from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

NCAA..... wow... THEY ARE WEAK

2010-02-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

NCAA Pulls the Plug on Focus Ad After Protest
by Nima Reza, managing editor
Organization caters to homosexual activists over benign ad.

The NCAA took a Focus on the Family ad off of its Web site after homosexual activists complained.

The print ad shows a father holding his young son. It's titled:

Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.

And the picture is captioned:

All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.

The activists claimed Focus was too controversial for being pro-life, and in favor of one-man, one-woman marriage. They said that runs counter to the NCAA's policies.

Gary Schneeberger, vice president of ministry communications at Focus on the Family, said he was "befuddled" by the NCAA's decision.

"Have we really become a society where it's considered distasteful and controversial for a dad to hope the best for his son?" he said. "If so, we have a lot of soul-searching to do as a nation."

Steve Maegdlin, CEO of the CSK Strategic Marketing Group which produced the print ad, said there's no reason for it to be pulled.

"There's no hidden message or hidden agenda in here," he said.

Calls to the NCAA were not returned.

The ad was part of a CBS Super Bowl package. The network ran the much-talked about TV commercial by Focus on the Family featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother.

"We said during the weeks of controversy before our Super Bowl commercial with the Tebows aired that – despite the charges of critics who hadn't even seen it – the spot was not political or divisive or hateful," Schneeberger added. "And, it wasn't. The print ad now being protested is even more non-threatening – if that's possible. It simply says, 'Focus on the Family is here to help you raise your kids, thrive in your marriages and tackle the challenge life throws your way.'"

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call the NCAA to express your disappointment over the ad's removal.

NCAA Comment Line 317-917-6762.

Out of Shepherd and Into Japan!

2010-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

Japan is such a beautiful country with so much culture and technology, many neat trends, and a wonderful people. But it is a country that needs Jesus. Did you know that only one percent of the nation is Christian? Mike Ackerman is a man from our church who embarked on an adventure of faith--moving to Japan a couple of years ago with his wife and two small children to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this unreached nation. Check out what he's doing:

MUSTARD SEED クリスチャン教会で何をするの？ from Mustard Seed on Vimeo.

A Baptism in Japan!!!!

2010-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

A friend named Mike Ackerman and his wife our doing missionary work in Japan and he recently sent out an update explaining that they had their FIRST BAPTISM. My heart rejoices with Mike and his desire to serve in Japan. He is such a talented young man and could easily work any where in the world, but God has burdened his heart for the people of Japan. Please read his post and pray for him and his work and consider sending him prayer and financial support if God so leads you.

Keep up the Great work Mike. Praying for you today.

His letter....

Dear Friends,It has been an exciting and busy start to 2010. We have begun holding our weekly church services. There is more I wish I could tell you than I have room here to do, but it has been a great start! We have had a number of people consistently coming, and I think there have been new people every week.

The most exciting part of this past month came just this past Sunday. A woman named Kyoko made a decision to follow Christ and was baptized. She has come to every service except our first event in December. Part of what is neat about her story is that none of us knew her a month ago. She was invited to church by an acquaintance I invited a couple months ago.

It is clear that she had been searching for something, and the neutral ground of our sports bar church provided the context for her to learn about the love and grace of God.

There are literally millions of people in our city who haven’t been to a church and heard the Gospel. We thank God that Kyoko was able to make her way to our church and hear!My friend Reo who plays drums in our worship band sounds like he is really considering taking the step to put his faith in Jesus. He has been at every service, and him and I continue to meet up every once and a while one-on-one.

A couple weeks ago he told me that coming to church, along with having relationships with our team, has really impacted him. He said he is trying to find his way in life and wants to learn more about God. Him and I will begin going through a short book together that introduces Christianity.

Please be praying that those times serve to help him find a relationship with Jesus Christ.I wish I could share more of what is happening, but I hope you are encouraged that the prayers and financial support are helping the Kingdom advance here in Japan.

This coming year looks to be a challenging year for us financially, so please pray for God’s provision. Lord willing, there will be many more people like Kyoko who are able to hear the Gospel at Mustard Seed Christian Church and respond in faith!

Mike, Erin, Brayden, and Cooper

My trip to TBN

2010-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight, January 29th, 2010 TBN will air my interview that was recorded last night. I think it comes on from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m and I am on around 8:15 p.m. Pacific Time Zone.

Matt and Laurie invited me to come down and to talk about Shepherd of the Hills Church, and they told me that they have visited here on several occasions. I have always been a little hesitant because there are so many people on TBN whose theology is different than mine, yet the opportunity to talk about JESUS with the world was the only reason I needed to accept the invitation.

I admit I was a little nervous, because whenever I preach I always have my notes written out in a manuscript manner. (This is a result of preaching 5 times every weekend and not wanting to forget an important thought, which is easy to do.) So, when the interview began I thought we were going to go off of a set of questions that I was prepared to answer, and right off the bat Matt throws me a curve ball and asks me to say whatever I want.

So I started talking about the last thing that I read in my Bible, a verse that mentions that "you will once again be able to distinguish between the righteous and the unrighteous." I didn't even know if it made any sense at all, but it was from my heart.

I enjoyed meeting the singer named JAVEN, who lives here in the valley and hopefully we can have him come sing here at Shepherd sometime in the near future. The song he sang before I came on was POWERFUL; so you might want to start watching at 8:00 p.m.

There was a studio audience and I could sense and feel that they were praying for me, so I felt I connected with them, and the entire night I could not stop smiling! They kept asking me what was so funny and I simply said, "I'm just happy to be here."

One funny thing before the show started: All the people who were going to be interviewed met for a few moments, and Matt asked me in front of everyone if I had ever read the book "The Shack," to which I responded "NO," primarily because I don't care to read fiction. I'm just not a fiction guy. Little did I know that the gentleman to my right was the AUTHOR of THAT book, and it has sold 14 MILLION copies. So, they were all looking at me strange.

Tonight is also the opening of a movie called "The Preachers Kid," which was produced by TBN, and it's the story of the Prodigal Son, except it's told in a more modern setting. I for one think that the story of the Prodigal Son might be the greatest story in the Bible, and so I hope if you can find the time that you'll get out and support this movie.

Byron Davis and Will Wright on our staff both rode to Costa Mesa with me, and I enjoyed the time of fellowship with them. They both have such good hearts. Looking back on the evening, everyone I came in contact with had such sweet attitudes. At the very end of the taping, Matt asked me to stick around and pray for the studio audience that had been sitting for over 2 hours; so I stayed and prayed for them and for all who will be watching tonight's show.

It was a great opportunity, and I hope I had a chance to say something to help someone become more like Jesus.

Be blessed and thank you for letting me share.

Dream of Destiny Video

2010-01-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

Dream of Destiny 5 Star Initiative from Shepherd Youth on Vimeo.

I have been reading a book called Bus Ride to Justice by Fred Gray, a lawyer for Rosa Parks, who was arrested on December 1st, 1955 for sitting where she was NOT supposed to sit. As you know, African Americans were supposed to sit in the back of the bus during that time and save the seats in the front for the "White" people. When the courts finally ruled that segregation on city buses was unconstitutional, it was the one case that truly began the civil rights movement in America.

On page 97 of his book, Fred Gray writes, "A pebble cast in the segregated waters of Montgomery, Alabama, created a human rights tidal wave that changed America and eventually washed up on the shores of such far away places as the Bahamas, China, South Africa, and the Soviet Union. And it all started on a bus.”

But there is ONE GLARING problem -- that tidal wave never hit the CHURCH in AMERICA.
It was in 1963, which was almost 50 years ago, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said 11:00 a.m. is still the most segregated hour in America. Here we are some 47 years later and that statement, even is Los Angeles, is still true. An article in the Jan. 11, 2010 issue of Time Magazine states that 93 percent of the churches in America are still primarily segregated. Less than 8 % of churches are diverse. How is this possible?

The 5 Star Initiative is simply to get churches to be more intentional about diversity… getting our churches to ACCEPT the great commission to reach "all nations." And I know is sounds simplistic, and I am sorry if you do not agree, but if we could just start by diversifying our platform and our stages, we could see immediate change within our churches today. Finding ways to include people of all cultures in our worship teams, in our praise teams and in our choirs; being intentional about representing all nationalities with who makes the announcements, who conducts the baptisms, and who leads the congregation in prayer. All of this would have a HUGE ripple effect on those who are first-time visitors, those who will look to the stage and see that this is a church that accepts people from all walks of life.

I've seen the difference in the church I serve, and I think you'd see the difference in your church as well. It is time that the Church of 2010 reflects the church of Revelation 7:9-10.

Watch the above video. Go to http://www.dreamofdestiny.com/ and sign up to be a part of the 5 star Initiative.

WE NEED TO PRAY FOR MORE MIRACLES

2010-01-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

By ALFRED DE MONTESQUIOU and SETH BORENSTEINThe Associated PressFriday, January 15, 2010; 9:32 PM

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- She had already spent three days under the rubble, and by the time rescuers pulled the woman from the crumpled home, they told her crying relatives to dump her broken body with the other corpses on the sidewalk.

The family protested: She deserved better.

So a Mexican rescue worker leaned over and felt 19-year-old Josyanne Petidelle's throat. He looked up at her relatives.
"She's alive!" he shouted. "She's alive!"

Against increasingly high odds, search teams and rescue workers around Port-au-Prince found more victims still breathing under the rubble and collapsed concrete on Friday, the fourth day of recovery efforts after a devastating magnitude-7.0 quake that toppled countless homes and buildings.

British firefighters pulled a 2-year-old girl from a fallen building on Friday. Seven people were freed from the Montana Hotel Thursday night and Friday - including four Americans who were up and walking soon after being hauled from the wreckage.

Even an Australian television crew got in on the rescue efforts, digging out a healthy 16-month-old girl from beneath her destroyed hillside home about 68 hours after Tuesday's earthquake. The crew was about to film an interview when neighbors, and reporters heard the toddler's cries.
"We had to break some walls," said David Celestino of the Dominican Republic, who was working with the TV crew. "We had a big hammer, we made a hole and she came out to the light. She basically walked out to me."

Experts say people trapped by the quake and without access to water will soon die.
"Beyond three or four days without water, they'll be pretty ill," said Dr. Michael VanRooyen of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative in Boston. "Around three days would be where you would see people start to succumb."

Petidelle was discovered amid the sad resignation and stench of rotting bodies in the downtown neighborhood of Carrefour-Feuille. Her rescue sent shudders of excitement and hope running down the street, where crowds flocked to congratulate themselves on what they viewed as just short of a miracle.

Petidelle's father, boyfriend and neighbors had dug frantically for three hours after hearing shouts from under a collapsed concrete house.

When they finally reached Petidelle, they found her motionless, with her dress tattered and her skin bruised and caked in white dust. As flies buzzed around her open wounds, she kept her eyes wide open, staring into the empty without a blink.

Most neighbors thought she was dead and shifted their focus to a team of Miami firefighters who'd just arrived nearby. But relatives pulled her onto a battered old mattress and carried the makeshift stretcher up the street to a team of Israeli and Mexican medics, who were searching for dozens of students believed trapped under a flattened St. Gerard University building.
"We can hear their shouts, but for now we can't reach them," said Louis Alva, a Mexican volunteer rescue worker whose small team only worked with shovels and bare hands on Friday.

When the medics saw Petidelle on the mattress, they angrily told her relatives to take her down the road to where other corpses were lying in the dust. But her father and brother begged until one medic wearily leaned over the mattress and pressed two fingers against Petidelle's throat.

After a second's surprise, he cried out that the was still alive.
A handful of doctors and nurses flocked to the woman to drip water through her half open mouth and intube her.

Petidelle eventually burst out with a loud screech of pain, which the medics viewed as a good sign.

Dov Maisel, a doctor who'd just arrived from Israel with the aid group Zaka, said she appeared to suffer from multiple internal injuries. Her condition would be assessed at Port-au-Prince's main hospital, he said. "But I think she'll live," Maisel said, as relatives carried the woman away.

But Petidelle's ride to the hospital was a truck coated in blood piled with corpses, where she - wounded and covered in dirt - barely stood out.

One Haitian woman was found Friday near the Montana Hotel bar after a 17-hour operation by a search and rescue team from Fairfax County, Va. The first thing she asked for was a glass of wine, said Rebecca Gustafson of the U.S. Agency for International Development disaster assistance team.

Four Americans rescued there Thursday were in good shape, but a fifth American - found Friday - was flown out of Haiti. It wasn't known how many were still inside in hotel ruins, alive or dead.
"They're still searching for those who are surviving in this rubble. We're still in search and rescue mode," Gustafson said.

The British firefighters that rescued the 2-year-old girl were among six teams searching through schools and areas where there have been reports of survivors, Britain's Department for International Development said.
"This is a real boost to us all," said Mike Thomas, chief officer of the team. "This is what we do the job for."
---
Borenstein reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Mike Melia in Port-au-Prince and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

Haiti Earthquake 2010

2010-01-15T10:28:00.001-08:00

Many are wondering who caused this earthquake. You might be surprised to know how many people have asked me, "Was this the devil? Or was this God?" My answer may or may NOT surprise you. I'm not sure it was either. Geologists have known for a LONG time that Haiti was ON TOP of a fault line, just like geologists have told us that Los Angeles is on top of a fault line. Earthquakes happen all over the world when faults beneath the surface of the earth shift. One day, as almost every expert has predicted, we are going to see the earthquake of all earthquakes here in our home town.

My heart and time are filled with other issues, such as trying to figure out how we can rescue people physically and spiritually in Haiti. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and it's only a short 2 hour flight from Florida's coast, I might add. They are OUR neighbors, and three days ago, as many as 50,000 to 100,000 Haitians lost their lives when the 7.0 Earthquake hit at about 5:00 p.m.

Those numbers will climb if we are not able to get rescue teams and equipment into the heart of Port-au-Prince as soon as possible. I am told that three days afterward, we are still struggling to get rescue equipment and the basic necessities of food and water to the people who need it.

My heart breaks when I see the news and hear the reports of complete devastation. My prayers are with the people of Haiti, and I pray that we will all do whatever is possible to help send relief. We will be sending a lot of the monies that we collect to the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission(www.nwhcm.org). We have sent several teams in recent years to this missions outpost, which is 90 miles north of the epicenter. They have their own medical team, and we know for sure that any monies we send will be used for those who were hit the hardest.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I am familiar with tornadoes and floods, and since moving to L.A., I have experienced several earthquakes. They are natural disasters, and we are seeing them happen more and more around the world. But whenever we see natural disasters, we also see supernatural responses when Christians around the world dig deep into their pocketbooks to help send resources to those who are hurting. Every dollar counts, and every prayer counts. They have both a physical need as well as a spiritual need. I would like to see God move in our hearts to help in both regards -- that our people and our missions can help rebuild broken homes and cities and then be used to help introduce the Christ that saved us all.

Please pray for God's blessing upon those who need to be rescued. Pray for those who are trying to coordinate the search and rescue teams. Pray for peace and calm in the streets. Pray for God's mercy to flow upon all those who need Him. Pray for the many mission departments around the world who have ministries in and through out all of Haiti. God's people are already there, equipped and prepared to rise to this occasion. Ask what God would have YOU TO DO to help make a difference in that part of the world.

May we, too, prepare our hearts for the time where we will ALL CRY OUT to the King of all Kings.

In love ,
Dudley

Next year.. OU will make another run

2009-12-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

My DAD sent this to me... and you KNOW he loves the SOONERS...
I of course root for the BRUINS and the SOONERS...
Trying to make sure OU stays ahead of USC

Just the facts....................
Victories, 1946-2009
1. Oklahoma 549
2. Penn State 518
3. Texas 517
4. Alabama 516
5. Ohio State 509
6. Nebraska 509
7. Michigan 497
8. Southern Cal 496
9. Tennessee 492
10. Notre Dame 481

Winning Percentage, 1946-2009
1. Oklahoma .7620 (549-167-13)
2. Ohio State .7467 (509-166-20)
3. Penn State .7359 (518-183-9)
4. Michigan .7207 (497-188-15)
5. Texas .7206 (517-197-11)
6. Alabama .7079 (516-207-20)
7. Nebraska .7031 (509-212-10)
8. Southern Cal .7019 (496-204-23)
9. Notre Dame .6941 (481-208-14)
10. Tennessee .6887 (492-216-23)

Weeks Ranked No. 1 in AP Poll
1. Oklahoma 97
2. Notre Dame 95
3. Ohio State 93
4. USC 905. Nebraska 70
6. Miami (Fla.) 68
7. Florida State 59
8. Texas 45
9. Alabama 35
10. Michigan 34

Weeks Ranked Top 5 in AP Poll
1. Oklahoma 368
2. Ohio State 301
3. Nebraska 294
4. Notre Dame 276
5. Michigan 272
6. USC 270
7. Alabama 257
8. Texas 253
9. Florida State 204
10. Miami (Fla.) 201

Weeks Ranked No. 1 in BCS
1. Oklahoma 19
2. Ohio State 15
3. USC 15
4. Florida State 7
5. Miami (Fla.) 7
6. Nebraska 5
7. Tennessee 5
8. Alabama 4
9. LSU 2
10. Texas 2

Weeks Ranked Top 5 in BCS
1. Oklahoma 45
2. USC 36
3. Ohio State 33
4. Miami (Fla.) 30
5. Texas 28
6. Florida 26
7. Florida State 25
8. Virginia Tech 20
9. LSU 17
10. Tennessee 16

AP National Titles (Last)
1. Notre Dame 8 (1988)
2. Oklahoma 7 (2000)
3. Alabama 6 (1992)
4. Miami 5 (2001)
5. Southern Cal 5(2004)
6. Minnesota 4 (1960)
7. Nebraska 4 (1995)
8. Ohio State 4 (2002)
9. FloridaTexas 3 (2008)3 (2005)
10. Six Schools 2 (2007)

NCAA-Recognized Titles (since 1946)
*1. Oklahoma 16
2. Ohio State 13
Nebraska 13
3. Alabama 11

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

2009-12-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

In the midst of this beautiful season that we as believers hold so near and dear to our hearts, I came across this email by an unknown author that I want to share with all of you. It's worth a read...

Letter from Jesus about Christmas:

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, just get along and love one another.

Now, having said that, let me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all my followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

• Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.

• Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

• Instead of writing the president complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year.

• Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms, and remind them that I love them.

• Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

• Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

• Instead of nit-picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

• If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary — especially one who takes my love and good news to those who have never heard my name.

• There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or some other charity which believes in me and they will make the delivery for you.

• Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of myself. Just love me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember:

I love you,
Jesus

From Lou Engle

2009-12-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

I have reattached the the document with the email blast. I apologize for sending the document showing the edits. Blessings!
Dear Leaders of America,
Please see below an urgent call to prayer. Please also prayerfully consider calling your networks to join in prayer and also watch the national webcast.
Recently, I sent an E-Blast with Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, calling the nation to join an urgent national webcast prayer convocation (that is taking place Thursday, December 16th at 8:30PM EST) to ask God to restrain federally funded abortion in the healthcare system. We will be joined by key leaders, including U.S. Senators Sam Brownback of Kansas, Jim Demint of South Carolina, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Randy Forbes of Virginia, Bishop Harry Jackson, Dr. Jim Garlow, and many others.
On that E-Blast I wrote:
On Friday, December 4th, I was awakened early in the morning with a burden to pray, as I considered the consequences of abortion being mainstreamed into the national healthcare system if the senate healthcare bill is passed as it is right now.
I turned to 1 Chronicles 21 where the destroying angel had come to the threshing floor of Ornan. God, in his heart of mercy, restrained the angel of death, saying, “Enough! Restrain your hand.” The angel of death still hovered between heaven and earth with its sword drawn. Even with God’s restraint, the verdict was still in the balance as to whether or not the death march would continue. An earth being, namely David, had to agree with God’s restraint through repentance, paying the full price, and offering up the atoning blood. When David went up to the threshing floor in repentance and erected the altar and offered the sacrifice, God heeded the prayers and the angel of death sheathed its sword.
I believe we have come to the high water mark of the pro-abortion movement in America. At the same time, the nation is shifting dramatically pro-life. The angel of abortion and this plague of death has come to the Senate threshing floor and I believe that God is seeking to restrain it now, but intercessors on the earth must agree with him. But, at this critical moment, a last ditch plot has been hatched to forever seal abortion into the life and soul of our nation.
Possibly in the next week the Senate will “choose life or death” as Senator Sam Brownback proclaimed on the Senate floor during the abortion debate. If this Bill is passed as is, abortion will proliferate in America because of its availability and low costs. Much of the pro-life efforts since 1973 and many of the legal victories restraining abortion will basically be annulled or turned back. There will be no recovery from this defeat until a major Senate shift takes place and 60 votes are garnered to reverse this legislation. This could take decades or may never take place in our lifetime. In the mean time, bloodguilt is heaped up and the lives of babies and mothers are killed and shattered.
Brothers and sisters, I don’t know if we can comprehend the urgency and the implications of this moment. Many of our lives may not be immediately affected and therefore we can carry on as usual and be lulled into a false peace. It is only the oppressed and those about to die that demand a miracle. Maybe it is time we think generationally and not selfishly, and take responsibility for the life and times we have been thrust into.
When the angel of death was at the doorstep of the Jews in Persia, Esther was brought to a defining moment in her life. She could choose silence and self-preservation or risk everything to be the hinge of history. The moment was so desperate that she called the whole Jewish nation to a no food and no water three day fast. Only imminent death creates such desperation. I actually feel we are at such a moment now.
The last thing that I want to do is to call people to fast again. We get weary of these things. But, as I talked to my wife today I said, “I would hate to have been given a position of influence to call for desperate prayer, and not do it, because its Christmas time and its not expedient.” The spirit of Herod is lurking again at the time of the birth of Jesus.
Therefore, we are calling for a three-day fast in whatever small sphere we have. These three days will be prior to the national webcast prayer convocation with FRCAction. To whoever's hearts are stirred, fast these three days Lord leads and dare to believe the God of Esther can give some Senators sleepless nights and shift this public policy of death in such a time as this.
Pray that Senator Ben Nelson will stand like a stonewall for life. Pray for a “Democratic coalition for life” to stand firm. Pray for the influence of the Kingdom over Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins, and Olympia Snow. Lift up the victory of the cross over this whole Senate decision. Let us believe that the angel of death will sheath its sword in this moment in American history.
Register for Webcast now at www.frcaction.org/prayercastregistration.
Lou Engle

Talking to Tiger

2009-12-07T11:15:00.001-08:00

I wanted to wait a few days before I commented on Tiger Woods' dilemma. I have to tell you that I am totally shocked by all the revelations that are coming forward. I, for one, KNOW that you canNOT always believe what is in the news, but there is some level of truth, and there are some things that we do know. In his own words, he admitted to "some transgressions" and asked for time to work things out in the privacy of his own home.

I have been thinking WHAT IF I had a chance to talk to him, what would I say? What would I share with him? Obviously, all the money in the world and all the fame in the world has not brought him fulfillment, and at the pinnacle of his career, everything seems to be crashing down around him. Before I get started here, I think it's only right to share with you that I have never been a fan of Tiger's. Yes, I think he and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers of all time, but I have never rooted for Tiger. This is primarily because if you ever watch him play, whenever he hits a bad shot (which is part of golf), he let's loose with a boatload of swear words, and I'm not talking about the second tier level of swear words. I have seen and heard him use the Lord's name in vain and many other words that should NEVER EVER be uttered. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but the game of golf itself is to be a gentleman's game, and even in the midst of competition on the highest level, I believe it's NEVER right to curse like a sailor when things are bad.

On to what I would share if given the opportunity... I am not interested in anything but actually helping him and getting him back on the right path. I want him to know that as important as golf has been to him, it has now becomes unimportant as he looks into the eyes of his children and his wife. I am not sure if he will ever ever regain the trust of his wife, but now is the time to begin placing things in their proper priority.

Number 1: Getting things right with God. A man can try in vain to reconstruct his home or his marriage, but it will all be in vain if God does not somehow come into the forethought of your every intention. God is the Author of life, and He is a God who loves. To the degree that He allowed His own son to die on a cross 2,000 years ago, God longs to love and forgive you for every sin and every transgression. The world, the media, your fellow golfers, your mother or your wife may NEVER ever fully understand or totally forgive you, but God LONGS to forgive you and the peace that you have not been able to find through sports, through fame, through riches or relationships can be YOURS if only you will open up your heart to Jesus. God can and will grant you peace, but only through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Read John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9,10 as well as Acts 2:38, and ask God to forgive you. Ask Jesus to come into your life and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. You will never regret this decision and it's the most important decision you will ever make in your life.

Number 2: I would ask God, my family, my friends and the world to forgive me. Restoration begins with humbling ourselves and seeking forgiveness from those that we have offended. It begins with true repentance, which is a decision to turn away from sin and to make changes in one's life. Being sorry is not enough. Being repentant is. It's changing the stripes of a tiger, which some will say is IMPOSSIBLE, but with God's help, it IS POSSIBLE. I would know going in that there will be those who will not forgive and who will never forget, but I would lose the PR people, the agents, and the Nike logos, and humbly ask for those whom I have offended to forgive me.

Number 3: I would humbly commit this day and the rest of my days on earth to serving and following God, that my time, energy, and resources would be used to bring honor and glory to God. Whatever that means, wherever God leads, and whenever he needs it, I would simply allow God to use YOU to accomplish HIS will in your life.

Number 4: I would CLING to the Scriptures. I would start in the book of Psalms. I might not ever leave the book of Psalms. Read it and re-read it and get it in your heart. You will find peace, strength, hope and victory within its pages. Gods word is the ONLY thing that can erase all those images from one's mind.

And Number 5: I would seek the advice from Godly counselors and men of God to work through all the issues with your family. I do NOT know enough to tell you anymore than what I've already written above, but I would never swing another golf club, I would never make another dollar, I would never give another interview until I had worked through these five things.

I want you to know that I believe that one day things will be better. It wont be easy and it will NOT happen without God. He alone can save, He alone can redeem, He alone can restore, He alone can offer complete forgiveness. He alone has an ETERNAL love for you. I am praying for you. I really am. Praying for all of us, to do the right thing and keep clinging to Jesus and His grace.

Domincan Republic

2009-11-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

Kevin Malone, former General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, invited me to come to the Dominican Republic to be the morning platform speaker for about 200 baseball players. Kevin is involved with a ministry called SCORE, that travels to third world countries sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ before, during, and after conducting baseball clinics for those less fortunate. There are coaches and players involved in this ministry who come from high school teams, college teams, and professional Major League teams.

I have to tell you that my heart has been so moved and touched by the ministry of all these baseball players who have taken a week out of their life to come to the Dominican to invest in the children of this island.

Today I served on just ONE of five teams and we travel to a different village everyday.

Today we had over 300 children show up for a clinic. We literally got off the bus on a little street and walked down this narrow alley, which opened up to this large baseball field. By the way, one out of six players in professional Major League baseball come from the Dominican Republic, and now I know why. These young people have a HUNGER and a PASSION to play the game of baseball and they play it all the time.

When we arrived at our particular village today, a former coach from the University of Kentucky shared Christ, and MOST of the people there wanted Jesus to be their Savior. I handed out a baseball card that had a Christian testimony on it from Albert Pujols and then we divided up the children into stations, and I helped with the outfielders.

I have to tell you my MIND raced as I thought about the NUMBERS of people that I know that would be so blessed by doing this short term missions project. My heart broke for the poverty that I saw in the Domincan. I LONG for Jesus to bless this nation with godly leaders, and we discussed that ONE DAY, perhaps one of those children who committed their life to Jesus may lead a revival among the Dominican people.

May God burden each of out hearts to do whatever we can do to make a difference in the world.

Other Dominican Republic Pictures

2009-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

A Championship Year

2009-11-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I have been coaching the Hillcrest Middle School girls' basketball team that my daughter plays on. Recently, the VARISITY Coach, Debbie Haliday, who played at UCLA and is also the school's athletic director and has a daughter on the team, wrote this article and thought I'd share it...

"There's just something really pure about their faces. I love watching them play...practice or game, it's really the same. They play with desire, but desire isn't even quite the right word. I heard today that when they come out of the locker room they always all touch the poster that is entitled, "Effort." How great is that? Maybe it is about effort. They really do work very hard, all the time. But even that description falls short. It is effort maximized, from the heart. Actually, I think the word is earnest...they play with earnest desire.

I don't know if you can teach earnest. I've watched their coach for years and he is certainly demanding of full effort. They drill, and drill, and drill. It is basketball at its most fundamental best. These are 12 and 13 year old girls who don't shy away from any hard thing their coach asks them to do...and he asks, every day. If anyone could teach earnest, I'd say he could. Even so, it's more along the lines of him drawing it out than teaching it... which of course is an art in and of itself.

Effort, desire, earnest hard work... some might think these qualities are in short supply in "kids these days." But I get to see it every day. I walked through the gym today and they were playing a game, the score was 19-2 when I arrived. Every one of the girls on the court was hustling hard, hands and feet and legs flying everywhere. The other team tried to drive into the key and landed in a trap. The ball got tipped away, a quick pass to the point guard followed by three long legged dribbles and a hard pass to a girl sprinting from the left side led to a layup in about four seconds. The whole bench exploded in applause. It was awesome!
Similar scenarios happened over and over again, no matter who was in the game. And the same look was on all of their faces. That pure, earnest, desire, love of the game, and effort on the poster expression that is so captivating to me. It is sport at its best in my opinion, and I'm very thankful I get to watch. "

If you would like to read more articles regarding faith and sports, check out this website:

http://wired4sport.com/

It's a great encouragement to both parents and children involved with sports!

It has been a phenomonal year with these girls, and they just won the League Championships! They've worked really hard, and it's been FUN!!! A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GIRLS!!!

Also, a BIG THANK YOU to Stewart Uy, who came out to take pictures at three of the girls' games! To view more of his great photogrpahy skills, you can visit his website here: http://www.s2cphotography.com/

News!! News!! News!!

2009-10-26T11:32:00.001-07:00

There is soooooooooooo much going on that I thought I'd just write and share a little about a lot. First, the REVIVAL... It was and continues to be a SPIRITUAL HIGH. I have never been in a week-long meeting where you could sense and feel the POWER of God moving in such a mighty way. From the worship to the messages to the people walking down the aisles during the invitation time, it was a HEAVENLY ATMOSPHERE with lives being transformed by the power of God.

Then last weekend, my father, H. Dean Rutherford hit it out of the ballpark. At 77, he is still one of the best communicators in the country. He is funny, Biblical, relational and always "brings it" when he preaches the Word. We are so blessed to have been able to hear him preach from time to time. Please continue to keep him in your prayers, asking God to give him many more years of good health and blessing.

Next, I am pleased to announce that we now have an iPhone app for www.callonjesus.com. Today, it has 4 major elements that are all a way to boost your knowledge and growth in the Lord:

1) You get a video of the weekend's sermon uploaded to your phone EACH and EVERY weekend. 2) You get the complete devotional book, Romancing Royalty.

3) You get the ENTIRE Bible added to your phone, and

4) You get a Bible reading guide that is the BEST in the country, plus 52 videos that help explain what you're reading.

You can go to the iTunes app store and just search for "Call On Jesus" to find it, and DRUMROLLLLLLL... it's also available on all the Google ANDROID phones as well. You also have the ability to forward the videos to your friends and family. This is really a GREAT resource for you to have 24/7 through your iPhones and android phones. All you Blackberry users out there, we are working on having this available for you in the near future.

Next, as you know, my 13 year old daughter is in 8th grade, and I am coaching her and the middle school girls at Hillcrest Christian School, and I would LOVE to have you come watch one of our games. We only have a few left. Here's the remaining schedule:

- Tuesday October 27th at 3:30 PM, we play against Villiage Christian School at Hillcrest School

- Thursday, October 29th at 5:15 PM, we play at Faith Baptist High School

- Monday, November 2nd at 6:00 PM, we play against Los Angeles Baptist at Hillcrest School

- Thursday, November 5th at 3:30 PM, we play Milken at Hillcrest School

These girls are good, and I hope you'll join us.

Lastly, I have never been MORE encouraged about all that God is doing in our midst. Let's continue to serve and love the Lord with all of our hearts. May we all be involved in a Life! Group, and may we share our faith with those who do NOT know Jesus. Find a place to serve at Shepherd and remember that Jesus is coming back soon.

In love,
Pastor Dudley

Revival 09

2009-10-18T18:08:00.001-07:00

Revival 09 from Call On Jesus on Vimeo.

Shepherd featured in LA Times article

2009-10-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

California Christians worship in a big way

The state has more megachurches than anywhere else in the country, with the majority in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego. Their upbeat approach is luring thousands each weekend.

By Duke Helfand/Photos by Irfan Khan
October 11, 2009

Once again, the Sunday faithful have packed the cavernous sanctuary at Shepherd of the Hills Church in the San Fernando Valley, clapping and swaying for Jesus as a band rocks the hall.

"Come bless the Lord," the worshipers sing. "Praise his name to the ends of the Earth."

Most churches would be thrilled to fill their sanctuaries any day of the year.

Shepherd of the Hills, a nondenominational church in Porter Ranch, does it six times a weekend, attracting 8,000 people to its energetic services and offering a lesson about the growth of evangelical Christianity in California.

Thanks to good weather, sprawling suburbs and a number of charismatic pastors, the Golden State has more of these megachurches -- defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants -- than any other state. California is home to 193, slightly more than Texas with 191, according to the most recent survey by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, one of the nation's leading authorities on megachurches.

The majority of these congregations are in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego, an area that some who study the phenomenon call the Southern California Bible Belt.

A handful have risen to national prominence -- notably Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and its celebrity pastor, the Rev. Rick Warren.

But dozens of other large, if lesser-known, churches also are growing, even as many traditional houses of worship struggle to fill their pews.

The megachurches are expanding by adapting to changing times and tastes, scholars say. Many have jettisoned formal rituals such as organs and hymns in favor of Christian rock music and overhead projection screens that display lyrics and prayers.

They deliver upbeat biblical messages about applying faith in everyday life and building a personal relationship with God. They organize parishioners into small "life" groups that study Scripture. And they encourage their followers to recruit new members.

Although some critics refer to the megachurch phenomenon as "church lite," evangelical Christian scholars say the congregations are reaching the unaffiliated or disaffected by turning church attendance into a more comfortable, positive experience, bound by fewer rules or obligations than traditional churches.

"They want to reach people . . . with the life-changing good news about Jesus Christ," said Warren Bird, research director of the Dallas-based Leadership Network, a nonprofit that disseminates information about innovative church practices.

Southern California's sprawling suburban housing tracts have provided ready supplies of potential new members -- including Geraldine Victoria, who was raised Catholic but decided to visit Shepherd of the Hills on a recent Sunday at a friend's invitation.

The 32-year-old Glendale nurse said she was attracted to the spontaneity of the worship service, a departure from what she called the formality of Catholicism. "I think I want more," Victoria said as she emerged from the sanctuary.

Shepherd of the Hills is rapidly outgrowing its home at the foot of the Santa Susana Mountains, in the northwestern San Fernando Valley. Its gym doubles as a second sanctuary, and church leaders have plans for a 3,500-seat auditorium. It also has opened satellite church campuses in Agua Dulce, Lancaster, Woodland Hills, the Westside and Fremont, near San Jose.

"We're bursting at the seams," said senior pastor Dudley C. Rutherford, one of 29 ministers on staff. "We're not big on ritual and form. We're big on touching your heart and letting the word of God speak to you."

The number of megachurches has grown steadily for the last four decades. Researchers say there are now at least 1,350 such churches nationwide, more than double the number a decade ago.

They draw an average of 4,100 weekend parishioners. By contrast, most U.S. churches attract 500 people or fewer on Sundays.

"They are essentially re- creating a small-town milieu and giving folks . . . a place to plug in and share experiences with like-minded people," said sociologist Scott Thumma of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research in Connecticut, who studies the megachurch movement.

But the growth also has sparked criticism that large churches are siphoning people away from smaller congregations.

Megan Rief, for one, left her Lutheran church in La Verne for Christ's Church of the Valley in San Dimas, which attracts about 4,500 people to its large worship center each weekend.

The 25-year-old bank teller said the formalities of her former church -- including the robed clergy, hymnals, organ and repetitive liturgy -- left her uninspired.

At the San Dimas church, she found what she called a fresh approach to her Christian faith that emphasizes a joyful, free-flowing worship and the importance of maintaining a relationship with Jesus seven days a week rather than only on Sundays.

At church, she also met fellow Lutherans, along with Presbyterians and Methodists, all searching for new ways to express their spirituality.

"I've become a lot more comfortable in my faith and willing to share that with people," said Rief, who now volunteers at the church Thursday nights, greeting college students who are treated to dinner and lively worship services.

One recent night, she welcomed visitors for a chicken dinner and then joined them for the service that looked and sounded like a rock concert -- with a band, dimmed lights and lyrics about Jesus projected on overhead screens.

Southern California has long been a laboratory of church innovation.

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, one of the most influential American pastors of the last half-century, preached from the roof of an Orange County drive-in theater snack bar in 1955, and later launched his "Hour of Power" television ministry and built the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove.

In 1965, Pastor Chuck Smith opened Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, a tiny nondenominational congregation that welcomed hippies and changed the way many American Christians worship by combining literalist Bible teaching with contemporary rock music and casual dress (Smith is fond of Hawaiian shirts).

The worship style helped Smith expand his single church into an empire of 1,500 independent congregations nationwide.

He said several thousand people attend services each weekend at his sprawling Orange County home church, which has 25 pastors, a school and a radio ministry.

"I believe there is a great spiritual hunger," said Smith, 82, who still preaches weekly. "Jesus said, 'If any man thirsts, then come to me and drink.' "

About 85 miles to the south, a newer congregation has demonstrated a deft marketing hand of its own, drawing large numbers through its doors by appealing to niche interests.

San Diego's Rock Church offers a multitude of ministries, including those for dog lovers, rock climbers, skateboarders, four-wheel-drive enthusiasts, people with eating disorders, even strippers and mimes.

Since it opened in 2000, the church has more than tripled in size. Each weekend, 12,500 adults and children pray in its sanctuary.

Members also are encouraged to put their faith to use in the world outside of the church, which has set a goal this year for its members to perform 600,000 "Do Something" hours of service in San Diego County and beyond -- mentoring children, picking up trash, planting trees.

"In the end, God calls us to grow," said Pastor Miles McPherson, a former San Diego Chargers football player who heads the church.

"It's not a gimmick. It's not a technique of a man. It's got to be the Lord doing it."

Please Help us Promote Revival

2009-10-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

This years Revival at Shepherd of the Hills Church, Oct. 17 - 21, 2009 promises to be a time where God ignites our church. I pray that you will make every effort to join us and to pass the word along as to what God is doing in our midst.

Please take a moment and watch this video and then copy the link and send it to all your email addresses and post it on your facebook. Posting it on facebook is quite easy. After watching it on youtube.com there will be a FACEBOOK link that is very user friendly. Just click the Facebook link and follow the instructions.

Early revivals were spread by word of mouth and modern technology makes this process even greater. Thank you for doing your part and KEEP PRAYING for GOD TO MOVE IN A MIGHTY, MIGHTY way.

I will see you October 17 to 21st.

Worship Team in Fremont

2009-09-28T06:43:00.001-07:00

I asked Jason Liu who led worship in Fremont yesterday to tell me how he got the band together and this is the note that he sent me. Please read.

Hi Pastor Dudley,
It was an honor to meet you in person today, I have always wanted to see you and have been anxious for today to come –I have admired your preaching skills ever since I first came to Shepherd and saw you up there on the screen, you were amazing. We had a great service. I’m thankful that you could come all the way up here in the mists of your busy schedule.

Anyways, here’s a brief (hopefully brief) summary of how the band was formed at the Shepherd of the Hills Church in Fremont:It was nearly 2 years ago in the fall of 2007, when Kevin Kelly (the harmonica player) asked me to provide some music at this church when people are dining. I accepted his request and came to Shepherd for the first time. Soon enough, the worship leader at my own church (Centerville Presb. Church) left the job, so our church had to worship leaders in and out being interviewed. Manny saw this opportunity to ask one of the interviewees (Mike Spain) to play at Shepherd during worship time. When Mike came on board with this job; I played with him during worship to learn more about this position. So that was the Fremont Shepherd of the Hills band for nearly 7 months until Mike left toward the end of summer in 2008. That was when Manny saw that I had enough experience to take over Mike’s job –for I have been singing for quite awhile during my summer youth concert - as a worship leader at Shepherd. I played every Sunday with Kevin Kelly leading the church into worship.

During this transition, I have tried many guitar/bass players to accompany me to lead worship. However, none of these players worked out. Toward the end of 2008, Manny had been constantly asking me to recruit the whole band, but it wasn’t an easy task; no one had the mind to commit to a job like this. Finally I remembered the musically talented youth I’ve met during the summer youth band concert in 2008- Connor Fisher (guitarist) , Logan Fisher (bassist) and Mike Ryu (drummer). I asked them to be on board with me in the beginning of 2009 and they happily accepted my request.

In the beginning when the full band was formed, Manny didn’t think we were ready to take on 4 times a month to lead worship, so we had the opportunity to lead worship about 2 times a month. And every Sunday morning after Sunday school the band would practice at our church’s high school youth room – we had all the equipments for the whole band. And Sunday evenings we would be at the church an hour early to set up and prepare to worship the Lord.

A few months had passed when Manny recommended me Jessica Diesta for playing the sax phone with us. We gladly accepted her as a member of this worship team around March of 2009. We have been a band ever since – we would always practice on Sunday mornings and we would go to Shepherd whenever we had the opportunity. The band has been improving ever since the first time we played. We were nowhere near where we are right now at worshiping the Lord.

Shepherd of the Hills has been giving us a wonderful opportunity to use our talents to worship the Lord and help to bring the church into worshipping too. Furthermore, I believe that God has been leading this band into the right path; I believe that God has been planning this before I even knew how to play guitar; and I believe that God still has the plan for us to help to lead people into the worship of the Almighty God. And this band will do whatever God has in His way to glorify Him through our talents.

Come Double Day is upon Us

2009-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are asking EVERYONE to bring a twin or a double. If you are a lawyer, bring another lawyer. If you are a U.C.L.A fan bring another Bruin. If you like to work out, bring another gym rat. If you are funny, bring another comedian. You catch my request. Try to bring a friend or an acquaintance that can pass as your double.

I will be preaching 6 times this weekend. Saturday night at 5 and 6:30 on the Porter Ranch campus as well as Sunday morning at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. Afterwards, I will rush to the West L.A. campus (we are meeting in the Brentwood Theatre on the V.A. Administration campus at the Northwest corner of the 405 and Wilshire Blvd.) and preach at 11:00 a.m and THEN I will speed to LAX and catch a flight and preach in Fremont California at 40204 Paseo Padre Pkwy. (94538-2999)

You say preacher "Are you crazy"? And I would answer "YES, FOR JESUS" I am crazy.
Just trying to spend my life reaching people with the gospel. Hope I will see you at 1 of these 6 services with a visitor by your side.

A couple of quick things to note:
This morning at 7:00 a.m I attended my life group and it was SUCH a blessing to be into the word studying further the book of Galatians. Please find a way to get plugged into a life group. It will be life changing for you. If you can't find one then START one. It's NOT THAT DIFFICULT.

Lastly, Our campus in Lancaster recently got into a new building. If you know of anyone living in the Antelope Valley, please get them this information.

The following note was from David Macer, he is the campus Pastor for Lancaster.

Shepherd of the Hills - Antelope Valley opens it's new building this past Sunday! (The building looks incredible after all the work that our team of dedicated volunteers has done! Pictures will be posted next week at www.davidmacer.com or at www.shepherd-av.com

Services are at 8:30 am and 10:00 am at 43437 Gadsden, Lancaster, CA 93534

Directions: 14 Freeway exit Ave K, head east for 0.7 miles turn right (just past Lowe's). The church will be on the right hand side. We look forward to worshipping with you!

Be blessed and I hope to see you this weekend.
Dudley

Shepherd Staff 2009

2009-09-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

This morning, I met with the staff here at Shepherd and shared with them the plans for 2010. They need to know before January 2010 because they need several months to prepare their individual ministries for the direction that we are headed.

We had a GREAT MORNING of sharing, and they are currently meeting with their team leaders to come up with some ideas that they can implement that coincide with their particular ministry. It's always a rich time, and I enjoy sharing with them the thoughts and ideas that I have for the next year.

Whenever we have this yearly planning meeting I am always humbled by how wonderful our staff is and the sacrifices and commitments they make here at Shepherd. We are a BLESSED church and one of the KEY reasons for our church being so blessed is the quality of the staff that the Lord has gathered here.

These folks do NOT work for the applause of man and they do NOT work for financial gain. They work because they feel CALLED OF GOD and together they are making a difference in the LIVES of many people here in the valley and around the world.

There has never been a greater or sweeter group of staff people in any other church. I TRULY believe that. I want to thank EACH of them for their time, effort, sacrifices and their commitment to you and to the Lord.

If you get a chance, make sure you THANK THEM. They will be humbled by your gratitude.

In love
Pastor Dudley
http://www.pastordudley.com/

Pictures from the Memorial at Stoney Point Park

2009-09-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Dudley Rutherford......."Compelled to Tell"

New Birth

Does Tim Tebow Walk on Water?

Funny God Has An App For That Photos

God Has An App For That!

Hosting the Frank Pastore Show KKLA 99.5 FM

Some Christmas News

"Famous and Manly" Drew Sherman

The year of the Supernatural-Revival recap 2011

Summer Highlight Video for 2011

"Retort To Satan" as read on air (KKLA 99.5 FM)

Prayers to God!

Travel to Israel in April 2012!!!

NACC Diversity: "A Giant Leap Forward"

NACC Diversity: ‘A Giant Leap Forward’ President Dudley Rutherford said, “I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme.” By Darrel Rowland

Ultimate Freedom Conference

The Real "MEN IN BLACK"

Shepherd of the Hills Church REVIVAL 2011 Oct. 22-26

I have questions! Do you have answers?

9.11 Anniversary Memorial at Shepherd of the Hills Church

The Flag still flies!

Look at the Reader's Best Choice Award for 2011

From Down Under!

Praying for our Military!!!

Summer Highlight Video for 2011

JUST MY VIEW OF UNLEASHED: HIGHLIGHTS!

Prayer, White House, Daryl Reed and a Muslim.

The book "UNLEASHED" has arrived!

10 Reasons to ROOT for Dallas over Miami!!!

Recent Article in Church Executive Magazine

NBA FINALS, DAVE STONE and RICK ATCHLEY

The ACCURATE Story behind the Star Spangled Banner

The Pastor just said OMG!!!

The MOST important Birth Certificate in the World

Interested in visiting the Holy Land (Spring of 2012) ?

Is Jesus the Messiah? You tell me!

The Number 53

The Cloud in the Bible

It Makes Zero Sense. Sheen, Sin, Oil and the Moon.

A Little about a LOT

The Story Behind the (Wrong) Story

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Brewline Bible Study

Day of Prayer and Fasting - Recap Video

Chip's Story

More Pictures from Day of Prayer and Fasting

My Thoughts on Day of Prayer and Fasting

Please Join us Monday October 18th, 8:00 a.m.

70,000 Churches and 3.5 million people!

THIS IS INSANE

Burning the Quran?

Check out The Vine

Standing up for the Church

Friday night with Glenn Beck and David Barton

Have You Had Enough? By Coach Dale Brown

Beach Baptisms 2010

Mike and Lucille Williams

Pictures before our 4th of July Celebration

Valley Forge

This is an amazing picture

Thoughts on Coach Wooden

Carlos Whittaker "Ragamuffin Soul"

Pastor David Martinez of Victory Outreach

Coach John Wooden

God's Hall of Fame

Coach John Wooden 1910 - 2010

Shepherd Antelope Valley

Call on Jesus and the Conductor

Click link to view - Hillcrest Christian School Washington DC Trip Re-Edit

Jesus Take the Wheel.. Now

Christian Parent Pledge

Easter 2010 at Shepherd of the Hills

My time on Praise the Lord

NCAA..... wow... THEY ARE WEAK

Out of Shepherd and Into Japan!

A Baptism in Japan!!!!

My trip to TBN

Dream of Destiny Video

WE NEED TO PRAY FOR MORE MIRACLES

Haiti Earthquake 2010

NACC Diversity: ‘A Giant Leap Forward’

President Dudley Rutherford said, “I wanted to show folks around the country how to put on an event and make it diverse without diversity being the theme.”

By Darrel Rowland