Element Christian Church of Santa Maria

Forgiving is NOT forgetting, forgiving does not always mean reconciliation, forgiveness is a different issue than justice, forgiving is personal, and forgiveness is a process.

God has called and given us the strength to be a people about His mission. That mission loves what God loves, honors what God honors, and follows in the paths that God lays out for us. This is lived in very practical ways of husbands loving their wives, wives respecting husbands, parents raising kids, employees and employers treating each other with dignity and respect. But fighting against our tr...

Watch and Discuss The Incredible Hulk

Esther is unaware that the clock is ticking for more than just God’s people. A separate clock is counting down for Mordecai. Haman has built a 75’ gallows (pole) and plans to ask the king for permission to impale Mordecai on it first thing in the morning.

For Chistianity Today's interview with Andrew Stanton, the writer of Wall E, you can follow this link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/interviews/2008/andrewstanton.html For Christianity Today's interview with Peter Docter, the writer of UP, you can follow this link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/interviews/2009/petedocter.html

As a people we love revenge, getting even so we feel better. But when we take it on our own we are saying: “God, I don’t like the way you do your job, get out of my seat.” – We think our punishment and timing is more proper than God’s…Revenge is a lack of trust in God.

The gender war in our current world is destroying God’s intent for men and women and how they are to relate in their interpersonal relationships. As we looked at men failing to live in a godly way in Esther week 3, so today we looked at women who are subtle and lovely.

Self importance is having an exaggerated opinion of yourself and it effects everyone. Some people show it outwardly and their lives become about boasting, others keep it buried deep inside but become secretly resentful when others are recognized while they are not.

Film & Theology - Star Trek

Everyone has an internal set of rules that they live by. We make up these rules to keep ourselves safe from harm, embarrassment, and sometimes, sin. When someone else has their own set of internal rules, and they differ from our own, we tend to dislike someone else because they have different standards.

Film & Theology - The Prestige

This episode in Esther’s life offers great encouragement and comfort when we find ourselves facing those difficult decisions. Only God knows the end of our story from the beginning! We are called to live in faithful obedience to his word in every situation the best we know how. Even if we make the “wrong” decision, our God is gracious and omnipotent, and he can use our failures, those weak links i...

The same issues that plagued men in Esther’s day still plague men today. True masculinity is not found in how well you play sports, how well you can fight, or how many beers a man drink before passing out, it is seen in how they love those around them and how they love and honor their God.

Film & Theology - Sherlock Holmes

Father's Day 2010

In the story God tells, HE ENTERS onto the stage as the chief actor. The story doesn’t begin or end with you, it begins and ends with Jesus. This is a story YOU need to be a part of.

Esther is an amazing book of scripture (like all books of the Bible) that relates brilliantly to our lives today. The book never actually uses the name of God from front to back but the God’s providence and sovereign hand is seen throughout, if you are looking. Esther starts out at a party and ends with a new Jewish festival...in the end we will see why God should be praised. As people we do crazy...

As Paul closes Ephesians he mentions the great themes of the gospel: peace with one another, faith from God, grace to His people, and undying love for Jesus.

"Paul encourages us to cry out for God’s protection, cry out for God’s encouragement, and cry out for God’s wisdom. We have a part to play in this battle but we must be leaning on God to have any victory at all.

Today we live in the time between the times, a time of celebration because Jesus has defeated the Dragon, and a time of anticipation for the day when the Dragon and the stain of his servants and works will be forever cleansed in the new creation.

Mother's Day 2010

Though the New Testament does not explicitly order the abolishing of all slavery,because such a decree would have promoted the abandoning of children and financial debts which would have been sinful, the New Testament does confront sins commonly committed by both slaves and masters which undermined slavery causing it to collapse (i.e. Col. 3:22-4:1; I Pet. 2:18-25).

God shares one of His most sacred titles with men, Father. God commands his sons to father their children in such a way that they do not embitter and frustrate their children.

The biblical teaching of authority and respect seems repugnant to our modern ears, which indicates they may be filled with more worldliness than wisdom.

In our lives we will either be guided by wisdom or folly. Many people live foolishly in worship of something or someone (usually themselves and their own lusts) rather than God (Ephesians 5:5). Many do not understand what God’s will is for their life, and subsequently live without purpose, wisdom, or any sense of spiritual urgency.