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| Jesus Going after the "One" |
The
4 Gospels, don't contradict or confuse each other. Rather, they complement and complete each other.
Matthew, a
Gospel that focuses on the
Kingship of Jesus,
Mark on the
servant hood of Jesus,
Luke on the
humanity of Jesus, and
John on the
deity of Jesus.
Luke 15, is a chapter containing
3 parables about the joys of salvation.
C.S. Lewis wrote:
"Joy is the serious business of heaven," and it is a joy in which you and I can share. After a careful and thoughtful read of this
chapter, you discover the true
value/worth of just
one soul.
Jesus said it best in
Luke 15:7:
"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." Then in
Verse 10:
"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." In this
3rd year of living here, and
1st year of our
church, I understand this
chapter at a whole new level
. October 1, 2014, marked
3 years of living here in
Los Angeles...
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| 1 of 2 Business Cards |
September 16, 2014, marked the
One Year Anniversary of my business...
Eric Flores Fitness. It was an incredible year starting the
business, and trying to get established. My
brother-in-law Brandon, was helpful once again, in the area of having a logo and branding. He created
4-5 different logos for different purposes. To
end the year, we started with
new business cards and
car door magnets in mind. For
2015, our goals include but not limited to:
t-shirts, polos, wristbands, hats, a website, etc. Hopefully, this will be the year of
expanding the
business. I am currently working on my
5th certification. I will be going through
NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), to become a certified
FNS (Fitness Nutrition Specialist.) I consider myself very fortunate, to be afforded the opportunity to do this for a living.
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| Reunited with Jimmy, Liz, Loretta, Raf, and meeting Jonathan | |
In our
first year as a church, we were blessed to have
2 guest speakers.
Sunday April 27th, and
Sunday June 8th, 2014, one of my best friends
Pastor Jimmy Schaeurte, came and taught. I served with him in
Spain, and we were also
ordained together. I am so thankful for his
friendship. He is one of those
voices of truth in my life, that encourages me to keep going! Then on
Sunday November 9th, 2014...my friend, mentor, and
Pastor Rafael Manzanares, came to meet the people and teach! I can't say enough about him. My
pastoral gifts, really flourished under his leadership. He had told me in the
Fall of 2007, that I would have a
church one day. A
dream come true. There he was,
7 years later, being a part of that reality! Words do escape me, describing the emotions that welled up inside me, as I listened on in.
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| 1st Church Baptism |
On
Sunday July 27th, 2014, was our
1st Baptism. I met
Cindy in the
Fall of 2011. I had just moved to
Los Angeles, and started working at
Golds Gym in
Venice. We both worked late hours in those days. She used to work the front desk, waiting to close up. Over time, we built a
good friendship. Eventually, I started sharing why I moved here...to
plant a church. I remember her saying...
"Well, if you're the guy up there, maybe I will come!" Time went by, and she stopped working at
Golds Gym. We only kept in touch through
social media. At the end of
2013, I informed her the church plant was now becoming a
reality. She made good on her word, and showed up within the first month. Not only has
Cindy been a part of our
church family, but has become actively involved. She has told me on many occasions
..."I am committed to this flock, this is my church home." At the
baptism, she did a stellar job sharing her
testimony. She was a natural, and has a real gift
. Before
Jeff and I
baptized her, I said to the church...
"If Cindy was the only reason God sent me to Venice, it was worth it.." Her eyes were filled with emotion and gratitude. It will be a day I
never forget.
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| Church Birthday Cake |
Regeneration Church had its
First Birthday, on
Sunday January 4, 2015! This year has flown by! I look back with
fond memories. The
love I have for these people, is hard to put into words. I think this is the
best church in the world. I would rather be nowhere else right now, at
this point in my life. Like many
church plants, this
1st year people have come and gone. We have had our share of
visitors, people just seeing what we are all about. Before we
launched, one Pastor shared with me, to let the first
1 to 2 years go by. This was in regards to the
shaping & molding, of the overall
Vision & Mission of the church. In other words, just see who God brings you to be those
"core" people.
One year later, I am very pleased! This gives me great hope entering our
2nd year of ministry!
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| Regeneration Church Celebrating 1 Year! |
On
Saturday July 26, 2014, we officially launched a
church website! My long-time friend
Eddie Sahakian, was gracious enough to put all the work in. I want to now give some shout outs
Romans 16 style! Thank you to these
Worship Leaders:
Daniel Bergquist, Nat Reyes, Kelsey Monteith, Ray Reyes, Josh Wagner, Steven Small, Adam Villarreal, Art Reyes, Johnny Beltran, Royce Rull, and Liz Schaeurte. Thank you to
Rhyss Leary, for putting together the
Baptism Video. In the area of
design, thank you to
Brandon Franco for our
Church logo, Signs, and
Banner. Thank you to
Samantha Flores, for the
Sermon Series Artwork, and our
1st Easter Flier. Thank you to
Amanda Franco, for jumping right in to help in the area of
hospitality, when you visit! Without your help, this
1st year as a church would have seriously lacked! It is so wonderful, to see the greater
Body of Christ pitching in to help this
new church!
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| Diane Sharing her Testimony |
In
conclusion, I want to thank
my family, Shelp family, and
volunteers, who call
Regeneration home
. Proverbs 20:6 declares:
"Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?" This
verse comes to mind...when I think of your
commitment, obedience, and devotion to
Jesus and His church. I am so pumped, as we look to our
2nd year, being filled with
Retreats, Mission Trips, Outreaches, Development of other ministries, and much more!
By His Grace,
Eric
