Jesse Quiroz Weblog

Today we had a very unusual set of circumstances take place before the service began.

In Missouri, we’re known to have very unreliable weathermen on our TV sets as we were not expecting to get hit with snow today – and this caused quite a bit of trouble for our set up this morning as we woke up to white slippery roads.  Since we don’t own a building we store all of our equipment (sound, stage, children’s ministries, etc…) in an enclosed trailer that we couldn’t get up a hill coming from our property, as a matter of fact the roads were so slick that our trailer began to pull my Dad’s truck completely off the road causing him to jackknife and land in a ditch! (It was quite the sight to see) – thankfully he’s completely OK, along with the truck, and the church equipment.

Needless to say (at the moment we hit the ditch) we were just an hour and a half from service time – leaving us completely unable to set up ANYTHING to have service (no sound system, no children’s ministry items, nothing).  I just thought to myself – ‘well…they didn’t have sound systems, screens, projectors, or nurseries in the bible so we’ll have to go old school this morning…well have to go unplugged…after all, it’s not like God relies on that stuff to move anyways’  and that we did!

We had a TREMENDOUS service too (one for the books IMHO)!  Jesse H hit the stage with Guffey and Keith as they played a tremendous set of worship and God spoke to us through a message that couldn’t have ended this 2009 year any better for Journey.  You know, it goes to show that we don’t need to rely on the additives of the lights, the cameras, and the action to have a great church service – all we need is God and a room full of people that are hungry for Him – and booyah – there HE will be (Matt 18:20).

Thankful for an ‘unplugged’ experience with God today…we should do those more often.

Jesse (Pastor – Journey Church)

Some Sundays – you just know there is an excitement within the people of Journey for what is going to happen in the coming service.  I have a very strong feeling – this coming Sunday is one of those services.  We will be having our very FIRST Christmas service @ Journey Church and it will be SWEET!

We have been in prep mode for this service for several weeks and cannot wait to see all that is about to happen.  The music will be dynamic, the children’s programs will be the cutest ever, and the message will be SHORT (is that a good thing?).  However, the coolest part of this service will be when we hook some families up that don’t have much to look forward to this Christmas…and that is what I cannot wait for.

We do a ton of outreach @ Journey and will never stop (it’s who we are and what God has called us to do) – and this Christmas we decided to help families that are ‘going through it’ financially because of the economic downfall of our nation with jobs being lost and incomes being crunched (and it’s hitting alot of ppl now).  We asked the folks @ Journey to recommend families to us that will literally have nothing to look forward to this Christmas (in the presents under the tree context) if someone didn’t do something.  Man – we believe no child should have NOTHING to look forward to for Christmas – we wanted to do something and do it up BIG for them.

It didn’t long before we had several families recommended with over 20 kids on the list!  Our church responded financially and gave generously toward helping these families – our outreach team actually just finished shopping yesterday and purchased over 200 gifts (good ones too – not the cheapo goofy ones) to pack under the trees of these families this Christmas so they could have something to look forward to on the morning of the 25th.  These families are going to get the ‘hook up’ Journey style!  How sick is that!

You know – it’s crazy – but it really is better to give than to receive.  For some reason – it strengthens you to give to others,  it brings you true joy and you begin to see your purpose in this world shine a little a brighter because you simply gave of yourself to help someone out – astounding actually.  It’s actually what Jesus is all about.  He said in Matthew 25 ‘…to the extent that you did it even to the least of these, you’ve done it to me.’ He went on to say it could be a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty, a coat to someone who is freezing, or (as we believe) even hooking up a family for Christmas.  In other words – if you really want to give to Jesus – help out those in need – because that’s where His heartbeat is.

Till Sunday,

Jesse (Pastor – Journey)

I absolutely HAD A BLAST last night with our Journey Youth Group & Leadership!  We went and made the trek over to Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles to experience their very popular ‘Journey to Bethlehem’.  It’s a 1 mile ‘journey’ through the woods where the goal is to find the manger where Christ was being born that very night illustrated with several AWESOME pit stops where you’re taken back in time running into rough and tough Roman Guards on horses checking your papers for the census decreed by Ceasar to running into the maggai who were looking for the baby king also – we also went through the city of Bethlehem where we walked through the markets where people dressed in ancient outfits were trying to sell you fish, bread, and ancient household items.  You end up at the inn where there is no room for you and they direct you to the manger where Christ was just born.

We had a truly cool time together – here are some pics of that night I took with my Blackberry (so mind you the quality isn’t the best).

I loved the sign at the end of the night that said ‘Wise men STILL seek Him’.

Jesse (Pastor – Journey Church)

I had the AMAZING privilege yesterday after our morning service to be invited to attend a special private party for a guy in our church.  The food was outstanding, the fellowship was great, but the reason they threw the party was what impacted me the most.  They were throwing a party to celebrate this amazing guy’s 6th month of sobriety!  This man experienced dynamic change in his life in our first service @ Journey Church (June 7th of this year) and has stuck with it ever since – bound by alcohol for years – only to be completely set free after reaching out to Jesus @ our inaugural service and they wanted to throw a party in his honor!  How COOL is that!?!

After I left, I thought to myself  ’God, why don’t we do this all the time?!’  for the people around us – CELEBRATE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS – REJOICE AT THEIR MILE MARKERS – THROW A PARTY IN HONOR OF THEIR VICTORIES!!!  I mean, you would’ve thought you were attending a birthday party, they busted out a cake and all!

I think if we would take as much time celebrating people’s accomplishments (no matter how big or how small) as we do slamming people for ‘not doing enough’ we would start to see true change in people – because at the end of the day it’s about motivation – and I’ll take being encouraged for what I’ve done for Jesus over being condemned for what I’ve not done for Him to help me move forward toward God.  I don’t ever want to go back to the type of Christianity that ‘guilts’ people to move forward – I want to be apart of a church that motivates and celebrates people forward.  I’m telling you – it works a lot better!

Thankful for people that see mile markers in others and celebrate them – I was again – truly impacted.

Jesse (Pastor – Journey)

I know you’ve probably said as much as I’ve been saying it.  ’It’s Christmas time ALREADY?!’  Is it just me or does time just somehow increase with speed as you get older?  :)

This Sunday – Journey Church will be experiencing the first of a NEW 3 week set of messages called ‘The Jesus Birthday Series’.

This season is considered by many Americans as their ‘ABSOLUTE FAVORITE’ time of year.  I mean – we go out of our way to celebrate it to let everyone know – IT’S CHRISTMAS Y’ALL!  With all of the songs on the radio right about now along with the Christmas cards that are about to load up our mailboxes to the olympic paced runs we make to the department stores to fill that space underneath our beautifully decorated Christmas trees have become a tradition like no other in the homes of Americans.

ALL THAT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS!  How cool is that?

You know, if you really look at it from a historical point of view (no matter what the ACLU will try and do to change it) – Christmas is really a PARTY – a birthday party if you will for you know WHO – and that’s how we want to celebrate this Christmas at Journey!  We want to throw a 3 week BIRTHDAY PARTY at our church…and YOU’RE INVITED!

We’re going to uncover some AMAZING truths about Christ coming to this earth – and we’re going to party while we do it.  After all – birthday’s are meant to be celebrated – right?  So come on – bring your family and let’s celebrate the party of the ages.

Jesse – Pastor @ Journey

Well…Thanksgiving is officially over.  Christmas is now in our focus and many of you are probably headed to the stores to grab some really good Black Friday deals.

I just wanted to take this final ‘Thanksgiving’ post and say how thankful I am for what took place yesterday with Journey’s Thanksgiving Outreach.  We fed over 40 ppl who were either elderly and had no family or a way to enjoy Thanksgiving by having ppl in our church prepare meals for them and personally deliver them to their homes to let them know – they have someone thinking about them this holiday.  We also had a team of ppl prepare a full Thanksgiving feast for our local abused women’s shelter where they along with their kids were fed an amazing meal courtesy of the ppl of Journey.

I know I’ve said it a THOUSAND times – but I don’t think I’ll be stopping anytime soon – THANK YOU JOURNEY for being the SO INCREDIBLY AMAZING!

I’m truly thankful for this church that exemplifies the meaning of what it means to be a church. We’re thankful that we’re blessed to be a ‘blessing’ to those who don’t have anything, especially through the holidays.

I wasn’t able to get many pics (and for the record – this outreach was ALL THEM – I was just fortunate enough to be there to see them in action).

Blessings,

Jesse (Pastor – Journey Church)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Hey! It’s THANKSGIVING 2009 and we’re all getting ready to head to our families and EAT until we EXPLODE, cherish time with our families, and watch a little football with a plate pumpkin pie topped with Cool whip resting on our laps.

But I just wanted to take this post and give thanks for…………the cross this Thanksgiving.

It is to many people an iconic image that may represent a lot of different things to them as they hang from our necklaces, are tattooed on our arms, put atop church buildings as steeples, or simply hung on our walls at home.

I’m totally down with the popularity of the image of the cross and the place it holds in the hearts and lives of many ppl all around the world – as long as it is and will continue to be known to them and all of us as the place where Jesus Christ the Nazarene – the Son of the Living God came to put the power of sin to death by becoming the sacrifice of sacrifices – the Lamb of God who came and died on it with one purpose – to take AWAY the sin of the world (John 1:29).

I sit in front of this computer screen today as someone who has been tremendously affected by ‘the cross’.  My life was headed in the WRONG DIRECTION (if you know what I mean – and I’m sure you can relate too) – and on September 15th, 1993 – I found the RIGHT DIRECTION – as I found that everything I was looking for (all that I needed, wanted, and desired) could be found in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross.  Man – that’s an incredible thing to find!

Because of it – we have forgiveness of sin.  Because of it – we have opportunity to receive all of His indescribable provision to us every day.  Because of it – we have HEAVEN to look forward to once we step out of this life we have been given to live on this earth.  Because of it – I am and will ALWAYS be thankful….

There’s an old hymn that we used to sing when I was a teenager in the church I went to and the words always impacted me greatly.  The song was called the “Old Rugged Cross” and I love verse 3 that said:

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see, for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

Wow…

Thank you God for the cross!

Jesse (a sinner who found a Savior)

Well…there’s no better way to say it – I’m so incredibly thankful for my church!  It is my life – it is my dream – it is the greatest group of people I could ever have the opportunity to pastor…and we call them – Journey Church.

I cannot beleive that we are already approaching our 6th month as a church!  It literally seems just like yesterday that I was climbing the stairs leading onto the Bonfil’s Auditorium stage to preach my very first sermon called “It’s ALL about the Journey”.  Now, 24 services later we’re still going strong – we’ve literally doubled in attendance and it makes me tear up when I look at all of the AMAZING people that God is placing around our family to help lead this church and make the impact we know God wants to make to the St. Louis area through us.

I could (as with my family) go on and on and on about how thankful I am for my church – so I’ll just stop it right here and say – THANK YOU JOURNEY for being the church God has called us to be – REAL!

Jesse (Pastor – Journey)