This Friday, 7 p.m. - Acoustic Concert by Gordon Avery

April 23, at our East Vancouver Living Hope Campus: Come join us for our Concert, fantastic food, and new art exhibit (one of my favorites). This is a great night out (did I mention it's free?) to spend with friends, or meet new friends!

Gordon Avery, of the band Gordon Avenue, brings his Rock and Roll music into a remix done acoustically - it's mellow, yet still alive, and very much filled with fun variety (Acoustic Rock, hints of Blues and Funk, and some special surprises). Tom Taylor joins him (One very good bass player), along with Tom's son Jeremy (this kid can make a guitar come to life) and others.


The tables, food, and art all work together to create a very relaxing place to hang out. Friends who have never visited Living Hope will enjoy this special evening so send your invitations today!


Have you signed up as a fan of our new Living Hope Church East Vancouver Facebook site yet?


Just for fun: Check out my personal blog (I just posted some of my favorite 3-word prayers) and the "new shoes" I just got fitted with!

How well do you forgive yourself?

• Are you naturally critical of others? Yourself?
• Do you find your never satisfied with "how well you did?"
• Do you find yourself measuring others (their value) by how efficient, effective, and reliable they are?
• Do you feel guilty too much (resulting in either "gritted teeth-try harder" antics or "I give up . . . it's no use resignation)?

Guilt focuses on what we "DO" wrong (or failed to do)! We live in the "should have" or "shouldn't have" shadows of the past.

Guilt can leave us trapped in poisonous regrets. It harms our relationship with others and ourself. But for all the "bad guilt" there's an authentic "good guilt" too!

Good Guilt sets us free from past failures and present "human-falling-shortness!" Because it leads us to see Jesus as our forgiver, forever-friend, and the one who will accept us and change our life! Good guilt takes away the blindness of harmful things we "do" to ourselves and others. But it gives us more hope because instead of trying harder we run to Jesus and let Him love into and out of us!

What kind of guilt do you have right now?

Good guilt helps us ask forgiveness quicker and without excuses (sometimes an "explanation" is "nicer" word for making an excuse). Excuses cancel the powerful freedom of forgiveness!

Question: How quickly do I return to accept God's free forgiveness after messing up? Do I focus, and celebrate my return instead of my fall?

I John 1:9 - Want to be clean and "right" with God? Follow God's plan - confess and then live in forgivenesses freedom!

All of get to choose: We can GIVE UP our guilt or TAKE UP the burden keep dragging it along!

If we hang onto the garbage of guilt we're likely to build a huge compost of SHAME!

Shame scars relationships even more than guilt. Guilt focuses on our "mess-ups," while shame lies to us and says we "are a mess up!"

"Your bad girl."

"Your a bad boy!"

This is a lie and much more painful than a "you did something bad."

Psalm 32 - Don't hide (vs. 3-4). Tell God, confession, that you've believed the lie that your a "mess-up" (v.5). Now live in the freedom! If you fall, fall forward into the arms of Jesus (6,7,11)!

Try reading the story of Peter and his lesson of learning to forgive himself! Luke 22:24-34, 54-62. John 21:1-17

When I believe the shaming lies of Satan I'm left with abandonment. Please come back to this blog for a powerful 3-word prayer that so helps me accept this forgiveness.

Easter at East Vancouver Living Hope - 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Wow! This Easter at our local campus is going to be amazing! 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

• Incredible food
• Revive Espresso Trailer (tell those you invite that you'll buy them a latte or hot drink)
• Wonderful treats for all kids (I just spoke with our Kid's World Leaders & they've got a fantastic program planned)
• Baptisms
• Great music and Easter message

Easter is baptism day. If you've never experienced baptisms at Living Hope, you'll be so glad you did. Watching it is a very cool experience! Every time we have baptisms the stories that are shared are so inspiring; your guests will be so touched and spiritually energized. Can you say it with me, "WOW" Easter is going to be wonderful!

If you're a guest visiting our East Vancouver blog, please just come as you are -you don't have to dress up, stand up, pay up, sign anything, or do anything that might feel embarrassing. You're our guest and we simply want you to relax and enjoy. Just come and experience Easter with us this year.

Bruce and Laura will be at the Westfield Mall (Old Mervyn's building) eith many friends from East Vancouver this Saturday night (5 & 7 p.m.)

Please check back for our 4-D forgiveness blog coming soon (it's an amazing way to set you free to communicate and share better with those you love).

4-D Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something we all need! The most real, life-changing forgiveness is a gift from God. We can't earn it or create it, only accept it as a real gift (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2:1-10).

Forgiveness helps us:

• let go of the garbage of past hurts and regrets
• have courage to keep building deep and lasting friendships
• communicate better (hear the other person's heart)
• keep hoping in the promise that God will never leave us or stop loving us
• live in freedom from bitterness and others' judgments of us.

Looking back is good if it helps you keep looking up!

Here are the 4-D's pastor John and myself have shared with so many people (Using these four steps is a way of spending the time necessary to heal from the hurts of everyday life). Pray through each step. Maybe you'll want to write it all down - then burn or shred it when you're done.

1) Discover who hurt you

2) Define what they took from you (or neglected to give to you)

3) Dispose of the hurt (you don't have to wait until you feel like forgiving - forgiveness is not forgetting; it's choosing to forgive the way Jesus forgave us)

4) Demonstrate God's forgiveness by doing good to others (maybe even the person who hurt you).

If you'd like to read the Cliff Notes of Joseph in the Bible, it's a classic story of forgiveness. I've listed some key verses in the story. It all begins in Genesis 37 and takes a break in chapter 50. Chapter 37:4,23-24 (from hatred to attempted murder); 39:2 (Even in slavery Joe is blessed because "God is with him"); 42:5-8 (Joe doesn't take advantage of an opportunity to even the score with his brothers); 45:5 (An amazing perspective that comes out of forgiveness); and 50:20 (Belief that God takes evil and turns it into good).