Opportunity To Serve

The Morse Thibeault home group (Brian, Nancy, Steve, Judy, Douglas, Leslie, Patrick, Mitch, Julie and others) will be bringing an Easter meal out to the homeless community in Isla Vista (Anisquoya Park) at 2pm on Saturday, April 7. We want to invite the church to come participate with us. If anyone would like to join us, please email Nancy and Brian (brian-nancy@verizon.net). We would like people to bring food, music, or just come to hang out. Let us know what you will be bringing so we can coordinate this. We usually do home-cooked stuff, to make it more special
for the people out there. Turkey, Ham, Lamb, all the fixings, etc. (However, Costco pies are also a staple).

We will get the word out to the community out there so that they all know we are coming.

With Love,
Brian

Help Needed: Surgery is Imminent

Perhaps you are already aware that Jerry has been in need of a full hip replacement for quite some time now. Well, the time is now just around the corner and the surgery is scheduled for Friday the 13^th of April. It will be a full Titanium Hip replacement surgery which will lay him up for some time.

Jerry will be needing a place to stay for his recovery which will be approximately 2-3 weeks. Can you or someone you know help out? Jerry has been faithfully attending our church for several years now and is always ready to help out where needed. It would be awesome if we could stand behind him as a family and give him a hand during this time.

Please call Janis at the office, 683-8783 if you or someone you know is able to help out. You can email Janis at: golvine@aol.com. Or Paul at: sniffys@gmail.com.

Make Us A Living Sacrifice

Thank you Lord for speaking this word through Diana. May you all be blessed as you seriously meditate on the following that the Lord showed her.

3. 14. 2007

To What Extent Will You Serve Him: A Kingdom Work Ethic

FORWARD: This little piece of encouragement came to me while folding laundry. I was folding up one of Joshua’s shirts and couldn’t get it to look nice so I just crumpled it up half-folded and threw it on the bed. Right at that moment the Lord spoke—“how many times do you have that attitude when you serve me?” Whoa! I thought, and all the sudden I found myself running into the kitchen for a pen and paper.

If we do everything as unto the Lord, we should give our very best in all that we do. If we respect some things we do as simple, exempt, or not unto the Lord, there poses itself a question—why do we do them? If I am habitually late to be somewhere I deem as “unimportant” am I really living as FULLY unto the Lord? By my actions am I indirectly telling Him, I don’t believe you’re going to be there, or do anything of great importance at this point in time?

We will miss out on the Lord’s heart and His desire to be a part of everything we do, if we simply “judge for ourselves” what is of importance in our lives, where our time, energy and finances should go. We will become less and less the servant of an omnipotent King and more the ruler of our own unsubmitted lives. Laziness and disregard for God’s perfect commands and statutes will flood our lives for we will daily begin to deny access to the Father to His rightful throne of rulership over us. We will, slowly at first, start to become respecters of persons and people who choose when to show mercy, give true devotion to Jesus, practice meekness, servanthood and all other characteristics that the true Bride of Christ should embody.

So with this small revelation what will I do? Regard it as small and insignificant in its nature. To do so, I’m afraid, would contradict the message in its entirety! So I will lay down the right to “judge for myself” and to choose when, where and with whom I will regard as “serving the Lord” or “building of His Kingdom”. Today, you and I have the choice to serve one of two kingdoms with every action, big or small, seemingly significant or insignificant—the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of myself and my own whim. The latter being only fodder and kindling wood to Satan’s firey plan to distract us. Will you serve the Lord in all things?

To serve Him in everything with all of our heart, does not mean we must wait for the perfect timing, the right circumstances, for a time when it doesn’t hurt, only when our service is welcomed or noticed, only when we don’t face opposition of the world, the enemy, or even brothers and sisters in Christ. True service to the Lord is a calling and a mandate we often won’t “feel” like doing. If we let Him, God will bring us into situations that we aren’t prepared for, that will make us sweat and want to run the other way for our lives—For the sake of building His Kingdom on His terms, on this earth as it is in Heaven!

It was no mistake that Jesus first prayed to His Father “Your Will” and “Your Kingdom come”. Jesus wants to show us His Lordship and His Might through our voluntary weakness, submission to Him and death to ourselves. To give to Him any less is not the sacrifice He is looking for. To reserve the right to choose the day, way or method we will serve Him puts a rift and a gap between us and the intimacy He wants to share with us in: constant communion, relationship and devotion to Him. It’s our calling! The pain and sacrifice of loosing our lives, our comfort in a human sense and our obsession with our reputation for His Namesake will be nothing when we realize in eternity who we really chose to serve. We are Jesus’ passion, “passion” means suffering. Who do you passionately serve?

Scriptures Breathed By Our God Who Wants Our Full Devotion, And Passion For Himself

(He is passionately devoted to giving Jesus His full reward which by the work of the cross we have been made co-heirs with Christ—That’s us guys!)

Joshua 22:5

5"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Dueteronomy 10:12

12"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Samuel 12:24

24"Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

Zephaniah 3:9

9"For then I will give to the peoples purified lips,
That all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

Matthew 4:10

10Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

Ephesians 6:6-8

6Not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

7With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

For, it is my prayer, if we truly invite the passion of Jesus and the conviction of these scriptures into our lives we will start to feel the release of the steam trapped in our boiling kettles that bubble, screech, and say “who will clean up this hair in the bottom of the bathtub, whose mess is this, isn’t this the third time I’ve done this this week?” and we will start to begin the prophetic action of reaching down and wiping them up with an inexplicable joy—not because of the inherent excitement of the action itself, but because there’s been a change in the way we live, because we are conscious of who we serve. And I am quite confident to say, this inexplicable joy in serving the Living King will trickle into every area of our lives, the way we interact with and serve the Body- the Bride of Christ, those who don’t yet know the goodness of our God and our role as Gentile believers to live unto Jesus in such a way to incite the jealous pursuit of His firstborn, Israel, back to their King.

Romans 11:11-16

11Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

13I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

MORE, by Jacob Reitzin

More than the sinking sands of this life,

More than the pain, the guilt, and the strife,

More than the colors that bleed through your soul,

More than the politicians who fake the role,

More than the fades, the fads, and the trends,

More than the snakes whose venom you defend,

More than the ways, the loops and the holes,

More than the teller tells to the fold,

More than the banker who breaks the ice,

More than the trapper who traps the mice,

More than the song that has been sung too much,

More than the swindlers bang for your buck,

More than the captive dares to tell, and the slips and then slides into a deep dirty hell,

More than the painter's swift smooth brush,

More than the shamrocks green good luck,

More than the wish and want of the air, and more than the fate of this world's false glare,

More than science and evolutions lie, More than the babies’ aborted to die,

More than the joker who jokes us all, More than the tattles who tells on the wall,

More than the jewel in the jewelers crown, More than the bullet that's worn them down,

More than the noblest of noblest men, More than the lost are willing to bend,

In all there is more, and in more all of this, the moral is there is more, more is less

Jesus In The Streets: Clothing Giveaway

Mike Mishler, Deborah Keal-Jackson, Marisha Collinson and I (David Rosenberg) met at the Community Center at 10 AM and prayed for the Lord's leading before we set out on this morning's adventure.

We all felt pretty strongly that we were supposed to head downtown, and Mike suggested we hit the library and the beach, where there were sizable homeless communities.
I was also getting a prompting to stop and get some quick breakfast. I thought at the time it was just a leading of the flesh because I had simply been too negligent to get up early enough to eat, but it turned out that the Lord was able to use it to best advantage (as He always does!).

Instead of going downtown, we got off at the State St. exit to hit Carl's Jr., my fast-food joint of choice. Right at the exit we saw a man with a sign, asking for food. We pointed him into the parking lot straight ahead and he willingly followed us. It turned out that his name was Billy Bob and he was looking for a way to get to Arizona with his girlfriend Vanessa. B.B. told us that he had just been praying to God for someone to send food, and that his prayers had been answered.

While Mike and I talked to and prayed with him, Deborah and Marisha headed off to minister to Vanessa, who was feeling a little shy to mingle with all of us. Both were extremely receptive to our prayers, and Deborah and Marisha discovered that Vanessa had been talking to Jesus for a long time.

B.B. found clothes that were perfect for him and Vanessa, and thanked us with tears in his eyes. We continued on our way after advising B.B and attempting to put him through to some of his relatives in Arizona, we headed for the library.

We were received extremely well in the courtyard in front of the Library, and they were extremely grateful for what we brought, especially for the clothes. We spent some time just finding out where people were coming from, sharing with them, and praying for those who were willing. We met Hannah, a street preacher, and Michael, who took some of our donations to give to the other "children of God" he said he would meet who needed it.

We had the chance to pray for a few people there, and Deborah even taught young 20 yr. old bongo aficianado Cy a thing or two on the bongos! I wish I could have gotten a picture of that, but the photos we did manage to take show that there were a few gentlemen very grateful to receive matching Aloha shirts!

We then headed for the beach, but there was an art show there and traffic was nearly at a standstill. After some prayerful consideration, we decided to call it a day and head home, encouraged that God had once again shown us the value of fixing our eyes "not on what is seen, but on what is unseen"- the reality of God's kingdom in our midst and His love for each and every one of His children on this earth, no matter the circumstances or conditions.

Leadership Meeting Notes: Kim & Darlene Unrau

Goleta Vineyard Leadership Meeting

Kim and Darlene Unrau

Dr. David and Beverly Whiting

Saturday, Feb 3, 2007

1. Structure of Human Personality

* Behavior – What is visible on the surface…what other’s see and hear.
* Thoughts/Feelings – We share these selectively depending on safety/trust.

We have varying degrees of awareness of our true thoughts and feelings…God knows them all.

* Belief Systems – How we “see” life is shaped by “significant emotional events.” (s.e.e.)

My “history” is His Story, i.e. He has been/is there in every event in my history.

Our “s.e.e.’s” produce “seeds” that bear either good fruit or bad fruit.

Our beliefs are either in agreement with God or not, i.e. they are “Godly” or “Ungodly.”

* Core Needs – food, water, shelter, safety, love, acceptance, value, affirmation, purpose, etc.

Our core needs and beliefs are largely subconscious, and drive much of what we think and feel

and how we behave. Those deepest levels are our “deep” heart. God knows our hearts completely, and longs for our invitation to join us there—and for us to “see” Him there as He

heals and transforms our hearts.

2. “Peace” as a Measure of the Condition of our Hearts

* John 14.1 – “Don’t let your heart be troubled.”

Possibly the most important of the 49 commands we have from Jesus.

Every fruit of the Spirit but “peace” can be “put on.” We can “put on” love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. We can’t “fake” peace. We either

have it or we don’t.

* “Peace Meter” – the way we measure our level of peace at any given moment.

10 – Nothing disturbs our peace. We can be stressed, exhausted, in crisis, but we know He is in control and we can abide in Him and follow His voice/direction.

5 – We have peace when circumstances are OK.

1 – Chronic state of disabling anxiety

* For Kim and Darlene’s Leadership Team, anything below 9 is cause for alarm—and draws them to Jesus to find out what is disturbing the peace. They go to Jesus together. This becomes a lifestyle of conversation with Jesus wherever we experience anxiety or fear—letting Him

identify the cause, and show us what He is doing with it.

* This journey is a process:

From unconscious incompetence

To conscious incompetence

To conscious competence

* Friends carry us to Jesus – Like the paralytic who’s friends tore a hole in the roof to get him to Jesus. Leadership Team is not just ministry partners, but friends who carry each other to Jesus.

Pray, play, worship, serve, carry each other to Jesus!

* Lk 6.42ff: Out of the heart comes evil or good – issue is not trying to be good. Issue is letting Jesus into our hearts to deal with the evil there. The Pharisees had evil in their hearts, but were trying to “act” good (the principle problem with the North American Church).



Leadership Meeting: Unrau, p. 2

We have lust, greed, fear, anger, etc. in our hearts. If we admit it – we receive mercy. If we hide it, avoid it – we can’t receive the mercy He wants to impart.

* Mth 23.25ff: Clean the inside of the cup, and the rest will take care of itself.

Our hearts are full: anger, greed, lust, pain… peace, love, joy, presence of Jesus…

Problem of the church: add a quart of good clean water (i.e. sermon, word, etc.) to the polluted caldron of the heart—doesn’t “change” the heart.

Undivided heart} – Are the “normal” Christian life… normal “abiding” in Him/the truth.

Single eye} The “lifestyle” of Jesus

Remaining in Jesus}

Only good fruit}

* Exercise: What does Jesus see in my heart?

He sees it all, but can highlight what He wants us to see… both good and bad.

Jesus loves it when we let Him see and show us our true hearts… when we surrender, raise the

white flag…say “help!” Or see what He delights in and takes pleasure in.

* Reminders:

Try to pray with individuals seeking help w/teams, not 1:1, and have those receiving bring trusted friends who can continue to support them in the discovery process.

In general, stay focused on Jesus. As needed check peace, fruit, ask Jesus what’s in heart.

Do it with trusted friends, i.e. “revelation friends” who will listen to Jesus with you.

Yielding to/trusting the Body (i.e. wife, trusted friends, children, trusted leaders, etc.) is yielding to Jesus.

As the Leadership Team develops revelation friendships, they will reproduce in kind.

The Model:

1. First hand encounter with Jesus thru listening prayer (no shame, control, manipulation).

2. Prophetic revelation to “pray-ers” – calls out or confirms what person is hearing from Him.

* Progress in Church at large:

Hearing His voice is becoming OK in the Body.

“Seeing” Jesus—seeing in the Spirit with the eyes of our hearts—is less familiar.

“Seeing” with the eyes of our hearts is the starting point for growing revelation.

* Biblical Foundations for “revelation,” i.e. “seeing with the eyes of our hearts.”

John 14.16-20 We have five senses: we see, hear, smell, taste, touch…

Rev 3.20 We can experience God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with all five.

John 16.12-16

Eph 1.16-23

Exodus 33.11-23 We have face to face friendship w/Jesus Who introduces Father and Spirit.

* Resources for further growth/discovery:

Can You Hear Me? Brad Jerzak (available from Amazon.com, etc.)

Fear No Evil

Kissing the Leper

Children Can You Hear Me?

Rivers From Eden Eden and Brad Jerzak




Leadership Meeting: Unrau, p. 3

3. Revelation Friendships (Dr. David Whiting)

* Trust is the key

One group of people is willing to go for it… they are risk takers.

Second group needs more safety: absolute confidentiality, reassurance, cautious pace, etc.

Let Jesus give you the questions to ask, moving from less threatening to deeper.

“Safe” questions = who are you? history, family, what you enjoy, etc.

Deeper questions = heart issues, i.e. how’s your heart? What does Jesus see in your heart?

* General guidelines for any group:

Communicate ground rules, expectations, how to deal with hurt, conflict.

Good to have “coaches” that track with groups for guidance, problem solving, feedback.

Leaders are accountable to members just as members are to each other and leaders.

“Accountability,” i.e. responsible, healthy, mutual relationship is two way, and by invitation.

For key leaders – easy to become “substitute” Jesus if people are dependent solely on us, and not on Jesus and other people.

Large group – keep questions simple and less threatening.

Small/intimate group – questions can go deeper.

If we don’t take people and their issues to Jesus, we’ve missed an opportunity for healing.

* General guidelines for working with individuals:

Have person “see,” find - safe place with Jesus first. (Safety is not healing)

Once safe with Jesus, He can take us into our pain.

Healing will involve pain. (must empty the cup, clean the cup, fill the cup)

Be open to creative surprises, revelation, and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

No judgment. Judgment is unacceptable. Must see people with the eyes of Jesus.

Cannot promise “absolute” confidentiality (i.e. where abuse is uncovered, etc.)

Let Holy Spirit do the work. Let Holy Spirit impart personal revelation. Take them to Jesus.

Work with those who will give it away.

Work with friendship teams vs. 1:1.

Have person being prayed for bring a friend with them to support them/follow up, etc.

How do we relate to people who don’t want to go deeper? Give them the grace Jesus gave us.

Friendship is voluntary… based on trust.

* Testing the trustworthiness of “revelation”

We can’t assume that every “revelation” of Jesus is true…

We can ask “Is this really You?” “Are You God?” “Did You come in the flesh?”

The historic tests are:

1. The witness of the Holy Spirit in us

2. Alignment with Scripture

3. Confirmed by trusted leadership

* Further notes on the process:

If Jesus doesn’t talk, it’s because he wants the person to…

Out of the heart the mouth speaks. We need to clean the cup. How?

Speak out: anger, grief, loss, pain, betrayal.

If Jesus doesn’t speak or act – there is a deeper wound. He is waiting for the individual to have

greater insight, emotional connection—more connection to reality, greater desire to explore.



Leadership Meeting: Unrau, p. 4

* Further notes on the process continued:

Depression = unresolved loss (disappointment, unfulfilled hopes, betrayal, grief, etc.)

When it turns in can result in suicide, cutting/mutilation, self hatred.

Goal = for the “cup” to be the same inside as outside, i.e. no hypocrisy.

Must see the inside of the cup: confess, speak out what’s in the heart.

Let Jesus clean the cup – heal the deprivation or the wound.

Let Jesus fill the cup with revelation of what He is doing in what is being exposed.

Retain important revelation—write it down—review it for one month until it takes root.

“Abide” in My Word/what He shows you = meditate, consider, reflect, absorb, assimilate…

We need friends to retain, assimilate, persevere in the process.

Small groups can often be led more effectively by asking the right questions vs. “teaching.”

Problem of addressing the same issues recurrently without change?

- lack of revelation into the heart, into Jesus

- lack of response to revelation, i.e. obedience

Stuck? Holy Spirit will always show up if we are patient. Jesus always shows up.

Mess up? He is full of grace and mercy to forgive, begin again…

If you’re dealing with a person who has false revelation?

Review with trusted leaders, compare with Scripture… if they persist in their deception and

affect others: warn a divisive person once, and then set boundaries.

Jesus spent more time initiating than responding.

He never responded to “need.” He responded to His Father’s voice…the Holy Spirit.

We each have different callings: the Body is balanced. Some with the homeless, some with leaders, some with the wounded, some with highly functional… Listen to who and how Jesus

is asking us to pursue.

Ask the question: Do you really want to be free? If not, wait.

If yes: find a safe place with Jesus.

Follow His path to the root area—uncover significant emotional events, memories, feelings.

Find Jesus in the event.

Come to the cross: Release mercy to the offender(s).

Receive forgiveness for your response(s).

Let Jesus remove the pain, heal the wounds.

Receive beauty for ashes in exchange

Return to the safe place with Jesus as often as possible

* Core Issue

We trust Jesus and pursuing revelation with Him…

How do we find our “revelation friends?

Listen to God—pursue—work thru disappointment, rejection, slander, betrayal and loss.

Sermon Notes: Kim & Darlene Unrau

Goleta Vineyard, Sunday Feb 4, 2007
Listening to the Voice of God


* Luke 6.46-49

Esp. vs 47: “Every one who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like… House built on rock that withstands the tempest that comes against it.

In the OT era, only 1 man, once/year (High Priest) allowed into presence of God.

Jesus – The New Covenant… dwelling among us, with us, in us!

Holy Spirit – I will move into you—you will be My temple…You will move into Me—into all

the Glory of Who God is. I will bring revelation, peace, re-creation, restoration…

* We have a problem with coming

We are too busy, guilty, unworthy, self reliant, afraid of scolding, rebuke, God’s displeasure.

* Rev 3.20 – Behold I stand at the door and knock…

He just wants to be with us… for us to invite Him in

We talk more than we listen (skit – Kim talking to Marty, i.e. God, on cell phones—one way).

1. Come

2. Listen

3. Do what He says

* Source of Fear: We listen to others more than Jesus.

Source of Rejection: We listen to others more than Jesus.

Our behavior = usually a response to lies.

We feel like the house that collapses when the storms hit.

When we hear – we try to obey in our own strength, and we can’t.

“Come!” = A free invitation we are created and empowered to respond to.

“Do/Obey” = The natural result of resting in His love.

* Mth 7.21-23 = Doing “good” in human effort…not responding to His voice by power of H.S.



* “Come to Me, hear My words of life, and you will have all you need to obey Me… and I will do anything for you…” is His heart toward us.



Questions to ask the Lord:

1. Why don’t I come?

2. What are you saying to me to change that?

(what lies do I believe that keep me from coming?)

3. What do You want to talk to me about?

4. What are You calling me to this month?

New Year's Poem

For those of you that weren't able to make it to the New Year's Eve celebration service we are posting a poem that Pastor Jaime Ramirez was given for our church body. Here it is in written form...may the Lord speak to you.

Hear me for I am of age

For I call you to stay

Listen to the voice of the stroller

The vineyard has suffered your rage

Your cruelty stands on a stage

Without logic or reason

What you have done in this season

Stand and explain this high treason

And the vinedresser responds

Dearest o’ stroller

Rambling through my vineyard you may

To understand the vinedresser

You must listen and stay

I am the wine grower and travel you may

Seeking the mystery of the winepress

Stand on the rock

And listen to my story this day

In the dark valley

Far from this beautiful hill

There is a man with an iron will

In chains he has the people in the darkest of alley

And only my wine

Can quench the thirst of the valley

Rid the vineyard of its beauty I may

Bleeding the grapes in my hand as you say

That is why

The darkest of alley will pray

The song of their thirst

Comes to my ears every day

Valleys of the Vineyard

Rolling hills in the valley

Catch the eye of the stroller

As he walks through the vine

He sees the vinedresser

Dressed in his attire

Grapes are clipped

The liquid sap comes to his hand

The stroller takes to his stand

Dear vinedresser

Why do you clip the beauty?

Can you not see?

The fruit in your hand

Bares the branch

Of its color

Prunes the vineyard

And leaves no other

Are you not cruel?

You vinedresser

Stand to your feet

Hear my discourse

I have witnessed

I have watched you

Rid the vineyard of its color

Cut with cruelty like no other

You pierced the grapes

You shed their beauty

You leave the branch

And you walk away

Stroller o’ stroller

Stroll through the valley

Stroll through the darkest of alley

Give them the fruit of the vine

Quench their thirst

Break the chains of the valley

With the fruit of the vine

For this wine is divine

Drink of my vintage

And on your feet you will stand

Raise this cup to the world

And you will understand

The price that my vineyard has paid

The bleeding grapes

Fall in the barrel they may

Only this vine offers humanity a new day

For only the grapes of my winepress

Quench the thirst

Shatter the chains

And show each soul the truth and the way

May this year, God give us all the heart to understand our Father’s purpose and action in our lives and around us. Not to question why he does or permits those things that are so painful, but to take advantage to share the fruit of the vine in a dark and broken generation. As we walk through the valley whether it is dark or day, let us remember His word and promise:

“I will abide by your side”

Pastor Jaime Ramirez

12-31-2006