Community.

What does community looks like?

In Acts 2:42-47 the new believers devoted themselves to the teachings of Jesus. They shared everything they had with one another. They met and had meals together and prayed with one another. If anyone was in need, they came together and met that need. And the scriptures say that they done all this with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. God brought people to His son, Jesus, cause of this community.

In Acts 4:32-35 all the believers were one in heart and mind. That means they had great unity. Again, they shared everything they owned, and their attitude was "it all belongs to Jesus". Much grace was upon them all. They would sell their home and land just so there was no one in need.

This is what community looks like in the Bible. We have to get back to what the bible clearly lays out for us on how to follow Jesus, and to live our lives as the people of God together. In John 17:20-23 Jesus is talking about this oneness, that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him, and we, as the Church, could be in them. As a result of that, Jesus want's us, the Church, to be one like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is how the world is gonna know and believe that Jesus is God. We cannot live this Christian life with out others.

Do you want this fellowship? Do you want this community that God intended for His Church, or do you want to continue living in isolation?

Let's take the Scriptures serious!

Hebrews 10:23-25
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching." 

The Invitation

Hey Axis! Just a few things I want to share with you.

Thank you for being faithful in supporting me monthly. Sure is a blessing to me. Yall are a part of what God is doing in me and through me here in Pismo Beach and the Central Coast of California.

Jesus' invitation for us is still to come and follow Him. The Holy Spirit has been teaching me how to follow Jesus and what that means biblically. To look at the Scriptures and learn from them. I've noticed how Christians will get together and talk about other people's opinions rather than the Word of God. So I've been real challenged to look at what the Scriptures say about... well everything.

Since I've been back from Israel and Ethiopia I've been plugged into a local church here in Pismo. I was offered a internship with the youth group and college ministry. God is really opening up doors and opportunities for me to speak life and truth into to so many lives. One of my passions is to see people my age excited and passionate about the Word and Jesus. To know who they are in Jesus. So this internship is perfect. So I praise God for that. I got to baptized some of the guys in the youth group so that's always really exciting for me cause that's what Jesus commands us to do. I've really been able to disciple these students and be in their life's. Creating a community, at my house, at a park or in Starbucks, where we can get together and read the word, and just talk about life. With the college ministry, I've been teaching some and just setting stuff up. Our focus for the college students is to come together and fellowship with each other, pray for one another and discuss the word. Keeping it simple. My hope is that the people that come will find out who they are in Jesus and follow Him in their life.

We currently do not have a discipleship training school going on with YWAM, so we've been advertising for our upcoming DTS in January 2012. I'm gonna be helping lead that school with being in small groups with the students, doing one on ones with them, and leading a outreach team to Asia. We have also been in our community and building relationships with local businesses and people in downtown Pismo. I'm leading our outreach department so I've getting God's heart for Pismo Beach and the Central Coast and we've been going out each week and praying for our community, city and spending time with the homeless community. I feel like God is gonna pour out His Spirit on our city, and people will be passionate about Jesus.

Prayer Request:
So that's what's happening with me in California. If yall could continue to pray for me that I would have boldness in proclaiming the Gospel. Pray that I can be a example to other believers in my speech, life, love, faith, and purity. Ask God to help me be loving and real in every situation.

I want to come visit NC sometime in October. The cost for that will be around $550. If anyone wants to help out with that, let me know. I'm also planning a visit to Haiti in December for my friend, Wesner's, wedding. He wants me to be his best man, so I really wanna go and spend some time there and visit the Reeves family.

Thank you SO much for all your prayers, support, and encouragement. If you're interested or God's put it on your heart to give to me finically for my upcoming trips you can email me at causeyphilip@gamil.com or give me a call at 828 308 7237.

Thanks for all your Love and support. Love you all more than you know.

Grace and Blessings,
Philip Causey.

Hello. Good Morning. How ya doing.

Hello friends and family. I just wanna say a BIG thank you to all my monthly supports. I'm really thankful and grateful for yall. Also thank you to everyone that has given to me and being apart of what God is doing in me and through me here in Pismo Beach and in the nations. I really appreciate yall being apart of helping me get to Israel and Ethiopia. God really used our team in wonderful ways in both places. I wanna share two highlights from my trip. 


In Israel I got to baptize one of my students, Marissa Cahill, in the Jordan River. Jesus commands us in Matthew 28:19-20 to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


In Ethiopia our team got to do several Bible studies with some homeless people in our community. We got to take them out to dinner and really treat them and honor them as people. They asked us to buy them Bibles in their language and God provided enough money for us to purchase Bibles for them, so that was really awesome. But the highlight of Ethiopia for me was that God used us to lead them to Jesus. We shared the Gospel and prayed with them, and about 4 or more wanted to follow Jesus. So I was blown away that God used us to be apart of what He is doing in the world. 


"Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:12-14




So I want to update everyone and let you know what's going on now that I'm back in Pismo Beach, California. I'm doing really well. I love being back in Pismo and God has really opened some doors for me. I'm now leading outreach for the YWAM base, I'm going to Hume lake Christian camp as a leader with my youth group on Sunday June 26-July 2, When I get back I'm gonna be working at my church with the youth group. I'll be teaching, discipling students and building relationships with a group of guys that I"ll be pouring into.


And God is doing something in my heart about what it means to follow Him, cause I've been asking Jesus to follow me instead of following Him so that's really excited. I'm doing a study on Jesus, going through the Gospels and looking at how Jesus lived His life and what He did and how He done things.. I'm pretty stoked about it.

I have a huge heart for the 18-30 age here in Pismo, and I feel like God is teaching me that prayer is such a BIG part of seeing them come to Him and be passionate for Jesus. Pretty exciting stuff.

So God is really doing a lot in me and I'm really excited about it cause I'll get to know Jesus more, and be in His presence and to me there is nothing better than that!!

"Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees." Psalm 119:133-135

Thanks for all your love and support! Love you all more than you know.

Grace and Blessings,

Philip Causey 

What? I'm going to Israel and Ethiopia!!

Hey Everyone!

I'm so excited about writing this update. To all of you that don't know, I am currently living in Pismo Beach, California working full time with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) a international, interdenominational movement of volunteers who want to know God and make Him known. We do Discipleship Training Schools, which are the heartbeat of YWAM. A DTS is designed to help you understand God more deeply, live more like Jesus and identify your unique gifts and purpose to use in missions. DTS emphasizes cross-cultural exposure and global awareness, preparing students to answer the call to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.

Here at YWAM Pismo Beach we do two DTS' a year. I am currently staffing the Isaiah 61 DTS and co-leading the two month outreach, and in a few weeks we are heading to Israel and Ethiopia. We will be leaving April 12th and spend our first month in Israel, hopefully traveling  to three or four locations through-out Israel, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Haifa, and Tel Aviv. We'll be working with International House of Prayer (I-HOP) and other ministries working with a variety of people including Jews, Muslims, Orphans, Widows, Drug addicts and Prostitutes. Then we will be going to Ethiopia and spending our last month there in the capital city, Addis Ababa, working with the YWAM base and doing ministry in the community with again Jews, Muslims, Orphans and street kids. I am really excited about the Lord leading us to these two places, cause they're so connected.

As we're getting prepared to leave, we'll be purchasing our tickets, applying for visa's, and getting yellow fever shots. Please be in prayer that we can find reasonable prices and have favor with getting visa's.

God has really been stretching me in areas of trusting Him and revealing to me that He is faithful and we don't serve a poor God. It's not always fun or easy trusting God, but it's so worth it and I know He is faithful and He will supply ALL my needs according to His riches and goodness that are in Christ Jesus. He has been doing SO much in me and through me. I can't be more thankful about what Jesus is doing in my life.

Thankfully, I feel like God is going to be using me in more ways that I know as I'm being called to declare the Love, Grace, Mercy, Compassion, and Forgiveness of God that last forever through Jesus' finished work on the cross. So as God is preparing me to leave in April, I ask that you would walk with me in any of the following ways. First and most importantly, Please walk with me in Prayer. Whether you commit to once a week or everyday I ask you once again to cover my every step in the spiritual realms. There is no greater gift than to be covered by the body of Christ. For as the Apostle Paul states, "The battle we fight is not of flesh and blood, but of the spirit." Second, I humbly ask that you walk with me financially. The total cost for this entire two month outreach is $3,300.

One of the things that happens when you see what God is doing all around the world is that a lot of your vocabulary gets redefined. One of the words we throw around in our culture is the word Blessed. We teach that God is going to bless you if you give, that there is a blessing in giving, there is a blessing in generosity but so many people think that means just God's going to give you more money back if you give Him money and God does provide for out material needs.I believe God wants His Church and Children fully funded, to do His will and I thank God for blessing me, so I can be a blessing to others. Will God bless you if you give? Absolutely. But lets redefine what blessing means. So as you give to support what God is doing here in Pismo Beach, and in the nations, God's going to bless you in return, good measure, pressed down shaken together and running over. God is going to bless you as you give.

This past year it's been an honor to be a representative of not only myself but of the community behind me. Whether your support manifests as prayer, encouragement, or finances, it's an honor to represent everyone that is behind me wherever our God is leading me on this earth. To be able to be used by God to bring the good news of His heart to the nations, makes my decision to leave my life, wherever that is, worth it all. So as I walk into this new season of my life, leading others and trusting God everyday with my life, I ask that you prayerfully consider walking me on this new journey.

Whether you'd like to give a single gift, or choose to give monthly you can give online at our website: http://www.ywampismobeach.org/donate.html
Or write a check made out to YWAM. Attach a note indicating that it's for Philip Causey. Then mail it to YWAM Pismo Beach 791 Price Street. #119 Pismo Beach, CA 93449.

**All donations are tax-deductible, and are greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your love and support! Love you all more than you know.

Grace and Blessings,
Philip Causey

If you have any questions about support, please give me a call or email me.

(828)308-7237
causeyphilip@gmail.com

www.philipcausey.blogspot.com

What's next?

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

Embrace Grace

Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace, you have been saved, through faith, not or your works, it's a gift of God."

*As a leader in the Church, we've gotta do church simple!

• Either Teach you something new about Jesus.
• Or Remind you of something that you've forgotten.

Grace is God meeting man at our point of need in the person of the Lord Jesus.

• Grace & Faith are both gifts of God.
• Faith is nothing more than a response to grace.
• If you remove grace from your faith, all you have is self-effort & self-will.
• Anytime you preach on faith, you must preach on the object of our faith, which is Jesus.
• Faith alone doesn't come by preaching on faith apart from Jesus. Faith preaching, just on faith, leads us to believing in our faith. Or having faith in our faith.

1. Grace is always first.
2. Then Faith.
3. Then Works.

• If we get the order wrong, there will be a lot of frustration, anxiety, and confusion in your life.
• Here in America we know "good works" better than grace & faith. It's "what can I do? It's great what Jesus done, but what do I have to do?"
• So we end up focusing on what we have to do, but what we have to do, has no relevance, no meaning, until we understand what He has done! - What we do is in response to what He had done!
•  Faith in faith? Good works in good works? -That's "Do Good-ism" & we're no better or different than any other belief system.
• Grace is our order in our belief system!
• Grace is always first in scripture. John 1:17
• Why? Cause Jesus is always first.
• Jesus is the personification of grace. - with out Jesus there is no grace.
• What is faith without grace? A dead end!

1. If we preach Jesus.
2. If we preach the Gospel.
3. If we preach Grace.

• Faith happens. Then Works happen. 
• Faith is a response to grace. Works is a reflection of that response.
• Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by works you have been saved, through self-effort, this is of yourselves, and is your gift to God."
•  For many of us, that's how we live our life.
• If you wanna grow in your faith, grow in the knowledge of Jesus.
• It's about Jesus!... So that means: We've gotta preach Jesus! We've gotta worship Jesus! We've gotta honor Jesus!
• Jesus is the object of our faith. He is the object of our Love. He is the object of our obsession. He is the reason we do good works. He is the reason we believe.
• What we should understand the most in Grace, Faith, & Works.. is Grace, and if we do, faith will come!
• When you see the Cross, you have confidence in grace.
• This is the life of Freedom & Liberty.
• There is grace fro each and every person! It's by grace, and  grace alone you can be who God is calling us to be.
• Apart from grace, we are most people doomed and pathetic, we can do nothing apart from God's grace!
• Ready or not, Here grace comes! You don't have to go looking for grace, cause it's been looking for you.
• Alot of the time when grace comes, we don't fully understand it. So we don't know how to react to it.
• We sing & talk about it, but really don't know what it is.
• Grace is much more a person, than a principal. 
• Jesus himself is the personification of grace. *John 1:17
• Anytime Jesus show's up grace come with him.
• If you're looking for grace, you don't have to look for a feeling, warm fuzzy, sermon, podcast, twitter, etc.. just look for Jesus.
• Grace has been so mis-used. 
• We tend to use it as our "get out of jail card" Live like hell, Monday-Saturday, and on Sunday get your grace on..
• When you meet grace, and look into the eyes of fire of grace, and you see grace for who He is.. it will Not lead you into sin, but Righteousness,  and be the fuel to your holiness in your life.
• We have gotta see His unconditional Love He has for us, that He accomplished on the cross.

*REDEFINE GRACE:

• It is more than favor, it's a force, it's the person of Jesus. And it's the life you've always dreamed of in your journey with Jesus.
• To understand why Jesus did what he did, you gotta understand who He is.
• He did what He did, because He was who He was.
• So If you wanna do what Jesus did, you gotta understand who He is, and become like him. And to become like Him, you can do what He did.
• Alot of us are trying to do what Jesus did, and not become who He was, so our Christianity will die. And apart from grace, it's impossible.
• We've gotta become like Jesus, to live like Jesus.

• Luke 15:19 - We think we're not worthy.

*Jesus said it himself, in John 3:3-7, you MUST be born again. Meaning baptism. 

• To become a child of God, you gotta believe & be baptized. It's nothing we do,but what He already did on the cross.
• You are never a son by worth, you are a son by birth!
• Worth has nothing to do with it. Its not about working to be worthy, living to be worthy, trying hard enough to be worthy.
• You are who you are by the grace of God!
• If God loves you now, and he know's what you're gonna do later or next summer, but He still loves you!

• Luke 15:20 - Long distance away, and the father saw him.

*All of our things and ways we try to get back to God, when we're far from him are in our efforts, are still gonna be a long distance away. 

"Grace is not man coming to God, Grace is God coming to man."

• God initiates, we simply respond. All of our faith is a response! 
• 1 John 4:19 - "We love, cause He, Jesus, First loved us!"
• He came to us, we respond. 
• He died on a cross, we respond.

-Repentance ..... Response.

-Worship .... Response.

-Holiness ..... Response.

-Giving ..... Response.

-Prayer ..... Response.

• Jesus initiated us, so that we can be in a loving relationship with him, and its' our job to respond!
• Don't get it twisted - The help of man is useless. God and God alone can save you, deliver you, forgive you, heal you, and make you something... and without Him, you're nothing.
• We don't go on mission trips just because it's fun, or people are in need. Anyone can go help somebody. But it's the Holy Spirit inside us that is going to lead us to help someone. It's the love of Jesus.
• It's out testimony, we were a great way off, far from God, and He saw us! So no matter how far you are today, God sees  you!

• Luke 15:20B
• The father ran. In that culture middle eastern men didn't run for nothing. Jesus is trying to communicate crazy love.
• We can't even understand ho much our God loves us. We can't even scratch the surface of His crazy love.
• So what are you gonna do today because grace is running toward  you.
• These are our excuses: *I'm not worthy. *I gotta get things right first.
• What we need to do is Let Jesus come and wrap His grace around you, and let grace empower you to live a life you only dreamed of.
• This doesn't make since, cause we've been taught at a young age, cause and effect. For every cause, there is an effect. But when it comes to grace, we just receive effect. We did nothing to cause it. And it's very difficult for us to understand that.
• The cause is Christ, and we receive the effects of His love.
• There must be repentance! Grace is not grace without truth.
• Thats greasy grace. Truth is what makes grace, grace. So there must be truth in what you've done.
• Romans 2:4 - "It's His kindness that leads us to repentance.
• Alot of us are trying to plot our way back to God, and you need to just STOP.
• Ephesians 2:8 - "You are saved by grace, through faith not of your works, it's a gift from God."
• Stop and let God's presence to embrace your past, present, and future. Become who you are by the grace of God, and respond to the love of our father.
• Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that He is God."
• His Grace is undeserved. We done nothing to get it. We just receive it.
• Often a man's empty good deeds are a greater hindrance to him receiving God's grace.
• The religious mind set cannot understand the grace of God. Because law centered, brings you to self centered. But when you become grace centered, you become God centered and others focused!
• The law could never understand Grace.
• We're taught, "you get what you deserve."
• But the gospel, grace, teaches us the opposite. No one else has our message. No one else says what we say. Grace.
• Grace is God meeting man at his point of need, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• We've gotta embrace grace. For grace is the scandalous love of God.
• It's scandalous what Jesus did for us. He took our place.

*Psalm 25:7 - "Forgive the rebellious sins of my youth, look instead through the eyes of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord."

• So many of us are concerned about our past, our mistakes, and what we need to do is obsess over Jesus' finished work for you, that He has taken your place, and has set you free.
• Jesus became sin, so that could become righteous.
• John 8:36 - "So if the Son has set you free, you're free indeed!"  

My life.. Update