Pukalani Community Church of the Nazarene

Recovery is a serious topic and we have had a lot of serious discussions in our group about recovery. But one thing I thought we should discuss that we haven’t really covered yet is having fun in recovery. We’ve talked before about how recovery is a lot of hard work, and it is. We spend a lot of time facing and working through uncomfortable, and oftentimes painful, situations. Recovery is something that we have to fight for. If it was easy, everyone would do it. So what are we fighting for? We’re fighting for life, right? We come to recovery because things aren’t working out like we hoped. We come to recovery because we are struggling to make it on our own. So what’s the point of putting in so much effort if we aren’t going to enjoy the life we are fighting for? 

As someone  who used substances as a means of escaping life, I know the importance of building a life we don’t need to escape from. A lot of the things that many of us are in recovery for are things that other people do recreationally – such as drinking, smoking, or spending time with the opposite sex. I know many people who are leery about recovery because they think it’s going to be boring. In my experience with people like this, usually they have this fear because it’s the only way of life that they are familiar with. It is true that we are limited in what we can do in recovery. For example, I’m not able to go to the bar and drink with friends because this puts my sobriety at risk. But there is a world full of healthy activities I can partake in without this risk. And the truly beautiful thing is that when I partake in recreational activities while in recovery, I’m able to actually be present and enjoy them in a way that doesn’t exist when I’m high. 

I’ve said before that recovery is a gift, and gifts are meant to be enjoyed. We work so hard to get healthy and create a new life for ourselves. Of course sometimes it’s challenging but we need that balance. We need to have joy as well as the sacrifice and hard work. Ecclesiastes 8:15 agrees with me. It says, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”

God died for our sins. He didn’t offer us life so that we could spend it in misery – he offered us salvation so that we can live with joy in our hearts. It pleases God to see us happy and thriving. It pleases God to see us spending time in fellowship with other Chrsitians who love us and support us. John 15:9-11 says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Many of us have known a lot of pain and darkness. Some of us have struggled with mental health, some have struggled with abuse and other traumas, and some have fought terrible addictions. Recovery is a precious gift because we have the opportunity to come out of that darkness and into the light. We don’t have to live in fear or in pain anymore. Because of the gift of recovery, we have the opportunity to enjoy our lives. And this is something that we deserve. 

– Sarah Gudmunson

Today I wanted to talk about secret sin. This was a phrase I was a little unsure of when I first heard it, because isn’t most sin done in secret? Aren’t most mistakes guarded fiercely? I know that when I was in my addiction I tried desperately to hide that fact from my family and friends. This is because sin thrives in the darkness of secrecy. But when I decided to get clean, I had to ask for help and admit that I had messed up. I believe that secret sin is a mistake or struggle that we try to solve on our own in secret. We try to sweep it under the rug and pretend to the world that nothing has happened.

 In recovery, we are learning the importance of transparency and confession. We learn that the act of sharing our struggles and mistakes takes the weight away from the secret and provides us with accountability and much needed encouragement and support. But that’s easier said than done. There’s many reasons why sharing our mistakes is so difficult. For one, it’s incredibly uncomfortable to be vulnerable and bare ourselves to those around us. There’s always the risk that we’re going to be judged or met with scorn. Personally, when I share something that I’m particularly sensitive about, I’m afraid that I’m going to hear that I’m alone in my struggles. There are few things worse than the belief that my struggle is completely unique. But I have learned through my experience that, so far, I have yet to make a mistake that no one else has ever made before. When I keep my sins to myself, I am keeping myself from the realization that I am not alone in what I go through. The realization that other people struggle in the same way that I do really takes the weight out of the secret and allows me to start healing.

Another thing that makes confession so scary is the consequences that our sins cause. Being honest about a mistake we’ve made may cause us to lose something valuable to us. Maybe we fear the loss of a relationship or our job. Maybe we are just scared to disappoint our loved ones. When facing these serious consequences, it definitely can feel like the best thing to do is hide. Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sin does not prosper, but the one who confessed and renounced them finds mercy.” The truth is that our mistakes are usually eventually revealed anyway, whether by our own transparency or by our own missteps. I have found that when I make the decision to be honest about something difficult, I am met with more respect and understanding than if my own actions end up telling on me. It may be too late to go back and undo my mistakes, but it’s not too late to make the decision to right them.

I want to make it clear that, while it’s important to live transparently, there is a difference between secrecy and privacy. Transparency doesn’t mean that we have to share every little detail with every single person. It doesn’t even mean that we have to confess our worst sins to every single person. It’s always been helpful for me to confide in someone who loves me and who I know will hold me accountable without judging me. And of course, it’s important to confess my sins to God. Sometimes it feels like confessing to God isn’t really necessary because he sees and knows everything already. But I have found that it is important to make the time to admit to God that I’m struggling. I like this verse from Psalm 69:5 for its simple honesty, “You, God, know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.” 

And finally, I’d like to end this with the reminder that we can’t hide from God. We may become very skilled at lying to our loved ones and even ourselves, but God sees our hearts. Psalm 139: 3-5 says, “You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all of my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” It is always reassuring to remember that God has seen the very darkest part of my heart and still loves me. He knows everything I have ever done wrong and everything I ever will do wrong and still finds me worthy. Keeping that in mind makes it a little easier to be able to confess and ask for help. 

– Sarah Gudmunson

Gratitude is often the first thing to go when life gets tough. In fact, research suggests that over hundreds of years our brains have evolved to respond more strongly to negative experiences than positive ones. This trait used to help keep us safe from danger back when we had to hunt and collect our own food every day, but now that we are in modern times and we can go to the grocery store for food,  we no longer face the same dangers as we as a species used to. A trait which once was effective in protecting humankind has now found itself in the way. This tendency to overreact specifically to negative experiences is called the negativity bias. According to this theory, it is human instinct to react more strongly to a negative incident than a positive one, even when the two incidents are of the same magnitude. And not only do we react more strongly to negative experiences, we also tend to dwell and ruminate on them longer than positive ones. 

  And yet, research also tells us that practicing active gratitude leads to a more peaceful and happy life. There is actually an astounding amount of research that suggests that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. This may feel daunting, because we have centuries of biological evolution stacked against us. Our instinct is not to be grateful, it’s to be negative. But gratitude is recognized as one of the fundamental virtues in the creation of happiness. Gratitude is imperative to our recovery. So what do we do? Well, we already know, hopefully, that recovery is hard work. We don’t get to just sit back and let God do everything. If we want to change, we have to put in the work. I’m sure everyone already knows this. 

This all being said, it’s clear to me that we have to work at gratitude. As I’ve already said, it is not our natural inclination. It’s just like forgiveness – we have learned that forgiveness is also essential to our own mental health and recovery, but it’s not our natural state to want to forgive. We have to actively practice this, to take time to consciously be grateful for our lives. Because when we step back, we will realize that we have a lot to be grateful for. 

I want to make it clear that I’m not suggesting that we ignore our negative feelings or try to pretend that bad things never happen to us. That’s also unhealthy. We do need to acknowledge and address the bad and hurtful things that happen to us or that we do. We need to do this so we can heal and move forward. The difference is that we shouldn’t be dwelling on these things. We shouldn’t be holding onto resentments and anger. We shouldn’t be clutching all of our disappointments tightly in our fists because it vindicates our negative behaviors. The trouble is not that we are addressing our hurts and disappointments; the trouble is that we are only recognizing our hurts and disappointments. We need to take the time to recognize all of the positivity in our lives, because in most cases it actually overwhelms the negative. 

It makes sense that if we consistently act negatively and hold onto life’s valleys, our own life will be a reflection of that negativity. And this seems to be something that God knew because there are multiple instances in the bible where we are told to give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Even when things are difficult, we can give thanks. We can give thanks when we have worries and troubles because we know that God is there for us and will provide for us. Another verse I really like which tells us to give thanks is 1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever.”

One thing that I have found to be effective in learning gratitude is to make a daily gratitude journal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a simple journal where I take the time every day to write a few things I am grateful for. This simple act of making me consciously think and write about things I’m grateful for makes a big difference. For one thing, it reminds me of these things that ordinarily I may not take the time to be thankful for. And another thing this simple act does is help retrain my brain to be in the habit of looking at and being grateful for the wonderful things in my life.Another thing I have found to be effective is to challenge my negative thoughts. As I’ve already said, it’s instinct for my brain to react negatively or to laser in on negative incidents. It’s easy, when a loved one says something hurtful or isn’t very considerate, to immediately tell myself that they don’t love or care about me. Instead, I have to remind myself of all the ways that they do love me and give them the courtesy of understanding that they may be having an off day. I want to end this with a passage from Psalm 23:1-6, which is essentially a great list of things to be grateful for. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Sarah Gudmunson

I personally want you to know just how much you mean to me, and to our Puka Naz church family. And the truth of the matter is that we need each other. Not through social media platforms of some sort, but in a real and tangible way in a common setting like in person church on Sunday mornings, and other times of gathering. We really do need each other! For support, edification, prayer, encouragement, and unity, that we might do life together as God’s Ambassadors.

God created the church, which literally and figuratively is the Body of Christ. And He invited us to be part of this wonderful body made up of believers everywhere. Living testimonies to a world in need.
I know that we have been through some unique and uncertain times these past two plus years. Times that have shaken each of us, all of humanity, as well as the church. Times of sickness and loss, conflict and chaos. Those times separated us physically, one from another. But now is the season to come together in unity once again.

1 Peter 5:6:11 tells us this truth: So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. Stay alert! watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power to Him forever! Amen.

When we abide in Christ, and live and share life together, we are strong. When we try to do life alone, according to our own understanding, the enemy deceives, confuses, discourages, and devours us.
This message is my appeal to you, my family, to trust God and to literally return to the body you are part of.

An appeal of love and necessity, one for another.

Remember, God brought us together for a reason, “for His good and perfect purposes for those who believe.”

Always remember, God is in control. Uncertainty and fear have no impact on Him.
We need God, and we need each other! By His design, and according to His plans.
Always know that you are welcome here, you belong, and you are loved.

Pastor Mark

We have all heard people say, “Why does God allow evil in the world?” That’s a good question. By assuming that God “allows” is not far from the truth. But what is not true is that God is blind or not active in doing anything to stop evil and with this line of thinking, people ask, “How can God be good or be a loving God?” From the very beginning, we see God in action calling/commanding forth, from darkness and chaos, all things into their proper order. Then when humanity, deceived by the snake, messed up what God put into order, we see God active in bringing order back through Enoch, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to the prophets, and finally to Jesus, and then through us, Christ’s Church.

But God’s way of stopping evil is not with evil. God’s way of dealing with evil is to perpetuate or empower what is good.

Now this activeness of God in creation as we read through the Scriptures display God to be a God who saves. Indeed, God does save, and that desire to save comes from who God is and will always be: love. But does God save people who don’t want to be saved? No. Does this mean God doesn’t love them? No. People who don’t want help will not seek help. They will reject help, and will show little to no appreciation for help graciously given. This is their choice, because God has given us free will to accept or reject. This choice is also deeply tragic, because all that God wants to do is to flood our hearts with everlasting life.

God cannot be manipulated, coerced, or shamed into doing what we want; God can, however, be inspired by the cries of the helpless, the integrity of the godly, the faith of the humble, and the praises of his people. God is Spirit and so are we. So when we cry for his help, or stand up against lies and deception, or step out in faith as we obey His words, or sing to him with gratefulness in our hearts, He empowers us. God is good and empowers everything that is good to continue to be good. God is faithful and empowers everything that is faithful to continue to be faithful. God is love and empowers everything that is love to continue to be love. You get the idea.

In contrast, God is not a liar, so He won’t empower those who lie. God is not a killer, or a destroyer, or a thief, so he won’t empower those who seek to kill or destroy or steal. The things of evil will eventually die because it does not have God’s life in it to keep it alive.

Brothers and sisters, evil entices us to do evil and its destination is death. Good inspires us to do good and its destination is life and life everlasting. Good notices and acknowledges evil but does not pay attention or join in the desires of evil. Evil is jealous of good, and watches for an opportunity to destroy what is good, but in vain. Good looks for good, and empowers good to continue to be good. Good cannot be destroyed, because God is good and he cannot be destroyed. Evil is destroyed by evil. Good outlives evil.

Seek the face of God with all your heart, body, mind, and soul, and learn what is good. Then, live in what is good: live in God.

Genesis 1 (the whole account of creation)

Revelation 22:11

“Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.”

1 John 2:8
“Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.”

I’d like to talk today about relationships because they’re such an important part of our recovery and of life in general. God created us as social creatures and we need relationships. It’s impossible to go through life without relationships, whether those relationships come in the form of friendships, co-workers, family members, significant others, or acquaintances.  Genesis 2:18 says, “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” And that’s why it’s so important for us to learn how to navigate our relationships and maintain healthy communication and healthy boundaries. As many of you know, relationships can prove to be a huge asset in our lives. We need our people to hold us accountable, to encourage us, to love us, and to motivate us. But relationships can be complicated and complex. The reason for this is really simple – it’s because we are dealing with other humans who, just like us, aren’t perfect. 

When we are in recovery, our priority in our relationships has to be ourselves. I know this may seem to go against what we’ve been taught, because we’ve been told to be selfless and to give of ourselves to others. I want to make it clear that I’m not saying we shouldn’t do this, because God does call us to serve. But when we are in recovery, we have to constantly be aware of our limits and our boundaries. We have already discussed in this group that we are of no use to others if we are not healthy. God wants us to serve others, but he doesn’t want us to put ourselves at risk in the process. One of the most important things I learned in recovery was how to set healthy boundaries with others and with myself. The first step for doing this was learning how to recognize what my limitations are. It was important to really be honest with myself about this because sometimes I struggled with understanding the difference between not wanting to do something and not being able to do something. I had to make sure that these boundaries were feasible – for example, I can’t tell my boss that I’m choosing to spend all my time at work on my phone because I don’t feel like working. But I can communicate with my boss, letting them know, for example, “You know, I’m really uncomfortable working with this specific client.” In my experience, the best way to navigate this sort of thing is with clear and honest communication. There have been times where I was not willing or able to offer what was expected of me, and in those instances the relationship has sometimes had to be severed. The important thing I’ve learned when it comes to setting boundaries is that I cannot simply determine the boundaries I want to have – I have to communicate them with others so that they know what they can expect of me. During this process, I had to determine what my priorities were. For me personally, my priorities were my children, my recovery, my education, my work, my relationship with God, and my family. If there were things that were going to get in the way of these priorities, I decided not to let them in my life. Sometimes that meant cutting certain people out of my life and sometimes it meant not agreeing to further engagements. And this is something that I actually really struggled with because I tend to be a people pleaser and I always feel so bad when I have to tell people no. I always feel like I owe an explanation but the truth is, unless I’m communicating with someone who I am accountable to, I don’t need to explain my choices. Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Another thing that has been important in maintaining healthy relationships is making sure that the relationships I have are reciprocal. This is an ongoing process of reflection. I want to make sure that there is both give and take in a relationship. I don’t have the energy to maintain relationships where I am only giving and it’s unfair to expect relationships where I am only taking. If I feel that this give and take is uneven, it may be time to consider some changes. Part of maintaining reciprocity in my relationships includes being able to communicate honestly with those who are closest to me. If we get into a disagreement, there’s going to be a strain on the relationship if I pretend to ignore the issue and then secretly become bitter about it. Usually, depending on what the issue is, I try to forgive and move past the disagreement. God calls us to love and to forgive. But, in doing so, I need to acknowledge and apologize for my part in the disagreement, because usually these things aren’t one sided. 

Perhaps one of the most important things about maintaining healthy relationships in recovery is choosing wisely who we spend time around. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” This is something I used to struggle with a little bit because God also wants us to serve those who are broken and vulnerable. But there is a definite difference between serving those who are broken and allowing them to influence us. I think one main way to distinguish the difference between these two things is to honestly evaluate our motives. Are we spending time with this person because they justify our bad behavior or are we really trying to help them? Personally, it’s made all the difference to surround myself with people who are like minded, who I look up to, and who I want to learn from. I know that we are so easily influenced by the people around us, whether we realize it or not. I want to be influenced positively. I want to surround myself with light and love, and more importantly, I want to represent light and love to others.

– Sarah Gudmunson

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and the church to be prepared to preach the gospel in season or out of season.

Folks, we are the church! And the responsibility is ours to share the Hope and the Good News of the gospel with others. Our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.. 
in season or out of season…… what does that mean, to be prepared no matter the circumstance? It means to realize and remember that the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of people before we even come in contact with them, that we have not crossed paths by random chance, but that God knew in advance that an encounter would happen, and that even if we had not planned to share the gospel with them at that time, the encounter provides an opportunity and a responsibility to share.

So think about what you know about the gospel. What and how salvation has touched your life. Who Jesus is to you, and how He saved you. Live gratitude out on an everyday basis no matter the situation, and share the gospel by truly loving others patiently. Remember, God did not call us to save anyone. We are powerless to do so. Only God can save those the Holy Spirit has called. We can only share, encourage, pray for, and love others with the same love and grace God showers us with.
Planting seeds of Hope. Living out the Good News of the gospel. Being Christ-like to a world in need. It’s what we are called to do! Be prepared and share. It’s our part in God’s plan.

Share!

– Pastor Mark Gudmunson

We may have heard it more than a few times in our lives…”trust me” and that trust has been broken or that trust is shallow at best. The word trust means “a firm belief in the reliability , truth, ability or strength of someone or something. True trust is a privilege enjoyed by the believer and is built on and established through time. In the book of Acts , Luke writes to Theophilus which means “friend of God or beloved by God”, about all that Jesus began to do and teach. So it seems that we can all be a Theophilus or friend of God. We as the body of believers are a continuation of all that Jesus began to do and teach long ago. We have the pages of scripture that tells us of God’s faithfulness through the centuries past. So we can count on Him today! He simply asks us to abide in Him. To remain. Because apart from Him we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us.

The Old testament also speaks of God’s faithfulness for thousands of years. We see the result of those who trusted and honored him and the result of those who didn’t. So in the Gospel of John Jesus says trust God trust also in me. The same way the people of God trusted Him for everything, do the same with Jesus. We should take Jesus at his word and believe that we can not only trust him with our souls, but our very lives as well. All the small minute details of our moment-by-moment decisions we make should be done to honor Him. The Christian life is often referred to as a walk. The bible says Enoch walked with God 400 yrs! and then he was no more because the Lord took him. He walked with his Lord all the days of his life intimately and that’s what our Lord wants. Intimate fellowship.

God knows whats best for us because all the days of our lives were already written in his book before any of them came to be. So walk close to him. Know his word because his word ‘reveals his nature. Love him with all your heart for he is worthy!!! Proverbs 16:25 says there is a way that seems right to a man but its end leads to death. Carnal man alone cant make it but with God we can!!! He simply asks us to acknowledge him in all our ways and he will direct our path. The path isnt always smoothe but is firm and secure! Trust him today!!! David sought the heart of God and therefore knew his Lord intimately…learn from his example and seek the Lord today, know him, know his voice, know his Word. He truly is faithful and trustworthy.

Pastor Kevin

I love to praise and worship God. On my own time I love praise and worshipping God and I always have a rich time with Him. But I also love to praise and worship God together as a Church ohana! I might even love that more. I love following Jesus as he leads us during praise and worship. Jesus has definitely always brought encouragement and even conviction sometimes to me during cooperate praise worship and I’m sure he does that for others also. Through my years of being used by God to help people to praise and worship him I’ve always been grateful for His patience with me in teaching me things he wants me know whether it be for my personal spiritual growth or sometimes he gives me a word to share to the congregation. This past Sunday night was another awesome praise and worship night.  God filled our praise and worship with his presence and it was super awesome. God was speaking to me about this simple truth that he has spoken to me about again and again which always fills me with faith, hope and love and courage to follow him even more. What God was speaking to me about was to “fix my eyes on him.” To fix my heart and mind on him. To listen to “his” still small voice. To focus on Him. I always find peace there. I always find so much courage their. Through the years of leading worship the Lord has taught me this treasure of truth which helps me so much in leading worship. I use to get so caught up with how the music sounds and sometimes I get caught with my own issues that distract me and the enemy attacks as well “but God” has been near to me always and he helps me that if I fix my eyes on him all my fears begin to wash away and peace is brought in like a river to my soul. So I want to encourage you all to praise and worship the Lord every moment especially when your sinful nature is being stirred up. Fix your eyes on him and let his peace fill you!!!

-Hau’oli Kalama, Associate Pastor