EastLake Church Chula Vista

What do you do when the people who are supposed to represent Jesus are the ones who hurt you? How do you navigate disappointment, hypocrisy, and painful experiences within the church without walking away from your faith?In week four of Asking for a Friend, Pastor Hosanna Wong addresses one of the most personal and difficult questions people have about Christianity: How do I deal with church hurt and hypocrisy? Through Jesus' words in Matthew 23, we discover that Jesus wasn't afraid to confront religious hypocrisy. He challenged those who cared more about looking spiritual than actually living a life surrendered to God.But what happens when we've been hurt by someone who claims to follow Jesus? Hosanna explores the important difference between church disappointment, discomfort, and genuine harm. While the church is meant to be a place of love, healing, and belonging, the reality is that people within it can cause deep wounds. Those experiences matter, and God doesn't ask us to pretend they didn't happen.This message offers practical steps toward healing, including identifying the people who caused the hurt, inviting God and trusted people into our pain, and learning to put our faith in Christ rather than in imperfect Christians. Through Scripture, we're reminded that healing doesn't require returning to unsafe situations, and forgiveness doesn't mean ignoring what happened.Ultimately, Jesus invites us to something better than religious performance or pretending everything is okay. He calls us into authentic relationships with Him and others, where grace, truth, accountability, and healing can take place.If you've ever been hurt by a church, disappointed by a Christian, or struggled to reconcile your faith with the actions of others, this message is for you. Your pain doesn't have to define your future, and the Church is better with you in it.

Why does God care about our sex lives? What does the Bible actually teach about sex, sexuality, and our bodies? And how do we navigate those teachings in a culture that often sees things very differently?In week three of Asking for a Friend, Pastor James Grogan tackles one of the most personal and challenging questions about faith. Looking at 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, we explore God's design for sex, the purpose of our bodies, and why following Jesus involves more than just what we believe. It also shapes how we live.The Bible teaches that our bodies are good gifts from God, created with purpose and value. But just because we have the freedom to do something doesn't mean it's beneficial. James unpacks the biblical view of sexuality, why God designed sex for intimacy and commitment within marriage, and how our choices can either lead us toward freedom or leave us feeling trapped.At the heart of this message is a powerful reminder: our bodies matter to God. Scripture teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we're invited to honor God with how we live, love, and treat ourselves and others.But what about the mistakes we've made, the regrets we carry, or the ways we've been hurt? Through the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery in John 8, we're reminded that Jesus approaches us with both grace and truth. He doesn't condemn us or leave us where we are. He offers forgiveness, healing, and an invitation to live differently.Whatever your story or season of life, God's grace is available to you, and His invitation is the same: discover the freedom and purpose that come from following the way of Jesus.

What happens after we die? Is hell real? What is heaven actually like? And how can we know where we'll spend eternity?In week two of Asking for a Friend, Pastor Kevin McPeak takes on some of the biggest questions we have about heaven, hell, judgment, and eternity. The Bible teaches that final judgment matters because evil cannot ultimately go unanswered. But that creates a problem for every one of us: if God's standard is perfect goodness, we all fall short. Through Scripture, we explore what Jesus taught about hell as eternal separation from God and heaven as eternal communion with Him. Hell reveals the reality of God's justice, while heaven reveals the incredible gift of God's grace. We don't earn eternity with God by being good enough. Salvation is a gift made available to us through Jesus.Ultimately, our eternity hinges on our relationship with Jesus. And eternal life isn't simply something that begins after we die. Jesus teaches that eternity begins now. Through Him, we can live with the confidence that we are loved, forgiven, secure, and invited into God's Kingdom forever. These are big questions without simple answers, but we don't have to be afraid to ask them. God invites us to engage our hearts, souls, and minds as we discover the hope Jesus offers for today and for eternity.

Can we really trust the Bible? And is asking that question something Christians should be afraid to do?In week one of Asking for a Friend, Pastor James Grogan kicks off a new series, creating space for honest questions about faith. Christianity doesn't require us to shut down our minds, stop asking questions, or pretend difficult questions have easy answers. Instead, we're invited to approach our questions with honesty, humility, and openness to where God might lead us. This week, we start with the Bible. What is it, where did it come from, and why have Christians trusted it for generations? James explores the Bible's internal consistency, historical connections, manuscript evidence, archaeology, and fulfilled prophecy as reasons Christians believe Scripture is credible, reliable, and trustworthy. But trusting the Bible is about more than winning an argument or accumulating knowledge. The goal isn't simply to know the Bible. It's to know the God it reveals. Scripture is meant to form us into the likeness of Jesus, serve as a mirror for our own lives rather than binoculars for judging others, and invite us into the story God is still writing. Bring your questions. Stay curious. And discover why we can trust Scripture while allowing its truth to challenge, shape, and transform us.

What changes when a church stops feeling like "their church" and starts becoming our church?In week three of I Love Our Church, Pastor James Grogan closes the series by looking at generosity and how giving moves us from simply consuming to contributing to God's mission. Generosity isn't just about money. It's about our hearts, our trust, and recognizing how much we've already received from God. Generosity starts with gratitude. Romans 8 reminds us that God gave first, offering us the ultimate gift in Jesus. When we focus more on what God has already given us than on what we don't have, gratitude begins to change the way we live and give. Generosity also grows when we have a plan. Instead of earning, spending, saving, and giving whatever happens to be left, we're challenged to become intentional: give first, save intentionally, and then live on the rest. Whether you're ready to start giving, begin saving, deal with debt, or simply ask for help, the invitation is to take your next right step toward greater freedom and wise stewardship. And as Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:21, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When we invest in God's Kingdom, our hearts follow. Our generosity connects us more deeply to God's mission and helps move us from saying "your church" to saying "our church." Grace is free. We don't give to earn God's love or our place in His family. We give because He has already been generous to us, and He invites us into a life of freedom, wisdom, generosity, and purpose.#EastLakeChurch #ILoveOurChurch #JamesGrogan #Generosity #Giving #Stewardship #Faith #ChurchFamily #Jesus #ChristianLiving

Are you a fan of Jesus, or are you actively playing your part in His mission?In week two of I Love Our Church, Pastor James Grogan challenges us to move from simply consuming church to committing and contributing. The church isn't an event or a building. Scripture calls it the Body of Christ, and every one of us has a part to play. Jesus isn't looking for fans sitting in the stands. He's calling faithful followers onto the field. So why do we serve? Because Jesus served us first and calls us to serve others. Where do we serve? Wherever we're gifted and wherever we're needed. God has given each of us unique gifts, not for ourselves, but to bless others and build up the Body of Christ. You aren't called to do everything, but everyone is called to do something. And serving doesn't stop at church. We're called to serve our families, our church, our communities, and our world. Ultimately, when we serve others in Jesus' name, we're serving Him. Our greatest motivation is remembering that Jesus first served us, giving His life so that we could live. Don't just be served. Find your role, use your gifts, serve others, and discover what happens when the church becomes not just a church you attend, but our church.

We were never created to do life alone.In week one of I Love Our Church, Pastor Hosanna Wong talks about the epidemic of loneliness in our world and the power of real, authentic relationships. Church was never meant to be a place where we simply attend. It’s a family where we can move from feeling like outsiders and spectators to knowing that we truly belong. From the very beginning, God created us for connection. When we engage in real relationships, we can live as God created us to live and love as Jesus called us to love. Following Jesus means moving beyond rows and into circles, sharing our lives with others, showing up for people, and creating spaces where others can feel seen and known. But relationships don’t happen automatically. Sometimes it takes choosing to be available, taking the risk of being vulnerable, joining a group, introducing yourself to someone new, or simply saying yes when it would be easier to stay comfortable. And when we take those steps, we may discover that we can be the cure we’ve been looking for. In a world where isolation is easy, Jesus invites us into something different: to receive His extravagant love and then love others the same way. Real relationships are the revolution Jesus started, and we’re invited to continue it.

When was the last time something left you in awe?In the final week of Pray First... and Always, Pastor Kevin McPeak explores the fourth simple prayer: Wow. Sometimes we experience something so beautiful, powerful, or unexpected that words fail us. All we can say is, “Wow.” And that sense of marvel and wonder can become a prayer. Through Psalm 8, we discover that we can marvel at who God is, what God has done, why God cares for us, and what God will do. Creation points us toward His glory, but even more remarkable is that the God who created everything knows us, loves us, and allows us to know Him personally. Even when life doesn’t feel worthy of a “wow,” we can hold onto the promise that the way things are is not the way things will always be. Revelation 21 gives us a picture of the day when God will make all things new, wiping away every tear and bringing an end to death, mourning, crying, and pain. Prayer isn’t only about asking God for help, thanking Him, or confessing our sins. Sometimes prayer is simply stopping long enough to recognize how great God is and respond with wonder: Wow.#EastLakeChurch #PrayFirst #PrayFirstAndAlways #Prayer #Worship #Wonder #Faith #Jesus #Christianity

Why is it so hard to say, “I’m sorry”?In week three of Pray First... and Always, Pastor James Grogan continues through four simple prayers: Help, Thanks, Sorry, and Wow. This week, we look at SORRY and discover how confession can move us out of hiding and into the freedom, forgiveness, and healing God offers us. Pride, fear, justification, and shame can all keep us from being honest about the places where we’ve fallen short. But 1 John 1 reminds us that we don’t have to hide in darkness. When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us. Confession means calling sin what God calls it, walking honestly with God and trusted people, and regularly turning back toward Jesus. We aren’t confessing to earn salvation again and again. We confess because we are already forgiven, and confession becomes a regular practice that cleanses our souls as we follow Jesus. There is mercy waiting on the other side of confession. Instead of hiding, justifying, or carrying our struggles alone, we can walk in the light and receive the grace God has already made available to us through Jesus.