MIDWEEK INVITATION

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV) Something about the human condition pushes against grace. We see grace as an enemy, our hearts are poised against it we hate it. The fact is that grace says something incredibly powerful about us a...

"He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
 he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
 but has lifted up the humble.
 He has filled the hungry with good things.. " Luke 1:51-53 As we heard this past Sunday, the proclamation of Jesus birth brought tension into the lives of the people who heard it...

"For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:9-10 ESV) Every time I hear "I'm living the dream" I have the same thought "Really this is the dream?" The fact is that most...

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christby grace you have been saved" Ephesians 2:1-5 Recently, I was talking with a friend at a Starbucks and he told me that he has been dealing with pride issues. He said that he sometimes found himself looking disdainfull...

"When he (Barnabas) came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith." Acts 11:23-24 It's been great to spend the last several weeks looking into the Word together and learning about the Holy Spirit. From setting our sights on the Holy Spirit...

"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7 The metaphors that the scriptures give us to help us understand God's vision for the church point to His deep commitment to unity and diversity. The church referred to as a "body" points to our physical identity as a very diverse set of organs, systems and processes that nonetheless...

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 On Sunday, Pastor Joe gave us a Grand Canyon fly over of the book of Ephesians, reminding us of the staggering realities of who God is and what He has done and is doing here on planet earth! He then zeroed in on the command to be filled with the Spirit in Chapter 5. He offered three ...

"We are God's Masterpiece" Ephesians 2:10 This past Sunday, we all gathered at High Point to celebrate our rich season of ministry there and were reminded that we, the people of God are actually his"poiema", his masterpiece. What an amazing truth that we are a beautiful picture of his character and mission painted in the three bold primary colors of up (worship first), in...

Reflections on Sunday's Sermon...

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." Luke 19:10 As you drive or walk up and down Gulf Boulevard from Clearwater down to St. Pete Beach, you periodically run across little round blue and white signs that indicate a nearby evacuation route. Sometimes the signs feature an arrow hinting at the right path, some bear the international sign that indicates a tropi...