Awakened Through Scripture

Pastor’s Note

Awakened Through Scripture

Psalm 1 opens the book of Psalms by showing us a picture of the life God desires for His people: a life deeply rooted in His Word. The psalmist tells us that those who are blessed do not follow the counsel of the wicked or drift into patterns that pull them away from God, but instead they delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. This is more than simply reading Scripture; it is allowing God’s Word to shape our

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Awakened Through Silence

Pastor’s Note

Awakened Through Silence

We live in one of the noisiest and most distracted generations in human history. The average person checks their phone every 15 minutes, some studies say over 80 times a day. Many of us receive dozens, sometimes hundreds, of notifications every single day. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, we are surrounded by screens, sounds,  conversations, and constant demands for our attention. Researchers tell us that most ad

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Awakened To Prayer

Pastor's Note

  Awakened To Prayer

This week is actually our second week in our brand-new sermon series called, “Awakened to Grace.” This is a series that will invite our church to begin the new year by rediscovering the simple, transformative practices that open us to God’s presence: Sabbath, Prayer, Service, Silence, Scripture, and Fasting. My prayer is that by preaching on and practicing these six spiritual disciplines, our hearts will be awakened to God’s grace, and we c

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Sabbath: Establishing Rhythms of Work and Rest

Pastor’s Note

 Sabbath: Establishing Rhythms of Work and Rest

If you are feeling a little tired this month, know that you are not alone. December has a way of doing that to us. We rush from one gathering to the next, from shopping lists to school concerts, from extra church services to extra expectations. December certainly tests our theology of rest. We sing about peace on earth while running on fumes. We proclaim Emmanuel, that God is indeed with us, while barely being pre

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The Gift of Eternity

Pastor’s Note

The Gift of Eternity

                It is officially the fourth Sunday of Advent…can you believe it? On this Sunday in the Advent season, we light the Candle of Love, which represents God’s perfect love revealed to us through Jesus Christ. The Candle of Love points to the incarnation, God choosing to take on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ so that we could once again be reconciled with God. The Hebrew word for the incarnation is Emmanuel, and it means “God

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The Personal Gift

Pastor’s Note: The Personal Gift

Advent is a very special time in the life of the church. It is a four-week season in the church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent” of Jesus Christ. In just several weeks, we will celebrate on Christmas Day Jesus’ arrival, His birth. We will celebrate with family and friends, with lots of food, and, of course, we will celebrate with unwrapping the gifts underneath the tree. 

If I were to walk downtown Plant City during

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"Unstoppable Gospel"

Pastor’s Note

Unstoppable Gospel

            What an adventure we have been on through the Book of Acts! We have finally come to the close of the book this Sunday and we find the apostle Paul in the city of Rome, who is confined, watched, and seemingly limited in every way. Yet, the final words of the chapter and book tell a different story: “[He proclaimed] the kingdom of God and [taught] about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31).

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“The Unknown God Made Known”

Pastor Margaret’s Note

“The Unknown God Made Known”

 Acts 17:16-34

When the apostle Paul stood before the people of Athens roughly twenty years after Jesus’ resurrection (A.D. 50-52), Paul saw a city full of idols. The Athenian people were searching for truth in all the wrong places. Yet, Paul did not condemn them but rather, he met them right where they were, pointing to the “unknown god” they worshiped and      revealing Him as the living Creator who made all things and all

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All Saints’ Day – “A Great Multitude”

Pastor’s Note

All Saints’ Day – “A Great Multitude” (Revelation 7:9–17)

This Sunday, we join Christians across the ages in celebrating All Saints’ Day, a day to remember and give thanks for all those who have gone before us in faith. Revelation 7 paints a breathtaking picture of a great multitude from every nation, standing before the throne and the Lamb, robed in white, singing praises to God.

This vision reminds us that the Church is far larger than what we see each Sunday.

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Generosity: Taking The Next Step

Pastor’s Note

Generosity: Taking The Next Step

Malachi 3:1-10

This Sunday marks the final message in our stewardship series, “The Generous Church” and our Commitment Sunday, a time when we move from hearing God’s invitation to responding with faith. From the very beginning of Scripture to the very end, one truth remains constant: God is first. God loved first. God gave first. God went first. Everything we have and everything we are flows from His generous heart.

Malachi remind

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"The Generous Church"

Pastor’s Note

The Joy of Giving

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

This Sunday we are taking a few weeks break from our study on Acts and beginning a new sermon series called “The Generous Church.” Over the next three weeks, we’ll discover together that generosity is more than what we do with our wallets; it is a way of life. It shapes how we treat one another, how we see the world, and how we recognize the blessings God has placed in our lives.

Our first message, “The Joy of Giving,” is ba

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The Gospel For All People

Pastor’s Note

The Gospel for All People

Acts 10:34-43

        This week we are studying a very powerful passage in the book of Acts, Acts 10:34-43. In this passage, Peter proclaims what John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, so beautifully described as the “way of salvation.” Peter reminds us that God shows no partiality; His grace is for all who believe. The message is simple, yet life-changing: we acknowledge our sin and need for a Savior. The real problem is n

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The First Martyr: Faith That Stands

Pastor’s Note

The First Martyr: Faith That Stands

Acts 7:54-8:3

Dear Church Family,

            This week, we turn to one of the most powerful and sobering passages in the book of Acts, the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the truth of Jesus Christ even as opposition rose against him. His words cut to the heart of the Jewish ruling council, and in their anger, they dragged him out and took his life. Y

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Called To Serve

Pastor’s Note

Called to Serve

In Acts 6:1–7, the early church faced a real challenge, that is some widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The apostles realized that while preaching and teaching were vital, meeting practical needs was just as important. So, they appointed seven faithful men to take on this ministry of service. What’s remarkable is that their willingness to serve in what seemed like a simple task, making sure everyone had food, became

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"Devoted to God, Formed in Community"

Pastor’s Note

Devoted Community

Acts 2:42-47

            At the end of Acts 2, we are given a beautiful glimpse of the early church in its most vibrant form. The early church was simply devoted to four things: to the Word of God, to fellowship, to shared meals, and to prayer. This devotion was not casual or occasional, but a way of life rooted in Christ that led to amazing results. One thing that is important to note about the early church was that they were not devoted to re

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