From the Pastor

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT (‘P,nc?uat!on.)

‘P,nc?uat!on.

This Dear John PUNCUATION Example is a very commonly used story about a man who received a beautiful letter from his loved one! In the letter his girlfriend spelled out, in no uncertain terms, how much she loved and adored John and it was clear to anyone reading her words that she couldn't live without him… Or could she?

Dear John:

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?

Jane

What happens to the letter if there were some punctuation mistakes and it was punctuated in an entirely different fashion?

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,

Jane

Which letter do you think John would prefer to receive?

See… “P,nc?uat!on. Changes Everything… We’re gonna attempt this Series to walk every person through the EXCLAMATIONS! (Attention Getter! – Sunday’s Message!) – the PERIODS. – the “QUOTATIONS” – the COMMAS,,, - the QUESTIONS? and the @’s of their LIFE!

BIG IDEA…How Do We Clearly Grammar Check The “P,nc?uat!on. Of Our Lives?

Here’s something we KNOW about the message of the CROSS…

God paid an UNBELIEVABLE PRICE to send an UNDENIABLE MESSAGE!!

Couple Thoughts about JESUS and the CROSS…

JESUS REALLY WAS HERE!

Colossians 1:19… For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…

JESUS REALLY WAS CRUCIFIED!

Colossians 1:20… and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

JESUS REALLY ROSE FROM THE DEAD!

Colossians 1:18…  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead… (Check Buddha's Tomb-He's In There! Check Mohammad's Tomb-He's In There! Check JESUS' Tomb-HE'S NOT THERE!)

And because of ALL that…

WE CAN BE CHANGED!

Colossians 1:22…  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…

Seriously Folks… JESUS paid an UNBELIEVABLE PRICE… to send an UNDENIABLE MESSAGE… TO YOU!!! (DOES HE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION YET?)

See Ya Sunday!!

MHS Performing Arts Center (9a/10:45a)

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT (Heart To Heart)

HEART to HEART

Here’s a couple FACTS you need to know about “CHANGE” in a CHURCH…

FACT #1...  The biggest struggle we have in a Church is trying to keep things in a consistent state of NORMALCY!

WHY??  Because CONTROL is EASY – it’s NORMAL – it’s COMFORTABLE!

When in all reality folks – THE CHURCH WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE EASY – NORMAL and COMFORTABLE!

Which Means…

POSITIVE/GOOD CHANGE in a Church IS INEVITABLE!

NEGATIVE/BAD CHANGE IS AVOIDABLE in a Church!

FACT #2...  POSITIVE CHANGE is and always will be a major catalyst for GROWTH in a Church! (Both SPIRITUAL and NUMERICAL Growth!)

I Believe with ALL MY HEART…

God wants our Church (Ministries) to GROW Celebrators!  (Both Spiritually and Numerically!)

(RE… He called the man that buried his talent... Wicked and Lazy!)

With Positive Change – Something Happens…

Acts 4:4... CHANGE equals GROWTH!  “The number of men grew to about 5000…”

FACT #3... We must always be willing to receive anything God throws our way - knowing that doing so will always place us in a perpetual state of DISCOMFORT!

(BTW... It’s worth noting that PEOPLE RESIST CHANGE… The Church had a problem with Peter's new CHANGE! It should come as NO SURPRISE that ‘PEOPLE’ will have PROBLEMS with CHANGE and eventually LEAVE if they have a problem with CHANGE!)

Not willing to embrace the UNCOMFORTABLE will eventually lead you to become UNFAITHFUL!

I say ALL of that for this reason alone…

-If you call COC your "HOME" - you SHOULD be INVITING SOMEONE to Church EVERY WEEK!

-If you've been attending COC for over 6mos - you SHOULD be SERVING somewhere!

-If you've been attending COC for 12mos - you SHOULD be doing CHRISITIAN COMMUNITY in a DNA Small Group somewhere!

-If you call COC “YOUR” CHURCH – GIVING Financially here should never be viewed as an OBSTACLE but rather an OPPORTUNITY!

Please Don’t Hear What I’m Not Saying Here... I don’t say these things out of INTIMIDATION – I say these things out of EXPECTATION! Not MY or our CHURCH'S EXPECTATION – but GOD’S EXPECTATION of YOU as a FOLLOWER OF CHRIST!!

If the greatest commandment tells us to LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART / SOUL and MIND!  (We could essentially say that means to BE LIKE CHRIST!)

I can honestly tell you that YOU ARE NEVER MORE LIKE CHRIST then when you are LIVING GENEROUSLY... WITH YOUR TIME / TALENTS and TREASURES!

Only then can you accomplish TOUCH… Which is WHAT our VISION and MISSION here at COC is… "MAKING HIS NAME MORE FAMOUS IN MARICOPA!" 

Please hear my heart CELEBRATORS… God doesn’t NEED YOU – He WANTS YOU – and He ALLOWS YOU to participate in fulfilling the VISION and MISSION of this Church!

WOULD YOU CONSIDER JOINING HIM WHERE HE IS ALREADY WORKING?

It is truly an HONOR to SERVE alongside each of you here at COC!  Thank You CELEBRATORS for allowing me to Pastor you! I LOVE YOU and can't hardly wait to see what God is going to continually do THROUGH YOU and His Church - the COC!!

See Ya Sunday!!

MHS Performing Arts Center (9a/10:45a)