Victory Family Church

Today we worshiped at Victory Family Church, 21150 Route 19, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.453.6200, www.lifeatvictory.com, John Nuzzo, Senior Pastor.

Scripture

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Ephesians 6:1-3

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Bob’s thoughts:

As we drove up the lane to the church there was a sign requesting first-time visitors to turn on their flashers. I didn’t get to ask anyone what the response would be, but thought it was an interesting idea. We have been to many churches that have designated parking spaces identified for first-time visitors but never any church that utilized that information. There were friendly people to point the way for parking, but exit signage would be helpful.

We were welcomed at the door and questioned as to whether we were first-time visitors. In a church of this size, that was amazing.

I was grumping through the service about the lack of a cross in the large sanctuary, then after the service, outside the sanctuary in the large hall, I noticed the exquisite large translucent cross under glass in the waterfall.

We had worshiped here before the building was built that houses the sanctuary. Not being a fan of large services and loud music, I think I was somewhat biased until I heard the sermon.

The message referred to an “Uncommon Marriage” and with how common divorce is now, I think it is an accurate current title. The sermon was developed well with good Biblical references. There was some bluntness that was really called for…the message is too important to get lost in vagueness. I experienced many of the reactions referred to as my baby girls grew into adulthood and now have the same concerns over my granddaughters.

A marriage that doesn’t include Jesus Christ has a poor chance of survival.

Jan’s thoughts:

We heard Lauren and Tony Dungy would be speaking at this worship service, and since we had not been here for a couple of years, decided to attend.

The building and grounds have changed drastically since being completed and put in full operation. I surmised they were serious about greeting visitors when we saw signs next to the driveway up the hill instructing first-time visitors to turn on their flashers so they could be directed to a special parking area near the main entrance. This huge facility needs – and has – more than just excellent signage, but also a map.

The only cross I saw was behind the stunning indoor waterfall which somehow accentuated it all the more.

Two greeters held the door for everyone and somehow one identified us as visitors, which amazed me. He gave us a visitor packet with information about Victory and a card for a free beverage at the café. Several other folks greeted us as well.

The music was excellently performed at high volume, and with three huge screens above the stage, the words were projected on the center screen and the solo performer for each song was shown in a close-up on the other two.

Part one of this sermon series called “Me to We” focused on dating, and those present were forewarned that the service would be PG-13 in nature.

The Dungys were invited to speak about marriage, specifically theirs which has lasted through 31 years and 9 children. They recounted how, after each move throughout Tony’s career, their first priority was finding a church, even before a house. Their advice centered around 3 C’s: Christ-centeredness in the marriage, commitment, and intentional communication. They pointed out that God designed marriage to be lasting, not perfect.

After the Dungys left the stage the pastor preached openly and bluntly about dating. He declared that marriage and other human relationships are only as healthy as those in them, that everyone has issues, and much marriage trouble has nothing to do with the marriage.

He proclaimed openly that if anyone disagrees with God they should know, God is right and they are wrong. Many might not appreciate his direct, blunt way of communicating, but I found it a breath of fresh air.

He listed four kinds of daters: the selfish ones who want something, the spiritual ones who are waiting for God to point to just the right person, the idealistic ones who are waiting for everything to be perfect, and the Godly ones, after which he offered some excellent advice to parents of teens.

The remainder of the message was directed toward parents and their obligation to enforce boundaries and protect their children from mistakes in this arena. His most urgent point was: Do not let the culture teach your children about sex.

He touched on the topic of the effects of sexual abuse, which is something not normally discussed in churches, unfortunately. Survivors of this heinous crime need to know they are not alone, that God really does love them, and that it’s possible to find their way out of that pit.

The book signing was very well attended and a testament to the organizational skills of the coordinators.

Our prayer for this church:

We pray, Lord, that this church continues to follow You that they may always treat each other with the love and compassion You taught. Amen.