Faith on 68

Today we worshiped at Faith on 68, 935 Wallace Drive, New Brighton, PA 15066, 724.775.3447, www.faithcomchurch.org, Bay Allen, Associate Pastor.

Scripture – Romans 5:6-11 NIV –

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Bob’s thoughts:

I believe we are always led to the churches we visit for worship, but at times I sense God has additional use for our visits such as when we encountered people who have suffered a loss akin to ours and we minister to each other. Today I had a strong feeling that God has a new direction for this church.

We were led to this church a few minutes before the service started, just in time to visit the restroom and buy a coffee. We were welcomed before we got to the entry door, by a few before the service, and by most of the congregation during the welcome time.

The large wooden cross on the wall was accented by the peaked paneled ceiling.

The words to the songs were projected on a screen but were difficult to make out with the lack of contrast and moving lights. The volume and bass made it tricky to detect the harmony of the praise team and made the rest of the service challenging for me to hear.

The message was the second part of a three-part series on grace, today entitled “What He’s Done.”

For me, it was a wonderful blessing when He got my attention and put me in my place. His grace is never earned, and in receiving His grace, we are called to extend it to others…we are saved from ourselves.

Jan’s thoughts:

We got on the road before we knew where we were headed this morning, but it was a nice day for a drive. After about half an hour, we rounded a bend and knew this was where we were to worship this morning.

The signage was helpful, and several people introduced themselves while one woman made sure we were supplied with both general information and specifics about the service. After purchasing a cup of coffee, we found seats toward the back.

The sanctuary looked larger than it was because of the light colored wood and delicate shading of seat cushions. The stonework behind the platform was quite lovely, and the large blocks of colored panels in the windows were appealing.

The lyrics displayed on the screen were in white on a black and white background, making it difficult to see well from where we sat, but the Scripture that was displayed was larger and easier to read.

I had to step outside during the music.

The congregation seemed to circulate freely during the greeting time, and quite a few made their way back to us with friendly greetings, handshakes, and introductions.

The message was part two of a three-part series about grace. The first week was about prevenient grace, and today’s installment was about justifying grace. Grace was/is God’s doing and we should not let it go to our heads since no one deserves it.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this congregation will take the time to listen for Your call for Your church, that they may grow and move forward in Your service. Amen.