Victory Family Church

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

Scripture – 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 MSG

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.

Bob’s thoughts:

On holidays we try to avoid visiting a church that is new to us and today we were blessed to worship at Victory.

There is no cross in the sanctuary but there is a large one in a waterfall just outside. For me it works out well as I have a cross to focus on and the music experience that overwhelms me is bearable out there.

Today I watched the children escorted into the sanctuary for a blessing and met another Marine while I was waiting.

I could have written some of the sermon as I too have had regrets over the time I could have spent with my children when they were young. I guess most parents lament having not spent more time with their children, but dads probably more so. My dad died young and I never knew my grandparents so I had few examples to pattern my nurturing after. I pray that is why God is letting me be a doting grandfather now, to help show the young dads how.

Jan’s thoughts:

Other than worshiping with our daughter, the part I like most about visiting this church is the preaching. He speaks bluntly and with passion, as if he is exhorting a friend.

At the beginning of the service the children of the church paraded in and Pastor John said a prayer for them. I thought this was simply because the school year was beginning, and perhaps it was partly that, but it was also a segue into the topic of the message.

I’m not sure if this Sunday was a transition at the end of a series or if it was the final part of the series, but he spoke with obviously deep emotion about a parent’s longing to see their child walk with God and be blessed by God and to have a life shaped by Christ. He spoke of the value of making the spiritual life a priority and of choosing the “discomfort of obedience versus the pain of regret.”

The steps were simple: read your Bible every day, pray, and go to church. Live a life that proves God takes top priority and your children will learn to make Him the top priority in their lives. He said the world is not a playground…it’s a battleground, and we need to teach our children how to fight through life in our absence.

I hope every parent there was listening, but I know had I heard this message when my children were small I would have never been able to foresee the critical importance of following up daily. I also could not have guessed how our gracious God was at work in spite of my parental failings. The thing is, we did not know our son would be called Home so unexpectedly. I was far from a perfect mother, but by God’s grace, I know I will see him in heaven one day.

No parent wants to even consider the possibility of their child predeceasing them, but we live in a fallen world where this does happen. However anyone who is raising children – and no matter their age we are always raising our children – we have a choice. We can choose to live a life that exemplifies the importance of a relationship with God.

I pray these words are not reaching someone whose child has already gone ahead of them who is unsure of that child’s destination. If so, please know that my heart aches for you. Even more than that, know that our God is full of grace and mercy, and He is powerful enough to have brought your child to Him in their final moments. I pray you know Him and through Him you know the peace that passes understanding.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray the fathers and mothers in this congregation are guided to be not just parents but loving, available, Christian parents. Amen.