Centerpoint Community Church

Today we worshiped at Centerpoint Community Church, 118 Community College Drive, Monaca, PA 15061, 724.728.1125, www.centerpointcommunitychurch.org, Dr. Steve Vesolich, Senior Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

John 3:1-8 –

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their motherʼs womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 –

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Matthew 6:33 –

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Bob’s thoughts:

After reading some good press about this church’s expansion plans, we decided to come check it out.

We were welcomed warmly on our way in, before the service, and then greeted again by a number of people after the service.

The ceiling is low with a slight arch which, for me, accented the wooden cross.

It was a joy to watch a number of children come in and run to their grandparents.

I appreciated the lead female voice and the strong voice of the pastor, as well as the anthem by the male singers and watching a number of children dancing.

The message, “You Must Be Born Again,” was well supported by Scripture and I believe clarity was given to what it really means, something often misunderstood by believers. Some depth was provided into Nicodemus and his struggle with and acceptance of the necessity of his own rebirth.

He added a great analogy for this time of year: being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. Christ washes it off, opens the top, and scrapes out all the yucky stuff, carves a smile, and puts the light of Christ inside.

Communion was offered silently, but there was a good time allotted for confession beforehand. I was disappointed the pastor was not served.

In recognition of pastor appreciation month, both pastors and their wives were honored. I appreciated the opportunity to speak with the pastor after the service.

Jan’s thoughts:

We worshiped at this church a little more than three years ago when it went by another name. Now it is expanding, being literally in the process of building a new sanctuary next door to the existing building. We were greeted by probably 1/3 of the congregation before worship even began, and most of the rest greeted us during or afterward.

The sanctuary was 90% filled with a broad mix of ages, including many children.

Bob will probably also mention the cross in the front, but what I noticed was the red marks noting the locations of Christ’s hands and feet, creating a stark reminder that the actual Cross would have been neither clean nor pretty.

The music was excellent, with pleasant voices providing strong leadership. In reading our blog post from the last visit, it’s peculiar that during both visits we sang “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?” Not that I’m complaining…that song brings wonderful memories for me.

The current sermon series is called “Important Musts of the New Testament” and this week’s entry was “You Must Be Born Again.” The message centered on Nicodemus and his encounter with Christ in John 3 and I appreciated his point that Nicodemus understood the idea of a “new creation” since that was how Jews viewed Gentiles who converted to Judaism.

He stated that God is a God of transformation and regeneration, and asked how we can remain the same when God is in us. We too must be born again.

Of course we must be born again of the Spirit in order for godly sorrow to lead to sincere repentance. We can do nothing to bring this about ourselves, no matter how deeply we desire it. This change is only achieved by God through His Holy Spirit, and when He makes a change, it is obvious and permanent and the only appropriate response is an expression of sincere gratitude for the rest of our lives.

I was thankful for World Communion Sunday this morning, and that we were able to witness the outpouring of gratitude by the congregation for their pastor and his family.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we were excited to worship You at this church You are growing. We pray they continue to be born again in You. Amen.