Yesterday we worshiped
at Mosaic Community Church, 2801 North Charles Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15214,
412.321.3911, Saleem Ghubril, Volunteer Presbyterian Pastor.
Scripture
– Good News
Luke
10:1-3 –
After
this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go
ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go. He said
to them, “There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to
the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.
Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
John
10:14-16 –
I
am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same
way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them. There
are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring
them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with
one shepherd.
John
21:15-17 –
After
they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me
more than these others do?”
“Yes,
Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus
said to him, “Take care of my lambs.” A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon
son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes,
Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus
said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of
John, do you love me?”
Peter
became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” and so he
said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”
Jesus
said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”
Bob’s
thoughts:
There
was a little girl maybe two years old who ran towards me and smiled then turned
and ran away. I think Christ’s love is like that. When we need His reassurance,
He shows Himself to us, maybe through the sparkling eyes of a child.
The
message centered on Christ’s asking Peter, “Do you love Me?” With Peter’s
affirmative reply, he is admonished, “Shepherd my lambs and tend my sheep.”
Bring them into the fold. When we do this, we are speaking for Christ. We need
to bring Christ to the seekers who will then know His voice. Do we love Him
more than these, whatever these may be?
I’m proud
of being a Marine…what about being a Christian? I did nothing to deserve being
a disciple. Can we say we are proud God uses us? He could just as easily use a
rock and with less aggravation.
We
are grateful and hopefully humble in light of His incredible gift. The most
important thing in my life I did nothing to obtain and certainly don’t deserve,
and that brings me back to today’s message. We bring people to Christ by
telling our story.
Jan’s
thoughts:
It
is always a joy to worship at Mosaic: we meet new friends each time we come
here and the members greet us and other guests with genuine hospitality.
Today
the sanctuary was nearly full, including a number of children of varying ages.
Strategic planning is underway by the leadership for how to teach and disciple
this large number of youth as they grow. There is children’s church during the
message, which seems like quite an undertaking. What a blessing!
Elder
Pete Pross taught through the post-resurrection encounter between Peter and
Christ when the Lord asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Pete pointed out
the amazing fact that Jesus never remarked to Peter, “I told you so,” or made
any other comment to remind Peter of his cowardice the night He was arrested.
Instead Jesus asked the simple and deeply troubling question, “Do you love Me?”
And
as he read the Scripture, Pete urged everyone present to replace Peter’s name
with their own name. It occurred to me that just as we are each asked Who we
say Jesus is, this is another key question in our spiritual life that we each
must answer for ourselves.
Pete
also read from the Oswald Chambers devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, based on this passage in which Chambers
pleaded with his readers to “Pour yourselves out. Don’t just talk about it – do
it!”
The
message concluded with the congregation separating into small groups to discuss
such questions as: who are the lambs Jesus wants you to feed and who are the
sheep He wants you to shepherd? It was an imaginative way to spark conversation
on the topic and, for us, to enjoy good conversation with some new friends.
Our
prayer for this church:
Father,
we pray for those here who know Your voice and for their shepherding of the
not-yet-believers in their world who desperately need to know Jesus. Amen.
Yesterday we worshiped
at Crossroads Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA
16066, 412.494.9999, www.xr.church, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Luke
4:18-19 –
“The
Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news
to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery
of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor.”
Matthew
28:1-7 –
After
the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary went to look at the tomb.
There
was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and,
going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like
lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him
that they shook and became like dead men.
The
angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for
Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come
and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has
risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see
him.’ Now I have told you.”
Ephesians
1:18-20 –
I
pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That
power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
Bob’s
thoughts:
I
love how my plans so often are different from God’s. Easter was going to be a
quiet time of reflection and gratitude. God’s sacrifice for us is beyond our capacity
to understand every day. Easter comes the climax, this sacrifice for our filthy
selves just because of His love for us.
The
joy of seeing some of my family, sons and daughters and some grandchildren we
seldom get to see, it was truly a joyful reunion. To be asked about recent
hospital stays, and what is new in the yard and garden, the smiles and hugs, are
all pure joy. This is Easter.
Humble
and contrite, I come to worship Jesus and sit with my youngest grandchild who
is so full of joy it leaks out all over. She exclaims over how I would know
anybody from “her” church, and is delighted to point out people I don’t know.
Then the praise hymns start and the joy is too much, you have to dance (think
Easter morning), just need to twirl and spin, hanging on to Nana’s hand not so
much for support but to share the joy. When the praise hymns are done, we sit
almost quietly and fill out her offering envelope; she shows me where she wrote
Jesus with a heart beside it. This is Easter.
I
don’t work on Sunday and this is Easter, a special quiet time with God, but this
day the brakes failed on my daughter’s car. After changing into old clothes, I
got to work. I reflected on Easter while I labored over her car and it came to
me that each time I ran into a problem, a simple prayer got me through to the
next part. When a ratchet wrench broke, another way to work presented itself.
The answer was there to reshape parts that weren’t quite right. Good luck has
nothing to do with it, just short prayers. Each brought memories of similar
experiences of God. This was Easter.
The
chance to worship my God in church, my yard, or my garage. This is Easter.
Every day may it be so with you. Happy Easter.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Feeling
the need to be with family today, we worshiped where they were. As usual, we
were greeted warmly by family and friends; we also met a few people we had not
met before.
This
was the first time maybe ever that I recall seeing the drapes open behind the
platform. Seeing the birds in the budding trees made it feel even more alive.
The
message was the first in the series entitled Freedom! which began with a reminder of last year’s dramatic rescue
of a soccer team from the cave in which they were trapped in Thailand.
Certainly a stark portrait of the value of freedom.
The
pastor declared that the stone at Christ’s tomb was rolled away not to let
Jesus out, but to let the women see in. He stated that Jesus’ resurrection
power can free us from our hurts, habits, hang-ups, and from death itself.
A
line that caught my ear was that “we roll our own stone in front” when we push
Jesus away or create walls to try to protect ourselves. All we accomplish with
that is to distance ourselves from Him.
Our
prayer for this church:
Father,
we pray we awaken to the year full of Easter blessings You give us and that all
enjoy a happy, blessed Easter. We lift up the families and friends of our
brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka who were killed even as they worshiped You. Send
Your Spirit of comfort and peace, we pray. Amen.
Yesterday we worshiped
at Element Church, 205 North Avenue, Millvale, PA 15209, 412.449.9006, www.elementlife.com, Erik Germesin, Lead Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
John
19:17-18, 28-30 –
Carrying
his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is
called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each
side and Jesus in the middle.
Later,
knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be
fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they
soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and
lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is
finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Luke
9:23-26 –
Then
he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life
will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it
for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them
when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy
angels.
Bob’s
thoughts:
There
was a time when I was in Millvale often, but it has been a number of years ago.
Then twice in the last week because of traffic backups we ended up going past
Element Church. We both took it to be God getting our attention as to where to
worship today.
We
were greeted when we walked in and offered coffee and doughnuts. A number of
people stopped to say hello, including some of the pastors. I was thanked for
my service and met two other Marines.
In
front there is a larger wooden cross with white painted slats angled to accent
the cross.
The
words on the screen were in sync with the songs till the closing song.
David
Ebert spoke of his mission in Africa with Overland Missions. An interesting
interaction with African chiefs, divinely orchestrated, I’m sure.
The
pastor made reference to the cross: “They are everywhere,” but alas, many
supposed Christian churches do not have a cross.
Communion
was offered albeit silently, and not in unison.
The
church is working to be oriented to the neighborhood and bring Christ’s love to
the area.
We
were thankful that a number of those we met took the time to talk after the
service.
Jan’s
thoughts:
I
have been nowhere near Millvale since our last visit to Element Church in March
2012, and this past week I drove past their new location twice, both times
unplanned. We took this as God’s direction and went there for worship.
We
arrived quite early and had plenty of time to enjoy coffee and donuts along
with friendly conversations and a chance to look around. The building had been
a bank previously; the vault is still intact and is now used as an office. The
church feels casual, functional, uncluttered, and focused on their mission to
“Know God, Grow in God, and Show God to Others” with a solid outreach plan covering
the entire year.
The
service began with musical worship led by a single guitarist who also led the
vocals with a strong, expressive voice.
The
pastor introduced Pastor David Ebert, a missionary supported by this church.
Pastor David serves in Zambia with Overland Missions, an apostolic organization
that is “working to establish the Kingdom of God in a kingdom of darkness.” He
told of the progress being made in this country and surrounding areas and the
amazing doors opening in their efforts to begin a tribal chaplaincy program
there. He credited Overland’s faithfulness to the Word of God for the increase
of their influence and asked for prayers for wisdom, tact, and insight.
The
message was the second part of the series, The
End of the Beginning: Crucified. The pastor emphasized the importance of recognizing
the brutality of Christ’s crucifixion and death, and since this congregation will
not have a Good Friday service this year, he felt it important to speak to it
today.
The
pastor spoke concurrently about Christ on the Cross and His directive to His
followers to take up their cross daily and follow Him. He stated that Jesus was
never weak when He was on the cross.
The
Message Notes (found on the church website) provided the main points.
What
Happens When We Pick Up Our Cross?
1
– Picking up our cross looks like death, but it is actually the only way to
find real life.
2
– This real life is intimately connected with walking step-by-step with Jesus.
3
– Picking up our cross changes our perspective from the here and now to the
eternal.
He
ended with a powerful reminder: When you think it is the end, God has a new
beginning for you.
I
was grateful Communion was served following this emotional message and also for
the time given by several pastors and members for conversation after the
service.
Our
prayer for this church:
+
Father
in Heaven, we pray for Your continued presence and guidance among this church.
Please help them as they work to serve this neighborhood where You have planted
them. Amen.
Yesterday we worshiped
at Allison Park Church, Ohio River Campus, 239 Merchant Street, Ambridge, PA
15003, www.allisonparkchurch.com, Thomas Manning, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– Romans 1:13-16 NIV
I
do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times
to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that
I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
I
am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. For
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings
salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Bob’s
thoughts:
I had
hoped we could return to welcome this church into their new home. The changes
and improvements are fantastic. I met a number of people, some thanked me for
my service, and I also met two other Marines.
The
sanctuary now has a great wooden cross and new lighting. Most amazing to me is
they secured an okay to park in the lot next door, an area that was taboo to
other entities that had used this space.
I
remember my first visit to this space. We were new to the area and had heard
about a place called The Ladle, but the only directions I had was Ambridge. Exploring
the general area, I stopped to help someone carry something from their car and
thought to ask for directions. I got a strange look and he pointed to a church
across the street. Since I was on a roll, I asked where Center for Hope was,
and he told me, “Where the milk plant used to be.” I found someone who could
tell me where that was and got to tour the school and church building.
The
pastor talked about changing the world one life at a time, just like making
disciples one at a time. He told of what a zealot he was for Christ and had to
offer an apology for badgering people. When Christ claimed me, it was
overwhelming, and I witnessed powerfully until my wife told me I could not
bring people to Christ by force (it did work sometimes). A lot of what got me
through the loss of our son was telling people, sometimes maybe forcibly, about
him and how his life mattered.
The campus
pastor talked about he and his wife being together for about 14 years before they
experienced a meltdown. God got through to them that He was what was missing in
their lives, and their journey began. Christ waited till I was 50 and then
turned my life upside right.
The lead
pastor posed three thoughts:
1 –
What am I sharing?
2 –
Who am I sharing with?
3 –
How do I start sharing?
I
think we find those we love are the hardest to share the good news with. The
best advice was to start by listening. The easiest opening I’ve found is, “Can
I pray for you?” I look for the people who seem miserable and my offer of
prayer has never been turned down. The best any of us can do is tell our story.
We
were given a ticket for a free item from the barbeque truck or the cookie truck
parked in front of the church. We opted for the “Humble Cookie Stand” because
Jan had just met the owner. They gave out warm, fresh, delicious chocolate chip
cookies.
Jan’s
thoughts:
I
heard from a friend that this church would launch their new location yesterday,
so we decided to take them up on an earlier invitation and join the
festivities.
Bob
was familiar with the building in previous years. The large parking lot
accommodated the many attendees as the sanctuary was nearly full. Signage and
other finishing touches are obviously in the works, and even now it has a
comfortable feel. Coffee/tea/hot chocolate were offered on one side of the
lobby area and the Welcome Center is on the other side.
We
were met with many warm greetings and there was a great sense of celebration.
The members were genuinely overjoyed to be there. After several conversations,
we found seats in the back with our coffee.
The
praise music was full of enthusiasm with volume that was, thankfully, not
overwhelming.
The
pastor told part of the inspiring story of the building and God’s purpose and
plan for its use by the church. A local economic development consulting firm,
Paramount Co-Op, was instrumental in assisting the church and executives from
this organization were present to help celebrate.
As
the campus pastor launched into the message entitled Best News Ever, he gave some personal history about how he and his
wife came to Allison Park Church. Through the magic of technology, APC’s Senior
Pastor Jeff Leake picked up the message from his church location. He began with
a story about a dessert he enjoyed, lollipop brownies, at a restaurant,
likening his desire to share this with his wife to our wish to share the Good
News. Pastor Jeff shared what he considered to be the most important questions
when it comes to sharing the Gospel:
1
– What am I sharing?
2
– Who am I sharing it with?
3
– How will I start to share it?
In
speaking to the second question, he mentioned the difference between sharing in
random moments and in regular relationships. He recounted how leadership guru
John Maxwell, who began his career as an ordained pastor, has been known to
present to his corporate clients on “The Five Secrets to Success.” When he
starts, he explains to his audience there are indeed five points, but he is
only permitted to share four. However, he will stay afterward and speak about
the fifth to anyone who wants to listen and most stay. What he then explains is
the fifth and most vital secret to success is faith in God, closing with an
opportunity for anyone who wishes to give their lives to Christ.
Pastor
Jeff’s main point was that speaking about your love for Jesus and how He has
changed your life makes it much easier to have a Gospel conversation with
others. No serious, heavy-handedness is necessary, just plain, genuine joy.
Our
prayer for this church:
Thank
You, Lord, for moving Your church to this new space. We pray for Your special
guidance on their efforts to be an even brighter beacon for the neighborhood.
Amen.
Yesterday we worshiped
at Crossroads Church Cranberry, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA
16066, 412.494.9999, www.xr.church, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Matthew
28:17 – When
they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Judges
6:12-15 – When
the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,
mighty warrior.”
“Pardon
me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this
happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when
they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has
abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
The
Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out
of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
“Pardon
me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the
weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Mark
9:17-24 – A
man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by
a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him
to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I
asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You
unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How
long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
So
they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into
a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus
asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From
childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill
him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“ ‘If
you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately
the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Joshua
1:8 – Keep
this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that
you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous
and successful.
Psalm
1:2 – …but
whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and
night.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
were looking for a church where our grandchildren would be comfortable while in
our care for the weekend. Their cousins, who attend here and whom they normally
see, would not be there this weekend and I didn’t know if it would make a difference.
My granddaughter was rather matter of fact: “Well we have to go to church”
whereas my grandson was less enthusiastic but willing to go.
Because
one of our daughters and her family worship here, we are familiar with the
church and many members. We have heard how God is growing this church, but I
was still surprised how many people I didn’t recognize since our last visit. I
was greeted by only one person, another sign of a growing church. I had a
vision of this church building a new physical church and I think God is giving
them a heads up as to His plan.
Because
we worshiped here with Fountain Park, I was lamenting the loss of the
impressive wooden cross usually kept to the side of the stage until I realized
there is a cross on the stage, it was partially blocked by the praise band.
The
pastor’s message about our doubts keeping us from action for Christ was brought
home perfectly with his story about an encounter between his father and a
seeker. I had recently read an observation by Henri Nouwen that “Rabbis guide
their people with stories and ministers usually guide with ideas and theories” I
think with the intention that we all need to tell our story.
The
female worship leaders’ voices were complementary and sounded great together.
Though I couldn’t stand and sing, I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the praise team.
The
pastor opened the message talking about trust falls, which made me think: We
just did a sort of trust fall in the recovery room. I felt fine and didn’t
realize the anesthesia in my leg had not worn off. When I stood to prepare to
go home, I crashed to the ground and took my wife with me. After what should
have been plenty of time, I collapsed again. My wife was smart enough to stay out
of the way this time and I got to stay overnight for testing. However, I was
presented with a bunch of people to witness to and tell my story.
One
more thought: I finished the last of the decaf at church Sunday morning and
filled my cup the rest of the way with regular. It was the first really enjoyable
cup in a long time.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Two
of our grands were staying with us for the weekend, so we took them to their
church. As usual, many folks greeted us and we were made to feel especially welcome.
This
was the fourth message in the series entitled Hear It, See It, Risk It and was called Doubt – Spiritual Hearing Loss. One of the most personally powerful
declarations I heard was that doubt is a question whereas unbelief is a
conclusion. It made me realize I had been confusing the two for some time, so
this was a huge relief to me.
His
instructions for when doubt strikes included: prioritize hearing from God, look
for answers but live with mystery, and act on what you heard last.
He
ended with an intriguing story about seeing God at work in the lives of several
people in some incredible ways, but only because those people were willing to
take a risk God led them into. The story is ongoing, so I hope I get to hear
the end when it comes about.
Our
prayer for this church:Lord,
we pray You make Your plans for Your church known in Your perfect time. Amen.
