This is good. Read it again

Just reading this the last few days. The whole chapter is awesome. I just wanted to share it with you. Taken from Romans 8

"18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.


28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

Easter is coming! That's right! Are you ready?

Bootcamp series, right around the corner. Are you in a Small Group yet?

Love you all.
Sammy

Easter is coming

Check out the dates of all our Easter Services. It's gonna be awesome.

We have made it easy for you. You can pick up door hangers or Business Card Invites, to take and invite your friends. Most people, when given a personal invitation to attend church will do so. All we need to do is ask. Let's start asking.

I'm auditioning people right now for our Saturday evening Choir. It's going good. Continue to invite friends. There will be an orientation tonight for the new folks.

I'm also excited about Boot Camp. Our series following Easter. If you are not in a small group, we have an opportunity for you. The worship choir and band have a small group that meets in the rehearsal room of the worship suite right after rehearsal every Wednesday night. Check it out.

See you all tonight.
Sammy

May I boast...

I lived with this passage of scripture this weekend. I wanted to share it with you.

"...keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The hurts that are around us are unimaginable. My prayer is that we will never forget that God's grace is sufficient.

Because of His Great Love
Sammy

I was thinking...

Do you ever ask yourself the question, "God why am going through this situation?" I'm not necessarily talking about a difficult or bad situation, but maybe a time when you are confronted with many decisions all at once? Or how about a time when many of your friends are looking to you for guidance. "God, what can I contribute to this situation.

God is always at work around us. Growing us, molding us, teaching us to be more like Him. Where is God refining you today? Where is He molding you this week?

Our Lord is constantly at work around us, even when can't see Him or feel Him. He is here.

Philippians 3:10-14 (New International Version)

10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Because of His Great Love
Sammy

Video studio and Creative Offices

Check out the cool wall that our Creative Painting Ministry Team painted in our Video Studio and Creative offices. Sweet. Thanks to Tricia Russel who headed this all up. GREAT JOB! I love it.

I'm such a dork!

Jeff Reed, awesome my man. This dude drove all the way to Tampa on Saturday morning because the power supply on our sound system blew and we could not find one anywhere else. He values the weekend services so much that he left at 3:00 AM in the morning so he could return by 1:00 PM for an audio meeting that we had scheduled. Love you man.

Folks, get ready for another awesome weekend.

Because of His Great Love,
Sammy

The value of a soul

God puts a high value on a soul. So much so that he gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for us. That's huge.

I just returned from Alabama. That's where I went to school and met my precious wife. Well, her entire childhood was spent in Bay Minette, Alabama. She was born there, she went through elementary school there, all the way through High School.

The only house she has known is the one that two weeks ago caught fire and burned. Her parents have lived there for 43 years. What the fire did not burn, the water and smoke destroyed.

I tried playing the piano, the one Linda played growing up...it was ruined. It is priceless to her, but to the insurance adjuster, with all due respect, will price it at whatever the program spits out. It will not be nearly enough.

We all place a value on things. What I think is important you may not. However, God sees each of us as precious. A soul worth saving. He loves us.

Where do you put your value? Is it in things, or is it in people? May our hearts be as passionate for souls as it is for the things of this world.

Because of His Great Love
Sammy

Because of His Great Love

Hey guys,

CF LIVE was a great. What an awesome weekend. We are so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here. The first hour was full and the overflow area was full as well. We had over 2,000 people who attended. It was a great night of worship!

Jenny Fojo will be leading worship this weekend. She'll see you at rehearsal tonight.

"But because of His great love..."
Ephesians 2:4

Sammy