INSIDE THIS CONNECTING POINT
- Who Loves You More Than Anyone Else?
- EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE Continues This Week At Celebration
- Register For The DIFFERENCE MAKERS Conference (October 10)
- Join Us For Worship, Communion, Teaching And An Encounter With God’s Holy Spirit This Sunday (September 27) At Celebration
Who has shown you more love than anyone else in your life? Many people would answer that question by identifying their parents, their spouse, their grandparents, their children, an old friend or a brother or sister in Christ. The truth is that God has shown us more love than anyone else in our lives – especially because He loved us, wanted us and had great plans for us even when we were “unlovely.”
In the second chapter of Ephesians the Apostle Paul writes about the glorious salvation we have through Christ Jesus. In the opening verses of Ephesians 2, he reflects on the condition of every person’s life before we came to Christ. He writes in Ephesians 2:1-3, “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan . . . All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God’s anger just like everyone else.” When you read those words you may think that you’ve been a good, moral and religious person throughout your life. The truth is, if we reflect on not just the actions of our life but also the thoughts and desires of our life, we have all been what Paul writes that we have been. At some time in our lives we were spiritually dead, spiritually depraved and destined for hell and the judgment of God.
But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so very much that even while we were “dead” and depraved and destined for hell because of our sins, the Lord forgave us, welcomed us into His family, and gave us abundant and eternal life. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-7: “But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. . . . For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”
So be sure to take some time today (and every day) to thank the Lord for His great love, and for the grace, forgiveness and mercy He has given to you. The Lord has loved us when we were unlovable and forgiven us, because of what Jesus has done for us, when we didn’t deserve His forgiveness. And also thank Him for the spiritual life and eternal life that you have because Jesus is the Savior and Lord of your life.
This week at Celebration we’re continuing our EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE Spiritual Growth Emphasis. We’re having special Life Group studies, an EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE podcast, “shorts”, etc., and many people are reading Every Thought Captive by Kyle Idleman. As a result many people are communicating to our Pastors and I that the messages, reading and podcasts are helping them learn why they think like they think and oftentimes do what they do. And they’re learning how to access the Lord’s help, direction from God’s Word and encouragement from God’s people so they can tame and transform their mind.
If you haven’t yet joined us for EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE, there’s still time to do so. Go to www.celebrationchurch.org/fsg and learn how you can benefit from this incredible Spiritual Growth Emphasis that is helping so many people in our Church family.
This year’s DIFFERENCE MAKERS CONFERENCE is on Saturday, October 10. This is our annual gathering where leaders and future leaders from all of our campuses join together to worship, grow, and encounter the Lord. This year we are bringing in Pastors Chris and Zach Stephens from Faith Promise Church in Knoxville as our keynote speakers. We’ll also have powerful and helpful breakout sessions led by local leaders like Pastor Neil Bernard of New Wine Christian Fellowship and Pastor Nathan Young of Community Church. You may not realize this, but you were made to make a difference. Don’t miss what God has in store for you on October 10th. Register today at celebrationchurch.org/dmc.
This Sunday (September 27) at Celebration we will have a powerful time of Worship, participate in Communion, and continue with our EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE messages. Last Sunday we learned how to “tear down strongholds.” This Sunday we’re going to learn how to “Change Our Mind . . . Change Our Lives.” Bring some friends with you this Sunday to Celebration.
We love and appreciate you at Celebration. If you want to Learn more about Celebration’s ministries, share a Prayer Request with us, or Give to support God’s work, you can do so by going to www.celebrationchurch.org. Lives are being changed, marriages and families are being restored, and people are experiencing the transforming power of Jesus here through the ministry of Celebration Church.
Gratefully yours,
Pastor Dennis Watson
Lead Pastor, Celebration Church
dennisw@celebrationchurch.org
dennis.watson.96
