We often use the word “hope” to mean wishful thinking. We hope the weather is going to be nice, or that our favorite sport’s team can pull out a victory. But biblical hope is something different… something better. We light the candle of HOPE to begin the advent season to remind ourselves that Jesus IS our hope. He has gone to prepare a place for us where there is no more mourning, no more tears, nor pain. He is our one and only hope in times of struggle and fear! He is the one and only hope for forgiveness of sin! As we prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Advent reminds us to focus on the hope that we have in Him.
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "The Most Important Prayer You Will Ever Pray" and the scripture was Luke 17:11-19. Thank you just maybe the greatest prayer you will ever pray! Be Grateful/Be Thankful.
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
What a wonderful day of worship we had yesterday. We all have so much to be thankful for these days. One of which is our ability to worship together. I love our worship and I am so thankful for our choir and its leader and servant, Christopher Kane. He is a wonderful lover of God to work with and yesterday, was a great day as we had our pipe organ back in service after a long time in repair. It's rich tone once again fills our sanctuary with praise to God. Thank you Gladys and Luther Simjian for their donation many years ago.
I hope this week you will take time to be thankful. To talk with your family about the things you are thankful for. Name them one by one. Make this week - a week of thankfulness. Have a blessed Thanksgiving and I look forward to spending Advent worshipping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ together.
Have a safe and blessed week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
I hope your Monday has begun with peace and love that only comes from Jesus Christ. It is an interesting time in our land. Our political process always brings up smiles, tears, and sometimes outright hurt and anger. How do we stay focused on Christ when our worlds might be on shifting sand. Hurricane Nicole whipped through Florida and a large part of the East coast and caused severe damage. All these things, these events are pushing us this way and that way. I, personally, take time to quiet my mind, my heart and I pray. Sometimes with heart tears about where we are and how we need a touch from the Master!!
Please take some time to pray and ask God how you can serve Him in this world and also, in the life of CBTS!
This past Sunday I spoke about the giving of our finances to the work of Christ through CBTS. I hope by now you have received in the mail our stewardship letter and pledge card for 2023. We are asking you to support a budget of $600,000. Thank you to Les and Mindy Waites, for sharing their heart with the congregation during worship about why they give not only of their time and talent, but also of their financial means. It will take all of us to be Christ's hands and feet and I look forward to walking together. Please return your pledge card by this Sunday, Nov. 20th.
Have a safe and blessed week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Be A Blessing" and the scripture was 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. We have all been giving "stuff" to take care of - some of us have a lot of "stuff" others of us have very little "stuff" but we all have "stuff" that God entrusts us to manage and be a good steward of. Be a blessing with whatever God has blessed you with.
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
I hope you all are having a good start to this work week! I was out of town this past weekend for my college's (Belhaven) Homecoming. It was a wonderful time of catching up, laughing, and spending time with some of the men and women who shaped my growth as a Christian. It was November 15th, 1983, that I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I have such fond memories of that place, those people, and that time and to experience this weekend with Marie was icing on the cake. Walking with Jesus is not a highway, smooth and pot-hole free, but it is like walking in the mountains - up and down, peaks and valleys - it is the way of struggle and smiles. As I am in my office at this moment I am thinking of Church By The Sea. I am thinking that we all are walking together experiencing the highs and lows of life together. Let's continue to strive to walk as one.
I want to let you all know that we begin our stewardship campaign on November 6th, 13th, and I am asking you all to pledge by the 20th! You will receive a letter from our Clerk of Session soon detailing our budget and I hope all who call this church home will pray about what they can give to the life and ministry of this church. We have all experienced some incredible times and God has blessed us so we can continue the amazing ministry which is Church By The Sea. I look forward to sharing more details soon, but please be in prayer about what you have the privilege and honor to give.
Have a safe and blessed week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "When God Doesn't Do What We Want" and the scripture was John 11:17-22. What do we do when God doesn’t do what we want? When we pray for a parking space, or a lottery win, or for a few extra minutes before the bridge goes up, we simply shrug our shoulders and keep it moving when God doesn’t do what we want. But what about when we are praying for serious, life-changing issues like a health scare or problems with the children or immanent death of a loved one? What do we do then when God doesn’t do what we want? Following Martha’s example when her brother Lazarus died (John 11:11-44), I suggested we work to keep our emotions from hijacking our actions and we go to Jesus for comfort and support. Secondly, we should stand on the truths we have always believed, clinging to the Scripture’s promises. Finally, we remember that God’s ultimate purpose is to reveal His glory and save His people from sin, not to be a butler that jumps at our every request. Remember, God himself suffered the loss of His only Son when He died on the cross for our sin. So, we can trust His plan that He is working all things out for His glory and our good. Dealing with difficult situations can be stressful and scary. We can become angry, frustrated, fearful, and become doubtful. But if we follow Martha’s example, we can navigate those times when God doesn’t do what we want.
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
Good morning, Church By The Sea Friends. We have so much to be thankful and grateful for in our lives. Grateful for God giving us His Son. We should be grateful to God for the ability to worship together and for our friends who can't join us live, but they can online, and they do! Gratefulness is something that we all should be praying for more of. Having a grateful spirit causes us to be a people who are in tune with God and who begin to see others as fellow strugglers in life! We see each other as equals and not us versus them - it is amazing what can God do through us. Pray to have more of a grateful spirit.
We had another great day of worship! I am amazed how God is moving and drawing us to act, to befriend, to listen, and to love the community God draws to our church and to the world around us. I hope as you attend or watch us online that you experience that as well.
I want to let you all know that we begin our stewardship campaign on November 6th, 13th, and I am asking you all to pledge by the 20th! You will receive a letter from our Clerk of Session soon detailing our budget and I hope all who call this church home will pray about what they can give to the life and ministry of this church. We have all experienced some incredible times and God has blessed us so we can continue the amazing ministry which is Church By The Sea. I look forward to sharing more details soon, but please be in prayer about what you have the privilege and honor to give.
Have a safe and blessed week. Be His hands and feet! I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Forgiveness", and the scripture was Gen 50:14-21 and Colossians 3:13. Forgiveness is so hard. Forgiveness asks of us to give up something...our pride, our anger, ourselves! It isn't easy, but it is so necessary. We are literally held in mental bondage when we don't forgive. Joseph forgives his brothers for what they did! God forgives us by giving us His Son Jesus Christ - the ultimate forgiveness. If you don't believe you can forgive the person - you CAN through Christ. It really will set you free.
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
I hope you all are having a good start to your week. We had another great day of worship yesterday. We had an update on our relief effort (more down below), our choir really led us into the presence of God, and our God's Spirit was swirling around our sanctuary. It is amazing to watch when God does that. God has called us all to pray, to serve, to study His Word and as we do that you will see Him using you to help encourage others or help them to see God a little clearer which is always in color.
I hope you have a safe week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Real Life is in Color" and the scripture was John 15:1-5. God is calling us to live a life of joy, adventure, and meaning not a dull and listless one. Our life in Christ is meant to be lived and breathed not just tolerated! Not in black and white, but in COLOR. Real life is in color.
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
This is what I wrote on September 26th in my weekly email..."As Hurricane Ian approaches Florida let's all be safe, be in prayer for whoever it will affect and be willing to help if needed!" Wow, have things changed! Our hearts are so heavy for our neighbors across the alley in Fort Myers and that whole area! Thanks to Vicky Johnson, who is a newer member to our church and moved from Cape Coral, she gave me the name of a previous church she attended called Anthem Church in Fort Myers. I reached out to Pastor Steve and put Marie in contact with him. On Saturday, my wife, Marie, my kids, Kim Falcone, Mark and Sherrie Kukulski and their two kids, along with Pastor Marcos from Florida Faith Church made their way over to Anthem Church. I read this from Marie in worship yesterday..."Late this afternoon, we were so well received by Pastor Steve and his wife Regina with Anthem church. With a couple delays in route, we arrived with an hour window to set up and serve an impromptu dinner for the surrounding neighborhood. As soon as we arrived, the pastor set out to extend an invitation to the neighbors. Promptly at starting time, a steady flow of exhausted, hot, and hungry grateful faces continued to flow in for the next two and a half hours. Amazing how something as simple as tacos brought strangers and friends together as they took a respite from an extremely long couple of days. We served about 75 meals and are looking forward to worshipping all together tomorrow before serving another two meals where we expect at least 200 to join us. Among the crowd tonight were many that have lost everything. We were humbled and honored to sit and hear some of their stories of strength and survival with a shared sentiment of gratitude for their safety despite such great material loss. All share their thanks to CBTS for going the distance and being present in this time of such great need."
The group extended their stay until after breakfasting this morning, so when they get back, I look forward to sharing with you all in greater detail how we can help them. Obviously, this will be a long road and Church By The Sea will be with our brothers and sisters over there for the long haul. Let's keep praying and thank you all so much for being willing to be His hands and feet in our church, community, over on the West Coast, and around the world!
I hope you have a safe week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "This Table" and the scripture was Ephesians 3:12-22. Yesterday was World Communion Sunday. Churches all around the globe are celebrating Christ's broken body and blood shed for our forgiveness. It is amazing how this table is the great equalizer! Everyone is the same at this table. Jesus brought us all together and this table symbolizes this unity!
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
What an amazing day of worship yesterday. We have reinstituted our service of healing and wholeness which is the last Sunday of each month. This was our first Sunday to have it since COVID and it was memorable! I ask anyone who is ordained in any denomination to come forward so we can pray for those who want to come down for prayer. There is nothing magical about this other than the church praying for you. I love this part of our service and I look forward to next month when we do this again.
As Hurricane Ian approaches Florida let's all be safe, be in prayer for whoever it will affect and be willing to help if needed! I hope you have a safe week. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Encourage" and the scripture was James 3:3-18 and I Corinthians 13:1-3. The power of the tongue! It can bless and curse. It can build up or tear down. Who can control it? No one. Only God can. We all need to be mindful how we speak to everyone. Put your tongue (your speech) under the Lordship of Jesus Christ!
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
I hope you all had an amazing week since this last email arrived in your inbox. It has been an up and down week for us and our world. We have storms in the Atlantic, hearts that are heavy with the passing of the Queen, and all of us trying to live, grow, and stretch ourselves as we seek Christ. It was a great morning of worship yesterday. I felt God moving in our service as we greeted one another, prayed, sang, listened in silence, gave, and heard the Word. I love our Church By The Sea family.
After worship we had 6 people join us and make Church By The Sea their home. I look forward to introducing them to you all this Sunday in our service. I hope you have a wonderful week of His love and grace flooding your life. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Believing is Seeing" and the scripture was John 20:24-29. Doubts, questions, and "not getting it" they are all normal for us humans. Thomas is known as the "Doubter", but he was and is a giant of the faith. Jesus welcomed his doubts - Jesus wasn't put off by them but loved him through them and the same is true for us today. Church By The Sea welcomes the doubters - come and doubt with us!
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
Family! It is what we are. We are in the family of God by His Son, Jesus Christ, the family of humanity through Adam and Eve, and for those of us who are members or who call Church By The Sea home, we are a part of this church family. I share that because I think family is what we need. We need each other - even the ones we do not get along with. Jesus has His people to be ONE just like He and the Father are one. Our world is so divided, hurt, angry, and uneasy but it is through the Church and God's people that we can truly make a huge difference. As churches continue to create family for those who do not have family (at least they think don't) and God continues changes hearts of hurts to hearts of compassion and grace then we can see change a coming!
I am excited about what God is doing in our midst. I am excited about hearts being healed and lives given purpose through Jesus Christ. Would you all pray for our world, our leaders, our churches to be His hands and feet. I know I am getting all global, but it might just begin a small church in Fort Lauderdale that decides to love like Jesus did and show grace like Jesus did that triggers a movement. What do you say?
I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris
Sermon Recap
The sermon title was "Real Prayer", and the scripture texts were Mathew 6:5-13, 7:7-12, and Zephaniah 3:17. |I talk about prayer, I preach about prayer, but do I pray? It is so easy to talk about it and not do it. What is prayer? It is real, honest conversation with God. It is listening. It is adoring God for who God is. It isn't using fancy words or acting like someone else - Just be yourself!
Pastor's Weekly Email
Dear Friends,
I hope you all are had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I am sure for a lot of you it was running around, going from this event or errand to the next. If that was you then I hope you created some time to rest and to pray in amongst your busyness and if you haven't already then this week - go for it! For those of you who this weekend was not really different than any other, I hope you will create some time for something different. Wherever you are at this moment I want to encourage you to stop your routine and ask God for the wisdom to see Him in the mundane, the ordinary, or the extravagant because we all need to see God and to experience His deep love for all of His creation. Let's all commit to seeking Him .
As Labor Day weekend is over and the families of our church are out of "summer" mode and barrel head-first into the school year, I hope we all will seek to know Him and make Him known. God is doing some wonderful things at Church By The Sea and I excited about this Fall and all that God will do in our midst. In this email you will see a lot opportunities for you to grow, meet new people, and continue to make this ever-growing church feel like a small family. Let's us all walk together.
I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday in worship, or on our YouTube Channel (The Church By The Sea).
In His Grip,
Chris