From the Pastor

July 24, 2020

(2020 Survival Guide… How Would Jesus Live In A Pandemic - 1)

Protests… Elections and Covid-19… OH MY! This isn’t Kansas anymore Dorothy… Welcome to 2020! (And…) Here’s your SURVIVAL GUIDE! While the World around us is seemingly going CrAzY… The Apostle Paul gives us some pretty incredible insight through Romans 12 on how we are NOT to be CONFORMED or CHANGED by what we’re seeing unfold around us… but rather be TRANSFORMED by GOD through the RENEWING OF OUR MINDS! (So we might Think Differently!) So we’re excited to bring you a short little three-week series here at COC called 2020 SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW JESUS WOULD LIVE DURING A PANDEMIC! In this series we will show you some practical ways on learning not just how to SURVIVE – but rather learning how to THRIVE in a World that has seriously become PLAGUED by ANXIETY – DOUBT and DEPRESSION! Please consider joining us these next three weeks – it’s gonna be AWESOME!

Sunday Snapshot… (1) PEACE IN A PANDEMIC (Mat Balgaard)

FEAR and PESSIMISM make NO SENSE when VICTORY IS GUARANTEED! (Larry Osborne)

If you want PEACE in a PANDEMIC… REJOICE in the LORD always! I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all! THE LORD IS NEAR!

If you want PEACE in a PANDEMIC… do NOT be ANXIOUS about ANYTHING but in EVERYTHING, by Prayer and Petition… with Thanksgiving - present your requests to God!

If you want PEACE in a PANDEMIC… present your requests to God and the Peace of God - which transcends ALL UNDERSTANDING will Guard Your Hearts and Your Minds in Christ Jesus!

If you want PEACE in a PANDEMIC… FOCUS on whatever is True - whatever is Noble - whatever is Right - whatever is Pure - whatever is Lovely - whatever is Admirable… if ANYTHING is Excellent or Praiseworthy - think about such things and the GOD of PEACE will be with you!

The PEACE that comes from God is a Quiet Confidence Inside… regardless of Circumstances, People or Things that otherwise might steal our joy!

See You This Weekend Celebrators…

ONLINE SERVICE TIMES…

SATURDAY – 5P

SUNDAY - 9A and/or 10:45A

COC ONLINE SERVICE SITES…

http://churchofcelebration.com/coc-online/

CCITY ONLINE SERVICE SITE…

http://churchofcelebration.com/ministries/celebration-city-birth-4th-grade/

RunTheRace! (Heb 12:1-2)

Pastor Josh

Posted by Josh Barrett with

June 26, 2020

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT (LEARNING HOW TO LET GO… - 2)

We all have a tendency to carry painful parts from our PAST with us... resentment against people who’ve hurt us… mistakes we’ve made… or even bitterness toward God! (So…) We’re going to take a closer look into those ideas and more - with a New Series we’ve started here at COC again this week called LEARNING HOW TO LET GO! We believe this series will show us all how to better recognize those grudges we might be carrying against others and ourselves - and how that pain we tend to hold on to - often weighs us down and keeps us from stepping into the freedom that God has for our lives! It's time that many of us start learning how to LET IT GO! Please consider joining us!

Sunday Snapshot… (2) THE FAITH TO FORGIVE

Luke 17:4… Even if they sin against you seven times – IN A DAY… and seven times they come back to you saying I Repent… YOU MUST FORGIVE THEM! (As Followers of Jesus - we are called to FORGIVE!)

FORGIVENESS is NOT... FORGETTING (And...) It's definitely NOT FAIR! (But...) We can always trust that GOD IS JUST! (Romans 12:19)

FORGIVENESS is GIVING OTHERS what GOD HAS GIVEN TO US IN/THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! (1 John 1:9)

THE GOSPEL isn't just “RECEIVING” FORGIVENESS… (But…) it's also about “GIVING” FORGIVENESS AS WELL!

GOD LOVES YOU... (And...) He's not asking you to FORGIVE SOMEONE to HEAL THEM - He's asking you to FORGIVE THEM to help HEAL "YOU!"

Sometimes the BEST HEALING happens on the OTHER SIDE of THE PAIN! (We need FAITH to FORGIVE the UNFORGIVABLE!)