West Pines Community Church

The security blanket is something that many children have. It is comfortable. It is familiar. It is soothing. Linus van Pelt is one of those children. You will be hardpressed to find Linus without his blanket. He is committed to his trusty blanket, despite ridicule from his older sister Lucy. Unlike Linus, most of us adults have outgrown carrying a blanket around. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have other “security blankets.” One of the most motivating factors in our lives is the pursuit of security. However, the prophet Micah has good news. There will come a ruler, who will bring security. We can find genuine, life-changing security brought by the One born in Bethlehem.

Charlie Brown is still having a tough time finding joy at Christmas time. It seems like everywhere he turns, people have ‘gone commercial’. His friends, family, and even his dog, snoopy, are wrapped up in the materialism that often overtakes the Christmas season. Though “A Charlie Brown Christmas” originally aired in 1965, his famous search for the true meaning of Christmas still resonates with us today. Writing about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, Micah gives us a different way to find joy at Christmas time.

Charlie Brown is experiencing a crisis. It’s Christmas time, but he’s not feeling it. Isn’t it supposed to be the happiest season of all? Then why is he so depressed? Maybe it’s because he doesn’t understand Christmas. And that begins his quest to understand what Christmas is all about. That is the challenge of Christmas season. There are great expectations on how we are supposed to feel. But our emotions so easily lead us astray. Our emotions betray us, confuse us and misguide us. If only there was something or someone who was a better leader than our own emotions...

Black Friday. For some those words get the blood pumping. Armed with a canteen of coffee and comfortable shoes, it is a chance to prove that no mob will stop you from grabbing up the deals of the year. For others, nothing could tempt you out into the crazed chaos that is the shopping frenzy the day after Thanksgiving. Especially, not after a tryptophan induced coma the day before. No matter which camp you fall into, no one can deny that Black Friday is a once a year opportunity. But what if there were another opportunity that begins this weekend? The potential reward is not merely a few dollars saved. It is at this time of year, that our culture is more open to coming to church and hearing the gospel than any other time of year. Does that get our blood pumping?

People from all over the world view South Florida as a sunny oasis and a vacation destination. For those of us who call South Florida home, we can agree that it certainly is those things, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The reality is that we live in one of the wealthiest parts of the country and also one of the poorest. Census statistics show that among the 4.4 million people living in Broward or Miami-Dade county, over 800,000 of them live below the poverty line. Throughout history, the Church has loved and served the poor, following in the footsteps of Jesus who championed their cause. As a church living in this community, it’s our duty and privilege to proclaim and display God’s love in selfless service to the poor.

Have you ever had the opportunity to be a “good samaritan” but it falls at the worst time? It’s not that you don’t want to help, it’s just that right now is not a fit. But still, you believe in your heart you are a good samaritan… right? Interestingly, that is at the heart of Jesus’ story we call “The Good Samaritan.” Two other people passed by the hurting man because it was an inconvenient moment for them. The one who really understood what it was to love, readjusted his life to accommodate the hurting person. According to Jesus, love is not simply good intentions. Love is sacrificing for another. It is responding to whoever is in our path. So, who are the hurting ones in our way right now? Will we stop and respond and show love? What if it requires us to rearrange our lives? What if it takes great sacrifice? What if it is a child that needs a home?

#LoveSFL, Part 2: Using Need To Help Get Them Freed The Command to Minister To Single Parents

Have you ever known a family that all have a similar look about them? Maybe you can’t even put your finger on it, but it is unmistakable. You are convinced that if you lined up 50 people and mixed in members of that family, you could pick them out. Jesus uses a similar metaphor to describe his followers. In a parable Jesus tells how one day He will sit on a throne to judge humanity. He says he will separate those who are His followers from those who are not. He explains how there is one quality that His followers all have. This attribute is so commonplace that he can use it as the basis for identifying those who are His. Those who are saved by the grace of God will have an undeniable compulsion. The gospel plants a seed in us. Since Jesus sacrificed everything to save us who were spiritually poor, we cannot help but to sacrifice ourselves for the “least of these” among us.

If you had the option of avoiding discomfort, would you? I think if you stopped to think about it, you’d need more information. If the discomfort is senselessly breaking your arm, then the answer would be yes. If the discomfort is sitting in traffic on your way to pick up your loved one returning from a combat tour overseas, then the answer is no. Pain is endured when the allure of the joy on the other end of the pain is stronger. But interestingly, often we simply avoid pain and discomfort at all costs. That leads us to miss out on some of the best parts of life. Furthermore, we often think that following Jesus will automatically result in less discomfort. We believe that the closer we draw to God, the more he will make our path comfortable, more stable, and easier. In reality, Jesus promised the exact opposite. The path of following Jesus is difficult. But the joy on the other end, far outweighs the cost...

It is the grand climax of a beautiful journey. This final episode of Grandpa Abraham’s life is loaded with intensity and brimming with emotion. In response to an unimaginable command of God, Abraham demonstrates one of the greatest acts of faith in human history. In this story God is painting a vivid picture of a truth that is critical for you to know. It is for anyone who feels like God is indifferent towards their present circumstances. It is for anyone who doubts God’s unquenchable love for them. It is for anyone who is struggling with cooled emotions towards God. It is for anyone who is resisting the surrender of a dimension of their lives to God. This is The Time Abraham Took a Hard Walk.

We just finished up five days of camp. Five days of serving out in our community, partnering with organizations that are doing good work all throughout South Florida. Our students also experienced nightly teaching and music that pointed them to the inexhaustible love of Christ. So now what? No doubt lives were changed, commitments were made, and passion was sparked. But what happens when we’ve made the change, commitments, and the passion is there, but God doesn’t seem to be holding up on his end of the bargain? Was it all real or was it just an emotional high? In Luke 7, Jesus helps us to deal with some of these difficult questions, by giving us a rather shocking And now, John, who had witnessed all of that. An incredible and unforgettable experience of hearing God’s voice from heaven, begins to call into question the things he once held so tightly. answer.

West Pines Community Church Leadership

As we enter into another new year, most of us will take some time to reflect on what we can do this year to make our lives better. Whether that is matters of health, finances, family, vocation, or some other area of personal growth, we often make those plans based only on how the results will have some type of personal reward. What if we took the time to reframe our goals for the new year through the lens of what would bring the most glory to God. That might mean changing some goals but it also might just mean changing our motivation and therefore reclassifying what the reward should be. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus sets expectation for how we should invest the “talents” or resources that God has given us. What if we applied that idea to our goals and resolutions for the coming year?

It is a motivating charge from a mentor. In fact, it may have been some of the final words from a father figure to a young man he had invested so much in. Paul charges Timothy to stand unwaveringly on the perfect scripture. He tells Timothy to be ready to preach boldly no matter the opposition. That will require immovable courage. So what will that look like in the church today? What does it look like to proclaim truth no matter the cost? That is not an easy question to answer. It is especially difficult in the arena of politics...

One of the most powerful forces in the world is bottled up in one word: HOPE. Think about the phrase “a glimmer of hope.” Just a glimpse of something as catalytic as hope, is more than enough to spur on the remarkable. If we are honest, virtually all of us have a situation in our lives that we are desperate for something to hang our hope on. Maybe it’s an area of doubt. Maybe it’s something that is broken in your life. Maybe it’s a sinking loneliness. Maybe it’s a general feeling of being lost. In some way we all need just a whisper of hope. But what if there is more than just a glimmer of hope that’s available? What if this Christmas is promising a THRILL OF HOPE for your weariness...

Mark 9:14-24 NLT When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy

The world is going to end! Okay, we all know that to be true. The real question is: when? Some scientists say that we only have a billion years left on the planet before the sun gets too hot for life to be sustained. But others say the final judgment of the earth will happen in a lot less time… 3 days from now to be exact. The challenge is that there are end of the world predictions all the time. And many of them are from Christian leaders. They point to a combination of political events, astronomical events like “blood moons” and biblical prophecy to make their claims. How are we supposed to react to all of that? How do we sort through what is hype and what is real? There is a clear, precise answer to this, according to Jesus. He spoke directly to the “when” question of the end of the world. And what He said should affect your plans this week...

There is one fact, one matter of truth, that matters more than anything else in the world. Are you sure, with 100% certainty, that when you die, you will be with God in heaven? And Is it even possible to have such complete certainty? In John 10, Jesus addresses this topic by teaching us what it means to be His, and how we came to be His. If you struggle with doubt over whether or not you are saved and going to heaven, you can leave today with 100% certainty of where you stand with God. And if you are already certain of where you stand with Jesus, then let’s clear up some misconceptions about how we often act as though we aren’t so sure. Let’s leave this place today assured and secured.

01-11-15 Rescue 119, Part 1: Mathetes by West Pines Community Church

01-18-16 Rescue 119, Part 2: Rescued by West Pines Community Church