Community News 8/31/17

DAY 4 OF WEEK 1

Colossians 3:13 / 1 Peter 2:24 / Ephesians 4:32 / Hebrews 12:15

HABIT 4: Your Gift of Forgiveness

From your "sit place with God," embracing His presence in truth and grace, may you welcome the freedom of forgiveness in your life and in your relationships. Forgiveness is for you, in order to overflow in influence to others, and to free you to live to the fullness in your whole being and fulfill your destiny. Living forgiven is freedom! You can only be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. Nothing else. Jesus bore your sins on the cross so that you might be forgiven. Receive and believe that you are forgiven by the blood of Jesus.

Forgiving yourself, others, and sometimes even God is essential as you journey through life. There is no way that as you passage through life that you will not be wounded and disappointed. Forgiveness is required to do life well in every relationship. Forgive as God has forgiven you. Remember, trust and forgiveness are very separate issues. Whether the person is trustworthy or not, you can forgive. Trust God to avenge those that have hurt you. Forgiveness is necessary for your well-being. Live forgiven! Forgive freely!

Reflection

First, write down in your journal whom do I need to forgive? Second, write down what do I need to forgive them for? Third, meet Jesus at the cross, and visualize the person at the cross. With God's grace, offer forgiveness to that person. You might say, "I forgive you, ________" (filling in the blank), until all has been offered in forgiveness and you hear the words of God to you: You are forgiven!

Adapted From:  10 Habits Of Intimacy With God - You Version

Community News 8/30/17

DAY 3 OF WEEK 1 

John 1:17 / 2 Corinthians 5:21 / 1 Corinthians 15:10 / 1 Peter 2:24

HABIT 3: Your Grace Place

From your "sit place with God," know that He is the God of all Grace. He is both the God of Truth and God of Grace. Choose to embrace Him in both of these attributes in your life situations. As the God of Grace, He accepts, loves, and values you unconditionally because of the work of Jesus at the cross. You are loved, always acceptable, and worthy to be loved and accepted by the God of all Grace, only because of Jesus and His blood sacrifice. There is no work you need to do to get His love or acceptance. When He says He loves you it is because of His grace through the blood of Jesus. Nothing is required from you for Him to love you every day, eternally. It is absolutely imperative you sit in your "sit place with God," to breathe in and believe in this truth until it is secure in your heart. This is grace!

There is a second grace: you need the grace of God to live your life. It is only with the help of the grace of God that you can live your life: loved, forgiven, accepted, and loving and forgiving others. From this position of His loving you unconditionally—no work from you needed—it is His desire that you love yourself, live truthfully free, and love others with the same love He shows you. God offers His all-sufficient grace, trusting that you will join your will with His grace and experience His love and acceptance, and then do what He speaks to your heart and mind that will set you free and love others deeply from the heart. Live loved! Love freely!

Reflection

First, practice from your "sit place with God," meditating on "He loves me." Listen to what you see in images, what you feel, what it looks like, breathing in and believing in "He loves me." Do this as often as you can. Second, consider which of the 4 P's (performing, pleasing, perfecting, and pretending) block you in believing and receiving "He loves me" unconditionally. Third, choose to embrace His grace and your will and do one thing that He is speaking to your heart right now. For example, call a friend, replace a lie with truth, exercise, or forgive.

Adapted From:  10 Habits Of Intimacy With God - You Version

Community News 8/29/17

Care Network 

Participate every Wednesday at BCC's Care Network.  Enjoy dinner by donation this Wednesday from Lola's at 6:00 PM and at 6:30 PM we will serve the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of those who find themselves in difficult situations. 

Labor Day Weekend Celebration

BCC is growing and that is certainly a great reason to celebrate.  We have seen multiple lives changed this summer.  People are moving into a more dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.  Join us this Sunday, September 3rd for a combined service on the lawn at 10:30 A.M.  Pastor Mark will continue the Best Day Ever Series and will ask the question "What should a Christ follower's work day look like?"  This service will be followed with lunch on the grounds.  You can bring your lunch or order from the food trucks.  We will then enjoy various games and activities such as corn hole, flag football, frisbee golf, family Brevard bike path ride and open play.  So bring your friends and let's celebrate, eat, and play as a big family.  Early weekend service will be held outside on Thursday, August 31st.  Don't forget to bring a lawn chair.  If it rains, we will simply move the celebration inside! 

Gospel Project

Take your Bible Study to the next level!  Join us September 10th-December 3rd for an in depth study through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts and let the Word of God teach you and transform you.  The Gospel Project Study parallels with what the children are learning in KidzZone.  This can open the way for great family discussions.  This study meets during first service from 9 AM to 10 AM in the brown house.  For more information, please contact Trudy Pierron at gtpierron@citcom.net or visit www.gospelproject.com. 

Augustine Literacy Project

The Augustine Literacy Project needs new volunteers to continue providing free, trained, reading tutors for students struggling with literacy skills.  The dates for the training are the weeks of September 4th and 11th.  For more information, please contact Wendi Adair at brevardaugustine@gmail.com or visit www.augustineproject-brevard.org.  "Tutor one child.  Change two lives."

Labor Day

In observance of Labor Day, the church office will be closed next Monday, September 4th and Tuesday, September 5th. 

Community News 8/29/17

DAY 2 OF WEEK 1

Hebrews 6:18 / Psalms 51:6 / John 8:32 

HABIT 2: Your Truth Life Preserver

From your "sit place with God," know that He is the God of Truth. He will never lie to you. He is Truth and the only words that He will speak to you are true, healing, and life words. It is imperative that truth be at the core of your being to protect you from all distortions and deceptions.

Truth is your life preserver when the storms of life blow in and you feel like you have been swept into emotional, raging waters. It is important to hold onto God's true words until you are fully rescued from whatever storm has blown in, until you are completely set free! Do not stop believing, trusting Him and His true words until you are living in the fullness of freedom.

Your words, your self-talk, and your everyday thoughts need to match God's words. Ask yourself: are these God words or enemy words? Then choose to come into agreement with God's words that will help you, offering you grace and hope in your situation. Remember, what you believe is what you will do. Be reminded that thinking and confessing truth is not the same as believing truthfully, your choices and responses all aligning with God's truth—your truth in the midst of your challenge.

Reflection

First, write down what beliefs will you hold on to everyday, no matter the struggle; for example: God is good to me, God loves me, and God is with me. Second, write down what lies do you believe when difficulties enter into your day, your life? Third, write down what God personally shares with you, His true words to help you replace those lies in your time of difficulty. Hold on to these words, your behaviors and responses in agreement until the storm passes and your freedom is secured.

Adapted From:  10 Habits Of Intimacy With God - You Version

Community News 8/28/17

DAY 1 OF WEEK 1

1 Peter 5:10 / Psalms 16:11 / Psalms 62:8 / John 15:9-10

HABIT 1: Sit Place with God

Now is the time to restore intimacy with God back into your life. The enemy's plan is to kill, steal, and destroy intimacy in all relationships, beginning with the most important one: your relationship with God. It is God's plan to restore intimacy with you, making you strong, steady, secure, and sure. His pathway of intimacy is life-breathing, life-giving. In His presence, you will be filled to the fullness of joy, and all provisions needed for your intimacy journey will be provided.

Your "sit place with God" can be both visual and physical. Find a place where you can sit with God daily. It is in this sit place that you first worship Him and then share your thoughts and feelings with Him. Pause in His presence. Wait for Him, don't rush this time. First, to receive His care and comfort for your struggle. Second, to receive His truth, to know the path to take that will offer you the help, healing, or hope you so desperately need. This is not a time of monologue, but of dialogue. It is the honoring of both your voice and His voice. Your response in obedience to what He shares with you is your love back to Him.

Reflection

First, create your "sit place with God." Meet with God daily, even throughout the day and night to share your heart and listen to His heart. Second, invite Jesus daily into all your relationships and situations. His presence will give you peace, joy, hope, and so much more versus what the world has to offer in stress, anxiety, depression, and many other emotional struggles. Remove all "Do Not Enter" signs, giving Him access to your whole life. Third, obey what He speaks to your heart. From this loved placed, He will share His truth that will set you free.

Adapted From:  10 Habits Of Intimacy With God - You Version

Community News 8/25/17

DAY 5 OF WEEK 3

John 1:14; Colossians 1:15-19; John 16:23

The One Who Hears

When you pray, remember the name of the One who hears. Jesus.

Jesus has unimpeachable authority. “He sustains everything by the mighty power of his command” (Heb. 1:3 NLT). “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9 NIV).

The Roman government tried to intimidate him. False religion tried to silence him. The devil tried to kill him. All failed. Even “death was no match for him” (Acts 2:24 MSG).

Jesus “disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Col. 2:15 NLT). He was not kidding when he declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18 NIV). Jesus is the command center of the galaxies. “Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father’s knowing it” (Matt. 10:29 NCV). He occupies the Oval Office. He called a coin out of the mouth of a fish. He stopped the waves with a word. He spoke, and a tree withered. He spoke again, and a basket became a banquet. Economy. Meteorology. Botany. Food supply. “All things have been handed over to me by my Father” (Matt. 11:27 NRSV).

When we pray in the name of Jesus, we come to God on the basis of Jesus’ accomplishment. “Since we have a great high priest [Jesus] over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:21–22 HCSB). As our high priest, Jesus offers our prayers to God. His prayers are always heard.

So pray! Since God works, prayer works. Since God is good, prayer is good. Since you matter to God, your prayers matter in heaven. You’re never without hope, because you’re never without prayer. And on the occasions you can’t find the words to say, pull these out of your pocket:

Father,

you are good.

I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help.

Thank you.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Adapted From: The Power of a Simple Prayer You Version