1. Due to a horrific traffic accident that occurred early this morning where the exit of Florida’s Turnpike southbound meets Campbell Drive a three-quarter-of-a-mile stretch of Campbell Drive was shut down in both directions to include the front entrance of the movie theatre. In order to get to the movie theatre I told the Homestead cop (that wasn’t letting anyone through) that I was an Assistant Pastor at the Church that meets at the movie theatre. What I should have said was that I was an Assistant to the Pastors of the Church (or something to that effect). Campbell Drive was re-opened for traffic shortly before the start of the 9 AM service, and our guests, regular attenders, and members poured in to the parking lots.
2. Tere and Patricia totally ruled the Welcome & Information Center, Lisa and Luci were livin’ large and fully in charge of the Kids Life Registration table, Ritz had that whole ‘Cure’ thing goin’ on, and Richard and Cristian manned the front doors like only they can. Not only are they a wonderful welcoming committee, but they also make for perfect bouncers for our security and protection.
3. We had approximately 20 new guests (including kids) join us on this glorious Sunday morning at Life Pointe Church, and that total does not include undocumented new guests – those that slipped in without completing and turning-in a new guest form or a connection card. That number can be more than half of the documented number on any given Sunday morning. It was definitely busy at the ‘LPC’ this morning. The 10:30 service was standing room only at its peak.
4. Jesse – the leader of the band – turned over the reins of the band to Reina, and he became Pastor Jesse as he led us on a powerful teaching of the cross, and what Jesus Christ accomplished on it. Despite all of the good that Jesus did during his Life he chose to die on that bloody hunk of wood so that we could live. He died as and with the worst of the worst criminals. He could have walked away, but He deemed it necessary to go through with His plan to save humanity. He exchanged His perfection with our imperfection. He separated Himself from His Father in order to unify us with God through the cross. He took the penalty in our place so that we would not have to.
5. This afternoon about three dozen of us gathered over at Homestead Bayfront Park for a fun time of food, fellowship, and a few baptisms. What happened at the beach with us, a trio of lifeguards, several Miami-Dade County Park Officers, and a bunch of innocent bystanders that aren’t even part of our church family but defended us and our God-given rights was totally amazing. Words can’t do justice to what occurred at the beach this afternoon, but an hour-long video of the entire scenario certainly can. Alex had the video camera in motion, and a lot of it was captured on tape. What you will soon see on that tape could indeed shock you, but it was some of the stuff that wasn’t captured on tape that was even more shocking. Self-admitted Christians who were lifeguards were taking their orders from County Park Management to call the whole thing off. And they did. What was supposed to be the quickest water baptism in Life Pointe Church history turned out to become the longest such event in our history. In the meantime we were verbally assaulted at the beach with a war of words – many of them cuss words – by these apparent Christians that ruled over the beach. You can call yourself a Christian in public all you want, but if you act like the darkness of the world and chastise our First Amendment right to announce our faith in God in a public setting then you are the enemy. You have a lot to learn about being a Christian, and truly acting like a Christian – in public. That is all I have to say about that here on my blog. Pastor Paul even stated that the crazy events of this afternoon may actually inspire him to write a blog for the first time in nearly two months ! You Go Paul !
CountUp 