Just to make it perfectly clear that Jesus is God's Word Incarnate, our last story of identification in this season comes full circle with the booming voice of God again saying not only "This is my Son, the Beloved," but "Listen to him!" And to put the exclamation on the point, Jesus is seen with Moses and Elijah as if they are personal counsel to him. Had any doubts about Jesus? Leave them on the mountaintop. We have been given, says the letter to the Corinthians, the "light of knowledge" to shine in our hearts. This light is the same light that has shone on the people of God through the ages. We are called to join our voices with the saints, known as those who praise a living and loving God.   

Lent Series: UNBREAKABLE 

Seven Weeks: February 18th to April 1st

Theme: Trusting in God's everlasting covenant with us.

Most of us have had the experience of signing a contract or other legal document on the dotted line.  Contracts are built on distrust, protecting ourselves from liability if the other person doesn't hold up their end of the bargain.  Yet healthy human development and relationship are built on trust.  Trust becomes possible only when we willfully and lovingly yield all authority and power and make ourselves vulnerable.  The deepest and most eternal trust that undergirds our souls comes from a relationship with God, who has given all to be with us and keeps not only God's promises but ours as well, in an unbreakable love known as covenant.

February 18th - A Global Guarantee - Genesis 9:8-17 - God's covenant impacts our view of creation today.

February 25th - Promises We Can't Keep - Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 - God's covenant is not based on faithfulness, but on need.

March 4th - Contracts and Covenants - Exodus 20:1-17 - Contracts are a compromise, covenants mean being all-in.

March 11th - Unbreakable  - Ephesians 2:1-10 - Nothing can break God's covenant with us.

March 18th - Marriage Vows - Jeremiah 31:31-34 - God's covenant is deeply personal and intimate.

March 25th (Palm Sunday) - What Happens When You Assume? - Mark 11:1-1 - God's covenant defies all our assumptions and expectations.

Each Sunday over the next three weeks, take the opportunity to enjoy some unique experiences that will give us a chance to engage with our lager community and transform our hearts as we gain a deeper understanding of what some our neighbors  encounter on a daily basis.  We have scheduled three unique experiences that will move us  outside of our comfort zone and provide us with a chance to encounter life from a different perspective.   

On the 11th, we'll help a local neighbor who is experiencing significant hardships in her life, by helping clean her apartment, but also bring her relief from the burden of anxiety and hopelessness that she carries in her life.  On the 18th, we'll be going to United Against Poverty, a ministry in Orlando that serves the working poor community.  There they have a grocery store with items being sold at a fraction of the cost in regular stores.  We will be volunteering in the store, helping with shoppers and organizing the shelves.  Finally, on the 25th,  we'll be heading over to another local church to visit the "Compassion Experience," as we walk through various full-scale replicas of various dwellings from some of the world's greatest places of need in order to experience the living conditions for children and families tin these areas.  

All of these opportunities are free.  We will  be meeting at the church at 1pm. There will be no need to bring anything other than a willingness to grow from our experiences.  Sign up sheets for each week's activities are on the back table in the sanctuary.

Sunday, February 11th - Helping Clean Neighbor's Apartment - 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.

Sunday, February 18th - United Against Poverty - 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.

Sunday, February 25th - The Compassion Experience - 1:00p.m. to 3:00p.m.