Active Faith

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Dr. Tommy Boland
1 Nov 2017
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sacrifice of thanksgiving

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving… The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:14, 23 ESV). This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, so I would like to give you a word of encouragement that is rooted in the words of the psalmist above, as well as in a number of other places throughout sacred Scripture. Now, at first glance, a “sacrifice of thanksgiving” seems to be incongruent. How could being thankful for receiving some blessing be a sacrifice? It seems like such a natural response. We receive a blessing, and we respond with thanksgiving. But clearly […]

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Time: A Reflection

John Hawkins, Sr
26 Oct 2017
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When younger, most people don’t give much thought to time. It seems to be unlimited, and we don’t have a concern about running out of it. Eventually we cross a line in time when our mortality confronts us. We realize we have less time in front of us than behind us. Some call this mid-life crisis. I call it the existential crisis. It is a time to examine the meaning of our life in light of this scarce and valuable commodity we call time. Take time today to reflect with me on your time, so you can use what you […]

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A Heart for the Lost in Japan

Tami Gomez
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If asked to imagine where missionaries ought to serve, our imaginations typically conjure up pictures of the humid rainforests of the Amazon or the arid deserts of northern Africa. When we think of those who have not heard the gospel, we assume they must be living in remote areas or in squalor. The fact is that huge metropolises across the globe are teeming with lost souls roaming their streets in search of meaning and purpose. Japan—Tokyo in particular—is in desperate need of the gospel. This country, which we associate with advancement, technology and luxury, is actually a spiritual wasteland where […]

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Is Bible Prophesy Being Fulfilled in Our Time?

Jerry Newcombe
19 Oct 2017
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There’s an item in the news that caught my attention and made me wonder if Bible prophesy is possibly being fulfilled in our time. Having written a book almost twenty years ago that compares the major views Christians hold on the return of Christ, I think we must be wary of “newspaper exegesis.” Don’t read into every current event some aspect of the return of Christ. Nonetheless, the book of Revelation says this about “the beast of the earth,” a major helper to the beast, who is the Antichrist to come: “It also forced all people, great and small, rich […]

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Church United Announces Vision 2020

Edwin Copeland
5 Oct 2017
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vision 2020

Church United began with a simple question: what if we could change the narrative of South Florida? What if our community became known as the best place to live, to work, and to raise a family? Similar to our own stories, the story of South Florida is far from over. The vision of Church United has always been beyond any one church, key leader, or organization— it is about the flourishing of South Florida. A vision rooted in the belief that as the gospel saturates the region, generosity is reigned, stronger families are formed, Sunday’s faith would be more connected […]

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The Hidden Benefit of the Local Church

Brian Burkholder
31 Aug 2017
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Several years ago the leaders of our church decided to change its name to Hollywood Community Church (HCC). Although that name isn’t necessarily compelling or eye popping, it does perfectly demonstrate who we are and what God has called us to do. At HCC we have a tremendous passion for the Gospel to make a difference in our city. That passion drives us to look for ways to serve those who live in our surrounding neighborhoods. Quite frankly, we do not always do a good job, but our name reminds us every day of our purpose. Of course, every church […]

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When God Shows Off

Stephan Tchividjian
3 Aug 2017
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God

The idea birthed from a conversation Lisa and I had about what we could do for our kids at Christmas. Our family continues to grow with two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, three grandchildren and the random foster child here or there. Lisa thought laser tag in the front yard would be great fun…seriously laser tag in the front yard? I then suggested something a little more primitive, something so not us, something that would scream, “out of my comfort zone, nobody loves me.” Camping!   Camping The family, ours that is, does not have any experience in camping, no equipment, no […]

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Elijah’s Call to Pure Worship

Dr. Susan Michael
27 Jun 2017
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  Mount Carmel is at the tip of a beautiful 24-mile long wooded mountain range nestled inbetween the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Jezreel valley to the east. “Carmel” means “vineyard of God” or “garden of God” and the Bible describes it as a beautiful and fruitful region. Most Bible students, however, associate the area with the famous confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of the Canaanite fertility god, Ba’al, found in 1 Kings 18. While there are no archeological remains to verify the exact place of this event, the Stella Maris Monastery is said to […]

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Advent Church Members Impact Lives at Village of Hope in Haiti

The Good News
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  “People always ask me, ‘Are things getting any better in Haiti?’ My reply is always, “At the Village of Hope in Haiti things are getting better every day, grace a dieu (thanks to God),” said Pastor Andy Hagen, of Advent Church in Boca Raton, who is speaking from experience. He has been leading mission trips to Haiti since 2003 and has travelled there over 25 times. “The situation in Haiti was not good even before the earthquake of 2010 that took the lives of between 200,000 and 300,000 people. But the quake and cholera epidemic that followed made things […]

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Heart2Heart Restores Hope, Love & Purpose

Shelly Pond
26 Jun 2017
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Americans are getting older. More than 10,000 Baby Boomers reach retirement age daily, creating a startling demographic shift. Currently one in eight Americans are 65 or older. By 2030 those numbers will rise to one in five. A popular retirement destination, Florida has the largest elderly population with 19 percent of Americans aged 60 and above. That number is expected to grow to 32 percent. Sadly many aging Americans end up in long term care facilities far away from family, and over 65 percent of those residents never receive visitors. Lonely and forgotten, their spirits fade away. Like all of […]

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