Active Faith

Beyond Bountiful

Elizabeth Mitchell
8 Jun 2017
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“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). In all likelihood, nothing fits in a fist closed tight. A clenched hand, fingers turned inward with nails pressed into palm will never hold a thing, will never be on the receiving side. Miserly and meager come to mind. If I view God as a hard taskmaster, I will be prone to measure carefully when asked to share. If I fail to recognize the Father as extravagant and gracious, I will protest and excuse myself from any generous […]

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Jesus in the Park

Robin Martin
1 Jun 2017
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As the two groups of people stood there, they both asked the same question: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison” (Matthew 25:37).When? Bewilderment must have begun to set in as every person in the room tried to take stock of their lives and questioned amongst themselves when they could have possibly seen the King, Jesus Himself. When did they see Him and help; when did they see Him and choose not to help? As I stood in Fort Lauderdale’s Stranahan Park on Friday, May 19, the […]

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Lessons Learned . . . Later

Dr. Tommy Boland
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Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). Jesus uttered these words as He was washing His disciples’ feet on the night He would be betrayed. When Jesus came to Simon Peter and knelt to wash his feet, Peter was as confused as he was convicted that he was utterly unworthy to have Jesus Christ — the King of kings and Lord of lords — wash his feet. As Jesus said, Peter did not understand in that moment, but later the lesson was learned: In order to be a leader […]

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With Your Help the Solution to Foster Care is Within Sight

Shelly Pond
16 May 2017
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  At any given time, there are about 500 children waiting in shelters in South Florida without a family to care for them. For their safety, they have been removed from their homes due to abuse, abandonment or neglect by biological family members, and are innocent victims of a broken world. Faith-based foster care agencies such as 4KIDS OF South Florida, Place of Hope, His House and Mount Bethel Human Services are working hard to solve this crisis. However, kind-hearted people are needed who are willing to take in these children and show them the love of God. While many […]

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Forgiveness Restores Who?

Steve Davis
9 May 2017
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An ancient story is told of two friends who were taking a trip through the desert. In the course of many discussions, an unusually sharp disagreement arose over a mutually sensitive issue. In a moment of impulsive rage, the one friend slapped the other in the face. Responding with great restraint and sadness, the man stooped down and wrote in the sand, “Today my good friend slapped me in the face.” and they walked on in strained silence. Much later arriving at a shaded, cool oasis they decided to take a refreshing bath. After a little bit the one slapped […]

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The Believer’s Battle Cry

Dr. Tommy Boland
1 May 2017
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“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47, NIV). 1 Samuel 17 recounts the God-glorifying story of David and Goliath. The Philistine giant Goliath was far bigger, much stronger, and vastly more skilled in battle than was David, the youngest of eight sons of Jesse . . . the shepherd boy. Goliath had every conceivable advantage known to man . . . except one, and that one advantage that David had […]

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Sensing the Need in Haiti

Chrissie Ferguson
26 Apr 2017
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“You don’t know Haiti until you’ve seen it, smelled it, and touched it.” These were the words spoken to our mission team the night before embarking on a girls’ trip to “the unknown” with Food for the Poor in November 2016. With these daunting words looming over our heads, it was difficult to fathom exactly what we would encounter in Haiti over the next few days. Soon enough we would find out. Sensory overload began on our descent upon the beautiful country of Haiti — full of majestic, yet barren mountains (a deforestation that was the result of the Haitian […]

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Together We Are Stronger: Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Promotes Unlikely Partnerships

Edwin Copeland
3 Apr 2017
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You don’t want to miss this year’s Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast to hear the stories and vision of the Kingdom advancing and collaboration happening throughout our community. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 28th from 7:30-9:30 as we gather around the theme of together. Join innovators such as Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, Brad Formsma, founder of I Like Giving, and Immaculée Ilibagiza a Rwandan American author and speaker who survived the Rwandan Genocide, along with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, as they share how together we are forming uncommon partnerships, unleashing uncommon generosity, and becoming uncommon people […]

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Empty Tomb… Full Life

Dr. Tommy Boland
1 Apr 2017
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empty tomb

Let’s look back in time to that first Easter morning to celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One of the greatest gifts of the empty tomb is the full life that has been promised. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV). That full life was to come through the sinless life, sacrificial death and supernatural resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an amazing truth that death and the grave could not hold our Lord Jesus. The Roman soldiers and the religious leaders could […]

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Refugees and the Gospel: A Call for More…from Everybody

John Houmes
1 Mar 2017
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When it comes to refugees, I would be surprised if you didn’t have a strong opinion. Maybe you are calling for a removal of the temporary ban on refugees, including those from Muslim countries. Or maybe you think a temporary ban on refugees from the seven Muslim countries is necessary for our country’s safety. Both the “let them in now” and “temporary ban” positions, even in more nuanced forms, are short-sighted. The “let them in now” position sees Old Testament scripture as a reflection of the heart of God. (enter “sojourner” into an online Bible search). This voice says we should […]

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