We’re kicking off our new series on the Fruit of the Spirit this Sunday, September 19th! Don’t miss it! Our memory verse for this week is Galatians 5:22-23, which says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Each week of the series, there will be a memory verse and a daily devotional which will be emailed out Monday through Saturday. Several of our LIFE Groups are going to use small group questions that we provide each week to dig deeper into that week’s message. (By the way, most of our LIFE Groups start this coming week! Woohoo!)
This week’s sermon is on love. In preparation for Sunday, I would encourage you to read through 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter of the Bible. Some have suggested that this is the greatest, strongest, and deepest passage ever written about love. It is, no doubt, the most read passage of scripture at weddings. But it’s interesting, when Paul wrote this chapter, he was not thinking about weddings or romance, at least, not primarily. Chapter 13 comes right in the middle of a lengthy discussion on the use of spiritual gifts in the church. The Corinthians had turned that into a battle ground. They argued about which gift was the most significant. They were selfish and they were taking each other to court. Seriously, the Corinthian church was literally plagued with disputes, dissension and division.
It was into THAT context that Paul introduced the Corinthians to a new kind of love – God’s love. So as you read through 1 Corinthians 13, don’t just think about your spouse or your boyfriend or girlfriend. Think about how you treat other people in the church, people you come into contact with in the community – where you live, work, parent, and play. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” You see, the distinguishing mark of a Christian is not a cross. The sign of the Christian is not a crucifix. It’s not a dove. It’s not a fish on your car. The distinguishing mark of a Christian is love. So, how many people know that you are a Christian because of your loving lifestyle? One of the most loving things you could do this week is to invite and bring someone to church with you!
LIFE & LOVE!
Pastor Chris
- If you’re fairly new to Coastal, a great next step is our Newcomers Reception. Our next Newcomers Reception is Sunday, October 3rd, in the Welcome Center immediately following the 11:15am service (at approximately 12:30pm). This is a great way to learn more about Coastal, meet staff and key volunteers, as well as meet some other new people. You can respond to this email, sign up on our website, or sign up on your Connect Card on Sunday.
- Have you signed up for a LIFE Team yet – Coastal Kidz, First Impressions, Cafe, Security, Worship, Tech? Our LIFE Teams are the volunteers who carry out the mission of Coastal. To see a complete list of our LIFE Teams go to our website and sign up today!
- UPCOMING OUTREACH PROJECTS:
Patriot Villas Veterans Tailgate – We will be putting on a Tailgate for the Patriot Villas, Thursday, September 22nd, 6pm-8pm. Meet at church Welcome Center.
Lowcountry Orphan Relief – Lowcountry Orphan Relief provides support services and aid to meet the needs of Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect. Coastal will be serving there, Friday, September 24th, 9:30am-11:30am. Meet at 1850 Truxton Ave in North Charleston.
Tricounty Family Ministries – We will be assisting with their Emergency Grocery Distribution, Wednesday, September 29th, 9:45am-12:30pm. Meet at: 2105 Cosgrove Ave. North Charleston.
Saturday Serve – The foundation of all of our serving opportunities at Coastal really starts with Saturday Serve – the first Saturday of every month. The next Saturday Serve is Saturday, October 2nd. We meet in the Welcome Center/Cafe at 8:30am, project leaders make a “pitch” for their serving opportunity, and then we serve! Make plans NOW to be there!
If you are interested in serving in any of these projects, you can sign up on your Connect Card this Sunday or sign up now on our website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Chris Jones at 843-870-4613. - Waves Student Ministry (6th-12th Grade) is back and meeting regularly on Wednesday nights! Doors will open at 6pm and all Students 6th-12th grade are invited to come out and join in a night of fellowship and growth from 6pm-8pm. Food, games, worship, a Biblical message and small groups are all part of a Wednesday night at Waves Student Ministry, so invite and bring a friend! For any questions, reach out to Pastor Scott at scotth@coastalcommunitychurch.org, 859-230-5129.
- Interested in serving in our Coastal Kidz Children’s Ministry (Birth-5th Grade)? Go to our website, check out all the different volunteer positions, and sign up today! It’s that easy! If you have any questions, please reach out to Janet Rollins at janet@coastalcommunitychurch.org or 843-442-8299.
P.S. Have you signed up for a LIFE Group yet? As always, there are multiple ways to sign up for a Group, but you only have to sign up one time/one way. You can sign up online from our website, on your Connect Card (in-person or online), or at the LIFE Group Tables/Sign-up sheets in the Welcome Center. And this semester, we have the most Groups we’ve ever had – 29 different LIFE Groups – online and/or in-person Groups, activity Groups, study Groups, support Groups, and more! There is something for EVERYONE! Unless otherwise indicated, most of Groups begin the week of September 19th and last 8-12 weeks. Make sure you check out our catalog and start signing up today!
