December 19, 2012

Acts 2:32-33 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. ³³ Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.”

Sunday was an emotional service for many as we closed our fall series “Portraits of Christ” with the last portrait - “Risen Christ.”  It was emotional because it hit home.  I revisit the points today because I don't want us to move on so quickly losing the impact of the experience we had together. 

Jesus is the “Risen Christ” and therefore (1) Sin is Forgiven, (2) Restoration is Made Possible and, to aid us as followers of Jesus (3) the Holy Spirit is Given.  The number of hands that went up in both services was numerous. That signified a need to ask God for forgiveness from something nagging our conscience.  It illustrated so well the point that we are in need of forgiveness, but not just forgiveness but...restoration.   Jesus did not overcome death, hell and the grave so we could be forgiven, but that we would be restored to the Father in full relationship.  Today, don't settle for anything less than restoration.  Be at rest in the fact that you are forgiven, then look to the person of the Holy Spirit to be that comforter, counselor and truth-teller about your life in Christ.  This is the step so many of us do not take...and we suffer needlessly because of it.  Seek the power and the presence of God’s Spirit daily so you can live restored!

This coming Sunday we are looking forward to Christmas!  My wife Becky and I will be speaking on the promise from Isaiah 9:6.  Take an early look and see how God will speak to you.  These will be family services and we are looking for ways to include our children.  We will be handing out 5 ornaments per service and would like to choose from a list of people who respond to this devotional.  All you need to do is send an email to mystory@baysidech.com. Include your child's name, age and which service they will be in.  We have a team that will draw names and give them out at the service.  The entries must be in by this coming Friday at noon to be in the drawing.

We hope you will be joining us for Christmas Eve Communion and candlelight services.  These are always so special and an opportunity to invite your friends and family who don't usually attend church.

Please know we love you and look forward to seeing you!  May God richly bless you.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

PS - We appreciate everyone who makes good use of the parking located on the new property.  Anyone who parks over there this weekend will be eligible for a special treat!

December 12, 2012

“When you bear much fruit, you are my true disciples.  This brings great glory to my father.”
John 15:8
 

Last Sunday we finished our third week examining this passage known as The Vine, found in John 15.  As we conclude this passage, I wanted to leave you with a couple of closing thoughts.  From the passage we learned that pruning is critical to a branch if it is to bear any fruit. Without pruning, we get no fruit.  With pruning, we can have much fruit.  The key is to “remain” in Christ and the pruning will literally take care of itself because we will be following the lead of God.  When we let God lead us, we will see great fruit come from our lives.  It’s easy to want to resist pruning because we think it will hurt, but the truth is we already hurt.  God is trying to get us to the other side of the pain caused by insecurity, anger, bitterness, lust, jealousy, etc.  Give in to the pruning.  God’s work “fruit” will not become your worst nightmare, it will become a beautiful dream come true.  Remember, to move from bearing no fruit, to bearing much fruit. The following will draw you in the right direction.

1.      Work through obvious contradictions in my life. 

2.      Simplify...sort out my priorities!

3.      Who am I now?

a.      Words, thoughts, behaviors and attitudes.

4.      Who does God describe me to be?

a.      Psalm 15, Galatians 5:16-26, Matthew 5, 6 & 7

5.      Let God’s grace have its way!

a.      Freedom from: Time to cut loose of some of the old life...friends, hobbies, habits and pursuits that are wasting my time.

b.      Freedom to: Be intentional about next steps and embrace the freedom and confidence He created me to live in.

This coming Sunday we will be closing our series with a portrait of the “Risen Christ.”  This will be a great event to bring a friend to.  Take a look at the last chapters of John as you look toward Sunday. 

We are excited to see you as we all come together and celebrate the goodness of our God.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

December 7, 2012

"Remain in me" John 15:4.  These three words are so unbelievably simple and yet they open a door for us, as followers of Jesus, to experience Heaven on earth. What is true in Heaven can be true of us...if we will "remain."  Seriously, who doesn't want that!

How about you today?  What is true in Heaven that needs so badly to be true in your life?  It’s yours...if you will "remain". Take the time today...right now, to "remain" in Christ. If you are struggling to understand how to "remain", clue in to the last couple of weeks Sunday messages on our website or by utilizing the Bayside 3.0 app available for Mac and Android users in the App Store. The messages will open a whole new dimension to your life in Christ.

This coming weekend we are wrapping up the John 15 passage with part 3.  We are specifically tackling "how" to see that which is true in Heaven become true in you.  Are you looking for a huge breakthrough in your life?  We are going to show you how!  Seriously, this weekend’s talk has massive potential...don't miss it.

We love you and look forward to seeing you this weekend as we gather to celebrate the work of God in our lives.

Remember the 11 o'clock service now starts at 10:45.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

November 28, 2012

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 

Sunday’s services were such a celebration of the goodness of our God.  His presence was very strong for me and many of you have said you experienced the same thing.  This is the result of expectation and vulnerable hearts.  The message Sunday hit home to many and this weeks will be no different.  “Remain in me” were the words of Jesus.  For the devoted follower of Christ this is the one thing that makes way for most everything else.  God desires greatly to produce good fruit in us and through us.  Fruit is the work that God inspires and enables in each one of us and we see it in our words, actions, thoughts and attitudes.  It’s now days later, and we have a choice...will we “remain?”  It’s not too late!  Make it happen!  It’s your choice to walk with Him or to strike out alone...I hope you walk with Him and see God sized fruit produced in your life today! 

This coming Sunday we will look at the John 15:1-9 passage for a second time.  This week we will focus on “pruning.”  I believe this will be an insightful look at a topic not often spoken about.  Take an early look and let God begin speaking to you. 

We can hardly wait to see you Sunday and are praying you come eager to give God your worship and celebrate Him.  Come eager to honor God and join in His work with your finances. Come eager to catch up and connect with friends.  Come eager to experience God through His Word to you.  Come eager to enjoy the life of a follower of Jesus Christ!

We love you!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

November 21, 2012

Psalm 145:10-11 “All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. ¹¹ They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.”

Thanks to God is as natural as breathing, if we will but think of His goodness.  God has been faithful to each of us and the Thanksgiving Holiday is another great time for us to remember and be grateful.  What do you have to be grateful for?  Some of us may want to sit and make a list to remind us of what He has done for us and how gracious He has been to us.  Gratefulness is, unfortunately, a lost art to too many people these days.  Let’s not be caught up in selfish thinking, but break out of it.  The truth is...He has saved my soul from an eternity without God.  I do not need another thing to remain grateful forever.  Do you?  Yes, I really mean it. 

This coming Sunday we are turning to the passage in John 15:1-9.  I can’t wait to get into this passage because it offers some significant insights into how we move forward in our lives.  Look at the passage this week and jot a couple of notes down before Sunday.   

We look forward to seeing you this weekend and remember not to take time off from the most important things this holiday season.  As we look forward to Christmas, this is the time to reconnect, not disconnect, from Him and His church.  We love you!  

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

 

P.S. - We would love to see you this evening for Thanksgiving Eve Communion Service from 7-8 pm.

November 16, 2012

“...since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”  John 13:14

The portrait of Jesus as “Servant” was our subject last Sunday and it was compelling. It  was...beautiful as we recognized Jesus’ servant-hood to us.  It was inspiring as we were drawn to unsung heroes among us.  These heroes are what we call - servants.  They do not ask for accolades and most of the time they do not get them, but Sunday we turned our eyes toward them. They inspire us and serve as examples among us to follow as we look to serve within our families, at our places of work, in our church, in our community and in our city.

 

It’s now days later and we need to be compelled again by this portrait. Who is a servant? A servant is someone who thinks of others before they think of themselves.  A servant is someone who serves the needs of others without expecting a return.  A servant is rewarded when the person they serve is helped.  A servant pours themselves out for the sake of others.  A servant is renewed and refreshed by serving because they are tapping into the grace of God.  We see the life-giving power of humility working in and through servants.  Jesus was refreshed and found His purpose in serving.  Mark 10:43 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  So the questions were and still are - Who are you serving?  Why and how?  Wrestle with these, don't just pass them by.  Jesus is calling... “Do as I have done to you.”

 

This coming Sunday we are going to be looking at John 14:6 and John 15:1-8.  Take an early look, jot down some notes and see how God speaks to you.

We can hardly wait to see you this weekend as we gather to celebrate the work of God in our lives, give our best to Him from our resources, respond to the challenge of His Words and catch-up with friends.  It’s going to be a great day. Don’t miss it and be praying about who you might bring with you.  See you very soon!

 

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

October 31, 2012

"Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God's judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" Romans 2:3-4

This last Sunday we were enlightened as we looked at a portrait of Jesus called "Patience."  From the verse above we came to understand that we are to make judgements about all kinds of things every day.  What we are not to do is condemn others or say the final word over them and cut them out of our lives.  The final word for all of us will be said by Jesus Himself, and He alone is worthy to do this.  Many on Sunday recommitted not to pass judgement on others but to give them grace . . . today is a good day to assess how we are doing with this new habit.

Also, we saw the grace of God as something we need every day. It is as bread to us. As bread is food for our bodies, so Jesus is the bread of life for us as well. We recognized that we need Him every day and that we are incapable of making our own bread. So, have you gone for bread today? Wasn't it sweet to taste because you received it from God's hand? If you haven't, now is a good time.

This coming weekend we are looking at John 8:12.  I believe this will be an inspiring message.  One that will greatly encourage you and energize the healing work God is doing in you.  I'm very excited to bring it to you.  We will also give you an update about the generous offering we received for the Perez-Rocha family.  This is just another way we shine the generous light of Jesus Christ to our community.

Tonight we're having Trunk or Treat here at our church from 5:30-7:30.  Thank you to all who will be part of it.  We're excited to be a blessing to our community by providing a safe and fun environment for our children.

We hope you are making this Sunday a priority as we gather to celebrate the goodness of our God, catch up on friendships, generously join our resources together for God's missions and respond to God's Spirit speaking through His Word.

  

Please know you are loved!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

October 26, 2012

"I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12

Walking in darkness is something our eyes and our minds get used to. At first, when the light goes off, we have to stop because it's confusing. Then we begin acclimating with the dark surroundings and after a couple of minutes we get more comfortable with it.   Actually, we can get used to managing really well in the dark. Even though we are never seeing the whole picture, we can see well enough to get by.

The problem is Jesus never intended for us to get by. He intended us to thrive and succeed abundantly in our life no matter the circumstances. Jesus never intended for us to walk in darkness. He never intended for us to acclimate to dark surroundings. He designed and created us to see light . . . in all its beauty and glow. He designed and created us to gain confidence from what light shows us . . . a path forward. A path forward through whatever difficult and confusing circumstance we face.

Walking in the light is not some catchy phrase . . . it is the new reality He makes possible for us. Jesus said "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness." So why do we all too often walk in darkness? It's a great question . . . one we should all consider today and every day we are tempted to acclimate to the dark surroundings of our lives. Are you feeling the effects of being in the dark? Ask Jesus to shine light into your darkness and He will . . . through His Word and through His Spirit in you.

This coming weekend we are going to be looking at the passage in John 8:1-12. This is going to be a portrait of Christ called "Patience." Take an early look into it before Sunday if you have a chance. Come hungry to celebrate the goodness of God, catch up with friends and receive a message that will motivate you to a deeper walk in Christ.

As always, we look forward to seeing you and your family this coming weekend. Please know you are loved.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

October 10, 2012

John 4:12 "...how can you offer better water?"

These are the words of a woman who did not know Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, the One in whom we may have abundant life in His name. The water Jesus was referring to was the fullness of God living within a person's life. When God's Holy Spirit is invited to invade a person's heart, He willingly comes in to fill them in such a way that it is like the refreshment of cool clean water on a very hot and dusty day. There is just nothing better in that moment of great thirst than cool, clean, refreshing water giving life and excitement back to a dehydrated, tired, thirsty body. Jesus said His water is even better than that!

Jesus can offer better water for one reason . . . He is who He said He is. We are reminded by these words to drink from the water of God's Spirit, who is waiting to refresh us every time we drink of Him. Drink today! Drink tomorrow, then drink again after that because God wants us to be refreshed in Him at any and all times. Do this through worship, reading of the Scripture, and time spent with God as we let Him speak to us about who we are and who we could be through Jesus. If you are having trouble, call a friend. Go to coffee to talk about the work of God going on in your lives. There are many ways to drink of God's Spirit, but know that He stands ready to give us a drink of His better water! Don't go thirsty again.

For this week, I want to encourage all of us who are praying the "Morning Prayer" together. We are asking God to bring others into our lives so we may be brave enough to share our God experiences with them. If you have already missed a day or two, then stop right now and pray that prayer. I am doing it and already feel a difference in my own sensitivity to God's leading. Be ready for a miracle to happen through you.

This coming Sunday we are looking at the passage of Scripture found in John 4:43-5:15. Read ahead and jot down a few notes for yourself before we all look at it together. I can tell you this is going to be a good day.

We so look forward to seeing you Sunday! Bring a friend, and an open heart to worship and celebrate the goodness of our God.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

October 4, 2012

John 3:5-6 “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”

This is a truth we examined last week at services and continue to examine throughout this week. Being born again is not some weird idea of how followers of Jesus should now talk about themselves. Being born again by the Spirit of God is a description of the reality we now live after having opened our hearts to the Messiah, the Son of God, the One to come, the One that stops our search for anything else because He fills the void in our lives. Are you living having been born again? Make the choice to live into the new life you have been given. Don't settle for anything less!

This next Sunday we are turning our attention to John 4:1-42. John gave us this portrait for a reason, and I can hardly wait to share some of those insights with you. Take some time and look over the passage yourself and see what God would say to you.

Please know we love you and can hardly wait to be with you! Don't forget to bring a friend!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

September 28, 2012

John 1:41 “Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah.””

This last Sunday we were reminded that sharing our faith should not be a big heartburn moment!  We don't need to get all upset over trying to remember every detail of every verse, we just need to share our experiences with Jesus.  In the above verse we see that this was Andrew’s approach.  He did not go into a long explanation about this and that...he just told his brother Simon, “We have found the Messiah.”  “I’ve experienced him!  You can too!”  There would be time to answer questions from Simon, and the truth is . . . Andrew would not be able to answer them all, but that did not stop him.  It should not stop us either.  People often don't really want to debate with us over their faith or lack of, but they are very open to hear of your experiences with God.  Pray for open doors to share with them all the excitement you have experienced.

“Questions We Ask God” is the subject of this week’s message in our series “Portraits of Christ.”  We ask God a lot of questions throughout our lifetime.  This weekend we want to investigate three that a man named Nicodemus asked.  Our passage is found in John 3:1-21.  Take an early look and jot down a couple of notes for yourself.

Come hungry to give God your worship and celebration.  Come hungry to honor God with your finances. Come hungry to catch up and connect with friends.  Come hungry to experience God through His Word to you.  Come hungry to enjoy the life of a follower of Jesus Christ!

We look forward to seeing you!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

September 19, 2012

Hello Friends! 

I hope you are enjoying all the benefits of being an active part of Bayside Church, I know I am. If you're not, make it your priority this fall. Each week we gather to celebrate the goodness of our God, to encourage one another in our faith, catch up with friends and find ourselves captivated with God's living Word all over again. Why would anyone want to miss that?

We opened our series "Portraits of Christ" this last Sunday with great anticipation and were not disappointed! John 20:31 "...these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name." We saw Jesus as "Messiah" and found ourselves directed back to Him for all things. We need not look for another...Jesus is the One! Are you looking for another? Someone else to meet the needs within you that only God can truly meet? Stop being disappointed with people who can never fulfill you even though they promise and try.

We also saw Jesus as the Son of God. He holds all power and authority...why would we doubt Him? We were re-challenged to live our lives in the power of Jesus' name. Truth be told...it makes no sense to live this life in any other name. I hope you have stayed engaged in the message from Sunday and have not let go of it. It's life-changing! Is your life being changed? Embrace your Messiah, Son of God, and live life in the power of His name alone.

This coming weekend we are covering the verses found in John 1:35-51 in a message called "Come and See." Take an early look at where we are going and see what God has to say to you.

We look forward to seeing you, friends, and please know we love you.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

September 12, 2012

Wow! Sunday was awesome! Bayside 3.0 unveiled many new things on our campus as well as upgrades coming to ministries. With everything we do we want to do it better than we have before, and with excellence. We want to be as effective as we possibly can with the task before us: making disciples. Thank you to all who made the 3.0 reveal happen with your tireless efforts.

As if the morning was not awesome enough, the evening dedication service was just beautiful! The worship and prayer were perfect. I will forever have in my mind's eye the picture of 300 of us scattered over the campus either on our knees or walking and praying for our future. God met us as we prayed over and dedicated our new land to God for His use. I still can hardly believe what has happened in the last three and a half years. We can't forget that, because it would mean forgetting how good God has been to us . . . that would be a mistake.

This Sunday we begin our new series for the fall, "Portraits of Christ." I'm telling you, this series is going to hit home from the beginning! We can all expect God to use His Word to speak to our hearts weekly. This opening message will begin in the verses of John 1:1-18. If you have not already seen the preview of the series click the following link:

Portraits of Christ

Please know we love you and are praying for you to experience Christ powerfully in your life. Bring a friend and we will see each other on Sunday!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

September 7, 2012

Psalm 145:6-7 "Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.  Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness."

Last week's message challenged us to take God seriously as we approach Him in worship . . . to be inspired by Him and pour out a heart of gratefulness to Him.  I hope you have done this throughout your week so far and have already determined to make it a lifestyle.  If you missed the message, please go back and listen online because it will be valuable to you.  Worship is not just what we call our singing . . . it is a reflection on the outside of what is being experienced and deeply understood on the inside.

This weekend we are revealing what Bayside 3.0 is all about, in our morning services.  Also we are going to be led in prayer for our church and city and end with communion together.  In the evening we will be hosting a worship and dedication event on our new property next door, starting at 6:00pm.  This will be about an hour gathering.  It will be a simple, but powerful event marking the goodness of our God to this growing young church.  We are inviting you to come as early as 4:30pm to explore the new grounds.  You can bring a picnic dinner if you like and root-beer floats will be sold until 5:45pm.  This will be an event marked in our church's history because of the faith it speaks of . . . faith to believe God for our city.  Bring a blanket or lawn chairs to sit on.

Lastly, I want to give you a preview of our new fall series.  I believe that after much prayer and study this series is our next step as we walk with Jesus. 

Portraits of Christ

As always, please know we love you and look forward to seeing you again as we gather this coming weekend.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog

August 31, 2012

Hello!

The summer is coming to a close and we are in full preparation for the Fall, which is what "Bayside 3.0" is all about. We will unveil these "upgrades" on September 9th.

We believe many great things are ahead of us as a church and we are eagerly preparing for them. Not only do we need to prepare corporately, but also individually. One of the ways we do this is by choosing to walk away from worry. I want to challenge each of us to stay out of the weeds, which are the small and not so small things that everyone else is worried or upset about. Too many people live their lives in the weeds and miss out on the big things...the God things. Worry is all around us, but so are the good things of God. Which do we keep our eyes on?

Many of you know that our son Seth has been going through health troubles lately and you have been praying for Him and for us. This trial has been a great reminder to us of just how fragile our bodies really are. It also reminds us of the God who holds us together. We are getting to the resolution of Seth's issues and hope to have them in our rear-view mirror very soon. We have been tempted through this trial to focus on the negative "what if's" and tempted to succumb to "worry." We have also been challenged to look up and keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. The temptation will distract us to no end and the challenge helps us to see what is important each day as He gives us perspective. The truth is, we have to travel through this process of ill health no matter what. The question is, will we travel distracted, missing the good things of God all around us or will we travel focused on Him and enjoying His presence in the midst of our trial. We are certainly not perfect people and we miss the mark many times, but in this trial I can tell you, with no help from "worry"...our family has seen that our God is good.

We are excited to be with you this coming Sunday as we look at "worship." This one week study will be a challenge to take God seriously; seriously enough to affect how we worship. Take a look at the following passages as we look forward to Sunday morning: Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 103:1-5, Luke 17:12-19.

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.

August 24, 2012

Hello!

The view from here is good...because I know that God is in control. I know He is in control, because I have given him the right to be. I am not able to see everything in front of me, but I am able to see who I walk next to...the Son of the living God. His name is Jesus. Whatever your situation, give him control and stay at His pace. Don't move ahead of Him...let Him lead and you will be right where you're supposed to be. Many of us need to be reminded of these things right now, at this time of the year when we are making plans. Make your plans with God as your lead.

I want to encourage you to take a look at our passages for this coming weekend services. They are found in Acts 1:8-11, I Thessalonians 5:2-11 and Revelations 1:9-18. I know you will be energized as you read through these passages and think on these things.

Also, if you are a parent of a teen, our Student Ministries pastors Bobby and Cindy Grasso are having a meeting in The Landing this Sunday directly after each service, to preview and get feedback on some things being considered for the Fall schedule. If you want to speak with them about these things please be available for this short meeting.

As always, we look so forward to seeing you this coming Sunday and please know we love you and are praying God's best over you!

Pastor Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog.