January 6, 2025 · Pastor Matt Stokes
Pastor Matt Stokes
Selected scriptures
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Coastal Christian:
1. "Applying God's Word to Everyday Life."
2. "Envisioning the World from God's Perspective." Vision is progressive, not negative.
3. "Calling Communities to Connect with Christ."
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Vision is progressive, not negative.
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It's going to take the whole church to accomplish the vision.
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Community: a social group of any size where members share common ideals, values, and culture.
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Culture: the beliefs and behaviors that characterize a particular community.
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Biblical basis for Coastal's vision:
1. God exists in community.
2. People matter to God.
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"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..." –Genesis 1:26
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"but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." –1 John 1:7
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We're inviting you to start creating a community "here" that reaches a community "there."
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Let's create the culture and call the communities.
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Why do you say calling a community? Because calling implies that it's active.
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What would happen if we were actually intentionally CALLING them?
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We need to be about calling these communities to connect to Christ.
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How can we call people to come to a community that we have not created?
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God longs for us to worship Him in the midst of community.
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Will Coastal accept the challenge to embrace the vision?
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Are you willing to say, "I love you. I'm not here for me. I'm here for you."
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1. Clarify your personal role in community
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2. Commit to building genuine relationships
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3. Invite and engage with non-believers
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4. Live out God’s word in everyday life
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5. Cultivate a culture of service and hospitality
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6. Create opportunities for spiritual growth
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7. Be proactive in addressing needs
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8. Challenge each other to step up
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9. Prepare for growth
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10. Pray together for God’s vision
