loving well

Listen to Pastor Mike's message on what it means to move past the superficial in order to build real relationships and community.

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The Sunday Morning Message from The Gathering Place of Palm Beach Gardens, October 8, 2023.

Watch the Video Referenced in Connor's Message

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The Sunday Morning Message from The Gathering Place of Palm Beach Gardens, July 16, 2023.

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-20

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,  and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Matthew 16:21-24

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

John 21:15-19

How to give up control:

Silence is Golden

Sometimes Girl Talk is Girl Listen

Try something you have never done before.

Brother Kevin Peck talks to us about David and the idea of Unclaimed Grace, what that means, and how we can claim that grace.

The Sunday Morning Message from The Gathering Place of Palm Beach Gardens, July 2, 2023.

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"To love people unconditionally, without expectation of change..." What does this mean? What does this look like? And, if you love someone, don't you want them to get better? 

We will make space for you to just be YOU.
You are safe with us.
You are safe with Jesus.
And we are sorry for anyone or anything that ever made you feel/think otherwise.

📩 DM or email if you have questions, need support, or just a safe person to talk to.

The need for loving and trustworthy people is universal. In this episode, Pastor Mike talks about the need for truth-tellers, mentors, and loving support in our lives.

The Message from April 30, 2023, The Gathering Place of Palm Beach Gardens

21 Days of Prayer - Sunday, March 19, 2023
Lent ( Journey w/ Jesus to the cross) - self-reflection, realignment heart, with Jesus Heart - Jesus came to restore everything that was lost, heal the broken world, have his love reign in the world- 
BIG IDEA - he did this by being with us — relationship.

 If healed relationships, especially with God, is such a big deal - that means that
part of being on mission is not to be an expert of the law or just to be Holy for God — it’s to participate in God’s work in restoring and healing things that are broken — especially relationships. All of us know about broken relationships and estrangement. — you would do anything to have a relationship back when it comes to the people who matter most to you. PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD. Because of personal experience, and past actions of the Church and people called Christians - there is a lot of hurt, mistrust, and misunderstandings about Jesus and His people — this creates a barrier for people to be open to explore faith and consider allowing the goodness of God to be part of their lives. — this is why Jesus came, died, and was resurrected. —- a lot of us don’t care a whole lot bout this. When we begin to care, many times we try to do God’s mission by our own strength and
cause more harm than good.
— When was the last time you had a burden for the people around you, and it caused you to really pray??— not talking about the typical self-interest burdens - God bless me, help me, even save my family ( saving your family is part of the promise for your salvation, you just need to trust God on that one) — I’m talking about seeing someone around you ( their hurts, struggles, lack of love and joy) being burdened - knowing their lives would be so much better if they knew God was for them and not against them?

The Message from The Gathering Place, March 12, 2023

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We need to develop creative ways to practice the presence of God, seeking to become aware of God ‘in the common business of life.’

Being present is being grounded in the here and now. — SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES US TO TAKE OFF OUR MASKS AND JUST BE REAL WITH GOD. GOD WILL SHOW UP—> Share wailing wall experience.

We can be so detached from ourselves, others, and God — live in Christian religious bubble. No wonder we have a hard time living missionally — not living on our purpose to extend God’s redeeming love.

1. Be intentional to use your phone/social media less — make this a goal to lower screen time. Mindless scrolling is the opposite of mindfulness. It is not helpful for the soul to be inundated with targeted adds, it is hard to be grateful when you are comparing your life with what you see on social media— The research is starting to suggest overuse of social media being linked to metal health issues (i.e depression and anxiety)

2. Connect with your immediate surroundings - observe nature or your community, cultivate the appreciation of beauty and curiosity (sky, sunsets, clouds, flowers, smells), go for a walk

3. Give Your Undivided attention to others— I feel devalued when I’m talking to someone and interrupted by phone. Yet, I do it more often than I would like to admit.

4. Avoid Multitasking - danger of increased stress, less efficiency, poorer memory and emotion regulation, reduced relationship satisfaction, —Try to focus on one task at a time.

5. Take more breaks and be willing to take a pause —

6. Get out and Play! When was the last time you went outside and played — childlike faith.

The Benedictines seek to embody the practice of ‘work and play ’which is an intentional way of combining contemplation with action, encouraging us to punctuate our working day with regular disciplines of prayer and meditation on the word of God.

When we are present — We can really experience God and each other in more meaningful ways.

How do we find delight in the Sabbath?

The Message from The Gathering Place, March 5, 2023

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The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

                • Sabbath is a gift for us.

                • Sabbath is to take time to dwell.

                • Sabbath is an invitation to be seen by God

                • Sabbath is about freedom. No guilt do what brings you rest and delight freedom. A Taste Of Heaven

                • The work may go unfinished

                • But Jesus already did the work that matters, God reached out to restore our relationship with God and with creation.

                • No matter how much money you made this year, books your read, or things your accomplished.

                • Deuteronomy it says you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant

                • Because we are all equal in Gods eyes. And God says

                • You are safe enough, worthy enough, loveable enough to have a sabbath.

What is rest and why is it important?

The Message from The Gathering Place, Feb 26, 2023

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(Genesis 2:2,3 NIV). By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2,3 NIV)

Sabbath - “to cease, to stop working”

The Fourth (and longest) Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV)

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV)

Sabbath, when lived, is our means as the people of God to bear witness to

the way we understand life, its rhythms, its gifts, its meaning, and its ultimate

purpose in God. Observing the Sabbath, we affirm: “God is the center and source

of our lives. He is the beginning, the middle and the end of our existence.” - Pete Scazzero

One of the great dangers of faithfully observing Sabbath is legalism

Next 2 weeks we will discuss 4 practices

Practice 1: Sabbath is first and foremost a day of “stopping.”

On Sabbath I embrace my limits. God is God. He is indispensable. I am his

creature. The world continues working fine when I stop.

Psalm 46:10 NIV - “Be still, and know that I am God”

Practice 2: Once we stop, the Sabbath calls us to rest.

Nine possibilities to consider replacing with rest.- physical exhaustion

- hurriedness

- multitasking

- competitiveness

- worry

- decision-making

- catching up on errands

- talking

- technology and machines

(e.g., smart phones, TV, computers

When we stop and rest, we respect our humanity and the image of God in us.

We don’t serve the Sabbath. The Sabbath serves us.

What is time? And how do we live a free and present life?

The Message from The Gathering Place, Jan 29, 2023

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Pastors Notes on Time: 
The Greek language captures two approaches to time: kairos and chronos.

Kairos time - is the deep truest sense of time.
(John Pauling in Living By Kairos Time in a Chronos World)
"Kairos is
the deepest and truest form of time. Understanding that is the first
step. But then actions, habits, and practices are necessary to
actually reorder and reorient our lives in accord with this deepest
reality..

Chronos just refers to time as duration or sequence, and kairos names a
seasonal, cyclic kind of time: it’s the right time to plant tomatoes or make
dinner or go to war. Kairos is three-dimensional, including time, space, and
meaning; time as story. Chronos, however, is flat, referencing only time and
space. As an example, consider life before mechanized time.

Prior to mechanical clocks (which offer a very sequential chronos-form of time) it was easier to experience the kairos dimension of time as the natural ebbs-and-flows of  time followed the movement of the sun, cycles of the moon, and rhythms of the
seasons—all in relation to a specific locale. The structure of time and one’s life
were woven together with myths, stories, and rituals—whether seasonal,
secular, or sacred. Another example could be the birth of a child. While there
certainly is a chronos dimension to the birth of a child—that my son William was
born at such and such a chronological date and time—the event is most fully
understood as a life-changing event of becoming a parent; a kairos moment.

In today’s world, driven almost exclusively by chronos, finding ways to allow
kairos to punctuate and permeate our lives can reorient us towards permanent
things and higher goods. Now, making all of this real in our lives is hard. Living
by kairos time in a chronos world does not come easily, for chronos is a strong
and jealous god. Thus, it requires thick practices that are embodied, authentic,
communal, frequent, and ritualized to dethrone him. Small acts of resistance
chip away at chronos’ power bit by bit. Here are some possible ways to give
kairos room to flourish in our lives. — We need to properly order our lives lives
and situate chronos time in relation to kairos - so we can experience HEAVEN
BREAKTHROUGH - GOD’S KINGDOM COME —In our lives. Daily dying to
ourselves and surrounding to God’s plans - listening to what God is saying
(observing, reflecting, discussing) and Deciding “How will I respond” (plan,
account, act); daily devotions, time in community, family time (dinner vs. family
dinner) —instead of checking the box of ritual/ religion - FB quote - “Religion is
a guy in church thinking about fishing. Relationship is a guy out fishing
thinking about God.” — Movement to worship —connect with your Creator
GOD— GOD WHO PUT ON FLESH AND LIVED WITH US—JESUS —Can we take a
moment to ponder and stand in Awe— Worship is a protest to the reign of
Chronos—AMEN.

The Message from The Gathering Place, Jan 8, 2023

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"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity." - James Clear

WESLEY'S COVENANT SERVICE

Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants. Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him. Christ has many services to be done. Some are more easy and honorable, others are more difficult and disgraceful. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves. But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. It is necessary, therefore, that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ. Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray:

Let me be your servant, under your command. I will no longer be my own. I will give up myself to your will in all things.

Be satisfied that Christ shall give you your place and work.

Lord, make me what you will. I put myself fully into your hands: put me to doing, put me to suffering, let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and with a willing heart give it all to your pleasure and disposal.

Christ will be the Savior of none but his servants. He is the source of all salvation to those who obey. Christ will have no servants except by consent; Christ will not accept anything except full consent to all that he requires. Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing.

Confirm this by a holy covenant. To make this covenant a reality in your life, listen to these admonitions:

First, set apart some time, more than once, to be spent alone before the Lord; in seeking earnestly God's special assistance and gracious acceptance of you; in carefully thinking through all the conditions of the covenant; in searching your hearts whether you have already freely given your life to Christ. Consider what your sins are. Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are, and whether you, after having carefully considered them, are willing to choose them all. Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God.

Second, be serious and in a spirit of holy awe and reverence.

Third, claim God's covenant, rely upon God's promise of giving grace and strength, so you can keep your promise. Trust not your own strength and power.

Fourth, resolve to be faithful. You have given to the Lord your hearts, you have opened your mouths to the Lord, and you have dedicated yourself to God. With God's power, never go back. And last, be then prepared to renew your covenant with the Lord. Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, open your hearts to the Lord, as we pray:

 
 Copyright: “Covenant Renewal Service” Copyright © 1992 UMPH. Wesley Covenant Service abridged by Ole E. Borgen.

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/book-of-worship/covenant-renewal-service

Though fallenness and depravity are heavily emphasized in many of our churches, transformation often gets short shrift. Why do we neglect the power of human beings to change for the better? Why the tunnel vision on sin and depravity? Join Ken and Stuart as they explore this weighty topic.

Follow Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries:
Website: https://reflections.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethBoa
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The Advent season is a difficult time for many of us, especially as we confront a higher degree of uncertainty in the new year. In this episode, Dr. Kenneth Boa and Stuart McAllister explore how we can cultivate contentment in the midst of serious adversity.

Follow Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries:
Website: https://reflections.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethBoa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennethBoa

The holidays often add even more stress and pressure to our increasingly busy schedules. To make matters worse, though the Christmas season is billed as a time of joy and celebration, it’s often an occasion for surging levels of depression and financial uncertainty. As Christians, how do we avoid this frantic pace? Is it possible to build rhythms of silence and solitude into our packed calendars? Dr. Boa and Stuart McAllister certainly think so. Join them as they explore practical ways to overcome the holiday rush.

Follow Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries:
Website: https://reflections.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethBoa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennethBoa

As we enter into the Advent season, it’s worth considering why hope is such a neglected theological virtue. There’s an embarrassment of riches on the subjects of faith and love, while hope is often relegated to inspirational posters and Hallmark cards. But the Scriptural picture of hope is decidedly more robust. In this episode, Dr. Ken Boa and Stuart McAllister explore the place of hope in each of our lives.

Follow Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries:
Website: https://reflections.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethBoa
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The Message from Nov. 20 at The Gathering Place, Palm Beach Gardens

Managing Your Triggers Toolkit

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Genesis 33:12-20

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[a]

18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b] he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.[d]

How do we apply learning to living? What is the truth of wisdom? Dr. Kenneth Boa and Stuart McAllister reflect on what it means to live with a clear vision of the Christian life and how we can change our perspective to fulfill that vision in our lives.

Follow Ken Boa and Reflections Ministries:
Website: https://reflections.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethBoa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennethBoa