I love this picture so much. I love it because the day I stepped foot into Bay Hills Church, God gave me a vision of unity seldom seen elsewhere. As a bi-racial man, I have spent all of my life feeling torn between two worlds. Two worlds that our society will never let be at peace with one another. You see it between Israel and Palestine. You see it here at home between black/brown and white. You see it on the T.V. between Democrat and Republican. Our nature is to build walls under the pretense of tearing them down. As a man of faith, however, I know those walls can, ultimately, only come down one way:
𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟐:𝟏𝟒 - “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴.”
The local church isn’t perfect. Often, she is not the portrait of that reality as Jesus intended. But sometimes…every now and then…you get a glimpse of what He died for:
𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟐𝟖 - “…𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴.”
This is why I confront things so early, quickly, and fiercely as a leader. While other leaders might ignore and avoid for fear of losing a few people. I’m more afraid of losing who we are. For when we allow people to press too deeply into their politics, ideologies, preferences, or secondary doctrines, these things become the kindling used to burn-down bridges. They become the bricks used to build-up walls.
Which brings me back to this picture. I am committed to preserving it and to furthering it. I am committed to confronting anything that threatens it. This includes racial walls, socio-economic walls, political walls, ideological walls, and secondary doctrinal walls. We will, without apology, be all about Jesus. No additives. If any of this is offensive to you then our church isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a place that offers respite from our divisive culture, come on in.
If the world can’t get it done, then with Jesus’ help, we will.
Welcome to the Revival.
𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟐:𝟏𝟒 - “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴.”
The local church isn’t perfect. Often, she is not the portrait of that reality as Jesus intended. But sometimes…every now and then…you get a glimpse of what He died for:
𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟐𝟖 - “…𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴.”
This is why I confront things so early, quickly, and fiercely as a leader. While other leaders might ignore and avoid for fear of losing a few people. I’m more afraid of losing who we are. For when we allow people to press too deeply into their politics, ideologies, preferences, or secondary doctrines, these things become the kindling used to burn-down bridges. They become the bricks used to build-up walls.
Which brings me back to this picture. I am committed to preserving it and to furthering it. I am committed to confronting anything that threatens it. This includes racial walls, socio-economic walls, political walls, ideological walls, and secondary doctrinal walls. We will, without apology, be all about Jesus. No additives. If any of this is offensive to you then our church isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a place that offers respite from our divisive culture, come on in.
If the world can’t get it done, then with Jesus’ help, we will.
Welcome to the Revival.
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