Harbor News/Events

Harbor Family and Friends,

What a great day in the Lord we had yesterday at the Harbor.  We concluded "The Hunt" message series with a powerful message entitled "Follow the Blood".  You can hear this message by clicking on the title.  In this message we traced the blood all the way from the Garden of Eden to Calvary.  You can also hear the evening message "Running From God" by clicking here.  It is a message about what happens to those who run from God.

Christmas Drama--This coming Sunday Dec. 18th is our Christmas drama that will be presented by the Harbor Kid's Church.  It will be presented at 11a.m.  Feel free to invite your friends and relatives; come early to get a good seat.

The Harbor Christmas Banquet will be this Sunday evening at 6pm.  Everyone is asked to bring soup, salad, or sandwiches, and a drink.  We are going to have a great time.  We hope to see you there!

NOTE:  There will be only one morning service for the next three Sundays.  All of these services will start at 11:00.  We will resume our two morning service schedule on January 8th.  All other services will remain the same.

Helping Hands Small Group--if you are interested in being a part of the Helping Hands Small Group please contact Denise Carver or Terri Warner.  This is a new group that has just started, but they are doing vital ministry in the body of Christ.  They will be happy to have you as a part of this great ministry. 

Harbor 101, 201, & 301 will begin simultaneously on January 9th.  There is a good group of several families that have completed 101 and 201, and they will be starting the 301 series.  The 301 series is about "Ministry and Serving Christ".  Anyone is welcome to sign up for the classes, however, the 101 is primarily for new comers and new Christians.   The dates are Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30; each class will begin with a meal at 6:30 and class will start at 7:00.

Financial Peace University--the second phase of this class will begin on January 12, at 7pm.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Michael Sanes

Church News

Church Family,


What a powerful service we had last Sunday night.  I can never remember a time when Kelly stopped the singing and said: "The Lord has shown me thus and so...".  I want to thank her for being obedient to the Spirit of the Lord.  It was very obvious that God was in it because of the immediate results that came.  Within moments the altar was filled with people.  I have received at least three testimonies from people who were really ministered to in this service.  Praise the Lord!  He always knows what we need and just when to show up.

Adam returns from Chicago today at noon.  It seems like he's because gone a year although I know its only been 11 weeks.  We will have lunch with him today when he lands in Jax.  I'm excited to see him coming home, we have missed him greatly.


A special thanks to Amber Babb for stepping up and playing piano while Adam was away.  It was a tremendous step for her, and a huge blessing for the church.  Thanks for all you've done, Amber.


THE HUNT--this series will end this Sunday with a great exclamation point.  I will be preaching a message entitled: "Follow the Blood".  I encourage you to be here; you don't want to miss this great message.  If you are interested in the series please contact Brother Ken Smith.  The messages were: 1. Trophy Christians  2. The Hunt for Reality  3. The Search for Significance  4.  Follow the Blood.

Christmas Drama--will be held on December 18th at 11am.  You will not want to miss this Drama that will be put on by the Harbor Kids.  The title of the drama is: "It All Happened In The Country".  I am looking forward to this special Christmas event.  They always do a great job~!

Prayer Request!  Please keep Tom Bell and his entire family in your prayers.  His father passed away last night, or very early this morning.  Tom and Darlene are there now in West Virginia, please keep them in your prayers.

Blessings!

Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center

Church News

Harbor Friends and Family,

We have experienced a great influx of new faces here at the Harbor.  We have just completed the second class of Harbor 101, and the first class of Harbor 201.  What an awesome group of people that have taken these courses.  We have taken 8-10  new families through the course at this point.  I am excited about these families continuing the discipleship process and becoming active workers in the Kingdom of God.

The 101-301 will start up again on January 9th @ 6:30.  Please mark your calendars for this event.  Each series has four sessions and we try to do them all in a one month time span.  We will provide child care in January when the class start again.

Here is a brief description of the classes:

Harbor 101--is and entry level class designed for those who have recently accepted Christ as their savior, and for those who have just made the Harbor their new church home.  This class is about Membership and Knowing the Lord.

Harbor 201--is the next step in discipleship and teaches us the habits that must be formed in our lives to become faithful and fruitful Christians.  This Class is about Maturity and Growing in Christ.

Harbor 301--is the class that evaluates our talents and gifts to determine the best place of service in the Kingdom of God.  Everyone has a place to serve!  This class is about Ministry and Serving Christ. 

Harbor 401--is the final class of this discipleship course.  This is the culmination of what we have learned up to this point.  In 101 we learned about membership and knowing Christ.  In 201 we learned about maturity and growing in Christ, in 301 we learned about ministry and serving Christ.  Now in 401 we will take all that we have learned and apply that to sharing Christ with other.  This class is about Missions and Sharing Christ. 

As you can see this process is designed so that when you complete the 400 series and learn to share your faith with others, it will act as a feeder for the 100 series, and the cycles starts over again. 

Betrayal and Denial

Betrayal by Judas; Denial by Peter. 

Notice it wasn't an outsider, but one close to Him.  This is what hurts the most, when those who  are close to you deny you and betray you.  Those who walked with you in the ministry like  both of these men did.  What's most amazing is that Jesus tried to tell both of these men what was happening in their respective lives.   

For Peter, He said: "Tonight all will be offended because of Me.  For as it is written, the Shepherd will be smitten and the sheep will be scattered.  Peter responded, "Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in anywise".  Though Jesus tried to show Peter his weakness and the error of his way, his pride and arrogance would not allow him to receive what Jesus' was saying.  Peter would not listen, so he went on to deny the Lord later that night.  As he stood warming himself by an enemies fire the rooster crowed for the second time.  At that very moment Jesus turned and looked directly at him, and he remembered the words of the Lord.  But it was too late!  He had denied the Lord!  He went out and wept bitterly.

Judas made his deal with Chief Priest to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  After the deal was made he came to the Last Supper to eat with Jesus one last time.  At supper, Jesus made the announcement  that one of His disciples would betray Him.  To this Judas responded, "Master, is it I?"  I can't help but notice the hypocrisy of Judas calling Him "Master" knowing that he had already done his dirty work.  At that very moment the band of soldiers were en-root  to arrest Jesus, and Judas knew it.  I guess he felt like he had to "play the game"; he had to somehow feign his allegiance to Jesus.  He slipped away from supper and met up with the mop and approached Jesus later that night.  As he approached Jesus he had already given them the sign of his betrayal; it is the one that I kiss.  So he runs up to Jesus and plants a kiss on the side of His face, again feigning his loyalty.  But Jesus saw right through the lies and hypocrisy and said: "Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Jesus sat there at the Passover and entertained His betrayer; the one that He knew had sold Him out.  Jesus hadn't done anything wrong or deserving of such treatment.  Judas sold him out to advance his own agenda and personal well being.  However, it didn't turn out like he'd planned.  Acts 1 tells us that another disciple was chosen to take his place, and the church moved on.  As for Judas, he took back the money, but it was too late.  They would not call off the deal.  Seeing that Jesus was now condemned, Judas went out and hanged himself. 

The difference in the two men is that Peter realized the error of his way.  He wept and cried bitterly because of his denial.  Jesus forgave him and Peter went on to become the greatest leader of the New Testament Church.  Judas, on the other hand took his own life and went into eternity unprepared to meet God.

Financial Peace University

What Does The Bible Say About Money?

Almost everyone agrees that the Bible contains great advice about life, from improving your marriage to getting along with your boss at work.  But does the Bible really say much about money?  Does it really give us advice that we can apply to our own life in today's world?
The Good News is Yes!  Absolutely!  We believe the Bible is as relevant and helpful today as when it was written, and God has a lot to say about money.  Did you know money is mentioned in the Bible over 800 times?  God must be pretty serious about this subject to talk about it that much. 
In fact, Jesus says in Luke 16:11, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"  It appears from this verse that God uses money as a test of our management and stewardship skills before entrusting us with spiritual things.  See more below.
Money in the Bible
1. Proverbs 13:22  "A good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens' children" indicating that God wants us to make a difference, financially, in our family tree.
2. Proverbs 21:20  "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has."  This gives us an idea of how God wants us to save for a rainy day, to set something back for safekeeping.
3. Proverbs 22:7 states that "The rich rule over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender."  Really?  The Bible discourages debt?  Does God really want me to pay my debts off and avoid debt?
4. Luke 14:28  "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it."  Does Jesus really want me to save up and pay for the things I buy?
5. Matt. 6:24  "You cannot serve both God and money".
If money is this important to God, why are there so few Sunday school classes on this topic?  Why don't we see lots of small group studies on "Managing Your Finances" or "Getting Out of Debt"?  Why aren't there more sermons in this area?
There are many reasons, but the top reason is that most people don't realize how much of a problem managing money is for the average family.  Look at the statistics below:
Financial Statistics
1. Marital Problems - 37 percent (the highest rate) of marital problems derive from financial situations

2. Cash Flow - 70 percent of all consumers live paycheck to paycheck, meaning they run out of money before the end of the month
3. Savings - The average family would have to use a credit card to pay a $1,500 unexpected expense (ex: home or car repair).
4. Retirement - Nearly half of all Americans (46%) have less than $10,000 saved for their retirement.
It is a problem that affects everyone, inside and outside of the church.  In fact George Barna says that the fastest growing churches are teaching about marriage, child rearing, finances, and careers.  Money is a serious subject, and God is serious about money, which is why we should study closely what he has to tell us.
Finally, there is something to guide us!  A study to take God's wisdom about money and help us apply it to our own lives. It is called Financial Peace University.

*This article was taken from Dave Ramsey's website.

Vacation--Return to the Harbor

Harbor Family,

Kelly and I just returned from much needed two week vacation.  It was a wonderful time of relaxing and getting away from the grind of ministry and church for a season.  It has been so long that I can't remember when we took the time away just to step back and regain perspective.  It's amazing how we can get "caught up" in what we do, even when we are working for the Lord.   I think of Jesus, who at times walked away from the crowds and away from the sick, because He knew that he had to get away and get alone with His Father.  If we don't do this from time to time, we run the risk of getting tunnel vision; a situation where we can only see what is directly in front us.  Therefore, they are vulnerable to being blindsided by something or someone, and they would never see it coming.  This is as good as the devil would have.

The time off was great!  I was especially moved by the great reports that came from home about the services here while I was away. 

Kelly and I are refreshed and ready to move forward with the plans for the latter half of this year.  God has much in store for the church between now and Christmas, and I'm excited about being a part of it.

Don't forget about the "Refuel" Youth Revival that begins this Friday night.  The doors open at 6pm, the giveaways begin at 6:30pm, and the service starts at 7pm.  We are expecting a Mighty Move of the Holy Ghost!

Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, THWC

Holding On To Your Dreams

Hold On To Your Dreams

Yesterday God allowed me to preach a powerful message on the subject of "Holding on to Your Dreams.  As I was preparing for the message last week I remembered the song by Electric Light Orchestra, "Hold on Tight to Your Dreams, so I incorporated it into the message.  Here is the link for the song/video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7d-6tZw6rM

Genesis 37:5-11 (NKJV)
⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. ⁶ So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: ⁷ There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf." ⁸ And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. ⁹ Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me." ¹⁰ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" ¹¹ And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.


Young Joseph had this awesome dream of becoming great; a dream that he felt sure would elevate him to greatness one day.  At least that is what the dream implies, and that's what his family understood it to mean when they heard him tell the dream.  This dream would not come to pass overnight; it would be a long time in the making.  There would be many sleepless nights, there would be lies told about him, there would be jealousy and betrayal displayed by his brothers.  He would be left to die in a cistern, only to find that his brothers decided to come back to get him.  They came not to take him home, but to sell him into slavery to a band of Ishmaelites.  He would spend years no doubt wondering why he was treated the way he was, and that by his own brothers.  However, we never hear him mention it or complain about it.  He seemed to be settled with the reality that God knew what He was doing, and that He (God) was in control of his life. 

He was accused of a crime he did not commit.  He was wrongly imprisoned.  While in prison he interpreted dreams for a baker and a butler of Pharaoh.  The dreams came to pass just as he had predicted.  On Pharaoh's birthday he restored the butler and he hanged the baker.  However, once the butler was a free man again he forgot about his vow to Joseph, to remember him and to speak favorably of him to Pharaoh.  If anyone was in position to help him it would be the butler; for he is one that put the cup in Pharaoh's hand.  However, he forgot him.

Regardless of what he went through and no matter how tough it got, he held on to his dream.  He had been thrown away by his family.  He had served more than two years for a crime that he didn't commit.  He had been forgotten by the butler who promised to speak on his behalf.  So all he has left is the dream he has, and the GOD who gave it.  He is totally dependent upon God to make it happen; man cannot, or thus far, will not help. 

Jentezen Franklin says: “When your initial excitement wears off and everything seems to have stalled, don’t be surprised.  This is normal.  There is going to come a time when everything looks like the opposite of what you thought God told you.  When it comes (and this may happen more than once), don’t give up, don’t cave in, don’t throw in the towel.  IT WILL SURELY COME TO PASS!  God’s visions always become a reality…God’s dreams always come to pass.  He may need to find another dreamer (if you give up), but His dream will happen. 

When men had forgotten Joseph, God hadn't.  So God caused Pharaoh to have a couple of dreams himself.  He called all of his men in and told them the dreams, but none could tell him the meaning of the dreams.  It is here that the butler remembered Joseph from prison.  He told Pharaoh the story of how he and the baker were in prison together, and how both of them had dreamed dreams, but did not know the meaning of them.  We told our dreams to this Joseph fellow, and he interpreted them correctly.  It happened to us just like he said it would: In three days you restored me to my position where I place the cup in the hand of my Lord (Pharaoh), but him (baker) you hanged, just as he said you would. 

Upon hearing this testimony Pharaoh called for Joseph to be brought up from the prison, that he might hear his dreams and give the interpretation as well.  And this Joseph did with convincing words--for they were the words of God.  He spoke of the impending famine that would soon ravage the land.  The dreams represented seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of dearth in the land.  Pharaoh was so impressed by the revelation of the dreams that he promoted Joseph immediately and gave him great power and authority over all of the country.  This was God's way of exalting Joseph to a place of high leadership and respect in a foreign land. 

Joseph held on tight to his dream for nearly twenty years.  He went through tough times, years of struggle and hardship, separation from his family and friends.  He was done wrong by some many people, but he kept the dream alive.  And at last long he is second in command to only Pharaoh himself.  Picture this.  Here is a Jewish boy with just a dream and a promise; he is now elevated to the palace of Egypt!  God's dreams are in order, and His dreams come to pass!

HOLD ON TIGHT TO YOUR DREAMS!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7d-6tZw6rM

Michael Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center