Harbor Devotion-- Facing Your Future

When it comes to facing your future, and we all must, unless of course you opt for the alternative.  It will be helpful for us to keep the following facts in mind.

1. People of faith see possibilities--regardless of the fact that things look impossible; they have and uncanny ability to see the good side of every situation.  These are the people that tend to "make it through".  It is not because they are more special to God than anyone else, they just simply exhibit faith even under fire. 

2. People of faith push through the pain--there is an old acronym that says: P.U.S.H.--"Pray Until Something Happens".  This seems to be a lost art of the church.  Nowadays if we don't receive an answer immediately we assume that God doesn't love us, He doesnt' see us, and that He doesn't know the trouble we are in.  When in fact the opposite is true.  He does love you.  He does see you.  And He knows exactly where you are and what you are facing.  He is standing by hoping to see you exhibit your confidence in Him; your ability to trust Him though you don't see Him or feel Him.  I sure hope that we don't disappoint Him.

3. People of faith persevere until they win the prize--they understand that we are in a race, and the race is not to the swift or the strong, but to the one that endures to the end.  Listen to the words of Adam Clarke:
"The race is not to the swift—It is not by swiftness, nor by strength and valor, that races are gained and battles won. God causes the lame often to take the prey, the prize; and so works that the weak overthrow the strong; therefore, no man should confide in himself. All things are under the government, and at the disposal of God."

I encourage you to take heart today, and face your future with the confidence and faith that we have in the ALMIGHTY GOD!

Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, THWC

New Ministries Update

Harbor Family,

This is an update on the new ministries recently laughed at the Harbor.

The College Age / Young Married group kicked off last Saturday night with a trip to the Strike Zone Bowling Alley in Brunswick, Ga.  They had a total of twenty people that attended the event.  What a great start to a vital ministry.  Please continue to invite your friends to come and celebrate what God is doing at the Harbor Worship Center.

The Senior-Ship led by Larry and Trudie Lee is underway.  Their first big event is their Christmas Banquet and it is scheduled for December the 4th @ 6pm in the fellowship hall.  Please invite your friends to come and be a part of this wonderful group. 

The Harbor Worship Center Fellowship Riders:  Tonight I met with Dee Dickson (President of the Messiah Riders) and his wife Kim, along with Steve Smith, Eddie Martinez, and our wives.  We discussed how to approach this ministry and reach out to the riders.  This was a very informative meeting, and very helpful in getting our group up and running.  THWC Fellowship Riders is about reaching out to those ride whether they are Christian or not.  We want to show the love of Christ to them all by being His hands extended to those who do not know Him. 

God has great things in store for us with these new ministries being put in place.  They are all up and running now, and we will soon see the fruit of our labors. 

Let me say congratulations to all those who joined the Harbor Family last Sunday morning.

Mike Sanes
Pastor, THWC

New Ministries

Harbor Family,

     In my last blog I mentioned some new ministries, but we have one more that I failed to mention.  It is The Harbor Worship Center Fellowship Riders; this ministry will be led by Brother Stephen Smith.  This is a small group ministry that will be reaching out to motorcyclist.  According to Steve this ministry will serve as a way of introducing THWC to other riders.  It will also serve as an affinity group.  The first ride will take place in January and it will be to Folkston's Okefenokee Restaurant.  Then a ride once a month to some location. 

I am looking forward to this new ministry starting up.  We will also be planning a Bike Sunday--more information to come a little later.

Pastor Sanes

Harbor News

Harbor Family,

     We will be receiving new members into the church this coming Sunday, November 14, during the 9:30 service.  We already have several families scheduled to join the church, if you would like to become a member of the Harbor please contact me as soon as possible.  You may do so through our website at http://www.theharborworshipcenter.org/ .

New Ministries that are starting immediately at the Harbor!!!

1.  The Senior-Ship will be operating under the new leadership and direction of Larry and Trudie Lee.  They have been appointed as the new leaders for this great ministry; they are really excited about this open door that God has given them, and we are expecting great things to take place with this ministry.  If you are in the age group of 55+ plus speak with Larry or Trudie and let them know that you would like to be a part of this group. 

2.  College Group/Young Married (not officially named yet): This is a large group of young people (roughly 18-25) that are part of the church.  Adam and Chelsie have organized the first meeting to take place at the Strike Zone Bowling Alley in Brunswick on this Saturday, Nov. 13.  Everyone will meet this Saturday at the church at 5pm.

3.  We also welcome Aaron and Lisa Kirkland as the new leaders of the Follow-Up Team.  As well, we have activated both alternates to the council, so we welcome Harold Shedd and Tom Bell to the Church and Pastor's Council. 

Please remember that there are a number of places to minister in the church.  We have 7 ministry teams that have a minimum of 7 members each, and some of them as many as 15-20 on their team.

Blessings!

Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center

Harbor Devotion

Harbor Family,

     What an awesome time it is to be serving the Lord.  I can't think of anything in this world I would rather be doing than Kingdom work.  It is hard work and often unpopular, but the reward at the end of the road is going to be worth all the effort. The Lord Himself told us that there would be hard times in life and especially in ministry.  He also let us know that we would not always be popular with everyone.  If He was persecuted (and He was), you and I as leaders are no bettter than our Lord; we too, will suffer persecution in this life and ministry.

Jesus demanded excellence from His leaders.  He said words like:

• 1 John 2:4-6 (NLT) 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
• Matthew 8:21-22 (NKJV) 21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
• Scholars tell me that it is possible that this disciple was not asking permission to go to his father's funeral but rather to put off following Jesus until his elderly father died.
• At other times Jesus spoke harsh words in ministry and his followers walked away and followed Him no more.

Commitment illustrated:  Some years ago in Northwestern University, near Chicago, a rescue crew was organized. Their purpose was the rescue of the drowning on the lake. One day the news came that a magnificent vessel was wrecked just off the shore. The young men hurried at once to the scene of the disaster, and plunged into the angry waters to rescue those who were going down. Soon they all returned, but one. Finally he came in bringing one man with him. Immediately he returned, and soon brought another, and then another, and so on until he had rescued ten. During this time his mates had built a fire and were warming themselves, all the time trying to persuade the young hero against his conviction of duty. By the time he had brought the tenth man he was completely exhausted, and had to rest for a while. Regaining sufficient strength, he again plunged into the water and brought another man. Now he was completely overcome. During the night he died from exposure. It was a sad scene. While friends stood around weeping, and his fellow students were regretting that they had not forced him to do as they had, he called one of them to his bedside, and said in a low subdued tone, just before he died:


"Did I do my best?"
Instantly his friend said: "Yes, I should think you did do your best. You saved eleven, but you have lost your life."  "But," said he, "did I do my best, my dead level best?"  "Yes, you did your dead level best."  Then a smile seemed to come over his face as if to say: "Then I am satisfied to die."

Oh, my friends, this will be something of our experience when we are in the presence of God in eternity! "Did I do my best, my dead level best?"

Richard A. Steele and Evelyn Stoner, comp., Bible Illustrations – Heartwarming Bible Illustrations, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "234. Our Dead Level Best". 
 
This is the kind of commitment that Jesus talked about!!!
 
Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center