A new identity, welcomed into a new family, with new rights and a new purpose. The letter to the Ephesians reminds us that Jesus came to make all things new. It was written to a people trying to figure out what that looks like in the details of everyday life. How does it shape the way we view ourselves and treat others? How do we respond to old habits, outside pressures and internal fears? We’ll explore the far-reaching, life-shaping influence of Jesus on those who follow him.
Join us Sundays, 9a + 11a as we explore the book of Ephesians.
Recently Deanne shared her story of how God has reminded her that true identity is not found in anything, but Him. She began by walking us through her upbringing and adolescent years.
“I bounced around from guy to guy looking for love and identity. One of my boyfriends in college dared me to try amateur night at the local strip club, to which I gladly accepted the challenge. I was offered a job that night and started dancing part time. I didn’t need the money. I simply enjoyed the attention, validation, and counterfeit satisfaction it gave me.”
God continued to pursue Deanne in this time and eventually provided opportunity that allowed her to step away from the job. Deanne was reminded that God would always provide for her.
Deanne went on to share how she had moved quite a bit after college. In Denver, she happened to live across the street from a church where she ended up finding Jesus at, “I got baptized at 25 years old… Even then, I still partied a lot and did not fully prioritize God in my life, but things were certainly changing… In Denver, I learned that men can never take the place of God. Anything that does is an idol”.
Deanne was uprooted once more and moved to LA. She shared about how she landed her dream job with the Humane Society and for five years was very focused on her career passions. Then her department got laid off, “In LA, I would learn that my title isn’t my identity…My career had taken first place in my life. I had put my work for animals above my identity as a Christian”.
Deanne closed with some reminders and encouragement. She now resides here in St Pete where the Lord has provided her a clear schedule after years of nonstop busyness, “I am now -more-in a place of appreciation for what I do have, and not as much a place of comparison for what I don’t. I crave the word now more than ever and love going deeper in my faith”.
You can listen to Deanne’s full LOCAL Story on our podcast.
EASTER SUNDAY w/ Local Church St. Pete
We will gather on Sunday, April 9th at 8a + 9:30a + 11a to celebrate and consider how the resurrection of Jesus leads us out of despair into a new world of joy and wonder.
See you there!
If you’re new to following the ways of Jesus then you probably have a lot of questions. Maybe you’re wondering…
-I’m brand new to this, where do I begin when it comes to the Bible?
-Do I “need” to be baptized?
-What is most important for me to know – for my growth and maturity?
-What is prayer? How do I do it? Why is prayer so important?
-Why is “the church” so important to my health as a follower of Jesus?
-What do I do about old patterns/habits of living?
-What does faithfulness to Jesus’ call to make disciples look like in my life?
-What resources do you recommend?
The goal of New Followers | A Conversation is to encourage you in your faith. It’s also our hope that it will encourage new and not so new followers of Jesus towards disciple-making. We pray that it will help demystify the topic and begin conversations around discipleship that lead to the practice of it.
Brieanna had a unique upbringing in that her grandmother had taught her of alternative ways of spirituality. She delved in meditation, interpreting omens, and divination at a young age. Brieanna had first heard of Jesus at the age of 14, but was very much in question of the Gospel. “Although I heard the stories, I still didn’t grasp the reason for Jesus being put on the cross. A huge part of me was left wondering: attempting to piece together a puzzle while searching for pieces in all the wrong areas”.
Brieanna vulnerably shared that her consistent seeking of spirituality eventually led to her embracement of witchcraft as she entered into her 20’s. While on the outside things seemed to be going favorably for her in her life, on the inside she was tormented. “ I found myself in a pit, plagued by nightmares and having tormenting suicidal thoughts. Once again, I was found crying out to God like I always had when things went wrong”.
She reflected on a moment where she felt prompted by the Lord to open her dusty bible where she was met with the convicting words of Deuteronomy 18. Brienna recalled how one part of the scripture read ”The Lord YOUR God.” ‘It was direct and spoke to my soul. He called me His. Hearing these words, I experienced an immediate reverence, a light in the darkness”.
This was the beginning of Brieanna’s gradual journey towards becoming a follower of Jesus. “I am completely changed by the Blood of Christ, living life in submission to wherever He would call me and letting go of anything that would separate me from Him. Delivered from depression and set free from a life ruled by sin”.
You can listen to Brieanna’s full Local Story on our Podcast.
Recently, we had a LOCAL Mission update from one of our partners, Created.
Created is committed to the restoration of vulnerable women involved in the sex industry, providing them an understanding of their value, beauty and destiny is Jesus Christ.
Learn more about how to come alongside Created (and other LOCAL Mission partners) by visiting the LOCAL Mission link in bio.
If you weren’t able to hear their update on Sunday, you can re-listen to it via the podcast 🎧
As disciples of Jesus we’re called (given the privilege and responsibility) to make disciples. But HOW? One expression of that is to walk with someone “one-to-one” through part of the Bible. From college students to parents, from young professionals to retirees, one-to-one Bible reading is a simple and effective way to help make disciples.
Here are some one-to-one bible reading resources:
One to One Bible Reading Handout
8 Weeks Through Mark’s Gospel
OIA – Any Passage Handout
Disciples Who Make Disciples Handout
Today Jade Hayes shared her Local Story with us. Jade has been walking with the Lord for almost 23 years and she shared most recently how God’s people have been there for her when she needed it most. Jade referred to this time as her season of “super pruning”, for it has been a challenging past couple of years.
“I found myself in an intense season of sorrow, crying out to God every single time a particular memory surfaced. Seeking wise counsel and seeing a Christian counselor helped immensely, but during my laments, I often felt lonely as I struggled to make sense of a particular situation.”
2021 was a year where daily Jade found herself asking God many questions, and every day he showed himself faithful. God had called her to Tulane University to coach Beach volleyball at the time. “I believe God partially threw me into this position to help keep my mind busy and heart on serving others, but also I think it was to find a wonderful community that pointed me to his grace, mercy, and love.”
It was a short lived season, as not long after Jade was asked to make the move further South to St Pete. Jade shared how thankful she has been to have found Local Church St Pete and highlighted how God gave her a tribe of “Titus 2” women who were ready to pick up the sword of truth and prepare for battle in prayer alongside her.
“What these Local women reminded me of during my pain–was that God cares for me and definitely seeks justice and loves mercy–not pain and oppression. I can now look back and see the precious ways God continues to care for me.”
Jade went on to share some of the verses from scripture that she has found herself clinging to. She then gave us some parting words.
“All this to say. Get plugged into the Christian community, be vulnerable with the right small group of people, dive into scripture–Don’t lose hope —allow yourself to lament —continue to cry out and wait on the Lord with hope. Your Family of believers are here to help comfort, guide, and build you up in your walk with the Lord. When you are not sure of why things happen– trust he is working all things out for your good and for His glory.”
You can listen to Jade’s full Local Story on our podcast.
Join us Sunday, March 10th at 12:30pm for a meeting for those interested in participating in the 2024 Bolivia Mission Trip to Casa de Esperanza. We’ll talk about dates, costs, requirements and all the details you need to help you discern if you feel led to participate.
Local Youth High Schoolers: Join us for a retreat on February 17-18th at Lakewood Retreat Center. We’ll pursue God’s presence, grow in our knowledge of the Gospel, build friendships and have a lot of fun!
Plan to depart from Local Church St. Pete’s main parking lot at 5:00pm on February 17th, 2023. We will stop for dinner along the way and arrive at Lakewood Retreat Center located in Brooksville, FL (Approximately 30 minutes north of Tampa). We’ll spend the evening in a variety of camaraderie-building activities and will spend the night in gender segregated cabins at the Retreat Center. On Saturday, we have activities designed to grow the youth in their knowledge of the Gospel as well as create opportunities for friendships to be made and strengthened. We’ll depart from the Retreat Center on Saturday evening and return to Local Church St. Pete main parking lot at 9:00pm on February 18th.
Registration Deadline is Sunday, January 29th. Register HERE.