We had the privilege of hearing a Local Story from David Reid about how God can use ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to do the extraordinary. David and some friends have created discipleship opportunities out of something they were already doing.
David shared that he and his friends love ultimate frisbee and started playing every Sunday afternoon. “It became part of our Sabbath routine, all our kids collecting bugs, building forts, laughing together – while we played our favorite game in the sunshine, enjoying His creation.”
It dawned on them that Jesus could use this time for more. “We realized that through frisbee, the Lord had put people in our lives who would never set foot in a church, or in a Bible study – people who were lost and wanted something more than the world could offer.”
They started looking for opportunities to share the gospel, to listen to people’s stories, and to love those around them. They began meeting at 6am every week to walk the field and call out to God, asking him to draw people to himself and for opportunities to be used.
David shared several examples of what this can look like week to week: “making disciples doesn’t have a formula, it requires intentionality, and a moment-to-moment awareness of where the Spirit is working. Sometimes it looks like sharing my testimony with someone I’ll probably never see again. Sometimes it means subbing out even when I’m not tired, to get a little extra time on the sideline with a guy I’m connecting with. Sometimes it means listening to the story of a guy who had to drop out of college and feels lost, stuck, directionless. And sometimes it looks like pitching in to buy groceries for a girl whose car was stolen.”
David ended with a verse from 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He asked us to consider what we are already doing to see where God may work: “what are the things you already love, that God wants to use to make himself famous, here and now? What are the ways he’s gifted you and what are some practical steps you can take to be intentional in the ordinary things of life?”
You can listen to David’s full story on our podcast HERE.
Recently, TJ shared a reflection on personal disciplines. He started by reminding us of “the immense power in the reality of God entering his world as a human. That is the central truth the Christmas season celebrates. And if God lived a human life, he had daily habits”. We can find the habits of Jesus recorded in the four Gospels.
Jesus’ habits included praying (in solitude and with others), meditating on scripture, practicing hospitality, fasting, being generous with his time and all he had, practicing the Sabbath, and paying special attention to the poor and social outcasts.
TJ asked, “Have we really taken seriously that Jesus was God in human flesh? That he, like us, had daily habits? How are we, his students, doing at learning his daily habits?”.
The Christmas season is a great time to reflect on our daily rhythms and TJ gave a few suggested habits following the example of Jesus:
– Committing to spending daily time alone with God in prayer by blocking out time on your calendar.
– Committing to creating space for daily time in scripture where our hearts and minds can be nourished.
– Committing to paying special attention to the poor and social outcasts instead of retreating to our comfortable circles. We volunteer to care for the hungry and homeless in our city, reach out proactively to those in our own lives who we see suffering, and invite into our homes and lives people who we ordinarily wouldn’t.
“If this all sounds daunting or even convicting, hear me in saying that I’m right there with you. Following Jesus is a high calling that requires more of God’s grace to us than we can ever understand or deserve.
So may prayer form presence in us, may scripture form wisdom in us, and may hospitality form love in us”.
You can listen to TJ’s full LOCAL Story on our podcast.
Two years ago, Katie and her husband began their journey to becoming foster parents. They started with a program called Safe Families, which allows parents to place their children into a home for a short period of time while they are in crisis or experiencing an emergency. After some time, they became a respite family to support foster parents needing a short-term break.
They witnessed the constant need first-hand as their friends and family in foster care received endless calls to take an additional child. Not to mention, hearing stories of children sleeping in caseworker’s offices because there weren’t enough foster homes available. They went all-in and became a licensed foster care home.
“Quite candidly, we were not looking to say goodbye to our child-free life. But, after witnessing the intense need, and having the opportunity to get licensed through a local Christian agency, we both felt that this was one of the most practical ways we could live out the Lord’s call in James to care for the widow and orphan in our community.”
Katie shared many ways that you can support the foster care system, including:
She then gave us some parting encouragement.
“I encourage you to prayerfully consider saying yes, even if you don’t feel ready, no matter what role he’s calling you to. His grace will be sufficient.”
You can listen to Katie’s full Local Story on our podcast.
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.
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.
This past Sunday, Nicole shared her Local Story with us. Nicole works for a local non-profit where she serves as a house parent in a residential foster home. One unique thing about this role is that twice a year they embark on sailing expeditions from the shores of Maine and sail for 6 weeks back to Florida with a group of teenage boys that live in the home.
Nicole recently came back from her very first sailing trip and she had so many things to share. Between the cramped quarters, the smells, and the delays in their trip due to hurricane Ian, Nicole had to consistently seek Jesus’ renewal.
“I also really struggled with not feeling equipped for the role and feeling like I didn’t belong on the boat, even though the Lord so evidently placed me in that space! So, I took that to heart, realizing that through God’s intentional placement of me, the only way that I could find peace in the chaos was to seek daily renewal from Him.”
Nicole reflected on what she called a “God dream” from back when she was in college. Nicole became a follower of Christ in college and, in a dream, experienced a revelation that reminded her that in order to experience renewal, she needed to turn to God first.
“Immediately, I was extremely convicted and eventually I came to realize that God was calling me to evaluate the state of my heart and that He was asking for me to include Him as the Director of renewal over my life…I wholeheartedly believe that God is also asking each of us to tune in to what renewal might look like with Him leading us throughout our days.“
Nicole took this revelation with her on her sailing expedition and shared with us how God continued to renew her day in and day out. Nicole was reminded of how God does not call the equipped, but instead He equips those that He calls.
“Renewal is uncomfortable and requires that we be vulnerable before God, communing in His presence expectantly, but without specific expectations…I hope to always be in the midst of renewal that brings joy and leaves me in awe of the God of the Universe.”
Listen to Nicole’s full Local Story on our podcast.
Recently, Kara Contreras shared a Local Story with us. She reflected on the past three years of living in St. Pete and her longing desire for community.
When Kara and her husband moved from Louisville, Kentucky to St. Pete, she was not happy about it at the time. Family circumstances had brought her and her husband here and Kara was sad to leave behind what she had. “I was apprehensive that I could ever find the lifelong type friends that I had made through Bible college and my church. I wondered who would be there on a terrible day, or who would cry with me, or throw me a baby shower when we one day Lord willing had a family.”
She came to St. Pete expecting difficulty in finding a church community that could provide what she was longing for. Kara reflected on how she knew she wanted community, but didn’t want to put in the effort that she knew was necessary to have it. “I hated giving up the many people and places I loved so much and just wanted to feel ‘known’ without having to try.”
Kara was thankful to have found Local Church St. Pete so soon after moving here. She began to get involved with various social gatherings including Sunday brunches, mom’s groups, womens ministry events, and more. Her community began to grow.
“It wasn’t effortless like I wanted it to be. Opportunities for community were everywhere, but the Lord had to give me courage to start over. Community is hard work- and it still is. It involves being willing to show up and be present, to be vulnerable , to confess sin, to be offended at times, to share the dirt of your life and your heart with other people, to rejoice with others, bear other people’s burdens and commit to caring for them.”
Kara shared an example of a hand painted portrait that was gifted to her by a few special friends from Local Church. She explained how grateful she is for all the Lord has taught her and is teaching her through his provision and the community she is surrounded with.
You can listen to Kara’s full Local Story on our podcast.
On Sunday we heard from our special guest Elise Finch. Elise came to us with reflections on the theme “enough” which was the focus of our recent Women’s Restorative Weekend.
When the concept of “enough” comes across your path, what comes to mind? For many of us the word immediately sets in motion a list of questions: “Will I have ‘enough’ time? Do I have ‘enough’ resources?” Or exclamations, “I don’t have ‘enough’ of this or that!” When all is quiet and we’re headed off to sleep, questions can become decidedly more personal. “Am I ‘enough?’ What if my faith is not ‘enough’ to pull us through?”
Elise began to unpack these questions for us through the lense of God’s word. She shared how so often we can struggle with trust, belief, and our inability to wait on God. We lack understanding in what motivates our desires and what our actual needs truly are.
“Time and again, God reveals that our sufficiency is insufficient, our great strength is actually weakness and we find ourselves ineffective to address any number of the demands of life. — But God!”
Elise used the example of how God provided manna to Israel, knowing in advance that they would fail the test of obedience. She then reminded us of how God also made provision through himself, entering our world as a man and walking in obedience on our behalf.
“Jesus trusted in God’s word when tempted by hunger in the wilderness undergoing successfully the trial Israel failed on their road to Sinai. Their hunger, like our own, wasn’t easily satisfied with bread.”
Elise reminded us of how Christ became our bread. Referencing Matthew 4:4, “Man does not live by ‘bread’ alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” God continually made provision for a people who could not help themselves. Isn’t that a tremendous encouragement!
She finished by saying, “without Him, we will never be enough. What is truly ‘life bringing,’ is realizing that God is!”
You can listen to Elise’s full Local Story on our podcast.
This past Sunday, Caleb shared his Local Story with us. Caleb began by telling us how from a young age he has always had the desire to preach the Gospel. That desire was often coupled with a series of plans which would allow him to make that happen.Some of Caleb’s plans included attending Freed-Hardeman University, meet his future wife, and minister full time. He shared how very soon after he created these plans, he found himself frustrated and embarrassed with little to no progress and no plan of what was next for him.
He found himself applying for a youth ministry job in Tampa, which he accepted. This new season allowed Caleb to fulfill many of the plans he had for his life. He met and married his wife, got to see teens come to faith in Christ, and grew his walk with Jesus as well. “The plan was really going well…But as I began this new chapter, I started asking myself the tough questions.” Caleb came to the realization that what he wanted to be a part of and where the church he worked at was going did not align. Caleb shared a special moment that he and his wife had as they wrestled through what his next step was. “Are we ready for God to lead? Have we surrendered enough of ourselves to walk faithfully into the unknown?” They prayed together and it soon was made clear to Caleb that he needed to resign. “6 months after marrying the love of my life and one week after closing on our house we were left unemployed and planless. The difference between this experience and the others before was that this time we went into the unknown surrendered.”
Caleb went on to share what this season of unknown has revealed to him. “The prayer we prayed together created a posture that set our intentions on the opportunity for each day, rather than on the frustrations brought about by our broken plan….In this time of unknown I must remind myself to be obedient where I’m at and to use the tools and abilities God has given me to love others and represent Jesus in my community.”. Caleb shared a few ways that he and his wife have been able to use this season to create space for the Spirit to transform their minds and hearts. “There is comfort in knowing that Jesus calls his followers to do just that, follow. We don’t have to have the perfect plan, we just have to have the courage to follow.”
You can listen to Caleb’s full Local Story on our podcast.
Chris was recently hospitalized and spent multiple days under hospital care. This is how he came to meet Marty, his roommate. Chris shared about his and Marty’s initial interactions and how their relationship began to grow while in the hospital together. He learned at this time that Marty was not a follower of Jesus.
Upon the news of Chris’ discharge, he was eager to leave the hospital and go home. Chris recalled a specific prompting from the Holy Spirit however that encouraged him to share the Gospel with Marty. “My immediate reaction to the prompting was rationalization, ‘No, please no. I’m not equipped or gifted to evangelize.’”
Chris’ discharge ended up getting delayed and gave him the opportunity to spend a little bit more time with Marty. This is where Chris received a second prompting to share the Gospel with him, which he ignored, and soon after, a third prompting. “…but this time it came with a message, ‘The stakes are so high. ‘I really thought about the enormous gravity of that seemingly simple statement. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I finally yielded and walked over to Marty’s bed and began to share the Gospel with him.”
Chris described the sense of failure that began to stir as Marty received what he had to say, but another prompting encouraged him to continue. “I barely remember what I said because the words that came out weren’t mine. But I could see a change come over Marty. Instead of looking perplexed, he was really listening and taking it in. When it was finished, I went back to my bed and sat down. Neither of us said anything.”
Chris concluded by reflecting on how God orchestrated this divine appointment. Through illness, God brought Chris and Marty together.
After the silence had completed, Chris witnessed Marty give his life to the Lord. “He prayed for about five minutes and concluded with, ‘God, I just want to be with You.’ My last day in the hospital was my one chance to be used by the Lord so He could reach Marty in his last days here, in this world.”
You can listen to Chris’ full Local Story on our PODCAST.