In this month’s episode of Bringing An Ancient Faith to a Modern World, I am joined by Steve Messeh of HOPE Multiplied (and my brother) and we discuss the history and impact of community service at STSA and why all churches should be looking for opportunities to invest in their own communities as well.
Read MoreTHANKS TO YOU [sermon video]
“We exist to transform lives in the DC metro area through an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ founded upon the life and teachings of the Orthodox faith.”
That’s our mission statement at STSA and yesterday, we decided to take a step back and reflect upon how God is using us to accomplish that in our local community and beyond.
So if you’re one of the many people have supported the ministry at STSA - whether through prayer, or giving, or serving - then you NEED to know that you are making a difference in the world.
Check out this week’s message to learn more about the great work God is doing in the lives of so many - and it’s all THANKS TO YOU.
Read MoreLOVE IS LOCAL - Love Is, Part 4
[NOTE: Audio missing for the first 3 minutes. Technical difficulties. My apologies.]
"Love isn't just loving your neighbor; it's also loving your neighborhood."
Week 4 in the Love Is series and this week we looked at the fourth characteristic when it comes to Christ-like love: LOVE IS LOCAL.
In this message, you'll hear me talk about one of the foundational principles upon which STSA was built: Genuine Love for our Community. More importantly, you'll get to hear someone else share about how fulfilling this principle made a huge impact on their life and deepened their relationship with God and with His Church.
Check out the video about and see for yourself. And get ready to start seeing your neighborhood in a whole new light!
HOPE Association @ The Well
"For You are He who loosens the bound and uplifts the fallen; the hope of those who are hopeless and the help of those who are helpless; the comfort of the fainthearted and the harbor of those in the storm." Excerpt from Liturgy of St. Basil
If you missed The Well yesterday, you missed out! HOPE Association gave a special presentation and showed us all the different projects and initiatives that they're kicking off this Fall. Not only that, they also reminded us of the great impact that we - the Body of Christ - can have on this world through simple acts of love and kindness and sacrifice. It really touched my heart and there was a barely a dry eye in the room by the end.
Check out the video and see for yourself.
Now That's My Idea of a Great Weekend!
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Last week I wrote about how excited I was for this past weekend. It was the weekend of our public launch at STSA – the weekend where we felt God wanted to take the good things we have going inside the church and make them known to the community outside. And just as the first century church “went public” on the Day of Pentecost, we felt like God wanted us to do the same this past weekend as we celebrated Pentecost as well.
So how’d it go?
FANTASTIC! Magnificent! Best weekend to date! YAHOO!!!!!!
Read MoreGet Ready for MOMENTUM 2013
What am I excited about in 2013? In a word…MOMENTUM. Why? Because momentum is unstoppable!
s we kick off 2013 and everyone hurries to set goals and make resolutions, I want to share what God has been speaking to me about for the coming year. My vision and my goals for 2013 can best be summarized by 5 words which were tweeted during the first minutes of 2013 by one of my newfound heroes in life – Robert Griffin III (aka RG3): “Happy New Year!!! You ain't seen nothing yet!!!”
I love that! That’s perfect. That is exactly what God has been revealing to me for the past several days (minus the improper grammar of course) about what this coming year has in store:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” Ephesians 3:20
“You ain’t seen nothing yet!!!” (@RGIII 1/1/13)
Read More
Your One Thing
A few generations back, before the world of Twitter, Facebook, or cool blogs on the Internet (subscribe to us here!), there was Popeye the Sailor man: the short, balding, mischievous cartoon character on television.
For those not familiar with the character, he was a sailor by trade but more than that to millions of kids who tuned in faithfully every weekend. He also had a special lady friend named Olive Oil, a dashing young lady with a pickle-shaped nose and spaghetti-thin arms (every young boy’s fantasy!). And most of the time, Popeye and Olive Oil went about life enjoying their days and taking things in stride as they happened.
But when things took a more serious turn, and if it looked like Olive Oil might be in some danger, Popeye would race to her side and utter those famous words of an entire generation: “That’s all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!” (Popeye was never known for his impeccable grammar however)
Read More