Extravagant God
Sunday, 7th February 2010
I know I usually call this the “Sunday Night Brain Dump” but after what we experienced today at Five Stones that title just didn’t seem fitting. What an Extravagant God that we serve. One that pours out His Extravagant love and blessings upon His people and His church just because He loves us. I hope I can capture some of what God is doing at Five Stones in this post. In order to do so I will need to post some numbers so you can see all that God is doing. I know numbers can turn people off but God continually added to His church in the book of Acts. Here are some of my thoughts from today:
- Have to begin by saying what a blessing it was to be able to baptize my children Lily and Cooper today. Just four years ago I was able to baptize my parents. I cannot begin to express the emotions I had when saying to my children in the water today, “Have you accepted the God of your Grandparents, and the God of your Parents, the God who has been and will always be? May this chain of faith continue in our family for several generations. I also almost lost it when I asked my children if they had committed to live for Christ the rest of their lives and they said, “Yes Daddy!”
- Today we baptized 20 plus people from every age range to every story imaginable. Amazing to see how God is working from the children to our adults. So pumped to be able to baptize not only children but also the men that God is taking to the next level in our church.
- Our worship team hit another home-run as they led us in worship today.
- So proud to watch our partners jump up to fill a need no matter how big or how small.
- Today was another huge milestone for Five Stones as we broke the 500 barrier for the first time on a regular Sunday. I’m not sure we could have fit many more chairs in our worship area.
- After the service I literally lost count of the amount of people saying that God was leading them to be baptized at our next baptism service on May 2nd.
- Sat in my car today and just had tears of unworthiness pour out thinking of all that God is doing in the lives of people at Five Stones and in our community. I never dreamed that we would be making such a difference in the community so soon. I also had tears thinking about how many people are still left to reach in our community.
- Next week is our 6 month anniversary and God has allowed us to see so many professions of faith, 40 people baptized, and have broken the 500 barrier twice now. He has allowed us to have favor in the community and with the City Officials which has opened the door for us to minister to so many people.
- Thought it was a perfect ending for us today as our church closed in prayer lifting up Derwin Grey’s new church start up in Indian Land, SC. Today Transformation Church Launched and we pray that God does incredible things in Indian Land through those folks. Check out their website and drop them an e-mail to encourage them.
- Announced our next series which begins next week called “Explosive Love.” We will walk through the Book of Song of Songs and learn about what God has to say about dating, marriage, sex, and how to keep the fire alive in your marriage. Invite a friend and get there early because we are running out of seats each week.
Wow! What an awesome experience of God today! You know that both my boys, Kyle and Kevin, were baptized today, and my husband, Randy, last October at our first Five Stones baptism. Our family praised God for each decision to follow Him in baptism.
But I also have the blessing of teaching first grade Sunday school at Five Stones under Mandy’s leadership. So seeing Cooper, Jillian and Breanna baptized, I saw that God working with the Sunday school lessons and worship we teach. We reinforce what they are experiencing at home and teach God’s love every week! Thank you for the opportunity to serve. God blessed me to see the fruits of this service. Oh! Happy Day! Happy Day!
Kathy Habluetzel
I second Kathy’s opening sentence! I am thrilled to be a part of the Five Stones family and to see what fantastic things God has brought to our church and the Waxhaw area. I was baptize din a baptistery pool behind the choir area similar to Carmel’s and to see the pool down with the worship attenders is just an awesome feeling. yesterday, I felt the tears that Greg had when baptizing his children, the tears that Ralph had when baptizing his daughter last October because I had those tears when I saw my oldest boy get baptized last October. When I was greeting the attender as they left, we were talking with a couple that regularly attends and the subject of what brought me to the Waxhaw area came up. Without hesitation, I immediately said Five Stones Church brought me to Waxhaw. Yes, 4 years ago, I knew Five Stones was a big reason we were brought here from Florida. I did not specifically know then, but I know now. I am glad we have a Floridian as our teaching pastor
, a Georgian as our team pastor and an Alabamian/West Virginian ( What a lethal combo) as our worship leader. I too am proud to a part of God’s great vision here in Waxhaw and proud to be a Five Stones partner.