Under The Influnce

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Calvary Austin Pastor Terry Michaels' series from Revelation chapters 1-3 called "First Love"

Revelation 2:12-17 The Cost Of Compromise

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Calvary Austin Pastor Terry Michaels' series from Revelation chapters 1-3 called "First Love"

We Shall Overcome

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Calvary Austin Pastor Terry Michaels' series from Revelation chapters 1-3 called "First Love"

Community Can Get Messy

There’s a part of me that refuses to give up on people, even total screw-ups. I suppose it’s because I was once a total screw-up. Many wrote me off when I strayed, but there were those precious few who believed all was not lost. Had it not been for one particular brother, I might still be head deep in the muck today. When someone pulls you from the pit, it teaches you something about grace. I’ve learned that messy people don’t respond well to a pointing finger. They need a helping hand. If you rub a fallen brother’s nose in his own muck, he only sinks deeper. At least that’s my experience. I have nothing to thank the sin sniffing church narcs for. The pit became my safe haven away from them, even though it was killing me. But I am in debt to the one who rolled up his sleeves and reached out to me. He helped me become a living testimony to the power of grace.

I’m not proud of my sinful past, but if I can be grateful for one thing, it has shown me that there is always hope, even for the messiest of people. This needs to be realized in a church community. We must always believe the best about others, even when they fall. Turning up our noses and huffing, “What a hypocrite!” is not the proper response. We must never lose hope in another. Never! Does not our faith declare that souls are salvageable? Is not the Bible a message of redemption? Does not the heart of God cry out to the fallen? We all know the answer: yes, yes and yes!

Judging those who fall is a most cowardly thing when you think about it. That’s because it offers an easy way out. You really don’t have to do much, other than permit feelings of superiority to cloud your skull like a hit off a bong. But even that won’t cure one’s insecurity. It merely perpetuates it. The real heroes are those who roll up their sleeves and plunge their hands deep into the nappy scum, even if it’s just to rescue a fool from his own folly. However, such courage does not come without disappointments. There are no guarantees the fallen brother will want out. He may even sink to the bottom, and smile like a dope the entire way down. That’s why it’s easier to be a judge than a hero. Judges don’t suffer from broken hearts. If a sinner sinks, they might even be happy about the outcome. A hero weeps. That’s why it takes guts to be one.

First Love - Message 2

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Calvary Austin Pastor Terry Michaels' series from Revelation chapters 1-3 called "First Love"

First Love - Message 1

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Calvary Austin Pastor Terry Michaels' series from Revelation chapters 1-3 called "First Love"