20/20 Vision

ABLE to Pray

There are times throughout our journey that we just don't have the words to say to God. We feel so down, or inadequate, or confused, or scared that we literally do not even know what to pray. In those times, the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf. He prays for us! Romans 8:26 says, " Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For  we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but  ...

ABLE Women

We see in Genesis 1:26-27 that there is gender clarity and simplicity in God's creation. There is male and female. Men and women are a reflection of God. We complement each other. We are so different, but cherish the mystery of our differences. In Christ, we see women as honorable and dignified. These verses also say that together, we "have dominion" over the earth. In Near East culture, when a sovereign left a regi...

ABLE Men

We see in Genesis 1:26-27 that there is gender clarity and simplicity in God's creation. There is male and female. Men need to see first that their identity is in Jesus, and then action flows from that truth. Too often, subcultures in our society tell us "who we are", or "who we can be". There is a crisis of masculinity in our culture, and the enemy attacks that identity. When we see God's design, that clarity gi...

ABLE to Pursue City Unity

Today Pastor Alex was joined by Rob Kelly, Executive Director and Founder of For Charlotte. Rob and Pastor Alex passionately shared God's heart for our city. Jesus gives us a clear blueprint for how to build unity in the city. During His time with the disciples in the upper room, just hours before being arrested, Jesus spoke very clearly of His desire for His disciples, including us. John 13-17 record...

ABLE Starts with an A

Our strategy is ABLE: We will Abide in Christ to Build Relationship and Live the gospel with Everything. This all begins with understanding what it means to "abide". Everything flows out of our abiding. Abiding means "to remain" or "to stay". It is our identity in Him.

1 John 4:12-13,15-16 has six mentions of the word "abide". To begin to abide, we DO NOTHING. We rest in who He is. Abiding is not som...

What is the Church after all?

Last week we began this new series looking at the importance of the church. We established that Jesus established the church, loved the church, and gave His life for the church. We are one holy catholic apostolic church. At Carmel, we are one small part of the greater church. There are many beautiful expressions of the Bride of Christ!

Today, Pastor Alex asked and answered three critical ques...

What is the Church after all?

Today started a 5-month journey through our church vision statement that will equip us, as a church, to understand how God is uniquely using us to carry out His mission on earth. The Scriptures are clear regarding the mission of the church, but we need to make sure that we understand WHAT the church is. Ecclesiology is the study of the church, and Jesus cared deeply about that. In Matthew 16:18 Je...