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forgiveness Tag

June 13, 2024

in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus

by cefiggins

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Unity in the Spirit- Why should we care?

No one believes me that I am an introvert hiding in bright-colored clothing. I can draw a lot of attention but it’s very easy for me to disappear on a trail or behind a book. I find it especially easy separate myself from the crowd when I am tired, weary, grumpy, stressed, hurried, overscheduled, confused, hurt, or at the very least struggling with low blood sugar. 🙂 The long and short of it is that given my own devices I am more likely to separate from the pack. However, I have this tension within me that I also firmly believe that unity within our community is foundational to living out our faith in Christ. Ephesians 4:3, which calls us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” serves as a guiding principle for the people of God. This verse is not just an encouragement; it is a call to action, a reminder of the importance of maintaining harmony and friendship within the body of Christ.

But why should we care?

The Call to Unity

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a profound exploration of what it means to live as a Christian. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul emphasizes the necessity of unity among believers. This unity is not merely a superficial agreement but a deep, spiritual bond that reflects the unity of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we are connected, regardless of our diverse backgrounds, opinions, personal preferences or sleep schedules. God inspired Paul to teach us that we all tend to pull away from each other or break off and form factions.

Making Every Effort

The phrase “make every effort” indicates that maintaining unity requires intentional and persistent effort. It is not something that happens by chance or without work. As Christ followers, we have to strive to embody this through how we schedule our time, and how we use our talents, to enable us to connect through various ministries, life groups, and outreach efforts. We have to understand that unity involves active participation and commitment from each member to each other.

The Bond of Peace

Peace is the glue that holds unity together. It is a peace that transcends understanding, rooted in the love and grace of Christ. This peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of reconciliation and love. I love how God tells us over and over again in His word that it is not our peace we are looking for. It is His peace. We are kind of stinky when it comes to keeping the peace on our own. It’s becoming more and more common to look for ways to not be peaceful. But we have God’s peace that is a whole different story. During trying uncertain times we need to make a priority to promote peace through open communication, patience, forgiveness, and a willingness to understand and support one another.

How do we keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace with each other?

Prayer: We need to pray for one another and with one another. Prayer puts us in a proper posture of humility. Prayer is a powerful tool that strengthens our spiritual bond and fosters unity.
Life Groups: Joining a small group or a bible study is an excellent way to build relationships and experience the unity of the Spirit. These groups can provide a safe space for sharing, learning, and growing together. The more time you spend with someone the more you get to know them more patience and empathy you can have for them.
Serve Teams: Serving together in ministries and community projects unites us in purpose and mission. It allows us to put our faith into action and support one another in tangible ways. There is nothing better than witnessing each other love others because of how God first loved us to tie us together.
Forgiveness: Embracing a spirit of forgiveness is crucial for maintaining unity. We are all human and will inevitably make mistakes. Having patience with one another, assuming the best about each other, choosing to forgive and seek reconciliation helps preserve the bond of peace.

This week commit yourself again to making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Reflect on Ephesians 4:3, Be inspired to live out this call in your daily life continually seeking ways to foster unity and peace within our church and the broader community. When we are rooted in love and bound together in peace and unity we can withstand any level of chaos. Through our collective efforts, we can be a powerful witness to the transformative power of Christ’s love.

March 7, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC

by Brendon

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Baptism

” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, ” Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” – Acts 2: 37-39

There are lots of thoughts about Baptism out there. Some good, some bad and some are just confusing.

Here at Harvester Christian Church, we think a lot about Baptism. The act of baptism, the heart behind baptism, the symbolic nature of baptism, and most importantly, the relationship you are growing as you are baptized by immersion in the baptistry. Here are Harvester Christian Church we believe that God created all. He is the good and beautiful creator who created human beings. But we as humans fell into sin when Adam and Eve ate the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. When that happened, we as humans created a chasm between us and God. Forever severing the once perfect and close-knit relationship that God intended to have with his creation. We see in Genesis that God desires to walk with his creation as he did in the cool of the day in the Garden. Because of our decision to eat of the apple and the tempter being successful at pulling us away, we enter in to a life that is inherently sinful and yet inherently good all at the same time. The reason it is inherently good, is because along the way of His creation, God decided to send a rescuer, a healer, a mighty one, a redeemer, a sanctifier, a savior. Yes, life is good because God sent his one and only son Jesus, to the earth, coming in the form of a baby and living a perfect life for all to see and emulate.

You see, Jesus came in a time of conquest, confusion, losing, hardship and maybe most of all, Jesus came in a time where Hope and Love were needed. Jesus came in the time of an empire that was striving to be the biggest and best in the world. Jesus came in a time when people were falling left and right into temptation and slavery and financial hardship. But Jesus came and brought hope, he brought a light in what seemed like a very dark world for those that heard the message that Jesus was preaching.

Baptism is a way that we get to show others where we are on our journey with Jesus. When the disciples in Acts 2 preached at Pentecost, baptism what the immediate next step for anyone who believed the message of Jesus. It still reigns true today! Baptism is our outward expression and acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior as we repent for our sins, confess Jesus as Lord and then we are immersed in the water and come out of the water a new creation in Jesus. The act of baptism is symbolic of Jesus dying on the cross, being buried in the tomb and then rising again. With Baptism, we are dying to our old self, being cleansed by the water or buried in the water and coming out of the water a new creation just as Jesus came out of the tomb as a new creation!

The Apostle Paul writes it this way:

” Do you no know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were burried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:3 & 4

” I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me……..For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 2:20 & Galatians 3:27

if you would like to look more at Harvester Christian Church’s stance on baptism, click this link – Discover Harvester –

Another great resource for you might be this video, that Pastor Doyle Roth filmed on HCC’s stance of Baptism:

If you are ready to get baptized, let us know! We as a church would love to come alongside you and celebrate this decision! You can let us know by filling this form out:

– Baptism Form –

If you have other questions or would simply like to talk to someone more about Baptism and what it might mean for you, feel free to reach out to us anytime! You can fill out a questionare over at harvester.cc or you could email our Next Steps Director here – bfoulke@harvester.cc –

Some might be wondering, ‘ well I was baptized as an infant or my parents had me sprinkled as a child ‘ All of those are amazing things! The fact that your parents were wanting you to be baptized and known by Jesus is something we will celebrate all day long! At Harvester, we believe that baptism is a choice that you as an individual would make for your relationship with Jesus. It doesn’t mean that what your parents did for you were wrong or bad, but the decision to be baptized may not have been yours. To continue growing in your relationship with Jesus, we would encourage you to read scripture, think and pray about it and ask as many questions as you would like! The journey with Jesus is not one that is simple or easy. It is a lifelong process of allowing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit form you in a way that is not culturally normal. Baptism is one of the major steps in that journey of following Jesus that can represent the start of walking with Jesus for the rest of your days.

We hope that this post and the video are helpful to you on your journey learning what Jesus is calling you towards and how Jesus wants to free you not just from your sin and shame, but free you into a new life and a new creation that bring glory to God the Father through what He will do in your life and through your life.

Praying for you.