Trophies

Jesus. In me.

Find a trophy, award ribbon, plaque, or certificate of achievement that you've earned. Think back to how you felt when you were awarded this. Recall your proudest moment or greatest achievement.

Did the "glory" of winning or achieving last or fade? Why?

What is it that you most want to accomplish or achieve right now? Do you imagine that the "glory" of such an accomplishment or achievement will last?

Read 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 and Colossians 1:27-28. Here it is in The Message, Eugene Peterson's devotional paraphrase.


Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We're free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)


Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. (Colossians 1:27-28)



If you are in Christ, God has given you a glory that will always increase. You are being transformed into Christ's likeness with ever-increasing glory. God lives in you through Christ--the hope of glory.


It's nothing you have done, but something incredible that God has done for you and in you. It's getting caught up in the constant and ongoing thrill of knowing Christ. It's about becoming more like Him. There is nothing more glorious than that. God is entrusting you to glorify Christ on earth--to shine with His glory.


How is God's glory stinging through you? Think about what a privilege this is! How have you noticed that you are becoming more like Jesus? How are you changing and growing spiritually? In what ways do you most long to be more like Christ? (What holds you back? Why?)


Christ's glory can shine through you as you let it, transforming you into His likeness, drawing others to Him.


(adapted from Christ in Me: 30 Next-Level Encounters, Group Publishing, 2002)


Father, live in me through Jesus today, taking your rightful place on the throne of my life. Jesus, please transform me so that I reflect Your glory. Holy Spirit, enable me today to live abundantly and like Jesus.


Jesus. ALL.

What's Happening?

Our Mission

• We exist to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.

This Sabbath


10:00 AM

• Carrollwood Kids - Child care & activities provided for kids, age Birth - 5 (Cradle Roll Room) & 6-12 (Fellowship Hall).
• Youth Connections - Youth Classroom, just off the Fellowship Hall.
• Serendipity Connections (was "Shepherds") - This week we begin a series called "Maturing in Christ: Called to Discipleship." Our first week, we look at Romans 8:1-17, Controlled by the Spirit. We meet in the Sanctuary Classroom North next to the sound room.
• Adult Sabbath School Lesson: Glimpses of Our God, with Dan McNab, Sanctuary Classroom South (across from the church office).

11:00 AM

• Sabbath Worship, Sanctuary. This week: Meeting Jesus - Around the Temple, based on Luke 2:22-52.
• Carrollwood Kids, Children's Church. Birth-5 meets in the Cradle Roll Room. 6-12 meets in the  Fellowship Hall.
• Snacks to follow after Sabbath Worship in the entry way to the church. There will be no afternoon Bible study with Dan McNab until further notice.

Prayer Requests

• That we will be a disciple-making church – That we will be obedient to Christ’s mission for our church in this community. That God will raise up laboring harvesters for His harvest field in our midst.
• Ruth Daley – Continued prayers for her mother & for Ruth.
• Nicole Novak – Her father has been hospitalized for an unknown infection.
• Ruben Amaro family, as Ruben’s uncle passed away recently, and as his sister has had surgery this week.
• Inez Longfellow – family and health.

Announcements

• “Meeting Jesus” – Next week, “In the Water,” based on Matthew 3:13-17 and Luke 3:21-22.
• Nominating Committee – (Members only) We are beginning the process of electing church officers for the 2012-2013 church year. Please circle five names in your bulletin insert this Sabbath of people you feel would serve well on a Nominating/HR Committee.
• Faith & Fit – Patrick Thomas has started a new exercise class on Sundays at 4:00 PM. Find Patrick after the worship service to sign up, or contact him at newfocusliving@gmail.com.
• Health Ministry – If you have a burden to reach people with Christ’s love through health ministry, please plan to meet after church on Sabbath!
• K.I.D. – Do you desire to see families become fully devoted disciples of Jesus? Contact James Johnson to find out how to be a part of this ministry.

Featured Offering This Sabbath

• Florida Advance – Has God blessed you? One way to show your gratitude is to support His mission for the church to make disciples throughout Florida. Offerings on Sabbath will benefit the ministry of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Your support of our Local Church Budget is also greatly appreciated (mark your tithe envelope).

E-votional for March 14, 2012

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9, 10


How would you like to pray in such a way that you are guaranteed that your prayer is God's will? Here are three prayers that are always God's will.

1. Save the sinner. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). If this is true, should we not fill our prayer list with the names of those who are far from God? Children, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, neighborhoods and communities and cities (such as the Carrollwood community) ought to be all over our prayers. We don't even need to add the tired old phrase "If it is Your will" to this prayer. It is God's will! Maybe part of this prayer is that we would be as willing as He is.
2. Bless and revive the church. "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6). Why would God not want to revive His church in Carrollwood? Throughout Tampa, throughout Florida, North America, and across the globe? Does He not want our congregation to become the hub of Holy Spirit ministry in the Carrollwood community? Again, we can drop "If it is Your will" from this prayer. It is God's will to bless and revive the church!
3. Glorify His Name. On the eve of His death, in the temple, Jesus prayed before the multitude, "Father, glorify Your Name." A voice from heaven responded, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again" (John 12:28). God doesn't glorify Himself when He glorifies His Name. Rather, His Name captures the glory and character of love. When God glorifies His Name, the attention is fully on Jesus. What better prayer can be prayed than to seek the glory of God, revealed in our midst, personally and throughout our congregation?

We cannot know God's mind for every need and name we scribble onto our prayer lists. But we can know his heart. Let us pour our hearts to Him each day, praying that our will becomes His, knowing that these prayers are His will.

Jesus. All.

(Adapted from The Chosen: God's Dream for You - "God's Three 'Always' Prayer," by Dwight K. Nelson, March 14, 2012).

This Week at Carrollwood

Our Mission
We exist to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus in the Carrollwood community.

Our Values
Discipleship, Creativity, Excellence, Compassion, Mission.

Our Services This Weekend

• Sabbath Morning Connections - 10:00 AM
• Glimpses of Our God, with Dan McNab (Adult Sabbath School Lesson): Sanctuary Classroom South (across from church office).
• Youth Connections, with Merrilyn Johnson: Fellowship Hall Classroom.
• Shepherds: "Maturing in Christ - Called to Discipleship," with James Johnson (Serendipity Bible for Groups): Sanctuary Classroom North (next to sound room).
• Carrollwood Kids - Child care (activities and stories) available. Sign in in the Fellowship Hall. Birth - 4 in the Cradle Roll Classroom next to the men's bathroom on the left of side of the classroom hallway.
• Sabbath Worship - 11:00 AM
• We begin a new series entitled Meeting Jesus, which explores the experiences of people who first met Jesus. This week's message is "In a Barn," based on Luke 2:8-20. Yes, Christmas is past us, but the experience of the shepherds meeting Jesus impacted them profoundly. Invite a friend to come and experience this message with you. By God's leading and grace, maybe they will meet Jesus for the first time as well.
• Carrollwood Kids - Children's Church, Fellowship Hall. Birth - 4 in the Cradle Roll Classroom.
• Snacks to follow Sabbath Worship on the front porch.

Prayer Requests & Thanksgivings

• Pray that Holy Spirit will be poured out upon the church.
• Pray that God will raise up more laboring harvesters for His harvest field, people with a heart for those far from God. Pray also that harvesters will be raised up with a heart for children.
• As many of you know, Joe Lobello had eye surgery recently. He will be staying at home for a time, but he reports that his eyesight is greatly improved! Continue to keep Joe in your prayers.
• Continue to keep Ruth Daley and her mother in prayer. Ruth has been spending many of her weekends with her mother, who has cancer.
• Keep the Curblos in your prayers: their work, family, and health.
• Keep Genevieve Goosey and Frank Saladino (relatives of the Gooseys who were members at Carrollwood for some time) in your prayers.
• Please keep Inez Longfellow in your prayers.

Announcements

• “Meeting Jesus” – Next week, “In the Temple,” based on Luke 2:41-50.
•  Faith & Fit – Patrick Thomas has started an exercise class on Sundays at 4:00 PM. It is a lot of fun and well worth your time if you are interested in knowing how to improve your fitness! Find Patrick on Sabbath and sign up, or contact him at newfocusliving@gmail.com.
• Health Ministry – If you have a burden to reach people with Christ’s love through health ministry, please plan to meet after church on March 24.
• K.I.D. (Kids in Discipleship) – Studies show that the age in which most people make lifelong decisions for Jesus is 5-12. Often when children make such decisions, whole families come to know Him. Do you desire to see families become fully devoted disciples of Jesus? Contact James Johnson to find out how you can help with this ministry!
• Help Needed! We especially need more help with our birth-5 year old group. This is an important and foundational age for children to eventually make lifelong decisions for Jesus. If you have a heart for this age group, let us know soon!

Featured Offering for This Week

• Local Church Budget – Has God blessed you? One way to show your gratitude is to support His mission for the church to make disciples. Our local church budget exists to help fund this mission. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Sunset Tonight: 7:39 PM. This Friday: 7:43 PM

Every blessing to you in Christ!

James