Gulf Coast Community Church Podcast – St. Petersburg

What are the non-negotiables of a church? Paul tells the Galatian churches that circumcision, abstaining from certain meats, and special days were not essential. They were, so to speak, negotiated right out. And that even though they were prescribed in the Law. What, then, if anything, is non-negotiable? Gospel mercy, having a heart and actions that help the poor in their distress, is a non-negoti...

Dallas Willard asks, “If we have gathered people into congregations by appeasing their appetites and desires, how can we help them deal with the fact that their problems in life and character— even ‘in church’— are primarily caused by living to get what they want?”[1] How we do what we do is formative—it forms us into who we are becoming. Some things form us into conformity with Christ, other thin...

Why do we exist? Not, “Why do you exist as a person?” but “Why do we exist as a church?” What is our purpose? What is essential to our existence, without which our witness, our lampstand would be removed? I think there is more than one answer to that question, but one of those is certainly that we display a Gospel culture here on earth as it is in heaven. In a day when culture wars have replaced t...

What might we need to talk about on the 1st day of the year? Or maybe a better question, what might we need to talk about on the 1st Lord’s Day of the year? In a day when faith is on the decline and new life is the only hope one can have, I think we need Easter. The Resurrection. Any Easter account could do, but I suggest Mark’s account of the Resurrection. Why? Because of everything “missing.” La...