You are Blessed!

Greetings SPV! 
Pastor Kelly here this week. We are so excited about the new service time and partnership with Grace Connection. 
We get to honor and embrace each other in serving the greater St Pete area with two churches sharing in the same goal. 
That in itself  is an act of worship as God will be our main focus throughout this new partnership. 
It’s so important to serve each other, the body and the community. I would like to invite us to remove any of our past feelings and move forwards toward a unified front to impact our city. 
At the end of the day that is the our goal! 
As we end one sermon series and start a new one, I’m excited because, we have seen the atmosphere change on how we worship and serve God. Over the last month, different  leaders in our church have shared their hearts towards this reverent act. 
Worship is the ultimate surrender, so that when we decrease, Jesus can increase. 
I love Mathew 5: 3-9 MSG and how it layouts how we can be blessed: 
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”​

This instructs us on how to be blessed and  gives us a clear cut example that we MUST, at all cost decrease so HE can increase. It is not coincidence that we’re going into our new series: “Hope in the House of Blues”. 
We have used this series in worship to examine and renew our understanding about worship but through this new sermon series we want to go deeper into what it looks like to surrender even in the mist of the most difficult situations in life. 
As we start to examine these issues, let all of us be encouraged by having the Holy Spirit as our comforter in every circumstance and situation. 
All we have to do, is give him that control. 
Please pray for those who are suffering in their despair and hopelessness. One of the ways that we can help with this, is by offering to pray for them, and  also inviting them to church so they can surround themselves with a support community. We pray God’s will be done, in the hearts of those who worship our King…..Jesus! 
See you at 10:30 for breakfast and at 11 am for service ! 
Pastor K