Sep. 07, 2025

Pastor Dave's sermon begins at 32:18 min into the video. The music "Here I Am To Worship", "Goodness of God", "Gratitude" , "A Thousand Hallelujahs" ,"Holy Forever" ,and "White as Snow" are licensed under CCLI Copyright #2723035 and Streaming Media #22024223 licenses.

Fish Tale Spawns Faith’s Vision of Growing Together

In his sermon, Pastor Dave uses the story of Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:1-9 to reflect on Faith Community Church's growth since 2006. He draws lessons on faith, availability, and service while rallying the congregation for upcoming changes, including adding a third service starting next Sunday. His message emphasizes obedience to God's call, handling His blessings with gratitude, and active involvement in the church's mission.

Where We've Been

Pastor Dave recounted Faith Community's incredible journey since its founding in 2006 as a Bible-centered church. It began humbly with a group of believers refusing to compromise on the Scripture's truth, meeting in borrowed spaces like New Life and Garden Community Churches on Sunday afternoons. They built our current facility in 2013 and completed the education wing in 2023. 

The growth has been remarkable:

1. Weekly attendance: From about 60 people when Pastor Dave arrived in 2018 (after previously peaking at around 100) to around 200 now.
2. Small groups: From two or three Bible study groups (men's and women's) to 21 diverse small groups this fall, providing places for connection and growth.
3. Children's ministry: From a few kids meeting in the kitchen to full classes through fifth grade with dedicated teachers and a staffed nursery.

"Every one of those numbers represents a person that's hungry for God," he reminded us. Building on this history of growth, Pastor Dave turned to Scripture for timeless lessons on how to respond to God's blessings.

Lessons from the Miraculous Catch (Luke 5:1-9)

The heart of the message came from Luke 5:1-9, where Jesus borrows Peter's boat to teach the crowds, then instructs the disciples to cast their nets for a catch despite their fruitless night. Pastor Dave drew powerful parallels between the disciples' experience and our church's situation.

Being Available and Ready: Just like the disciples washing and mending their nets when Jesus called, we must do the necessary work—even if it seems menial—to be prepared when God moves. "Sometimes in life, especially in ministry, especially in church life, sometimes we just need to do what needs to get done," he explained.

Responding with Faith: When Jesus told these professional fishermen to try again, Peter's response was humble obedience: "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net" (Luke 5:5). "Lord, if You say it, I will do it." Pastor Dave urged us to reach this level of surrender in our lives.

Handling God's Abundance: With nets breaking and boats sinking from the miraculous catch, the disciples didn't reject the blessing. Pastor Dave applied this powerfully: "Sometimes when we're part of a church that's growing and there's getting a little crowded at times, sometimes we'd say things like, 'I don't know all of them people. Where are them people coming from?' You know what? I'm not too concerned about where they're coming from. I just want to take care of what God brings us."

Moving Forward Together

The practical focus was on the church's transition to three services starting next week (September 14, 2025, at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM). More than logistics, it was about everyone joining in God's work. Pastor Dave stressed that growth requires more volunteers, inviting people to:

1. Join small groups for deeper connections.
2. Help with Faith Kids ministry (the church's children's program), including teachers, assistants, and nursery staff.
3. Serve in hospitality, greeting, ushering, communion prep, or audio-visual roles.
4. Participate in Pastor Lance's spiritual gifts study to discover where to fit in.

A thought-provoking story came from Pastor Vernon Brewer's recent sermon “If I Die…” on August 17, 2025, about a Chinese pastor who tore out a wall in his apartment for seven Sunday services after prison. Paster Dave reflected, "When he said that here that Sunday morning, something stirred in my heart. It said, 'You know what? Anything God's asked me to do is really not a sacrifice. It's really more of an inconvenience.'"

The Heart Behind It All

Echoing Colossians 1:28-29, Pastor Dave reminded us that our core value is preaching Jesus to present every person mature in Christ. What made this message special was his obvious love for the church family and desire for full involvement. He explained, "We're not intended just to be reservoirs of God's grace and the Gospel. But we're to be distributors of God's grace and God's Gospel."

He shared a standout insight: There's no spiritual gift of criticism—that's a worldly gift, not a spiritual one. Instead, encourage appreciation for servers and patience during transitions.

The sermon closed with a reminder of simple kindness's power: "Sometimes we think about you and we don't think about things like this. But did you ever notice that somebody may come into this church for the very first time, and you don't know what's happening in their week, and just somebody offering a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie or a bar, that may be the only kindness they've received in the entire week."

This message left listeners excited about God's movement in the church and challenged them to step up, fostering gratitude for being part of the Faith Community family. As Pastor Dave said, "Isn't it great to be at a church where God is moving, where people are being touched and it's spiritual?"