Centerpoint Church:

Day 1 of Prayer and Fasting
Posted by Bryant Golden
February 1, '11 at 9:41 am
last edited: February 1, '11 at 9:41 am

Today as you begin this journey reflect on your dependence on God every time you're reminded of what you are giving up. Focus on your Sun Stand Still requests individually and our Sun Stand Still Requests as a church. Realize without Him it's impossible but with Him all things are possible - Pray Big! We are "approaching the throne of grace with confidence" to affirm we know He can and we're asking if He is willing. Let us know via facebook, if you haven’t yet, what you are giving up or if you are joining us. Thanks, Pastor Bryant

CC's Sun Stand Still Requests:

Pay of $246,000 mortgage in 2 years in order to reach more people for Jesus
Connect 70% of CC'ers in a small group where life change can happen
Begin an extension campus within 3 years in order to reach the broader community including the inner city
Begin a second service by the end of 2011 as we each invest & invite in our communities
Reach 1,000 of the approximately 60,000 people within a 10 mile radius of Centerpoint

What I can't stand...
Posted by Bryant Golden
January 19, '11 at 3:13 pm
last edited: January 19, '11 at 3:18 pm

I love our church.

I’m not afraid to admit it. I can’t wait for each Sunday…worshipping God with Jake and the band, meeting new people, hearing someone’s story about how God has changed his or her life, witnessing a couple accept Christ as their Savior, or watching our volunteers in action as a bridge to the Gospel. To me, nothing is more rewarding.

I consistently walk away so inspired and overwhelmed by God’s grace. One Sunday in particular, new people were invited and attended, several people accepted Christ as their Savior, the worship was amazing, and God clearly moved.

Then it happened. I walked back into my office and saw this…

I was reminded of the 60,000 people in our community who have no clue about what is going on at Centerpoint…the 60,000 who have never believed or have left the “church” at some point in their lives. And as great as the service was that morning, they were no closer to a relationship with Jesus.

I can hardly stand the thought of that. It keeps me restless and passionate for what needs done in our community.

I can’t stand the fact that this area has so many churches, and many of which are reaching “church people”, while so many others have never heard the Gospel and are right outside our door. These are the people we come in contact with at the grocery store, in our neighborhoods, and at the gym. They are the people we do life with every day. So what do we do? Many of you are investing & inviting every week and people are coming and lives are being changed…but what else can we do? I believe a great place to start is by praying & fasting.

So I want us CCers to begin the month of February with a 21-day journey of prayer and fasting. Now, don’t bail out just yet.

Sunday we looked at how praying Big Prayers…Sun Stand Still Prayers…activate our faith and move the heart of God. It’s so easy to get caught up in the immediate, sometimes small issues of life without ever thinking or praying big. We easily lose sight of what God wants to do in our world.

This is especially true in the arena of reaching unbelievers in our sphere of influence. If we’re not careful, we will drift into comfortable huddles with other believers without reaching or praying big for those around us. Maybe we are intimidated or just caught up with life that we don’t think about it. But God has commissioned us to reach the lost and Centerpoint Church was started as, in part, a resource to help you do that.

The good news is that our church is growing. The bad news is the number of un-churched in our area is growing much faster. I can’t stand that.

But what if that trend turned around? As our faith grows and view of God expands, I believe we will see that happen. We will be willing to pray Sun Stand Still prayers because we can’t stand what is at stake. Our trust in God will be activated and our concern for the un-churched in our sphere of influence will be ignited. What could happen in our church and community if we prayed big?

Frankly, I have no idea what will happen, but I know how to find out. It starts with “God, we know you can, we are asking if You’re willing”. Will you join me in praying and fasting on a 21-day journey? I believe this will be an incredible, life altering, church transforming journey as we get started praying our corporate and personal Sun Stand Still Prayers.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Let us know your personal Sun Stand Still Prayers and we look forward to the journey ahead!

Bryant

Three of CC’s Sun Stand Still Prayers:

Add a second service by the end of 2011.
Begin an extension campus within three years.
Reach 1,000 people in our community through CC.

Offended...Insights from a recovering legalist.
Posted by Bryant Golden
December 6, '10 at 12:35 pm
last edited: December 6, '10 at 12:46 pm

Paul says in Galatians that Jesus Christ is offensive. In John 6, Jesus asks if those who were following Him were offended. Oswald Chambers says Jesus Christ is the most inconsistent person who has ever walked the face of the earth.

Think about it… He forgave adulterers but convicted religious leaders. He would rather have dinner with a thief than with a scholar. He touched lepers but angered the Pharisees. He broke the religious codes but preached devotion to God. He befriended a man He knew would betray Him. He welcomed children but refused to answer politicians. He spoke in parables knowingly confusing some, allowed a man to die whom He later resurrected, He told people to respect a government obviously opposed to God.

He claimed to be the Messiah but prophesied His own death.

He was a man of seeming contradictions…or was He?

When Jesus asked His disciples if they would follow the crowds and flock away from Him, Peter answered, “Where are we going to go? You are the one with Eternal Life…If You aren’t Who you say you are, we’re all in trouble.”

How could Peter say this? Peter knew his own heart…he knew that if Jesus wasn’t Grace, if Jesus wasn’t Life, if He wasn’t Truth, Peter was damned…literally. Why? Because Peter knew he was a man of inconsistencies. He would rebuke Jesus for talking about dying for the sins of the world. He would promise to be faithful to Jesus and yet deny Him three times. He would preach grace to Gentiles and yet side with the Jews. His name meant “rock”, but he knew he was a coward. Until the resurrection…

Peter understood his own failures…but stood amazed at the forgiveness of God. His actions were often inconsistent with what he claimed to believe. Jesus was always consistent with Grace.

I don’t understand grace…I am trying to…but I am a long ways away. Legalism preaches safety in perfectionism and perfectionism is only accomplished by following a long list of do’s and don’ts. If I can follow my list, then I won’t have to deal with the guilt and consequences of sin. I cling tightly to my list because of fear…fear of condemnation. My list becomes my “god”. I don’t have a relationship. I don’t need a Savior. I am in control. Isn’t that what Jesus wants? Isn’t that what the Bible preaches?

Who’s being inconsistent?

What do I do when I interact with people who maybe didn’t follow their own lists? What do I tell them? Is there hope? I would say “Yes!”…but then again, how I have lived my life for so many years screams: “No! There is no hope…if you violate your list, you are done for. The end. Nice knowing you.”

“Hi, my name is Nicole and I am an inconsistent legalist.” Yeah. The truth hurts.

God, free me from my own inconsistencies. Believing in grace is scary…it means I let go of all control over my life and the lives of others. It means I believe what the Bible says…

Liars are friends of God…Abraham.
Adulterers are men after God’s own heart…David.
The arrogant are chosen to lead…Joseph.
Murderers are the mightiest leaders…Moses, Paul.
Unbelievers become pillars of the church…James.
Backstabbers father Nations…Jacob.
Idolaters are priests…Aaron.
Drunkards experience miracles…Noah.
Prostitutes are the best worshippers…Mary Magdalene.
Thieves become the greatest givers…Zaccheus.

Believing in grace means I get to embark on the greatest adventure…the opportunity to see You transform lives…starting with mine.

Disregard the Status Quo
Posted by Bryant Golden
October 19, '10 at 2:35 pm
last edited: October 19, '10 at 2:41 pm

“Confident disregard for the status quo is the essence of the Gospel”…

…and the essence of Centerpoint Church. That's why a group of brave, Spirit led individuals stepped out to launch CC, an alternative to church as usual, a church not satisfied with what is, but with a passion for what could be. And what could be is a church that removes the unnecessary barriers to the Gospel, a place where people who have been turned off from church, grown disillusioned with faith and tired of facades can grapple with questions without fear of judgment. A place that isn’t concerned with what you wear or how well you fit the part. A place that creates relevant environments within culture rather than its own detached sub-culture. A place that will unapologetically preach God’s Word and be straight about the “hard stuff”.

A place that always champions the message of grace.

And you have caught the vision.

I’m so passionate about leading a church like CC because…

You are investing and inviting in the lives of people. As a result, we have grown numerically as a church by more than 20% over the last two months and have seen 13 adults accept Christ just in the last two teaching series.

You are playing your indispensible role within CC by being a percentage/priority giver and serving well. Because of your ministry, we have heard the following responses:

- “I was invited and the first week I attended, I accepted Christ as my Savior…”

- “A family member invited me to attend (which they had done many times before) & they were shocked when I came and kept coming. After attending for several weeks I trusted Jesus as my Savior.”

- “I want to thank you for what you are doing at this church, It has made a huge difference in my life…”

- “I considered myself an atheist but started coming and saw people on fire for God like I’ve never seen. I accepted Christ and am going public with my faith…”

- “The difference at CC is that I felt freedom...and the Spirit of the Lord. I've never felt that so much at any church.”

- “I was ‘new’ at the ‘church thing’ and had so many questions. I felt like I could ask questions here so I got into several small groups. I’m now assured in my faith…”

These testimonies are proof that you should never underestimate the power of God behind an act of kindness like giving out a water bottle to a stranger, taking the time to talk to a neighbor, or sending out an invite to a friend. In a very real sense, we can collectively change our city…we can change the world…by practically loving other people. Sixty thousand unsaved, un-churched, and de-churched people are right outside our front doors and God has called us to reach them. So our BIG prayer is that God would use our ordinary to ignite the extraordinary in reaching thousands of those individuals in our community for His glory.

The Losing Your Religion series will be the most strategic opportunity you’ve ever had to invite someone. Do you know a co-worker who feels disillusioned by religion? Or a neighbor who is discouraged because her religion doesn’t work? Or a neighbor who thinks all religions are the same and fabricated? Then now is the time to invite.

Losing Your Religion will address what people are craving for religion to offer: forgiveness for sin and intimacy with a Savior.

So this week, you decide whether or not you will continue to be a season ticket holder in church, or an indispensible player with the power of God. Here’s what you can do:

Hand out Losing Your Religion invite cards to as many people as you can. Leave stacks of cards around where you are able.
Participate in a “Your Community Outreach” by giving something away in your neighborhood with a simple invite to this life changing series.
Go online to send an E-invite with the series info. The E-invite is available at www.centerpointfl.org/invite.php.

As a result of your ordinary acts of kindness,in the months and weeks to come people are going to be baptized, be freed of addiction, have their marriage restored, and find a place for their marginalized teenager. All of this will happen because you had a conversation, because you walked across the street…

“Will you give God permission to ignite your ordinary?” - Steven Furtick

Throwing Stones...
Posted by Bryant Golden
September 4, '10 at 10:04 pm
last edited: October 19, '10 at 2:37 pm

“God did not ration His grace to me, so I will not ration it to others.”

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of Our God."

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

I have my juniors read The Scarlet Letter within the first few weeks of school. Although they complain about the language and the length, they are captivated by a story that addresses judgment, revenge, shame and hypocrisy. Why? Because they can relate.

Yesterday we talked about how in our churches today, we don’t make sinners wear a “Scarlet Letter” of sorts. However, we do have our lists of seemingly “unforgiveable sins”. I asked my students what they thought those were. Here are what we as the church are communicating to sixteen and seventeen year olds as just some of the unforgiveable sins:

Murder
Abortion
Homosexuality
Adultery
Divorce

Divorce. One of my students shared that because his father was divorced, he was not able to be a deacon in his church. His story broke my heart. I personally know his father…he is an awesome guy. He loves the Lord and takes great care of his family. I realize that every church has the right to determine what their specific qualifications for leadership will be, however, have we elevated divorce to some other level above every other sin? I realize that each scenario is different…for instance, I would be uncomfortable if my Pastor or one of my Deacons got a divorce while in his present position and never stepped down to organize and deal with his personal issues. However, if the divorce happened in the past and the man has since proven his devotion to the Lord and to his family, do we still hold that against him? You may be running 1 Timothy 3 through your mind frantically looking for the clause that states, “husband of but one wife”. However, upon further study, you will realize that the Greek means, “devoted to one woman”. Also, don’t ignore the line, “the overseer must be above reproach”. You must realize that if applied extremely and absolutely literally, this verse takes all of us out of the game because I don’t remember the last time I was ever perfectly above reproach. In fact, I should step down from my ministry yesterday if this were the case.

If your feathers are beginning to ruffle, God knows that I am not trying to bash the church or excuse sin. I love the church…I am all about the church and I am paranoid of sin. However, I am pretty fed up with those of us who make up the body of Christ “benching” fellow believers so to speak because they skrewed up at one point in their lives. Is that honestly what Jesus did? I have been glued to John 8 over the past couple of weeks. A woman “caught in the very act of adultery” is dragged before Jesus and threatened to be killed. Jesus bends over and writes in the sand. As He stands up, He says, “Sure, stone her. Only those of you who don’t have any sin in your lives, throw the first stone.” The Bible is clear that the oldest walked away first, leaving only Jesus and the woman. Realize, Jesus had every right to kill her. But He didn’t. Instead, He says, “I don’t condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin.” The woman walks away scott free…free to follow Jesus and to serve Jesus. He put no stipulations on her. So why would we?

What about the Apostle Paul? Here is a man who thought he was being a devoted follower of God, only to realize he had it all wrong. After his Salvation, he has to deal with the fact that he was a murderer. Is it any wonder why he says in Philippians 3:12-13, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead...”? Later, in 1 Corinthians 15, he grapples again with his past by stating that he was “one abnormally born” into the family of God and “the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” I wonder…would we let someone like Paul into our churches as a Pastor or a Deacon today? I mean really think about that. Paul goes on to say, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” Amen! Isn’t that true of all of us? Yeah, we sin and have some pretty messy pasts…and that sin may have happened when we were unsaved or even saved. However, if we have asked God’s forgiveness and He has showered His grace over us and we are now living pure, God-honoring lives, are we really limited to only certain ministry positions? I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around that.

Alright, well enough with my ranting and raving. I am sure I am going to get slammed with comments remarking on how I have forgotten this verse or have overlooked that chapter. But I just want to leave you with Jesus’s words…”If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Nicole Golden
Lead Pastor's Wife

Just a word...
Posted by Bryant Golden
July 9, '10 at 11:35 pm

Thank you again for honoring Pastor Dale and Linda (a.k.a. my parents) last week as they celebrated the incredible milestone of 30 years ministering at Bethel/Centerpoint Church. Your outpouring of love through letters, spoken words and gifts meant a great deal to them!

As Centerpoint Church continues to go after the vision God has given us, we (I) will always stand on Pastor Dale and Linda’s shoulders in terms of the foundation they have established. I am grateful that they will continue to be a vital part of CC. I will give you more details about his new role in the near future, but I am confident God will use him to do big things on our staff as a pastor!

I am humbled, honored and excited to have my first official Sunday as your Lead Pastor this weekend! I will begin a new series call Behind the Curtain dealing with the issues of the heart. Matthew 12:33 says, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”. The scary truth is that the words you "accidentally" speak and the actions you later regret are actually in keeping with what's hiding behind the curtain of your heart. The series won’t be painless, but I believe God will do something big in all of our hearts if we let him – mine included! Also this weekend, we will celebrate what I pray is the first of a string of many baptisms and stories of radically changed lives.

I really hope that you will be there this Sunday and that you will invite someone for this new series. To make it easy, you can go to www.centerpointfl.org/invite to send a custom email to a friend.

Thank you for the privilege to serve as your Pastor. I want to ask you to pray faithfully for my wife (Nicole) and me as we assume this new role. In addition, continue to pray for Pastor Dale and Linda and our leadership at CC as they serve.

I am praying and expecting that big things are ahead this weekend and beyond!

Love you guys!

Pastor Bryant

30th Anniversary Announcement
Posted by Bryant Golden
June 25, '10 at 3:30 pm
last edited: June 25, '10 at 3:33 pm

Dear CC'ers,

We are so excited for the July 4th celebration for Pastor Dale and Linda.

Pastor Dale has served as Pastor at Bethel Baptist/Centerpoint Church for the past THIRTY years! He was a part of the ministry almost from its inception as Bethel Baptist to its recreation as Centerpoint Church. Not only has he served faithfully in one church for thirty years, he has passionately embraced the changes in program in order to reach more people with the Gospel, without changing the message of the Gospel.

We are looking forward to honoring an incredibly faithful man and woman of God. We will trace their years in ministry through video, pictures, and testimonies and we want you to be a part of the celebration.

Here's how you can get involved in expressing your appreciation to Pastor Dale and Linda:

1. Plan to attend the July 4th Celebration at 10:45am at Centerpoint Church. We will have a meal to follow.
2. You can submit a personal letter to Pastor Dale and Linda by logging on to our website at www.centerpointfl.org and clicking on the link for the "30th Anniversary".
3. You can also respond to the Facebook discussion board under Centerpoint Church with a personal letter.

4. You can submit a personal video by contacting Rob Wunderlich at Robert.w.wunderlich@gmail.com.
5. Sign up in the lobby of CC or online if you are interested in helping with the meal after the service.
6. Donate online (www.centerpointfl.org) for a special gift for Pastor Dale and Linda to thank them for their influence in your life. We would love to send them on a cruise.

Thank you so much for helping us make this day so special. We are praying that we can truly communicate how much Pastor Dale and Linda mean to us. We are so privileged to be lead by a couple who is leaving such an amazing legacy of faithful service to God and unconditional love for people.

Sincerely,

Leadership team and Deacons

Centerpoint Church

This Sunday's special meeting
Posted by Bryant Golden
April 21, '10 at 11:10 am
last edited: April 21, '10 at 11:11 am

CC'ers,

I don’t know how many of you are aware of all that God is doing through the ministry of Centerpoint. We are continually getting feedback on how God is bringing about real life change as a direct result of this ministry. Just this past Friday, our Velocity Student Ministries had a special outreach event with sixty-seven students in attendance. At least two of them accepted Christ as Savior. On Easter Sunday we saw God work in amazing ways with at least five adults accepting Christ. God is using the interactive lessons from Promisland to not only sharpen the children, but also to challenge their parents to get into the Word and to even be more faithful with church attendance. We also just concluded the thirteen week Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey. We had several CC families in attendance who were able to develop relationships with those who do not attend our church. As a result, we have at least three families who will be joining us for the first time over the next couple of weeks. Those of you who give support through your prayers, service and finances are a part of all that is happening. I continually thank the Lord for you. I cannot thank you enough.

This Sunday is our quarterly business meeting immediately following our morning service. While you should make it a priority to attend every meeting, this one is of particular importance and you need to make every effort to be here. This meeting impacts the future of our church. As I recently announced, I will be stepping down as Senior Pastor effective July 4^th after thirty years in that role. I am not retiring from ministry as my plan is to continue to have an active role at Centerpoint. However, my duties will be at the behest of the new Lead Pastor.

The deacons, acting in their role as Pulpit Committee, will be presenting for vote the recommendation to call Bryant Golden as Lead Pastor. With his role as my Executive Pastor and Co-teaching Pastor, a formal candidacy is not necessary, however you will have an opportunity to ask him any questions that are pertinent to his new role prior to voting.

These are exciting days at Centerpoint and it would be a special blessing to me and an encouragement to Pastor Bryant for you to be present at this memorable meeting of the Body of Christ.

In the service of Christ,

Pastor Dale

Why this weekend is a
Posted by Bryant Golden
April 2, '10 at 2:51 pm
last edited: April 2, '10 at 2:56 pm

We are about to embark on one of the most exciting weekends of the year and we are stoked for what God is going to do through Centerpoint Church! This weekend is a “can’t miss” for many reasons.

First, if you’re looking to invite coworkers, friends, or family, then there is no better time than this weekend. If you don’t know already, we have a new tool on our homepage that sends custom invitations via email. We were reminded of our vision and mission during Hero Sunday and now are confronted with Easter, an incredible weekend that offers strategic opportunities for God to use us to fulfill that mission. I can tell you that we have been praying specifically for you and for those you plan to invite. We know that God is going to do something HUGE this weekend in all of our hearts.

Second, everything we believe hinges on the events of this weekend. Tonight at 7 PM we are going to look at the cross and reflect on what it represents. We will also have an incredible time of worship and communion.

Then, this Sunday in my message Healer, we are going to celebrate THE event that validates all Jesus said about life, relationships, and eternity – the Resurrection! This event has changed everything! Easter Sunday will really be the culmination of a “can’t miss” weekend and will include amazing worship and new song written just for that day!

So if you haven’t extended an invite yet – do it today. Remember, the more people we pack into CC, the more people will have the opportunity to be confronted with the awesome meaning of the Resurrection. I want to encourage you to make this Sunday about others who will be attending for the first time. Be at CC early on Sunday to greet new guests and friends you’ve invited.

We are so proud of all of you who have been missional in inviting and praying for this weekend! Can’t wait to see what God does.

Bryant Golden

Executive Pastor/Co-Teaching Pastor
Centerpoint Church

Last Sunday's Announcement!
Posted by Bryant Golden
March 26, '10 at 4:18 pm
last edited: March 26, '10 at 4:19 pm

March 26, 2010

Centerpoint Family,

This past Sunday I made an announcement that I believe will help to secure the fulfillment of our mission and vision for years to come. Centerpoint will have its’ first anniversary on Easter Sunday. This past year has been an exciting one with many decisions for Christ and numerous testimonies of genuine life change.

July 4^th will mark my 30^th anniversary as senior pastor. After much prayer I believe it is time to step back from that role and assume a position of support and use my energies in different ministry opportunities. While I will no longer be the senior pastor after July 4^th, I will remain active in the ministry of Centerpoint.

I have discussed this in length with the deacons who now have the role of pulpit committee as per our constitution. It is their unanimous decision to extend a call to Bryant Golden to be senior pastor. He fulfills the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and it is apparent that God has gifted him as a leader and communicator. His future wife, Nicole Garland, has already become an integral part of the ministry and will be a great asset as they serve together. There will be a vote of the membership at the Quarterly Business meeting in April to consider the recommendation of the pulpit committee. The exact date and time of the meeting will be announced.

Our years at Bethel and now Centerpoint have been special for both Linda and me. However, in this new role we will be assuming, we anticipate many more years of ministry.

We love you all more than you know.

In the love of Christ,

Dale L. Golden, senior pastor

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