Fla. Church to Pay Light Bills for Guests on Easter

A Jacksonville, Fla., church has a message for the community: Come hear the message of hope this Easter and get your light bill paid!In the run-up to Easter, The Bridge Church is reaching out to neighbors through road side signs, billboards, radio and television to communicate to the city that they care.
"During such difficult times in our city, we wanted to take the opportunity to give back," said Lead Pastor Charlie Campbell. "We want people to know during this Easter season that the light of God is amazing and free."
The church is currently taking registrations of people who desire to experience worship on Easter and have the chance to get their April JEA – the eighth largest community-owned electric utility in America – bill paid. Dozens have signed up so far.Local businesses have also been contacting the church requesting to sponsor the effort."We hope that in our small way, we are making a difference in our city and changing the conversation during Easter to focus on people and what God wants to do for them," said Campbell...

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PS:It truly saddens me all the new"techniques"that churches have came up with to "bring people in".Mr.Campbell said in the statement above that "they want to change the conversation during Easter to focus on people and what God wants to do for them..."Well I think there lays the problem...the CHANGE part...but you know...we've been here in the US bombarded with the word CHANGE so much in these last years that I guess it got into some pastors heads too...

To focus on people is alright...BUT to focus on what GOD wants to do for them....?

EXCUSE ME....GOD ALREADY DID SOMETHING FOR US,that is the most important thing HE could have ever done for us that is to send HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to die for OUR SINS,TO REDEEM US,giving us FORGIVING OF SINS AND SALVATION and that happenned 2000 years ago....!HELLOOOO...!!!!

GOD HAS ALREADY DONE SOMETHING FOR US...and believe me...that is much better to me than paying my electricity bill.

But there's where the problem lays...the REFOCUS on something other than the cross.I don't hear much of the ole fashioned fastin' and prayin' and evangelizing for souls anymore.Did you notice...?It's all this or that other IDEA on how to bring them in.IN the state the church--in general--is here in America(And please spare me the hate mail tellin' me that you congregation is not like that and all that...)NO WONDER pastors try to come up with IDEAS to bring them in...otherwise people don't even wanna be told about church....

Sad but true the testimony of the church outside the 4 walls of it is pretty bad: lukewarm christians,that live like the world,preachers askin' for money all the time to sustain their lavish lifestyles that are up to any Hollywood star,no much fruit of repentance at all in "new believers",a flood of new "doctrines" and "movements" that are plain heretic...no more preachin' about sin and hell anymore,the total relaxin of standards,from the music they listen to, to the way they dress and behave...no much difference with the world at all.There are even so called "christian discos"cause you know our youth DESERVE TO HAVE SOME FUN....Therefore there is no more power in the church.His Presence has left long time ago in many places...and they don't even know it...

Sorry to be this cruel,but it's the truth.

People are DRAWN BY THE SPIRIT....They may come for the goodies to church fo a season and what is worse...they may get a diluted message like HEY SAY THIS PRAYER and YOU ARE INNN...or Jesus loves you the way you are...!(You know what I mean...)and dont even EVER get truly saved at all and think they are and keep coming to church without a true experience of repentance and salvation. God knows churches are filled with people like that....DECEIVED people.

You wanna show your community you care for them...?here is an idea:

What about preaching the TRUTH to them about their condition,their sin and tell them about hell and repentance and ole' fashioned salvation....That there is already a solution for our sin,that there is freedom in JESUS,that there is salvation, healing,restoration,deliverance in HIM today....?

IF you are really concerned about your neighbours wouldn't you just tell them the TRUTH,without any CATCH....????

Just a thought for the coming Resurrection Day...:)

As in the days of Noah....