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Transformation? You?

July 14, 2010 in church at the bay, churches tampa, hal mayer, pastor hal mayer, Tampa Church with Comments Off


Did you know that when Jesus Christ forgave you of your sins, His work with you was not finished? He didn’t live a perfect life, die on a cross, and raise from the dead on the 3rd day just to give a “get out of Hell free” card. He wants to know us and grow us into what He has planned for us. You and I know a lot of people who have said they are Christ-Followers and yet nothing has changed- if they were arrested for being a Christ-Follower, their case would be dismissed for lack of evidence. How can that be? Is it possible to have a relationship with the Creator of this universe and stay the same? I think not- and I believe the Bible says “not” as well. A favorite verse of mine is
2 Corinthians 5:17 - This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
When we plant an oak tree- growth cannot be seen on a daily basis, but if measured yearly there is definite growth. I am not saying that we come to Christ by faith and we grow by trying harder. I do believe that we come to Christ by faith and grow by faith. It is true that mushrooms grow up over night and oak trees take time. Oak trees also grow for years and deepen their root systems, whereas mushrooms are here today and then gone.
So here are some challenging growth/transformation questions for you:

  • Am I more loving today than I was a year ago?
  • Do I care more about people who are far from God today than I did a year ago?
  • What changes has God made in me in the last year?
  • Am I more generous today than a year ago?
  • Am I more forgiving today than I was a year ago?
  • And on and on- add your questions.

What if the honest answer to growth, for you, over this last year is no? I would say you are either not a Christ-Follower or you are not abiding in Him.
Here is your homework- read John 15:1-17. This passage talks about how we are to abide in Christ and how He brings about transformation and fruit. God’s plan for every one of us is to grow and produce fruit- How is your fruit looking? Not a Christ-Follower? Why not surrender your life to Him today? By the way, this weekend we are talking about this very subject- How does Christ transform us? Plan to come and bring a friend!

Also… Neal, connections pastor, just talked with the school about our “HOT” Sunday. There response was great and they are making plans so it doesn’t happen again. Sooooo… come on back!

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Orphan Sponsorship Update

June 17, 2010 in church at the bay, churches tampa, hal mayer, pastor hal mayer, Tampa Church with Comments Off

Many people are asking about what is the next step to sponsor a child… This weekend after the Worship Service we will be signing up. To save some time and expedite the process you can click on the picture below, download the form, fill it in and bring it with you Sunday.




If you have any questions about sponsorship our blog should answer them.

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Life’s Healing Choices

June 9, 2010 in church at the bay, churches tampa, hal mayer, pastor hal mayer, Tampa Church with Comments Off

Are you a victim? Let me say it this way- do you feel trapped by your past hurts or actions? Do you find yourself stuck in a pattern or living or acting that you do not like but, just feel trapped? Do you have habits that are destroying your life? Why am I asking all these questions? These questions and their answers frame our lives and tend to define us. This Sunday we are starting a new series- Life’s Healing Choices.


We all have friends that need some hope- please bring someone with you this Sunday as we begin. Want to get ahead? Take a moment and read the Beatitudes- Matthew 5:1-12…. See you Sunday with your friend!

This Sunday we will talk some more about Orphan Sponsorship in Haiti. Click here to visit our CATB Orphan Project Blog for more info.

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Haiti Orphan Project

June 2, 2010 in church at the bay, churches tampa, Haiti, hal mayer, pastor hal mayer, Tampa Church with Comments Off


This past weekend I explained what our involvement in Haiti and child sponsorships would look like. Here is the video (12 minutes) to explain what we talked about.

Let me be real clear:

What: Church at the Bay is sponsoring a village of orphans in Haiti. We will do it by individual sponsorships, linking a CATB person or family with a Haiti orphan. We have about 60 children we need to sponsor. The cost will be $41 a month. We will have a blog up next week to answer all of your questions. When you sponsor a child it will provide for food, clothing and schooling for your child. There is also a local church in Haiti (lead pastor, Joseph) that provides a community of believers to encourage the children as well. The pastor actually lives at the orphanage.

Why: The need is huge and God has led us to Haiti. We have been looking and praying for a while to find the right place. This sponsorship will also allow us to take trips in to serve and meet our orphans. James, the brother of Jesus, makes the case for what real faith looks like:

  • James 1:27: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress…

A nice piece of sponsorship is that one “Momma” cares for ten children. Most of these moms are widows so we are actually helping “orphans and widows” in this project.

How: Over the next couple of weeks we will be inserting an information and sponsorship flier in the weekend program. If you wish to sponsor, you can fill it in and bring it back on Father’s Day. On Father’s Day we will have a table with the kids pictures and be ready for you to sign up.

Church at the Bay, let’s go big and change the life of some orphans one child at a time!

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