Holy Spirit, how can I describe You? Let me count the ways…

1. You are an Advocate (John 14:26)

2. You are Truth (John 16:13)

3. You are Wisdom and Understanding (Isaiah 11:2)

4. You are Power, Love, and a Provider of a Sound Mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

5. You are Life (Romans 8:2)

6. You are an Adoptive Parent (Romans 8:15)

7. You are the Seal of Redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14)

The Holy Spirit is so much more, but seven seems good. There aren’t many places where you can walk in and immediately feel the presence of the Holy Spirit! Eastpointe Church of Christ in Ft. Worth is one of those places. It was a long drive, but as soon as we walked into the building, our family was greeted with smiling faces and a well-put-together bulletin with pertinent information. But when we walked into the sanctuary, the singing had already begun! Check out the video below…

I’ve been wanting to get down here to worship with Kris DarDar, but I’m usually in the pulpit or tied up with other things, so I missed out in the past. Being blessed with the opportunity to worship with him and his flock was on my list. I messaged him to make sure he’d be in town, and when he saw me, he greeted me with love. From the door to the sanctuary, from the pews to the pulpit, there was love! The members were so full of love as well! There was a segment after worship began where the whole church was encouraged to get up from their seats and love on each other! I loved this, and the members were not shy about it either. Even though I’m a minister, I’m a bit of an introvert, and new places can be overwhelming, but so many people came and made my family feel so welcome. There was even a section for first-time visitors where we were asked to awkwardly stand, then rewarded with a bag of necessities for the Spirit and the body.

As we continued worship, I felt the Spirit continue to move, and I looked over at my family. One of my daughters was moved to tears during worship. This was too real. It gave me flashbacks to my childhood church, where the parishioners and preacher were allowed to be moved by the Spirit. The praise team was led by the Spirit, the ushers were moved by the Spirit, and God’s man was most definitely moved by the Spirit. I’ve known of Bro. DarDar since before I was in ministry. I remember when he came to 10th & M to preach at our Youth Days and showed out! It was astonishing to hear a teenager preach as though he were a seasoned preacher of 50 years! He has not lost any of that zeal and, as a matter of fact, he has transformed. The prodigy young boy preacher has now transformed into a “Whooping” Preacher Theologian Professor. His sermon was titled “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” and his sermon text was 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. It was the best introduction to a sermon that I have ever heard! 🤣😂 He didn’t quite make it out of the introduction, but he did reveal his three points for those visitors like myself. There was so much meat being presented that I could have sat there for hours as God spoke through him. The message challenged me to examine whether or not I had a dwelling place that was fit for God’s Spirit. It also opened my eyes to some things about the Temple and my temple that I had not yet put together. I’ll put a picture below. 👇🏿

When he spoke about the sacrifice, the laver (water), and the Holy of Holies, and correlated them to what Jesus did, I felt like I was in school again, getting a refresher course. It was filling! The reminder of the Ark of the Covenant was amazing too! It taught me some things about God. Within it, you had manna (Providence), a rod (Protection), and the 10 Commandments (Prescription/Law). God has revealed what we need to know about Him! All in all, Eastpointe is a Holy Spirit-filled, educated, and loving church. If you are in the Ft. Worth area, go visit.

Some takeaways…

The Spirit…

1. Convicts

2. Collaborates

3. Connects
   “The Spirit will always do its job.”

I wasn’t going to share this, but we met an elderly lady there who was the first to greet us when the time came for everyone to get up and greet each other. I connected with her as she had observed and mentioned how well-behaved my 3-year-old was during the service. She told me about her grandchild, and I gave her some tech tips on how to keep them occupied with things on their level on smart devices while in worship, without them calling 911. She also connected with my wife. After worship, we told her that we had also come to let our girls go clothes shopping. As we were leaving in our car, she flagged us down in the parking lot. I began to look in the back seat because it wouldn’t be the first time I almost forgot a child somewhere. 🤣 But everyone was accounted for. She came and gave us money to help get clothes for our children. It was truly a touching moment for my wife and me. At this moment, my wife is furthering her education, and I am tri-vocational. While on sabbatical, I have continued to speak in places to cover extra costs like clothes for my giant children, and God worked through this woman and blessed us. This church models the character of God. I’ll leave it at that.

My Prayer:
Jehovah Jireh, my Provider who constantly looks out for myself and my family, I thank You for this experience at the Eastpointe Church of Christ. You showed me that You not only provide for my physical needs but continue by providing Your Spirit and the means through which I could be transformed into an inhabitable place through Your Son Jesus for You to dwell. I know that there are times in which I forget who You are. I forget that You are a Provider, a Protector, and a Counselor King. I ask, God, that You forgive me and bless me to continually be a dwelling place where Your Spirit has room to spread and grow. I pray, Lord, that the outcome of Your holiness will be love and not death for/to me. I thank You for allowing my family to experience the kind of worship that I grew up receiving on a weekly basis. I thank You for the body at Avenue G Church of Christ in Temple, TX. I pray that Your Spirit be allowed to move there and in every Body that exists. I pray that Your Spirit not be hindered in any place because of time, decorum, or culture. Let Your Spirit continue to be poured out in all places on all people! In Jesus' name, I pray, AMEN!