He Gives Us A Heart of Flesh
Dear High Street Family,
As we concluded our Becoming a Dwelling Place series, one of the most profound themes has been water flowing from rocks—that the temple of stone is a place of overflow.
Watch last Sunday’s sermon “Becoming One” from our Becoming A Dwelling Place series
As Christians we recognize the reality that God intends to flow through us.
And we know that 1 Peter and Ephesians calls us “living stones.”
And we celebrate that Jesus Himself is the cornerstone.
But I think we still get stuck (as rocks naturally do) on the locational identity of the Dwelling Place.
We think God’s presence is “over there,” when He’s actually “right here” with me.
And we forget that we are actually designed for flow.
The rock-water imagery is surprisingly rich in the scriptures.
An interesting one is in Ezekiel, whom describes God’s healing and saving us, as water washing our heart of stone and transforming it into a heart of flesh:
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” Ezekiel 36:25-26.
Here we see, when we are washed with God’s presence and the Word, it cleanses and softens the stone heart.
We can move from the stagnant stones, trapped inside the four walls, stuck, into ones who are tenderized and renewed in His presence.
What a beautiful picture!
When we bring our heart of stone—the unfeeling, unforgiving, bitter, rough, stagnant, and unmoved parts of us to God…
He doesn’t condemn us.
He doesn’t expect more of us.
He washes us.
He uses water to renew us.
Our heart of stone becomes a soft, feeling, compassionate, connected heart of flesh.
Able to now respond to God’s love and presence.
A broken and useful human, who God can actually dwell in.
And so flow through into the lives of those around us.
What’s stony in you today?
Anything hard and unfeeling?
Any area crying out for Living Water?
“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’” Isaiah 57:15.
Know the Lord is ready to cleanse and wash us all, so we flow with abundant life.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Dave
PS. If you want to go deeper into this, join us Saturday for The Journey conversations, this is a place where you can have your heart softened, have real conversations with others, and experience new and fresh tastes of Jesus’ presence.
Announcements
Join A Small Group with The Journey, Two Saturdays per month- Next group is This Saturday May 30th 9:30-11am
Each month now through July, on two Saturdays, from 9:30-11am, we're launching a church-wide discipleship initiative called The Journey in which we'll travel together through transformative biblical content that helps us experience Jesus' presence in every season of the soul, and offers beautiful moments of co-journeying with one another in ways that heal us and heal others, too. Please begin the Journey on your own by downloading and watching 1 hr video/teaching and study, then come to HSCC to join a small group for The Journey, next on Saturday May 30th! Contact Dave for the QR code with discount.
Video: Watch the Journey Introduction Video
Content: The Journey Course & Content
Questions: email Dave
HSCC Baptism Service - This Sunday May 31st at 9:30am!
If you or someone you love has personally accepted Christ as Savior, and have fully committed life to Christ, baptism is a biblical way to publically share that commitment with others, and mark this most important decision in your life! This Sunday, May 31st at 9:30am during our worship service we will have a baptism for any and all who would like to meaningfully give testimony, be prayed for, supported and celebrated in your commitment to the Lord with our congregation and your loved ones that you’d like to invite. We’ll have a Baptism cake at The Gathering after the service! Please contact Dave at dave@hscchurch.org to meet and talk with him before hand.
Pastoral Leadership Team Candidate Voting- This Sunday, May 31st at 11am
The Pastoral Leadership Team (PLT) has invited Mark Vanderhoof to be a candidate for the Pastoral Leadership Team which Mark has accepted, and a vote will be held with the congregation on Sunday, May 31st at 11am. Please take this time to prayerfully discern the Lord’s leading for Mark in this role.
Playground Workday Details—This Sunday May 31st from 12-6pm
Sam will be working on the Playground this Sunday after the Gathering from 12PM-6PM. People are welcome to come by at any point during that time window to help out.
Sam says, “I will be pulling weeds, covering the concrete under the play structure with sand, and finishing the stain on the benches”.
Work gloves and clothes that people don’t mind getting paint/stain on are recommended (if helping with that part).
Grad Sunday Service & Reception- Sunday June 7th 9:30am Service & 11am Reception
We are celebrating all graduates of any age: Elementary School, Middle School. High School, College/University, Grad Students, Post Docs- All! We will enjoy hearing their stories or those of their ministry leaders, and celebrating them together.
If you or anyone you love is graduating, please email Cori in the HSCC office at cori@hscchurch.org their name, school, level graduating from, and if college/grad- their major, degree. We will honor them on Sunday June 7th during our worship service dedicated to the grads, with delicious reception afterwards! All family, friends and loved ones are invited.
Pregnancy Resource Center Baby Bottle Campaign- Mother's Day to Father's Day June 21st
Last Sunday we kicked off a Baby Bottle fundraiser for the Pregnancy Resource Center!
The PRC of Santa Cruz provides no cost Medical Services including:
Free ultrasounds, counseling, material assistance, and legal info (including adoption)
AND low cost medical services including prenatal/postpartum care, 3D/4D ultrasounds, and therapy.
Please take a bottle from the back of the Sanctuary and fill it with coins, cash or checks and return them on Father's Day, June 21st, to donate to the PRC for their loving Christian ministry.
Thank you for caring for families and individuals with challenging pregnancies in our Santa Cruz Community.
More info: https://www.santacruzprc.org/
Click here to watch a video of a PRC client and her moving story
Boardwalk Day- Youth Ministry & Beyond (Youth and adults invited) Sunday, June 14th 12-4pm
Gabe & Zionne are planning a Boardwalk Day on Sunday, June 14th after our Annual Meeting from 12-4pm. All youth and adults are invited to join in! Lunch together will be at 2:30pm at the tables between the Giant Dipper and the Log Ride, where there are lots of eateries.
HSCC Life & Ministry Annual Meeting- Sunday June 14th at 11am, voting June 28th at 11am
Please plan to come to our important Annual Meeting with ministry and financial updates Sunday, June 14th, and a time for questions and prayer together! Voting for our HSCC Ministry Budget will take place two weeks later on Sunday June 28th.