This week, The Barna Group recently published the results of a study investigating what makes up today’s American Dream. What is most intriguing is the growing goal of Americans to be more spiritual. It is not a drastic change from years past, but all three spiritual areas polled in the study grew in support from previous years.

• 75% of American adults in 2008 want to have a close relationship with God in the future (70% in 2000)
• 59% of American adults in 2008 want to be deeply committed to the Christian faith in the future (53% in 2000)
• 45% of American adults in 2008 want to be personally active in a church in the future (42% in 2000)

Another thing that this study shows is that people are seeking more stable and consistent relationships. They are seeking better and stronger relationships their spouses, family, and others. They are also seeking a more stable relationship with God and the church, but also the people they interact with in their daily lives.

Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor for Willowcreek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, said, “The local church is the hope of the world.” StonePoint exists to be that hope here in Coweta County and this weekend we will be talking about One Prayer…Make Us Connected. John Donahue, StonePoint’s Connections Pastor, will be unpacking what it means to be connected here at StonePoint and what God’s model for the connected church looks like.

This weekend will be the conclusion of our One Prayer series, and you DO NOT want to miss it.

Think about it for a moment. If you could pray one prayer right now, what would it be? Maybe you’ve been stressed about your job, finances, the kids being out of school, your relationship/marriage that is going down hill, maybe you’re just plain frustrated with life. What would you pray?

Leave a comment below and ANONYMOUSLY share with others your One Prayer. All comments are moderated so there won’t be any way for anyone to identify your prayer. At the same time, leave a prayer for someone else’s prayer.

All posts may take a few moments to appear.

This weekend we’re going to look at how God expects us to make a difference.  There are some huge problems in our world today: AIDS, genocide, famine, education, social injustice, etc.  What can the CHURCH do about it?  Maybe a better question is what isn’t the church doing about it?  God gave the responsibility to change people’s lives to the CHURCH. 

Below is the video promo for this weekend’s service.  Email it and invite a friend this weekend.

Here are just a few reason as to why we do what we do here at StonePoint.  They’re disturbing, but true. 

1. Not everyone is going to heaven.  That might be stating the obvious for some of you, but for all of us that is something to consider.  Who do you know that won’t be there.  (Reference Matt. 25:31-46)
2. More people are going to HELL than heaven.  If you think the judgment lines will be balanced the same number of people on both sides, you’re wrong.  Jesus was asked are only a few people going to be saved?  Check out Luke 13:22-25 to see what he says.
3. Many who think they are forgiven are UN-FORGIVEN.  There are many Christians who think they’re saved and aren’t.  Do believe me, look what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23.  There will be people who claimed to follow Christ but yet denied Him in the way they lived.  Simply put the didn’t take care of their neighbors as they took care of themselves.
4. You will not get another opportunity after you die.  Once you die, that’s it.  No changing your mind then.  No begging for a way out.  It’s over!  Check out 2 Corinthians 5:10.  It’s about what happens in this life, not the next.
5. This could be your last opportunity.  Not even Jesus knows the time of His return.  If he doesn’t know, you surely don’t know when your life is over.  I hate to sound doom and gloom but here it is in Matthew 24:42-44.

That’s why we do what we do.  We do it for the 80,000+ people here in Coweta County who are separated from God.  We’re about getting the disconnected - connected!  We’re about making him known to those who don’t know!  We’re about getting the Un-Forgiven — Forgiven!

If you missed this past weekend’s message you can go here and listen. 

I can’t wait to kick off this next message series.  Typically, I plan for messages months in advance.  About half way through “iWant2Change” I felt God was calling me to change it up for the next series.  I began to pray and read many of these comments and the comments here.  One of the recurring themes was that so many times we feel “Un-Forgiven.”

Some of us:

• Wonder how can God forgive me?
• Doubt that God CAN forgive me?  (There’s a difference.)
• Wonder how we can forgive someone else?
• Hate it that God forgives the person who wronged us.
• Don’t want to forgive the person who wronged us.
• Know we’re forgiven, but live as if we’re not.

Invite a friend this weekend as we kick off this new series.