Archive - July, 2009

The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me

July 29, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

One of the unfortunate things in life is that a lot of times we under appreciate the amazing things God has put in our lives.  We get so focused on the things we don’t have that we forget to celebrate the things we do.  I was reminded of this today as I went to lunch with my wife. I am truly blessed with an amazing friend, partner and love of my life and so many times I take her for granted. My wife is the best thing that has ever happened to me besides Jesus.

2811_1142812693727_1329767921_2019417_5153025_nI am the luckiest man alive and am so thankful for my amazing wife Shayla.

It Will Cost You Something

July 29, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I love when something new is just around the horizon. I am all about seeing something come about from nothing. The thing about something coming out of nowhere is that there is typically a birthing that takes place that is painful.
Shayla and I have been fully invested in this adventure of church planting. We have left family, friends, successful careers and comfort to go make something from nothing. This has totally been one of the most painful processes I have ever been a part of in my life. I never realized the time, effort, mental anguish, and financial resources it would take to make Coastal Community Church a reality here in Ft. Lauderdale.
I have realized that if God is going to do something BIG in you and through you it will cost you. It might cost you some friends who think you are stupid or lost your mind. It might cost you your job, because it is a conflict of interest with what you already do. It may cost you a lot of money because everything and I mean everything costs money or it may cost you YOUR LIFE.
The thing that I have learned more about in planting this church is that God wasn’t after me for my ability to preach, lead people, or build relationships, but the thing He was after was my life. He didn’t just want some parts of me but He wanted all of me, fully and completely. God isn’t interested in what we can do for Him, don’t get me wrong, He wants us doing things, but more than anything He just wants US. He wants us to love, trust and obey Him in everything.
Now following God is the adventure of a lifetime. I am having a blast planting this church, seeing lives transformed and building a community of believers that is desperate for the things of God, but it will cost you something.
I want to challenge you, just like God has challenged me, to follow God with everything and pay for it with your life. The adventure is waiting FOR YOU!imagesMONEY

Coastal Community Church Update

July 20, 2009 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

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This adventure of church planting has been amazing for Shayla and I so far.  It feels like we are on a roller coaster that is in the process of climbing the first hill before the big drop and adventure begins.  Maybe you know the feeling, it is where you are hearing the tick, tick, tick of the coaster being pulled up the hill, the excitement of what is about to happen is mounting and your not sure where your going from here but at the same time you know it is going to be a blast.

We find ourselves right there, pushing our way up this mountain of getting ready to launch Coastal Community Church.  It has been quite a journey up to this point.  We have had some amazing things happen along the way like:

  • Getting office space donated to use for our church.
  • Building our Dream Team up to 40 people.
  • Seeing tons of people come to our informational meetings on Tuesday night.
  • Getting a 16 foot enclosed trailer with children and sound equipment donated to us.
  • Having the opportunity to purchase a used Portable Church Industries trailer and equipment for an amazing deal.
  • Doing tons of outreaches where we have physically touched over 4000 people through random acts of kindness in the community.

I could go on and on about what has been happening with our journey so far, there are so many stories to tell of opportunities we have had to show Christ’s love in a practical way to our community.  God is up to something BIG here in Ft. Lauderdale and He is ready to do a GREATER THING.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your encouragement and your support.  Without these, this dream of planting Coastal Communtiy Church to reach the unchurched, uncommitted and undecided people of Ft. Lauderdale and helping them to become a fully devoted follower of Christ would not be possible.

Please continue to believe with us for peoples lives to be changed, eyes opened to the reality of Christ and for us to make Jesus famous in our community.

Loving God, Loving People and Showing It,
T.J. and Shayla McCormick

TJ and Shayla

Blown Away

July 12, 2009 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

I am continually blown away by the way God orchestrates things in life.  We did a water giveaway yesterday to our community and it was awesome.  We had so many stories of people who were blown away by us giving them a bottle of water.  We got to show people Jesus in a practical way, pray for them, have conversations and even have some pull back around to find out more about Coastal Community Church.

One couple that came around at the end as we were all walking back to the church office said that they were on their way to Home Depot and saw us passing out water and just had to come talk to us.  They continued on to say that they have been hearing about this church that is going to be starting up in Monarch High School that loves God, people and serves the community.  In fact they had been searching us on the web and were so excited when we were out when they were on the road.  God is up to something big in our community and I can’t wait to see what He does in and through us for His glory.

images2The thing that I am realizing in life is that if I want to be blown away by God, I have to do something.  He doesn’t really show up if I am just dormant in life.  When I step out into action God shows up.

I want to encourage you to step up and out and see what kinds of things God wants to do in and through you in life.

How are you Identified

July 11, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

I have been reading through the book of Matthew for the second time this year and it continues to reveal things in my life that challenge me.  I was reading in Matthew 12:33

“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.”

imagesfruitIn America today we are in an identity crisis. We are looking to be identified by a lot of different things.  We want to be identified by our jobs, homes, clothes, friends, families, trends and bank accounts.  Jesus speaking here doesn’t talk about any of those things but he talks about our fruit. He is talking about what is our life producing or even better reproducing.  Are we just going through life focusing on ourselves or growing fruit for the benefit for others.  I don’t know about you but I want to be identified as someone who did not just live for myself but lived for God so I could serve others.  I love the fact that in the book of Acts that Paul and Barnabas were living for others out in the community and because of this, they were identified as Christians because of the fact they looked like Christ.

Are you and I just adopting the name Christian or are we being identified as a Christ follower because of the fruit of our life?


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