Lantana Community Church

Sunday service focus on Mission

Today we conclude the "Formed to Be Sent" series while launching into Lent as a season of deeper formation. We're looking at John 15:1-8, and discover that fruit grows from connection, not effort. Branches don't strain to produce grapes; they simply stay connected to the vine. Everything discussed over five weeks...formation, being sent, entrusting, everyday obedience...flows from abiding in Christ. Without abiding, formation becomes self-improvement and mission becomes exhausting activism. Lent is not religious obligation but a gift: forty days to slow down, prune distractions, and make space to remain in Jesus. Discipleship is a journey with a horizon, sustained by abiding.

Discipleship is not something we schedule for special occasions or reserve for spiritual professionals. It shows up where life already happens. Drawing from Luke 10, we see Jesus sending ordinary people into ordinary places: homes, meals, towns, and conversations. The mission of God has always traveled through dinner tables and neighborhoods, not impressive platforms. Acts 1:8 reminds us to start where we already are, and James 1:22 challenges us to move beyond learning into living. But outward faithfulness can only be sustained by inward formation. Before we go further, we need to go deeper. Faith takes shape in ordinary obedience.

What does God intend to do with what He's forming in us? Today we explore how spiritual formation is meant to be entrusted to others through Paul's model in 2 Timothy 2:2. Biblical multiplication is not about producing numerical results but about faithful stewardship of what we've received. Discipleship begins with receiving, not inventing, and involves walking alongside reliable people who are willing to grow. The rhythm is simple: make disciples, strengthen disciples, encourage disciples. God forms something in us not so we can admire His work, but so it can bless someone else through faithful sharing.

What does it actually mean to be formed into the image of Christ? If discipleship is about becoming like Jesus, then what does Jesus actually look like? In today's message, we discover that the image of Christ is self-giving love. A life oriented toward others rather than toward self. Drawing from Philippians 2, we see how Christ emptied Himself and moved toward us in humility and obedience. This isn't about adding more activities to your spiritual life or performing for God. It's about allowing God to reshape your heart's orientation. Discover how formation always moves outward, not as pressure, but as the natural overflow of becoming like Jesus.

Discipleship is often misunderstood as a program to complete or a list of duties to perform. What if it isn't about trying harder, but yielding to the One who shapes us? In today's message, we peel back the layers of misconception to reveal the heart of spiritual formation: being formed into the image of Christ. Drawing from the ancient metaphor of the Potter and the clay, we explore how God's intention, not our effort, is the driving force of our growth. Discover a discipleship that relieves the pressure of performance and invites you to simply rest in the Potter's hands.

Pastor Bruno Ponce message

As I begin my 9th year of ministry, we'll reflect on a transformative 2025 and cast vision for 2026. In this annual report, we'll celebrate remarkable accomplishments. From over 1,000 people at the Easter egg hunt to Harvest Christian School's 224 students and back-to-back state championships. More significantly, I will trace how God has been preparing our congregation through intentional teaching on Kingdom identity, sacrificial depth, and scattered mission. Now, I believe God is calling Lantana toward "discipleship that multiplies." A culture where believers aren't just gathered and taught, but equipped, formed, and sent to multiply what they've received.

Today we conclude the Advent journey by exploring how God's love is revealed through incarnation in John 1:14. The Word became flesh, demonstrating that love does not stay distant but comes near. God's response to a broken world is presence, not distance. Jesus embodies both grace and truth, showing that authentic love is honest yet compassionate. When love draws near, it cannot ignore need, which is why Jesus consistently moves toward the margins. The gathered church worships our God who came near, then scatters to embody that same love through presence and faithful action in everyday relationships.

This Sunday we will explore how joy enters ordinary and unexpected places through the stories of shepherds and Joseph. The shepherds experience sudden, loud joy when angels announce Christ's birth in their fields, demonstrating that joy doesn't wait for perfect conditions or qualified people. Joseph's experience reveals a different kind of joy: slow, quiet, emerging through confusion and obedience. Both journeys lead to the same Savior. The gathered church hears the good news of great joy, then scatters to carry that joy into workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods. Joy finds us in ordinary places because Christ meets us where we are.

Amazing Message by Pastor Angel

This Sunday we light the second candle of Advent and remember that Christ brings peace into the very places where life feels chaotic. The peace Scripture speaks of is more than calm moments or quiet days. It is shalom… God putting the world back together. In Luke's story, Jesus enters a world that was crowded, pressured and uncertain, and He still brings peace. As we gather, we'll reflect on the peace Christ gives, and as we scatter, we'll learn how to carry that peace into our homes, workplaces and neighborhoods. Peace lives where you live… because Christ is there.

Today we'll explore how hope enters the world, not when circumstances improve, but precisely in the darkness of "those days." Drawing from Luke 2:1-3, we see how God moved during Roman oppression and centuries of silence, announcing hope in the midst of hard reality. The gathered church becomes the place where hope is proclaimed through worship, Scripture, and community, reminding believers that Jesus is Lord and darkness doesn't win. This hope then scatters into everyday life as Christians carry light into their workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes. Advent begins by declaring: hope is announced here, hope is carried there, and hope has a name...Jesus.

This Sunday we wrap up our “Family of God” series with Jeremiah 29:7, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city.” God didn't place us in Lantana, Argyle, Flower Mound, Denton, or Lewisville by accident. He positioned us on purpose… to bless our community with ordinary faithfulness, visible good works, and prayer that turns frustration into intercession. We'll talk about being a faithful presence in a world that often feels divided, and how simple, everyday obedience can make the gospel visible where we live. Come discover how we gather to worship… and scatter to bless. God is seeking our city's good through us.

Revival is proven by reconciliation. This Sunday we're in Matthew 5:9—“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Jesus doesn't bless peace-lovers but peace-makers, people who enter broken places with healing grace. We'll talk about how humility opens doors pride keeps shut, how to move toward tension instead of away, and how to live out peace through one simple rhythm: B.L.E.S.S.—Begin in prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, and Share your story. Our hope is that each of us will carry the peace we received during revival into every relationship and neighborhood this week.

This Celebration of Ministry Sunday explores 1 Corinthians 12:18-31, teaching how God has designed the church as one body with many parts. The service includes four movements: One Body/Many Parts, You Are Special, Everyone Has A Place, and Our Motive is Love. We'll highlight community partnerships including our school and uplift ministries, and introduce each ministry team - from worship and hospitality to small groups and missions. We'll wrap the service up with a ministry flyover and introduce the leaders as well as show what the next steps are for those interested in serving.

This week marks a pivot in the "Growing the Family of God" series from internal formation to external mission. We're going to look at Micah 6:8 and Luke 14:12-14 and see how God's people practice justice and mercy in ordinary places, starting at our dinner tables. We'll explore what biblical justice (mishpat) and mercy (hesed) actually mean, then discover how hospitality becomes a practical expression of both. We'll also look at concrete next steps: pick a date within 14 days, invite someone outside your usual circle, and create belonging over perfection.

Pastor Hosiah, how to become part of the family of God.

Faith should feel less like a to-do list and more like something we live. This week we're in Acts 2:42-47, where the first Christians practiced simple, repeatable rhythms...Word, Table, Prayer, and Service. This formed them into a joyful, generous family. We're going to look at what "devoted" really means, why meals with "glad and sincere hearts" can change a neighborhood, and how to start with one small step: S.O.A.P. After today, our hope is you can find a rhythm you can actually keep and watch how God brings favor and adds people to the family!

Ever feel like you have to earn your place with God? Scripture says otherwise.This week we discover that, in Christ, we are adopted...wanted, named, and given full rights as sons and daughters. In Paul's world, adoption meant a new family name and secure inheritance; in God's family it means freedom from fear. The Spirit Himself whispers “Abba” to our hearts, silencing the old orphan reflexes of performing, hiding, and comparing. Today is identity before activity: receive the Father's welcome, declare who you are in Christ, and live like secure family who can boldly love and invite others to the table.

Ever felt like a guest in God's house? Ephesians 2:19–22 says you're no longer a stranger, you're family. The gospel doesn't just rescue isolated people; it builds a home where God lives among us. In this message we move from the doorway of belonging to the foundation...Jesus, the cornerstone...and see how God is fitting us together into a living temple. Whether you're new, returning, or ready for a next step, today is identity before activity: meet someone, fill a connect card, pull up a chair to the table.

I believe God is calling our church to become an irresistible aroma to our community. Imagine a church where the aroma of Christ mingles with the aroma of home-cooked meals every week. Imagine dinner tables where people who might never come to a traditional service can experience the love of God through genuine fellowship and conversation. This is why we're fasting. This is what God is preparing our hearts for. We're not just called to be better church members, we're called to be the scattered church that changes our neighborhoods. Our sprinter has been training in the blocks long enough. It's time to run the race with everything we've got. The early church changed the world one meal at a time. Lets become a church that smells like dinner, where the aroma of Christ draws people in and the gospel transforms.

The Harvest is all around us! In Matthew 9, Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion on them. He noticed they were like "sheep without a shepherd." He gave the instruction to "ask the Lord of the harvest" for the workers. Here's what we should catch about Jesus' command to pray for workers. Jesus called His 12, gave them authority, and sent them out. The disciples who heard Jesus say to "pray for workers" became the workers. When we pray "Lord of the harvest, send workers" we're not asking God to send someone else. We're asking God to prepare us and send us.

This week we see why Jesus often chose meals as His ministry tool. In Luke 5, He calls Levi...a despised tax collector...and then sits at a banquet filled with “outsiders.” Meals break barriers, embody grace, and create belonging. Around the table, people meet Jesus in ways that feel natural and relational. Today, we experience a live Dinner Church demonstration, reminding us that evangelism doesn't require programs or preaching but simple stories, hospitality, and prayer. God is calling us to open our tables so the Kingdom of God can come near to friends and neighbors.

Can we shift our mindset to say, week after week, I'm not attending, I'm hosting? We're not creating a new program, we're changing our posture. A posture that considers mission. This is moving from reclining with Christ to hosting with Christ. If we can all shift from consumer to host, our gathered worship becomes a living witness to our community and Sunday morning becomes practice for our dinner church calling.

Message from Pastor Angel

What might happen if we truly embraced this dinner church, grace upon grace approach. Imagine dinner tables throughout our community becoming places where people encounter the love of Christ for the first time. Here's what I believe God is showing me. He's calling us to start multiple dinner churches in our neighborhoods. To be the church who starts a movement of grace that reaches every neighborhood, workplace and corner of our cities. God is calling us to rediscover the ancient way of evangelizing people. Let's reclaim the table, not just for eating, but for mission. The world was forever changed in the early days of Christianity and this was one of the ways that happened. Let's pray and believe that God will do it again, through us!

What kind of impact do you think it would have if we all started inviting people to church regularly? Not in a weekly or forced or coercive way, but in an "I'm so excited, you've got to check this place out" kind of way. What if inviting people became natural and normal? Can you picture walking into this sanctuary and meeting people you've never seen before? Imagine the impact of seeing people from your neighborhood or workplace here!Think about your coworker who's been struggling with depression experiencing the joy, hope, and release found in Jesus Christ. Picture the neighbor who's been going through a divorce finding community and support in our fellowship. Imagine your neighbor finding the peace they've been searching for because their life was transformed by an encounter with the Kingdom of God expressed as the gathered church.

You are more ready than you think. We don't need more training or a perfect testimony. God uses regular, people in ordinary places to share extraordinary news. In other words, God uses us, ordinary people, empowered by an extraordinary God. What would happen if every person in our church started paying attention to God's nudges in their everyday lives. Imagine the conversations you could have over coffee. Imagine the hope you could share in the break room. Imagine the invitations that could be extended in neighborhoods. Imagine the lives that can be touched simply because someone was willing to be present and tuned in.This is how the gospel spreads…not just in Sunday morning services, but through Monday morning conversations. Not just in the church building, but at the dinner table. Not through perfect presentations, but through imperfect people who are simply willing to love others the way Jesus loves them. The early church turned the world upside down, but it wasn't because they were professional ministers. They were ordinary people who had been transformed by Jesus and couldn't help but talk about it. That's you. that's who you are. That's who you have.

After six weeks away on sabbatical, I'm returning with something far more valuable than a new plan—I'm coming back with a heart that's been freshly tuned to the voice of God. In this message, I share two significant moments from my time away: one when I felt the overwhelming weight of God's compassion for lost people, and another during a breakfast conversation that reminded me how easily God shows up in everyday encounters. Just like a guitar that drifts out of tune, our hearts can subtly fall out of rhythm with God—this illustrates how important it is to slow down, listen, and realign. This message is the beginning of a new season for our church, as I introduce the phrase “gathered and scattered” and invite us into a journey of prayer, fasting, and anticipation for the ways God is preparing to move in and through us.

Message from pastor Jerry Porter

VBS weekend

Message from Lucas Ribeiro.

Pastor Jerry Porter

Great message about believe and trusting the promises of God in your life.

Easter's empty tomb launched an ongoing mission that runs on two inseparable fuels: Spirit-given power and Spirit-driven prayer.  Acts 1:8 promises the Church supernatural power for everyday witness; Acts 4 shows that when opposition hits, believers don't retreat—they gather, pray, ask for boldness, and the Spirit shakes the room and sends them out again.  The same pattern belongs at our kitchen tables, cubicles, sidewalks, and screens: united prayer, God-sized vision, bold requests, and tangible acts of love that open ears to the Good News.  As we head into a holiday weekend (and my sabbatical), our charge is simple—keep praying, keep serving, keep telling—trusting that the Spirit who empowers Monday's mission will keep shaking rooms until every space becomes a living testimony to the risen Christ.

You know the feeling you get when you're tired, driving home late at night, ready to be there and you see the porch light on? It's like it's beckoning you. It says, "Welcome, you belong here. You were expected." That's what our hospitality should communicate to our neighbors. It should say, "There's always room at God's table. Always a light on at God's house." My prayer for our church is that we would be ambassadors for His Kingdom. People who make our homes, our patios, and our lunch breaks little outposts of God's feast. That we would have the courage to invite people, wisdom to create welcome, and faith to trust God with the results.

This Mother's Day, let's remember that the most powerful ministry happens not on stages or in spotlights, but in living rooms and kitchens where ordinary people do ordinary things in Jesus' extraordinary name. Tomorrow, as you're facing a sink full of dishes or a mountain of laundry, whisper to yourself, "This too is done in Jesus' name." When you're driving to another sports practice or helping with another project, remind yourself, "This too is ministry." When you're the referee for a sibling fight or explaining the same concept for the tenth time, say, "This too is sacred work." Whatever you do - every word, every deed - do it all in the name of Jesus, with a heart of gratitude. Because when we do, our addresses become beacons, our homes become sanctuaries, and our families become living testimonies of the Gospel at work in everyday moments.

Bring Jesus to work, He's already on the clock. He's already present in your workplace, already at work in the hearts and lives of your coworkers. You simply get to join Him in that work, representing Him well through your hands, your words, and your presence. When we see our workplace as sacred space, our perspective shifts—our desk becomes an altar, our meetings become ministry, and our excellence becomes worship. Every task, no matter how mundane, carries eternal significance when done for Christ.

Here's the question that echoes out of the empty tomb…will Easter still be obvious tomorrow?— The crowds shouted “He is risen!” but it was the fledgling church that sold fields, opened homes, bandaged wounds, and made the resurrection believable to their neighbors.— Corrie ten Boom whispered “Jesus is Lord,” then built a hiding place that proved it.— James tells us, “Show me.” Faith that never makes it past our lips dies in the driveway.

The resurrection is the ultimate good news. Because of it, the cross wasn't a defeat—it was the turning point. The sacrifice wasn't wasted—it was complete. And our future isn't uncertain—it is alive with the promise of Jesus Christ.So today, we cry out not just “He is risen” but “He is Lord.”Because of Easter, death has lost. Sin has been crushed. And we are invited into the life of the risen King.

Palm Sunday is a day of celebration, but also of tension. The crowd hails Jesus as King, but in only a few days He will be crucified. They wanted rescue from Rome; He was offering rescue from sin. This is the Gospel: Jesus saves us in ways deeper than we imagine. Today, let's cry "Hosanna! Lord, save us from the bondage of sin. Be our King." During this Holy Week, will you engage deeply with the events of this week? This week is the culmination of the Good News we share year-round. We need Jesus to give us hearts that truly welcome Him as the King of salvation, not only the fix-it guy. Jesus, will you give us boldness to proclaim "Hosanna" to a world that needs more than superficial help, but to experience the change that only comes from the real rescue you provide from sin and death.

When Jesus calls Levi and feasts with the outsiders, he declares His mission is to save sinners. Jesus' table fellowship with them is a demonstration of the inclusive heart of His Kingdom. He welcomes sinners, not to affirm sin, but to transform lives. The cross is woven into this as he's heading toward the ultimate sacrifice, he's carrying love for every outcast. Lent reminds us to do likewise: embrace others in love and trust God to work. May we be open to forming genuine connections, humility to repent of biases, and boldness to reflect Jesus' hospitality.

Isaiah 53 and the image of Jesus as the Suffering Servant goes straight to the core of our Gospel theme. This prophecy highlights why the Good News is truly "good." The cross is so much more than a historical event, it's the Divine plan in action. Something that was prophesied centuries before, where Jesus takes on our sins and offers us forgiveness and new life. In other words, Jesus is the heart of the Gospel! In Isaiah 53, we see the atoning work of Christ—His willing, sacrificial love—is the Good News we share. Hopefully this will equip us all to more effectively explain the Gospel to others. It was always God's intention to redeem us through Jesus' suffering. As we continue to "bring Jesus to the people," we must pay special attention to His sacrificial role from Isaiah 53 which grounds us in the ultimate message of hope and reconciliation.

This season of Lent calls us to a season of reflection and repentance. It seems this is a continuing theme as we journey through this year of the Gospel. And we can't forget that repentance isn't about shame, it's an invitation to a deeper walk with Christ.As we journey towards the cross, will you take a moment and reflect on something you want or need to surrender? We need hearts for God that turn quickly and fruit that honors Him. Jesus, our prayer is for renewed energy to follow you all the way to Calvary…and beyond, into the joy of resurrection.

Great message about the kingdom of God.

Pastor Angel on a great message.

There is a tension to be maintained. We deny ourselves and carry our crosses, but we gain immeasurable treasure—fellowship with God, eternal life, and a life of purpose. Let's reflect on one area God is asking us for deeper surrender. Then let's embrace that cost and trust in the goodness of our God. God, help us find joy in sacrifices we make for Christ's sake and to rest in your unshakeable promises.

Inviting others into the Kingdom isn't about pushing religion; it's about extending the best invitation anyone can receive…life with Jesus! We do it prayerfully, lovingly, and relationally, trusting the Holy Spirit to draw hearts. My prayer for our church is that the Holy Spirit would fill each one of us with boldness, compassion, and wisdom. I'm also praying for divine appointments and softened hearts among those who hear.

“Life Together,” as Bonhoeffer describes, is both deeply spiritual and profoundly practical. When we devote ourselves to fellowship in Christ, we naturally care for one another, embodying God's heart for justice and mercy. The early church's commitment to God and each other created a culture of selfless mercy and radical unity — a taste of God's Kingdom on earth. As we seek the Kingdom first, let's become a family where no one stands alone, and the world sees God's justice and mercy displayed through our shared life.

Repentance and belief are not heavy burdens; they're invitations into a life freed from guilt and empowered by God's Spirit. The more we practice this turning and trusting, the more we reflect the Kingdom we've been talking about. "The Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe the gospel!" This good news is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. Will you let God reshape your mind and heart? Will you place your trust in Jesus? This is the entry way into true Kingdom Life!