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>> Thank you for joining us online today. We want to let you know about a few item of interest. First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services, Bible study options, online giving; and our new podcast Anchor Point.

You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there. The app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church.

Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to fining our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms. Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly kids online Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is creating lot of daily content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them.

Thank you for joining us online today. We are glad you're here.

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>> Thank you for joining us online today. We want to let you know about a few items of interest. First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services, Bible study options, online giving; and our new podcast Anchor Point.

You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there. The app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to finding our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms.

Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly kids online Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is creating lots of daily content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them.

Thank you for joining us online today. We're glad you're here.

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>> Ronnie: Hello, everyone, and welcome from the First Colony Church of Christ in Sugarland, Texas, to all of you -- to our church family, our church village, from wherever you may be. We're so very glad to have you with us today. We want you to participate. We love to hear from you. You can fill out a Connection card. They're on the website, on your screen, and also you can contact us. You can pray with someone this morning. We'd love to hear from you, and I'd like to commend you. You know, during these crazy days, where the only form of church we've had here -- just online services. But I want to commend you for engaging, for participating, and for being with us. And I'm so very, very grateful that you're with us today. The Lord bless you and so let's get started with our time of worship.

("Great Things" playing)

>> Richard: Yes, our God does great things! What a faithful God.

("Great Are You, Lord" playing)

>> Richard: Everybody give your attention to Joel Smith.

>> Joel: Well, good morning, everyone! It's so good to be with you again this Sunday. This Sunday, my Bible verse is Proverbs 4:23. Above all else, guard your heart, for from it everything you do flows.

So boys and girls, have you had the opportunity to be at home these last three months and watch TV, play video games, read books? Spend time with friends? Connect on the phone or texting? Well, have you ever noticed your mom or dad are like, "Hey, this is a good thing. That's not a good thing. We don't want you playing that game" or "We don't want you talking about that" or "Maybe that's not the best book for you."

Do you ever wonder why they do that? 

"Aw, Mom, it's not fair. My friends do things like that."

Well, it's because your parents know you and know the spiritual principle that what you put inside of you, it ultimate his goes to your heart. And it is things you're thinking about and dwelling on that forms you. Well, in Christianity, we want to focus on what is right, what is good; what is pure; what is honest; what is of good rapport. Philippians 4:8.

I have two fairly identical-looking liquids and I have two identical-looking cups and these represent your heart. Did you know as a kid you have neuroconnectors, little pathways, that go from the right side of your brain to the left side of your brain? And every time you get information, it travels down those paths. Well, the interesting thing is that the paths that aren't used get cut so you as a kid have way more than your parents ever do.

So the thing is you want to focus on things that are good, and this cup will represent things that are good and things that are positive. So that information gets retained. Very cool. You see? Look at that. The cup holds that information. That's when you go to church and learn Bible verses. You focus on positive shows.

Now, when your parents tell you, "Hey, we don't want you to maybe speak those words. That's not pure words.? 

"Hey, we don't want you to watch that show. That's not good for you."

It begins to corrode away the things that are actually more important. And check this out. It just disintegrates the cup. Look the same -- it didn't quite smell the same -- but notice how a clear liquid disintegrates that cup.

Well, boys and girls, you have these connectors going back and forth. My prayer is that you make positive, long, thick, strong connectors focusing on God's Word; that you guard your heart; that as you grow you become a mighty man or woman of God. Guard your heart.

>> Richard: We want to take a few minutes right now and focus on what Jesus has done for us through communion.

>> John: Good morning. This is my beautiful wife Ana Ricks and I'm John Ricks. We want to lead you in the communion this morning. This, of course, is the time where Christians everywhere commemorate the sacrifice that Jesus made so that each one of us could have our sins forgiven. Let's go to our Father in prayer.

Father, thank You so much for Your Son; for the gift of His life; for the life He lived and taught us to live; and His death on the cross. Thank You for forgiving our sins and for allowing us through Him to be a part of Your heavenly family. Be with us as we take this bread and the cup. Help us to not only right now remember the death that He died and the sacrifice that You and He made for us but help us to do that on a daily basis. It's in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

At this time we will take the bread and the cup.

>> Ana: Good morning, church. I'm gonna be reading a Scripture Acts 4:8-12. Buenos Dias.

(Speaking Spanish)

("O Come to the Altar" playing)

>> Richard: Amen. I want to welcome to the stage my friend Grant Wright.

>> Grant: We're about to do our offering. Before we do, I just want to say a big thank you to our church for supporting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as you give online today, just know it is safe; it's secure; and it's easy to set up. All you need to do is click the link on your screen or you can text to give now.

Also know that as you're giving, you are funding and fueling so many great ministries of this church, one of which, of course, is our international mission work. If you have been joining us on our Anchor Point podcast, you have been able to hear some of our international mission partners sharing their hearts of what is going on during this season; sharing with us how we can be praying for them; sharing what they're learning; some great podcast. It's so good for me to hear their voice.

Well, tomorrow we have a new podcast with Santos Espinosa from Honduras and will share with us an update from Honduras. He's going to include also an update of the house that we, our church, is helping him build through the tithes and offerings of mission Sunday AND short-term mission team that went down there over spring break. It's a fantastic episode. You won't want to miss Anchor Point tomorrow morning.

Let's pray over our offering today. Lord, we thank You for all of the offerings that are going to be given today; and we just ask that You multiply this offering and bless all of our overseas mission partners and the partners also right here in Fort Bend like Second Mile Mission and Lifeline Chaplaincy. May these funds fuel the mission and the ministry right here and all around the world. We pray this in the powerful Name of Jesus. Amen and amen!

Well, as we're speaking of fueling mission right here in Fort Bend, I want you to know First Colony Church of Christ, we have a great opportunity to make a huge impact.

So in two weeks, we are going to be hosting a food drive on the front porch of our church. It's going to be on June 14, benefiting Second Mile Mission. We will have six items that we're collecting and will have that posted on the website. We'll e-mail it to you. For right now, just remember canned soup, canned veggies, and rice. Canned soup, canned veggies, and rice. We'll have big boxes labeled on the front porch. You simply walk up, drop your items in, and you're done.

Right now Second Mile is serving over a thousand families a day, and they're still having more families in need. This is a simple way we can make a big impact.

So church, I just want to thank you for your continued support, whether it be making a difference for Jesus right here in Fort Bend or around the world. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.

("Everlasting God" playing)

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>> Ronnie: Hello, again, everyone. My name is Ronnie, and again, from all of us here at the First Colony Church of Christ, we're excited to have you with us today.

Now, next Sunday, June 7, we will actually resume in-person services here at our usual times of 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. We will continue also with our online services and for many of you, online is still the way to go. We'll ask you to self-evaluate and any sort of health compromises, you just don't need to be here; and right now because -- you know, it will be a skeleton schedule in, you know, services only, no classes, no groups, no children's programming right now. It might be that for you, just the online experience is simply your preferred method right now; and there's nothing wrong with PJ Church, comfortable setting right there in your living room. But as I said in our welcome, I commend you for engaging and so many, many ways. Go to our website and make sure you check out our guidelines, and we'll ask you to follow those protocols, please.

Also, there's a simple survey. If the answer to question 1 for you is "No," you're done. If you say "Yes," a couple more questions will pop up and will take you less than 30 seconds to fill out that survey. But the information will be quite helpful to us.

Today is Pentecost Sunday, and as we conclude our time-out series "Timeout: Experiencing God in Life's Disruptions." We'll talk about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The title of the message is "Welcome Holy Spirit."

You know, Pentecost was a Jewish feast celebrating harvest but also celebrating the giving of the Law. But pente, 50 days after Passover -- well, 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus. On THAT Pentecost, the church began. There was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is the abiding Presence. The Holy Spirit is the invisible, real, abiding Presence of God and the lives of every believer.

You know, change brings anxiety and/or anticipation. Often a little bit of both. Imagine the change and imagine the anxiety of those first followers of Jesus. They had been with Him for three years 24/7 and now all of a sudden, you know, they had walked with Him; talked with Him; eaten with him; boat rides together; present at His death. They were with him following his Resurrection and ascended to heaven. This will be a huge change. What does Jesus say to them? Acts chapter 1, beginning verse 4.

>> Ronnie: He says, I want you to wait right here in Jerusalem but even though I'm about to ascend to My Father, I will be pouring out my Holy Spirit on you; and you are about to experience God in a new way. 

Verse 8. You'll have a message to share.

>> Ronnie: Angels.

>> Ronnie: What do those first disciples do? Jesus ascended. They do what the Lord said. They waited, waited, and waited right there in Jerusalem with one another -- verse 14.

They're waiting, praying, expecting this promise. Acts 2, verse 1.

>> Ronnie: So these apostles, they're speaking in tongues. They're speaking in languages here. I believe this is a little different from the gift of tongues as spoken in 1 Corinthians. That's a different study. But here, they're speaking languages that -- they had not studied, didn't know -- but God is enabling them supernaturally to communicate this message of Jesus to all those who were gathered because there are people here now in Jerusalem from at least 16 different nations.

What's God up to? He's up to something wonderful.

>> Ronnie: Somebody says, well, how could they tell they were Galileans? When they were speak something, you know, a different language. Well, I can speak a little French.

(Speaking French)

Parlez-vous francais? I can speak a little French but don't sound French. It's because I'm not from there. So I might speak a little bit but I say it with a Tennessee/Texas twang.

God is enabling these Galileans, though, to speak languages from various nations -- why? This is not just an individual event. God is pouring out His Spirit and the Bible will tell us He will pour out His Spirit on both men and women. He will pour out His Spirit on both the older and the younger and everyone in between; and He will pour out His Spirit on EVERY nation under the sun.

Why? Because God is building His family; not just of one nation but all. That's what God is up to.

What does this mean? Here's what it means. Red, yellow, black, white; all nations precious in His sight. And welcome, welcomed into the family of God.

You know, this week has just been such a difficult week with George Floyd, an African-American man, died in police custody in Minnesota. And there's been just near-universal condemnation of the actions of that one police officer, specifically; and then three others who were watching. Even the police commissioner of Houston said, and I quote, "The death of George Floyd should be condemned by ALL in law enforcement and our extended community."

So the death, the killing of George Floyd, has been front-and-center this week; and it's brought about a renewed and intensified spotlight about race relations in our nation.

The Bible certainly speaks to race relations and to all who welcome the Holy Spirit and to all who welcome the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Those teachings should -- and they do -- shape our behaviors in profound ways.

Not everyone welcomes the Holy Spirit and not everyone welcomes the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I'll come back to that in just a moment.

George Floyd, you may or may not know, was actually a native Houstonian. He attended Yates High School, graduated in 1993. Their 1992 football team actually played in the state championship game in the astrodome, and George Floyd was a tight end on that team. He was a member of the Houston Resurrection Church, which is located in the Third Ward, and that's their primary ministry. It says so on their website and their lead pastor speaks very highly of him. He said that George Floyd moved to Minnesota in 2018 for a job connected with a Christian work program.

Let me just say to every person of color in our church, we love you and we care. To every immigrant in our church, we love you and we care. We want to roll out the welcome mat for all. Like Pentecost. And we want to roll out the assimilation mat for all. Every race, every nation. Now, as in all things, we will do that imperfectly; but we will try; and we will get better; and we will grow.

You know, racism has been a part of the human story for thousands of years; and for any of us -- myself included -- to deny the possibility of ANY kind of prejudice or any kind of prejudicial spirit in my heart; to deny that possibility is to be self-deluded. Racism, partiality, bigotry is real and must be addressed. That's the beauty of God's plan for the church where walls of disharmony can be broken. In Christ, we are one in the Spirit and we're called to act like it and to embrace it.

What does the Bible say? Make EVERY effort -- because it will not always come easy -- make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. Welcome, Holy Spirit. And the bond of peace. And Jesus teaches us to love all; to be gracious to all; to respect all; to love our neighbors as ourselves. Hey, you have heard of the parable of the Good Samaritan, right?

The Bible speaks to us about the sin of partiality and we may be familiar with prejudice, bigotry. It's showing favoritism and bias FOR some people and showing prejudice and bias AGAINST other people.

And I really don't think any of us want to live in that kind of culture or that kind of injustice goes unchecked. And the only remedy I know is long-term, but it's learning to see people as God does. That's difficult. We don't always do that naturally.

Max Lucado writes -- and he is such a fabulous writer, wordsmith, much more eloquent than I am; but I want to read a little bit of something he had written a few year ago when he says, "Judging a person according to skin color is an ancient sin; and for that reason, God gave us this ancient solution. God made us to reflect His image. He still creates people in His image to bear His likeness and reflect His floor. How much sadness would evaporate if every person simply chose to believe this? I was made for God's glory and I am being made into His image. And also, would you let this truth define the way you see other people? Every person you see was created by God to bear His image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. What civility that mind set would engender. What kindness it would foster. Racism will not flourish when people believe their neighbor bears God's image. Government programs may help. Lectures might enlighten; but in the end, God's plan is the only plan: see everyone person on the planet as God's idea."

My appeal to all of my fellow believers -- let's not a few rogue policemen or angry pundits impact God's vision we might, to all, see the image of God there; treat ALL with respect; and in the church to be the family of God,; ALL of us partakers of the Holy Spirit.

I have a homework assignment for you -- I'm not done. We need to really listen to one another; and I mean listen to one another in one conversation at a time, one dialogue at a time; one meal at a time. That way. With no audience, nothing to prove, nothing to defend. And I mean really listen to one another and especially if you're white, listen to people who -- listen to our immigrant friends and immigrant members here. Listen to the members of color here. Anybody that's different from you.

There are three types of listening. There's listening to win -- and we do that most of the time. "But, but."

There's listening to win.

There's listening to fix, where you have this mind set of "I'm the grand, wise person; tell me the story, and I can share my expertise."

But there's listening to learn, and this is where you say, "I'm not gonna go ?But, but.? You just say, ?Tell me what I need to know. Tell me what it's like to walk in your shoes. Tell me how I can care. Tell me how I can help."

This kind of listening is more difficult. It's more necessary. As a side note, some of you might need that with your children right now; some of you might need that with your spouse right now. We all need that with one another right now -- not listening to fix, not listening to win -- listening to learn. We can do this.

So God pours out His Spirit and it's not just an individual thing -- oh, my. He's creating a new community. I want to be a part of it.

Verse 36. Peter's preaching, and the Holy Spirit is convicting.

(Reading)

>> Ronnie: Here's the good news. Some of the people in Jerusalem listening to this -- Peter says you had a hand in the death of Jesus, but do you think that places you outside the boundaries of His grace? Not at all. This invitation is for you as well. No matter where you have been; no matter what you have done, the Holy Spirit is exalting Jesus as our Savior. 

Dave Bruner, a theologian said the Holy Spirit is the shy one and not the shy member of the Trinity out of timidity but out of deference. It's like if you were to draw a picture of Jesus on a chalk board, the Holy Spirit is standing behind the chalkboard, reaching around with his fingers pointing, going, "Listen to Him! Follow Him! He came for you! His sacrifice redeems you! His Resurrection redeems you and grants you eternal life! I'm here to shine a spotlight on the floor and wonder of the grace and the mercy of Jesus Christ for you."

And when the people heard this, they were cut to their heart and they said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what shall we do?

>> Ronnie: Notice -- for the forgiveness of sins. Even that sin. Yeah. Even that one.

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And this promise is not just for you; it's for your children, your grandchildren, for those who are close to you; for those in many nations, those who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call.

Listen, the Spirit of God unites people and any time there's an elitist spirit, that's not holy. The Holy Spirit doesn't make you better than anyone else; but He will make you better than yourself.

Verse 40.

Literally, this generation that has no idea where it's headed. It's aimless.

Older Bible translation will say "untoward." It's purposeless. Knows not where it's going.

Save yourself from this aimless and corrupt generation and those who accepted the message, you know -- that's really what faith is. Faith is accepting the message of Jesus Christ.

They were baptized, and 3,000 were baptized that day. How in the world could they baptize 3,000 people? Because if you have ever been to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, you know there's surrounded by ritual baths, miqwa?ots. They're ready made baptisteries. What do people do? They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer.

God forms a new nation of ALL nations. He forms a new family. He forms a new community. We are one in the Spirit.

I hope you will welcome the Holy Spirit afresh in your life. He's your holy helper. That's what He is. He's your holy unifier. That's who He is to us. And since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is the invisible -- but real -- just because something is invisible doesn't mean it's not real. It's more real.

He's the invisible, living, and abiding Presence in the lives of every believer; and as Jesus said in Luke 11 --

>> Ronnie: You know, here I am, a mere mortal. I know how to give good gift to my kids and grandkids.

(Reading)

So let's continue to do that. Let's continue to welcome the Holy Spirit and over and over, let's ask the Lord to fill me; to fill you; to fill us; and when we're saying "Lord, fill us with the Spirit," that doesn't mean we've not had the Spirit before or now.

What we're saying is "Have Your influence in us; have unhindered sway in my life and in your life." Again, not everybody welcomes the Holy Spirit, and you can't expect people who don't have the Holy Spirit to behave like they do. Not everybody welcomes the Lordship of Jesus Christ. But you do. And I do. And we need to regularly be saying, "Lord, have Your way in us. Fill us with Your Spirit."

One person said one time, "Why do you keep asking over and over for the filling of the Spirit?"

And one person said, "Because I leak. That's why."

I leak. You leak. So we keep coming back afresh saying, "Lord, fill me again and again."

One person said to a preacher, she said, "I feel so filled up."

And he said, "This is what I want you to do this week. Since you're so full, I want you to go out and slosh around on people. You just go slosh around on everybody you find; and when you find someone who's discouraged, you slosh on that person. You give some -- you build them up. You encourage. You find somebody who's wayward, aimless. You give them direction and hope. You take the fullness of the Spirit. You just go slosh around on people near you."

God bless you, everybody. Thank you for being with us today. Continue to welcome the Holy Spirit in your life. He is your helper; invisible; abiding; and very real Presence of God in your life and mine.

Okay, as we close in prayer, I think you'll be able to pray along with me today. Our Father in heaven -- first of all -- would you fill us with Your Spirit? Would You heal places of brokenness and alienation? Our Father in heaven, holy is Your Name. May Your kingdom come and may Your will be done on earth even as it is in heaven. Would You give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses. Forgive us our sins, even as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom; the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Now, everybody, you can communicate with us. We'd love to hear from you and you can pray with someone online. It's very, very easy. We look forward to seeing you again, Lord willing, next Sunday.