How to Be Used in the Gifts of the Spirit, Interview with Missionary Gail Stathis

Each Wednesday night at Antioch Church following our midweek prayer meeting, we offer classes including one I teach called, "The School of the Spirit." On Wednesday, September 4th, I was privileged to interview Missionary Gail Stathis, an outstanding woman of God who has served in Greece and throughout the surrounding regions for more than thirty years. 

During our chat, Gail tells the story of her own journey into the ministry of the Gifts of the Spirit which began while she was a child living in very difficult circumstances. She also gives some very practical, biblically balanced counsel regarding how to take your first steps in this area and how to avoid some common mistakes. If you are interested in learning more about how you can experience the activation of spiritual gifts in your own life, I encourage you to watch this video.

For more information about Gail Stathis, click on this link: tinyurl.com/GailStathis or emeministries.org. For more information about Antioch Church, visit: teamantioch.com.


PLEASE NOTE: The first one minute, twenty seconds of the video, you will hear audio only, then the video image will appear.

Update and testimony from Thursday night's gun battle on our property

I am deeply moved by what happened in our church parking lot this week during the ambush of our city's law enforcement officers. Let's be sure to remember to pray for them and for their families...

I am deeply moved by what happened here... from Team Antioch on Vimeo.

People of the Presence IV, Mark Brand, Antioch Church, February 8, 2014

I am so very, very thankful for the special move of God's Spirit in our service at Antioch Church this morning! As my father used to say, "We were under the spout where the glory comes out!" 

Following a spontaneous time of prayer for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I shared some thoughts from my ongoing series on the manifest presence of God entitled, "People of the Presence," dealing with how as we walk in God’s manifest presence, He provides everything we need as He leads us into the fulfillment of His purposes for our lives. 

To view the sermon only, click on the window above. If you would like to view the entire service, including our worship and prayer times, click here instead.

Why would Jesus put His fingers in a man's ears and spit on His tongue in order to heal him? I give the answer to that question during the message I preached yesterday about the creative ministry of Jesus Christ from Mark 7:31-37.

Special Guest - Philip Murdoch from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this Sunday, October 26th...!

Pastor Philip Murdoch from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be preaching in our Sunday morning service this Sunday, October 26th. Pastor Philip's wife, Renee, recently shared her incredible testimony of divine healing from the severe brain trauma she suffered while jogging and it is going to be a special privilege to welcome Pastor Philip to our pulpit. You won't want to miss it!

Our heart toward the LGBT community...

In light of the sweeping changes taking place regarding the legal definition of marriage in the United States, I would like to share the answer I recently gave to a person who visited our services and then asked via email, “What is your church’s stance regarding LGBT Christians?”

In answer to your question, at Antioch Church we believe that homosexual activity is sinful, but not homosexual orientation. In other words, we believe that individual Christians may struggle with all kinds of temptations to act in ways that are contrary to God's plan for humanity as revealed in the Bible, but that His will for each of us is that we reach out to Him in faith for the forgiveness and grace that we all need in order to live the way He has called us to live. We believe every individual (me included!) needs God’s mercy and strength in order to walk in fellowship with Him and in order to walk through the process of ever-greater conformity to His will. 

We believe this is true for every one of us, no matter the particular issue or issues that we are struggling with in our lives, whether it is a matter of sexuality or anything else. We also believe Jesus has called us to love everyone regardless of where they are on their journey and to welcome every person who feels called to walk with us toward wholeness and holiness, regardless of the specific issues they struggle with. We believe we are called to help them in every way that we can as we look together to Jesus for our salvation, redemption, and transformation.

Here is the “bottom-line” of what that all means for our congregational life and ministry: If someone with same-sex orientation is looking for a church family where they will be loved, welcomed, and encouraged as they pursue an ever-deeper relationship with Jesus in conformance with Scripture in every area of life including their sexuality, they will happily find Antioch Church to be a place filled with grace, mercy, patience, and redemption instead of judgment or rejection! This includes a person who has not yet made a commitment to follow Jesus or who is not yet sure of what they believe about Him, about the authority of Scripture, or about the validity of the Gospel. We don’t just welcome believers…we also welcome seekers. We stand ready to serve everyone we can by helping them discover the truth and reality of who Jesus is and what He does as we open our hearts to Him and to the truths of God’s Word. 

On the other hand, if someone with same-sex attraction is looking for a church that is prepared to back away from the perspective of the Scriptures regarding this issue or any other, perhaps because of evolving societal norms or prevailing public opinion, then they will be disappointed with who we are. In the final analysis, we will always seek to stand with historic Christianity in this essential way regarding the Bible: We consider the Scriptures to be the only infallible rule of faith and conduct for all humanity. When we are confronted with a dichotomy between what society says and what the Bible says, we will always side with Scripture. To put it another way, if we are forced to choose between following our own feelings or thoughts or wishes regarding an issue as opposed to seeking to follow clear biblical principles, at Antioch Church we will always seek to conform to God’s Word.

I trust these few words on what is obviously a vast subject, with very far-reaching implications for our personal lives and for society as a whole, and which can give rise to intense emotion in light of some of the "culture wars" that are going on in the public square, not to mention the wounds of heart and mind that people with same-sex orientation have sadly received at the hands of some who purported to act in the name of God and church, have helped to answer your question about who we are. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have on this or any other subject. Teresa and I would be more than happy to meet with you sometime over a cup of coffee or a meal if you would like to discuss this or anything else. We love you and we are glad you are at Antioch Church!

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

Jesus Cares About Me (Mark 7:24-30), Mark Brand, Antioch Church, October 19, 2014

I preached yesterday from the story of the Syrophoenician woman about how Jesus wants to heal us from the pain and prejudice that binds us. If you would like to watch the entire service, including our time of worship, click on the following link instead: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/54210008.

The Miracle of Multiplication - Mark 6

Last Sunday, I preached about one of my favorite miracles in the Bible and shared the single, most profound insight God has ever given me concerning His supernatural ability to provide for our needs. 

To view only my message, watch the video above. To watch a recording of the service in its entirety, including our time of worship and prayer, click on the following link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/53608508.

The Healing of Jairus' Daughter (Mark 5) : Jesus Is Everything You Need Series, Antioch Church, September 28, 2014

Our first-ever Antioch Church Midweek Prayer Service is tonight at 6pm...!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dear Antioch Church Family,

Tonight at 6pm, we are going to have our first-ever Midweek Prayer Service at our West End DART Rail station campus...! Click here or on the video above to hear me share a message from my heart about why we are taking this step.

This service will be the single most important event in the life of our congregation each week. The effectiveness of everything we do as a church will be determined by how we call upon the name of the Lord.

The Holy Spirit dropped a Scripture into my heart as a promise to every one of us who gather together to pray in this way,

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV)

I love the way this verse is paraphrased in The Message translation,

Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own. (Jeremiah 33:3 The Message)

As you come to our prayer service this evening, I encourage you to fold this promise into the depths of your heart by faith. As you call upon the name of the Lord, He will give you greater understanding of His purposes for your life and ministry. As you call upon the name of the Lord, He will open the doorway for you to access all of His powerful promises for any area of need you may have. As you call upon the name of the Lord, your character will be transformed as He molds you more and more into the image of Jesus. Here's the "bottom-line": Prayer is important because prayer changes THINGS...and because prayer changes US...!

Our doors will open at 5:00PM for a time of food and fellowship in our artrium and on our front porch. Two food trucks will be outside for your convenience or you can bring something from home or from one of the many restaurants nearby. The service itself will begin at 6:00PM with an extended time of worship led by Simon Dunn and a full band. Our focus will be on prayer, not on preaching or teaching. We plan to wrap things up by 7:30PM so you can return home in time to get a good night's sleep before whatever is on your schedule for tomorrow. If you missed seeing the video announcement in our service last Sunday, you can also view it online by clicking here. If you are unable to attend, but have something you would like us to pray about, please email it to Shaun Estrada at: shaun.estrada@teamantioch.com.

THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY SERVICE SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING YOUR KIDS!!!We will have some crayons and coloring papers for the little ones and our playland will be open throughout the service time for their enjoyment, provided they are accompanied by an adult of your designation.

Teresa and I look forward to seeing you there...!

Pastor Mark

P.S. If you would like to view the menus for the two food trucks that will be serving us this evening, you can do so by clicking on the following links: Flatlanders Tacos and No Whey Smoothies and Salads.

The Call of God (Jesus: He Is Everything You Need, The Gospel of Mark), Pastor Mark Brand, Antioch Church, Sunday, July 13, 2014

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Sent to the City - Thriving Wherever God Places You, Sunday, November 14, 2011