Taking the Great Commandment Literally

A NOTE FROM PASTOR CAREY    

Dear Church,

Everything we do as a church is centered around our calling to Love St. Pete and to become the heart of our city. It’s a beautiful vision—and this Sunday, we’ll explore how that calling begins much closer to home than we might expect.

In John 17, Jesus’ final prayer is for unity among believers. And from that unity flows a powerful witness to the world. But in a culture that often feels anything but unified, we’re invited to ask a simple, honest question: What would it look like if the people of our city could clearly see the love of Christ in us?

Jesus gives us a clear starting point—love God and love your neighbor. Not in theory, not in abstraction, but in real, tangible ways. The truth is, it’s possible to care about the world and still overlook the people right outside our front doors.

This week, we’ll return to the familiar story in The Good Samaritan and rediscover what it means to truly be a neighbor. Together, we’ll consider a simple but transformative first step: learning the names and stories of the people God has already placed around us.

If we want to love our city, it begins by knowing our neighbors.

I’m looking forward to worshiping with you as we take this next step together.

With peace,

— Pastor Carey