LIFE CENTER OF BRANDON
Hope. Faith. Forgiveness.

813-322-3860

lcboffice2@gmail.com

We are an online church community who also gathers periodically to break bread, pray, laugh and share with one another.
​We are currently streaming our services on our Facebook group, 'Life Center LIVE', Sunday's at 10:30am.
We hope and pray you will be continually blessed and comforted by the message of God’s hope, love, forgiveness & grace through Christ! - Pastor Ellery
Christ Came to Save You Not Condemn You
John 3:17 gives us an awesome overview of what Christ came to do FOR YOU: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
Reformation Day 2021
Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Today we discuss what it means to continue (abide, remain, make yourself at home) in Jesus' word and how the truth sets us free.
Jesus as The Perfect Rich Young Ruler
Hidden in the parable of the Rich Young Ruler is the Jesus, who is the perfect "rich young ruler" who not only fulfilled God's Law perfectly, but gave everything he had - unto his own life - to us.
The Dog Kind of Faith
A desperate mother finds herself powerless against a demon tormenting her daughter. Undeterred, she turns to Jesus and doggedly begs him to help.
Somebody Call a Doctor
In Mark 2:17 Jesus said he did not come for the those who are well, but for all of us who need a doctor.
When The Lord Passes By 
Walking on he water towards the disciples who were struggling against the wind, Jesus intends to pass by them. He's not ignoring them, but rather reaching back into the OT to give them a glimpse of God's mercy and grace towards them
Pentecost Sunday: The Power to Be a Witness
Immersed in the Spirit of God, we are given power to be witnesses of what God through Christ has done for us.
Easter 2021: A New Era Has Dawned
It's Sunday morning in 1st century Jerusalem and the first day of the work week. And unbeknown to the world, the death of Jesus two days prior had marked the end of the old covenant and the old age. with his resurrection - the first Easter Sunday - a new day had come and a new era had dawned.
We Will Not Give Up
We have a tendency to want to give up as we judge ourselves as losers because of the various afflictions we walk through. But the Apostle Paul encourages us to see that these same afflictions are instead producing in us the incomparable weight of God's glory.
Remember This One Thing in 2021
You may have heard "prophetic words" every new year from various "prophets" on TV and social media.
Here's our "word" for 2021.
***SPOILER ALERT*** It has to do with what Christ has done for you.
The Advent of Joy
Peace, hope, joy and love. The very things we are consumed to find in this mess of a world are the very things God has already given us freely - by grace - in Christ.
A Gospelicious Thanksgiving
Knowing what Christ has done for us - loving us, choosing us, dying for us, forgiving us, justifying us - creates the thankfulness that transcends our earthly circumstances.
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Watch Here
Forgiveness Through the Gospel
The Apostle Paul tells us to "put to death" such things as greed, lust, anger & every other sin in us that promotes violence and malice toward others. Through the gospel, he directs us to "put on" kindness, humility, compassion, forgiveness & love; the very things God has first shown us through Christ.
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Watch Here
Good Friday 4-10-20
Jesus' arrest, trail, and crucifixion by the Roman Empire on that tragic Friday 2000 years ago was the worst day of his followers lives.
And yet we call it Good Friday because as our representative hanging cursed on the cross, Christ ended our spiritual exile and brought us home to God.
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Watch Here
Palm Sunday with Chad Bird
God's Glory Comes Home 4-05-20
Riding into Jerusalem on a donkey was more than an act of humility on Jesus' part. It was the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus was saying the glory of God had come home and that he as Messiah had come to liberate and save us - his people.
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Watch Here
When God is Far Too Late
Church Live Stream From 3-29-20
Arriving far too late to heal their brother Lazarus from an illness, Jesus enters Mary & Martha's grief & glorifies God by raising him from the dead. He may have been far too late, but he is the God of the far too late.
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Watch Here
Church Live Stream
"The Hand Out That Saves" From 3-22-20
We could easily tell you to "keep your eyes on Jesus" in order to keep yourself afloat on life's troubled waters. Or we could just as easily tell you that even in your worst fears, doubts & anxieties, that Jesus is not letting you sink under the waves, but instead is reaching out his hand toward you to take hold of you to rescue you.
A comforting message for troublesome and scary times.
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Watch Here
Does God Care
"IF God loves you, WHY are these things happening to you!" - Satan
Behind the Devil's temptations are an undercurrent of malevolent accusation designed for you to mistrust God's mercy, love and grace toward you.
As the new Adam, Jesus overcomes the temptation to sin and mistrust the Father for you.
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​Listen & download here.
Philemon: How To Live
The short book of Philemon profoundly reveals how we as Christians are to live in this world.
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​Listen here.
Peace I Leave With You
The peace the world gives us is based on merit and transaction.
The peace Christ gives us is based on his grace and freely found in himself.
​Listen here.
Elements of Hope
As our problems & pain pile up, we can easily begin to lose hope. But when a promise from God enters our pain, hope returns.
​Listen here.
Prayer & Discouragement
Jesus' parable of the
persistent widow and the unjust judge ​shows us the connection between our prayers to God - who answers because he loves us - and our tendency to being discouraged when life is at its worst.
​Listen here.
The Lord Will Fight For You
​With the Red Sea in front of them and an army behind them, they were out of options. But then the Lord fought for them and neither the sea nor the army had a chance.
And in Christ, God has and will always fight for you.

​Listen here.
God's Love: Deserve It or Need It?
​It's easy to think God's love is something we deserve especially with the right amount of good behavior. But what if our good is never good enough?
Could it be God loves us because we simply need to be loved?

​Listen here.
God of the Impossible
​When faced with the impossible, my default mode is open mouthed panic.
Jesus, however, when faced with the impossible task of feeding thousands with a handful of bread and fish, looked to heaven and calmly GAVE THANKS to God.
Then the impossible happened.

Listen here

The God Who Rescues All By Himself
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not rescued from the fire because of their faithfulness to God but because of God's faithfulness to them.
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Listen here.

Grace Means No Payback
God purposely invites the down & out to a party they’ll never be able to payback. And that’s the point Jesus makes in the Parable of the Great Banquet.
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Listen here.

Don't Need No Superman
God has not called us to be Supermen.
Supermen don't need faith. And faith is critical since we are "saved by grace through faith." (eph 2:8)
​by Ellery Aguayo

The Gospel Creates Community
It is the gospel that creates a new kind of community, which is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, cultural or social backgrounds, sexual orientation, or any other contrived divisions we can imagine.
​by John Clark

First Love
Doing good works is admirable, but we tend to lose sight of the grace and love of God for us from which those good works emanate.

​by John Clark

The Woman Jesus Called a Dog
Jesus brings to light the perceptions we have of ourselves and others, not to berate us or condemn us, but to let us know that He loves us even in our sinful condition.
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​by John Clark

Battlefield of the Mind
Abiding in the knowledge that Jesus completely removed our condemnation by His death for us on the cross, we see no reason to obsess on our negative circumstances as judgments from God.
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​by John Clark

The God Who Bends Down to Look at The Sky
In Christ, God comes down to raise the poor from the dust & to lift the needy from the garbage pile.
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​by John Clark

The God Who Makes Breakfast for Sinners & Failures
When we don’t know what to do, and we keep going back to our same old failures, Jesus comes to rescue us from the dismal drudgery of our guilt & shame.
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​by John Clark

The God Who Rides a Donkey to Save the World
The "left handed power" of Christ's love and mercy cleansed us from the guilt of our sin, reconciled us to God, granted us eternal life and gave us the righteousness we all so desperately need.
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​by John Clark

Compassion Takes Over
Before you or I may know it, we will be the ones in need of a kind word, a hug, or someone to tell us that God loves us.
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​by John Clark

The Transforming Power of Grace, Love & Kindness
We do not change from the accusing fingers pointed at us, we change because of the open arms of God's love.
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​by John Clark

The Unfailing Resolution
God alone initiated the entire plan of salvation before creation as if it had already been done. It does not require any input, assistance, or even permission from us.
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​by John Clark

The Advent of Joy
We who are redeemed can look forward to the next advent of Jesus when our physical bodies - as well as all of creation - will be renewed to fully display the glory of God.
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​by John Clark

The Advent of Hope
Even the worst thing we ever did or could ever think of doing is forgiven as we receive the the grace Christ came to offer. 

​by John Clark

The Uncynical God
God, above all others in creation, has a right to be cynical. But despite of all of our shortcomings, He still loves us unconditionally. 

​by John Clark

Stand Firm in The Gospel
“Standing firm” does not mean we dig our heels in and work harder. It means we are to be solid and immovable in our resolute belief in what Jesus did for us.

​by John Clark

The Power of God is In a Story
You can work hard for 'salvation' & never attain it. Or you can simply believe God's Story & receive it as a gift.

​by John Clark

When the Cursed Get Blessed
In Christ, we who have been cursed due to our failure to keep the Law, are given the greatest blessing ever imagined.

​by John Clark

Landfall: Owning What Troubles Us
When we own our sins, failures and difficulties, they begin to lose their power over our lives.

​by John Clark

God's Got a Good Word For You
In times of anxiety, guilt and distress, we could use a good word.

​by John Clark

The Gospel Gives Us Strength
When the Law crushes us it is the gospel that strengthens us.

​by John Clark

The Gospel is For Everyone
No doubt racism is a great evil. The answer, however, is not found in the law (or even politics).
The answer is found in the gospel.
​by John Clark

Grace: Know It or Live It, There Is a Difference
Have you ever heard of Steve Bartman? Hopefully you have. And what happened to this once hated Chicago Cubs fan may impact your view of forgiveness in a profound way.
It's a parable of grace straight from the headlines.
​by John Clark

Testimonies - Who Are We Boasting About?
It was a service where people confessed their faults "one to another".
The result was hope.
​by John Clark

Grace Is...
Thoughts and musings on this amazing thing we call grace.
​by Pastor Ellery

THANK YOU! We had a GREAT outreach!

Your donations helped to make this year's school supply giveaway a success.