Get a life!

This is one of the points from Sundays message on gossip. I Timothy 5:13 says, "besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to." This scripture is from Paul to Timothy and if you read the verses prior to vs. 13 there appears to be some sort of list of good widows. Paul is telling Timothy there are certain women who shouldn't be put on the "good list." Why? Because they are gossips and busybodies (worrying about other peoples stuff). The reason they are gossips, according to Paul, is their idleness. They are lazy and not doing anything. When you do nothing your chances of becoming a person of gossip increase dramatically. Do you know people that gossip? I bet most of those people don't have a ministry. The women that Paul is talking about are going from house to house talking about everyone else...the doers. We all deal with gossip, but when we refuse to be involved in ministry...look out! Gossip will be very attractive. So, if you want to avoid becoming a person of gossip, do something, get involved...in other words...Get a Life!!!

My Beloved

Today, I'm going to write the mushiest blog I've ever written in my blogging career so if you don't like mush...hit the back button. Marinda, my wife, had a birthday on Monday and I'm reminded of our years together. We 1st met when she was the tender age of 16. I was sitting in a restaurant where she was a waitress and one glimpse was all it took. I looked at my friend (who would get me dates) and said, "get me a date with her." Her response, "she's too young." I said "No, that's the girl I want a date with." I can honestly say after 18 yrs. of being with this woman I don't feel the same anymore. The love I have now is stronger than ever...had you worried for a minute huh? I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to do life with great people, but when I think about my wife, I realize He gave me someone who is extra special. I'm excited about spending the rest of my life on this planet with her. Ok, now you can stop crying because the mush has come to an end. Have a great day!

Mark 11:35

The title of this entry is a verse...a verse I have taped to my computer and the dashboard of my vehicle. In our cell group we have been assigned a "spiritual partner" for the next 30 days. With our partners, we each made a commitment for the next month and mine was sticking verses in different places so I can meditate on them. Sound a little wierd? Maybe, but as I''ve focused on Mark 11:35 something is there I can't get past. Here is the verse: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." "Jesus got up" is the amazing part of this verse. How early was it? It was still dark so that's enough information for me. You've been in this situation many times...you try to get up for your "quiet time" but the warm cozy covers are too hard to resist. You want to call someone and apologize for something you've done or said about them but the comfort of your current position won't allow you to do it. You want to tithe but your checkbook is comfortably surviving so you back out at the last minute. Jesus got up. That's the 1st step, the hardest step. God's not about making us comfortable, He's about making us more like Jesus and if you're like me that's not a comfortable position. The more I focus on this verse, the more I want this to be said of my life. Michael got up. However, I realize that most of the time it says, "Michael stayed where he was at." How bout' you?

Springboard

Have you read thru Deuteronomy lately? I was reading this morning and something hit me. This is one long sermon. If you're a preacher and someone accuses you of going long...point them to Deuteronomy because it's Moses' final words to his people. In it, he reviews all the things that have happened to them during their journey to the Promised Land. Why did he review it? They were the ones who made the journey. I think he reviewed it so he could use their past as a springboard into the future. Remember, Moses' time was over...he wasn't going into the Land of Canaan because of an earlier sin. He was passing the leadership torch to Joshua and in his final words he used some good stories of the past to launch them into the future God had called them to. I must admit, there is not much I enjoy more than sitting around a campfire with good friends and sharing old stories from the past. And think about it...all the stories get better each time you tell them. True? I think in church we are good at looking at the past but sometimes I'm afraid we're too good. We dwell on it and love it so much that we want to relive the old days rather than make new ones. Looking at the past is great but we must use it to thrust us into a better tomorrow. In church we get stuck in ministry ruts because "we've always done it that way." We have to ask the question, "what can I do differently today that will make newer and better memories tomorrow?" Once you've answered that question it's time to get busy with today. Memories are great, Moses relived them, but he used them as we should...a springboard to something better!

Do something

James 4:17 says, Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. That's an easy verse to just read over, but what if someone actually said that to you today? "Hey dude, you should've helped that older gentleman at Wal-Mart yesterday...you sinner." "Hey man, you had the opportunity to spend time with your son yesterday and you passed it up...you sinner." If somebody spit out comments like that to us today we would refer to them as judgmental, pharisitical trash. The amazing thing is these words come straight from the brother of Jesus. James was one of the brothers that wanted nothing to do with Jesus and thought He was crazy. However, James experienced major life change and realized the importance of not just eliminating sin, but doing good. We are so good as Christians at eliminating stuff. We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become blind to the endless opportunities of doing good. We define holiness from what we seperate ourselves from rather than what we can give ourselves to. For most of us, it's not the sins we commit that is the great tragedy, but the opportunities we miss. James says we should do something. When you see an opportunity to do something good, do it. How's your holiness?

Weekend Highlights

This weekend we had some great stuff happen and sometimes we don't all get to be a part of everything so here are a few highlights:

The Pump it Up Party Saturday afternoon rocked! We had 60 in attendance...which was a great turnout...and all the kids (and adults) had a blast! Watching Pete & Steve in the boxing cage was good entertainment. I thought Farrah was going to knock James' head off with that joust club. The greatest moment of the evening, however, was when the 5 leadership team guys defeated the 5 laymen in the obstacle course race. The headfirst slide by Steve to win was very cool! That was a little teaser of what's going to happen this July when we kick off the series, "Is He in You?" Each week the Pastor's will compete against the laypeople of the church in a "Pro's versus Joe's Battle." Fun stuff!

Sunday morning we did a little service called "In the Round." Phillip built a stage in the middle of the room and all the chairs circled the stage for a more intimate approach. Scott, Michelle, Zach & Jami all did a great job telling their stories. We had a 130 in attendance, which is awesome for summer.

Someone that's been bathed in prayer during G.R.O.W. each month was in attendance Sunday.

Pete & Kelly Cancilla & Dustin Wheat all joined the Crossroads Team Sunday after attending the Membership Class. Welcome aboard guys!

That's a few things that happened this weekend you might have missed out on. Have an awesome day!

Risk

A man’s wife had a cat that irritated him constantly. He hated that cat. He hated having cat hairs all over his coat. He hated stumbling over that cat in the dark. He hated being kept awake by the cat’s squealing in the night.When his wife went to visit her mother, he drowned the cat. When his wife came back and asked about the cat, he said, “I guess the cat ran away.”His wife was distraught and despondent over the loss of the cat. She pleaded with him to find some way to have the cat returned, so he put out a $1,000 reward.A friend of his told him, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever hear – offering $1,000 reward for a cat you don’t even like.”The man replied, “When you know what I know, you can afford to take the risk.”
It's amazing what we will risk when we know the whole story. Think about your life as a follower of Christ for a second. How much time do you give God each day? How much of your talent are you using for His Church? Do you always tithe or just when there's enough money left over? Honestly, we all fall short in different areas of our lives. We won't give God our talent because were unsure if it will really matter, our time is held back because we have other "more important" things to accomplish and we refuse to tithe because we simply can't afford it. The truth is, we simply don't trust God will follow thru with His promises. We do something for God and we want our reward the next day. When He doesn't deliver we get upset. I don't know what's going to happen over the next 20 yrs. of my life but I know who's in charge. I've read the end of the book, Jesus wins! So, all I have to do is follow His will for my life. When I do that it will appear that I am taking huge risks when in actuality you would do the same because..."when you know what I know, you can afford to take the risk."

Accent

I recently went to Rockford, Illinois to marry a couple that is related to my wife. Being from the south, I talk a little differently than people from the north. If you've been you know exactly what I'm talking about. Before the wedding I was just listening to people talk and thinking to myself...they all sound just alike. I've been up north several times but I was just soaking it all in at this moment...for some reason it was funnier this trip. Before we left I went into a local Quik Shop to grab a bag of ice...I promise this is all I said, "I need a bag of ice." The lady behind the counter said, "You're not from here are you?" I said, "No, I'm a hick from Arkansas who dreams of having indoor plumbing in the near future!" Actually I just said, "no, I'm not" but that's what was going through my head. Anyway, there is a scripture in Matthews gospel that has always made me think about something. Here's the scripture: Matthew 26:73b says, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." This is the story of Peter's denial of Christ. Peter denies knowing Christ three different times but this comment by someone in the crowd has always made me think. Peter was recognized by the way he talked. Peter had a Galilean accent which made him standout in Jerusalem. In fact, all of the disciples had this Galilean accent, with the exception of Judas. So, just in the way the disciples talked moved people to relate him to Jesus. Now chew on this for a second. Does the way you talk cause people to relate you to Jesus? I could've told the lady in the Quik Mart that I lived just two blocks down the road but she would've known I was either lying or had just recently moved to town. My accent gave me away. Peter was trying to prove he was not a follower of Christ but his accent showed differently. I think we sometimes try to insist that we are followers of Christ but our accent shows differently. Ouch! Yeah, the truth hurts. We are going to be talking about the tongue for 3 weeks starting after Father's Day. How's your accent?

Going the distance

We talked about Vision Sunday and looked at a bad example...Esau. What about a good example? How bout' Abraham? Abraham was a man who not only had vision but he also went the distance. Think about this:
Abraham's father, Terah, left Canaan with Abraham but for some unknown reason he stopped in Haran and never continued his journey. Did he have a similar call to go with Abraham to the Promised Land? We may never know, but we do know that Abraham continued on.
When enemies kidnapped Lot, Abraham rescued him.
When God commanded Abraham to circumcise the males, he did it "that very same day."
And when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, he went the distance until God intervened and provided a ram.
Quitting is easy, anyone can do it. It's going the distance that seperates you from the pack. The vision God has for us at Crossroads is not a wind sprint. It's a marathon...a journey. It takes discipline, courage & the ability to finish strong. When God calls you to do something He won't tell you later to quit before it's finished. So, if you're considering "throwing in the towel" ask yourself who your listening to, because I can assure you...it's not God.