WEEKEND UPDATE (083009)

What a fantastic day Sunday as we wrapped up our series Ordinary People. Here's a few highlights:

1. Life change is happening at Crossroads. Many made decisions on Sunday to rededicate their lives to Christ!
2. Several people also told me that Sunday's message on Endurance spoke directly to their lives, as they were contemplating giving up on certain things...but were encouraged to: Stay POSITIVE, Try HARDER, and not QUIT (to quote some very practical steps that are often harder to do, than to write or talk about).
3. We saw out second largest crowd ever on Sunday with 257 in attendance. Amazing that contrary to what "they" say about church growth (churches don't grow in the Summer...especially new churches), God has seen fit to do it differently at Crossroads.
4. Twenty-three (23) first-time attenders yesterday! Woo-hoo!
5. Great to see Pastor Matt teaching in the Filling Station again!
6. Loved the new lighting and moving backgrounds during worship!
7. Worship music was AWESOME yesterday. The very best part of my day was the heartfelt singing of so many in the congregation during the quiet part of 'At The Cross'. Absolutely beautiful to hear God's people sing to Him!
8. Rachel did a GREAT job with Communication Cards. Way to go!
9. The Crossroads Cameo with Jake and Emerald was FANTASTIC! Great job by those guys and our crack tech staff in giving us insight into the lives and hearts of Crossroads attenders!
10. It was HOT and MUGGY in the sanctuary. Glad I was there for church and not a movie...I probably would have left. Thanks for sticking around. Hope they get the center AC unit fixed before next week. I'll keep you posted.
11. Sign-up for Community Groups yesterday at Group Link following the service was great. Our small group leaders will continue to sign people up for small group participation the next two Sunday's in the lobby and Sunday night, September 13th at a New Attenders Reception at the Annex. Stay tuned for more details!

This week, put into practice the character building tools we have received over the past month. Do not be afraid, but step out in faith with COURAGE. Look past the obvious in your life with VISION. Connect vision to fuel DISCIPLINE in your life as you remember why you are doing what you're doing. And allow God to develop ENDURANCE (the crowning quality) in you, as you stick to God's plan for your life (even when - or especially when, you run into trouble). God blesses those who endure.

Have a GREAT week!

To my Critics and Detractors, God's Best to You

You have written some tremendously harsh and hurtful things about me this week. You have taken my comments out of context. You have misrepresented, to those who are within your hearing, what I believe and what I teach. You have even, this week, called me a liar. While I am human and therefore feel the sting of your personal attacks and criticisms, as I would feel the pain of being mugged in the street, I am not moved to accommodate you by giving your words a platform.

I feel very deeply that what you are doing is wrong. You seem to be focused on tearing down, criticizing, and abusing the Bride of Christ, and abusing me personally as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, I have chosen to revoke your privilege - for the time - of being part of my conversation, as I would not suffer any other manner of verbal abuse. This Blog is intended to build up and edify the Body of Christ, and specifically those who attend and who are committed to growing in their faith at Crossroads.

Guys, I don't swing at pitches in the dirt, but don't mistake that for fear. I am not afraid of you, of your words, or - far more importantly - of standing before the judgment seat of Christ. I am not afraid to give an account before God of every word I have spoken and every message I have preached at Crossroads. My only fear is that people in our community, who do not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, might see the disunity born in your strident commentary, and walk away believing that they are not worthy recipients of God's grace and mercy. I have given my life - all that I am, all that I have, all that I will ever be - to do everything I can, to keep that from happening. To God be the glory.

You should know that I pray for you every day and every night. I pray nothing but God's favor for you and for those you love. I pray that God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace. I pray that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control are abundantly evident in all that you do.

I leave all of this in God's hands, and, as I will not be commenting further on this matter, I have only this left to say: Know that I desire only God's best for you, praying that you use your life to win souls for the Kingdom of God, and that I remain ever willing to assist you accomplish that important work.

Gene Oden

Lead Pastor, Crossroads Community Church

Note: due to the incendiary nature of many of the comments I have received recently, comments on my blog are temporarily closed. Feel free to email me. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Just...wow!

I had a good friend come up to me last Sunday and say, "So what's the deal with your blog? I keep going there, and there's no there, there". So...let me offer my most humble apologies, to those who come here with any regularity only to find that I haven't updated in several days. I promise to do better.

This Sunday we're wrapping up the series ORDINARY PEOPLE. I have enjoyed it, honestly maybe not as much as some others, because it's, well...challenging. And I KNOW, it's a lot easier to talk about, than it is to do. The nature of what we've been teaching leaves us ALL with some tough decisions to make; "Do I DO this, or do I just KNOW it and not DO anything about it". I mean, it's that way with all of the messages we share, but when we're focusing intently on character development...somehow, it's more challenging, don't you think?

On the upside of all that, the feedback indicates that it's working. People are doing what they are hearing. One of the ways we get that feedback - as I heard again in a conversation this morning with a staff member - is when elements, or portions or the messages, or key words or phrases from the current series begin creeping in to the culture and the everyday conversations of Crossroads attenders. Perhaps one of the most inspiring emails I read lately, from a long-time Crossroads attender responding to a volunteer opportunity, contained these scintillating sentences:

"We didn't just want to be an attender...but an integral element of the VISION. Personally this is perfect for me and I plan to put 100% effort into it."

Now guys, I don't know about you, but that kind of talk cranks my tractor! I get excited when I hear people that are not staff members, or even leaders in specific ministry areas at Crossroads so impacted by what God is doing in our midst that they buy in completely to the idea that what they have to offer is valuable, important, and needed by God. If we allow Him, God's desire (as demonstrated throughout Scripture) is to develop courage, vision, discipline and endurance in ordinary people like you and me - so He can do extraordinary things in and through our lives. To know that people are hearing and responding to that simple message makes me think, "Wow". Just...wow!

P.S. For the faithful readers of this Blog. I will soon be posting the first installment of a twelve-part series called "The Lord's Prayer". Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

WEEKEND UPDATE (Late Edition)

Hi guys, welcome to the late afternoon edition of Weekend Update. Slow start today resulting from what my fried Dave Anderson calls "holy hangover". Not sure how "holy" it is, but spiritually and emotionally I feel sort of like I got stomped by a team of horses and run over by the stagecoach they were dragging. I wonder if that counts? Here's some of what led to that condition:

1. Incredible Sunday at Crossroads that had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with God.
2. I don't know who, or how many, made first-time decisions to trust Christ, but over a dozen people rededicated their lives yesterday.
3. Great crowd, great attendance, tons of first-time attenders. First Sunday for new first-time guest GIFTS! Everybody likes free stuff, especially when it's GOOD free stuff! Something we've wanted to do for a year, it was cool to finally get that going.
4. The lobby experience was really great, enhanced by the decision to take name tags mobile. No more name tag tables. Now, you're greeted by someone really nice who writes your name for you on a name tag clip board, and hands it to you. No more lines, no more crowded tables!! It felt we our lobby grew to twice it's former size.
5. Worship was incredible yesterday. I should be more specific; it's always great, but yesterday was truly special. The last song had the majority of our crowd hooked up in worship in ways I have never seen before at Crossroads. Very cool. I look forward to that experience regularly.
6. Our crack tech staff did a great job with yesterday's service. Video content was great, cues were sharp, new lighting worked SO much better, and the new mic they gave me was really cool. I've waited a year for something that didn't snap, crackle, pop, boom, or hiss. It's great to have good gear. Now I got to figure out how to wear it right, to keep it working right.
7. Oh my goodness, I preached for nearly 50 minutes (as if you didn't already know that). Folks, it's not because I wanted to go long. It's not because I planned to go long. In fact I planned a 32 minute message (including clips and giggles). And I am sorry if anyone got a bit restless at the end. That is NOT our intention, ever. But...well, clearly God needed to get a point across to someone that apparently I didn't make in 32 minutes. It's not 'cause I didn't try. In fact, I tried NOT to walk back to my bible and open it again...but I did. And what came out was Acts 13, and this: "Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you". People walked out of the building different than they came in. They came in tired of religion and routine and rules and regulations, and they left with a renewed relationship with the Father. It happens that way sometimes.
8. Next week? 32-minute message. We promise.
9. Thanks to all who made my 49th-birthday weekend special! It's an honor to pastor Crossroads, but I am definitely equally honored to have friends and family who care about me and care FOR me.

Next Sunday we wrap up the series ORDINARY PEOPLE. This week, put in practice what we talked about yesterday. Remember WHY you're doing what you're doing. Connect God's vision for your life, with the discipline that will keep your life on track. When the practice of discipline is fueled by vision, you'll live a life of PASSION that transcends the everyday grind. Your life will take on new meaning and purpose, and God will do EXTRAORDINARY THINGS in you, and through you.

Have a GREAT week!

BALANCE BEAM

Perhaps you've seen this clip from Francis Chan before. If not, watch it. Amazing what God can and will do in and through the lives of ordinary people. People like you and me. If we'll only give Him the opportunity. Have a great Thursday!

PICK YOUR FAVORITE MATT

Fortunately folks, your selections have been narrowed down from these to one: the completely shaven and totally normal looking Matt Mendenhall. Welcome home, Matt. (Although the whole muttonchops thing you had working there was very evocative of a the Biker/Ice Road Trucker vibe. Not that we don't all love the Gunslinger/Ron Burgundy 'stash.) LOL.

Please Welcome Back...

Pastor Jet Lag.

Love this pic of Pastor Matt after 36 hours on a plane home from Afghanistan. Reminds me of a dude I knew in the 70's that used to sell dime bags of mexican weed. Kidding.

Big Crossroads love to Love to Pastor Matt, Hollie and the boys! Thank you God for keeping him safe and bringing him home!

WEEKEND UPDATE (081609)

Great weekend at Crossroads! Even in the face of technical difficulties that we haven't experienced in quite a while, God's purpose was accomplished in the service as people trusted Christ with their lives for the first time, and other rededicated their lives to His purpose. Here's a few quick take-away's from Sunday's service:

1. We had more technical meltdowns than an Ashley Simpson appearance on Saturday Night Live.
2. God is greater than ALL of our technical meltdowns. Cool!
3. HUGE take-away: We rarely HAVE technical meltdowns anymore, we just got 'em all in one day.
4. I got to experience what will go down as one of my favorite EVER "church-plant-in-a-movie-theatre" stories when I walked down the hallway to our children's wing towards Cinema 3 which houses our Nursery, Toddler and Pre-School area to find the signage from the current movie showing in that Cinema still in place. It read: The Hurt Locker. What a name for your nursery! I told our crowd and heard the biggest laugh I've ever heard at Crossroads! Good to know we are ALL imperfect, ORDINARY PEOPLE, and that we can roll with the punches!
5. Loved the way the worship band taught everyone the new song. GREAT connection!
6. Great to have new stage lighting (despite the fact that it didn't work very well). THAT, we can fix! Sanctuary lighting to be rolled out September 13th! Can't WAIT!!
7. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new Welcome to Crossroads video. (Sorry I stepped on a cable disabling the projector before it was over). I'm sure YOU'LL love it too...next week!
8. Organizational capability at Crossroads is on the rise. I saw many new old faces, really hooking up and serving throughout the church! THAT'S HUGE!!
9. Despite all the tech glitches, God planned and used Sunday's service to reach people and help their hearts heal in ways we never could have imagined. Thank you, God!

Your staff and leadership team at Crossroads is working OVERTIME to prepare our organization to take a HUGE step forward soon. Yes, re-inventing our sanctuary for this Fall is a large undertaking that will be beneficial for all who attend, but the biggie for us to face down and gear up for, is going to TWO SERVICES each Sunday morning! I am so stoked about rapid growth at Crossroads and about the planning going into providing a stable foundation for that growth. Look for our new schedule for services at the Cinema AND the Annex soon!

In response to an OVERWHELMING amount of requests, we are bringing back an early Crossroads classic family series for September. Starting September 13th, for three weeks, it's HOME IMPROVEMENT! Can't wait.

Have a great week!

Rio de Vida!

For more than a year and a half - since Crossroads first started renting our Annex space - I have watched a parade of humanity from the Latino community in Enterprise walk right by our door. Our offices are at the Annex, our Youth Group meets there, some small groups meet there, and we have staff meetings and also do a variety of things there on Sunday evenings. But for a solid year, one very large reality has stared back at me, saying, "Do something!", and that is the reality that the Annex is ALWAYS EMPTY on Sunday morning.

Well, no longer. A couple of months ago I was introduced through a mutual friend to Pastor Alvin Irizarry. Just call him Pastor "Izzy". Izzy is a Puerto Rican-born active duty soldier on Fort Rucker. And he had a church. A small congregation meeting in various places throughout the city for the past couple of years. I introduced him to Ron Sylvia's book, 'Starting New Churches on Purpose'. He got a copy of the Purpose Driven Church in Spanish for his wife. Jan Greggo at the NEXT Initiative sent me all the NEXT literature available in Spanish. A couple of months after our first meeting, Izzy's church is no longer a church. It is now a LAUNCH TEAM dedicated to launching large!

Today, as I pulled up to the Annex to do a bit of work left undone from the week, I ran head-on into a Rio de Vida community outreach. Literally HUNDREDS of members of that parade of humanity that God loves SO MUCH, were being fed, as Pastor Izzy and members of Rio de Vida's launch team shared God's vision for Rio de Vida, and God's heart for them: salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

Gloria a Dios!

P.S. I know I don't have the proper grammatical nuances of the Spanish language in my typing yet, but give me time...I'll figure it out. In the mean time, lift up Pastor Izzy, his wife, and all of Rio de Vida in prayer. They are DOING the work!

Wisdom from Pumbaa

"It's like my buddy Timon always says, You gotta' put your behind in your past!" I love that mis-quote from Pumbaa. A little off, but well-intentioned, and right on the money. Timon says, "No, no, no Amateur. Sit down before you hurt yourself. It's, 'You gotta out your past behind you". Quoting cartoon characters, you say? That the best you got, you ask?

How, 'bout this: Every day is a new day. Even the subject-to-bouts-of-serious depression prophet Jeremiah knew it when he declared: God's compassion doesn't fail. His mercies are NEW every morning.

Thank God for that promise. God meant that for you and for me and I don't know about you, but I really need it. We all have things in our past we wish weren't there. We have made mistakes, we have said or done things we regret. Some were maybe years ago, some were maybe minutes ago. But ALL are things for which you and I, as followers of Christ, have received mercy and - through Christ - forgiveness.

Many of us spend the better part of each day fretting over things for which we have already been forgiven - beating ourselves up needlessly. In fact, most of us are accomplished professionals at it, and rank amateurs at remembering the awesome promises of God's grace. I think Pumbaa had it right, "Put your behind in your past". However you want to say it, Pumbaa's option makes a whole lot more sense than using your past to kick yourself in the behind. Just sayin'.

Have a great weekend. See you Sunday!

UN-SWATTED

"Jesus went out and found the most screwed-up, messed up individuals He could find and He used them to turn the world upside down". (Perry Noble from 'No Perfect People Allowed')

Ordinary people have issues. Ordinary people have problems. Ordinary people mess up. Ordinary people don't always get it right. Ordinary people have said things they shouldn't have said. Ordinary people have done things they shouldn't have done. Ordinary people have gone places they had no business being. Some ordinary people don't say as many things as they shouldn't say, or do as many things as they shouldn't do, or go to as many of the places they shouldn't go as they used to. Some ordinary people still do. Regularly. Sounds like real life to me.

Know what else? Some ordinary people have admitted they are sinners and are lost without Christ and still mess up (can you imagine that?). Regularly. Some ordinary people live extraordinarily well-dressed, uptight, do-right, act-right, talk-right lives and have completely rejected the love of God that Christ came and lived and died and rose again to demonstrate. And all of these people have one thing in common: They are ORDINARY PEOPLE and God still LOVES and USES everyday ORDINARY PEOPLE (who don't get everything right) to turn the world upside down. Think God hates you? Think again. He came here for you...

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?" Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." Matthew 9:11-13, The Message

So be encouraged this week as you go about your ordinary life and make ordinary mistakes (because you will make mistakes - and those who think they don't might just be the biggest mistake makers of all). GOD LOVES YOU. He is not sitting on His throne with a cosmic flyswatter in His right hand looking for the opportunity to smack you down. Yes! God LOVES righteousness, and He sent Jesus so that ORDINARY PEOPLE like you and me (and all the rest of the really messed up, screwed up people on this planet) would have the opportunity to BECOME RIGHTEOUS through Jesus Christ His Son. 'Cause no matter how righteous we FEEL we are, no matter how good we THINK we are, it ain't gonna get the job done. There's only one way for ordinary people like you and me to live the everlasting, righteous life that God wants for ALL of us...and that's through Christ.

Are you ordinary? You're in GOOD company. Christ LIVED for you. Christ DIED for you. Christ ROSE AGAIN for you...you ordinary old buzzard, you! May God's great grace keep you mercifully and wholly UN-SWATTED until we meet again this Sunday for part two of our new series ORDINARY PEOPLE at Crossroads!

Peace.

(Art by will.lurie@crossroadsenterprise.org)

WEEKEND UPDATE (080908)

Absolutely HUGE Sunday at Crossroads that was our biggest day in terms of attendance EVER, and it has absolutely nothing to do with us. That I can assure every one of you. God is God and He will do what He will do. We're just trying real hard not to mess it up. Here's a few quick takes from the weekend:

1. 275 in the building w/201 in the main sanctuary. THAT was cool!
2. Over a DOZEN first time attenders. THAT was cooler!
3. Ordinary People making first-time decisions or rededicated their lives to Christ, that is the COOLEST!
4. Worship was slammin'! Loved the John Mayer opener!
5. Lobby was electric. As more people are coming, they're moving a little quicker into the sanctuary. Now the sanctuary is starting to buzz pre-service. It's a whole new thing and it's really cool.
6. BTW look for SERIOUSLY BUTT-KICKING additions to our tech and lighting and set design this fall...TOTALLY stoked about it!
7. Favorite thought from yesterday's service (not my own): "Isn't it incredible how some people would rather face eternity in hell than confess that they are sinners because confession can be embarrassing and make us feel uncomfortable and exposed". It's SO true.
8. 2nd Favorite thought from yesterday's service: "The most courageous thing any man, woman, or young person will ever do is turn their lives over to God completely".
9. Nursery was rockin', Pre-school and toddlers were rockin', and the Filling Station (elementary ministry) was OFF THE CHAIN with their new series. We have incredibly dedicated staff and volunteers in these areas. Great job! One tech staff member told me, "The Filling Station is SO COOL, I want to work in there!" Can't blame her...
10. What happened Saturday at Crossroads very first BLOCK PARTY for the neighborhood behind the Cinema was OVERWHELMING. Literally DOZENS of volunteers served the community. It was CHURCH (without the preaching, Woot!). Kudos to Rhonda Childres, Joe and Sherry DeCesare and EVERY ROADIE who made it happen. Exceptional job!

Too many other things to talk about here, but this was a banner weekend for Crossroads. This Sunday we celebrated our first anniversary since we launched Crossroads at the College Cinema. God gets all the HONOR, all of the PRAISE, and all of the GLORY for anything good that has happened in the past year...and there has been a LOT!

I am humbled and honored to get to pastor this church. I am in AWE of what God is doing. I am also humbled by the dedication of all who serve His church! What a thrill.

Keep Pete and Katie in your prayers, guys. Love to all. Have a GREAT week.

All Our Love to Pete and Katie Fell

Guys, this has been such a difficult week for so many in our church family. None more so than our beloved Katie and Pete Fell, who have suffered pain and loss beyond our understanding. Their faith is an inspiration to all of us as they are wholly leaning on God, whose peace also surpasses our ability to comprehend.

There is a Memorial Service for Zoey Fell, the infant daughter of Pete and Katie at Searcy Funeral Home in Enterprise tomorrow, Saturday August 7th. Visitation is at 1:30PM with a memorial to follow at 2:30PM. Come and show your support and love for these young people of tremendous courage and faith and keep Pete and Katie in your prayers.

Ordinary People

Frankly, I can tell you I have never felt more ordinary than I do right now. In my 20's, I was bullet-proof and ten-feet tall. In my 30's, I was absolutely certain that I was the best at what I did for a living, and I was only too happy to tell you all about it. In my early 40's, reality still had not yet set in, and it wasn't until I passed the mid-forty mark that I started to realize that none of what I used to think about myself was actually true. Today, a few days from turning 49, I am a completely ordinary person, I am fantastically average, I am totally lost without God, and I am starting to think that He's got me right about where He wants me.

But there's something great about realizing how ordinary we are: it leaves a tremendous amount of room for God to do extraordinary things in our lives. All this month at Crossroads we'll be looking at how - with God's help - ordinary people like you and me lead extraordinary lives for God; with courage they never thought they had, discipline to keep attention on what's truly important, vision to see beyond the obstacles life puts in our path, and endurance to run the race that God has given each of us.

We are all ordinary people, but through Christ we have the opportunity to live extraordinary lives! That's something worth celebrating, along with the First Anniversary of Crossroads Launch at the College Cinema in Enterprise. Can't wait to see you all again on Sunday!

WEEKEND UPDATE (Road Edition)

What a fantastic weekend at Crossroads! Biggest crowd ever, and we weren't even talking about sex! Wow. No, this Sunday was a one-off message called EVOLVE. It was all about servant evolution. Sort of an opposite illustration of what has been widely taught as the evolutionary scale of man. For our purposes, we looked at the evolution of a servant from 'Servantus Minimus' - the self-absorbed, self-involved, "memyselfandi-"icus", to that most rare of all servants, 'Servantus Maximus', the outwardly-focused, God-involved servant of all , whom Jesus taught about in Matthew 20, and Paul elaborated on in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

It was a banner weekend. We celebrated God's goodness and the richness of His grace to all of us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What a thrill to welcome more than a dozen first-time attenders, and pray as more than a dozen made decisions to rededicate their lives to Christ!

Unexpected family business has taken me on the road for the next few days. Confident of a favorable outcome for all concerned, I look forward to seeing you all again soon and rejoicing with you over what God is doing in our community! Stay positive. We have much work to do. Practice patience and pursue peace as you demonstrate Christ's compassion for all humankind.

God's very best to each and every one of you!