"But we've ALWAYS done it this way!"

I am beyond excited about ALL-IN, our new series that starts this Sunday. It's only going to be three weeks, but it will lead right into another three-week series called PAY IT FORWARD. Put simply, ALL-IN is about GIVING, regardless of the hand you've been dealt. PAY IT FORWARD is about SERVING, regardless of who the recipient of your service is.

I have been on this journey of following Christ (and often running down rabbit trails claiming to be following Him) for 20 years. Maybe because I came to faith late in life (at 29), with a great hunger for life-change, I wasted no time, listening intently to what people told me and taught me, read my Bible, and did what I thought I was supposed to do. That can come at some cost, if the listening you are doing outpaces the growth of your understanding.

In other words, if you form OPINIONS about what is TRUE before you have read and studied for yourself and grown in understanding of what is ACTUAL Biblical truth, it is possible for you to spend many years BELIEVING something to be TRUE...that actually has little or no Scriptural foundation. In fact, if we are being honest, much of what you and I believe as followers of Christ (through little fault of our own) is rooted in religious, or church tradition. Not saying all tradition is bad, because it ISN'T, I'm just saying we need to recognize the difference between TRUTH an TRADITION.

Along those lines, I am going to pose a VERY PROVOCATIVE QUESTION Sunday morning, and proffer a principle that may challenge everything you believe about GIVING, and will challenge much of what you and I have been taught about TITHING. To what end? What purpose can possibly be gained from such an examination?? Only this: to GROW in the knowledge of what God truly wants FOR us, and what God truly wants FROM us. It's time for us to push all our chips to the center of the table and boldly declare, "I'm, ALL-IN!"

See you Sunday, it's gonna be one for the books! (And don't forget to set your clocks back, yo!)

"Call me when you have no class!"

Quick informational Blog post to let everyone know about two classes coming up in November. The first is Crossroads membership class called ROADIES 101. Two hours of rollicking good fun (and a bit of important info and inspiration) to take place on Sunday November 8th from 4:30Pm to 6:30PM @ the Annex.

The second class being offered this month (and every month after this) is a class for people new to the faith, or those returning to their faith in Christ. The class is called NEXT STEPS. It is also a two hour class that will be held Sunday November 15th from 4:30PM to 6:30PM.

If you have not taken ROADIES 101, here's your opportunity. If you want to learn more about the basics of what it means to be a follower of Christ, NEXT STEPS is for you. Learning is for LIFE at Crossroads!

To recap:

ROADIES 101 Sunday Nov. 8th 4:30-6:30PM @the Annex

NEXT STEPS Sunday Nov. 15th 4:30-6:30PM @ the Annex

Crossroads Children's Annex

In case you missed Pastor Matt and Hollie's awesome video announcement on Sunday...

This coming Sunday, November 1st, Crossroads new Children's Annex will open in the dance studio right next door to the College Cinema where our Sunday morning services take place. Pastor Matt & Hollie, Jessie Brooks and all of our faithful volunteers are working hard to create a safe and fun environment for your children nursery through kindergarten-age.

As you know, the Peek-A-Boo Nursery and Big Wheels Pre-School met in Cinema 3 since we launched last year. Everyone did a great job working to create a great environment there for our children, but doing nursery/pre-school in a movie theatre presents some challenges that simply can't be overcome. Flat, level floor space has always been the biggest of those challenges.

This Sunday, follow the signs to our new Children's Annex where your nursery through kindergarten-aged child will find a warm, inviting, safe environment with 4000 square feet of flat, level floor-space to love, laugh, learn and play!! Our staff is ready to accommodate the needs of all of our Crossroads kids! As always, there are many volunteer opportunities still available in every area of ministry at Crossroads. If you are interested in serving in our Children's Annex one Sunday a month, see Pastor Matt or Hollie on Sunday, they'll be happy to hook you up!

Thanks to all the parents of our nursery through kindergarten-aged children who entrusted the care of your kids to our great staff, and braved the idea of children's church in a movie theatre. You have patiently waited for us to expand, and we are ready to serve your family at a "whole 'nutha level"!! Thank you. See you Sunday at the new Children's Annex!!!

ROADIE APPRECIATION

Just a quick Blog post separate and apart from the WEEKEND UPDATE, because it deserves special attention of its own. This weekend, you guys blessed me and Leslie and the kids with a financial gift that was way above and beyond. I cannot express to you how humbling that is and how grateful we are.

See, the way we have it figured, WE'RE the ones who are blessed, we're the lucky ones, we're the fortunate ones...not you guys! We should be giving you cards, and pouring out blessings on YOU!

In the 10th Chapter of Mark, there's this great conversation that takes place between Jesus and Peter, on the heels of an amazing exchange between Jesus and a certain rich young ruler. Peter (and I imagine him looking wide-eyed with some trepidation, and a bit of a, "Um...feeling a little sorry for myself here" attitude), says to Jesus, "We have left EVERYTHING to follow you"!

Jesus says to Peter, "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age". You know, I used to think that scripture was all about money. But it's so much MORE than that! Today, I realize that whatever Leslie and I and our kids have sacrificed for the sake of the gospel, is CONTINUALLY poured back into our lives by God. And the biggest way He does that is by letting us do life with YOU.

Today, our family is privileged to be a part of HUNDREDS of families that we have received at Crossroads! Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children. We have MORE than we ever imagined!

Thank you for all you do for us. We appreciate YOU!!! I pray that the Holy Spirit would always help us as we endeavor to walk worthy of our calling as your pastors.

Gene & Leslie

WEEKEND UPDATE 102509

Hey guys, fantastic day at Crossroads yesterday as we wrapped up our series The Living Dead. Here's a few quick hits from the weekend starting with Saturday:

1. Saturday was the bomb. Period. A bunch of Roadie Regulars and some new friends hopped on our bikes and did a quick 330-mile ride down to the Auto Museum in Tallahassee and back. Great to ride with Leslie, Dave, Ulli, John, Larry, Jackie, and Steve. Go fast. Make noise.
2. Sunday morning was simply incredible. Great crowd! TONS of first-time attenders. Several people recommitted their lives to Christ, and several made decisions to be baptized!
3. The lobby was just amazing. I think about 5 minutes before the service started, 260 people walked in and went for coffee and muffins at the same time. It was a circus-like atmosphere (all fun - no scary clowns), and it's something i have come to LOVE about Crossroads! We have a late crowd. It's just how we roll.
4. Worship was wonderful on Sunday!! The high point had to be hearing a couple of hundred folks singing "All Over" while the band played quietly. It was an awesome moment of God-connectedness! Reverent and totally right.
5. I have to say that The Living Dead is probably one of my favorite series' since we launched. So much fun! So many laughs, but all with an on-purpose, on-point message. Thanks to all who worked on the creative end to bring this series home!
6. Love how comfortable the congregation was yesterday. It was EASY to share the message. Everyone was so responsive. Great live-action feedback and participation.
7. I got silly several times yesterday as we drew out some illustrations for how to create MARGIN in our lives. (Think chocolate and pizza...) But fortunately, the message was strong enough to hold up under the weight of my silliness and goofing around. Understanding that we expend so much effort and energy fighting (and losing to) sin, rather than taking on temptation is HUGE! Setting personal boundaries way back from the edge of sin is SUPER-HUGE! I got as much out of that as anyone in the building, and I spent the evening thinking about boundaries I can push back.
8. A sizable group of first-time attenders came en masse from a place they have recently been. I want each of you to know how very welcome you are at Crossroads. It's a privilege and an honor to have you in the house. Should God direct you to stay and put down roots at Crossroads, it will be our privilege and our honor to serve with you and worship God together! We want ONLY God's best for YOU!!

Crossroads is continuing to grow at a very fast pace. In order to accommodate that growth, don't forget that THIS COMING SUNDAY we are launching the new Crossroads Children's Annex in the dance studio next door, and Highway 68, Crossroads Middle School Ministry is moving into Cinema 3. Pray for those in leadership, and pray for the resources required for a successful launch!

As you dig into your week, ask God to show you areas of your life where you can (or need to) reset, relocate, push back boundaries in your life to create MARGIN in your life. Don't spend this week butting up against the sin that seems to whoop you on a continual basis. Instead, create margin, by pushing back your boundaries so far from the edge of sin, that overstepping them wouldn't cause you to sin. Fight temptation long before it has a change to turn into sin in your life!

Share your faith with someone today and invite big! Have a GREAT week!!!

Crazy Busy

I remember reading a small book some years ago called Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel. In it he talks about the fact that we often ignore the IMPORTANT in favor of the URGENT, and he mentions something known as the Parkinson Principle: "Work expands to fill all the available time". In other words, even if we had a 30-hour day, soon we'd still have just as many unfinished tasks, unanswered emails, and (in my case) unwritten blog posts. That's a pretty creative excuse for not being here since Tuesday, huh? Read the book anyway...it's worth it. It's helpful in getting priorities straightened out.

Here's how my weeks gone: Sunday was incredible, baptizing 12 people while more than 100 witnessed the whole experience and hung out together. Monday we dug into our upcoming series at Crossroads "All-In", blogged, edited podcasts, and did the myriad tasks required every Monday. Tuesday was more study and preparation, video shoots, and creative meetings. And then came Wednesday. Ahh...Wednesday. Me and Leslie took our first day off in more than a couple of weeks. Woke up late. Spent the day together. (Next to the baptism, probably the most IMPORTANT thing I did all week). Then, we had our first small group meeting Wednesday night. Thursday was hectic from 7:30AM to 8:30PM culminating in the Wiregrass Hope Group annual banquet. These people do INCREDIBLE work in our community. Crossroads supports them financially, and I encourage you to do so personally. Today, rain, email blasts, more rain, message prep, probably more rain, and catching up from being out Wednesday and being so busy Thursday. Saturday, motorcycle ride with a crazy bunch of ROADIES. All invited. meet at the College Cinema at 8AM. That's my week. Hope yours was slower. I'll bet it wasn't.

Sunday, we're wrapping up The Living Dead. It's been a great series. a lot of fun, but a REAL important message. Paul says, "throw OFF the old sinful nature, put ON your new nature". Easier said than done, right? So Sunday, in our final installment, we're going to talk about an INFINITELY PRACTICAL tool to help us. It's all about RE-SETTING boundaries. In other words, setting the boundaries in our lives so far BACK from the edge of disaster, that to cross those boundaries would not result in immediate carnage in our lives. In practice, it really, REALLY works.

Have a GREAT weekend. ROLL TIDE BEAT TENNESSEE!! See you SUNDAY!!!!

Technical Difficulties...BUT...

Had a small glitch on Sunday that resulted in our not having a podcast of Part 3 of The Living Dead. I will be doing a brief podcast summarizing what the service was about, and I'll notify by twitter and facebook when it's up. Thanks for your patience.

On a brighter note, I am thankful how few and far between our technical glitches have become. Successful execution and performance has become the norm at Crossroads. I am proud of the efforts of our tech staff and media arts team. Today, as media arts pastor Will Lurie was shooting green screen video for our Children's Annex and Middle School ministry launch on November 1st, I was reminded how fortunate we are at Crossroads to have been blessed with such talented, creative, capable and tech-savvy people! Go God!!

WEEKEND UPDATE (101809)

Incredible day at Crossroads on Sunday! Here's a bit of what happened:

1. So MANY volunteers working in so many areas. One first-time attender told me, "I can't believe that this place is transformed from a movie theatre into a church and back again. Does everyone have a job and know what they're doing?" What an awesome perspective on what happens each week at Crossroads. This Sunday was no exception. Crossroads volunteers ROCK!!
2. Lots of First, Second and Third-time attenders this week. So GREAT to see people come back!!
3. New series "SPY CHASE" in the Filling Station ultra cool! Great set pieces by Billy Donegan! Entire Filling Station staff looked like spies ...or, um...NARC's. Ha, ha! Awesome stuff going on in there!!
4. Crossroads was recently blessed with a brand new 40-unit PERSONAL PAGER SYSTEM!!! Huge thanks to the awesome family that made this gift! Nursery, Toddlers, Pre-School used new PAGER SYSTEM for the first time on Sunday! It's a big piece in our November 1st move into the new 4000 square-foot Crossroads Children's Annex right next door!
5. Worship was the BEST I have ever experienced at Crossroads on Sunday. The band was GREAT. The sound was GREAT. Janna (and Emberlin) sang their hearts out. Great job by Sam, too. Great to have Jonathan on keyboards. Missed Nic, but he had the team well prepared! Great job!!
6. So much fun with Part 3 of The Living Dead. The ZED-5000 Zombie Mind Probe and letting the Zombie out at the Booty Station. Thank you Zombie Darryl Darrylson from Flint, Michigan. Glad you enjoyed the service. We had a ball laughing with (at) you!!!
7. My humble apologies to any who may be permanently emotionally scarred from seeing me dance on stage!!
8. Crossroads was the only church in America with a Zombie throwing up in an actual toilet on stage. Not certain if that is a mark of distinction, or a scathing indictment. We'll let God sort that one out. If it helped one person remember that Old Sinful Nature = Old Thoughts = Old Behaviors = Death, then it was WELL WORTH IT.
9. AMAZING time at Lake Tholocco Sunday afternoon for Crossroads' 3rd Beach, BrrrrBQ & Baptism!!! Twelve people were baptized and over 100 enjoyed a great time of fellowship together! Baptizing people is the highlight of my life. It never gets old. So fun to have others involved like Ben, Matt, Hollie and Dave Clark. What a THRILL it is to see people go PUBLIC with their faith in Jesus Christ!!!
10. I was so tired last night after a brutal week, and a HUGE day at Crossroads that every bone in my body hurt. I took a couple of Tylenol PM and laid awake in bed for several hours seeing the parade of hundreds of faces of Crossroads attenders. How I long for - with all my heart - that you would be totally connected to God, to one another and to the world around you! I pray that God would continue to teach me, to equip me, and to help me serve you. I am so blessed, so privileged, so honored to be your pastor. Thank you for your patience.

This week, remember Paul's words: "Put off your old sinful nature and put on your NEW NATURE, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. Notice he doesn't say "self-righteous and holier-than-thou". So go out into your world, your school, your neighborhood, your workplace as an instrument of God's love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. Have a GREAT week!!

BEACH, BBQ & BAPTISM

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. (Romans 6:4, NLT)

Why be baptized? Baptism paints the truest picture of dying to sin and arising to Christ and new life! Baptism is a public declaration of a new association. Baptism is a decision to GO PUBLIC with your faith, and publicly associate with the name and the teaching of Jesus. Since the time Jesus left this earth, and a person could no longer PHYSICALLY associate with him, BAPTISM is the way a person associates themselves with Christ!

If you have decided to be a follower of Christ, your next step is to be baptized. Don't put it off. This Sunday at 3:00PM on the East Beach of Lake Tholocco on Fort Rucker, Crossroads will be holding our third Beach, BBQ and Baptism celebration! Sign up in the lobby to be baptized or just show up and be baptized. Bring some shorts, a dark t-shirt and a towel. Bring a side dish, some Bubba-burgers, hot dogs, a dessert or whatever! We'll baptize all who wish to be baptized, and then eat, hang out and have a good time.

Last year over 250 people witnessed 45 people get baptized. Don't miss this event. It's one of the most important things that takes place at Crossroads, and in the life of those who have made the decision to be followers of Christ. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!

See you Sunday.

Last Night @ The Underground

The Underground - Crossroads' new Youth Initiative has a blog updated by youth pastor Chris Brooks. So you can bet that everything that needs to be written about, and all the information that needs to be disseminated about the Underground will most certainly appear there. However, one thing that won't appear there is my list of take-away's from last nights launch:

1. It was so great to be around such an awesome group of 9th through 12th graders. Young people are the future of the Kingdom of God. We are honored to know and serve you.
2. A bunch of people busted their butts to get the Underground ready to open. Without them it wouldn't have worked.
3. Snack bar is awesome. Thanks Mack!
4. Carpet is awesome. Thanks Mike!
5. The look and feel of the room is clean, fresh, professional and electric.
6. All the student helpers and adult volunteers knew their job and did it well.
7. New song by the band was slamming and the sound in the room is great!
8. All the graphics, the lighting, the video content all good! Every segment in the service flowed into the next and worked great.
9. Chris Brooks message: Solid. Short. Sweet. Important.
10. Chris is the right person, in the right seat on the bus for this stage in the development of youth ministry at Crossroads. He's a great communicator, a humble and caring person, growing in his gift.
11. Jessie Brooks has truly put her heart into everything that is happening at the Underground and it shows!

Like Paul, who wrote to the Corinthians (1 Cor 3:10-15) about laying a foundation and those who build upon it, Ben and Kelly Rice left something great to build on, the foundation that is Jesus Christ. I have every confidence that Chris and Jessie will build with care, and the quality of their work will stand the test of fire.

Kudos on a great launch!

RE-GROOVE

So here's what I'm meditating on this week. Check it out for yourselves. Good stuff. It's all about RE-THINKING. The path to RE-thinking is clear. You and I have to UN-think old thoughts and RENEW our mindset.

• Ephesians 2:1-2
• Ephesians 4:23-24
• Romans 8:5-8
• Colossians 3:2
• Phillipians 4:8

I was re-reading The Calf Path, a great old poem by a guy named Sam Walter Foss. It's a GREAT read by the way, and you should take a minute and read it for yourself. In it, among "the many things this tale might teach", he likens old paths we walk down to a "sacred groove" that we move along our whole lives. And how, strictly out of habit or precedent, we reject new paths and new ideas and understandings, because we're stuck in the old ways.

I was thinking about how closely that mirrors our natural propensity to stick to the "old grooves" in the way we think. And as a result, the way we act. And how, when we do, it almost always leads us places God doesn't want us to go. Paul says, "The sinful mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so". When we were dead in sin, our thought-life was controlled by our old sinful nature. And we acted accordingly. We really had no choice. But now, since we're new creations in Christ, we need to adopt new ways of thinking. And act accordingly. There is really no choice there, either.

The balance of this week, as we think about mistakes we made, or the things we wish we'd done differently, remember that you and I, "are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit" (Romans 8:9). It is by the Spirit - and only by the Spirit - that we can "put to death the misdeeds of the body".

How do we do that? RE-GROOVE!! Think differently. And act accordingly. Get off the calf path.

Peace.

WEEKEND UPDATE 101109

Hey, great weekend at Crossroads! Though we were out of town for the big New Hampshire wedding - and many folks were taking advantage of the three-day weekend - we still had a FANTASTIC CROWD Sunday morning at the cinema! Here's some quick take-away's from the service:

1. Heard from TONS of people what a great day it was at Crossroads and what a jam-up job Natalie did with the message! So great to have people like Ben, Chris and Natalie who own the vision of Crossroads, rightly divide the word of truth, and communicate it clearly with passion!
2. Listening to the podcast: totally necessary, biblically sound, relevant teaching!
3. Loved Natalie's deep, dark, ice cream sundae confession complete with soundtrack!!
4. Props to the Lobby Team for doing a great job short-handed!
5. Sound was excellent - worship band had a great set! You Are For Me was exceptionally good!
6. Props to the Tech Team for all the great video and props work. Cool!
7. That video of me slapping the snot our of zombie Darryl Darrylson was a hoot! Will did an incredible job with the post-apocalyptic special effects! Look for Darryl's big return next week.
8. Natalie said, "The crowd was so great, they were engaged, and so many told me they could really relate to being under a Zombie-attack!"
9. Pete Fell was a great zombie-slayer! Thanks Pete, way to go!
10. Great job by all who dug in and made Sunday's service special for our first, second and third-time attenders!

This week, take the battle to the father of lies! YEAH!!! How? Be prepared! Know Your Enemy! Suit Up (put on the full zombie-slaying armor of God)! And remember there's strength in numbers! Surround yourself with like-minded believers and together influence others for Christ. Don't listen to the lies of the enemy. You are MORE THAN ABLE to overcome any temptation when you are in Christ!

Have a SMASHING week and don't forget about BEACH, BBQ and BAPTISM this Sunday October 18th at the East Beach of Lake Tholocco at 3:00PM! See you there!

Weekend Wedding Wrap-Up

I'll get to our WEEKEND UPDATE for Crossroads in a bit, but I wanted to share a few quick thoughts with you about the weekend we just spent in New Hampshire. Leslie and I flew up to marry Chris Vincent and Allie Jette. They purchased tickets for us a couple of months ago, which was a real blessing.

The week leading up to leaving was kind of a slow crawl through hell. About Wednesday before flying out Friday, we knew we could fly up there, but we didn't have the money for rooms, or a rental car, or meals, or anything else. We were down to one car that worked, and we had to leave that for the kids, but our flight left from B'ham. The whole thing just LOOKED impossible.

Listen, me and Leslie are pretty independent folks. We've worked hard over the years, and did so to put some distance between us and financial difficulty. But we also built a little world for ourselves that had a lot of walls in it. Walls that would insulate us from other people. We NEVER stayed with other folks, or rode ANYWHERE with other folks. We valued privacy above all things. Oops!

Over the last couple of years God has COMPLETELY blown that up in our lives. And this trip was our recent life in microcosm. We have become (and ARE) totally dependent on God. For everything. Thursday someone gave us $500 in cash to cover costs for the trip. Humbling. Later that night, a group that was going to the wedding told us we could ride in their rental car. In fact, they upgraded to a larger vehicle to accommodate us and our bags. Then, they made arrangements for us to stay at their hotel. After that, they arranged to get us back to a hotel they were staying at closer to the airport. (We had planned on staying at the Roach Motel. They put us up - at their expense - at the Sheraton Four Points).

Here's where I'm going with this: During the trip, there was a seriously devastating medical emergency in the life of one of our traveling companions. We were there to pray with them. To comfort them with God's word. To share life with them. It was a honor to be there. And NONE of it would have happened if we had been able to insulate ourselves with our own resources. Beyond that, we made new friendships that I believe will last well beyond this weekend, with good people like Bo, Bobby, Cara, Austin and Trent! Thank you guys for everything you did for us!

Thank God, that He sees FAR BEYOND our own selfish desires. He sees Kingdom needs. And all He desires from us, is that we TRUST Him. His plan is WAY better than ours. He is not subject to the way things LOOK. He's God!

Oh...and the wedding? Well, it was one of the neatest experiences of my life to date, that's all. I have a feeling Chris and Allie were pretty excited about it, too!

Peace.

FALL COLORS

Hey guys, I know you all remember Chris Vincent and Allie Jette, long-time ROADIES now living in in parts North. Well folks, Chris and Allie are tying-the-knot on Saturday, October 10th in Rumney, New Hampshire! Leslie and I will be off (with a contingent of Vincent/Jette/BAMA fans) tomorrow because yours truly has the privilege of conducting the marriage ceremony!

I can't wait to see them. Chris Vincent is getting married!!!!! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. I've known him for 12 years. What's happened in their lives is blowing my mind. He's marrying Allie Jette!!!! And they met at Crossroads!!!! At the Annex, way back when. How cool is that???? Holy cow!!!!! Leslie and I were there when Chris proposed...at the Annex (see pic)! I am more than a little bit excited for them. God is so good, and He alone put those two together. What a privilege it is to be a part of it!

Now here's another great part of the whole weekend: Experienced Zombie-Slayer and Crossroads Communicator Natalie Lurie will be bringing the heat Sunday morning with a message tailor-made for our new original series The Living Dead. Sunday morning at Crossroads, Natalie will be imparting great wisdom from God on exactly, "How to Prepare for a Zombie Attack!"

Jette-Vincent wedding, more great stuff with Zombies in it, Fall colors in New England, Natalie Lurie live on stage at the College Cinema, what more could you ask for in a weekend?? I know, how 'bout an Alabama Crimson Tide victory on Saturday against Ole Miss, huh?

Have a GREAT weekend, see you Sunday night for the Weekend Update!!!

Countdown to Launch...

One week from tonight at 6:30 PM at the Annex, the doors open to The Underground. The Underground for students in 9th through 12th grade is Crossroads new youth ministry. Headed up by student pastor Chris Brooks, The Underground will take the young people of Crossroads to a whole new level of living out what Jesus said to do, Love God, Love Others and Serve the World!

If you are in 9th through 12th grade, or if you know someone who is, get to the Annex next Wednesday night at 6:30 PM for the launch of The Underground, the reveal of Crossroads new youth facility, and the inaugural service of youth pastor Chris Brooks!

If you are an adult interested in serving in youth ministry drop Chris an email at chris.brooks@crossroadsenterprise.org.

Keep up with everything that happens at The Underground by checking out www.jointheunderground.com.

Peace.

You ARE Alive

Just a quick encouragement to you who follow Christ, to live in Christ. Truly live. Here's a couple of great reasons why:

When God made you alive with Christ, He forgave all your sins. He canceled the record of the charges against you, and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). What you did has been erased. Forgiven, forgotten, forever. So what will you do now?

We, who are ALIVE because of Christ, share the great responsibility of LIVING as though we are ALIVE. That's why Paul tells us, as we heard on Sunday, to "put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy". When we do, not only are we obeying God's will for our lives, but others will see God's awesome love, grace, mercy and life-changing power at work in us, see the many ways God has blessed us, and BELIEVE!

Live ALIVE! You're called to, and someone else's future may depend on it!

WEEKEND (ZOMBIE) UPDATE

What a HUGE and completely ZOMBILICIOUS day at Crossroads on Sunday! It was like a three-ring, Christ-centered, biblically-based, ZOMBIE Circus of love. If you were there, you know what I mean. If you were not, we have three more weeks of ZOMBIE-MANIA coming up! Plus you can catch all the ZOMBIE action at our on-line podcast at the website. It'll be up this afternoon. Here's a few quick takes on the weekend:

1. Several people made decisions to re-dedicate their lives to Christ! THAT is the most important thing that happened.
2. Biggest crowd EVER at Crossroads on Sunday morning with 291 people in the house!
3. Biggest sanctuary crowd ever with 227 in Cinema One!
4. Pajama party in the Filling Station was a great idea and huge fun for all the elementary kids!
5. The lobby was slammed and absolutely electric!
6. So MANY first, second and third time attenders! ROADIES are inviting machines and attendance is snowballing! (For those who have never seen snow, ask a friend from North of the Mason-Dixon line what the expression 'snowballing' means).
7. Worship was GREAT! The new song the worship band ended with was fantastic. Janna sang her face off, and over a dozen comments on the communication cards let us know Crossroads loved it!
8. Best part about worship: Hearing SO MANY people singing out loud!
9. Many thanks to Darryl Darrylson of Flint, Michigan for dragging his Zombie butt to Crossroads yesterday. Looking mysteriously similar to Youth Pastor Chris Brooks, Darryl was a HUGE hit! If we can get a few Zombie contract issues worked out...I think we'll see him again in a couple of weeks.
10. Yesterday was the most FUN I ever had at Crossroads!
11. The service was like a runaway freight train. So much energy and inertia, so much going on all at once, it was right on the EDGE of completely out of control, yet 100% useful!! Perfect.

So much to share about Sunday morning, so much to take away from the service, but the big thing is this: Go FORWARD this week into your world allowing the Spirit to renew your THOUGHTS and your ATTITUDES, and LIVE each day like the NEW MAN you are, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy!

Remember every day this week to: WAKE UP...RISE UP...and LIGHT UP!!! Love and peace to all. Have a GREAT week!!

FAME

Acts Chapter 8 includes a bit of narrative about how the Gospel was going forth in Samaria. You should read it. It's really good. A few verses jump out at me this morning. Here they are:

v. 9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.

v. 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

The story goes on to reveal that once Simon saw the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, he offered the apostles money in exchange for the power. Obviously that didn't work out too well. Peter told him that God's gifts can't be bought and to repent of his wickedness. And Peter said to him, "I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and held captive by sin".

Simon wanted to be great. To be seen and known as someone great by all the people of Samaria. He'd had quite a run there before the Apostles showed up, and the Bible gives us the sense that Simon enjoyed his position in the community. But Simon could clearly see the difference between what he was doing, and the truly life-giving, life-changing power of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles gave freely. And he was bitterly envious of their impact on the people around them. He was jealous of them, counting what they did as something "successful". Something he wanted.

But there's a galactic difference between what Simon wanted to do in Samaria and what the Apostle's wanted to do in Samaria. Simon wanted to be famous, and he wanted it so badly, he was willing to pay any price to get it. But the Apostles wanted to make Jesus famous. That's why they had the power, and that's why people followed them. Because the Apostles knew it wasn't about them. It was about Jesus.

My take-away? When we are more focused on building our own empire than on building God's Kingdom; when we're more interested in being famous, than in making Jesus famous; when we'll pay any price for power; we'll have no part in what God is doing, for our hearts will not be right (Acts 8:21).

Get your heart right. Build the Kingdom of God. Make Jesus famous in your world.

The Lord's Prayer - Part 5

This post is part of a continuing blah, blah, blah, blah...you know what this is. If you need a refresher, check out the Lord's Prayer posts from September.

"Thy will be done..."

Leslie and I were parked in my dad's Mustang II on Shadycroft Lane. I was seventeen, so it was sometime during our senior year in high school in 1977 or early 1978. We weren't doing anything we shouldn't have been doing that night. No alcohol, no drugs, no teenage groping. Just parked, in the dark, talking. I was 100%, completely stone-cold sober that night, which was unusual because I was at that time a total pothead.

I don't remember what we were talking about, but I remember looking through the windshield up at the nearly full moon. Very suddenly the clouds moved across the night sky and raced passed the moon, like time had been sped up at just the precise moment I looked up. Instantly I was overcome with what I now understand to be the literal presence of God. It was like Spirit of God just blew right through the middle of my soul. I turned to Leslie, weeping (in a manly way of course) and told her that I felt like I needed to know God. I was at a loss for words to describe what had just happened, but I remember telling her, "I need to know God".

Turning the key in the ignition, my eyes filled with tears and snot running out my nose (very glamorous) I motored to my parents house. I was overcome (overwrought?) emotionally by my brief encounter, but it was so real, and I had to get home and tell them what happened.

I'd like to tell you that they wrapped me in their arms, encouraged me in the Lord, and whisked me off to a youth meeting to get born-again. But I didn't have a very good track record. I had disappeared on more than one occasion, shown up stoned out of my gourd on other occasions. My folks knew I was basically a good kid, but they also knew I had a bad dope smoking problem. They could not be blamed in any sense for concluding initially that I was simply blitzed, but Leslie defended the fact that I was straight, and my mom seemed to really believe that I had been the recipient of a genuine spiritual experience.

I told my folks I was done with pot and slacking off in school. I wanted to live right and I wanted to know God. Over the next few days the pot part, the school part, and the living right part would prove far easier than the "knowing God" part. My mom took my to the only church she knew. No one greeted me, no one noticed me, no one invited me to the youth group, no one did anything at all...and none of us knew what the next step was. So the next step was to not take a next step.

I stayed straight as long as I could without God. But eventually it all returned to the way it was before. Except I'd had that experience. I knew it was real. And I would never forget it. But it would be another eleven years before I would encounter God in a tangible way again. Eleven more years before I would pray, "Thy will be done".