EXPLOSIVE WORDS (That make people mad)

"Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"  Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'   This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important:  'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."  Matthew 22:34-40

According to which timeline you read (of the week preceeding Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus), the conversation in Matthew took place late Tuesday or early Wednesday.  While we could say that it really doesn't matter what day or what time in the week Jesus said it, but what matters is that He said it, we'd only be half right.  Some of the most challenging, revolutionary and explosive things Jesus said (and the things he left unsaid) were communicated in the week preceeding His death.  

 

We read his words and think, "My what lovely lofty things Jesus said".  Do we really understand how controversial those words were, and how enraged religious people became when they heard them?  It's as if He said exactly what He had to say, when He had to say it, and held His tongue at exactly the right moment, to ensure that he was crucified at exactly the right time.  Timing was everything.  Nothing was accidental.  All of it was planned from the beginning.  Nothing left to chance.  And Jesus never said or did anything that He didn't hear first from the Father.  Everything Jesus said came straight from our Father in heaven.  Every word true.

Less than 100 hours before going to the cross, Jesus said:
Loving God = Loving Others. 

       

WEEKEND UPDATE 032810

Hey guys, such a great weekend at Crossroads!  Here's just a few of the things I noticed:

• Several people made decisions Sunday to rededicate their lives to Christ and to be baptized!!!
• Second biggest crowd EVER at Crossroads.  We continue to GROW!!
• Tons of First Time Attenders on Sunday!!
• Recieved enough money in the Benevolence Offering to pay for spleen removal surgery for a Crossroads member!!!  Thank you for your generosity.
• Wrapped up CREED on Sunday.  Without a doubt, this series was a favorite of mine!  It was a challenging series to teach, but it's teaching that will stick.
• LOVE what happens each week in the Filling Station!  Elementary ministry at Crossroads rocks!  Although (lol) the blacklight-lit hallway with neon letters and stars hanging from the ceiling reminds me of the store where I used to buy bongs and Zig-Zag papers back in the day (WAY back in the day)!
• Highway 68 continues to grow thanks to everyone back there doing such a GREAT job.  Look for a HUUUUUUGE announcement about Highway 68 soon!!!
• Did I mention that I LOVED having Dunkin' Donuts in the lobby?  They're great!!
• Quotable Quote #1: "The church is not a helpful thing on my spiritual journey.  The church IS the journey!"
• Great to have Caleb up on the platform singing with Nic & Janna.  Cool!
• Quotable Quote #2: "The church is the flesh and blood witness to a life-transforming God!"
• Thanks to everyone who dug in and made the lobby rock on Sunday morning!
• Great to see attendance in the early service picking up!
• Quotable Quote #3:  "We ARE the Church...and YOU belong here!"

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of "Hosanna! Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  Today, events in the life of Jesus and those who walked with him included Jesus cleansing the temple and cursing the fig tree.  I encourage you to read about it in Matthew 21:12-19; Mark 11:11-18; and Luke 19:45-48.  As you read about Jesus cleansing the temple, think about this: God's Spirit no longer resides in the temple in Jerusalem.  Instead, He now lives in US.  You and I are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Ask yourself if there is anything in your temple that needs cleansing.  Anything that should be driven from your life.  GREAT opportunity to put it into action.

Have a FANTASTIC week, and remember to INVITE BIG for our two Easter Services at Crossroads on Sunday!!  Peace.

I Hear You

Thank you for the great response to my question yesterday!  It's a privilege to communicate through this Blog and I will definitely continue to do so.  A couple of years ago when I first started doing it, linking to facebook wasn't a legitimate option.  Once you could, I did.  And it seems like the overwhelming majority of Intersection readers read it on facebook.  Awesome!  Also, many of you subscribe to a direct email, or an RSS feed.  As it turns out, readership has increased, not decreased.  A fact I would not have known relying solely on sitemeter which only tracks actual blog visits.  Goodbye sitemeter.

Thanks for letting me know where you read the Intersection, and for all your encouraging comments!  I'll keep moving forward here, trusting that whether you read the blog itself or you receive the posts via email, facebook, or RSS feed it's helpful and you want it. Done.  I hear you!

Hello? Is Anybody There?

I've been grinding out about three to four (sometimes less) blog posts every week since February of 2008.  Some are informative, some are entertaining, some are provocative, some are controversial, some are insightful, some are brilliant, and some are just plain better left unread, but ALL take time and effort (even the bad ones).  If you want to read some or all of them, you'll find them all available to you in the column to the right, down close to the bottom.  

That's 231 posts in 2008, 188 posts in 2009, and 42 posts so far in 2010.  Last year in March, I had over 1400 visits to the blog.  But over the past several months, my daily readership tracked by sitemeter has fallen from an average of over 250 visits a week to around 80.  So I have a few questions to help me understand the metrics better, and I'm really hoping you'll respond, either by comment here or on facebook:

1. Is this Blog helpful to you?
2. How often to you read it? (every day, few days, once a week, month?)
3. Do you read it on facebook, on my site, or get it by email?

I want to continue this if it is bearing fruit in your life.  God knows, the world doesn't need another Blog, but I don't do it for the world, I do it for those who attend Crossroads, and those whose lives are impacted by the ministry at Crossroads who do not attend.  Trust me, it is the farthest thing from an exercise in vanity.  I just want to get some feedback so I know it's not an exercise in futility.  Speak up.  Thanks.  

ARMY OF ONE

Having a conversation the other night with some close friends - one is active duty, the other reserve - the subject of "Army of One" came up.  They instructed that "Army of One" was a short-lived slogan that existed only briefly after replacing the popular "Be All You Can Be" (which the Army used for more than 20 years), before giving way in 2006 to "Army Strong".  I must say I was relieved to hear that "Army of One" was no longer in vogue, as I had grave concerns as to the effectivenss of such a small military.  As one political cartoonist jibed when the slogan first came out, "Join today and we'll have an Army of Two".

Listen I recognize I've arrived far too late to the slogan-slugfest to get too much comedic mileage out of it, but I was struck by something when I started researching the reason "Army of One" was so short-lived.  Despite the fact that "One" was meant to be an acronym for Officers-NCO's-and Enlisted, the idea was contrary to the Army core value of teamwork.  One retired Army general is quoted as saying about the slogan, "If you want to be an Army of One, join the Hell's Angels, not the US Army!"

Our conversation wasn't random.  We were talking about what Paul wrote, recorded for us in Ephesians 4:3-6 when he said, "Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all".

Now that's an Army of One!  An it's an army that takes teamwork to be healthy and growing.  Be sure to be at Crossroads this Sunday as we wrap up our current series CREED with a look at what it means to be a part of ONE BODY, the church of Jesus Christ! 

    

WEEKEND UPDATE (Evening Edition)

Great day at Crossroads on Sunday!  Can't tell you what a privilege it is to serve as your lead pastor.  Everytime I think about, which is all the time, I am pretty sure there was a crib switch somewhere.  Nonetheless, I'll keep showing up just as long as God allows (and you keep coming).  Here's just a few of the things I noticed on Sunday morning:

• 20 First, second, third-time attenders!
• 3 people rededicagted thier lives to Christ!!
• 1 person decided to "go public" with their faith through baptism!!!
• Though first service attendance was light, it is so great that people are coming to church at 9:00AM.  It helps make room in the second service.  Thank you SO MUCH for coming early!!  Though single service attendance fluctuates, average attendance is DOUBLE this time last year, UP more than 10% since we started two services, and READY to bust wide open as Easter approaches!
• Loved worship Sunday.  Can't help LOVING the Creed songs the worship team opens with.  Great move on the extra vocals Sunday!  Very cool.
• So cool to talk about the Holy Spirit!
• When I opened with the story of the native boy left alone in the wilderness you could have heard a pin drop.  It was cool...but a little scary.  We're usually a lot louder on Sundays.  Real sense of togetherness though as we talked about feeling ALONE.
• Thanks to a great friend for bringing special coffee treats for me and Leslie.  Only I didn't see you between services and didn't get mine, and Leslie sat hers on a table, bumped into it, and spilled the entire thing on the floor.  If you ever decide to do that again...we'll be WAY more responsible.
• My personally BIG take-away from the message:  We are NEVER alone, but we are DRIVEN to sin which leads us AWAY from God, and makes us FEEL alone.  But when you and I decide to live LED by the Holy Spirit, He leads us AWAY from sin, which makes us constantly aware of His presence.

Here's just a few of the GREAT comments direct from Sunday's  Communication Cards.  So inspiring to read them.  Thought it would be good to share them:

• "I am blessed to be here at Crossroads"
• "Fun worship"
• "Loved the opening video!"
• "Woot-woot worship rocked!"
• "Love it"
• "Awesome praise & worship and message"
•  "Everything in this service helped me to know I am never alone and God is always with me"
• "I love Crossroads!"

Guys, remember to think about the reality that we are never alone as you dig into your busy week.  God is always there, and he's not there just to be there, but He's there to ELEVATE your life in EVERY WAY!  Have a GREAT week, and remember to INVITE BIG as Easter approaches!!

MAKE IT STOP...PLEASE!!!

When I was in high school (back in the late 18th century) we did this cheesy Broadway musical called Carousel.  It wasn't cheesy when it first came out in 1945, but by 1977 it was 'camembert on parade' at Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado.  I played Billy Bigelow, the down-on-his-luck anti-hero who kills himself at the end of the musical (really uplifting stuff).  As Billy, I sang such memorable tunes as "My Boy Bill", and "If I Loved You" and who could forget "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" (hey, the musical opened in the 40's - it meant something different then).  Then, there was the big Act One song and dance number, an ode to early summertime called "June is Bustin' Out All Over" (to which the potheads in the back row of the chorus added, snickering, "...and so is her sister Mary Lou".


But the big show-stopping tune was a song (later, made more famous by an exhausted, tear-choked, singing Jerry Lewis at the end of each Muscular Dystrophy telethon since 1964) called "You'll Never Walk Alone".  In the song, the character Aunt Nettie sings these famous words:

   When you walk through a storm

   Hold your head up high

   And don't be afraid of the dark

   At the end of the storm is a golden sky

   And the sweet silver song of the lark

Ah-HA!  You go, Aunt Nettie!  Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining.  To which my mother - at her smart-alecky sarcastic best - used to say, "Remember, it's always darkest...before it's totally black".  Unshaken, Aunt Nettie ends with the big finish:

   Walk on through the rain, walk on through the wind

   Though your dreams be tossed and blown

   Walk on, walk, on with hope in your heart

   On you'll never walk alone

   (Big finish now) You'll NE-VER WALK A-LONE!!!!

Then the cheering crowd leaps to it's feet in spontaneous applause, their hearts buoyed by a new hope, they literally stop the show for several minutes...

Then everyone goes back home to their real lives.  And the world is still a mess, and life is still hard, and relationships are complicated and disappointments, challenges and difficulties seem present at every turn, and sometimes we just want TO MAKE THE RIDE STOP! And Aunt Nettie takes her make-up off and goes back to her house in the suburbs to watch the Tonight Show.  Thanks Aunt Nettie. Glad you could help!


When Jesus told His disciples He had to go, they were wrecked.  But he told them, recorded in in John 14:16, "I will ask the Father, and He will give another Comforter who will NEVER leave you - He is the Holy Spirit".  Aunt Nettie's song was great for some goosebumps, but the Holy Spirit has been given by God to fill our hearts with His love (Romans 5:5).

All month we've been talking about UNCERTAIN TIMES and looking at the Nicene Creed.  This Sunday at Crossroads, we're going to talk about the most uncertain time of all in everyone's life - the times that you and I feel very insignificant, very small, very ill-prepared, very ALONE, and not just a little scared.  And we're going to tackle a big question that everyone asks at some point: If God is so CLOSE...why does he SEEM so far away?   You want to be there.

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!!

I absolutely LOVE this blog post from earlier this week by Dave Treat on the thinking small blog.  I LOVE the message, and I LOVE that Crossroads model aligns very closely with Patrick's model:

1. Establish community with people (invite them into fellowship)
2. Engage in conversation, ministry, prayer, and worship
3. As they discover that they believe, invite them to commit

And all these years, I thought St. Patrick was the patron saint of green beer.  Who knew?

WEEKEND UPDATE (031410)

Great weekend at Crossroads that started with the Chili Cook-Off on Friday night, and wrapped up with Week Two of CREED!  Here's a few take-away's from two services on Sunday:

• More than a half dozen people rededicated their lives to Christ on Sunday!!
• I don't care what time the Government says it is...the 9AM service came early.
• Actually - considering everyone lost an hour of sleep - I was genuinely impressed with Sunday's overall attendance.  Spring forward Sunday is traditionally a very low attendance day for churches.  I thought we did great!
• In another great DST surprise on Sunday, we had TONS of first time attenders!  Kudos to the two FTA's that showed up for the 9AM service.  Now that's dedication!
• LOVE what went on in Highway 68 yesterday!!  Nineteen 6-8th graders had LOADS of fun and shared a great message!  Keep it up guys!
• We're starting to figure out the two service thing a bit better.  The tech side of things was much smoother on Sunday.  I also felt there was much less energy drop off in the second service message (although I still got a little goofy).
• Second service WORSHIP WAS FANTASTIC!  Seriously, probably my favorite ever.  I could listen to Janna sing the telephone book and be happy!
• I am loving this series!  It's challenging me to DO what I SAY I believe.  Jesus said: "COME to me, LISTEN to my teaching, FOLLOW it."  
• Cute moment of the day: Watching Aubrey Reeves in her daddy's arms watch Emberlin Joy in Will Lurie's arms during worship.  If you like God, and you like worship, and you like babies and toddlers, it was pretty fantastic.  About a 150 out of 100 on the "Cuteness Scale".     
• Green cookies in the lobby!  Excellent.  Thank you St. Patrick!
• Quotable Lobby quote by Ben Rice that I used in the 2nd Service:  "We all have pockets of disobedience".  (Sometimes I feel like I have pretty deep pockets.  How 'bout you?)
• My big take-away from the teaching: "Many will come and many will listen, but the wise will follow and obey, and WHEN they do, they know WHAT to do in UNCERTAIN times." 
• Let me clarify about "my take-away from the teaching".  I am instructed by the Word and by the Holy Spirit throughout the week as I prepare for Sunday.  And I always LEARN way more than I could possibly TEACH.  What I mean is, I am convinced God is not remotely impressed by my ability to teach, preach or reach.  He's far more interested in my willingness to LEARN and APPLY.  Guys, just like everyone else who pays attention on Sunday morning: I get TOTALLY OWNED every week.  You know that, right?

Gotta go now, but listen; this series is a GREAT opportunity for me and you to examine our lives in the light of the Nicene Creed.  No, the Creed isn't some extra super holy incantation that magically changes you from the inside out, but it is a MIRROR.  Hold it up this week and look in it.  Ask yourself, "Does my LIFE look like I BELIEVE this?"

Have a GREAT week!!

           

2ND ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF RECAP

Fantastic night last night at the Annex for Crossroads Second Annual Chili Cook-Off. Well over 100 people braved the tasting table for some REALLY great chili, and had a great time doing it.  It was so cool to see people having such a good time doing something to support Crossroads Youth Ministry.  Over $500 was raised to support the Underground!!!  Thank you all!!!

Kudo's to Pastor Chris and Jessie, Rachel Williams, Will, Todd Waggerman and the many others (including Ben & Kelly Rice's Small Group), who went above and beyond and made the event truly memorable.

Well-deserved awards were presented to John Zoll for Most Volcanic Chili (misc. quotes overheard about Zoll #4 included: "holy crap that's hot"..."shows what you can do with a little nuclear waste and some battery acid"...and my personal favorite, "it's like satan is bathing in my mouth"); to Becki Stewart for Tastiest Chili, truly an exceptional and infinitely edible concoction that one could eat all night with reckless abandon and NO need for Pepto-Bismal; to Jennifer Phillips for Most Creative Chili, a delectable and delightful recipe that, in a move of sheer whimsy, included chocolate on it's list of inventive ingredients; and lastly - though I'm somewhat red-faced to admit it - Me, for...um...well, let's just go ahead and say it, 2010 Chili Cook-Off Champion.  

Having said that, I have a confession to make.  While I was suffering through winning a golf tournament yesterday (a RARE occurrence...not winning, but playing at all), Leslie was cubing pork and beef and simmering it with chorizo in a beef broth spiced with cumin on my behalf.  Honestly, there would have been no #13 entry were it not for her unselfish willingness to do my chopping and simmering for me.  I owe her big time.  However, as an artist cannot fully share the accolades that accompany the production of a masterpiece with the faithful companion who prepares the artists palate,  I cannot fully share the venerated Chili Cook-Off award with her, as what happened in secret, with secret ingredients, for the 2 hours before the cook-off are where the magic really took place; turning simple stewing meat into a flavorful taste-fest reminiscent of western green pork chili with a slow building yet resounding heat note.  Oh, what the heck.  She can wear the beads on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Thank you Leslie, and thank you ALL for everything you did to make this event special.  For what it's worth: I am hereby retiring from future competition, as Leslie has refused to chop my ingredients next year.  Maybe I could hire on as a judge?  Don't forget to Spring Forward one-hour tonight before you go to bed.  See you tomorrow morning at Crossroads!

FOUR HUGE EVENTS COMING UP!!!!

Hey guys, real excited about some BIG dates coming up over the next few months.  Be sure not to miss these events.  They are part of the DNA of our growing church community, and a great way to experience another side of doing life together at Crossroads.  Put 'em on your calendar.

CHILI COOK-OFF

THIS FRIDAY!!! 6PM to 8PM'ish @ the Annex

Call the office for details (334) 347-3947

PICNIC IN THE PARK

Sunday APRIL 18th after church    

Johnny Henderson Family Park, Enterprise

BEACH, BBQ & BAPTISM

Sunday MAY 16th after church    

East Beach, Lake Tholocco, Fort Rucker

HOT BLUES & BBQ

Sunday Evening JUNE 13th

(Location TBD)

These four events are a HUGE DEAL at Crossroads.   See you Friday for some chili, in APRIL for the Picnic, in MAY for BB&B, and on a hot summer night in JUNE for Hot Blues & BBQ.  See a theme here? Right on!  Let's eat and hang out, make some noise and have a great time Crossroads-style!!

WEEKEND UPDATE (Late Edition...VERY Late)

Hey Guys, HUGE weekend at Crossroads, but a totally slammed Monday, just getting to the update now.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous and many people took advantage of it (lol).  Hey, if I wasn't preaching this Sunday, I might have been several hundred miles away on the Harley.  I get it.  Here's a few other things I noticed on Sunday:

• Third week of going to two services.  Very cool.  We're learning how to do it, but I see already a huge impact on our attendance.  Though it looks smaller because we're doing two services, our crowds are WAY up and more than TWICE our attendance a year ago.
• That said, the greatest thing about Sunday were people who made first-time decisions, came back to their faith, or decided to be baptized!  AWESOME!
• TONS of first-time attenders.  What we're seeing over the past couple of months is that MANY are becoming second-time, third-time and regular attenders!
• I LOVE THIS SERIES!
• Nic and the band rocked CREED'S "With Arms Wide Open" to kick off each service.  Loved it!  Guys, if you wait 15 minutes after start time to come into the auditorium you are missing some AWESOME music and truly great praise and worship!
• Fantastically cool to see the whole congregation standing up together and saying the NICENE CREED out loud!
• So good to know that while God is Maker of everything seen and unseen, Creator of heaven and earth, Almighty, that to those who are His children, He is Father, first!
• Can't WAIT for week two of this series.  The band is practicing another CREED tune as I write this!
• GREAT to have so many volunteers digging in.  I have noticed that the number of people stepping up to serve is increasing EVERY WEEK!  That is a HUGE win!
• Had some old friends up from Jacksonville on Sunday that got to attend Crossroads.  Great to get positive feedback about what's happening in our church from other people in the ministry.  They totally dug it, and we're so impressed with the work all of you have done to make Crossroads what it is.  Keep it up!  You are making a HUGE difference in the lives of other people!

I gotta go now, but I want to remind you this week as you prepare for your small group to think about what it means to you that God is Father first.  You know, for some it may be a "crawl up in Daddy's lap and get a hug" kind of relationship.  For others, it may be a "conversation with an understanding and compassionate Father at the kitchen table" kind of relationship.  Still, for some, it may be a "working in the garage, or working on a project together, or sitting in a deer stand all day" kind of relationship.  Whatever your view of God as Father, remember that God is not a punishing, abusive, overbearing, or condemning Father.  He is the kind of Father who sacrifices EVERYTHING for His children.  He's the kind of Father whose love, mercy, forgiveness and compassion towards you knows no limits.  

Have a GREAT week!  Don't forget: CHILI COOK-OFF this FRIDAY NIGHT @ the ANNEX!!!

   

 

NEW MERCIES

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul

therefore I hope in Him!

Lamentations 3:21-24

This video reminds me of that Scripture.  I no that no matter what, God's mercies are new each morning! Have a GREAT weekend, see you Sunday!  OK-GO: This Too Shall Pass.

Christian Haitian Outreach Video from Max Oden

Last Friday night the Enterprise Project for Haiti raised $1045 for Christian Haitian Outreach, the church and orphanage that Max Oden and a small team of people from Texas visited last month, bringing over 500 pounds of medical supplies and other much needed relief. They are planning another trip next month.  Take a look at some of the amazing images he brought back.  The soundtrack under the video was recorded live at an outdoor service on the grounds of Christian Haitian Outreach in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  Give it a minute to load.  It's high quality and well worth the wait.

Haiti, February 2010 from Max Oden on Vimeo.

Uncertain Times

Hebrews 11:1 in the New Living Translation says, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about the things we cannot see."

Faith is confidence and assurance.  Look, I don't know about you, but when the world is turning upside down, when industries and institutions are shaken to the ground, when people are murdering one another in the streets in the name of their religion, when all of creation is literally coming apart at the seams, I NEED faith in God.

Hebrews 11:3 in the NLT says, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible".

What's visible to our eyes is all the bad stuff.  We see the TV coverage, we see the disasters, we see the crime, we see the hate, we see the strife, we see the suffering, we see our inadequacies, we see our insecurities, we see our bills, we see the things we can't do and the things we can't change.  But God didn't make the universe out of the stuff we see.  So he gave us another set of eyes to give us hope; the eyes of faith.  And the eyes of faith allow us to see that no matter what happens in the world, in our hometown, on our street, or at our kitchen table, God is complete control.  Our faith in God is not conditioned on circumstances, but rather on the supernatural ability to believe that the same God who created everything, is more than able to hold it all together.  Our faith in God reveals this truth: If He was big enough to make it all, He's big enough to care for it.

Though the times may be uncertain, God is not uncertain. Let your heart be at peace.

WEEKEND UPDATE (022810)

We said goodbye to February on Sunday with a jam up service at Crossroads.  Here's just a few of the things I noticed:

• People made life-changing decisions today!  That's the BEST PART of every service!
• Wrapped up GO FISH and it was a doozy!  Wish we could run this series for a few more weeks.
• Pre-Service: TONS of energy and excitement in every corner of the building! Also, got to have a bunch of short but important conversations with a lot of people I usually don't get to talk to on Sunday morning!  GREAT!
• Worship in BOTH services was really good.  The sound improves every week.  So encouraged!
• Two services: BIGGEST CROWD EVER.  Here we go!
• What a thrill to dedicate EMBERLIN McELVEEN and HOLDEN MOORE this morning.  Babies are cool!  Makes me want grandkids so bad! (No pressure Oden kids...)
• Quotable Quote #1: "Jesus goal for you isn't simply to follow, but to DO in the lives of others what someone has done in YOUR life!"
• People gave HUGE in our benevolence offerings today.  Almost a thousand bucks!  Go God!
• Loved the Bill Dance fishing bloopers, but the treble hook in the nose was brutal.
• The fishing blooper videos track so well with our own "witnessing disasters".  Ever go fishing for men and catch yourself in the nose with a treble hook?  We don't start out fishers of men, Jesus MAKES US fishers of men.
• Quotable Quote #2:  "If we'll let Him, God wants to use the JUNK in our lives, both good and bad, to perfectly position us in SOMEONE ELSE's LIFE to be THE fisher of men!"
• Thank you Lobby and Tech and Set-Up Teams and everyone in Children's ministries for making it all work at Crossroads today!
• Quotable Quote #3: "If we aren't thinking of following Christ in terms of fishing for men, we spend our whole Christian lives just trying to be good, and more spiritual, and holier and miss the opportunity God has given us to have an ETERNAL impact in the lives of others."

Such a great day at Crossroads.  So honored and constantly surprised that I get to be a part of what God is doing in our community!  This week, whether you are in a small group or not (and if you're not in one, get in one next time around, okay?) think about the person God used to bring you to faith (or bring you back to faith) and sit down and write them a letter, telling them about the impact they had. Mail it to them, you know...the old fashioned way, with a stamp and everything.  It'll bless them.  If the person who led you to that place of faith is no longer around, write the letter anyway.  It will help you to see how important it is to be there for someone else. Have a GREAT week, and remember: followers fish!