WEEKEND UPDATE (JULY 4th, 2010)

It was a Happy Independence Day yesterday at Crossroads, as staff and volunteers worked hard after a long day at Freedom Fest to kick off our new series DEADLIEST CATCH.  Huge, huge thanks to everyone who showed up early, worked hard all day, and stayed late to tear down out at Fort Rucker.  And huge thanks to all who came and spent time working the Crossroads Booth.  It was our third year at Freedom Fest, and like every other time we've been, we connected with the community around us and saw on Sunday morning MANY families we were introduced to the day before.  Freedom Fest + Staff and Volunteers + Cotton Candy, Water and Balloons = HUGE SUCCESS!!  Can't thank you all enough!  Here's just a few of the things I noticed on Sunday morning:

• Great crowd for the 4th of July!  
• Great to see so many folks back from vacations who decided in advance to come to church!  Even on a holiday weekend!  You guys are very cool.
• MANY First-Time attenders on Sunday, most of whom we met at Freedom Fest!
• We have the greatest staff and volunteers on the planet!  I know everyone was tired after a long day of serving in the hot sun on Saturday, but you all pulled together and made Sunday happen and I couldn't be prouder or more grateful.  Thank you!!
• LOVED worship!
• GREAT video stuff on Sunday!  LOVED the George Washington quote: "To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest honor to add the more distinguished character of Christian."
• Loved the roll-in.  Makes me want to put to sea!
• Love the Book of Jonah and the powerful message!  I need to hear that as much as anyone else.  That's the great thing about communicating from the platform; while you may only hear it once, I live with it for months, weeks, days, nights before you ever hear it.  (Shouldn't that make me more accountable to LIVE it?  Uh-huh.)
• Are you a runner?
• Me too.
• Isn't it great that we can learn together how to run TO God instead of AWAY from Him when things don't go our way?
• I have prayed that "prayer of total surrender" to God before, only to turn around an "un-pray" a portion of it.  Have you ever done that?
• Do you ever pray "selective prayers", picking and choosing the areas of your life that you want God involved in?  Isn't it funny how we could actually think that the Creator of all Life would simply stay inside the lines we draw?  Big news: God isn't interested in coloring inside our lines.
• Among other things, the Book of Jonah demonstrates that even people who love God and serve Him run away at certain times.
• Thank God that He doesn't EVER abandon us, but He makes a way to BRING US BACK!  God is faithful, even when we're not!

God has a purpose and a plan for your life, just like He did for Jonah's life.  This week, spend some time thinking about things that God has put in your heart to do, that you have ignored, or wished away, or simply dug in your heels and refused to do. Then, if not before, come next Sunday prepared to surrender your will to His, your ideas to His, your plans to His, your priorities to His.  It may be time for some of us to simply yell "MAYDAY!" and welcome God's merciful rescue.  Peace.