WEEKEND UPDATE (102410)

Greetings and Happy Monday Morning!  Another great weekend!  I absolutely LOVE going to church at Crossroads!  Here's just a few of the things I noticed yesterday:

• Worship was smokin' yesterday and Nic, Janna and the band played my brand new all-time favorite tune, 'Your Love Never Fails' and nailed it.  Way to go guys!
• Peered into the Children's Center yesterday morning.  Always amazed by the hard-working volunteers back there who pour out their love on your children each week!
• So appreciate everyone who stays late (well into everyone else's lunch hour) tearing down and cleaning up the Cinema.  The Lobby Team really works hard to make your experience at Crossroads warm and inviting.  Praise God for people who understand how cleaning a bathroom and mopping a floor is serving God at the very highest level!  That's exactly what Jesus did!
• Cotinued our series 'Ghost' yesterday, teaching about the Holy Spirit, and sharing personal experiences.
• The Holy Spirit wants to "wholly take possession" of us.
• That those who believe have the Holy Spirit in them is a given.  What's up to us, is how much ROOM we give Him.
• The more room we give Him, the more likely we are to do God's will. 
• If praying "thy will be done" doesn't freak you out, you probably don't understand the implications.  When you pray it, don't be surprised if God challenges you by having you go places and do things that make you uncomfortable.
• We all have fear at some level of the Holy Spirit having total control of our lives.  But for the control freaks among us (like you and me), it's important to always remember this: CONTROL IS AN ILLUSION.  We don't actually have it.  We only THINK we have it!
• I love that our church is made up of people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, and different religious experiences!
• That being true, it can make for challenging discussion, especially when people have different ideas about the Holy Spirt.  We're very fortunate that we worship in an environment where people are learning and growing in their faith, and haven't decided that they already know all the answers!
• Thank you Crossroads Small Group attenders for joining me down front in the auditorium!  I encourage everyone who reads this to do just that, saving back rows and side seats for first, second and third-time attenders.  Plus, being down front helps you really engage in the service, and makes for a much livelier experience all the way around!
• If you're not in a small group, don't forget to go HERE, and take advantage of the weekly small group resources and study questions downloads from our website.

I am beyond excited already for next Sunday's service!  This week, take some time to participate in the conversation that God is longing to have with you by hearing from you, and speaking to you through the Holy Spirit living in you.  The Holy Spirit has come to give you power to be witnesses of Christ's resurrection, and to comfort you, to counsel you, and to lead and guide your life.  As you approach God's Word this week pray: "Holy Spirit, illuminate the Word of God to me as I read it, so that I can truly understand it.  Help me to see how it applies to my life.  Use it to strengthen me.  Teach me what the Father wants me to know and do.  And give me courage and boldness to do it!"  

Have a GREAT week!