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".

Made Alive

This Sunday we start a new series at Crossroads called THE LIVING DEAD. I'm really excited about it! We'll be talking about ZOMBIES and God's grace, and what it means to be dead in sin, and how God made us ALIVE through faith in Jesus Christ.

Now look, I'm assuming a lot here. My first assumption is...that you have a sense of humor. No, we're not promoting ZOMBIES as a lifestyle or a coming reality you need to be on guard against. Can you say "metaphor"? Go ahead. Let's all say it together. "Me-ta-phor". Good. Now you're ready.

Okay, why ZOMBIES? It's easy. Zombies are dead. Well, not really. Actually, they are UNDEAD. In other words they're not physically dead, just sort of mentally, emotionally and most of all spiritually dead. As a result, they walk around like they're actually alive (eating people's brains...yum!), but in fact, they are not alive. Really, they're not truly dead OR alive. And they're real hard to kill. Worse...they're contagious. They infect other people and turn them into ZOMBIES. Bad, huh?

What's the point? See, at the beginning of Ephesians Chapter 2, the Apostle Paul talks about us once being dead, too. He says we were dead because of our disobedience and many sins. Here's THREE things I know to be true:

1. Before we had faith in Jesus Christ, we WERE dead (spiritually).
2. People who have not trusted Christ, ARE dead (spiritually).

Now, here's the BIG NUMBER THREE: 3. Some people (including ME and YOU, despite our faith in Christ) sometimes ACT like they are STILL dead. Why??? And what do we do about it??? Well, that's what we'll be talking about in October. Want a few highlights?

1. The roll-in for this series is probably the best one Will Lurie has created.
2. We're resurrecting Audio Adrenaline's great song, "Some Kind Of Zombie".
3. I'll be interviewing a ZOMBIE live (dead?) on stage this Sunday.
4. Natalie will share with us 'How to Survive a Zombie Attack'.
5. We'll learn HOW we're MADE ALIVE in CHRIST and what it means to walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE!
6. We'll be BAPTIZING people on Sunday, October 18th!!!

Don't miss a week of this new original series from Crossroads! It's going to be 'ZOMBIE-licious'! Bring a friend, or a ZOMBIE...or a friend's ZOMBIE. Hey, better yet? Bring someone who thinks they DON'T LIKE CHURCH. 'Cause maybe if they don't like church, they still like friendly people, good music, cool visuals, and relevant teaching...or maybe they just like ZOMBIES! Either way, just get them to Crossroads on Sunday and let God work out the rest. See you soon! Oh, and if I were you...I'd keep a baseball bat or a chain saw by the bed. Just sayin'.

One Step At A Time

Just had a great meeting with Gary and Carrie Mitchell, Dave Clark, and Chris Brooks. Dave is working on curriculum for ROADIES 201-401, and Gary and Carrie are working on curriculum for a New Believers/Returners Class. Why is that important?

1. Each day I see folks from Crossroads dig deeper in their relationship with God, each other, and the world around them. That's great!
2. I believe God wants us to establish an environment at Crossroads where EVERYONE has that same opportunity. And that's GREATER!

Many people have taken first steps with God at Crossroads. It is our responsibility to make sure we show them what next steps look like. Though we have been able to do that with many people one on one, we're fast growing to the place where we need the infrastructure to support opportunities for more people. The larger we grow, the more difficult it is for a few people to connect with all the new attenders, new believers, and those returning to God.

So...we have established a protocol for contacting new believers/returners. We have a 'Next Steps' table in our lobby now with a growing collection of free resources for them to take and use. We have people to follow up with those who want to talk about next steps. And beginning Sunday November 15th, we will hold our first monthly NEXT STEPS CLASS at the Annex at 12 noon! We'll serve lunch and spend a couple of hours teaching people the fundamentals of our faith. This teaching is not an end, it is a beginning.

From the NEXT STEPS CLASS it's on to baptism, church membership through ROADIES 101, and continuing discipleship through our ROADIES 201-401 classes. It's so exciting to see these things come together! Look, we're not where we're going to be, but guys, we have come so far from where we started. Like Perry Noble said at The 'Nines', we're not going to start a move of God at Crossroads. God will move as He will move. But we CAN and SHOULD do everything in our power to CREATE CAPACITY and PREPARE for God to move.

And that's what we're doing. One step at a time.

WEEKEND UPDATE - ADDENDUM

Oops. Forgot to mention two really big deals from this weekend and I feel pretty dopey about it. Plus something coming up that I need to mention:

1. Lance Swentesky returned to Crossroads after serving the country in Iraq. WELCOME HOME LANCE!!!!!
2. Another big deal for the Crossroads family this weekend was the recognition of Pastor Ben and Kelly Rice for their awesome, selfless, faithful and important service for the past 18 months in our youth ministry. Ben and Kelly went above and beyond in their dedication to the young people of Crossroads. We took a moment out of the service to honor them and presented them with an etched crystal platter commemorating their time pastoring your children. Many of you actually attend Crossroads now because your kids were impacted by Ben and Kelly's ministry. We love them and appreciate everything they have done, and look forward to their continued leadership at Crossroads in the months and years to come!
3. Starting next Sunday, we're rolling out a brand new original series at Crossroads called THE LIVING DEAD!! Don't miss a week of this exciting new series as we dig into Ephesians 2:1-8, and also share lots of important information with you about ZOMBIES!!! Donuts - coffee - worship - fellowship - God the Father - Jesus the Son - the Holy Spirit and ZOMBIES. Where else are you gonna get stuff like that, huh? See you next Sunday!

WEEKEND UPDATE (092709)

Hey guys, beautiful morning this morning and a great day at Crossroads yesterday! Here's a few things I'm taking away from the day and from the month of September at Crossroads:

1. Really enjoyed Home Improvement and heard from MANY how simple the teaching was, and how they are already applying it in their lives.
2. Several people during the series made first-time decisions to trust Christ or rededicate their lives to Christ!
3. Six more people indicated on Sunday that they want to be baptized, bringing our current number to over a dozen! Baptism Sunday October 18th! Can't wait!
4. Sunday we had a TON of people out sick or out of town but attendance was still very strong!
5. Worship was great! Nic, Janna and the band sounded really good! Loved the Don Henley opener.
6. Teaching on forgiveness is always a privilege. Matthew 18:21-35 is one of my favorite things in the Bible!
7. I totally messed up the podcast by ripping our really cool microphone off my face because it was bugging me. Sorry.
8. I LOVE how so many people at Crossroads are hooked up serving. It seems like every week, I see new people totally getting hold of the vision of Crossroads and digging in to help make it happen!
9. On a personal note: Yesterday was my dog Biskit's 9th birthday. We took him for a lovely walk by the lake in the afternoon. Caitlin bought him a big rawhide bone to celebrate.
10. Yesterday was my Uncle Gene's 81st birthday. I didn't take him for a walk. Caitlin did not buy him a rawhide bone. Uncle Gene is in GREAT condition! I hope I'm as strong as he is when I'm 81. He's like Jack Lalanne...without the unitard.

Love and peace to all! Don't forget to put into practice what we talked about on Sunday: Get rid of all anger...and forgive! You CAN do it. Remember people don't hold grudges...grudges hold people. This week make the decision to forgive. God will give you the courage and the strength you need to make it happen. All you have to do is be willing.

Have a GREAT week!

The Lord's Prayer, Part 4

This is Part 4 in a continuing and sporadically written series of Blog post about the Lord's Prayer in my life. Notwithstanding the fact that Rick Warren has now decided to write a book about the Lord's Prayer - though he probably stole all his best ideas from me (okay...probably not), I shall continue this intermittent series until it is finished.

"Thy Kingdom come..."

We left England in the summer of 1970. I would not return for six more years. My last day of school, my last day of steak and kidney pie and treacle in the dining hall, was the last time I heard the Lord's Prayer for a very long time.

A couple of years later, I walked the aisle at the First Baptist Church of Ozona, Texas. Looking back, I probably did it for all the wrong reasons. It was an emotional response to the fear of going to hell for all eternity (coupled with the desire to gain the attention of certain family members), rather than a response to the great love and compassion of God through Jesus Christ. But I walked. No one said the Lord's Prayer there, but I recognize that tiny but powerful seeds were planted every day at lunch two years before - seeds that would grow over time, bearing fruit years later.

As a kid, "Thy Kingdom come..." could only be some mystical, magical time or event. Perhaps when Christ was born of a virgin in a manger surrounded by shepherds who were "sore afraid" (whatever that was). Or maybe somewhere near the end of the world as we know it, when Christ returns (as they shouted from the pulpit), with things tattooed on his thigh, riding a big white horse, and (if that weren't enough) a sword coming out of his mouth! I couldn't know then that "Thy Kingdom come..." was deeply personal. And on a personal level - for the present time - as much about me coming to faith in Him, as it was about Him coming back on a horse. At any rate, I scarcely gave it thought for another six years.

WEEKEND UPDATE (092009)

Hey guys, another great day at Crossroads this morning doing Part Two of HOME IMPROVEMENT! Love serving and worshipping God together with this wonderful community. Each week believers and seekers alike gather together in a safe place to fellowship with one another, to raise our voices in worship and praise, and to hear the beautiful message of God's overwhelming love for all of us. Along the way we are challenged to raise the level of our personal game, learning to live our lives according to biblical principles and values. What a great life!

This week I asked several people what the first thing that came to their mind was when I asked the question: "What was your favorite thing about Crossroads this morning?" Here's what they said:

1. Will: "Second time attenders!"
2. Natalie: "Worship! I was desperate for some good worship...and GOT it!"
3. Chris: "Tool Time - the application of the message".
4. Jessie: "The cool stage lighting!"
5. Leslie: "How long people stayed in the lobby after service. Love seeing friendships growing."
6. Rebecca: "Original music in praise and worship!"
7. Max: "The music was great and the message was fantastic!"
8. Matt: "We tested the new nursery/pre-school pager system and it worked great!"
9. Hollie: "Getting to smash a raw egg on my husbands head (in children's church), and watching him try to wash it off his head with hand sanitizer."
10. Jacob: "Just being there".
11. Sam: "The stage lights were pretty (Ooooh!)".
12. Howard: "Making connections with new people".
13. Angela: "Tool Time: Unpacking the tool kit (the application part of the message)".
14. Me (I get two things 'cause it's my Blog): ONE: So many new faces at Crossroads. It's GREAT to be growing each week and seeing people GROW in their faith. TWO: Loved the new, unmanned 'Next Steps' table in the lobby equipped with free resources for people to take, like Bibles, Next Steps brochures, and copies of Andy Stanley's 'How Good Is Good Enough'. We gave away eight new Bibles this morning to people that didn't have them! Now that is cool.

Folks, it's a privilege for Leslie and I to serve you and serve God with you. I can't imagine anything better than getting to DO LIFE TOGETHER with the people that God has brought to Crossroads. Love you guys! Have a GREAT week and remember the application from Sunday's service: Before you open your mouth and say that thing you really want to say, give it the 3-Way Test.

Ask yourself:

1. Is it TRUE?

2. Is it NECESSARY?

3. Is it KIND?

If you can't answer "Yes" to ALL three...just don't say it!

Peace!