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".