Share Your Faith…

October 16th, 2009 Pastor Dan

What to be a part of something that is life changing…?
 
Over the past year, I have been praying and struggling with something. It is really something that has always been a passion of mine…to start a grass roots missional movement. You may ask, “What the heck is that, Dan?”
 
Brandon Heath has a song called Give Me Your Eyes. He is asking God to open his eyes to the see the dozens of people that he interacts with on a daily basis that are full of questions, despair, fear and guilt. I often find myself thinking, “If only we could just share with them the fact that Jesus offers them the one and only answer to their questions, their despair, their fear, and especially their guilt!” But how?  A billboard that says, “Down in the mouth — it’s time for a faith lift!”? No. Standing on a corner and telling people that they are going to hell without Jesus? No. Is it just to sit here comfortably in our own church and wait for someone to stumble through the doors? No.
 
What if you and I did what the Bible says we as followers of Jesus are supposed to? We are not to all be pastors or missionaries, but we are all to be missional. Check out what Peter says in I Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”
 
We are to live in a way that is transparent, changed, different, though not perfect. We are not called to scream, yell, stuff faith down people’s throat, but live in a way that makes people say, “You are like me, but you have something different than me. You react to life differently. Why?” Live in a way that makes people ask the question!
 
Are you living in a way that makes people wonder what’s different about you? Do you handle conflict differently than most? Do you live your life in a way that people see that you have experienced forgiveness, have purpose, and know peace, even when things aren’t going great?
 
Are you looking and listening for the questions? I believe that people commonly ask followers of Jesus about their faith, but rarely in blatantly overt ways. Usually they ask through fringe comments and questions. Are you looking for the opportunities when they come and are you taking them?
 
Are you prepared to give an answer? You may feel ill-equipped, but each of us, no matter how long we have been a Christian, no matter how much we know the Bible, can have an answer. We just need to be ready. We need to think through what Jesus means to us, what He has done in our lives, and we need to be able to share the Good News of Jesus, that He died for you!
 
We want you to be prepared. This Sunday in our Life Lesson series, How to Lose Your Faith in 4 Easy Steps our message is entitled “Don’t Talk About Jesus.” We will be talking about how to have an answer for the Hope we have. We will talk about intentionally opening the doors for people to ask you the question. And finally, we are going to give you some tools to use. 
 
Invite Card: On Sunday we will have small invite to CrossPoint cards for you to pick up at the info table. Put them in your purse, your wallet, or your car. When someone asks about your faith, your hope, you can use this card as a way to invite them to join you here at CrossPoint to ask their questions and learn even more about Jesus.
 
Lunch: I would love to meet up with you for lunch and help answer any questions you have about having your answer for the hope that you have. I would like to help you share your faith story so that you are ready to share with others. I am also willing to meet with you and your friend to answer any questions they have. You can e-mail me or call me at 832.373.7523.
 
The number one way that this community will know Jesus is through you and me being ready and willing to tell them. We don’t have to have all the answers; we just have to be able to point them to Jesus and share with them how Jesus has changed our lives!
 
Will you join me in this organic missional movement? Want to know more? Contact me and let’s talk!

 Pastor Dan

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

Prayer

October 9th, 2009 Pastor Dan

This week in “How to Lose Your Faith in 4 Easy Steps” we talked how important prayer is in the life of a follower of Jesus.  Prayer is not a means to inform a God that is clueless or demand from a God that is gutless.  It is not something that takes a certain lingo or depends upon a status.  Prayer is our means to communicate to God.  God commands us to pray so that we are in communication, trusting Him, seeking Him, communicating with Him.  I put together a few steps to try, a few thoughts to ponder, and a few resources to check out!  Pastor Dan

Simple steps on how to PRAY:
1. Press “pause”  Stop, drop, and pray.  Take time out of your day to stop and drop whatever you’re doing and point your attention to God.  Before meal times, put the fork down, and thank God for this gift of a Lean pocket…for the food God gives and everything else.  When you feel overwhelmed, stop, drop and pray. Ask for wisdom, direction.  When you get great new, stop, drop and pray and thank God.2. Use words  Talk it out.  Speaking out loud can help you not get distract.  For some of us, speaking out loud is important, can’t get as distracted.  Use written prayers.  I am currently enjoying a book called Leadership Prayers.  His words resonate with my heart.  Other resources; My Prayer Book; Power of a Praying Wife, Power of a Praying Husband; Pray and Play BibleJournal.  Writing our your prayers can be powerful and insightful.  It also allows you to go back and see how God has answered your prayers in the past. 3. Share your heart  Prayer comes from a relationship.  So share your heart, whether it is eloquent and beautiful or not.  Share it even if it’s confusing and unclear.  Pray what you need to pray.  Get it out there.  Lay it before God.  4.  Shout Amen Amen means simply, Let it be so!  We can be confident that we have been heard – not because we’re worthy but because God in Jesus, is merciful.  He listens, He cares and He’s Got it!  However God will have it be, let it be. 

Prayer at CrossPoint

Prayer Chain – If you have a prayer need, let me know and we will send it out to our prayer chain.

Prayer Team – Every Sunday we have people that you can talk to and pray with about issues on your heart.

Prayer and Pancakes – The second Sunday of the Month we have Prayer and Pancakes at 9:00am at the Seven Lakes Library.  Join us for pancakes and a time of prayer for our community and ministry!  Interested, click here.

Home Teams – Join a group of families that come together to build relationships, have fun, study God’s word, and pray for each other.  Interested, click here.

 Family Resource 

Prayer Jar (Cut each of these apart and place them into a jar.  Draw one out of the jar each day for a new way to pray with your children.)
 Thank God for the world He created.  Take turns going around the room, completing this sentence.  Thank you God for creating _________. 
 Pray for friends who don’t know Jesus or for friends or family to know Jesus even better.  Take turns going around the room, completing this sentence. Dear God,  I pray (a name)  gets to know Jesus better.  
 Anywhere Prayers.  Take a walk around the building and even outside.  Each time you enter a new room/place, thank God for being with you everywhere you go and for hearing your prayers no matter where you are! 
 Friendship Prayer.  Show children the sign for friend.  (You link your two pointer fingers together-right on top of left and then switch them-left on top of right.) Have children sit together in a circle and link their pointer fingers together like you do for the sign friend.  Have each child in the circle complete this prayer.  Thank you God, for my friend (name).  At the end conclude with thanking Jesus for being our best friend.  
 Remind children that whenever we do something wrong we can tell God about it and tell Him we are sorry and He always forgives us.  Place a dot on each child’s hand with a washable red marker.  Then say a prayer asking God for forgiveness. Allow the children time to think about something they did wrong and name it silently in their head.  After the prayer have the children wash their hands or hand out wipes and remind them that Jesus washed their sins away just like this dot when He died for us! 
 Praise prayer.  Think of wonderful words that describe God.  Have children share a few and then have children take turns finishing this sentence.  God you are so ________.  Example, awesome, strong, good, loving, powerful, etc.  
 Sing a song as a prayer.  Jesus Loves Me…anything! 
 Take turns thanking God for a different animal He created.  
 Have children share something they are good at.  Thank God for those talents and ask to help us give God the glory for those talents.  
 Say an echo prayer.  You pray line by line and have the children repeat after you.  Try to include a praise, a confession, a thanksgiving and a request.  
 Post-it note prayers.  Have children draw a request on a post-it note or they can tell you and you can write them down.  Post the notes in the classroom and remember to pray for those things throughout the week.  
 Hold hands in a circle as you prayer today.  Go around the circle giving each child a chance to pray. When they are done or if they don’t want to pray out loud they should gently squeeze the hand next to them letting the next child know it is his/her turn.  
 Ask children to share requests about something they need Jesus to do, such as heal a sick friend.  While you prayer have the children hold their chairs up off the floor a little bit. When you are finished praying they can set their chairs down.  Explain that this is kind of what it feels like when we can give our worries to Jesus.  
 Share ways to love a neighbor or family member.  Fill in this prayer.  Dear God, help me to (action) (name).  
 Share some things that scare you.  Remind the children that Jesus promises to always be with us a help us when we are scared.  Dear God, Thank you for always being with us and watching over us.  We love you!  Amen 
 Take a prayer walk outside.  Touch a tree-thank God for the tree, touch the grass, the flowers, etc.  Thank Him! 
 God, I trust you every day. (Put your elbow in your hand and fold it down on top of your other arm-making the sign for day.) To listen (point to ears) To the prayers I pray (fold hands) I trust your help in all I do (make strong muscle arms) Help me do big things for you (Jump high on the word big)  Amen. 
 Say this prayer three times.  Encourage kids to make the face of the feeling you say each time.  Dear God, When I’m (afraid, sad, mad) Please help me to remember that you’re my help.  Amen 
   Praise Prayer- Dear God, I love you so much!  I love you more than…  Amen.  Give several children a chance to complete the sentence.  
 Dear God, thank you for giving us the Bible so we can learn more about you.  If time, you can have them share their favorite thing they know from the Bible.  
 Remind children that prayer is just talking to God.  Today when you pray pretend you are talking into a telephone.  Use your thumb and pinkie as the phone.  Dial up God and when you say Amen-hang up! 
 Have children share something they are thankful for…after each thing do a Yeah God!  Start with your arms down low, reach them high and shout, “Yeah, God!” 
 Have children hold their fists clinched real tight while you pray.  Ask God to forgive us for not being nice to our friends, saying this we don’t mean, disobeying our parents, hurting our brother or sister, using not nice words.  Thank you for loving us and forgiving us.  Amen.  Tell the children they can release their fists.  Share that that is how God’s forgiveness feels.  
 Sing to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me” Thank you, God, for answered prayers.  Thanks for being everywhere.  Thanks for listening when I pray.  I know you hear each word I say.  Oh, God, I love you.  Oh, God, I love you.  Oh, God, I love you.  You hear me when I pray.  
 Thank you God that you love us so much you died for us on the cross.  Thank you that you are so powerful and mighty that you rose again on Easter morning.  Close your prayer by giving each other high fives for the awesome love and power of God! 

 

Posted in SevenLakes Info | 1 Comment »

Get into God’s Word

October 8th, 2009 Pastor Dan

This week in “How to Lose Your Faith in 4 Easy Steps” we talked how important  God’s Word is in the life of a follower of Jesus. The truth is that many of us struggle to crack the Bible open for one simple reason: we don’t know where to begin.  Below you’ll find links and tips to making the study of Scripture a central part of your life - everything from class opportunities at here at CrossPoint to books and downloads.  If you have ideas and tips, let’s share them in them in the comments section. - Pastor Dan

First things first: Get a good Bible.The key here is readability and accuracy. At CrossPoint we uphold two translations: the New International Version and the English Standard Version.  There are other great ones, but these (especially the ESV) are the best. I highly suggest getting a “study” version of either translation as they come packed with helpful notes, maps and articles.  For a FANTASTIC Bible to read as a family with young children click HERE.Second: Surround yourself with good people.The Bible was never meant to be studied in solitude. Doing so generally leads to one of two things: frustration or heresy. Instead connect with a community of other Christians and study / read together and lean on one another’s collective wisdom and experience. At CrossPoint we offer a ton of Bible Studies, HomeTeams, and classes where you can encounter God’s Word with others.  For a full list of classes happening right now click HERE. Third: Get some great resources.There an countless books and devotional guides that will assist you in studying the Bible, understanding it’s story, and then embodying it’s message in every day life. Here are several resources that some of CrossPoint’s staff have used personally.·         Knowing the Bible 101: A Guide to God’s Word in Plain Language·         Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: 12 Ways you can unlock God’s Word·         Faith Alone: A daily devotional·         The Bible Podcast: A daily reading of scriptureFourth: Surround yourself with great teachers.God’s Word has power not only when it’s read or studied but primarily when it spoken and preached. I regularly listen to the sermons of several pastors as a way to keep myself immersed in the Bible and what it says. We live in a day and age of great accessibility to some of the world’s best teachers of the faith. If you miss a week here at CrossPoint, you can watch or listen to a message from CrossPoint.  Below are links to several men that Nathan, Pastor Matt of CrossPoint Westgreen or Nathan regularly listen to - and encourage you to as well. These are links to podcasts - if you don’t have iTunes simply Google their info and you’ll be able to access their church web-sites and download from there.·         Matt Carter | Pastor, Austin Stone Church - Austin·         Mark Driscoll | Pastor, Mars Hill Church - Seattle·         Matt Chandler | Pastor, The Village Church - Dallas·         Andy Stanley | Pastor, North Point Church - Atlanta·         John Piper | Pastor, Bethlehem Church  - Minneapolis·         Ken Klaus | Lutheran Hour Ministries

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

God is great, beer is good, people are crazy

July 26th, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) “God is great, beer is good, people are crazy” is the chorus of a song I just heard on a country station. I think it’s a pretty accurate theology, especially if you use beer to denote all of God’s grace, brewed and non, and crazy to denote sin.

I haven’t blogged in a while. I still believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important truth in the universe but I’m trying to get it from laptop to life. The details of that for me have become: 1.) God is God, 2.) all people are valuable, 3.) all people are sinful, 4.) Jesus died for sinful people, 5.) Jesus rose to give new life. Short enough to Twitter, profound enough to build a life around. Think about it.

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

An unholy trinity

May 7th, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) The April 2008 issue of Biblical Archaelogy Review has a cover story entitled “Did God Share His Throne?” It presents archaelogical evidence for the co-worship of the true God and of Asherah, the Canaanite mother goddess, in “popular” ancient Israeli culture. While this is shocking and tragic, I believe many who bear the name of Christ have similarly defiled our worship.

We don’t have house shrines with twin thrones for Yahweh and Asherah, as pictured in the magazine, but, if I am typical, we make sacrifices for and try to balance an unholy trinity of the true God, comfort and the approval of others.

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:1-3 ESV)

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. (Hosea 11:1-3 ESV)

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

feeling out of control?

April 15th, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) So the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Ever wonder why self-control is last? I have this theory that, while they certainly overlap and we’re never perfected in love, that, to a certain extent, the order is chronological. Self-control: food, thoughts, temper, anxiety, wasting time at work (it’s a church blog…oops!), wanting a good thing but wanting it NOW… self-control.  The funny thing is that, while we have cultural language for requesting prayer for the sick or grieved and for wishing God’s blessings on one another, there’s no everyday language for progress in sanctification. “Please pray for Uncle George, he has the flu”, sure. ”May God bless your new marriage,” of course. ”I lost weight because the Holy Spirit’s increasing my self control,” huh? You just don’t hear that one. How about, “I’m no longer chewing my fingernails because God’s given me peace”? Or even, “I’ve stopped yelling at my son by the power that raised Jesus from the dead”? Well, it could happen, He’s a big God.  And I can’t help but think that Christians and a church manifesting the fruit of the Spirit bring glory to Christ. And isn’t that the whole point?

Posted in SevenLakes Info | 4 Comments »

Red Hot Monogamy

April 14th, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) Imagine for a moment a culture where the men commonly wear clothing that is so low cut and/or tight that the men are often evaluated on the basis of their physical endowment. Sound scandalous? Too shocking for a church blog? Why then is it not shocking in our culture for even Christian women to routinely show cleavage and curves and be judged for them? Want a real challenge? Go shopping for a teen girl and try to find clothing that is both reasonably fashionable and reasonably modest. And if you find it, please let me know where!

 I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, I realize there are some men’s clothes cut to be revealing and/or tight. But, it is not a cultural norm like teens’ and women’s clothes. It is still considered shocking.

I was watching TV the other night and a Victoria’s Secret commercial suddenly came on with a woman wearing next to nothing. It advertised a push up bra on a woman who obviously needed no pushing up. Do men realize how demoralizing this porn culture is to us? On the other hand, I feel for my Christian brothers who can’t escape seeing scantily clad women everywhere they go. It’s amazing there aren’t more collisions due to men either ogling or working to avoid ogling.

The Bible is clear, the human body is beautiful and to be enjoyed within marriage: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth. A lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” (Proverbs 5:18-19 ESV)

Sound too good to be true? Here’s the key: “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:15-18 ESV)

Posted in SevenLakes Info | 1 Comment »

meditation on Easter Saturday

April 11th, 2009 Tim

They cast lots for Jesus’ clothing while He was dying on the cross. The maker of the universe was willingly expiring to save them from their sins and the only worth they saw in him was his seamless garment.

We’re glad for the Good Friday holiday from work but don’t bother going to a worship service to learn what it’s all about.

We buy our Easter dresses and Easter eggs and get photos with the Easter bunny but refuse to celebrate the one who rose from the dead. We’re too busy baking our Easter ham and setting our Easter table.

Or we do go to Easter service but mostly to check it off our list and show off our new shoes. We scoff at those who think the resurrection has anything to do with day to day life.

They cast lots for his clothes while he was dying for them.

If “God is dead” it is only because He chose to die for us. Only sinful arrogance could think otherwise. He is risen, He is risen indeed and one day all flesh will look on the one they have pierced and mourn.

They cast lots for his clothes while he was dying for them. God help us all. (Nancy)

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

Tub or beyond?

April 6th, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) The current CrossPoint life lesson series is called Beyond the Tub. It’s a call to extend ourselves beyond our comfort zones (”the tub”), for the cause of Christ. What’s your story?: life in the tub, life beyond the tub or somewhere in between?

This series is particularly timely for my family. My husband, Tim, mentioned some of the reasons when he gave the life lesson on March 22nd at the Seven Lakes campus. For me personally, one of the areas God seems to be calling me to risk considering life outside my comfort zone is exploring the possibility of making “home building” my full time vocation. Wow: “seems”, “risk”, “considering”, “exploring”, “possibility”, those are a lot of qualifying words! On the one hand, our kids are 13 and nearly 11 years old, seems like a weird time for mom to consider coming home. On the other hand, I can’t get a certain phrase out of my head. Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church did a sermon series on the book of Proverbs a few years ago. In one of the sermons, “Women as Home Builders”, Driscoll discusses the important and Biblical role of women to build a home where one’s husband, children and neighbors are ministered to. He mentions many areas of home building including finance, instruction, nutrition, aesthetics, hospitality, fellowship, and evangelism. He makes a great case for it being a crucial Kingdom ministry: http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/proverbs/women-as-homebuilders. The phrase I mentioned is regarding women going “back to work” after their children are grown “to do something of real significance”. He does not think this is sinful but invites women to consider the eternal significance of ministering to unchurched neighbors and/or to younger Christian women, the latter  in a “Titus 2″ fashion.  He reminds women that millions of dollars, generations of legacy and, potentially, scores of people who don’t know Christ are in the hands of Christian women who make home building their primary vocation.

When I think about this possibility of going beyond my safe tub, I am both excited, a little fearful, and woefully untrained. It wasn’t that my Mom did a bad job, she was and is a great mom; it was more that I wasn’t really interested. I could live in that childhood regret or live in the regret of things I could have done differently when my children were little OR I could prayerfully seek the Lord’s guidance in going beyond the tub.

As we have heard in the life lessons and read in the Beyond the Tub book, there are many stories of what God has done and is doing through CrossPoint and there are many more stories and generations to come. I invite you to seek life beyond the tub.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (New International Version): 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

The view from the box office

April 2nd, 2009 Tim

(Nancy) There’s a scene in The Sound of Music where the 15 year old daughter sneaks back in to her house through the window of her new governess (live-in nanny). She’s soaking wet and is caught but then assisted, comforted and counseled by the governess (played by Julie Andrews) and she realizes that, contrary to what she had previously said, she really did still need a governess. For those who don’t know the story, Julie Andrews’ character, Maria, was the latest in a long line of women sent to care for the seven children of a sea captain whose beloved wife had died. In his grief he had pushed away everything of love and beauty, including his children. Maria and Captain Von Trapp later “fall in love” and marry. It’s based on a true story that happened during World War II.  It’s one of my mom’s favorite movies.

Another “love story” of that time period is Dr. Zhivago, in which the doctor “falls in love” with a young woman and leaves his wife and children on a cold farm in Russia to have an “affair” with Lara. The difference is that The Sound of Music elevates the importance of mothers, wives and home building while Dr. Zhivago elevates “love” (read “lust”) as more important than commitment.

Point of view is so important in movies: we are trained to root for the “hero”, often at the expense of virtue. One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride and another is Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one, please!). Still, I realize that piracy is elevated as a virtue in both movies. If the first movie had been told from the point of view of one of the widows of a murder victim of Wesley as the Dread Pirate Roberts or the second movie from the point of view of the family of a soldier in the Royal Navy who died fighting the pirates, the stories would be very different. I don’t remember if a name was even given to the wife of Dr. Zhivago but Lara’s Theme plays on music boxes around the world.

Posted in SevenLakes Info | No Comments »

« Previous Entries