Hey Cross Current-
10 days into the 30dayswithJesus - I pray this has been a great read for you. It is the bible for crying out loud, so how could it not be! I have enjoyed this immensely and I’m pumped up knowing that I am reading along with the CC family. We are all in this together! I am so proud of you for making this commitment. God’s word always accomplishes what it is set out to accomplish- and His word will bring an abundance of life to your spirit, soul and body.
A couple of things to remember:
Love ya BIG!
Pastor Mark
This is a repost from Pastor Perry Noble.
A few weeks ago I put out a tweet that said the following…
“Covering laziness in prayer is not a spiritual discipline.”
It was retweeted several times; however, there were also a few people who said that the statement was confusing and asked for an explanation. So here goes…
I believe that many people in the Body of Christ use prayer as an excuse for inactivity and laziness.
Yes, I am ALL ABOUT PRAYER! I’ve seen Jesus do things through the power of prayer that would make a Methodist shout.
However, there are some things that we simply cannot “cover in prayer” and hope they will get better. Nope, we’ve got to take action!!! Things such as…
If you need to lose weight you are not going to “pray the pounds away!” It’s just not going to happen!!! You are going to have to get your butt up off of the couch and exercise. You are going to have to stop slamming cookies in your mouth. You are going to have to stop drinking 10 sodas a day! You can pray all you want…but if you do not put action with your prayer it’s NOT going to help!
If your marriage is in trouble and is on edge then you are not going to “pray it back into a great place.” You are going to have to start paying attention to your wife…and turn the freakin TV off. You are going to have to pursue her…and NOT just when you want something from her. You are going to have to stop being a jerk. And ladies, you are going to have to stop gossipping about your husband to your friends. You are going to have to stop telling your children their father is a loser.
If you want your kids to admire and respect you it’s not going to happen through “just praying about it.” You are going to have to spend time with them. You are going to have to talk with them, even the awkward subjects. You are going to have to admit your sins and shortcomings to them and ask for their forgiveness. You are going to have to STOP trying to be their friend and actually be the parent!
If you are broke then you are not going to just “pray money into your bank account.” You are going to have to put God first in your finances. You are going to have to STOP spending money you don’t have to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like. You are going to have to get on a budget and live within your means.
If you are struggling with a particular sin that is kicking your rear end you aren’t going to “pray it out of your life!” (By the way, many of you have tried that, I just wanted to ask, “how’s that going for you?”) Nope…you are going to need to do what James 5:16 says and confess it, OUT LOUD, to another human being who is stronger than you spiritually and that can help you fight through this issue!
If you are a church leader and there is a situation that is dominating you and your ministry, you’ve got to do something about it!!! David didn’t just pray and pray and God, through his prayer times, took Goliath out! Nope, David picked up five rocks, walked down into the valley and handled business. You cannot be passive about an issue and believe that “through prayer” God will just take it away. If you are a leader and God brings an issue to your attention…He most likely did so because He expects you to take ACTION!
I could go on, but you get the point. Prayer is essential! Prayer is necessary! Prayer is commanded! Prayer is a powerful weapon which we should make more use of in the church; however, God did not just call us to PRAY about His will but also to PARTICIPATE in it. And too many times Christians are willing to pray about things and think we’ve done our part…and then get angry at God because He did not do something amazing to compensate for our laziness and passivity.
Don’t just pray to God…but participate with God as He moves!
Let this be the year that we don’t just pray big prayers…but we take bold steps and believe that as we pray and participate we will see God do amazing things!
I saw this phrase in a blog and had to use it -be a bringer-. It is used to remind the church of their responsibility to be witnesses for Christ. Not only should we invite people who are far from God to come to church-we should bring them with us. We should do whatever we can to compel them. Because there is a great chance their life will be changed in the presence of Jesus Christ. Of course, as our Christmas worship experiences approach at Cross Current, we’re putting a lot of effort into creating environments that are welcoming, connecting and Jesus focused. If you’re planning on worshipping with us this Christmas, I hope you’re praying and believing for some great things, not only for your family, but for someone in your life who needs to find hope in Christ. I know some of you have asked people who have said no in the past. Ask again. Pick them up. Meet them somewhere beforehand. Pray! I’m standing with you. I am so pumped about this Sunday’s Christmas celebration as well as our special Christmas Eve service entitled “Everything changed” We’re going to present the Gospel this Christmas. The opportunity is great. The need is urgent. And although public worship gatherings aren’t the only way someone can come to Christ, we’ve seen hundreds respond to Jesus in this environment. We believe God moves in a special way when His Church comes together. Not just in our church, but anywhere the Gospel is preached. I have been thinking about all those that are now following Christ because someone asked them to attend. Let’s be bringers this Christmas season. Love ya Big! Pastor Mark
You never know the impact your invitation could initiate.
I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me…
Can you hear the music? You should be hearing it in your head right about now. The truth is that, yes I will be… sitting right in my living room enjoying some much desired time with my family- celebrating the birth of our savior.
Every so often, Christmas and New Years Day happen to fall on a Sunday, which creates some dilemmas for us as church leaders. Do we have services or not? What decision do we make so that we can honor Jesus and honor his people? What about the staff and faithful volunteers who arrive early and stay late, and will take more time away from their families? What about the small group of people that would attend on Christmas Sunday? As always, prayer and wisdom were used in making this decision. Here are some reasons as to why I will be home for Christmas this Christmas Sunday:
1. We will have a 5:00pm Christmas Eve Service-
We still want to be together with you as our church family and celebrate Jesus’ birth. We are not just canceling a Christmas service, but we are offering an opportunity to have a Christmas service on Christmas Eve to worship and honor the King of Kings. By offering this special time of worship together the night before, we have the opportunity to get filled up spiritually before we head out into the holidays and spend time with the very people that need Him and His love most. The very ones that you have been specifically called to be a light to. So please don’t miss out on honoring Him during this special season. Join with us at 5:00pm on Christmas Eve and bring your family and your friends.
2. Our staff and volunteers-
They don’t need to serve at church on Christmas Sunday- they do this year round, week in and week out. Seriously people, there is far more time involved than what you see at 9am or 11am. This small wonderful, group of faithful, committed, and AMAZING volunteers and staff have stole Tracee’s and my heart! Honestly, I am so grateful for all of them who make our services possible every week. Besides the time put into planning and preparing for services through out the week, just to have our services require Saturday set-ups, early arrival on Sunday mornings, and Sunday afternoon tear downs… and they do this EVERY WEEK. I just want them as well as our entire church to enjoy this holiday season to the fullest. I want them to be home celebrating Jesus and serving their own families during this already busy season.
3. I want to be home with my family-
Call it selfish, but I really like these guys!
4. Hardly anyone will be there-
91% of churches in America will be open on Christmas Sunday, yet only 14-18% of people will actually attend. Really?
“If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don’t go to church, how likely is it that they’ll be going to church on Christmas morning?”
Oh ya, the attendance on the Sunday after Thanksgiving factored in it. Very low! As well as Christmas Sunday’s attendance in previous years.
5. Church is for honoring Jesus, encouraging each other, and reaching the lost-
Very difficult to do this when the people aren’t here- lol. Lost people aren’t coming… and I’m pretty sure most of you wouldn’t be coming. Here in lies the reason why we have an alternative plan.
6. The House of God never closes-
Just a reminder, You and I are the house of God where He makes his home. A building is where His many homes come together creating His kingdom. That’s good stuff! His houses are open every day - all day! Remember this wherever you go and whoever you come in contact with.
7. Finally, we will be open on New Year’s Day to kick off the year correctly!
Together lifting up His name! We are getting geared up for a great year of seeing God show off and change lives, marriages and families. So prepare for Jan 1st as we bring in 2012 the right way! Putting Him first, just as we have done by having service on Christmas Eve.
The bottom line is I want to lift up Jesus and honor Him with everything I have!!! That includes Christmas as well as all the other days of the year. Having said that, I desire for our homes to honor God as well- full of love, laughter, joy and all the other characteristics of God. So enjoy this season to the fullest, and bring HIM and HIS love into everywhere you go and every one you come in contact with.