Thanksgiving.

The weekend after Thanksgiving was the first Sunday I have been away from CrossRoads since I became Senior Pastor in 2003 except for trips out of country to do development work. It was an interesting experience for me. I attended my in-laws' church in Oklahoma after spending most of the week with family. Shelly and I walked in as the first song was getting started and slipped in next to my mother-in-law. We got to participate in worship the way everybody else does on Sunday mornings. There was a slightly nervous sixteen year old filling in for the normal music person. He did a good job, but there was n0thing spectacular about what happened that morning. As I stood singing, I was overwhelmed.

Many of you who have attended CrossRoads have occasionally noticed that I lose a few words to a song because I am a little emotional. Well, this Sunday after Thanksgiving I had to completely stop singing because I was overwhelmed with who this God is that we worship. I was intrigued by my emotional reaction to the morning because it was so immediate. Out of nowhere I was blown away as my mind was flooded by the reality of God's goodness and the price Jesus paid to set us free. It wasn't the music. It wasn't the message about the vices of drinking alcohol. It was the reality that we serve a God who sent his only Son to receive our full shame, so we can be completely righteous in God's sight.

My prayer for everyone is that we would all be blown away by who our God is and what Jesus has done for us. I hope that every time you walk in the doors of a church building to worship with God's family, you would be blown away by all these crazy people God has saved for no other reason than to show everyone else his glory.

Make sure you find yourself in church this Sunday expecting to be overwhelmed by the truth of who our God is. I know I will.

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

Praying...

Have you prayed with someone lately? Last night at CrossRoads we kicked off our first weekly prayer meeting. I know I'll probably come off like Obvious Man, but it was great to get together with God's people to pray. It was really a breath of fresh air. We didn't do anything fancy. We just took a few minutes to get to know one another, read a short passage from the New Testament, shared some requests and prayed.

It's funny about prayer--prayer isn't magical, it's supernatural. What's the difference? Magic is us manipulating things to make something happen that is beyond explanation. Prayer isn't magical. There is no hocus pocus involved. Prayer is coming to God by the power of Jesus and simply making our requests known to him. We have confidence that God answers our prayers because by God's favor alone, through faith in Jesus alone, we are made his children as we trust completely in Jesus' death and resurrection for our forgiveness and favored standing before God. Then, we add God's family to our relationship with God. Group prayer becomes this incredible sharing of our faith in Jesus with one another as we enter God's presence in Jesus' name. As we pray, we receive instruction and insight hearing the prayers of others. We each express our understanding of God's instruction, promises and provision as we speak to God and one another. We share this deep part of who we are as we express our faith in Jesus as the complete provision for all of life's needs.

Have you prayed with someone lately? It's really great!

Thanks everyone who came to our first weekly prayer meeting last night.

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

The Secret

One of my friends recently read and blogged about a book called The Secret. It's been a bestseller for quite some time. The author tells readers that there is a secret to life that we get what we think about. Focus your mind on good things, and you will get them. Think about bad things and you'll get stuck with them. OK, I know that's an oversimplification, but that's the premise of the book. This isn't a new idea. I remember when I was working in a Christian bookstore during college, it carried several books by authors claiming the Christian faith who made the same kinds of assertions.

The funny thing about faith in Jesus is that there are no more secrets. This morning, as I was reading in Romans, I ran across these verses:

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever! Amen.
Romans 16:25-27 NET

These are the wrap-up verses of the entire book of Romans. Romans is a letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in living in Rome during the First Century. In this letter Paul tells us THE secret. He clearly spells out for us the reality of our condition and our hope. Then, here at the end of his letter he tells us that the secret is a secret no more. The secret became the revelation when Christ became human and completely revealed God to us. Then, after clearly revealing God, he died because we needed someone to step in and take the wrath of God, so our sins can be forgiven.

What a tragedy it would be if the Good News about God would have remained a secret. If you've not spent a few minutes with God yet today, take a minute or two and pray thanking him for revealing the secret. Thank him for sending his Son not only to reveal him to us but to die, so our sins can be forgiven. Thank him for the gift of faith he gives us, so we can believe in Jesus' saving work.


www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

Don't tase me, Bro!

You've probably seen the video from the University of Florida of the student who was tased during a John Kerry lecture. As I was reading in Romans this morning, I was reading about the Law and the freedom we have in Jesus. I am continually amazed by how we teach about our salvation. We teach people that our salvation is free. There's nothing we can do to earn it. It's not about what we do but what Jesus has done for us. Then, once they have trusted in Jesus, we do the very thing Jesus condemned the religious leaders for doing. We lay heavy burdens of laws on their shoulders. Why? Because our whole lives people have laid those burdens on us.

I think about how often I've had coffee with people who have come to our church, and their hearts have said to me, "Don't tase me, Bro." Many people who come to CrossRoads have blown it. They have made some decisions that they regret. They find themselves in a place they never thought they would be because their family, job or their whole life has fallen apart around them. Their friends and family have judged them, and what's worse is that they know it's their own fault. As I talk with hurting people, I'm always reminded of Isaiah's description of Jesus:

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out
Matthew 12:20 NIV

Because we have the Law of God written on our hearts, we know when we sin. Sometimes we do our best to ignore it, but we know. In the Law we come face to face with God's righteousness, and we are condemned. When someone comes to us broken by their own sin, what they need to hear is the Gospel. This week I talked with our teenagers about what the Gospel is. I told them that the Gospel is the reality that Jesus died to make us right with God when we had no desire to be made right with Him. This is what we need to remind each other. When we trust in Jesus, we are never again condemned by God. All of God's punishment for every believer was poured out on Jesus 2,000 years ago as he died on the cross. When the punishment had been atoned for, he cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" And it was.

So, today, be encouraged. If you have trusted in Jesus, you are forgiven. If you have never trusted in Jesus but think there might be something to this, God is waiting for you to trust in him and become part of his family--his family of freedom, forgiveness and hope for life's journey. And, when you hear someone this week saying, "Don't tase me, Bro." Tell them about God's favor and offer them the same break God has offered to all of us who believe.

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

5 Days and Counting...

Are you as excited as I am? We are just 5 days out from our Grand Opening in our new facility! I've got several people to invite today. Let's pray together as we reach out to people around us who are looking for the incredible grace of God. As you work to invite your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family, pray for everyone involved in our Worship Gatherings--our Welcome Team, Children's Team, Tech Team, band and me--that we would share the truth of the Gospel in an exciting way this Sunday. Thanks for your prayers and all your work getting us into our new home. Thanks for helping make sure God's house is full this Sunday!

So his master said, "Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full."
Luke 14:23 NLT

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

The Blessed Life...

Have I ever shared one of my pet peeves with you? It makes me crazy when people tell me to "Have a blessed day." Actually, just about any use of the world "blessed" rubs me the wrong way. "Blessed" has become some kind of weird buzzword in the Christian subculture. It seems like its use is closer to the the way fraternities use a secret handshake than the biblical use of the word. When I hear somebody use it, I feel like they might as well be saying, "Don't worry. Be happy."

This makes me crazy because in the Bible the word "bless" has a very specific meaning. God's blessing is his grace. It's his undeserved favor in our lives. "Blessed" doesn't mean happy or nice or fun. "Blessed" means someone is saved by grace through faith in the work of Jesus--his life, death and resurrection.

So, I guess it's OK to say, "Have a blessed day," if by that you are encouraging someone to live in the grace of God. The problem is that the blessing of God is a heavy thing--heavy in the Back to the Future sense. Blessing is not something I can flippantly offer as someone leaves my house or my place of business. God's favor is something I desperately cry out to God the Father to dispense in someone's life as he causes his Spirit to draw them to Jesus. Look at the way Paul quotes Psalm 32 to describe God's blessing:

Romans 4:7-8 NET
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.

Blessing is not a state of mind we wish someone. Blessing is the new life we find in Christ.

May we be careful with words of grace that they may not be cheapened by over use but powerful words describing the favor we have found by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. May we remember our own blessing as our words and lives proclaim with the hymn writer:

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

CLICK HERE to receive an email every time a new blog is posted.

Hypocrisy or Misunderstanding?

This morning I was reading one of my favorite books of the New Testament: Romans. I probably read it a couple times a month. It's a beautiful book about God's grace. In Romans Paul reflects on the deep way sin has broken us and calls us to give up on religious rituals to trust in God's grace. Maybe one of the Bible's most refreshing statements comes in Romans 5:

Romans 5:8 NET
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Back in the first chapter of Romans Paul describes why we have no excuse. He writes that we have all seen the glory of God in creation but have chosen to worship the creation we can see rather than the Creator we cannot see. He ends the passage with the statement:

Romans 1:29-31 NET
They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.

Here Paul is describing what sin has done to humanity. Because we have rebelled against God, he has turned us over to our evil desires, and we have become all these things--every one of us. As a matter of fact, Paul goes on in the next chapter to write that we are without excuse when we judge people. To judge someone else is to condemn ourselves because we act the very same way everyone else does. Paul has not yet gotten to the Good News. The Good News is that even though every one of us rebels against God, all who will trust in Jesus are forgiven. Jesus came to earth, lived over 30 years without every rebelling against God and died on a cross to accept God's wrath in our place. Since God's wrath has been satisfied in Jesus, anyone who chooses to trust in Jesus as their only way to pleasing God is completely forgiven.

My heart is saddened every time I hear someone say how they have been judged by a Christian. In those times I wonder if we Christians really are hypocrites. Have we forgotten that we have not done one single thing to make ourselves worthy of God's grace? Have we lost sight of the cross by thinking that we have done something to deserve God's favor? Or are we misunderstood? Do our friends and neighbors see our attempts to help them live better by encouraging them to avoid certain sins come across like judgment?

I think it's too easy to forget the reality of the Gospel. It's too easy for us to begin believing that we are somebody--that we have gotten something right. The reality is that there is only One who got something right, and not one of us is him. May we never give our friends who do not yet believe in Jesus a reason for misunderstanding. May we admit our flaws so the grace of God may be magnified in the eyes of those around us.

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

In over my head...

It's late. It's been late now for several nights in a row. I probably don't have time to be blogging right now, but it's pretty therapeutic. I need a few minutes to reflect on this week. It's been one of those weeks that has been really long, but my head is spinning because it's gone by so quickly. If it wasn't for the fact that there is always one immediately urgent need after another, I don't think I'd know where to start! Brian and I have both spent a lot of time at the new facility this week waiting for contractors to show up and get a few important things done. It really feels strange to sit in a building with no table or desk and no high-speed internet connection.

It's been exciting to see things come together this week. Tuesday the carpets got cleaned. Wednesday Delta Signs installed our sign for us. It looks great! If you haven't seen it yet, come by about 8:15 some evening as dusk is settling in. Tonight we got speakers put up in our worship area. Our worship space in the new facility is very wide and shallow. I was a little concerned about how the room would sound, but it sounds great.

I just wanted to update you on how things are going. Here are a few pictures from the past couple weeks. I hope you are able to make it Sunday at 10:30 am as we meet in our new space for the first time. Please also plan on being part of our Grand Opening on Sunday, September 23rd. If you know someone who has been part of CrossRoads in the past, invite them to come check out our new place that Sunday. It's going to be a blast. I can't wait to see you there!

It's been a crazy ride these past few months. Thanks for being a part of it. Somebody asked my wife what we would be doing for Labor Day. She wisely told them we would be sleeping.

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

Construction Update

Here are a few more pictures from the work that is happening at our new facility. Remember September 2nd will be our first Worship Gathering in the new facility!!!

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

Content like a child...

This morning as I read Psalms 120-134, the Songs of Ascents, this psalm in particular stood out to me:

Psalm 131

Could the Holy Spirit have possibly inspired David to pick a more meaningful word picture?

"I am content like the young child I carry." Psalm 131:2b NET

My sister as well as several of our close friends have recently had children. It seems like almost everywhere we go there are babies to hold. Maybe one of the most beautiful expressions of trust and love is in those moments when I have watched these young children begin to get tired or experience some other discomfort. What do they do? They instinctively reach for mom or dad. Then, everything is OK. They are content. I would imagine this usually brings mom and dad a deep contentment, too.

While our heavenly Father doesn't have arms to wrap around us, he was so determined to show us his love and make us content in his presence that while we were his enemies, he sent his only Son to die on our behalf. Now, by grace through faith in Jesus and his work, we can be contented by our Heavenly Father.

CrossRoads Links:

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

A Splash of Color...

We have started painting! Here are a couple rooms Lisa and Karen have started with:

This will be the room for our babies:
Before and After


This room will be our office:
Before and After


Just three more Sundays at Spicer Elementary before we move in. Make sure to check our Upcoming Events page to be part of our move-in activities.

CrossRoads Links:

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

The Big Hope...

But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
Acts 24:14-15 NET

What are you hoping for from faith? As a pastor, I talk with a lot of different people about faith. Actually, most conversations I have are about faith. It's interesting to me to see what people are looking for from faith. Sometimes it has something to do with guilt. We do things we know we shouldn't do; then, we feel guilty. We want our guilt to be absolved, so we look to faith. Most of the time it is about family. Someone has come to a crisis: a struggling marriage or rebellious teenager. They turn to faith for an answer to their family crisis.

What I usually find as I talk with people about ethical problems like guilt or family is that they have made a series of bad decisions that lead to bad habits that lead to broken relationships. They come to me asking for 6 easy steps to restoring a relationship or being a better spouse or a better parent. My struggle is that the Bible addresses a problem deeper than marriage or raising teenagers. The Bible's message beats continually with the sound of our imminent foe: death. The Bible begins with the story of how death entered the human race and ends with its ultimate defeat. Every page in between tells the story of how humanity has tried for thousands of years to cheat death and yet died. Then, there was Jesus.

Many people I talk to come to the Bible looking for healing because in the pages of the New Testament Jesus healed people. Many people I talk to come to the Bible looking for advice because Jesus imparted great wisdom during his time on earth. A couple years ago, I talked with a man who was literally on his death bed. He didn't ask me what the Bible says about fixing his marriage. He didn't ask me what the Bible says about raising kids. He asked how I know he can have confidence that when his body quits breathing, that won't be the end. Then, I shared the real hope, the Big Hope of the Bible. I told him that he can have confidence because Jesus' life did not end in death. He died, but he was resurrected as the first among many who put their hope in him. This is the Big Hope. This Hope frees us. This Hope transforms our lives. This Hope makes our hearts beat with the desire to share this Hope with others.

CrossRoads Links:

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

A Wider Door...

Before and after: from one door to two!

Here's our latest construction update. This week our contractor installed a double door at our entrance. This will help a lot as we move in and out between our two Worship Gatherings on Sunday mornings.

I guess it's a good time to let you know about our schedule. When we move to our new facility on September 2nd, we will stay with our current schedule with one Worship Gathering at 10:30 am. Beginning Sunday, September 16th, we will begin a new schedule with two Worship Gatherings 9:30 and 11:00 am. Both Gatherings will have fully-implemented children's Sunday School and contain identical teaching, music, etc. We will begin advertising these Worship Gatherings to our neighborhood the week of our Grand Opening, September 23rd.

Are you getting excited yet? I know I am!

CrossRoads Links:

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

It's always about the Message...

This week I've been reading the book of Acts as well as several Psalms. The book of Acts is about the work of the Apostles as the Church began immediately following Jesus' ascension into heaven. When most people think about the stories from the book of acts, they think about the church speaking in strange languages and the Apostles miraculously healing people. What's funny is that as we look at the stories in Acts, we find that it's not about the miracles; it's about the Message.

In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas have arrived in a city name Paphos. There they are speaking with the proconsul who is accompanied by a magician of some kind named Elymas. Elymas did not like the message of the gospel, so he worked to turn the proconsul away from the faith as Paul and Barnabas taught. When Paul had enough, he declared that Elymas would become blind, and immediately he was unable to see. The next verse is pretty interesting:

Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. Acts 13:12 NET

It wasn't Elymas' blindness that made the real news with the proconsul. He was astounded at the teaching not with the miracle that had been performed.

Sometimes it's easy for us to think, "If God would just work a miracle, people would believe." Even when God was working miracles through his followers on a regular basis, it was the Message not the miracles that brought people to God. Jesus in the four Gospels and the Apostles in Acts clearly teach that the miracles were signs demonstrating the validity of the gospel. Today, we rely on something much more powerful than miracles to verify the truth claims of our faith, but that's for another day.

There is power in the Message of Jesus. Who in your life needs to hear the Message? How are you providing opportunities for them to hear it? The gospel is the power of God. Look for an opportunity today to use this incredible power of God to make a difference in the lives of people around you.

CrossRoads Links:

www.crossroadsfortoworth.org

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

3 More Sundays...

The official countdown is 3 more Sundays before we move into our new facility. Over the next few weeks as we prepare for our move, we will be building our worship gatherings on several different Psalms. This morning I began thinking through the next few weeks by reading Psalms know as the Songs of Ascent: Psalms 120-134.

Psalm 134 is written for the priests who served in the ancient Jerusalem Temple overnight. It calls out to remind them that during their work caring for the Temple, they are to continually turn their thoughts to the God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is worshipped there. They are reminded that their work is their act of worship to God.

In Revelation 1:4-6 the Apostle John tells us that Christ has made everyone who believes in him a kingdom of priests to serve God. We serve God day and night by communicating the Message that our High Priest, Jesus Christ, has offered himself as the final sacrifice removing sin and God's wrath from the lives of everyone who believes in him. Just as the priests who served God in the ancient Jerusalem Temple faced the temptation of allowing their work cleaning the Temple and preparing it for worship, we too face the danger of allowing this holy truth that has changed our lives to become ordinary to us.

The LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth, has blessed us from Zion. He has made our complete forgiveness his free gift to us in the perfect life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ. Consider this gift God has given us and allow it to change your perspective. Stand back from your tasks for just a moment to gaze at the glory of the Temple whose foundation and cornerstone is Christ and is being built up as the lives of all his followers are brought together for his glory. Consider how your life has been changed by the truth that, once you have trusted in Jesus, nothing you ever do will make God love you less because you are completely forgiven in Jesus body that was broken and blood that was spilt on the cross. The truth that, once you have trusted in Jesus, nothing you do will ever make God love you more since God views every believer as though he or she has perfectly kept the law because Jesus perfectly kept the law on our behalf.

Partnership in the Gospel...

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now
Philippians 1:3-5 NIV

This morning's blog is going to take two posts to do justice to what I read in Philippians 1.

One of the most important aspects of the Christian life is gathering with other believers. I once heard a teacher point out that when God's family gets together, there is no more important place for believers to be. Not even an appointment with the president should preempt gathering with God's family. Why? Because we need to be with one another to encourage each other. We need to remind each other of the reality of the Good News that in spite of our rebellion against God, we are forgiven and righteous because of Jesus' death on the cross. And, because Jesus rose from the grave, not even death will be victorious over us. This reality for all who trust in Jesus is the Gospel. If we neglect gathering with God's people to be encouraged and reminded of this reality, we begin to despair and begin trying to please God by earning our own righteousness. This futility drives us farther into despair and causes us to run from God.

The irony, I suppose, is that when life gets hard, church is one of the first things to go. Honestly, that's human nature. Our first ancestors taught us how to run from God. When they rebelled, they did not run to God's mercy. They ran into the bushes and tried to cover their shameful nakedness with fig leaves.

One day life will get hard for you. You will commit some sin you can't forgive yourself for, or your marriage will go through a rocky time, or maybe you will have a son or daughter who rebels against everything you have taught them. When that happens, you will have a choice. You can run from God, his family and everything that Jesus did for you, or you can run to a church family where you will find the love of God as you are reminded that Jesus completely took the wrath of God for every person who believes in him.

Wherever you attend church, come be reminded of the Gospel this Sunday. If you are looking for a church home in North Texas, come celebrate the truth of the Gospel with us. We get together at 10:30 am, and you're invited.

Click here for a map to our meeting place.

A Word of Thanks...

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now

Philippians 1:3-5 NIV

When I take a few minutes to think about all the people with whom I work side-by-side for the sake of the Gospel, I am blown away. I think of mentors and teachers who have influenced me. I think of friends I have walked alongside for years. I think of my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world. I think of my church family that I see every Sunday morning.

This Sunday our CrossRoads Church family is going to be thanking and celebrating some of our most important partners in the Gospel. Our little church, who for right now has about 100 people each Sunday morning, has about 25 people who serve regularly teaching our children the truth of the Gospel. To all of you who serve in this most important task, thank you. Thank you for loving our children and our church family enough to take the time and energy it takes to tell our most important Sunday morning attenders the most important truth they will ever hear. You are investing in people who have as many as 80 years in front of them to be our partners in the Gospel because you are taking time to touch their lives now.

Truly, there are no words to sufficient to express my thanks. Keep up this best work! We need you to continue to answer this most important call to share the Gospel with our most important people. You're awesome! THANK YOU!

Construction under way...

Construction has begun on our new facility. Here are some pre-construction and current pictures:

This is the foyer. You can see that a wall has been removed and double doors have been added for the entry to the worship area.

A wall has been constructed to create a hallway along the back of the worship area.

This area was enclosed and a double door was added to the west end of the worship area:

I'll keep you posted. We just have 4 more Sundays before we move in!

but if it is from God...

Have you ever read Acts chapter 5? The Apostles have already been thrown in jail a couple times. God has worked miraculously to free them, and without regard to an order from the religious leaders, they are back in the Temple teaching about Jesus. They are arrested and brought before the national religious leaders. When they are threatened, they tell the religious leaders:

“We must obey God rather than people. The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 5:29-32 NET

What audacity! What confidence! There in front of the national religious leaders the Apostles don't back down from teaching in the Temple. They, instead, clearly communicate the message they have been teaching the people, but that's not what I find most interesting about this story.

Next, one of the most influential teachers takes the floor. He has the Apostles sent out and tells his fellow religious leaders:

"So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God."

Acts 5:38-39 NET

Do you and I believe we serve the greatest being in the universe? Do we believe that we are messengers of the One True God? Do we truly believe that we serve the One who has conquered even death on our behalf?

Around the world at this very moment our brothers and sisters are finding out the greatness of our God as they are standing for him at gunpoint. They have been losing their lives, but what they have cannot be taken from them. Even now, they are together in the presence of our Savior. Today, let's pray for them that God, in his mercy, would release them to return to their families, but let's pray that our God in his power would give them confidence that as their lives are take one by one, they will answer with boldness that they must obey God rather than men and boldly proclaim the truth of Jesus to their captors. Let's pray that we would be emboldened by their sacrifice that we would follow them to the ends of the earth to tell His story.

times of refreshing...

This morning I've been reading from the book of Acts in the New Testament. Acts opens with Jesus' last words to his followers before ascending into heaven. Then, it begins to tell the story of the first days of the Church. Chapters 2 and 3 contain the first messages of the Apostles. In each of these sermons Peter takes the lead telling crowds who have gathered the Message of Jesus. Each of these messages promises life, hope and a fresh start. However, they begin with the chilling indictment that it was the crowd who killed the man who came to give them life.

Although we are living 2,000 years later, that indictment is leveled at us as well. Our sin killed the one man who did not deserve to die, but that's not the end of the story. This tragedy turned to hope as three days later Jesus rose from the grave.

This is our hope: in Jesus, our death is not the end. So, how do we participate in this hope? In both these chapters of Acts Peter tells the crowd that has gathered that they must simply repent and turn to God. What's so hard about that? Have you ever tried to turn away from the actions your know are sin in your life? What's so hard is that we can't. We have no more ability to follow Jesus than a corpse has ability to climb out of a grave, but just as Jesus rose from the grave, in him we have the power to be resurrected from our spiritual death right now. The message is simple; the action is miraculous.

Let the transformation begin...

What do you think of when you think of church? The Bible tells us that the church is God's people working together to share the Message of Jesus. While this definition doesn't have anything to do with buildings, one reality of being a church is that in many ways we are defined by the place our church family meets.

For the past nine years our church family has been defined by a place we move in and out of every Sunday. Potentially, this offers many assets as well as many liabilities. Temporary facilities like schools or theaters (the places we have met since CrossRoads began) offer flexibility and a lot of space for very little money. However, they also limit our ability to meet as God's family at times other than Sunday morning. So, the time has come for us to move into our first full-time facility.

This week renovations will begin our our new 5,000 square foot space on Boulevard 26 in North Richland Hills, Texas. Our first meeting in this new facility is scheduled for September 2nd, and we will have our official kick-off Sunday on September 23rd. I'll keep this page updated with our progress. If you live in the area, we'd love for you to join us at 6331 Boulevard 26 on September 23rd.