Crossing Community Church

The past year has been a novel year filled with ups and downs. Whether we look at things globally or in our personal lives it is undeniable that the events has shaped us. It is the providence of God that has led these things to come about and it is my hope that we see that God is in charge of all things and guiding us to our ultimate end which is to be made into the likeness of His Son Jesus. Join us as we unpack the providence of God as seen in Proverbs. 

With Christ's last words to His disciples He gives them their final instructions -- GO! Today, Pastor Tim talked about how Christ assures us that we go in His authority when we GO and that he promises to be with us as we go. With that in mind, Pastor Tim challenged us with two photos, one of the backside of a mosaic full of loose threads and the other side of the mosaic that reveals a beautiful picture, encouraging us that all of us are loose threads that make up the beauty of the Gospel and that each of us are expected to GO and do our part of creating the mosaic. 

This week Dr. Michael Breece did a great job of teaching us the power of our words! Teaching from Proverbs 18:21, he helped us understand that we can train ourselves to use our words for the benefit of others. And while teaching us how powerful our words can be, he reminded us of how damaging they can be as well. 

We had the pleasure of hearing from Jack Heverly today in our ongoing series of testimonies from members of our church family. Jack's process of coming to Christ was slow and took time. But he can distinctly remember the events that brought him to his decision point. His story is one of encouragement to so many of us who are eager to see family and friends come to faith in the Lord Jesus!!

This week our nation anxiously awaited the verdict of the George Floyd trial. With the announcement came responses of all kinds - but very few were fully satisfied. God's image in us makes us care about justice being done fairly and right. But man's perspective on justice is based on man's experiences, culture and worldview -- and never provides a unified opinion. We are left unsatisfied and disillusioned. BUT GOD, gives a perspective to His people that allows to understand and relate the justice of the world while we wait on His perfect justice in another day and time. 

When Jesus rose from the grave, why did He linger here on Earth instead of going straight to be with the Father? This week, Pastor Tim suggests that one thing Jesus was doing in that time between his resurrection and his ascension was dealing with the doubts and fears of his followers. His appearances to Peter, Thomas and the others were intended to remove doubt and to assure them of His love and purpose for them even though they fled in His hour of need. Many of us today still struggle with doubts and fears. God is not offended or angry at us when that is true. Instead he desires to reconcile those doubts and fears through His Word, His Spirit and His people. 

On the day of the resurrection, two followers of Christ were walking home to Emmaus, discouraged and disillusioned about the events of the past few days. All that they thought was going to happen seemed lost, their hope destroyed. But as a third traveler joins them, he begins to explain from the Scriptures what was to happen to the Messiah. Soon enough, the two discouraged travelers discover their new companion is Jesus himself. Jesus adjusted their expectations, He realigned them with biblical reality and that changed their total perspective. Are you discouraged? Pastor Tim has some suggestions for you today if you are!

As early as 5 B.C., mankind has been searching for a way to retain youth or even to gain immortality. Why? Because we fear death. There are many reasons why people might fear death, but when Christ came back from the dead, He made it possible to not be afraid of death ever again, but instead, to see death as the door to an eternity with God and life everlasting!

When Jesus reaches the Garden of Gethsemane and begins to cry out to his Father, perhaps there is no more fuller portrayal of his human nature. This scene in his life has much to teach us, from his relationship with the disciples to his relationship with his father and his absolute obedience that wins us our freedom!

Today Jarred Cain, our Youth & Worship Director, shared his testimony with us. If you come from a family that was impacted by divorce, you might relate to Jarred's story. Even through the hardships of broken relationships, God had people in his life that Jarred trusted who challenged and encouraged him along the way. Ultimately, after rejecting God's grace for many years, Jarred gave up the struggle to find purpose and freedom in Christ.

From the very beginning of Jesus' public ministry at the wedding in Cana, he spoke of "his hour" and most often said 'that it had not come.' But when you read the Upper Room Discourse and get to chapter 17, things change. Jesus now says, "His hour has come." Those two words equate to the purpose of his earthly life -- to die for the sins of mankind. 

As Jesus shares his final thoughts before his arrest with the disciples, he warns them of coming persecution. In John 15, the Lord gives them 6 reasons the world will hate his followers. Today, Pastor Tim challenges us to understand that Jesus was not just speaking to the eleven that night, he was speaking to us as well. 

As we continue to study John 13-17, Jesus explains that he must leave so that His Father can send the Helper. Jesus gives some insight into who the Helper is and what He will do and as the Lord explains this, the trait that He mentions most is that the Helper will reveal truth. Pastor Tim talks about why revealing truth might the most important aspect of the Helper's ministry at that time -- and why it's equally important for our time as well. 

On the last night with his disciples, Jesus pulls his disciples aside and spends the evening sharing with them a sort of 'last will and testament' giving them encouragement and instruction for the difficult and confusing days to come. In our study of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17), Pastor Tim studies the six times the Lord said, "These things I have spoken."

John 13:35 makes an amazing statement, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” At a day and time when the messages about the church and from the church are confusing, Jesus gives us a way to communicate with the watching world -- by our love for one another.

If the story of Snow White ended after the poison apple it would be a terrible story. But it didn't. After she ate the poison apple there was much more to her story. Perhaps you feel like your life has had more than it's fair share of hardship and pain. That may be, but your life (your story) is not over yet. There is so much more to come and as a Christian your story will end with wonderful joy and satisfaction! Today, Pastor Tim encouraged us with the promises of what is to come at "the end of our story."

The hardships and difficulties of life can be unrelenting. Some seasons of sorrow can seem like they will never end. It's in those times that God's Word can be most comforting. This week Pastor Tim takes us into 2 Corinthians 4 where Paul helps us find comfort and purpose in our sorrow.

This week, Daniel Marzari taught from Romans 6 about dealing with sin in our lives. Everyone sins, but how can we have victory over sin? How can we break free from cycles of sin in our lives? Paul answers our question with two of His own: What have we gained from sin? And what do we lack in Christ? If we are satisfied in God and not by sin, we CAN walk in obedience! 

Do you fear death? What is our hope in life and death? Do you know the hope that you cling to after such current events that we have experienced? If a neighbor or a passerby came up and asked you to give one word that would make all the difference and change everything, what would you say? My hope is that that word would be Christ. Christ Alone is our hope in life and death.

If you were raised in the church and found yourself going through the motions of religion apart from a real relationship with Christ, then you'll relate to Nate's story. He shares how he found himself being in a church but not growing in Christ. As you listen to his story, you'll hear how God used people of faith to guide him to a place where his faith is real and growing.