Crossing Community Church

Perhaps you've heard that God is immutable. That's not a word we use very often, but what it means is that God does not change. In a world that is constantly changing, having one thing that is constant and certain is a comfort. That 'one thing' for Christians is God himself! He is never changing. This week, Pastor Tim discusses why that is important and what it means to our daily life that God never changes. 

Isaiah found himself in the presence of God and recorded the only words he heard as being "Holy, holy, holy." The mere words of mankind fall short of describing the "otherness" of God. This week Pastor Tim uses the story of the death of Uzzah in 1 Chronicles 13 to remind us of how we can make the holiness of God an unimportant thing and the need to grow in our awe of Him. 

"From everlasting to everlasting” you are God." It is unimaginable to think of anything apart from time. We can not escape thinking about everything in the context of time. And yet, God is not limited by time. He is eternal -- the creator of time, the master of time. 

The difference between an idols we create and the true eternal God are His attributes. Eternal, holy, unchanging -- the list goes on and on. No idol has those attributes and the only way we can know our God is to know and understand His attributes. We can move from the golden calves we create to embrace our Father God as we understand who and what He is.

Faithfulness matters. And you can see the power of faithful parents and grandparents in the lives of children in the testimony of Heather Adler. Her story is rich with the influence of not only her parents but of grandparents and others of her extended family. Consider the legacy you are leaving to others who are coming behind you after you hear Heather's story!

Scripture is always right. And our nation needs the truth of Scripture right now! But few of us really want the instruction Paul gives us in Romans 12 -- do not pay back evil, respect all men, do not take revenge, overcome evil with good. God's standards are always higher than ours and not usually the way we would resolve conflict. But God is like that, always surprising us and working in ways we could never imagine. 

There is a lot of room for disagreement these days -- politics, COVID, racism -- to name a few things. And the church is not exempt from disagreement!! How do we love each other when we are in such disagreement with each other? Our differences are an opportunity to exhibit God's love!

We are so familiar with so many of the biblical stories that we read them without considering what is behind the story and between the lines. A great example of that is when we read of Jesus selecting His disciples. We seem to think the men he selected somehow were in complete agreement on values, politics and even the Jewish faith. But that is far from true. Consider Peter, a devout orthodox Jew, opinionated as he was, having to get along with Matthew, a tax collector, despised by largely the entire Jewish community. Our churches are no different. Full of people with various beliefs and convictions. How did Jesus bring his disciples into unity. How does He bring our churches into unity?

David was anointed king of Israel long before he ever sat on the throne. It was years before that ever happened. What was he doing in all those years? Waiting.  When we wait, God uses that time of waiting to make us and shape us. Think of it as God is making a tool and he is taking his time to craft us for his purpose. 

There is a lot of unrest in our nation right now and many of us have very strong opinions about what is happening in our streets and why it's happening. This week Pastor Tim speaks to us about how we are citizens of heaven passing through this world. We don't have to agree with each other but we do have to live in harmony with each other. Our opinions should never get in the way of Gospel or discredit our testimony before others. 

This morning Janice Buckley shares how God used various life events to bring her into a loving relationship with her Heavenly Father. From the loss of her father to random church information left on her door, she speaks of the patience of God as she was finding her way into His family. 

Many people struggle with the knowledge that life is lacking something. They do "right things" trying to feel better about themselves, but there is no amount of good things we can do to lift the weight of our guilt and shame. The only way to accomplish that is through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul writes in Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation for those who are found in Christ! 

When you consider all the stars of the universe, the depths of the oceans, the majesty of creation and yet there is man. God in all His glory went beyond our imagination when He gave up His own Son for our benefit. That declares His great love for you and I!

Sprinkled or dunked?As a baby or later in life?Is there anything supernatural that happens?There can be lots of questions about baptism. This week, Pastor Tim provides answers to some of the more common questions and issues surrounding this ancient practice. NOTE: Due to a technical problem in the service, the sound quality is not as good as we usually hope for. Sorry for that!

If the church does not speak into the issues that divide our nation we are leaving a void that the world cannot sufficiently fill. The world can only pass another law, usher in another government, march in another city -- all of those can never bring the lasting transformation that Jesus brings. And that is why we must have a biblically-based conviction on these matters and share them when we can. We must consider what others are living through and allow their experience to influence our understanding of the world beyond ourselves and most importantly, what does the Bible say about all of it. 

There are many opinions about what makes a church safe to attend as all of us move back toward meeting together as a church again. The potential for division is real. But the Lord Jesus has given us direction and guidance on how to love each other in order to avoid division. Today we look at Romans 12 for that guidance. 

Among the great enterprises man could attempt, none compare to the Great Enterprise that God has set before his church -- to give every man, woman and child the opportunity to hear the Gospel in their own language with the hope of many coming to faith in Christ. This week Pastor Tim explains why the Great Enterprise is so great!

Paul wrote, "When I am weak, then I am strong." He is referring to the power of God at work in His people when they allow Him to use them in their weaknesses. This week Pastor Tim shared the story of Elinor Young, who survived childhood polio and grew up to serve God among the Kimyal tribe in the mountainous interior region of Irian Jaya. Her Kimyal friends gave her the name of "Bad Legs" referring to her polio-weakened legs. They believed her 'bad legs' were a sign that God loved them so much He sent her to share the Bible with them. The lesson to learn is that God will use all of us just as we are, unpolished and broken, to draw others to Himself!

James Gilardi is a high school senior that has experienced a great deal in his short life. Abandoned by his parents, living on the streets, foster care, adoption and finally a life changing experience with Jesus. Pull out the tissues and take a chair for this one. 

Throughout the Bible we find stories of people who were going about their daily life when God used them right where they were. God is still doing that today -- even though there are restrictions on the way we live our life. But circumstances like a virus don't hinder God, instead they are a vehicle for him! We are not limited by the quarantine. God is creative and eager to use anyone that wants to be used. Don't waste the quarantine! There are opportunities at hand that will be gone when social distancing is a thing of the past. Ask God to use you!