Crossing Community Church

Today we paused our current teaching series to spend time directing our hearts on the important truths that Psalm 139 holds for us. As you read the passage, you realize he knows -- he knows where we are, what we are thinking, what we are saying. He knew us before we were born and he knows the number of our days in this life. He knows and because he knows, we can trust him! 

We never know when we will find ourselves in the midst of a difficult season of life. There is really no way to prepare for the unexpected. But when it does happen, we can know where to go and how to respond. Nathan leads us into Psalm 136 today and helps us understand that the character of God, his enduring mercy, is safe place for us in any season of life!

This week Jarred Cain did a great job of teaching from Hebrews 11-12 and relating the passage to issues of conscience.  As Christians dealing with issues of Conscience sometimes leads us to asking bad questions. It is important to ask the right ones because our liberty As Christians is an issue of witness as we seek to share Christ to our families, our neighbors and our communities. It is important to run as a witness because our liberty is not for us it is for the Glory of God and for the building up of others.

John believed at one time that he simply had to do more good than bad to please God. But over time, he came to understand the death of Christ was the only way to cover his sins resulting in a driveway conversion that change the destiny of his whole family. In the coming months and years, his wife and both of his children trusted Christ! That's what Jesus does -- He changes lives!

Social Justice should be something all Christians are concerned about. God is! Throughout the Bible God commands his people to love justice and do right and he gives us instruction on how to do so! But any time mankind tries to improve on God's ways and commandments, it usually ends badly (think of the Tower of Babel!). Today, Pastor Tim compared social justice and God's justice and looked at where they differ and why that is a problem. 

This week, Nate Garrison continues our series on Summer Top Ten topics with the topic that came in second in with the most votes: End Times. Nate did a fine job presenting an overview of end times theology (also known as Eschatology) and our response to it. 

Predestination. Did God save me without my permission or did I accept Christ of my own volition? This topic is vast and it's been debated for hundreds of years. So this sermon doesn't begin to answer all the questions you might have. Instead Pastor Tim attempts to give a basic definition of predestination as well as a basic definition of the opposing position and closes with his personal position on the topic. 

The third highest votes of the topics our church was interested in hearing about was False Teachers. So what does the Bible say about false teachers? What are there so many warnings about this? The big deal, why it's so important, is that teachers and prophets are speaking on behalf of God. They are presenting truth, therefore the spiritual health and wellbeing of our church depends on the veracity of the teacher. He must teach the truth!

Today, Pastor Tim took a break from our Summer Top Ten list to encourage our church to seek God's strength and refuge. We can't ignore the season of church life we are in with so many struggling serious illness and challenging life circumstances. With all that going on, Pastor Tim took us to Psalm 46 to remind us and encourage us with this wonderful promise of God -- "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

What do the Scriptures teach us about God’s will — or wills? Listen as Pastor Steve looks at the Bible’s teaching about the will of God, and gives a simple answer for knowing God’s will for each of us.

Who or what determines what is human life and what isn't. What gives human life value? Both of these questions help us understand what the Bible has to say about Abortion. 

What does the Bible say about dealing with, loving, caring for those who are poor, widows, disabled or in some other way disadvantaged? A LOT!! Today Pastor Tim begins in the OT, goes through Psalms and Proverbs, into the Gospels, through the early church in Acts and touches on church history to demonstrate that loving the "least of these" is at the heart of who God is. 

As Jesus begins his closing comments on the Sermon on the Mount, he summarizes his sermon -- actually, he summarizes the teaching of the entire bible in this short verse when he says, "Treat Others as you want to be treated."

Jerry Schmoyer helps us understand that our really bad days are important and have a purpose. God uses them for our good and his glory!

As Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount he offers one last parable or story about two men who build houses. One builds on sand and the other builds on rock. One house stands and one doesn't when the storms hit. While Jesus is talking about houses he explains that he is really talking about true discipleship and that a true disciple will be able to last the storms of life -- because true disciples, not only hear the teachings of Jesus, they obey them. 

As Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount, he lays down a last series of tests of true discipleship, saying that few will follow, that we can know true prophets/teachers by their fruit and that not all who 'profess' Christ, know Christ. His encouragement to follow the narrow way and to monitor what we listen to and read and finally the truth of our profession boils down to certainty & purity of our calling!

"Ask, seek, knock" sounds like a sure plan to get what ever we want from God. But that would reduce him down to the status of a mere genie and strip him of his sovereignty and compassion. One might get all they want, but they would fall short of becoming more like Christ.In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus highlights what a good father he is and how blessed we are to be adopted into his family. His teaching challenges us to see all that comes from his hand as a blessing and not a curse -- to see hardship as bread and not a stone.  

"Judge not, lest you be judged."  These six words comprise what is widely considered to be the most misused verse in the Bible. Most believe it means that it's wrong to judge others. But that is not the case. Instead, the passage teaches us how to rightly judge others and that begins with judging ourselves first!

As Jesus continues to teach his disciples what it means to be a citizen of his new kingdom, he challenges them about what is of first importance to them and in no uncertain terms, promises that if they make his kingdom first priority, he will meet their needs.