We had a great day at all of our campuses today!  We continued the “Pursuit” series and were challenged by Pete to “Pursue Community”.  Each of our campuses had community group leaders on site to help answer questions and connect people with a group.  Between all the campuses we have over 50 new groups ready to start!

If you are still looking to get connected to a group, here is the contact person for each campus.

Dickson – Butch Simmons – email butch@crosspoint.tv

Nashville – Natalie Robertson – email natalie@crosspoint.tv

North – Kevin Cook – email kevin@crosspoint.tv

If you are still unsure about getting connected to a group, let me encourage you to read my notes below from Pete’s message.

Pursuing Community by Pete Wilson

Proverbs reminds us that sin is stupid and it gives us a vision of the “good life”.

Most of life comes down to our ability to establish and maintain relationships.

The one thing that distinguishes consistently happy people from unhappy people is consistent, life-giving relationships.

God said at the beginning of creation that it’s not good for man to be alone.

Pursue and nurture connectedness.

Proverbs 18:1

Isolated people tend to be more prone to loneliness, depression and self-destructive behavior.

To live isolated is to live without wisdom.

Wisdom is being willing to own the responsibility and to live a life to pursue and nurture connectedness.

Speak and receive truth.

Proverbs 12:26

Romans 15:14

You will not live in transformational community until you make truth a part of your conversations and language.

Most of us tend to avoid speaking truth in our relationships.

Community without truth is artificial harmony.

Scripture doesn’t give you a pass on truth-telling.

You cannot have a healthy relationship, marriage, church, etc. and avoid conflict.

Proverbs 10:17

Proverbs 12:15

Proverbs 15:31

If you haven’t had truth spoken into your life recently, one of three things is likely happening:

1. You are living a perfect life (not likely)
2. You don’t have any true friends
3. You are living pridefully and not listening

Extend and expect grace.

Proverbs 19:11

When we’re offended by other people, we choose to be hurt.  We bite back.

Proverbs 17:17

Some of you wake up every day looking to be offended.  You feed off the drama.  You look for an opportunity to bail on the relationship.

Nobody is a part of this community because you have it all together.   We are all sinners.  The only way fallen human beings really connect to one another is to realize we’re all sinners.  We need people in our lives we can expect grace from.

John 1:17b

Jesus is the only one who really balances grace and truth equally.

Which way do you lean more?  Towards grace or truth?

Jesus always defined spiritual maturity in the context of relationships.  How much do you love God and how much do you love other people?

How are you going to grow when it comes to speaking and receiving truth?

How are you going to grow in extending and expecting grace?

It has been a crazy week for our staff getting ready for this Sunday.  Today we launched our brand new series “Pursuit” which is going to be an amazing journey pursuing wisdom…. AND we also launched our brand new family worship experience called FX!

FX launched at all 3 of our campuses and I heard great reports from all three locations.  Here are a couple of pics from the Nashville campus:

It’s so exciting to watch nearly 200 volunteers from all of our campuses come together to make FX possible.  We have amazing actors, singers, dancers and storytellers at each campus – thank you guys for using your talents to invest in our kids and parents.  I can’t wait for next month!

Pete kicked off the new series with a great message called “Why Wisdom”.  My notes are below:

Why Wisdom? by Pete Wilson

Proverbs 4:5

Proverbs 3:13

Proverbs 16:16

We go through life needing help but not really seeking it.

We don’t have to learn all our lessons in life by failing first.

Wisdom is living life in light of what you know to be true.  It’s not knowledge, it’s the application of knowledge.

What is a Proverb?

A proverb is a catchy description of the way things generally are.

Proverbs are not guaranteed formulas for success.

Why Proverbs?

We need to be reminded of just how stupid sin is.

We need a vision of the good life.  We live with the tension of wanting to live the good life and wanting to be a good person.

We will inevitably pursue a life that we think is desirable.  We pursue what we determine to be the good life.  We associate the good life with the things the media promotes – money, success, attractiveness, celebrity, etc.

We allow culture to define what the good life is.

All the popularity, attractiveness, money, etc will not protect you from the stupidity of sin.

Ecclesiastes 2:4-11

What you have viewed as the good life is not really the good life.  It’s nothing but smoke.

Transformation always starts with vision.  I have to redefine the good life in order for transformation to begin.

The good life doesn’t just fall out of the sky.  It’s gonna take commitment and work,  You have to begin to retrain your life through scripture and understanding of what the good life really is.

**********************

I was really struck today by how warped my idea is of “the good life”.  I know God’s truth but I have allowed the pressure of culture to influence what I believe to be good and necessary for my life.  I’m ready to go on the journey of transformation to redefine the good life.

What is one thing you are going to do to redefine “the good life” and pursue wisdom?

**Hint: You can join us for the 31 Day Challenge

Happy New Year Everyone!

We’re kicking off the New Year at Cross Point with the 31 Day Challenge.  Today is day 2 and I’m hosting the discussion.

Go read Proverbs 2 and join the discussion.

Unwed, pregnant, traveling when your nine months pregnant – Crazy FEAR!

Fiance who stands beside you, promise from God, new baby in your arms -  Immense JOY!

I can’t imagine the wild emotions that Mary faced leading up to the birth of Christ.  It kind of irritates me that scripture doesn’t elaborate on the details of the moments, especially the emotions.

For example:

Luke 2:6-7

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

No emotion.  Pure practicality in that account.

If we were writing this story today, I think it would go something like this:

“Oh my gosh!  We finally made it to Bethlehem after a grueling day of travel.  That journey is miserable anyway, but imagine being nine months pregnant.  It’s a wonder this baby didn’t just pop out from all the jostling on that donkey!  I can’t believe that Caesar insisted that we come RIGHT NOW!  Couldn’t he make an exception for someone who’s pregnant?  Then Joseph tried to get us a room for the night and everything was booked.  While he was scrambling around trying to find a solution, my water breaks!  Seriously??!!  I’m supposed to have this baby right here, right now?! ‘God, what are you thinking?!’  So, sweet Joseph finds this stable for us.  I plop down in the hay while Joseph tries to make me as comfortable as possible.  (The stupid donkey wouldn’t quit heee-hawing.)  Ugh!  I’ve never experienced pain like that.  I thought it was never going to end.  But finally, I heard the sweet little cry of my baby, God’s son – Emmanuel.”

Perhaps Mary was much more calm and collected, but I gotta think it wasn’t all pretty.  Someday I would really love to hear Mary tell the story.  I would love to know what she was thinking and feeling.

Today I came across this one little passage caught my attention for the first time.  Perhaps this gives us just a glimpse of her character and how she responded to the emotions and magnitude of that moment:

Luke 2:19

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

This was just after the shepherds arrived, saw for themselves and were spreading the news.  I’m sure there was a lot of commotion going on.

But amidst the craziness, scripture suggests Mary chooses to reflect.  I love that this passage uses the word ‘treasure’.  That tells me that Mary had profound perspective on her circumstances.  She knew she was blessed with a gift and she was savoring every moment.  In spite of the craziness, she was focusing on what mattered.

This Christmas, amidst the busyness, the commotion, the chaos, do what Mary did.  Stop to treasure and to ponder…