A couple of week’s ago, we opted to take a time-out from regular service planning to share some powerful stories and revisit our vision for Cross Point this year.
This was enough to keep me going for many more years!
In case you missed it…
If our Faith, Hope and Love initiative is new to you, you can learn more HERE.
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights, scripture/devotions
The single most important question you’ll ever ask in your life is… Who is Jesus?
This question has been asked and debated since Jesus lived here on Earth.
Examples in scripture where who Jesus was, was questioned: John 8:48, Mark 3:21, Matthew 16, Matthew 28
Most of us have a partial understanding of who Jesus is. We understand his death and resurrection. We know him as Savior, but we don’t know what it means to follow Christ. We don’t understand how he lived and how that applies to our life.
We want enough of God to keep us out of hell, but we don’t want enough of God to change our lifestyle.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today… is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is simply what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable. Brennan Manning
When we exclude how Jesus lived, we become undiscipled disciples.
Jesus’ death and resurrection – Jesus’ life = undiscipled disciples.
Luke 5:1-11 -this story is an important shift from Peter seeing Jesus as teacher and allowing Jesus to be Lord in his life.
We think Jesus had some good suggestions, but most of us are not willing to organize our life around them.
Luke 6:46-49
The vast majority of Christians know the powerlessness of knowing truth and not applying it.
Why are we not making the shift from Jesus being teacher to Jesus being Lord in our lives?
Seriously? scriptures: Matthew 5:38-39, Matthew 5:44, Mark 10:25, Matthew 5:28-30, Luke 14:26
We have to learn how to live in “the space between” – the time between accepting Christ and arriving in Heaven. We have to learn how to follow Christ as Lord in our lives.
Why do you think it’s so hard to allow Jesus to really be Lord in our lives?
Cross Point, Leadership, church administration, personal growth
Five years ago this week I walked through the doors of Cross Point Church not as a volunteer anymore, but a staff member. I remember that day so vividly. I remember driving the 30 minute commute from my home to the office thinking “Have I really done this?”, “Am I really walking away from the career I’ve passionately pursued since the age of 13 to work at a church?”, “God, is this really you?”
My mind was racing with questions and doubt, and yet there was a quiet calm underlying this decision. I couldn’t deny that God was doing something special at Cross Point. Five years ago with maybe 500 people in the seats in a dirty school cafeteria it wasn’t always apparently obvious that God had big things in store for this young church, but I can remember specifically the moment when I felt God telling me this was what I needed to do.
Fast forward five years and there are still days that I ask God similar questions to the ones I asked that morning of my commute… “God, really… is this really what you’ve called me to?”… sometimes that question is asked out of frustration and sometimes that question is asked out of awe and wonder.
In celebration of five years, I thought I would share five things I’ve learned so far…
1) It’s a 24/7 job. It’s a calling, a commitment and a sacrifice. I’m not suggesting you have to work unsustainable hours, but you can’t clock-in and clock-out. You have to embrace the responsibility.
2) Ministry leadership is not easier. In my case it’s been much more difficult than my corporate leadership experience.
3) I GET to do this. May I never forget the privilege it is to partner with God in the work of transforming lives.
4) Life-change never gets old. Seeing lives changed is all the fuel you need to make it through the dark days.
5) You can’t lose hope. You can’t lose sight of the vision. Create whatever marker you need to create to remember why you are in ministry and keep it prominently in front of you all the time.
What has ministry taught you?
Cross Point, Cultivate Her, Sunday Highlights
There’s a lot on my mind today, but nothing that sees to be formulated into a compelling blog idea. So let’s call it “Monday Morning Musings” and we’ll see if it sticks…
!!What’s on your mind today?
It’s been such a great weekend at all of our Cross Point campuses!
These are a few pictures from yesterday’s Serving Saturday event. Hundreds of volunteers served in so many different ways at all of our campuses and throughout our communities.
Thank you all so much for your time and investment! It makes me so proud to be a part of a community of believers that is committed to loving, serving and caring for others. You guys are amazing!
Thank you!
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights
Yesterday was a crazy day at Cross Point. Because of some technical drama I wasn’t able to adequately capture notes from Justin’s message, so Trish Davis one of my dear friends who also happens to be Justin’s wife, was gracious enough to be our guest post for this week’s Sunday Highlights. Thank You Trish!!
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It’s humbling beyond words to write today’s Sunday’s highlights Justin Davis is the Bellevue campus Pastor (and my husband). Justin and I have had to painfully stumble into understanding the dysfunction of the families we grew-up in and how that dysfunction spilled over into our marriage. Justin spoke candidly about the mess-ups and the lessons we have learned along the way. I hope these highlights will be an encouraging starting point regardless if you’re single, married or single again. I pray for your journey of becoming a healthier person in hopes to becoming a healthier family!
We don’t get to choose the family we are a part of, but we do get to choose who we become in the context of our family.
1. A Healthy Family Loves Deeply.
Loving deeply in a healthy family is love that is expressed no matter what. Deep love celebrates the uniqueness of each person
How does your family do in loving deeply?
2. A Healthy Family Forgives Unconditionally.
In some families, forgiveness is conditional. Forgiveness is offered only under certain conditions. 1 Corinthians 13 says, “Love Keep s no record of wrongs.” Jesus said it like this “He who has been forgiven of much, loves much.” When you forgive, love grows. When love grows, mistakes aren’t as big.
How does your family do at forgiving unconditionally?
3. A Healthy Family Creates Traditions
Donald Miller says in his book “A million Miles in a Thousand Years”: “I like those scenes in the Bible where God stops people and asks them to build an altar. You’d think He was making them do that for Himself, but I don’t think God really gets much from looking at a pile of rocks. Instead, I think God wanted his people to build altars for their sake, something that would help them remember, something they could look back on and remember the time when they were rescued, or they were given grace.” God knew that as people we live life more fully through the remembrance of traditions.
How well does your family do at creating traditions?
4. A Healthy Family Pursues Authenticity.
A healthy family isn’t where you’re loved because you are perfect…it’s where you are loved in spite of your imperfections. The mercy you long for is found on the other side of confession… grace is found on the other side of authenticity.
How well does your family pursue authenticity?
5. A Healthy Family Speaks Truth, in love.
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. As you and I share truth with others in love, a transformation takes place in our hearts and we become more and more like Christ.
How does your family do at speaking truth in love?
6. A Healthy Family Gives Generously.
Proverbs 21:26 Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! A family who gives generously lives with the priorities of God in mind.
How healthy is your family in the area of giving?
So how do you start this journey of becoming a healthy family?
1. Be Intentional
The quality of your family’s health will be determined by the decisions you make intentionally, not the ones you let be made for you. You will not drift into health. We don’t drift into a great family…we make little decisions each day that added together become a sum greater than their parts.
2. Be Accountable
Accountability is the pathway to humility. Humility is the currency of healthy families.
3. Be Committed
Pursuing a healthy family isn’t for the faint of heart. Most of us are going to have to go back to some dark places. But what you will have on the other side of that is the family you’ve always pretended to have.
When you pursue being a healthy family, you allow the church to become more of the family God has in mind. As you love deeper, we love deeper. As you forgive unconditionally, we become more of a place of grace and mercy. As you establish traditions, we become a people of shared values. As you create a culture of authenticity in your family, we become a place where nobody is perfect, but everyone is welcome.
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights
Proverbs 1:22-23
Sex was part of God’s design from the very beginning.
Sex is a gift that God has given us.
God did not design sex just for procreation, but also for our enjoyment.
Proverbs gives us warnings on how to not abuse sex and not take it out of the context for which it was created.
We’ve taken an incredible gift that God has given us and we’ve allowed sin to taint in and distort it.
Proverbs 6:20-29
1) Beware of Self-deception
Proverbs 16:1-2
“The One” is the one you’re married to.
We have an unbelievable capacity for self-deception.
Matthew 5:27-30
There is more to sexual purity than just external compliance.
2) Beware of Secrets
Proverbs 28:13
The more you allow these sins to stay in darkness, the more momentum they gain in your life.
Your confession is not what hurts people, sin hurts people.
The reason you fear the consequences of confession is because you’ve yet to realize the consequences of concealment. – Andy Stanley
3) Beware of Pride
If you think you’re not susceptible to sexual temptation you are more Spiritual than David, wiser than Solomon and stronger than Samson.
Proverbs 16:18
Where to start:
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At all of our campuses, we featured Randy Elrod’s new book Sex, Lies & Religion
This is a great resource for a heathy, Godly view of sexuality and intimacy.
I won’t leave you with a question today. I’ll just ask you to consider how this applies to you, and challenge you to take a step towards God-honoring sexuality.
Hey Cross Point!
I’m very excited about this Sunday. Remember, our services at all campuses will meet regardless of weather conditions, so even if we get some snow we’ll be there.
Couple of things to note:
1) Have you signed up for Serving Saturday yet? All of our campuses will be serving their local community on February 27th. I hope you’ll make plans to join us. This is an amazing chance to give back to our communities!
2) This Sunday Pete will be speaking on Sexual Brokenness. Due to the PG-13 content in this message, parents are encouraged to take advantage of our Kidz World Ministry for children through 5th Grade.
I’m excited to announce that at the Nashville Campus, we will also have copies of Randy Elrod’s new book “Sex, Lies & Religion
It’s gonna be a great Valentine’s Day at Cross Point! I hope you’ll join us!
Cross Point, Missions, Sunday Highlights
Since I’m still in India and unable to hear Blake’s message today for the Pursuit series, I would love for you guys to give me Cross Point’s Sunday highlights!
Please leave your notes/comments/thoughts from today’s message in the comments section!
And just so you don’t think I’m taking the easy way out. Here are our Sunday highlights India style:
We’ll be home Tuesday evening. Keep us in your prayers!
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights, church administration, scripture/devotions
It was a crazy weekend for us at Cross Point. Nashville had around 4-6 inches of snow this weekend so everyone has been pretty hunkered down. Most local churches were closed, but we opted to keep the doors open and I’m so glad we did.
Each of our campuses made some adjustments to make the day work. And our Programming guys, Matt, Aaron & Darrin quickly pulled together a Ustream option for people to join us online. Literally thousands worshiped with us today!
If you joined us, we were so glad that you were a part of the day!
Here are my notes from today’s message:
Words are a very powerful thing.
For some of you your self-esteem has been formed by the power of words that were spoken to you.
We are very sensitive to the words spoken to us, but oftentimes we’re not careful about the words that come out of our mouths.
Proverbs 18:21
James 3:2-8
Are you going to allow your words to bring peace or cause dissention?
Matthew 12:34
If you have a mouth problem, you really have a heart problem.
What God is looking for is for our words to bring life.
Proverbs 25:11
There is an element of power to our words.
We are impacted by words. It affects our souls. We are designed that way.
There is no such thing as a neutral word. God has designed the human soul where your words will either destroy or build up one another.
Proverbs 15:4
Secret of the human soul: Everyone needs healing, no matter how put together they appear. Everyone needs healing!
Ephesians 4:29
To be aware of others’ needs, you have to be present, listening, understanding in the moment.
Two questions to think about this week:
Who has God placed in your life?
What do they need to hear you say?
The power is not in the thought. The power is in the word. The power is in saying it.
Say what you need to say this week!
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I need to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of our staff for working together to create worship environments at all of our campuses. I appreciate your hearts for people. I appreciate your commitment to one another. I’m so thankful to be on your team! You guys are amazing!
Jenni Catron is the Executive Director of Cross Point Church, a multi-site church in the Nashville, TN area.
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