The Crossroads Community Thoughts and News

What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?

2009-06-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of a struggle in our nation between becoming something new and different, and keeping the security of the past. We don't know just yet if the new changes happening in our nation are good or bad. One group holds on to the past and says "If it ain't broke; don't fix it!" Another group highlights the shortcomings in our system and says "We can do better". Most of us are somewhere in between. We like the idea of something new, and the possibility of better lives, but we're scared because in the past new deals didn't always lead to a better life. That's the stage upon which our national news performs daily. And in the midst of that struggle is the symbol of The Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commnadments are a significant symbol in our national identity. One side holds them up as a visible descriptive of our goodness and moral standards. The other side sees them as a dogmatic, repressive symbol of intolerance. Where do you stand on the idea of the Ten Commandmenst? Are they part of our heritage? Are they evidence of forced religion? Do they violate the separation of church and state? Are they reminders of all that is good in America?

If you're reading this blog, why not weigh in on the subject?

Can a Christian lose his or her salvation?

2009-05-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

Can a Christian lose his salvation? I get asked that question a lot, although often in some variation. Someone might say: "So and So is no longer a Christian." Or, one might ask: "If I die with unconfessed sin in my life, will I go to Heaven?"

It's clear that the Bible teaches that Christians can fall away. Peter denied Jesus. Moses fled to the desert for 40 years. Jonah fled to Tarshish. Throughout history, God worshipers have strugggled to maintain a faithful walk with God. So, it's normal to wonder what happens when someone moves into eternity not having finished well.

The good news is that the Bible clearly teaches that when I commit my life to God, he forever saves me. In Ephesians, chapter 1, and verses 13 and 14 tell us: "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory."

These verses clearly state that those who have believed the Gospel have received God's spirit, which is a guarantee of our redemption. Folks, God never breaks His promises, and certainly, when he guarantees something, it happens.

So, what happens when someone who previously believed, either recants his or her salvation, or simply gets caught up in doing wrong and wanders away from God? Well, the best way to explain it is through the use of a parent/child relationship. When one of my children chooses to disobey my instructions, even saying "I'm no longer your child", that, in and of itself, does not mean he or she is no longer my child. Having been born into my family, the child will always be my child. But, our relationship is broken. He or she won't have much to do with me, and certainly won't receive the best that I have to offer until the child confesses the wrong, and apologizes. That's the way it is with a Christian. When we recant our salvation, or wander away from God, our relationship with Him is broken. He can't and won't bless us, or guide us at that point. The next prayer that God can hear from us is a prayer of confession. As long as we are walking in disobedience our prayers cannot be heard by God. The Psalmist, David, put it this way in Psalm 66:18: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear."

But, that has nothing to do with our eternal salvation. Some might say: "Well, then why should I live for God? As soon as I believe, I'm guaranteed eternal life, so I can just go on and live my life any way I choose. Right?" Well, technically that's true. But think about it for a moment. The Bible says that at the end of time, each person, Christian and non-Christian, must give an account of his life, to God. For the non-Christian, that accounting includes the eternal destination of Hell. But the Christian doesn't stand at that judgement. Romans 8:1 says: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Because Jesus paid the price for my wrongs with his death on the cross, it would be double jeoprady for me to have to pay for them at the judgment. No, the judgment that Believers will stand for is one where we get rewarded for the things we did in this life for God's glory, not our own. For the person who decides to recant of their faith, that will be an empty appointment. And, although enjoying eternal life with Jesus, they'll have nothing to show for their earthly existence, and this will be for all of eternity. So, does it make sense to do that? No!

I hope I've answered this question for you. If not, why not respond to this blog, and we'll strike up a conversaiton about it. I promise not to give you my opinion, just God's Word. Why not drop me a line?

2009-03-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

In God We Trust.

I was listening to the news the other day, and there was this report about somebody who seems to have solved the "Gay Marriage" conflict. His or her solution was to eliminate marriage altogether. In other words, the writer's opinion was "why is the governmetn involved in validating marriage anyway?" At first blush, it sounded pretty radical, and my bias immediately caused me to think: "this must be a gay activist". But then I began to think about it, and I think now that I might just agree with the writer. After all, government didn't create marriage, God did. And just because a couple goes to the Justice of the Peace, or someone else, doesn't mean that the couple has invited God to bless them, nor does it even mean that God brought them together. I haven't researched just how governments began to regulate marriage, but I suspect that it had something to do with taxes. And I think a lot of the reasons why people are fighting to protect the government sanction of marriage is to continue those tax issues. The "Gay Marriage" issue is quite another deal. I've seen very little talk about gay marriage from the standpoint of taxation. I think for the most part, taxation of gays is pretty much the same as straights. I think the Gay Marriage movement has morphed. The issue now is a demand not only for fair treatment, I think that's been achieved for the most part. From what I've seen recently, the movement is seeking approval. That, in my humble opinion, will be an impossible task. In my earlier blogs, I have sought to emphasize and remind others that the "sin of homosexuality" is no more serious to God than the sins of greed, envy, and jealousy. But that same rationale tells me that if God doesn't want us to be greedy, jealous, or envious, then He doesn't want us to practice homosexuality either. So, while I may be in agreement that governmewnt validation of marriage isn't really essential, I could never agree that it's o.k. to keep on living a lifestyle that is opposed to God's teaching. And that's where my opening title applies. Our money has printed on it "In God We Trust". This may be one of the great oxymorons in history. The very fact that we print this on our money demonstrates that we don't trust in God, we trust in our money. I'm reminded that in the Gospel of John, chapter 18, and verse 36 we hear Jesus say: "Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." Jesus understood that His kingdom is the Kingdom of God. Anyone who chooses to become a follower of Christ transfers his or her allegance from the kingdoms of this world to the Kingdom of God. As such, it should not matter greatly to us what the kingdoms of this world do or don't do. What should matter most is the standard of behavior expected of residents of God's kingdom. So in closing this morning, I'd like to encourage anyone reading this blog who claims to follow Jesus, to consider the ways in which you have failed to transfer loyalty from this kingdom to the Kingdom of God. If you're reading and you're not in agreement with me, or have questions, why not respond? I'll be the first to admit that I can be wrong. I don't have it all wraped up. Have a great day. Talk to me.

2009-03-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

DOES GOD LOVE HOMOSEXUALS - PART 3

So, now we have determined that God's original purpose was for man and woman to be united in marriage. And we have also determined that The God who made us all, also loves us all, regardless of our behavior. Romans 5:8-11 says: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." It's clear from this passage that God loved us as it says, even when we were His enemies. So, does that include homosexuals? I say yes, even homosexuals. But that isn't where the deal ends. All of us have violated God's laws, and homosexuality is no worse than envy or greed.

We get that, but what many of us don't get is what it actually means to be a Christian. We are separated from God, because of the wrong things we have done. And nothing we do can will restore our relationship. So we need to accept the sacrifice that Jesus paid by dying on the Cross for all the wrong things we have done. Because he lived a perfect life, he is the only human in history that could stand before God and say "kill me in their place." So, by allowing Jesus death to pay for our wrongs, we then become adopted into God's family. The verse I used above clearly state that God loves all of us, homosexual or straight.

But, here's where the conflict starts. The fact that God loves us, and died for us even when we were his enemies, doesn't mean that he intends for us to stay that way. Romans 12, verses 1 and 2 tell us: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Verse 1 tells us that in view of God's mercy. What mercy? The mercy we spoke of earlier when Jesus died for us even though we were his enemies. These verss tell us that in view of this mercy we should give our lives back to God in service to Him. And it goes on to inform us: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world." That means that even though God loves us even if we're homosexuals, He doesn't want us to continue on living that way. And, he promises to give us the help we need to stop doing things he doesn't want us to do. In the Gospel of John, and verse 33 Jesus himself said: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So, in conclusion, does God love Homosexuals? Of course He does, just as much as he loves people who envy, or are greedy or jealous. But, just like greed, envy, and jealousy, God wants to change us to look like Him, and that includes helping to free us from homosexuality.

I hope this helps people to get over their homophobia, both gay and straight. God is a God of mercy, not just for straight, but for gays as well.

Does God Love Homosexuals - Part 2

2009-03-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

In my last entry, I laid the groundwork for why I believe that God loves Homosexuals. The foundation for everything I will now articulate is the premise that the Bible is God's word, without error. Because it is God's word, not mine, and because it is without error, whatever we discover about this issue must be viewed as absolute and mandatory. In other words, if we read something in the Bible, we can't modify it or amend it because of something we really, really, really believe is more true or accurate. Could you imagine taking the Law of Physics and saying "well, I really don't think gravity is accurate, so I'm going to amend my belief of it's principles, and act accordingly. Very quickly you'd be flatter than a pancake! The same God who set the absolute laws of physics in place also set the moral code, and it can be just as disastrous to violate the moral code as it is to violate the laws of physics.

So, let's see if God really does love homosexuals. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, and in chapter one and verse 27, we already see God's intended order for society. It says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Here we see that God created humans as both male and female. And because God is neither male or female, equal value was placed on the creation of both male and female. But, there's also another implication here. We can surmise that God had a purpose for creating both male and female. And in the very next verse, verse 28, God gives us the reason for making man both male and female. It says: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." From this verse we can easily see that God's purpose in making both male and female is first, to provide a way to replenish the population. I really don't have to go any further in stating the case that the purpose for the differences in sexuality are for the purpose of propagating the species. And finally, as to whether God loves people, we read in verse 31: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." God who created everything that is, saw what he had created and was pleased. That's another way of saying that he loves what he created. Now, here's where the issue begins to surface. Having created man in His image means that God gave us the free will to either love and obey Him, or not. No one has to love God. And certainly, no one has to obey God. But, there can be no mistake in the reasoning of God's creation of male and female. Well then; what happened? Simply put, man chose not to love God or obey Him. Over the next few chapters of Genesis, we see mankind begin to disobey God, resulting in a number of firsts. Murder entered the world. Drunkenness entered the world. Worship of false Gods occured, and along the way, homosexual behavior arose. In Chapters 18 and 19, God pronounces judgement on a city named Sodom, because of the homosexual behavior going on in the city. That is where we get the term "sodomy". In chapter 18, two angels show up at Abraham's door and tell him that this behavior is detestable to God, and has brought about the complete destruction of the city of Sodom.

So, to conclude this entry, we have learned several things. First, God's original plan was for male and female to have sex and populate the earth. We also learned that because God doesn't make us love Him or obey Him, mankind disobeyed and fell into all kinds of bad behavior, including murder, and immorality. And we've also seen that one immoral behavior that God took exception to was the act of homosexuality, or sodomy. In my next post I'll begin to develop the position that God has about those who engage in homosexuality. Thanks for reading. WHY NOT POST A COMMENT?

Does God care about Homosexuals

2008-11-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

Because of the 3 states that have recently passed marriage amendments, bringing the total to 27 now, there seem to be a lot of angry voices clamering both for and against homosexuality, using God as the bench mark. I may not be able to change the minds of the masses, but perhaps a few are wondering what the Bible does say about homosexuality.

But even before I get into that, let me clear up some confusion about God. A lot of people presume to know something about God. I would submit that everything we can know about God is first given to us through the use of a holy book, and then verified through history and life expereinces. So when I refer to God, there can be only two sources. The holy book that I choose to believe, or I am creating my own God. In the 1st case, (that is, the God I follow is introduced in a holy book), one can have a discourse determined on the reliability, veracity, and historicity of that book. As I have studied the various holy books in the world, and I am by no means an expert on any of them, I have found them to be unreliable in many ways. They are 1st unreliable because within them there are many inconsistencies. A legitimate God cannot say one thing one day, and the opposite another. Most of the Holy Books either directly or indirectly conflict in describing God. One day, he is friendly and loving, and the next day he is angry and extracting vengeance. The path way to God in most holy books changes depending upon the circumstances. Only the bible has consistenly represented God as a God of love, who unilaterally provides a pathway of salvation, not depending upon our good works. A second area of unreliability is historicity. Historicity is the historical accuracy of a report. The only holy book that has withstood the test of historical accuracy is the Bible. Other holy books have times wrong, or report events inaccurately, or get the chronological sequence of events wrong. In some cases they even get the geography wrong, attributing an event to the wrong country, or even the wrong continent. The third test of a holy book is perhaps the most accurate, and that is the test of prophecy. Prophecy is the attempt to accurately foretell the future. If a holy book says something is going to happen and it doesn't, can we then rely upon it's ability to accurately tell us about God? Perhaps not. And again, when it comes to this test, only the Bible stands up. there are literally thousands of prophecies in the Bible. While many of them are pertaining to events that have not yet occured, many have pertained to events that took place later, and the Bible got it right. One example is the great flood. It was foretold 120 years prior to it's occurance, and it was accurate. A second was the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. It was forecast in the books of Isaiah, Ezra, and Malichi, several hundred years prior to the actual event, even naming the names of the invading countries that would destroy the Holy City.

That is the first way of knowing God - through a holy book. The second way of knowing God is by defining him through the 5 senses. This is a very precarious way of defining God because it is unvarifiable, and dependent on whatever I may choose to believe about God.

Unfortunatly, most of the pundits speaking about whether God approves of or disapproves of homosexuality speak of a God discerned through the second method. Their God is one of their own making, therefore it coincides perfectly with whatever they want to promote.

So, in conclusion of this 1st epistle on the subject "Does God care about homosexuals?", let us define our perspective of God by declaring that whatever I think about God or his opinion or judgement regarding homosexuality, is based upon what I can learn from the Bible. Therefore, if I can't support what I believe by referring to the Bible, then I cannot promote that position.

Agreed? Great! I'll continue this subject in the next edition of my blog.

Concert Of Prayer

2007-02-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks for tuning in to our Concert of Prayer. Give us your imput, as we seek to know how we can be of better service to the world. We will be posting our Worship Services in the future so that you can worship with us when you can't go to church locally. Remember, cyber church is not a replacement for connectivity with a local church. As connected as we can be in cyberspace, we can't come close to the connectivity we can experience when physically gathering with one another. If you're within driving distance of Johnson Creek, you're always welcome to join us live at The Crossroads, or North Cross Gathering. Don't forget to leave us your comments and impressions by clicking on the comments button at the bottom of this paragraph.

Christianity - Fact or Fiction?

2006-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was speaking with a woman who I will refer to as "Mary". Mary owns her own business, and is active serving the community in which she lives. She's very pleasant, and very open to discussing many issues. While in her place of business, we exchanged pleasantries, and I said "Merry Christmas". She said "It sounds so good to hear someone say that instead of "happy holidays". So I asked her if she was a Christian. She said that she was that among many other things, and that began what proved to be an intriguing conversation.

She said that she believed in re-incarnation, and also that many other religions were just as true as Christianity. So I asked her if she thought a religion could be true if the spokesperson for that religion was proven to be a liar. She of course stated "no, if the prophet or teacher is proven to be a liar, than what part of that teacher's teachings could you believe?" So then I asked her once again if I had correctly understood her to say that she claimed to be a Christian, among other things. She reassured me that she had been raised Catholic, but later moved to the Lutheran church, and was currently an acitve member of a local church.

So I asked her how she dealt with the fact that in John 14:6, Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to God, except through me." She immediately responed "Well, you obviously know that by being raised Chatholic and Lutheran, I know almost nothing about the Bible. I said "that's OK, Mary. You don't have to know the whole bible to make some wise decisions. But, now that you know that Christ, the representative of Christianity clearly stated that only Christianity leads to God, what are you going to do with that. Either Jesus is a liar, and thus invlaidates all that we know about Christianity, or indeed there are NOT many ways to God, but just one. "Mary was both puzzled and disturbed by this delemma. And seeing this, I didn't want to leave her hung up. So I added "Mary, most of the people I speak to believe something. Many of them even appear to believe the right thing. But few people can adequately explain "why" they believe "what" they believe.

"Mary" went on to say that she believed that the Bible probably wasn't believable, because of the many tranlsations, as well as that according to what she had been told, 2/3rd's of it was missing. My response to her was a comprehensive logical look at that objection. I said first "If the God you believe in is in fact a true God, then could that God be imperfect? In other words, by definition, doesn't a God have to be infallible?" She quickly agreed. Then I said "Then isn't it logical to conclude that if Jesus is God, and represents our Father in Heaven, then every thing he said about God the Father, as well as himself would have to be perfect as well? And if that's true, then the 1/3rd of the Bible that you believe we have, could not contradict or change the 2/3rds that you believe is missing, without debunking Christianity as a false religion, right?" Again "Mary" agreed that logically, a God must be perfect, and therefore he could not contradict himself or lie, or be wrong, because then he would cease to be a God. So then I asked her "If this is true, then it really doesn't matter if we have 1/3rd of the Bible as you believe, or all of the Bible as I believe, because one part of it can't contradict any other part of it, or NONE of it is believable." "Mary" agreed with me that the logic was sound. So then I asked her once again "So logically, "Mary", ff Jesus clearly stated that He is the only way to God, then doesn't that mean either he's a liar, and therefore Christianity is a false religion, or he's telling the truth, and therefore all other religions are false." This really stopped her. She looked at me as though seeing me for the first time and said, "You've raised some questions for me that no one has ever asked before. I'm going to need to think about this for a while, because the consequences of this conversation are staggering. If what I believe is false, then I'm in big trouble." I told her that I'd stop back in in a few days and see how she was doing. I told her that I wanted to be a friend, and that I hadn't meant to be pig-headed or argumentative. She reassured me that I had been neither. I invited her to visit the Crossroads and also promised her that I'd get her a book that might help her understand the answers to her questions.

Perhaps as you read this blog, you've come up with some questions. Why not respond, and I'll try to answer them as honestly as I can. I'm not out to change anyone, but sometimes examining the reasons why we believe what we believe helps us to "firm up" our beliefs.

Merry Christmas,

Jim

Passover

2006-04-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Christian world has celebrated Palm Sunday, commemorating the day that the Lord Jesus Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of Holy Week. But why was Jesus going to the city at that particular time? He was going to participate in the Feast of Unleven bread, the Passover.

To gain an understanding of why this was so important in the Jewish culture, we turn to Exodus 11 and 12, when God said He would bring one more plague on Egypt. He instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that this month would be the first month of your year. God said that on the 10th day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family and care for it until the 14th day of the month. The lamb must be a year-old male, without blemish. On that day, the lamb is to be sacrificed at twilight. Then God instructed them to take some of the blood of the lamb and spread it on the sides and the tops of the doorframe of the house where the lamb is to be eaten. They were told to roast the meat and leave nothing to waste. If any was remaining, it must be burned in the morning. God told them to eat it in haste, with their cloaks tucked into their belts, their sandals on their feet and their staff in their hands. Why? They were going to leave Egypt.

God told Moses that he would strike down every first born in Egypt, both men and animals. However, when he saw the blood of the lamb on the doorframes, he would pass over that house and no harm would come to those inside. God told Israel to celebrate this day, as a festival to the Lord. For seven days they were to eat bread made without yeast. Yeast was used as a symbol of sin, such as hypo racy or malice. The Feast of Unleven Bread would begin with the Passover and continue for seven days. It was to be a lasting ordinance.

Just as the Israelites were given freedom from bondage at the hands of the Egyptians, we are likewise offered freedom from the bondage of sin, through the blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus. Why did the Lord go to Jerusalem at that particular time? He went for the Passover, only this time, God was not focused on the sacrifice of animals. This time God made the sacrifice Himself. The Lord Jesus, a male, firstborn, without blemish, was the sacrificed. After eating the Passover meal with them He took the cup and told his disciples, "This is the cup of the NEW covenant in MY blood." It would be the final sacrifice. All of the righteous requirements of the Law were met in one person. As Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." There would be no more need to sacrifice. God had done it for them, and for us.

Christians today celebrate the Passover, understanding that the sacrifice was Christ on the cross. In a variety of different ways, believers celebrate the Lord's Supper, or Communion. It represents the body of Christ, who gave himself up for us, who fed us with the Word of God, who took our sins upon Himself. The shed blood of a sacrificial lamb would cover the sins of the man and his family, and seeing the blood God passed over them. The blood of the Lamb washes all sin away, past, present and future. Now when God passes over the believer, He sees the righteousness of His own Son. The shed blood of the Lamb is a gift to us, to wash us clean and make us Holy and Righteous before God.

Good Friday marks the day of Christ's crucifixion and Easter the day when God raised Him from the dead. For believers, it commemorates the day of freedom. That freedom is a free gift, offered to anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and that He gave up his life freely as a substitution for us, to pay the price of sin. The Bible says, "Whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Because of what God did, we are free.

“The Da Vinci Code”

2006-03-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

In May, what is arguably the most controversial film to be produced in many years will be released. The film is entitled “The Da Vinci Code”. It is produced by one of Hollywood’s most respected producers, Ron Howard, and based on the book with the same title, written by Dan Brown. What makes this film so controversial is it’s stance concerning the Bible, and in particular, the 4 Gospels of the New Testament. Right up front, the film makes it clear that it’s producers and directors doubt the accuracy of the Bible in it’s depiction of the life of Jesus. Instead, the film goes on to dispel many “facts” from the Gospels, using sketchy ancient history and extrapolation of myths passed down through other religions such as Islam and Celtic paganism. While “The Passion of the Christ”, Mel Gibson’s film certainly stirred up controversy, it was for the reason that it might incite violence because it implied that the Jews killed Jesus. But the facts presented were never questioned, and the movie in fact never incited the anticipated violence against Jews. This film, however seeks to stir up controversy, not by presenting alternative beliefs, but by boldly presenting it’s conjecture as FACT, while labeling the Bible as wholly unreliable.

At first blush, one would think that Christians should raise an uproar about such “blasphemy”. But I think another response would be better. If we Christians really believe our faith is true, than it ought to be able to stand up against any assault from unbelievers. With this in mind, the Crossroads Community Church in Johnson Creek will begin a 4 week series in April, aimed at presenting “The Real Truth of the Da Vinci Code”. We will look at four main thoughts presented in the film. The first is “Is the Bible really believable”. In week 2, we will discuss the point “Did Jesus really rise from the dead.” In Week 3, which will correspond with Mother’s Day, we will discuss “The Treatment of Women in Christianity”. And finally in week 4 we will discuss the point “Is Jesus really God?” These will be interactive discussions taking place both during the regular weekly church services at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night, and 9:19 a.m. Sunday morning. We will also be entertaining several Home Group Studies. If you’d be interested in attending any of these events, you can contact me or watch for updates to the calendar on our website.

Anyone, Believer or not, is welcome, and I give you my word that no matter what your perspective, you will be treated with dignity and respect. Whether you believe in God, the Bible, or some other philosophy, truth should matter to all of us. “The Da Vinci Code” gives us the opportune forum to hold such discussions, and perhaps help to reshape our world views. Come and see.

Worship Study 1 (Biblical Perspective of The Big Picture)

2006-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

In our first study we are going to take a look at an article written by Worship Leader Matt Redman. Called the "Biblical Perspective of the Big picture" Please use the following link to view the article Study 1

After reading this article please feel free to answer any or all of the questions below. Use the comment link below this post. Please refer to the question number before your answer so everyone that is reading will be on the same page.

God Bless,
Timothy Rivers

1) What is the author’s view of worship?

2) What are some obstacles that prevent you from focusing on the bigger picture of worship?

3) What steps can we take to create a Biblical perspective of worship?

Meet Pastor Jim Playter

2006-02-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

I remember what my life was like when I was young. It was futile and hopeless. When I discovered there was a God who loved me, it changed my life. I never knew what being unconditionally loved felt like. But now I know what that kind of contentment is. That's why I have a passion to show others what I've found. Not so that they will become a "notch" on my spiritual gun belt. But, rather, so that they too can know this peace. The world rejects the Christianity most often seen today, because it is unloving, and uncaring. It's too judgemental and rigid; and it's very self-serving. But if we could show others that Jesus is synonymous with love and acceptance, then they might just open up. That's what I think people of faith need to be taught. They need to be taught that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. The Crossroads is a place where we will love God passionately through worship, and love the world passionately through service to our community. Come along with us, and find the peace and contentment you've always wanted.

What's This All about

2006-02-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone-
The world sometime's wonders what's going on with those crazy Christians!! With the change of technology the way we interact with the world should also change. This site is what is known as a blog. Personal Thought's, pictures and story's are encouraged. We have the opportunity to show the world what Christ looks like. By sharing our storys, of what he is doing. Now don't forget we also need to show the true side. Our fun, pain, joy, and laughter. So anything that falls within that is encouraged. If you want the login information to post something please e-mail webmaster@thecrossroadsjc.org I will send you the information and password.

God Bless

Timothy Rivers