Riots in India have left over 3,000 Christians homeless. The riots were sparked by the murder of a Hindu leader, for which the Hindus are blaming Christian conspirators, rather than police-suspected Maoist rebels.
Read a summary HERE.
We have it good here folks...we have it so good. Don't take it for granted.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Preparing For Worship: August 31, 2008
I'm sure many of you are back in the swing of the school year, whether you're in class, teaching class, or taking kids to and from class. It's sad to see Summer go, but how amazing is the changing of seasons? That because the earth is changing it's angle to the sun, our whole climate and environment changes? Pretty amazing. I'm sure many of you have heard the "fact" (I'm not entirely sure it is fact, but it's the sentiment that counts...) that if the earth were any closer to the sun, that we would all burn up from the heat, and if it was any farther away, that we would all freeze! Pretty amazing God we serve.
This Sunday we get to do just that in the unique setting of the church! We'll begin by declaring that all blessing, honor, glory, and power belong to the "Ancient Of Days." Then Pastor Todd will come and lead in a pastoral prayer, followed by a time to greet friends and visitors.
We'll keep on singing, and reminding ourselves of God's sovereignty by singing "We Trust Your Will" and then rejoice that in his perfect wisdom and plan, he sent his son to redeem us from our sins, that we might no longer be his enemies, but he has called us his Friends! ("Friend of God").
We'll finish the set with our new song that rejoices in the power of God to crush sin and death, called "Stronger."
Pastor Todd will then come preach from the Sermon on the Mount, and talk about the second beatitude. We'll consider our sin, and whether we are truly broken and sorry for our sins.
I'm going to read from Psalm 51, and share a song based out of the passage as we meditate on the teaching, and do a bit of self-evaluation in this area.
Then we'll all sing "From The Inside Out" as a song of commitment, that though we fail a thousand times, God's mercy remains, and ask that he would consume us from the inside out, that the cry of our hearts would be to bring him praise!
Happy preparation!
This Sunday we get to do just that in the unique setting of the church! We'll begin by declaring that all blessing, honor, glory, and power belong to the "Ancient Of Days." Then Pastor Todd will come and lead in a pastoral prayer, followed by a time to greet friends and visitors.
We'll keep on singing, and reminding ourselves of God's sovereignty by singing "We Trust Your Will" and then rejoice that in his perfect wisdom and plan, he sent his son to redeem us from our sins, that we might no longer be his enemies, but he has called us his Friends! ("Friend of God").
We'll finish the set with our new song that rejoices in the power of God to crush sin and death, called "Stronger."
Pastor Todd will then come preach from the Sermon on the Mount, and talk about the second beatitude. We'll consider our sin, and whether we are truly broken and sorry for our sins.
I'm going to read from Psalm 51, and share a song based out of the passage as we meditate on the teaching, and do a bit of self-evaluation in this area.
Then we'll all sing "From The Inside Out" as a song of commitment, that though we fail a thousand times, God's mercy remains, and ask that he would consume us from the inside out, that the cry of our hearts would be to bring him praise!
Happy preparation!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Keith Cooper Comes To Crossroads November 16th!
Guitarist Keith Cooper will be coming to Crossroads on November 16th! He will lead worship in our morning service, and play some of his spectacular music for us Sunday night at a Coffeehouse Concert Night.
If you haven't heard of Keith before, check these videos out! Praise God for the good gifts he gives to his children that they can use to encourage each other!
If you haven't heard of Keith before, check these videos out! Praise God for the good gifts he gives to his children that they can use to encourage each other!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
New Song: Stronger
Hey guys,
We'll be singing a new song together this Sunday, so I wanted to give you the heads up.
It's called "Stronger," and it can be found on the newest CD/DVD release from Hillsong, called "This Is Our God"
Here are the lyrics, and a video clip from the DVD so you can hear it. You can also pick it up on iTunes
Humbled to a sinner's cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious
Through the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me
Chorus
You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all
You're my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross
Bridge
So let Your Name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
We'll be singing a new song together this Sunday, so I wanted to give you the heads up.
It's called "Stronger," and it can be found on the newest CD/DVD release from Hillsong, called "This Is Our God"
Here are the lyrics, and a video clip from the DVD so you can hear it. You can also pick it up on iTunes
Verse 1
There is Love that came for usHumbled to a sinner's cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious
Verse 2
Faithfulness none can denyThrough the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me
Chorus
You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all
Verse 3
No beginning and no endYou're my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross
Bridge
So let Your Name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
Friday, August 22, 2008
Preparing For Worship: August 24th, 2008
Well we're off into the Sermon on the mount this week! Darren Utley helped us understand where Jesus is coming from as he gets set to deliver the "motherload" of all sermons. We know that Jesus is going to catch them completely off guard, and call them to the exact opposite of what they were expecting from their "Messiah-nator."
As you prepare, spend some time reflecting on the first three verses of Matthew 5. This is where Pastor Todd will be preaching from, and Jesus wastes no time in turning everything we'd expect right upside down.
We'll start our service with "You're Worthy Of My Praise" with our new verse that first focuses on what "HE" has done, and then responds with all of the "I" parts.
We're going to switch up the way we do announcements. Pastor Todd will come and lead us in prayer, and then welcome visitors, and then have us greet one another. We'll run the announcements as a slide show prior to the start of the service, again at the greeting time, and again at the end of the service. So check the bulletin, and the screen for announcement details.
We'll keep singing, returning to Easter Sunday with "He Lives" reminding us that our Savior is alive! We express our desire to know, and to hear the voice of our Savior through His Word by singing "In The Secret" and ending up at the foot of the cross, reminding ourselves of this Savior's sacrifice for us in "You Are My King (Amazing Love)"
Pastor Todd will then come and preach from the Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5.
We'll respond with a song that honestly acknowledges our humble position before the Lord: "Majesty." We'll close with "Blessed Be Your Name" which rejoices in the truth of the sermon.
Happy preparation!
As you prepare, spend some time reflecting on the first three verses of Matthew 5. This is where Pastor Todd will be preaching from, and Jesus wastes no time in turning everything we'd expect right upside down.
We'll start our service with "You're Worthy Of My Praise" with our new verse that first focuses on what "HE" has done, and then responds with all of the "I" parts.
We're going to switch up the way we do announcements. Pastor Todd will come and lead us in prayer, and then welcome visitors, and then have us greet one another. We'll run the announcements as a slide show prior to the start of the service, again at the greeting time, and again at the end of the service. So check the bulletin, and the screen for announcement details.
We'll keep singing, returning to Easter Sunday with "He Lives" reminding us that our Savior is alive! We express our desire to know, and to hear the voice of our Savior through His Word by singing "In The Secret" and ending up at the foot of the cross, reminding ourselves of this Savior's sacrifice for us in "You Are My King (Amazing Love)"
Pastor Todd will then come and preach from the Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5.
We'll respond with a song that honestly acknowledges our humble position before the Lord: "Majesty." We'll close with "Blessed Be Your Name" which rejoices in the truth of the sermon.
Happy preparation!
Cardboard Testimonies (& Good Christian Music)
Powerful. The worship song goes perfect with this portion of the service; it's called "How He Loves" by John Mark McMillan
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thinking Globally: Rick Warren Speaks To Both US Presidential Candidates
I was very interested in what might take place at this forum down at Saddleback church when I first heard about it on NPR. It would be the first time that both Barack Obama and John McCain were at the same place at the same time since becoming the presumptive presidential nominees.
I listened as political analysts broke down the situation, and tried to predict what kind of effect this event would have on their political standing. They seemed pretty receptive to the idea of this forum, and were especially pleased that Warren had stated that he intended to talk about a wider spectrum of topics than focusing on the conservative "hot-buttons" of abortion and same-sex marriage. This made me wonder if Warren was going to address these issues at all, and I was relieved to find out he did.
One of my favorite bloggers, Albert Mohler, recapped his impression of the forum HERE, and he mentioned that although he was skeptical at first, he makes note of some important developments.
CNN.com also had a good review of the forum, and it posts many of the replies from both candidates. Check it out HERE.
While this post isn't focused on a different country, I still think we need to "think globally" inasmuch as the next president is going to have a profound impact on the world at large. On our own soil, we wait to see where many of the issues we hold dear will end up, even as we attempt to turn our eyes to other issues confronting the world such as world hunger, global warming, terrorism, and others.
Pray, pray, pray.
I listened as political analysts broke down the situation, and tried to predict what kind of effect this event would have on their political standing. They seemed pretty receptive to the idea of this forum, and were especially pleased that Warren had stated that he intended to talk about a wider spectrum of topics than focusing on the conservative "hot-buttons" of abortion and same-sex marriage. This made me wonder if Warren was going to address these issues at all, and I was relieved to find out he did.
One of my favorite bloggers, Albert Mohler, recapped his impression of the forum HERE, and he mentioned that although he was skeptical at first, he makes note of some important developments.
With the press pushing the event as a "new face" for American evangelicals, I was not overly hopeful. Given the hype, I was positively unhopeful. But . . . the event turned to be quite worthwhile after all. I still have deep reservations about identifying the event so closely with a church, but the conversations really did get to urgently important and controversial issues, and Pastor Rick Warren handled the conversations with aplomb, demonstrating both civility and candor.He goes on to talk about how some in the secular world responded to the event, noting their intense desire to not only retain clear separation of church and state, but resist this "push for a theocratic presidency."
He asked about their greatest moral failure. Obama spoke of drug and alcohol use as a young person. McCain referred directly to the failure of his first marriage. When asked about the reality of evil, the two candidates revealed very different approaches. When asked about abortion and same-sex marriage, a great chasm appeared between the candidates. Obama declared his complete support for the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand. When asked, "at what point does a baby get human rights?" Obama said that the question "is above my pay grade." That is a particularly evasive answer, because the President of the United States must frame policies that are predicated on some assumption of when a human being, born or unborn, deserves the full protection of the law.
CNN.com also had a good review of the forum, and it posts many of the replies from both candidates. Check it out HERE.
While this post isn't focused on a different country, I still think we need to "think globally" inasmuch as the next president is going to have a profound impact on the world at large. On our own soil, we wait to see where many of the issues we hold dear will end up, even as we attempt to turn our eyes to other issues confronting the world such as world hunger, global warming, terrorism, and others.
Pray, pray, pray.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Enfield At Grace Community Church
Just wanted to let you all know that I'll be playing with Enfield (the worship band from the Resolved Conference that I played with back in June) this Sunday night at Grace Community Church's Sunday evening service.
It won't be a full concert or anything, probably a half an hour or so, but I know many of you had said you would have liked to go to the conference, so here's a little taste!
The service starts at 6:00 pm, and the church is down in Sun Valley, so allow at least a half an hour.
From Valencia, take the 5 South, to the 170 South. Exit Roscoe Blvd (it comes up right after you get on the 170, so keep your eyes open), and turn right. The church is at 13248 Roscoe, on the South side of the street. Parking is available behind the church building, or across the street.
It won't be a full concert or anything, probably a half an hour or so, but I know many of you had said you would have liked to go to the conference, so here's a little taste!
The service starts at 6:00 pm, and the church is down in Sun Valley, so allow at least a half an hour.
From Valencia, take the 5 South, to the 170 South. Exit Roscoe Blvd (it comes up right after you get on the 170, so keep your eyes open), and turn right. The church is at 13248 Roscoe, on the South side of the street. Parking is available behind the church building, or across the street.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Preparing For Worship August 17th, 2008
Hey everyone! I'm glad to be back with you this week!
Jess and I had a great time visiting family in Kentucky, and we got unseasonably nice weather, and a lot of time to rest and relax.
Thanks again to my brother, Donny, for leading worship for me last Sunday. He gets one Sunday off every month from playing the drums at his church, and he's always gracious enough to offer to help out with whatever I need (drums, bass, you-name-it).
This Sunday we take off into our study in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. Take some time to read through this important passage, and interact with your Bible as you do (take notes, circle, underline, whatever helps you!). It will make our corporate study all the more beneficial.
We're going to start the service with a set of songs that all have the word "how." In English, we use the word "how" in two ways:
One way is to start off a question, such as "How much is that Aston Martin DB9?"
The second is to reinforce, or declare something we already know to be true, such as "How expensive that Aston Martin DB9 is!"
We're going to sing songs that use "how" in that second sense; to reinforce and declare that which we already know to be true! In our case we will be declaring "How Good And Pleasant" it is when we dwell together in unity and praise the Lord! We'll also declare to God "How Great Thou Art," as we focus on his majesty in creation and the plan of the cross.
Next we'll learn a new song written by our own Linda Gray, and if you received a copy of her CD "Paradox of Power," then you already have it in your possession. It's called "[How] Fortunate" (the word "how" isn't actually in the title, but it worked so well with my theme!!), and you can find the lyrics, and download the song for free HERE if you don't already have it. Thanks Linda!
After we recount the many great blessings found in Linda's song, we'll take some time to respond to our greatest blessing: the Savior. We'll lay our hearts before the throne of God, and declare "Here I Am To Worship."
Darren Utley is preaching this Sunday, and he will then come and introduce us to the Sermon on the mount. He'll give us some important background and insight into what this "Sermon of sermons" is all about.
After this, we'll take some time to meditate on the high calling that Jesus places on us through the Sermon on the Mount. We'll recall that it's only by God's grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can live the kind of life Jesus talks about in this passage. "O Great God" is based on a Puritan prayer called "Regeneration" and it expresses this desire and dependence. We'll end acknowledging that all of our hope is indeed found "In Christ Alone" and his work on the cross.
Happy preparation!
Jess and I had a great time visiting family in Kentucky, and we got unseasonably nice weather, and a lot of time to rest and relax.
Thanks again to my brother, Donny, for leading worship for me last Sunday. He gets one Sunday off every month from playing the drums at his church, and he's always gracious enough to offer to help out with whatever I need (drums, bass, you-name-it).
This Sunday we take off into our study in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. Take some time to read through this important passage, and interact with your Bible as you do (take notes, circle, underline, whatever helps you!). It will make our corporate study all the more beneficial.
We're going to start the service with a set of songs that all have the word "how." In English, we use the word "how" in two ways:
One way is to start off a question, such as "How much is that Aston Martin DB9?"
The second is to reinforce, or declare something we already know to be true, such as "How expensive that Aston Martin DB9 is!"
We're going to sing songs that use "how" in that second sense; to reinforce and declare that which we already know to be true! In our case we will be declaring "How Good And Pleasant" it is when we dwell together in unity and praise the Lord! We'll also declare to God "How Great Thou Art," as we focus on his majesty in creation and the plan of the cross.
Next we'll learn a new song written by our own Linda Gray, and if you received a copy of her CD "Paradox of Power," then you already have it in your possession. It's called "[How] Fortunate" (the word "how" isn't actually in the title, but it worked so well with my theme!!), and you can find the lyrics, and download the song for free HERE if you don't already have it. Thanks Linda!
After we recount the many great blessings found in Linda's song, we'll take some time to respond to our greatest blessing: the Savior. We'll lay our hearts before the throne of God, and declare "Here I Am To Worship."
Darren Utley is preaching this Sunday, and he will then come and introduce us to the Sermon on the mount. He'll give us some important background and insight into what this "Sermon of sermons" is all about.
After this, we'll take some time to meditate on the high calling that Jesus places on us through the Sermon on the Mount. We'll recall that it's only by God's grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can live the kind of life Jesus talks about in this passage. "O Great God" is based on a Puritan prayer called "Regeneration" and it expresses this desire and dependence. We'll end acknowledging that all of our hope is indeed found "In Christ Alone" and his work on the cross.
Happy preparation!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Preparing For Worship: August 3rd, 2008
So this Sunday, I am going to try something that I've never tried before: leading worship from the drums. I don't know of any other worship leaders that have done it; and it might be for good reason that they haven't! But if a 10 year-old girl can do play and sing Phil Collins, and Phil Collins drummed and sang for Genesis, and Genesis is the first book of the Bible...there's gotta be some kind of connection there...I'll let you know when I figure it out!
Anyway, this Sunday is also our last community night of the summer featuring singer/songwriter Chad Long, so plan on joining us for great coffee, desserts, music, and fun on Sunday night. Chad will also be joining the worship team that morning, and giving us a special sneak preview of one of his songs in the service.
We'll start the service with a call to worship: "Stir In Me" which declares our dependence on the sovereignty of God, and on his Spirit to help us worship, and that as we sing, pray, give, study his word, and take communion together, that he would mold us into life worshipers.
Pastor Todd will share a few important announcements with us, and Kathleen Perdisatt will let us know of some ministry needs in our children's department; such a crucial ministry!
We'll continue singing as we continue to explore the depths of God's sovereignty in our lives, and how in times of joy, and in grief, we must make the choice in our heart to proclaim "Blessed Be Your Name." There is true freedom in this surrendering of our lives to God, and realize that it is not by our own power or by exhibiting the trappings of religion, but that in spite of our fears and failures, that God's mercy and grace triumphs over our sin, because God is "Mighty To Save."
By this time, we'll be prepared for Pastor Todd to bring us King Solomon's ultimate conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12: Fear God, and keep his commands. When we surrender to, and embrace, the sovereignty of God, we are able to trust him FULLY, in all of the things Solomon has addressed to this point:
-We can trust him to bring justice where there appears to be none;
-We can trust him to guide, direct, and help us to live life to the fullest when we live with wisdom;
-We can trust that when we invest our lives and our efforts in his work, that he will work his perfect plan and bring fruit from our work;
This would be a great time to reread the rest of Ecclesiastes as we draw our study to a close. Solomon has come a long way, and laid out the truth about life, and after he's seen and done it all, he decides that the end of the matter is to fear God! This book is worth reading frequently in your personal devotions to keep a right perspective on everything that goes on under the sun.
We'll have a time of corporate response as we share communion together after the sermon. Fearing God means having a healthy respect and reverence for him, and few things inspire this sort of fear than reflecting on the cross. We'll sing "At The Cross" together, and reflect on the substitutionary death Christ died for us, before closing our service with a call to worship in all of life with "To God Be The Glory."
I look forward to worshiping with each of you! Happy preparation.
Anyway, this Sunday is also our last community night of the summer featuring singer/songwriter Chad Long, so plan on joining us for great coffee, desserts, music, and fun on Sunday night. Chad will also be joining the worship team that morning, and giving us a special sneak preview of one of his songs in the service.
We'll start the service with a call to worship: "Stir In Me" which declares our dependence on the sovereignty of God, and on his Spirit to help us worship, and that as we sing, pray, give, study his word, and take communion together, that he would mold us into life worshipers.
Pastor Todd will share a few important announcements with us, and Kathleen Perdisatt will let us know of some ministry needs in our children's department; such a crucial ministry!
We'll continue singing as we continue to explore the depths of God's sovereignty in our lives, and how in times of joy, and in grief, we must make the choice in our heart to proclaim "Blessed Be Your Name." There is true freedom in this surrendering of our lives to God, and realize that it is not by our own power or by exhibiting the trappings of religion, but that in spite of our fears and failures, that God's mercy and grace triumphs over our sin, because God is "Mighty To Save."
By this time, we'll be prepared for Pastor Todd to bring us King Solomon's ultimate conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12: Fear God, and keep his commands. When we surrender to, and embrace, the sovereignty of God, we are able to trust him FULLY, in all of the things Solomon has addressed to this point:
-We can trust him to bring justice where there appears to be none;
-We can trust him to guide, direct, and help us to live life to the fullest when we live with wisdom;
-We can trust that when we invest our lives and our efforts in his work, that he will work his perfect plan and bring fruit from our work;
This would be a great time to reread the rest of Ecclesiastes as we draw our study to a close. Solomon has come a long way, and laid out the truth about life, and after he's seen and done it all, he decides that the end of the matter is to fear God! This book is worth reading frequently in your personal devotions to keep a right perspective on everything that goes on under the sun.
We'll have a time of corporate response as we share communion together after the sermon. Fearing God means having a healthy respect and reverence for him, and few things inspire this sort of fear than reflecting on the cross. We'll sing "At The Cross" together, and reflect on the substitutionary death Christ died for us, before closing our service with a call to worship in all of life with "To God Be The Glory."
I look forward to worshiping with each of you! Happy preparation.
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