I suppose this week of non-stop rain is completely unusual though, and I should remember that we suffer from droughts almost every year from the normal California LACK of rain.
So with that fresh perspective in mind, let's look at what's going on at Crossroads this Sunday!
Try this: click HERE to check out our Order of Worship directly from our Online Planning Center!
This is what Pastor Todd and I craft during the week as we consider the sermon text/theme, any special announcements or videos we are showing, and all the songs we'll sing together.
Pastor Todd has invited Pastor Jeff Noe of Oak Hill Bible Church in Castaic to come and preach God's Word to us this week. Pastor Todd likes to try and bring in guest speakers semi-frequently because as he says: "it gives people a break from me!"
Whether you need a break from Pastor Todd or not; why not let him know how thankful you are for his constant care and ministry to the body here at Crossroads? He spends a LOT of hours studying and preparing to preach and teach us on Sunday mornings, but he also spends a LOT of hours on the phone with people and meeting with people in his office as he shepherds and cares for people on a personal and individual basis. Whether he is up on the stage preaching, or stacking chairs in the worship center (we are both Pros at this), he loves Crossroads, and more importantly he loves the PEOPLE of Crossroads. So make sure he knows that you appreciate him whether you catch him after church, shoot him an email (tsmith@lifeatcrossroads.org), or call him at the church office (661-775-9502).
So yeah, Pastor Todd is giving everyone a break from his preaching this week as Jeff comes and teaches us from the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. He's preaching from all of chapter 27 (it's short), and the choice of text may seem strange to you, so CLICK HERE to read it and prepare for what God will teach you from this "road less travelled" text.
We'll kick off our morning with a pair of songs that express our joyful confidence in the never-changing, never-failing character of God with "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" and "Everlasting God."
From there, Pastor Todd will come and pray, welcome everyone, and introduce a short promo video for the next Financial Peace University course we're offering at Crossroads starting on February 11th. CLICK HERE to go to our calendar page for more information on being a part of this life changing class.
After a short greeting time to shake a few hands and give a few hugs, we'll take it up a notch as we sing and teach each other to be joyful and excited about the hope that we have because of Christ's death and resurrection by singing "I Have a Hope." The funny thing about us humans is that we need to constantly be reminded of this hope because we have such tendency to forget it and to doubt it. We will help ourselves in the area of doubt by singing "Completely Done"(follow the directions for a FREE download of this great song!) which reminds us that the work of the cross is not dependent on how perfect we can become (since we CAN'T become perfect), but that Jesus completed the work of redemption once and for all, and it cannot be added to or undone by any thing or anyone!!
Pastor Jeff will come and preach from 1 Samuel at this point in our meeting, and he will help us realize when we are falling into spiritual depression due to doubting God, and how we can fight spiritual discouragement in the face of difficulty in life. Have you ever experienced this? If you answered "No" then you're LYING!! This is going to be a timely and helpful message, so don't miss it!
We'll respond with a song that is straight from a key passage of scripture that relates to this idea: "Psalm 62" where David confronts his own soul, and commands it to find rest and shelter in God alone amidst the trials and temptations of the world. May it become stuck in all our heads this week as we seek to apply the message to our lives outside the walls of Crossroads!
That's what's going on so check out all the songs, and read up on the biblical text. See you Sunday!
2 comments:
Thank-you Paul for taking the time to post these wonderful blogs to encourage the body to come along side you to worship on Sundays. Thank-you also for such purposeful worship where you take the time to work with Pastor Todd to find meaningful biblical songs that reflect the message. Thank-you also for posting all the songs that we are going to sing with words or a video so that we can be familiar with them before we come to worship. I am just so thankful. Especially when on this particular Sunday my car broke down and my family could not come to worship so I came in side to my computer and sang the songs that we were going to sing that day. Kind of like I was there. The new song, Psalm 62, was especially beautiful because I have been studying I Samuel. Even though David probably wrote it later in 2 Samuel, it sure sounded like Hannah's prayer in I Samuel 2 where she prays "My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God". We do serve a wonderful Savior. Thank-you for serving Him at Crossroads to build us up in the body of Christ! From one hand to another, Carol
Thank-you Paul for taking the time to post these wonderful blogs to encourage the body to come along side you to worship on Sundays. Thank-you also for such purposeful worship where you take the time to work with Pastor Todd to find meaningful biblical songs that reflect the message. Thank-you also for posting all the songs that we are going to sing with words or a video so that we can be familiar with them before we come to worship. I am just so thankful. Especially when on this particular Sunday my car broke down and my family could not come to worship so I came in side to my computer and sang the songs that we were going to sing that day. Kind of like I was there. The new song, Psalm 62, was especially beautiful because I have been studying I Samuel. Even though David probably wrote it later in 2 Samuel, it sure sounded like Hannah's prayer in I Samuel 2 where she prays "My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God". We do serve a wonderful Savior. Thank-you for serving Him at Crossroads to build us up in the body of Christ! From one hand to another, Carol
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