How to obtain Peace!

Our world has a dire need for true peace and we need more than a politician to wave the peace sign to calm our lives. So, here is a list of things that I recently shared in one of my sermons on how to "obtain peace."

In Christ
He is the Prince of Peace.

In Actions
Actions really do speak louder than words. Always do the right thing.

In Meekness
Always take the high-road.

In Prayer
David wrote in Psalms to "pray for peace." It is something we should pray for everyday.

Grace: It really is amazing!

I am so excited about the month of March as I will be sharing a new series called, "Grace: It really is Amazing" which will launch this Sunday, March 2. I am going to share four destinations of which Grace leads. They are Life, Healing, Forgiveness, and ???. You'll have to come to hear the fourth and final destination.

Please invite and bring with you every unchurched person you know as this is going to be an incredible series for them to hear!!!

Also, March Madness tips off this Sunday too, so bring as many people to church as possible...it is going to be Crazy!

"Opposite Way" by Leeland is released!

One of my favorite bands, Leeland released it's second album today - "Opposite Way!" You should pick it up and take a listen! It is awesome!

A Great Quote...

“I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please.”- “When I Relax I Feel Guilty" by Tim Hansel

An Easter to Die For...

With Easter only four weekends away I thought I would write a few thoughts I have to encourage you to fully surrendering your life to Christ.

Denying Yourself means that you surrender your will to fulfill the purpose(s) that God has set before you! This may involve turning away from your own desires, lusts, and passions to complete the work that God has begun in you.

Taking Up Your Cross which is a full submission to God’s Word. Although in today’s culture a cross symbolizes freedom or life it was much different in the days of Christ. In the days of Christ a cross meant one thing; death! Are you willing to die for His sake?

Following Him 100%. Jesus warned us in Revelations 3 not to be lukewarm in our commitment to Him. He said he had rather us be “cold or HOT!” To be a hot-follower of Christ you must be willing to learn and be corrected by God!

Boycotting Winter

I'm wearing a T-Shirt today to boycott winter! I know it is 30 degrees, but I am ready for T-Shirt wearing weather. Therefore, I'm not letting the cold temp. constrain me!!! I am wearing a t-shirt today and now I'm cold!!!

March Madness Rules...

Here are the rules for our March Madness Crazy Giveaway! It starts in 11 Days!!!

Giveaway Rules

1. Guests must be un-churched, to count towards your total points earned.

2. All guests must check-in at the Portico, to count towards your total points earned.

3. Guests must be 18 or older unless accompanied by their parents.

4. Guests will only be counted on Sunday Mornings, March 2nd-March 23rd.

5. You will earn points for each week that your guests attend the Sunday AM service.

6. Your guests must stay for the whole service, in order to count towards your total points earned.

Jesus Wins, again.

Jesus Christ won buildingpeople.org's online poll this week of "who is your favorite Bible character." Who is really suprised? Jesus is on a real winning streak now!

Huge Announcement

In case you missed the HUGE Announcement this morning here are the details. We here at Crosspointe have deemed the month of March - March Madness and I have put a challenge before our people to add 100 new people to our congregation in 31 days!!! To give you an incentive the person who brings the most first time, unchurched guests to our Sunday Morning Gathering will get to take home a new Samsung 50 inch HDTV [see pic.]. Get busy inviting friends, family, neighbors and co-workers!!!

Can You Pray?

It's turned cold outside!!! But, the heaters will be on Sunday for the HUGE announcement that I am making. You most certainly don't want to miss this weekend. Plus I am going to share a message entitled, "Break-Out."

We are getting ready for the new name to launch. CROSSPOINTE!!! There is a lot of work involved in changing a churches name and I want to thank Steffanie Oltmans and Sandy Bates for working so diligantly on this project. The launch date is March 2!!!

Can you please pray for the students and family members of the Northern Illinois University patrons who lost their classmates and friends in the tragic shooting there yesterday. Another school shooting...please pray for them.

Congrats!

Congratulations to the Chili Cook-Off Champion(s)!
3. Tammy Branscum
2. Tony Mitchell
Drum Roll Please...
1. Kim Cupps

Thanks to everyone who participated in rasing money for Kids Camp.

Things I am praying for...

Today, I was praying for our church and I wanted to share a few things that I am praying towards...

There will be a Break Out of God in your life (More to come Sunday).

That our spirits will be renewed.

The church will grow.

That you will have favor and influence in our community

That you are blessed.

The enemy has no hold in your life...You are made free!

My Daily Devo...

My daily devotional really spoke to my heart today and I want to share it with you. It focuses on us, the church, being connected to Christ. I hope that you will make this your daily prayer, "allow me to abide in you." Enjoy!

February 11 - Devotional from Hoekstra...

More on Grace and Spiritual Fruit
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (Joh_15:4-5)

Although these verses do not mention grace, they are a classic biblical explanation of grace bringing forth fruit in lives. The language depicts an actual vineyard, where fruit grows on branches that are properly related to a vine. Then, this physical reality is applied figuratively to spiritual fruit developing in our lives, if we are relating correctly to Jesus.

In this teaching, our Lord reminds us that literal branches are not able to produce fruit themselves. "The branch cannot bear fruit of itself." We are spiritual branches, so we will not be able to produce fruit either. "Neither can you, unless you abide in Me." In fact, our potential for manufacturing genuine spiritual fruit is zero. "Without Me you can do nothing." The best we could ever hope to produce would be religious, wax fruit. Such would come from our fleshly attempts to appear godly or effective. People may be fooled by this, but God never will be. Furthermore, people cannot be edified by partaking of such, and God cannot be glorified.

True fruit results from the ongoing development of life. Life is only innate to vines, not branches. For a grape to develop on any grape branch, the life of the vine must flow into, and work within, the branch. So it is with us. "I am the vine, you are the branches." This distinction is vital. We must never forget the difference, if we desire to bear fruit. The life we need for fruitfulness is in Him, not in us.

How do we avail ourselves of that life which is essential for fruit? "Abide in Me, and I in you." We are to look to Jesus for life, counting on Him to live in and through us. Then, His life, working in us, brings forth Christlike fruit. How do we know if we are abiding? If we are willing to depend upon Jesus for spiritual fruit as a grape branch relies upon its vine for grapes, then we are truly abiding in Christ. Such dependency brings valid expectation for great measures of Christlikeness to be developing in and through our lives. "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit."

This is clearly grace at work, as seen in the relational realities of humility and faith. Humility is operating as we acknowledge"without Me you can do nothing." Faith is exercised as we believe" that He who abides in Me . . . bears much fruit."

Great Weekend Ahead

1. Tomorrow morning I will share the last sermon of the series "What a Healthy Church Looks Like," which is entitled "When the church doesn't resemble the world." You don't want to miss this service as we are having Communion and a special time of purification at the end of the service.

2. After service the Children's Ministry is hosting its annual "Chili Cook-Off" and pie auction in the Fellowship Hall. I wonder who will will the coveted trophy? All proceeds will go torwards sending our children to Youth America Kids Camp.

3. Please excuse the mess in the Women's Restroom as it is undergoing a major update and remodel. I would like to the thank Mrs. Kim Cupp's Latta High School Class for volunteering to redo the room.

4. Keep the testimonies coming in...I love hearing what God is doing in your life!

5. In one week I am going to make a huge announcement concerning our churches future and you! You don't want to miss it...

Everyone Needs to Download this.

Google hasn't hired me to promote their software (yet), but everyone should download Google Talk to better communicate with your church staff. We all have accounts now. Once you get it let us know and we will send you our addresses!

http://www.google.com/talk/

Have a happy Tuesday!

VOTE

TODAY!

WOW!

I think that Phil the groundhog got it wrong on Saturday by seeing his shadow since it is 80 degrees in Ada today! It feels like Spring time! We had an awesome day yesterday. We had over 135 people in a Connection Group. This is the highest attendance thus far and that was on Superbowl Sunday. Speaking of which, who really thought the Giants were going to pull off that win! Wow! That had to have been the best game I've seen since the OU/Boise State game two years ago. Like most people I picked the Pats to win.

Speaking of winning, our church is entering an exciting new phase as we are only weeks away from launching our new name - Crosspointe Church! I know you are as excited as I am to see what the future holds for us. I am gearing up to make a huge announcement concerning what will take place in March. You don't want to miss the service in two weeks. Suspense is already building!!!

Today is...

Groundhog day! The hog, Phil says there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Is anyone else ready for Spring?

If for some reason you are facing the dark shadows of reality in your life you don't have to wait six more weeks for freedom. God is ready and willing to shine His light into your situation and work on your behalf. All you have to do is call-out to him today.