If a sermon seems irrelevant, blame the preacher, not the Bible. Too many people these days think the Bible is irrelevant but most haven’t read it for themselves. So, why is that? I think the answer is simple. They’ve heard a preacher talk about the Bible & it seemed completely irrelevant to their lives. I constantly hear people say, “Churches these days are answering questions that no one is asking.” I wish this wasn’t true. You know what I typically tell people when they say this? BLAME the preacher! The Bible IS relevant! If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be the best-selling book in history and responsible for the transformation of millions of lives. Preachers these days (including me) need to take their cue from Jesus and address the issues that people are dealing with. Jesus spoke about topics that were relevant to his listeners’ lives. That’s why he gathered crowds that numbered in the thousands! Why wouldn’t we do the same thing? If someone tells you the Bible is irrelevant, don’t believe it. Read it for yourself & watch what happens in your life!
Pastor Chris Elrod I have often wondered these very things Chris just beat me to writing them down. Look at Some GREAT thoughts here…
There is some stuff I just cannot comprehend. Try as I may to get it…it doesn’t make any logical or Scriptural sense. Here is a partial of things I do not understand.
Folks that show up to church only a few times a year but expect the pastor to drop everything to provide them with his undivided attention.
People that put nothing in the offering plate but still have the stones to expect that their opinions on the church should count.
Parents who ground their children from church or the youth group…the very things that could help them with their behavior, future and afterlife.
People that expect the pastor to tolerate their political views…but leave the church because of his.
The occasional volunteer that expects the church to throw a parade in their honor just because they finally did what the Bible commanded.
People that have basked in the grace of God…but fail to give grace to anyone else.
Pastors that leave one church for another…for better pay.
The need for church growth plans, programs, books, conference, seminars and resource kits…when we already have the Bible
Women that tolerate their husbands having multiple affairs…”for the sake of the kids”.
Pastors that would rather be political pundits or civil rights leaders…instead of just preaching the life-saving message of the Word of God.
People that have one spiritual standard for their pastor…and another for themselves.
Folks that think the word ‘disciple’ is a noun…and not a verb.
People that make comments about needing to go “deeper” in God’s Word…as if there is a Scripture in the Bible that isn’t deep.
Pastors that think accountability means never asking them the tough questions or taking the hard line when it comes to their failure to follow Scripture.
Men that think being the head of the household has something to do with the amount of money they are bringing in or the title they acquire at work.
Ephesians 3:20 is one of my all time favorite verses: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…
That’s a hot one right there. An astonishing promise. God can do so much more than what you’re expecting. His performance isn’t limited to the confines of your imagination. The implications of this statement are hard to believe…but simple to understand. It’s a straightforward fact:
The wildest dreams you can conceive don’t even compare to the endless power of God.
I must have quoted that verse hundreds of times. And every time I do, I kind of interpret it this way:
God wants to give me more of whatever I’m asking for.
If I ask for a certain level of provision, He can exceed what I need and give me even more provision.
If I ask for favor with a certain person, He can give me even more favor than I asked for with that person.
But I’ve learned that sometimes God doesn’t bless you with more of the thing you asked for.
Instead, He blesses you with something completely different. He rewards you with a different kind of currency. He switches the category altogether. Sometimes the way God exceeds our expectations isn’t by giving us more of what we think we need…He gives us something that He knows we need even more. Instead of repairing the thing that’s broken, He gives you brand new equipment.
In other words, sometimes the immeasurably more takes on a completely different form.
Instead of giving you the promotion at work, He gives you more opportunity to spend time with your family.
Instead of sending you a boyfriend, He sends you more opportunity to serve Him in your season of singleness.
Sometimes God gives you more of the same.
Sometimes He gives you something even better than that.
Be confident that whatever He gives you is the best option available (via, Steven Furtick)
What an awesome Sunday at CrossView! God showed up and showed out as always! Life change never gets old for me. 5 adults and 4 children made Jesus Lord of there life. Here are a few highlights from Easter Sunday.
Our greeting team was “off the chain” on Sunday! It’s great to have greeters that are really excited about what God is doing.
One of the best things that I will remember from Easter this year is the worship. Tabby, Steve and the guys Rocked it for Jesus! It was a beautiful and perfect way to begin Easter services. The Holy Spirit was in Rockmart High School (CrossView)!
Four kids prayed to receive Christ Sunday in Kraze! It was amazing to see kids dedicate their lives to Christ! God showed up and showed out and it is just the beginning! Thanks to all the awesome Children’s volunteers your dedication pays off for eternity!! Your service makes a difference.
It was awesome to see so many people experience worship in a different way and really be able to receive it!!
It was awesome to see all the new faces… and it was a honor to have them come to CrossView to hear the name of Jesus. If anybody had any misconceptions about what we represent at CrossView all that were guest now know that we represent JESUS! Because we asked boldly for people to follow Jesus by making him Lord of their life.
Seeing families be together at church who may not always attend church together is always a win. Seeing students that come to CrossView bringing their parents is always awesome. I know it was awesome to have my family there with me!
#1 – Fear – being a leader does not mean that we will never be in situations that make us shake in our shoes; in fact, it means quite the opposite. When a leader allows the fear of a circumstance to trump the fear of God in his life…he ceases to lead. The Bible saysin II Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.
#2 – A Desire To Please Everyone – Moses, the greatest leader in the Old Testament, had people ready to kill him on several occasions. After Jesus preached His first sermon people took him to a cliff and wanted to throw him off. (Luke 4:28-30) 28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. The Apostle Paul actually had people who traveled from town to town just to persecute him. If Moses, Jesus and Paul could not please everyone…why in the world would anyone think they could. When the shift goes from please “Him” to pleasing “them,” it’s over. You’ve ceased to lead!
#3 – Addiction To Comfort – There is always a price to pay if you want to go to the next level…and so often when that price begins to impact a leaders comfort zone he will back off from leading the charge and slip into cruise control. This type of person refuses to seek advice from other leaders. They refuse to read anything that may be helpful. They refuse to attend any sort of conference that may challenge them. They refuse to believe that there are better, more effective ways to do what they are doing. All because IF they did these things they may have to face CHANGE…which totally blows up comfortability.
#4 – Disconnection From God – THE most DANGEROUS thing a leader can do is to STOP focusing on God and BEGGING Him for direction. Going back to Moses for a second…all Big Mo did was listen to God and then do what He said. When we become so busy “doing” leadership rather than focusing on the ONE we are supposed to be following in order to effectively lead others…we (AND the people we lead) are in trouble.
This morning the first thought that came to mind was “You Rock!” So I began to tell Jesus how he rocks because of his saving power and unlimited grace that he pours out on us even though we don’t deserve it. God is Great! What an Awesome Savior that truly completes us, loves us, and provides for us. He is amazing, but as I was sitting here God just reminded me that what I do to the least of these, I do to him! So here is the Shout Out!
JIMMY COLLUM
“You Rock” for the last several months you have faithfully put out the yellow church signs and over the last 2 months we have seen so many new faces, and I want you to know a lot of the new people that are walking through the door are getting saved! So you are impacting eternity! YOU ROCK!
GREETERS
Yesterday I heard more about our greeters than ever! I want to encourage you to Stay pumped in the parking lot and continue loving on people, because you never know this may be the only smile or hug that many people see all week! YOU ROCK!
THE WATSONS
God is really using you guys through the your behind the scene work with the material for childrens and small groups. It’s simply amazing how God is beginning to use you guys. I can’t wait to see what’s next! YOU ROCK!
SET UP/ TEAR DOWN
Your work doesn’t go unnoticed! “YOU ROCK” You guys are crazy dedicated, and I don’t think I could be blessed as a church planter with a better group of awesome people! You never stop amazing me, I love each of you!
EVERYONE I MISSED thank you for giving to the LORD! YOU ALL ROCK!
So many people say “Well I don’t think going to church is important in being a Christian.” Let me rant for just a second. Most people that say that what they are talking about is the corporate church. Here’s the deal, what most people are saying when they make that comment is, ” I don’t want to be challenged in my faith, I don’t want to be held accountable, and I want to rob God by keeping my money in my pocket!” Why? because if a church is truly on mission to lead you to be all that God has called you to be than they will challenge you to commit your whole life to Jesus! They will Challenge you to connect with other believers on a personal level, they will challenge you to serve God by serving others with your gifts and talents, and they will challenge you to give to the church for the advance of Gods Kingdom. I will go as far as to say that it is just an excuse to be lazy. We need to be a part of Gods plan to bring his hope to the world and he calls that the church. He is the one who established it!
Matthew 16:18 (King James Version)
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it
“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39
A perfectionist in the church is a miserable person. And not only that, but he makes everybody else miserable, too. The fellowship is never sweet enough. The teacher is never prepared enough. The music is never spiritual enough, and on and on it goes.
Jesus supplies the only perfection that we will ever attain until we get to heaven.
It is not perfection that God is looking for in His children; it is excellence.
God is working in you to achieve His purpose for His glory.
Memorize this statement, “I am worthy apart from my performance because Christ died for me and gave His life to me. My life is hidden in Him. Jesus loves me.”