reverb

Classics

CLASSICS. Some of you love the holidays, while others of you loathe them. Why? For some of you the holidays are filled with great memories and family traditions. For others of you, it's that time of year when the pain of loneliness and loss is intensified.
 
Whatever direction you tend toward, one place we find common ground is in the music of Christmas. Many of the traditional carols are filled with a message of hope and life. Thus the attraction to and love for the classics. They sing of something that we're all looking for...something our souls long for...joy, peace...a time when all oppression shall cease and we can sleep in heavenly peace!
 
I'm confident that this series is going to meet all of us right where we're living. What's true for you and I is true for your family and friends as well...looking for joy and peace in the midst of the added chaos and stress that accompanies this time of year. Therefore, I want to encourage you to take advantage of this "easy invite" series and invite someone to join you at whatever campus you attend.
 
I'm already praying for them to respond favorably to your invitation. By the way, if you bring a friend, you have permission to peak when the opportunity for response is offered. Both of you will never be the same!

Testify

TESTIFY. I was so inspired today! How's that? I met with a gentleman (dude) who the day before asked if he could have 15 minutes of my time because he had a simple question. When we met, he just had to tell me about an experience he had the night before...he couldn't turn off the tears as he was overcome by God's goodness and the realization of all that God has done just for him!
 
After sharing a list that he had written out, he asked, "Am I crazy?" My reply, "No! You're experiencing what we've been talking about in our current series 'MOVE'...God's Spirit is moving in your life in a powerful way!"

As I was relaying the story to Julie, I said, "We have to capture this on video...it's powerful, compelling and refreshing!"

I know he's not the only one. God is moving in many of your lives. You too need to testify (to testify means to bear witness to, to declare publicly or to make known). Testifying to others what God has done and/or is doing is a by-product of being filled with the Spirit...
 
Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses..."
 
Go for it! Be a witness! Tell somebody. Send me an email. I'll celebrate with you! Not only are others inspired when we testify, but the devil is defeated! Rev 12:11 says that they defeated him (the devil) by the blood of the lamb AND by their testimony!

Vital

VITAL. I'm getting ready for another trip. (This one includes a few days of international travel.) I fly into Chicago this Friday to be in Freeport for the weekend and then leave Sunday evening for Zurich, Switzerland to do a 2 day leadership conference with EQUIP. Due to the quick turnaround, I thought to myself, "I can do this without checking a bag." That rationale led me to consider what's vital for this trip?
 
Shifting gears to that which is significantly more important than contemplating whether one can get by without checking a bag on an international trip...
 
What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? What can't you live without? That question might have generated some interesting responses, including things as basic as food and water. That may keep you alive physically, but with food and water alone, are you really living? What about love and relationships...specifically your relationship with the Lord?
 
1 CHRON. 22:19a (Amp) Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God.
 
According to Ezra, we can't really live unless our hearts and minds are set on seeking the Lord. You can exist without seeking the Lord, but you and I are called to live an abundant life in Christ!
 
I realize time is an issue...it is for all of us. We all also have control over what we choose to do with our time. I want to encourage you today to choose to set your heart and mind on seeking the Lord as you journey through life. Let some other stuff go. You'll be glad you did. After all, it's vital to life.

Pregnant

PREGNANT. That's right...we're about to give birth! No, not Julie and I. Although we are going to be grandparents before long! Yes, we're excited!

When I said, "we're about to give birth", I was referring to our church family. Crossroads is about to give birth to it's fifth campus outside of our original campus in Freeport, IL. Delivery is scheduled for this Sunday, September 20th at 10:00 am in Morrison, Illinois!

The maternity ward is the one place in a hospital that people want to visit because it's full of life...new life. However, as any of you moms know, a baby doesn't just show up without a "little" effort. There's a reason we call it labor!

So here's a "shout-out" to all of you who have put forth a "little" effort to make this possible.

Thank you for your vision...for seeing what others cannot see...for seeing "it" before "it" is!

Thank you for your faith and generosity...for giving so that others have the opportunity to experience what you have!

Thank you for your labors of love...for praying, giving and serving so that others may find life in Christ.

Thank you for your partnership in the great work of spreading the Good News about Christ. It really is an honor to serve as your lead pastor! The best really is yet to come!

P.S. The baby's not here yet, so please pray for a healthy delivery and birth weight this Sunday!

Priest (part 2)

PRIEST. (Pt. 2) Last week we looked at the fact that the Bible declares that being a priest is a part of our new identity as followers of Christ. As "priests", we have been entrusted with the responsibilities of building bridges between God and people...specifically those who don't yet know Him. How do we do that?

Prayer...we go to God on behalf of the people.

Last week I encouraged you to make a list of people in your life who haven't yet entered into an authentic, life-giving relationship with Christ and go to God on their behalf. Pray for them. Ask God to do in their lives what only He can do...draw them unto Himself, reveal Himself to them and change them from the inside out!

Often times, God will use us in answer to our own prayers. This is the other expression of our role as priests...

Witness...we go to the people on behalf of God.

How do we do this? There are so many things you can do to build a bridge for them to connect with God...serve them, befriend them, talk to them, share your "faith story" and invite them to be a part of your world...the church!

Our upcoming series, "The Shack", is designed to be an "easy invite" series. Invite them to join you...it could change their life and eternal destiny!

Priest

PRIEST.  What kind of images came to mind upon seeing the word 'priest'?  Did you see or think of yourself?  You may not realize it, but the Bible declares that being a priest is part of your new identity as a follower of Christ.  In REV. 1:6 and 5:10, it says that Christ has made us to be kings and priests unto God our Father!  
 
1 Peter 2:9 (Msg) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you.

You may not feel like a priest, but the Bible says you are!  What you are is not based upon your feelings and accomplishments.  It's based upon what Christ accomplished for you at the cross.  Your faith in what He did for you changes who you are!

So, what is a priest? The best way to describe it would be a "bridge-builder". In Old Testament times, people were not allowed to approach God directly.  Therefore, a priest served as an intermediary between God and people.  At the cross, that all changed!  Now we as believers can come directly into God's presence (HEB 4:16).  

We have been chosen by God as His very own and we have been called to represent Him to others. As 'priests', we have been given the responsibility to build bridges between God and those who don't yet know Him.  We are to go to God in prayer on their behalf and we are to go to them as His witnesses on His behalf.
  
Application this week...who are you praying for that doesn't yet know Christ?  Make a list and go to God on their behalf...it could change their life and destiny forever!!

Progress (pt. 2)

PROGRESS (Pt. 2). Last week we looked at a couple of keys to or principles of progress...being fully engaged and laying aside anything that may hinder us or slow us down.

The principle of progress that I want to introduce to you here may seem paradoxical initially. (Most Kingdom principles are!) Here it is...from time to time you need to slow down and step away so you don't lose your way! In the world of sports, we call it a "time out". In our walk with Christ, it's called the Sabbath.

A number of years ago I heard Andy Stanley say that in relationship to ministry and leadership "we need to work on it, not just in it." In other words, if you don't occasionally step back and step away, you could just be carried along and lose your way.

During our upcoming series, "Confessions of a Pastor", I'm going to take some time to do just that...work on it. Here's a confession...after 25 years of going full-throttle, I need to make sure I'm on track and good to go for the next 25 years!

The benefits? First, you'll have the privilege of hearing some of our other pastors make some bold confessions. Second, I believe I'll gain some fresh insights that will serve all of us well as we move into the future that God has for us. After all, the best is yet to come!

Focus

FOCUS. A friend gave me a ride to O'Hare airport this past Sunday after church. We enjoyed some great dialogue during the hour and a half drive.  At one point he made a statement in reference to a particular project that some of our leadership has been working on. He said that the issue was focus, not control.

Have you ever been challenged to stay focused? I certainly have! I could offer a number of reasons as to why, but at the end of the day, what matters is staying focused. It's critical!

Focus, or the lack of it can be the difference between victory and defeat, success or failure, even life and death. Champions stay focused on the goal, prize or mission at hand...especially when facing opposition. We see examples of this all through Scripture...

Paul said, "I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." (PHIL. 3:13 NLT)

It's not just what you choose to focus on, but what you choose NOT to focus on as we see in the life of Abraham...

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. (ROM. 4:19 MSG) 

What are you focused on? May we all be like Paul and go for the prize! May we all be like Abraham in that we don't focus on our circumstances, but rather on God's promises! Speaking of prizes and promises...you are the focus of His love!

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. (EPH. 1:4 MSG) 

Remember

REMEMBER. This past Monday our nation celebrated Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day). This is a day we set aside to remember and give honor to the brave men and women who have died while serving in our nation's military. To all of you who have served or are currently serving to defend and secure the freedoms that we all enjoy...thank you!

Have you noticed that we tend to forget that which we should remember and remember what we should forget? To help us stay focused on what's important, God provides us with certain symbols, markers, memorials, altars and/or practices. Scripture is replete with references to remembering...

In Genesis, God gave His people the rainbow as a symbol to remind them of the promise He made to never again destroy the earth with a flood.

In Exodus, we are exhorted to remember the Sabbath.

In Numbers, God had the priests put tassels on their garments to remember His commands.

In Deuteronomy, God told His people that the purpose of tithing was to help them to remember that He is to be #1 in their lives...in everything!

Jesus Himself established a practice by which we are to remember Him and what He did for us. As He sat with His disciples at what is commonly referred to as the Last Supper, He took bread, broke it and said, "This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, after supper He took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Each time you drink this cup, remember Me."

Movies

MOVIES. Some of you "go to the movies" all the time and others of you were taught that "going to the movies" was a sin, right along side dancing and playing cards. Me? I’d probably land somewhere in the middle.

Before someone over-reacts, let's get perspective. Movies are amoral in that they are simply a tool or means of communication. Some send a favorable message and some…not so much.

So why a teaching series based on movies? Actually the series is based on knowing God--thus the title, "Reel to Real...Finding God in the Movies"--which I believe is the single most important thing in life! What you believe about God will not only determine your eternal destiny, but directly effect how you live from day to day.

My prayer is that through this series you'll get to now God better and lean how to find Him through the story tellers of our day… film producers. Just as we find God all over the Old Testament story of Esther, even though His name is not mentioned or referenced one time, so I believe we're going to be pleasantly surprised over the next number of weeks as we find God in the movies!