Hey Crossroads family,

Easter is coming in just a few days (April 16) and I am filled with anticipation over what God is going to do in each of our services. Here’s how I could use your help this Easter:

The message that day is called “An Empty Easter” and will focus on the emptiness of life versus the full life the empty tomb provides. This is a great opportunity to invite people you know as it focuses on who Jesus really is and came to do. In the few minutes it takes to invite someone, you never know what God might have in mind.  Let’s get busy and reach one more for Jesus!

Please use the various tools that are available to invite others to Crossroads. You can use your own Facebook (or social media) account to encourage others to come to one of the Easter services. Be sure to share posts from our Crossroads Facebook Page, this is huge! Hopefully, you also have the small “Invite Cards” we’ve made available each weekend at the Information Desk. These have a map to the church and feature the service times as reference help for those desiring to come. Sometimes people need reminders and helps after you walk away! I would suggest you keep these cards handy in case God opens a new door of opportunity to share.

Finally, as usual, we’re preparing for lots of new guests to be with us for Easter. It would be great if you could…

• Attend the first service – which is usually less crowded.
• Make an extra effort to give a warm welcome to the people you meet.
• Park away from the doors to make room for guests to park close.
• Sit in the middle of a row, so guest don’t have to step over you for a seat.

It’s going to be an awesome Easter at Crossroads, and it’s a privilege to partner with you!  I’m praying for your family and friends to come to Jesus this Sunday!

We used to sing a song when I was in preschool Sunday School classes that went, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…” My favorite part though, was when it came to the verse that said, “Hide it under a bushel, no…” The reason I liked that portion is because we were allowed to shout the word NO when asking about hiding our light. I must confess, that at the time, I really didn’t even know what I was singing about, but it was fun.

Later on, I came to understand that the meaning of the song came from this week’s reading of the One Year Bible in Matthew 5:14-16. Jesus proclaims that His followers are the “light of the world,” and just like no one hides a light under “a bowl,” likewise, we are not to hide our light.

During this year, my intent is to take a similar passage like this, from the One Year Bible reading, and to make comment on it in this blog. My hope, is that it will not only speak to those of you reading the Bible through this year, and keep you encouraged along the way, but it will also inspire you to let God’s Word speak directly to you. (We are providing 21-day devotionals this weekend to go along with our 21 Days of Fasting & Prayer this weekend, so don’t miss it!)

Getting back to our passage, I would like to suggest that each of us are carriers of the light of Jesus to our world in 2017. As a result, it is imperative that we feel that responsibility to let our light shine as Jesus stated. We cannot expect God to shine for us, we are to shine for Him. We shine when we do our work well, do more than is expected, love our enemies and show Christ’s compassion to all.

Another way to shine this week is by inviting someone into your life with Christ. You might respond to their need for help by offering to pray, or share an inspirational thought from Scripture you’ve been reading. One more way is to simply invite them to be your guest at your church. Statistics say that most people would be glad to attend church with a friend if only they were invited.

Let’s commit to shine our light in the darkness of our world this year so others can find their way to God.

I want to encourage every Crossroads family member to take the following challenges in January to grow your faith like perhaps never before!

• Begin reading the Bible everyday starting today. You can do this thru downloading and printing a reading plan to keep inside your Bible as a checklist. Another way is to purchase a One Year Bible and it will guide you through daily readings. Or, you can use the YouVersion Bible App and select a reading plan for 2017 to read from your phone, computer or other electronic device.
• Attend church every Sunday for the next three weeks. We’re launching a new three-week series called PRAYING BOLDLY beginning January 8. For these three weeks you will learn how to pray more bold, powerful prayers that will literally change your life and relationship with God.
• This is also a great time to invite friends, family and anyone who needs to grow in faith to be a guest at Crossroads. Be sure to carry the invite cards that are in the lobby to help you to share with others. These cards give our service times, location and web address so they have something in their hand after you’ve invited them.
• Begin a 21-Day fast on January 8. Next weekend starts our 21 Days of Fasting & Prayer. Powerful things happen when people fast and pray. If you would like to learn more on this topic, you can follow this link: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/fasting-for-beginners. Just know that you don’t have to give up food only, there are other things that may have more of your time and life than what you place in your mouth. We’re going to believe God together for a spiritual breakthrough in our church, our families, our community and our country during these 21 days!

Don’t allow yourself to be left out of what God may want to do in your life this year! Get off to a great start by accepting this challenge and just see what God will do. I believe this could very well be the greatest year for our church and your life also. Get ready to be changed!

Last weekend at Crossroads, we were challenged by Randy Ruiz to not give up. He read from one of my favorite passages, in Galatians 6:9 where Paul says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Here are three main points that Randy made that I would like to remind all of us to put into practice each day:

1) I’m Not Going To Allow What I See – To Affect What I Know! All too often we allow what we see to determine our actions. Instead, what if you acted your way into faith? In other words, don’t see how it is today, begin to, in faith, act as though it is already done.

2) You Never Allow Your Present Situation to Name Your Future! Sometimes we allow what we are going through currently to dictate our future. History is filled with people who had every reason to believe they would never achieve in life, but they did anyway. Why? They didn’t allow their current conditions to forecast their future. (We know things can change as fast as Indiana weather!)

3) Israel Made a Permanent Decision Based on a Temporary Feeling. It’s sad when people act in the moment and quit a job, quit a marriage, or give up on their dream and then regret it later. Don’t allow what is a temporary discouraging season to cause you to make permanent choices in your life. Instead, let this be a mantra, “This too shall pass” during those seasons.

So many of you told me that you were encouraged by the message, so I trust this reminder will keep you running in the race!

Is all the political action in America getting you nervous? One thing is for sure, come November 8, our nation will elect a new president. Every presidential election seems to come with drama, and this one has certainly had its share.

Here are some suggestions on how to pray at this time:

Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 NIV

• Pray all Christ-followers will put their faith ahead of their politics.
• Pray that America will experience revival & spiritual awakening.
• Pray for Christians and churches to share God’s love in a way that shines light to those in spiritual darkness.
• Pray that the results of the elections will be pleasing to the Lord and result in His blessing over this nation.
• Pray for physical protection over all candidates during this campaign.
• Pray a strong hedge of protection over the nation for a safe and fair election.
• Pray that those leading our nation will be drawn closer to Jesus each day and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

A PROMISE:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Have you ever noticed how someone else’s sin seems so much worse than yours?  Let’s be honest, it’s much easier, and enjoyable, to look down on people who appear to be the “bad” people.  The problem is, God classifies all of us the same – bad people who need a good Savior.

Nowhere in the Bible does God reveal a sliding scale of sin.  To Him, all sin is equally bad, and all sinners are equally loveable.  In Luke 19:1-10 we find the story of a guy I sang about in Sunday School as a “wee little man.”  Yikes!  Can you even do that today without someone yelling, “intolerant!”  Maybe we should call this guy “vertically challenged?”

Anyway, he’s a hated, notorious, cheating chief tax collector that was seen as a traitor to his people.  But, when he climbs up in a tree to get a better view of Jesus, the Messiah actually invites Himself over to the guy’s house.  The religious people are appalled that Jesus would associate with this guy, but He does it anyway (all the mavericks love that!).

What happens is that this, perhaps, brief encounter with Jesus in his home, radically transforms the guy.  We see him say out loud that he is willing to repay anyone he’s ever cheated up to four times more – is that crazy?  Jesus doesn’t think so.  He thinks it’s simply evidence of a heart change and this man putting his trust in God over money.

So, today, even though it’s tempting to find some “notorious” sinner to gaze upon with judgment, let’s allow Jesus to come and clean up our house.  Your sin, my sin, and no one else’s sin is a problem for God.  And, so let’s show the same grace Jesus shows to us unto others and watch what powerful life change He still brings today.  No one is beyond the reach of grace!

Here’s some things I think about at Easter:

• EGGS – Growing up I have fond memories of picking out an egg coloring kit and coming home, my mom boiling eggs, then us dipping them in bright colors.  Then, of course, these would be hidden and there was the adventure of finding them.  Sometimes mom would forget where they all were.
• BASKET – I loved getting up on Easter to find a colorful, neatly wrapped Easter basket filled with some of my favorite candies.  How did the Easter Bunny know what I liked??
• OUTFIT – Each Easter season my mom would take me shopping for a new outfit to where on this special day.  I grew up in a church where everyone would deck out as much as possible.  Not quite sure why, but it sure helped out the local economy.  My dad would generally buy a new suit as well, or at least a new shirt and tie.

All of these are great family memories, but mostly this is what I think of when I think of Easter:

• THE PRICE – What Jesus went through in the final days leading up and including His crucifixion is beyond what I can imagine.  Google Roman crucifixions and get ready to be horrified by the barbaric death penalty of these ancient times.  These acts make modern day ISIS killers look tame.
• THE VICTORY – Jesus rising from the dead in such a dramatic fashion that the Roman soldiers, the religious leaders and His followers were convinced He was alive. Paul later tells us that he appeared to over 500 people at a time during His 40 days on earth after the resurrection.  His victory over death now gives me victory in life and death!

I love my childhood memories, but the greatest of them all, is being raised in a home that let me know Jesus is alive!

If you live in the Avon, IN area, please join us in a powerful weekend celebration of Easter @ CrossroadsAvon.com:

SATURDAY, March 26 – 10-Noon  Easter Egg Drop & Festival.  Thousands of eggs will drop from a helicopter on the church soccer fields to the thrill of kids. Bounce houses, face painting, photos with the Easter Bunny will also take place.

SUNDAY, March 27 – Two services @ 9 & 10:45 a.m.  Topic: Who Is Jesus? Join us as we sing, celebrate and communicate the wonders of the resurrection.  Full nursery and fun kids programs will coincide.