Victory At CrossWay

We had a fantastic Easter yesterday at CrossWay Church!  Everything seemed to go well, and it was such a blessing.  The sermon was very well received.  It was called “Victory!” and was about just that: we have victory because Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and is alive!

In the second service, some of the children did an interpretive movement to that good ol’ Easter standby, “Arise My Love.”  I’m not often at a loss for words, but I simply cannot describe it.  When I found out that it was going to be done by kids ages 4 through 10, and most of them about 7 years old, I didn’t see how they could pull it off.  After all, it’s a pretty serious song with some real movement.  But they… wow… I’ve never seen this song done so powerfully!  In my 12+ years as a Christ follower, I have rarely seen anything so powerful in worship.  They executed it perfectly.  Perfectly.  I was blown away.  I didn’t think I’d be able to preach!  They got the only standing ovation I’ve seen in 4 years at CrossWay.  Simply awesome.  Awesome awesome awesome.  I was sooo proud of them!

We had a great time with the music, too.  We did a new song called “Christ Is Risen” which is a really catchy tune that powerfully captures the joyfulness of the resurrection of Christ.

Jesus is alive!  And we experienced Him yesterday at CrossWay!

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Published in: on April 25, 2011 at 2:36 pm  Comments (1)  

So Proud of My Girl!

Laura Marie is definitely my girl.  She did two things today that proved it:

  • I received a package from North Point Ministries.  She helped me open the box, handed me a DVD, and sat on my lap as we watched a video of Andy Stanley talking about planning worship services.  Made me proud!
  • She learned to say, “Kick a phat beat, yo!”  (And she said it to her Mommy all throughout lunch.)

Sigh…  I couldn’t be prouder!

Published in: on April 18, 2011 at 12:51 pm  Leave a Comment  

Old Testament Gospel

This morning I was reading Leviticus and discovered something pretty interesting.

When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment, He actually gave two: love God and love people (see Matthew 22:37-40).  He cited Leviticus 19:18, which says to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Looking at that phrase in its context provides some insight.  Leviticus 19:18 in its entirety says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

Since we’re coming out of a three-week series on forgiveness at CrossWay, this really jumped out at me.

Sometimes we tend to categorize biblical truths as Old Testament or New Testament, as though they’re not consistent with each other.  The whole concept of forgiving others because God forgives us seems very New Testament.  But it’s right there in Leviticus in the Old Testament!  We’re not to carry grudges or seek revenge.  If we do, we’re not loving our neighbors.  And we’re to practice this kind of love because Jesus Christ is the Lord.

It’s stuff like this that reminds me why I love the Bible… and even more than that, why I love the God of the Bible.

Published in: on April 12, 2011 at 1:07 pm  Leave a Comment  

One Year of a Mobile Laura Marie

It was one year ago last night that Laura Marie started walking!  Since that day, she has put some serious mileage on those precious little feet!

Published in: on April 7, 2011 at 9:44 am  Comments (1)  

And So He Finished the Work

“And so Moses finished the work.”  This statement from Exodus 40:33 jumped out at me this morning.  In the second half of the Book of Exodus, God gives Moses a lot of detailed instructions on building the Tabernacle (a tent that was like a portable church sanctuary) and all the tools and instruments that went along with it.

We’re told that Moses carefully and diligently obeyed God and did everything just as he was supposed to.  And then near the end of the book it says: “And so Moses finished the work.”

I love that statement!  Something I pray for is that God would help me to finish the work, to complete the plans and fulfill the purposes for which He created me.  Although I sometimes fear failing to finish the work, a couple passages in the Bible tell us about tools God gives us to help:

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  I’m not left alone to finish the work.  God prepared these “good works” long before I was even born, and He has “created (me) in Christ Jesus to do” them.  He is shaping my character and He gives me His Spirit so I can finish the work like Moses did.

More specifically, the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  God gave us the Bible so we would be not just ready, but “thoroughly equipped” to complete the work He’s called us to.

Maybe this is one of those things that can’t be explained in a way to convey the “a-ha!” moment.  But when I read this morning about how “Moses finished the work,” it hit me what an enormous statement that is.

I think that’s what I want my tombstone to say: “And so Nathan finished the work.”

Lord help me!

Published in: on April 5, 2011 at 10:46 am  Comments (2)  

… It’s Off to Work I Go…

Carolyn just called and said that Laura Marie wanted to sing a song from Snow White for me.  So she handed her the phone, and I heard a little baby voice singing, “Hi ho, hi ho!…. Hi ho, hi ho!”

Love that kid!!!!

Published in: on April 5, 2011 at 9:58 am  Comments (3)