Surfing the Inner N8

Insights & Outsights from a Guy Trying to Follow Jesus

Sermon Discussion

  • Weekend Recap

    Another eventful weekend!  Here’s a brief recap: Thursday afternoon and evening were absolutely beautiful.  Opaque gray sky with softly falling snow for hours.  Felt like I was in a snow globe.  We had to cancel our small group because the snow was sticking to the roads, but it sure was awesome weather. Carolyn had a Continue reading

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  • Update on the “Creed” Series

    Last fall at CrossWay we began a major series called “Creed.”  The goal of this series is to explore up close each of the 24 topics in the Mennonite Confession of Faith.  To avoid having a massive, half-year series, we divided it up into miniseries and scheduled some breaks in between. At the end of Continue reading

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  • The New Norm

    On December 30 Carolyn and I took a little break and visited the Gathering Tree, a nearby church pastored by a friend of ours.  We have a couple at CrossWay Church who have been there for at least a couple years now, Norm and Sara Cain.  Norm is a retired preacher and he filled in Continue reading

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  • The Promised Land: Big Vision

    At CrossWay yesterday we began a five-week series called “The Promised Land.”  It’s essentially about the vision, mission, values, and strategy of our church.  It answers questions like: What is the Promised Land for us today?  How do we get there?  What is it like?  Why is it important? Yesterday we kicked it off by Continue reading

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  • Foot Washing

    Yesterday at CrossWay we wrapped up the miniseries on ordinances with a message on foot washing. Although foot washing is inarguably a Mennonite ordinance, it seems to me like so much more. In the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet (in John 13:1-17), Jesus was calling us not to a rite but to a Continue reading

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  • Communion (or the Lord’s Supper)

    On Sunday at CrossWay we celebrated Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist (if you’re from a really fancy church!). We looked at how there are many normal situations in which people don’t connect with each other–they don’t even talk.  For instance, the common etiquette on an elevator requires that you stare Continue reading

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  • Baptism

    We’re doing a three-week miniseries about church ordinances (church what?!?) at CrossWay. Yesterday we kicked it off by talking about baptism. “Ordinance” is simply a pretty church word for a symbolic exercise that we practice regularly. It’s when we use the stuff of everyday life to connect with something deeper. Ordinances evoke remembrance of what Continue reading

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  • The Mission of the Church: Make Disciples

    Yesterday at CrossWay we talked about the mission of the church.  The church’s mission can be summed up in two words: make disciples. Jesus said this very clearly, several times.  He said that His Father sent Him on a mission, and He’s sending us on the same mission (John 20:21).  The mission?  To make disciples.  Continue reading

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  • Church

    Yesterday at CrossWay we began a two-week miniseries called “Creed: Church.” The theme yesterday was the church as a family; next week we look at our mission. We opened with a video that Carolyn made, set to “Creed” by Rich Mullins. I was so impressed with her work! She did an excellent job, which you Continue reading

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  • Addendum on Faith Entry

    Guess I gave Jairus a bad rap this morning.  He’s the dude whose daughter Jesus raised from the dead.  What I probably should have said was that he did have faith, he just didn’t expect that Jesus would bring his daughter back from death rather than heal her while she was still sick. I don’t Continue reading