Hello Crossroads Family !

Thanks to all who contributed to a wonderful Easter worship service last Sunday !  It was great to see all of you, and I loved that so many of you came early.  Great to see your smiling, excited faces.  Our Easter choir did a beautiful job in leading us in worship to the empty tomb and to the cross which also now stands empty !

Easter Questions

It has been interesting to me to read the accounts of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection paying special attention to the questions asked.  The Easter story gives us some of life’s most crucial questions — ones we need answers to ourselves.  Take a look at some of them below :

• Are you the King of the Jews ? (asked by Pilate, Matt 27:11)

• What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ ?  (Pilate to the crowd, Matt 27:22)

• Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One ? (the high priest to Jesus, Mark 14:61)

• Do you not answer ?  See how many charges they bring against you !  (Pilate, Mark 15:4)

• Could you not keep watch with me for one hour ?  (Jesus to Peter, Matt 26:40)

• Are you still sleeping and resting ?  (Jesus to all his disciples, Matt 26:45)

• Surely not I, Lord ? (each of the disciples to Jesus, Matt 26:22)

• Surely it is not I, Rabbi ? (Judas, Matt 26:25)

• Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels ?  (Jesus at his arrest, Matt 26:53)

• Behold, you have heard the blasphemy !  What do you think ?  (high priest to the Jewish Council, Matt 26:66)

• What is truth ?  (Pilate, John 18:38)

• Whom do you want me to release for you ?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ? (Pilate to the crowds, Matt 27:17)

• Why, what evil has he done ?  (Pilate again, Matt 27:23)

• My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ?  (Jesus, Matt 27:46)

• Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory ?  (Jesus to two disciples, Luke 24:26)

• Who will roll away the stone ?  (women at the tomb, Mark 16:3)

• Woman, why are you weeping ?  (Jesus to Mary Magdalene, John 20:15)

• Whom are you seeking ?  (Jesus again to Mary, John 20:15)

• Are you the only one … unaware of the things which have happened here ?  (disciples on road to Emmaus, Luke 24:18)

• Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us ?  (disciples, Luke 24:32)

• Why are you troubled ?  (Luke 24:38)

• Why do doubts arise in your hearts ?  (Jesus to the disciples, Luke 24:39)

And here’s another Easter-related question asked by the Apostle Paul which we’ll address this Sunday morning :

• How are the dead raised ?  And with what kind of body do they come ?

We’ll finish our discussion about life after death.  What will life be like at the moment of our death ?  What will happen to our body ?  What will it be like when God raises it up out of the earth ?  

I hope to see you Sunday !

Calendar

Tonight :  Immerse, 7 pm.

Saturday :  Women’s Breakfast & Bible Study, 8:00-9:15 am.

Sunday : Worship at 10 am.  Children’s church available for ages 0-7.  Elders meeting following worship.

Next Men’s Recharge :  Thursday, April 16, 6:30-8:00 pm, at the church.

Next 8-13 year-olds Bible Class :  Sunday, April 19, during the sermon.

If you’re interested in being baptized, please speak to Pastor Tom or one of the elders.  We’ll hold a baptismal service and fellowship meal Sunday, June 28, after our regular morning worship service.

Prayer

I don’t have any new news on Waylon Pace.  Waylon’s mom, Courtney, was going to try to get him to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City today.  Waylon had his tonsils removed last week, then began several days of upset stomach and throwing up, seemingly unrelated to his tonsillectomy.  Thanks for your prayers for Waylon who is part of our 8-13 year-olds class.  Judy Gossett is Waylon’s grandmother, and Blaiz Pace is Waylon’s sister.  Let’s continue to pray for Waylon and their family !  Thank you !

Hello, Crossroads Family !

We’re looking forward to a wonderful celebration this Sunday of the Lord’s resurrection !  I hope you’ll plan to be there.  We’ll have a special blessing from our Crossroads Easter Choir which will present the Easter cantata, “The Hope of the Cross.”  Thanks to the choir for working so hard to prepare this message through music.  The order of service this Sunday will be like this :

• Congregational Singing :  Come early so you can be ready to join in all the Easter singing !
• Fellowship Break :  A chance to love on each other and greet visitors.
• Easter Cantata :  The Hope of the Cross
• Communion 

Plan to come early.  Make room for visitors and late-comers.  As always, there will be food, coffee, and more to enjoy before and after the service.  Our elders are available if you need someone to pray with or need counseling of some kind for a circumstance in your life.

Some other Easter worship opportunities :

• Some from the Crossroads worship team will be presenting Easter-themed music on the Nevada square this Saturday afternoon, 1:00-2:00.  Join us if you’d like and are able !

• The Vernon County Ministerial Alliance will host a community-wide Good Friday service at Nevada Church of the Nazarene this Friday evening at 7:00.  Steve Russ will be the speaker.

More …

Thanks again to all who made the Bible Quiz Night such a fun time !  Fellowship, learning, fun, and a focus on the ministry and life of Jesus.  It was a chance to meet new people and to appreciate those we know already !  Thanks to Clayson, Tacy, and all the team who helped !

Coming up on the church calendar are our regular weekly / monthly events :  Women’s Breakfast & Bible Study this Saturday, 8 am ; Immerse next Wednesday evening, 7 pm ; and Men’s Recharge is coming up Thursday evening, April 16, at 6:30.

A follow-up from last Sunday’s message :  You could read a long way into Joshua chapter 1 and be blessed by it.  I stopped at verse 7 with an emphasis on “Be strong and courageous.”  But verse 8 is important as well, as we seek God’s vision for our future :  “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”  I hope you’re meditating on God’s Word throughout the week.  It gives us light, and it cleanses us !

Take time to look at the Evangelical Free Church Central District’s website (efcacentral.org).  The Evangelical Free Church is divided up into several geographical districts ; ours is the Central District which comprises E-Free churches in northern Arkansas, all of Missouri and Iowa, and the southeastern corner of South Dakota.  The district’s offices are in the Des Moines area, and many district events are held in West Des Moines which is a pretty straight shot from Nevada.  Currently, on the website you can read about the Annual District Conference (April 27-28) ; a pastors’ wives retreat in the southern half of the district (April 10-12) ; a crisis response effort in northeastern Arkansas (April -June) ; an upcoming training for how to recruit and retain volunteers (May 19) ; and more.  You can also meet members of the district staff and find other E-Free churches in our district.  

We give praise to God for the gracious work of healing for Kris Sisseck.  Let’s continue to keep Kris, Jamie, and family in our prayers.  Also Konner and Jaci who will be married May 2.  Others in the church also need our prayers for physical and family needs.  Thank you !Finally …

I came across this little verse in my Bible reading this morning :

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.  (1 John 3:21)

I think we often live under a cloud of self-condemnation, and we can be quick to condemn others around us, too.  I recognize that I am a guilty sinner, deserving of condemnation from a holy, righteous God.  The only way I can read 1 John 3:21 without giving up hope entirely is that I know that through Jesus’ death and resurrection condemnation has been removed.  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).  I need to keep short accounts with God in regard to my failings and disobedience, but I’m grateful that Christ restores us to a position of righteousness before God.  And each day we’re closer to being at home with Him !

I hope to see you this weekend !  He is risen !

— Tom

Hello, Crossroads Family,

These are full days for many of us !  I’m thankful for God’s grace and faithfulness.  Thankful, too, for the fellowship I have with all of you in many different ways during the week.  Christian fellowship is a gift.  There is an ability to relate on a deep level or on a light, superficial level any time a brother and sister in Christ meet or take time to communicate with each other.  Your part in that is a blessing to me and may be an overlooked way by which you’re blessing others in the church.  Thank you !

We’ll have an opportunity for some special fellowship this Saturday evening with our Bible Quiz !  The fun will start at 6 pm at First Baptist Church on Highland Ave in Nevada.  I hope you’ll be there whether you’re part of a team or just want to watch and enjoy the fun !  Thanks to Clayson for organizing and for inviting other churches to join us !

Of course, we want especially to be praying today for the Sisseck family, particularly for Kris.  May God provide for all needs — physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, for loss of work time, and more — during these days of finding and treating the sources of Kris’ incident this week.  Thanks for your prayers.  

As others in the Crossroads family come to your mind, pray for them too.  Many are in need of prayer !  Ephesians 1:15-19 and Colossians 1:9-12 are good model prayers to use in praying for people ; or take a minute to think of the things you’re asking for yourself — many of those needs are the same needs of the people around you !

Reminders :

This Sunday :  Worship at 10 am.  As of now, we will have use of the bathrooms in the building.  So no worries and hope to see you Sunday morning !  Children’s Church will be available for 0-7 year-olds if you are a parent and are interested ; also, the 8-13 year-olds Bible class will meet during the sermon.

Cantata Practices :  Easter Choir members, we’ll practice this Sunday at our usual time, 12:30-1:30, and again Wednesday, April 1, 5:30-7:00 pm, at the church.  

Women’s Breakfast & A Bible Study :  This Saturday morning, 8-9:15, at the church.

Immerse :  Next Wednesday, April 1, 7 pm, at the church.   

Easter :  Easter worship will feature our Crossroads Easter Choir singing “The Hope of the Cross” in place of the sermon.  We’ll also worship the Lord around the Communion table.  I hope you’ll come for a very special time.  We’re not planning a breakfast this year, but there will be plenty of refreshments, as usual, so come early and enjoy some extra fellowship.

Elders Meeting :  Sunday, April 12, following the worship service.  We’ll have our usual monthly meeting, then follow with a study on the subject of Church Membership, and also lunch together.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers for our Elder Board.Finally …

This set of Bible verses provides an interesting perspective on Easter and the events leading up to it :

• God … calls you into His own kingdom and glory.  (1 Thess 2:12)
• Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight ….”  (John 18:36)
• Waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.  (Hebrews 10:13)
• The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever !  (Rev 11:15)
• You have made us kings and priests to our God ; and we shall reign on the earth.  (Rev 5:10)
• I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them … and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  (Rev 20:4)
• The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  (Matt 13:43)
• Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  (Luke 12:32)
• I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  (Luke 22:29-30).
• Your kingdom come.  (Matthew 6:10).

I texted as many of you as I could earlier this week about a worthwhile podcast on the subject of the final weeks of Jesus’ life.  It’s a discussion between two Bible professors and is helpful in understanding those final days.  It will bless you if you have a chance to listen.  The podcast is called “Bible and Theology Matters,” and the host is Dr. Paul Weaver of Dallas Theological Seminary.  Look for the episode from March 19 called “The Passover & Last Supper Explained.”

Interestingly, I learned this week that the choir director I had as a high school student at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, passed away last weekend.  He brought a smile and joy to the classroom ;  and he trusted me, during my junior and senior years, to accompany the school’s two choirs.  He was a man of God, and frequently our concerts included sacred pieces, including the Hallelujah chorus and other pieces from Handel’s Messiah.  Those were challenging and fun days of music.  One of our choirs wore tuxedos and black dresses at concert time, and I remember he showed up once in a black tuxedo with a bright yellow vest.  Looked a little like a bumblebee, but he made people smile, including me.  I’m grateful for the confidence he had in me as a young person.

I pray God will bless the remainder of our week, and I hope to see you Sunday !

— Tom

Hello, Crossroads Family !

Here are a few reminders about what’s going on.  This week feels a little different due to Spring Break for some and also the work going on at our building on Highland Ave.

There is no Immerse tonight ; however, Men’s Recharge is happening tomorrow (Thursday), 6:30-8:00 pm.  Men, I hope you can be there.  It’s a good time of encouragement and male fellowship which is a unique kind of fellowship we need !  Hope you’ll be there.  Reach out to Cris Rodriguez if you have questions.  Immerse will pick back up next Wednesday night, and everyone is welcome !

There will be no women’s Breakfast & Bible Study this Saturday morning. This weekly study and fellowship for women will pick back up on Saturday, the 28th.  Contact Erin Townsend if you need to know more.

This Sunday morning we’ll worship as usual starting at 10:00.  In case our access to the bathrooms is limited due to the work being done on the floors in other parts of the building, we will have a port-a-potty in the parking lot.  Not ideal, we know, but we want everyone to feel they can be present for worship this Sunday !  We’ll also try to keep the service on the short side !  Keep your coffee intake low Sunday morning !

I am more and more amazed at how much the book of Psalms is about Jesus.  We read in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus explained to His disciples, on Resurrection Sunday, all the things written about Him in the Law, the Prophets, and in the Psalms !  David, the writer of many of the psalms (especially at the beginning of the book), is himself a picture of Jesus ; and parts of his psalms really do point to the coming Savior.  I was blessed this morning in reading Psalms 28-31.  Here are some things I saw that pointed me to Jesus :

Psalm 28:8 says, “The Lord is a saving defense to His anointed.”  Who is God’s anointed, except Jesus ?  Yes, David was the anointed king in his day, but the great anointed One is the person we anticipate in this psalm.

Psalm 28:9 — “Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”  Jesus is, of course, the good shepherd, so here we see Him again.

“The Lord sat as King at the flood ; the Lord sits as King forever” (Psalm 29:10).  Jesus is our king now, sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.

In Psalm 30:3, David, in his praying, says, “O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol.”  “Sheol” is a word meaning “the grave.”  Of course, this statement is literally true of Jesus who was raised from the grave on the day we call Easter.

In Psalm 31:5, David says to God, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit.”  These are words Jesus spoke on the cross — His last words before dying.  

What a wonderful Savior we have !  And how good God is to point us to Him, early in the Bible and often !  

Bible, prayer, fellowship, witness, and obedience — these are the principles for growing and staying strong as a Christian.  Including these five disciplines in our lives, even a little bit each day, keeps us walking with the Lord and experiencing the life He has intended for us.  They seem like such small things — and how easy it is to drop them out of our daily habits — yet they are the key to abundant life in Christ.  They are like eating food ; few of us skip a meal, but we may not realize how often we are skipping these five essential practices of life.

Church attendance is also one of our necessary intakes for healthy life.  Again, on the surface it might not seem that way.  After all, maybe you don’t really like to sing (and singing seems to happen a lot at church) ; or maybe the idea of sitting and listening to a sermon seems old-fashioned and tedious … or even boring !  Don’t worry, sometimes my preaching bores me too ; but there’s always something I take away, and it’s an act by which, on a regular basis, I maintain connection with God (and with others who love Him).  There are only 52 Sundays in a year.  That’s not many.  When we miss, we whittle that number down quickly ; yet we may wonder why we’re not experiencing the joy, peace, love, and strength God has promised His children.

I will be out of town Thursday and Friday this week to visit my son Billy and daughter-in-law Hannah who live in Wichita.  But I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning !  Our sermon will be from 1 Corinthians 15 and John 18 and will be on the subject of life after death.  What happens to our body when we die ?  What is existence like for us at the point of our dying ?  What is God’s ultimate plan for our physical body ?  It will come to its end on the earth, but there is a plan to be reunited with it in a new way one day.  Come Sunday and find out more.

Some final reminders :

• We will have Easter cantata practice this Sunday afternoon, 12:30-1:30.  We’ll learn one last piece, “The Hope of the Cross,” and try to schedule an extra rehearsal in order to be ready for Easter Sunday.  Thanks to all who are participating !  We’re going to have a wonderful, special Easter morning.

• Don’t forget the Bible Quiz Night coming up on Saturday, March 28, 6 pm, at First Baptist Church in Nevada.  Some of you are competing on a team, but everyone is welcome to enjoy the fellowship with brothers and sisters from Crossroads and from other area churches.

• The next 8-13 year-olds Bible Class will take place Sunday, March 29, during the sermon.

• Easter worship is at 10:00 on Sunday, April 5.  We’re not planning a breakfast this year, but come early as I’m sure there will be food anyway, and we can have some extra fellowship that morning.  Our Easter worship will feature the cantata that is being prepared, “The Hope of the Cross.”  Invite your friends and family.  There will be an ad in the Nevada Daily Mail.

• We’ve scheduled a baptismal service for Sunday, June 28, following our regular morning worship.  The baptisms will take place at the home of David and Heather Vestal, and we’ll plan to eat together that afternoon as well.  Please let me or one of the other elders know if you’re interested in being baptized.

Thanks to everyone who contributes to the life and ministry of Crossroads Church.  We often overlook the fact that we have a bulletin to guide and bless us each Sunday morning ; our rooms are cleaned by someone from the church each week ; food and drink are provided by kind, generous hearts ; lessons are lovingly prepared for children ; offerings are counted and deposited at the bank ; and now, soon, folks from the church family will be taking care of the yardwork once again around the building.  Thanks to everyone for what you do for the glory of God and for the beauty of His church !  

The Lord will give strength to His people.

The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11

Hello, Crossroads Family !

An all-day music contest on Monday followed by two days sick at home has made this a strange and somewhat frustrating week.  Thanks for your prayers.  This seems to be only a major cold ; I trust I’ll be back to a more regular routine tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to our fellowship and worship this coming Sunday !  I’ll be preaching more on God’s design and plan for our bodies.  This Sunday we’ll consider the sexual nature of the body.  What are God’s purposes for human sexuality, and are His expectations reasonable ?  I’m trying to scratch out some work on this sermon now, despite the cold.  We’ve touched on the subject more than once in the past, but it’s always good to be reminded of God’s good plans as recorded in His Word.  Given that our laws, our media, and our cultural standards have thrown off any and all guardrails surrounding human sexuality, it’s no wonder we struggle to understand God’s design or that we consider it somehow old-fashioned.  I hope you’ll join us Sunday !  It’s good to be part of a church where we can talk frankly about where our faith in Christ intersects with real life.  The Scripture will be from 1 Corinthians 5-7.

We can always trust God to give us, and to do for us, what is right and good, can’t we ?  I hope you’re in agreement with me on that.  It seems that one of our favorite songs recently at Crossroads is “All Things” which contains the line, “Lord, You will accomplish everything You promised, all things for Your glory and my good.”  Of course the idea for that lyric comes from Romans 8:28 which says we know God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Someone recently pointed out to me that the “good” promised to us is specified more precisely in the following verse, Romans 8:29, which says we are being conformed into the image of Jesus.  So the “all things for my good” isn’t necessarily that things will always work out just the way I wanted them to ; the good God is accomplishing in us is growing us to be more like our Lord Jesus.  Amazing !

Reminders …

• Immerse tonight at 7:00.  Everyone is welcome.
• Women’s Breakfast & Bible Study this Saturday, 8:00-9:15 am.
• Worship Sunday at 10:00.  Children’s church for those interested with children ages 0-7.
• Elders meeting following worship.
• Easter cantata practice Sunday, 12:30 – 1:30 pm.
• Bible Quiz night is coming up March 28 at 6 pm.  We’ll meet at First Baptist Church in their fellowship hall.

Please pray for Ethan Rittmiller who is in Nebraska during the next few days for job interviews.  Ethan will finish at the Missouri Welding Institute in April.  Alex Lewis will begin his new job later this month in O’Fallon, Missouri.  Please pray for Alex and Emily and Dean during this transition period.  Pray for those expecting babies this spring — Cecilia and Sam, Erica and Miles.  Thanks for your ongoing prayers for our church family !

God’s Promises

Apparently a schoolteacher once took the time to record every promise made in the Bible, not just by God to people, but promises of all kinds.  Here’s what he found :

• 7487 promises from God to people
• 2 promises made by God the Father to God the Son
• 991 promises made between people to each other
• 290 promises made by people to God (such as Psalm 51:15, for example)
• 28 promises made by angels
• one promise made by a man to an angel
• one promise made by an evil spirit to the Lord
• 9 promises made by Satan, including his deceitful offer to deliver all the kingdoms of the world to Christ if He would worship the devil (Mattthew 4:8-9).

You can read about this man and his quest here, a short article that appeared in Time magazine in 1956.  

Here are some of the promises God has made us :

— He promises that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved.    (Rom 10:9, 11-13)

— He promises us comfort in time of need.      (2 Cor 1:3-4)

— He promises to meet all our needs.        (Philippians 4:19)

— He promises to provide wisdom.            (James 1:5)

— He promises peace.                                (Matt 11:28-29)

— He promises to complete He work in us.    (Philippians 1:6)

— He promises cleansing when we need it.    (1 John 1:9)

— He promises victory.                (Rom 8:37)

— He promises He will meet us in the air.        (1 Thess 4:16-17)

— He promises a future home for us.               (John 14:2-4)

These give us hope and encouragement to persevere in the race God has set out for us.  He is our loving God and Savior.  Have a great second half of the week !

— Tom