TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
April 13, 2018

Dear Crossroads Family & Friends —

I look forward to this coming Sunday’s worship and re-connecting with each other! Our sermon will be on the subject of “Overcoming Discouragement,” from Acts 18:1-22. Did the Apostle Paul experience a patch of discouragement as he journeyed to the Greek city of Corinth with his message of Jesus and the resurrection? He later wrote to the Corinthians: “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom…I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling”
(1 Corinthians 1:1,3). What kinds of provisions did God make for Paul during a time of possible discouragement? How does he provide for you and me during times of discouragement? Plan to join the church family at 10:00 a.m. at the Y this Sunday.

We will also have our Adult Bible Study this Sunday at 9:00 at the Y. We are on the ninth of the Ten Commandments in our series “The Ten Greatest Struggles of Your Life.” “You shall not lie” is the ninth commandment. I seem to remember someone describing lying as “the handle which fits any tool in the toolbox.” In a long list of sins which Paul says Christians are to avoid (Ephesians 4:25-31), lying is the first on the list. It is perhaps the most widespread characteristic of the old way of life that still haunts us. Why our great struggle with telling the truth? How can God give victory in this struggle?

Youth Group goes roller skating this Saturday evening, 7-9:00, at Skate Town, 3220 S Hwy 32, in El Dorado Springs. Bring a friend and money for a snack. Admission and skate rental will be paid for. No youth group this Sunday evening.

Other Dates…

Family Meeting: We’ll have an all-church “Family Meeting” immediately following the worship service next Sunday, April 22. We have quite a few things to cover at the meeting, including an update on finances, and ministry & fellowship opportunities for the summer. Please plan to attend. Everyone is welcome.

Baptism: There will be a baptism at the conclusion of worship on April 29. If you are interested in following the Lord in baptism, please let me know. Thank you.

Thank You!

Thanks again to all who made our Easter morning such a special and memorable event!

Thanks to the team who helped make a move for the Moss House this week. The help Crossroads provides these women and their families is greatly appreciated!

Thanks to our team of Children’s Church & Nursery workers, and to our youth group leaders, Hannah and Forrest!

Children’s Church & Nursery Schedule for remainder of April:
April 15: Michelle / Esther
April 22: Ebony / Julie
April 29: Judi

Thanks to those who help with worship Sunday after Sunday: Hannah, Esther, Sam, Evan, Natalie, Ebony. We are grateful for your leading and service!

Thanks to all who set up and tear down the worship area on Sundays!

Promises & Prayers for the Future

Like many of you, I am blessed by reading regularly through the psalms. Earlier this week, I was reading through Psalm 25 which seemed to break down fairly easily into a set of promises and a set of prayers concerning God’s leading of our lives. Several in our church family are waiting upon the Lord for guidance for the future. I found David’s prayers, and God’s promises, to be helpful and encouraging.

Prayers:
• “In you, O God, I trust.” 25:2
• “Do not let me be ashamed.” 25:2
• “Make me know your ways, O Lord.” 25:4
• “Teach me your paths.” 25:4
• “Lead me in your truth, and teach me.” 25:5
I love the liberty God gives us in this psalm to pray these kinds of prayers,… and with confidence! David prayed them, and so can we!

Promises:
• He instructs sinners in the way. 25:8
• He leads the humble in justice. 25:9
• He teaches the humble his way. 25:9
• All his paths are lovingkindness and truth. 25:10
• He will instruct his people in the way they should choose. 25:12
• The soul of his followers will abide in prosperity. 25:13
Furthermore, the psalm tells us of a God who can be trusted:
• He is a God of truth. 25:5
• He is the God of salvation. 25:5
• He is a God of compassion. 25:6
• He is a God of lovingkindness. 25:6,7
• He is good. 25:7
• He is upright. 25:8
• He is a teacher. 25:4,8,9,12
• He pardons. 25:11,18
• He is characterized by grace. 25:16
• He is a rescuer. 25:17,20,22
• He is a refuge. 25:20
The questions I was left with for myself (ourselves), when I had picked away all those promises and prayers and truths, were these three:
• Am I trusting? “O my God, in you I trust” (25:2).
• Am I teachable? “Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” (25:4)
• Am I praying? “For you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day.” (25:5)
I heard someone say this week that prayer is an activity that sets processes in motion in heaven. I wonder, do I hold onto that reality? Do I really pray? Do I trust (i.e., believe God’s promises)? Am I able and willing for God to teach me things that go beyond what’s on my prayer “wish list”?

I look forward to worshiping this trustworthy God with you on Sunday!

See you then!

— Tom

TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
April 3, 2018

Hello Crossroads Family & Friends,

What a wonderful Easter morning we experienced together! Thank you to everyone who contributed so beautifully to the breakfast, to worship, and to the activities for the children during and after the worship service. The venue at Enchanted Prairie Farm seemed just perfectly suited for us, and it was great to be almost all together, along with additional family members and friends. Great to see who we are(!), and I enjoyed with you the good fellowship and spirit of celebration. As God continues to knit us together, I think we see that we have something very positive to offer the people of our community.

I know not everyone feels like I do, but personally I’m enjoying this cool, gradual spring. The trees and flowers around Nevada are beautiful! I have a memory from our days in France of an Easter afternoon when Diana and the kids and I were out walking through one of the nearly deserted public squares in the city of Lyon. There was a cold rain falling that day too, and all of a sudden at one point it changed over to snow. We had such a fun time, laughing and being out in the big city, mostly by ourselves, in the Easter snow. This past Sunday was very much like that day. Praise to the Lord whose resurrection gives us reason to laugh and to hope.

I will be gone most of today and tomorrow to a pastor’s retreat for Evangelical Free Church pastors in Missouri and Arkansas. The retreat will be held at The Springs Church in Springfield. I’m looking forward to connecting with some of my pastor friends, many of whom have been a support and encouragement to me for the past eighteen years or more! Please pray for me that I will gain from this retreat some insights into the mind of the Lord for me as a pastor, and for us as a church. Thank you!

There are several in our Crossroads family who are dealing with health-related issues, and others who are burdened by the needs of loved ones in their extended family circle. As we move past the “high” of Easter, let’s not take our foot off the pedal of supporting each other through prayer, fellowship, and acts of service. Since we are taking a break from Wednesday night home group now, think about creative ways you can reach out to someone on a Wednesday night and plan some fellowship of your own!

Please continue to pray for the Young Life planning teams. I am proud of you for being engaged in helping launch this ministry. Let’s continue to pray. Let’s also be regularly in prayer for our own Crossroads Youth Group and its leaders, Forrest and Hannah. It brought a smile to my face to see the corner sitting area of the building on Sunday filled up with young people laughing and having a good time together.

Here are some reminders of activities and dates coming up on the church calendar:
• No Home Group this Wednesday night.
• Worship next Sunday, April 8, back at the YMCA. We will continue our Adult Bible Study series at 9:00, and we will worship together at 10:00.
• Youth Group this Sunday night, the 8th, at 6:30 at the Y. Roller skating on Saturday, April 14, at Skate Town in El Dorado Springs, 7-9 pm. Admission and skate rental is being paid for by the church; bring money for a snack, and bring a friend!
• I will be giving the invocation and benediction at the Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony Monday evening, April 9, at 6 pm, at the Vernon County Courthouse. Please pray for my presence there to be one God uses for his glory.
• Elders meeting next Monday night, the 9th, at 7 pm.
• “Family” Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 22, immediately following worship. A chance to catch up, do some planning, and pray. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend.
• We have scheduled a baptism for Sunday, April 29, during the morning service. If anyone else is interested in baptism, please contact me.
• We are planning a reception immediately following the worship service on Sunday, May 6, to celebrate our two graduating high school seniors, Trent and Sam.
• Schowe & Shine BBQ & Car Show – Saturday, May 19. This is an opportunity to be out in our community making contact with people. Proceeds benefit the Nevada Area Habitat for Humanity. We will need some help serving and interacting with people!

Thanks to Judi Edwards who has taken over the responsibilities of managing the church finances in her new role as Church Financial Manager. Please pray for Judi in this role and also in her work with Children’s Church teachers and young people.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. … For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

I recently heard someone make the following remark about “Christ is our life”: Christianity is not a philosophy; Christianity is not a program; Christianity is not propaganda. Christianity is a person, Jesus Christ. I hope his resurrection life and power will guide and energize each one of us!

See you this Sunday!

-Tom

TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
March 23, 2018

Hi everyone!
I enjoyed a discipleship Bible study with two members of our church this week. One of the topics discussed was the need for regular fellowship with others who love the Lord.
From the lesson itself: “Fellowship is spending time and doing things with others who love Christ. Several logs burn brightly together, but the fire goes out if one is placed alone on the cold hearth. In the same way, Christians need to work together or the fire of enthusiasm will go out. Fellowship is vital for Christian growth. That’s why active participation in the church is so important.”
I’m glad to be part of a church where people are excited about growing spiritually. God tells us that fellowship is an essential part of that growth. Hebrews 10 tells us we should not forsake our gathering together, but that we should encourage each other, and stimulate each other to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23-25). Christians who have little to do with each other, rarely coming together as a group, can accomplish little. If the early Christians had not devoted themselves to relationships among themselves, Christianity would never have survived. I benefit from Christian fellowship in that …
… I profit from other people’s experiences,
… I gain new perspectives,
… I have other people monitoring my spiritual health,
… I get to participate in united prayer, not just my own “solo” praying,
… we can plan as a team for spreading the Good News of the Gospel.
There are quite a few opportunities for fellowship and service coming up at Crossroads in the next several weeks. I hope you’ll plan to take advantage of these opportunities to grow spiritually, to grow as a church, to invite friends and family, and to make great fellowship a part of your life!

Sunday activities this weekend:
*Adult Bible Study, 9:00 a.m., at the Y. We’ll look at the seventh commandment, and our struggle for purity.
*Worship at 10:00 at the Y. We’ll remember and celebrate Palm Sunday. Everyone is invited, and there will be Children’s Church & Nursery available during the sermon time. Our sermon will be from Romans 12:1-2, “New Beginnings.”
*Youth Group, 6:30 p.m., at the Y. All Middle School and High School students are invited, along with your friends!

Home Group next Wednesday:
Our last Home Group of the season will take place next Wednesday at 6:30 pm at the Rodriguezes. We’ve had a great winter/spring season of Home Group! Let’s cap it off with a good time of fellowship, encouragement, and thinking about the Easter season!

Easter Sunday:
No service at the Y next Sunday. Instead, we will have a special Easter breakfast and worship service at The Enchanted Prairie Farm, 17557 East Stockade Road, just south of Nevada.
Breakfast will be at 9:00; worship at 10:00. Easter egg hunt for the kids after worship. Plan to join us and bring a friend!

Young Life:
We’re hoping to gather as many from our church and community as possible next Tuesday, March 27, to gauge interest in launching a Young Life ministry in Nevada. It’s important that we have a good turnout at these meetings, even if you can only stay for part of the meeting. You will show your interest and make a difference by coming and by bringing someone else you know who’s interested in a dynamic outreach to young people in Nevada. A meeting for all interested persons will be held Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in the Nevada High School library. There will also be a meeting at 4:00 that day for educators and school personnel. If you’re not able to be at the 6:00 meeting, feel free to come at 4:00. There will also be a meeting at 7:00 on the campus of Cottey College for students and others associated with Cottey College. Would you please be in prayer for God’s leading concerning these meetings next week! Hope to see you at one of the meetings. You can read more about Young Life at www.younglife.org.

Schowenshine Barbecue:
Saturday, May 19. We’ll have a tent at this barbecue and car festival at Dr. Schowengerdt’s office. A chance to interact with our community and benefit Habitat for Humanity.
We’ll need some volunteers that day to set up and to help serve. I’ll have a sign-up sheet at church this Sunday.

Moss House:
We have a move coming up next week for a client with Moss House. This move will involve picking up some furniture at a location between Metz and Rich Hill, and bringing it back to Nevada. If you could help with this move one evening next week, please speak to me or to Phill Edwards.

The Big Serve:
The Big Serve is a weekend in which the people of Vernon County help their neighbors with projects such as brush pickup, mowing, painting, yard work, minor repairs, dog washing, stocking shelves, etc. This spring The Big Serve is to take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 & 22. (Saturday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.) You can learn more about The Big Serve at www.bigservevcmo.com. If you would like to volunteer, or if you would like to organize a team from Crossroads, you can sign up at that website.

Family Meeting:
Please plan on an all-church “Family Meeting” April 22 immediately after the worship service. This is our quarterly get-together to bring everyone up to speed, to share ministry ideas, and to pray. If you consider Crossroads to be your church home, I hope you’ll plan to stay for that informal meeting.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Psalm 145:14-19
The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him ; He will also hear their cry and will save them.

TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
March 8, 2018

Hello Crossroads Family & Friends!

Several things to catch up on, starting with this coming Sunday’s activities:

We will worship at 10:00 at the Y. I hope you’ll plan to join us,… and bring someone with you ! We’re having a good time working through an exciting part of the book of Acts. The sermon this Sunday will be from Acts 16, “How Does God Work?” How did God work in Paul’s journey to Europe? How can you expect God to work in your own life? Are you needing God to work in your life? See you at 10:00! Children’s Church & nursery are available during the sermon time.

There will be no Adult Bible Study at 9:00 this Sunday morning. We’ll resume our studies on Sunday, March 25.

There will be no Youth Group this Sunday evening.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night! Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend!

Easter Plans
We have some exciting plans for Easter morning (April 1), and I hope you can join us for a fun morning of fellowship and celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. We will not meet at the Y on Easter morning. Instead, we will have both breakfast and Easter worship at the Enchanted Prairie Farm venue, just south of Nevada (where we had a winter fellowship dinner earlier this year). Enchanted Prairie Farm is located at 17557 East Stockade Road, Nevada (www.enchantedprairiefarm.com).

We’ll have breakfast together at 9:00 Easter morning. If you’re interested in preparing a dish for the breakfast, you may contact Angi Dahmer. Otherwise, everything necessary for the breakfast will be provided.

We’ll worship at 10:00 that morning. Hope you can join us for part or all of the morning!

Church Financial Manager
The church Elder Board has asked Judi Edwards to fill the role of Church Finance Manager, as required in our church by-laws. Judi will be responsible for keeping records of church income and expenses; also, she will be overseeing the counting of offerings. She’s going to be a tremendous asset to the church family and to the Elder Board in helping us all to be good and generous stewards of God’s gifts. Please pray for Judi as she transitions into this role.

Tom on vacation
The kids and I will be taking some time off March 12-18. There will be a guest speaker, Shane McCasslin, bringing the message on Sunday morning, March 18. Thank you for the many ways you support and love me and my family. We are looking forward to some family time together.

Young Life Jumpstart Meeting
Looking forward to the series of Young Life “Jumpstart” meetings coming up on Tuesday, March 27. As you know, God has led several at Crossroads, and others in the Nevada community, to explore the possibility of starting a Young Life ministry in Nevada, at Cottey College and/or among high school and middle school students in Nevada. All of this at the initiative of our own Natalie Sexton! If you’re still not familiar with Young Life, check it out at www.younglife.org.

On the 27th, three of our area’s Young Life staff will meet with anyone interested to discuss what Young Life is, and what would be needed to implement such a ministry in Nevada. There will be three meetings, open to anyone wanting to find out more!

March 27 at 4:00 pm – a meeting especially for educators and other school personnel. The meeting will take place at Nevada High School (most likely in the library).
March 27 at 6:00 pm – a meeting for parents, pastors, business people, and anyone else who is curious ! This meeting will also take place in the Nevada High School library.
March 27 at 7:00 pm – a meeting for Cottey College students and others connected with Cottey. This meeting will take place on campus at Cottey.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask me, Donna Rodriguez, or Heather Hall. It would be awesome to have even a few more from Crossroads get in on the ground-floor of this ministry!

A Great Way to Grow Spiritually
At our home group last night, Donna led us in an encouraging discussion about memorizing Scripture. Many people get scared about the prospect of memorizing Scripture, yet, as we discovered last night, we all memorize many things throughout our lives! Most in the group last night could remember phone numbers they had back when they were four- or five- years old. And apparently, scientists have estimated that the human brain can store 2.5 Petabytes of information … which is about 300 years worth of television programming. That’s a lot of TV! There is room in our brain (and heart) for God’s Word.

Here are seven benefits of scripture memory that were discussed last night (taken from Robert J. Morgan’s book 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart):
• Clearer Thoughts. Internalized scripture keeps our minds in good working order.
• Steadier Nerves. Bible verses stored in our mind serve as “shock absorbers” in life, giving us steady nerves and calm spirits.
• Healthier Emotions. Memory verses are good medicine for sustained emotional health.
• Purer Habits. Scripture memory accelerates other habits that deepen our spiritual growth.
• Happier Homes. As we internalize God’s transformational truths, we become wiser and more loving people.
• Enhanced Reputations. Our ability to wisely dispense needed words to other people is directly proportional to our knowledge of God’s words.
• Eternal Optimism. There is a promise in the Bible for every contingency of life. Our faith grows as we find – and learn – specific promises that meet specific needs !
If you aren’t in the habit of memorizing Scripture, why not try starting with two of the “beginning” verses in the Bible:
• “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
If you have memorized Scripture in the past, take some time today to review some verses you know or used to know. You’ll find they will change your outlook on the day.

A Prayer
In our Ten Steps discipleship course, and in other settings, many of us have been deepening our understanding of the Holy Spirit – who He is, what His role is in our lives, how to be under the influence of God’s Spirit. I hope this prayer, adapted from a prayer in The Valley of Vision, will be a help and encouragement to you today.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning at 10:00 Daylight Savings Time!

–Tom

Lord Jesus Christ,
Fill me with your Spirit, that I may be occupied with his presence.
I am blind – send him to make me see ; dark – let him say, “Let there be light!”
May he give me faith to behold my name engraved in your hand; my soul and body redeemed by your blood.
Replenish me by his revealing grace, that I may realize my indissoluble union with you;
that I may know that you have espoused me to yourself forever, in righteousness, love, mercy, and faithfulness;
that I am one with you, as a branch with its stock, as a building with its foundation.
May his comforts cheer me in my sorrows;
his strength sustain me in my trials;
his blessings revive me in my weariness;
his presence render me a fruitful tree of holines ;
his might establish me in peace and joy;
his incitements make me ceaseless in prayer;
his animation kindle in me undying devotion.
Send him as the searcher of my heart, to show me more of my corruptions and helplessness, that I may flee to thee, cling to thee, rest on thee, as the beginning and end of my salvation.
May I never vex him by my indifference and waywardness; grieve him by my cold welcome; resist him by my hard rebellion.
Answer my prayers, O Lord, for your great name’s sake.

TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada, MO
March 1, 2018

Dear Crossroads Family…

I’m looking forward to another uplifting Sunday with you this weekend. Our sermon Sunday morning will be from Acts 15, “The Way to God.” Take a look at it ahead of time. It’s an amazing episode in the growth of the Lord’s work in the world.

Just a reminder, there will be no Adult Bible Study this Sunday, March 4th. We will resume our ABS on Sunday, March 25th.

There will be Youth Group this Sunday evening, 6:30-8:00, at the Y, for Middle School and High School students. All middle schoolers and high schoolers and their friends are invited!

Thanks to everyone who serves on Sundays – worship leaders, greeters, Children’s Church & Nursery teachers and assistants, youth group leaders, set-up & tear-down volunteers! Thank you!

We had a fun, encouraging home group last night with 14 in attendance. Thanks, Cris & Donna, for opening your home up so regularly to us. Next week Donna will be sharing some things with the group that she has been learning about Scripture memorization. I hope you’ll make a point to join us on the 7th at 6:30 at the Rodriguez home!

What a blessing our Cottey students are to us! We will miss all of you while you’re gone on Spring Break! We wish you the best and look forward to your return!

From the Moss House

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help move a client of the Moss House yesterday. I received this message from our friends at the Moss House:

“We are very grateful for all the help that Crossroads provides in these moves. We couldn’t do it without you and your willing members. You guys really do rock!”

Holding On!

Over the Christmas break, I heard someone list five principles to hold onto against fear, and she used the Old Testament story of King Jehoshaphat to illustrate those five principles.

You might remember the story of King Jehoshaphat who reigned in Jerusalem in the 800s BC. He’s the one who, when Judah was being threatened by foreign invaders, said to the Lord, “We don’t know what to do,… but our eyes are on You”
(2 Chronicles 20:12). You have to admire the courage and sincerity of a leader who says, “We don’t know what to do! Help!” But, the key, of course, was his willingness to trust God to do something.

God’s response to Jehoshaphat was, “Do not fear,… for the battle is not yours but God’s.” And also, “Stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.” God’s instructions to Jehoshaphat were to send out his soldiers with singers and musicians leading the army. The story says that when they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against their enemies.

Five principles to hold onto in times of fear, as seen in the story of Jehoshaphat, are the following:

• the Wordof God                  We can trust it.
• the characterof God          What do you know to be true about God ?  You can trust that too.
• prayer
• worship
• singing

These are good principles to incorporate into our relationship with God at any time, not only in times of fear.

During this new year, I’ve especially tried to be more intentional about singing during my morning quiet times with the Lord. I’m simply working my way through a hymnbook I received years ago as a gift from my previous church when I was installed there as their new pastor. One hymn per day, and those hymns minister powerfully to my spirit. Here are the words from the hymn I sang this morning. I hope they will minister to you. I especially like the line, “With healing balm my soul He fills, and every faithless murmur stills.” I hope you’ll get into the habit of holding onto these five principles.

Sing praise to God who reigns above, the God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul He fills, and every faithless murmur stills.
To God all praise and glory!

The Lord is never far away, but, through all grief distressing,
An ever-present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother’s tender hand, He leads His own, His chosen band.
To God all praise and glory!

Thus all my toilsome way along I sing aloud His praises,
That all may hear the grateful song My voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart! Both soul and body bear your part!
To God all praise and glory!

Let all who name Christ’s holy name give God all praise and glory.
Let all who own His power proclaim aloud the wondrous story.
Cast every idol from its throne, for Christ is Lord and Christ alone.
To God all praise and glory!

-Tom