TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
October 18, 2019
Hello church family!
I’m excited about Sunday’s sermon from 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 on the subject of “God’s Gift of Singleness.” We’ll look at three pieces of wisdom God gave to single (and to married!) people.
We’re blessed at Crossroads to have a significant population of single people. Did you know that, according to a 2016 article in the Washington Post, about 109 million Americans, aged 18 years and older, are divorced, widowed, or have always been single? That’s about 45% of the population.
What the Lord has to say to, and for singles, is important! And, as we’ll see Sunday, the application will not be for single people only.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday at 10 a.m. for worship and fellowship. Don’t forget our Adult Bible Study group is studying the book of Leviticus at 9:00. It’s not too late to join the study, and we would love to have you be part of what we’re learning! Also, Youth Group Bible Study at 9:00. See you then!
What Should Church Life Be Like?
Here are some thoughts from a missionary friend of mine who has come to have a great love and appreciation for the local church he and his wife attend:
We are very thankful for our church which we’ve attended ever since returning from Congo in 1991, except for a relatively brief time during which we helped with a church plant in a neighboring suburb. We love the people of our church. We are thankful for our pastor, our overseers (elders), our Sunday worship service, our weekly Adult Bible Fellowship, and our small group that meets twice a month. Being a part of this fellowship of believers is very important to us.
We love our church, but it isn’t perfect because WE AREN’T PERFECT. For that reason we truly appreciate the grace our brothers and sisters extend us on a regular basis. Our local body of believers gives us the opportunity to live out the “one anothers” of the the New Testament:
- Welcome one another (Romans 15:7)
- Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
- Serve one another (Galatians 5:13-15)
- Stir up one another (Hebrews 10:24)
- Instruct one another (Romans 5:4; Colossians 3:16)
- Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32)
- Pray for one another (James 5:16)
- Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Francis Schaeffer observed that “the early church practiced two things simultaneously: orthodoxy of doctrine and orthodoxy of visible community.”
“Orthodoxy of doctrine” refers to a biblical belief system and teaching. “Orthodoxy of visible community” would seem to refer to the actual living out of these “one another” commands given to the Church by the Lord.
How do we do at Crossroads in these two areas?
My friend goes on add the following two quotes, both of which also have application within the church:
Love is not a feeling: “We easily misunderstand love. We feel bad for someone, and we think we have loved them. We feel sympathy and misconstrue it as love. We want to help, but don’t, but then soothe ourselves by saying, ‘At least I cared.’ None of this qualifies as love in the biblical sense. Love is defined as covenant and action. Emotion may accompany love, but mere emotion is not sufficient. In fact, true love persists when emotions fail. To serve one another ‘through love’ (Galatians 5:13) and to ‘fulfill the law of Christ’ (see John 13:34; 15:12) is to lift a burden from them.” (James L. Harvey, III)
“The love languages of all marriages is self-denial. When both husband and wife are consumed not with their own immediate happiness but with the happiness of one another, they will enjoy a happy marriage. The same is true for enduring friendships and for authentic community.” (Bart Parsons)
Someone I heard this week asked, “Do churches do to Christians what zoos do to animals?” In other words,… do we take followers of Christ out of the “wild,” their natural environment where they are living out authentic spiritual life as lights in the world, and do we, in a sense, “domesticate” them ? In a culture such as ours where there is such an emphasis on “church-going,” have we made the mistake of substituting church attendance (even if only occasional) for a real walk with the Lord?
I think it’s good food for thought. Our connection with the local church is not just a routine we go through to assuage our conscience or to make an impression. The body of people who are following Christ with us are a source of renewal and spiritual energy as all of us seek to be a blessing to the world with the Good News we’ve received.
Opportunities to Connect and Refuel
Sunday, 10/21: Adult Bible Study, Youth Bible Study, 9:00 – 9:45. Worship at 10:00. Osage Prairie YMCA.
Monday, 10/22 : Men’s Dinner & Fellowship, 6:30 pm. We’ll plan to meet in the back room at Iguana Azul Mexican restaurant on the square. We’ll take a look at another short Bible study in the series on “The Christian & Obedience.”
Wednesday, 10/24: Our regular Wednesday evening activities at the Rodriguezes, **contact us for directions**.
- Prayer Group – 6:00 pm.
- Food & Fellowship – 6:30 pm.
- Home Group for adults – 7:00 pm.
- Youth Group activities for Middle Schoolers & High Schoolers – 7:00 pm.
Saturday, 10/27: Women’s Fellowship on the theme of “Chosen,” 10:00 a.m. ‘til 3:00 p.m. at The Lavender Patch, 2376 Locust Rd, near Ft Scott. Emma Harms will be the special speaker. If you would still like to attend but haven’t signed up, please contact Erlinda *phone number edited for website*.
“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you did not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
–Tom
Leave a Reply