TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
What a good time we had last Sunday morning! Thanks to everyone who made it a special time! Thanks especially to Heather Vestal and Julie Kemper for organizing the breakfast; to the Vestals and Cris for setting up early; to our Worship Team; to Mitch for the Scripture reading; to Ryan for the powerful testimony shared; to our Children’s Church Team; to everyone who brought food; to those who cleaned up; and to everyone who was there to celebrate Christ and encourage the Body! (I’m sure I forgot someone who needs to be thanked, but I was proud of all of you for the love and joy — and humility — that Resurrection Sunday deserves.)
I’m feeling momentum growing in me for this coming Sunday. Should be a great time, and we need it, don’t we? Another evidence that Jesus is alive is the fact that we walk away from an hour spent together in worship feeling better, feeling changed. That’s the living Christ and God’s Word ministering to us through the Holy Spirit. This Sunday’s sermon will be from Revelation 12. If you want to be prepared, read that chapter between now and Sunday.
Youth Group This Sunday
Lunch, study, and encouragement at Jessica’s house following the worship service. *Contact us for location*
Good Missions News!
Colin Welch, one of the new missionaries we recently committed to pray for, has finished raising his needed support and will depart for Paris next Monday! Wow! This has all happened very quickly! Perhaps a part of what God has done is in answer to the prayers we’ve prayed for Colin! As you remember, Colin will be ministering with ReachGlobal (Evangelical Free Church Mission) through the arts. Colin is a gifted musician and artist.
Tyrell Shoemaker who, along with his family, are new missionaries supported by Crossroads, will be with us in worship on Sunday, April 30. The Shoemakers have some exciting changes coming up to their ministry in Chicago. I look forward to you meeting Tyrell; he is an awesome Christ-follower and someone I’ve known since he was a teenager. I officiated the wedding of Tyrell and Rachel in the Minneapolis area fourteen years ago!
If you could help out by giving Tyrell a ride from the Kansas City airport to Nevada on April 29, that would be a huge blessing to him and to all of us ! He’ll be arriving at MCI around 2:30 pm. Please let me know if you would be willing to serve in this way.
Encouragements to Pray
Prayer is such a critical part of our relationship to God, such a simple act, and yet something we struggle to make a real and regular part of our lives. I had the opportunity recently to do a very simple study on prayer with a young man I’m taking through the “Ten Steps” discipleship course. Here are some of the many reasons why God invites us to pray! They are reasons that should cause us to want to pray often! Take time to look up some of the Bible verses associated to these reasons to pray.
— We pray because we want to thank God. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
— We pray because God tells us to; it is His command. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
— We pray because God delights to hear our prayers. Proverbs 15:8
— We pray to ask for God’s supply (the things we need). Matthew 7:7-11
— We pray when we need to confess sin and receive forgiveness. 1 John 1:9
— We pray because God is spirit and must be related to through spiritual means such as prayer. John 4:23-24
— We pray when we want to praise God for who He is and what He’s like. Acts 4:23-24
— We pray when we need boldness to witness of the Good News of Christ. Acts 4:29
— We pray when there’s a need for more people doing God’s work in the world. Matthew 9:38
— We pray when we need the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Acts 4:31
— We pray when we need help discerning God’s will. Acts 13:1-3
— We pray because we need time with God, and because we want to honor Him. John 14:13; 15:1-4
— We pray to avoid temptation. Matthew 26:41
— We pray so that we won’t lose heart but rather be encouraged. Luke 18:1; 11:5-10
There’s much to pray for at Crossroads Church. We should pray for each other: there are many needs in our lives that lie below the surface. We also need to pray if we desire to have effective ministry as a church. Let’s pray for God’s supply of our needs, especially a home that is “ours.”
As the end of the school year draws near, I will have time to take one or two others through the “Ten Steps” course. If you’re interested, please let me know!
I hope to see you this Sunday!
10:00 at the Community Center
— Tom
Leave a Reply