TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
A quick note here at the beginning of the week. I hope you’ve enjoyed the sunshine and blue skies so far! I’m reminded of one of my favorite Thanksgiving verses (found in an unusual spot, Acts 14):
“In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; but He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave your rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:16-17
Last Sunday
We enjoyed good worship this past Sunday, and a worthwhile and interesting discussion at Sunday Night Home Group.
Our plan this coming Sunday morning is to be back at Riverside Cowboy Church, 16001 S. 1250 Road, at 10:00, for worship. Bring a jacket, as it’s likely we’ll be in the outdoor pavilion. We are working to find a warm, reliable meeting place for the winter. If you’re aware of any rental possibilities in Nevada, please contact Cris (417-448-7658).
This coming Sunday we’ll have our final sermon in the “You Asked For It” series. Someone has asked for a sermon that would respond to the following question:
“Does God sometimes use Satan to accomplish His purposes in our life or in the world?”
I look forward to better understanding who God is, and why some things may happen in life!
I’ve enjoyed our “You Asked For It” sermon series! Thank you for the good questions and topics you’ve raised! A couple other suggestions have come in recently, and we’ll save them for another time. I noticed that this year’s suggestions — a Christian’s attitude toward making judgments; encouraging oneself in the Lord; navigating through life’s changing circumstances; and this coming Sunday’s topic — are all very personal in nature. I’m glad you’re seeking to develop a relationship with the Lord that is personal.
Don’t forget that sermons are available to be watched on the Crossroads Facebook Page (and also on my personal Facebook Page and YouTube channel). I usually have the Sunday sermon posted by the preceding Saturday evening.
On Sunday evening at our “Goliath Must Fall” home group series, we had an open and worthwhile discussion of the giant of Anger. Anger causes many of us much trouble in life. Take time to read through the short summary of our discussion. It’s available on the Crossroads website, http://www.nevadacrossroadschurch.org. One thing I’ve enjoyed about this home group is the level of openness in our sharing. It has become a safe place for sharing, not one where we try to “fix” each other’s problems.
Our last Home Group for this series will take place this coming Sunday evening, 6:00, at my house, 628 W. Arch Street. The final “giant” we’ll discuss is the giant of Addiction. Please come, even if you’ve missed previous sessions. Pretty much all of us are dealing with some kind of addiction, whether we realize it or not! Come get some insight from God’s Word, as well as encouragement and experience from others.
Other News & Dates
Youth Group
All Crossroads young people are invited out to Cris and Donna’s, *contact us for location*, on Wednesday, the 27th, 6:30 pm, for a fall evening of food and fun! Please let Jessica know if you’re coming, and if you’re bringing a friend, so the leadership team can purchase supplies for the evening’s activities. Thank you!
Prayer Updates
Many of you have been praying for Liz Hunt’s grandfather who was hospitalized due to unexpected blood loss. He is still undergoing tests after having received four liters of blood. There has been no change in his heart, and the bleeding does not appear to be coming from the stent he received some time ago. Thanks for praying for Liz, her grandfather, and their family.
Some of you remember Judy Moore who attended Crossroads in the past. Judy was hospitalized recently in Springfield for a serious incident involving dangerously low blood sugar and kidney function. She continues to be hospitalized in a weakened condition. Please pray for Judy and for members of her family.
Tom absent, October 31
I’ll be away Sunday, the 31st. Our friend Jerry Carlin, formerly Senior Pastor at The Springs Church in Springfield, and currently Church-Health Coach for our E-Free churches in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, will be our speaker that Sunday. Jerry always brings us a strong and practical message from God’s Word. I look forward to you being able to interact with Jerry and his wife Donna.
A Final Thought on Navigating Our Way Through Life’s Changing Circumstances
This final thought was written by William Wilberforce in his personal journey in 1832. Wilberforce was the primary agent behind the abolition of slavery in England. As he suffered a personal blow late in his life, he compared it to his granddaughter who had recently received a vaccination. (Any comparisons to current debates about vaccines are purely coincidental! The vaccine is not the point; God’s goodness in trials is the point! ) Read slowly; it’s an old-fashioned style of writing.
“I was much impressed yesterday,” he wrote, “with the similarity in some respects of my own situation to that of my dear little innocent granddaughter who was undergoing the operation of a vaccination. The infant gave up her little arm without suspicion or fear. But when she felt the puncture, which must have been sharp, no words can express the astonishment and grief that followed. I could not have thought her mouth could have been distended so widely as it continued, until the nurse’s soothing restored her usual calmness. What an illustration is this of the impatient feelings we are often apt to experience, and sometimes even to express, when suffering from the dispensations of a Being whose wisdom we profess to be unerring, whose kindness we know to be unfailing, whose truth also is sure, and who has declared to us that all things shall work together for good to them that love Him, and that the object of His inflictions is to make us partakers of His holiness.”
Have a great week!
— Tom
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