TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
October 2, 2019
www.nevadacrossroadschurch.org
Hello, Crossroads Family!
I look forward to a time of worship and fellowship this coming Sunday morning! It will be a special service centered around the Communion Table. I hope you’ll join us!
9:00 – 9:45
“Why We Can Believe the Bible.” All adults are welcome. It’s not too late to join the class or to pick up just one Sunday. We’ll be studying the “canon” this Sunday – just how is it that we have the specific books in the Bible that we do have?
“The Truth Project” for all Middle School and High School students.
10:00 – 11:00
Worship
Communion Sermon
Worship Team meeting immediately following the service.
Thanks to those who prepare and lead worship each Sunday, and to the young people who were involved this past Sunday! It was great to see your smiling faces and to have your help leading worship!
Happy Birthday to Hope Hunt who is our only October birthday at Crossroads! And to brother Josh who celebrated his last Saturday!
We give thanks for the life of Jerry Reedy, Dave’s dad. Jerry’s earthly life came to an end last night (Wednesday). We rejoice that he knew the Savior and today is alive with the Lord. Please pray for Dave, Kim, and family as they make plans for the funeral service and as they miss their dad and grandfather.
Training Our Mind
On Tuesday of this week I was in a Bible study with two of our Crossroads members. Our discussion included how we can re-train our minds so that we’re not burdened down by negative thoughts, by the fleeting values of the world, and by a lack of gratitude.
The Bible says in Romans 12:2 that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind! How does that happen? There are actually a number of things we can do to help ourselves in this area.
Ask God to renew. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Make it one of your regular prayer requests. You’ll be surprised at how He will answer.
Recognize sin (Psalm 139:23-24). Confess it and receive God’s forgiveness.
Be around people who are positive. Fellowship with members of the family of God is a small thing but how critical for our mental and spiritual health!
Re-train some negative habits, like saying “I’m tired,” or “I’m busy” when people ask how you are.
Be around uplifting music. Sing. Learn and re-learn good worship songs.
Learn to purposefully take note of gifts God gives you throughout the day.
A couple years ago my older sister sent me a really interesting little book called Christians Get Depressed Too, by a man named David Murray. In this book, the author made mention of ten false ways of thinking that tend to bring us down. These false ways of thinking are part of what cause us to have low self-esteem, feel like we’re not useful to God, and they can lead to a contagious kind of negative spirit. I think many of us possess these habits. See if you recognize any of them in yourself:
— False Extremes: We evaluate our personal qualities in extreme all-or-nothing categories. “I’m no good at this. I don’t do anything that matters in the church.” Shades of gray do not exist.
— False Generalizations: When an unpleasant event or outcome occurs, we assume this will always be the outcome. “I tried it once and I wasn’t any good at it.”
— False Filters: We pick out the negative in every situation and think about it alone, to the exclusion of all the good parts of the situation. “It was too cold in the gym during worship today!”
— False Transformation: We don’t ignore positive experiences, but we disqualify them somehow. “It was good only because ….”
— False Mind Reading: We think we can tell what others are thinking about us, and it’s almost always negative.
— False Fortune Telling: We feel strongly that things will turn out badly, rather than expecting they will turn out well.
— False Lenses: We view our fears, errors, or mistakes through magnifying glasses. We have a habit of magnifying what is wrong.
— False Feelings-Based Reasoning: We tend to take our feelings as truth. We let feelings determine the facts.
— False “Should’s”: We let our life be dominated by “should” or “ought,” heaping pressure upon ourselves and leading to unattainable standards. The results: frustration, resentment.
— False Responsibility: We assume responsibility – and blame ourselves – for negative outcomes, even if there is no basis for doing so.
Have you engaged in some of these ways of thinking? I wonder, has that affected your service for the Lord, or your attitude toward the church or toward other people? It’s good to take stock and to make it a goal, with God’s help, to train our mind (just as we train our body).
Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
Mark on your calendar
Nominating Committee: A short congregational meeting will take place after the worship service on Sunday, October 20, for the purpose of confirming our new Nominating Committee. Those who have indicated a willingness to serve on the Nominating Committee are Erin, Erlinda, Julie, Shane, and Dave.
Home Group: Our next Home Group will be Wednesday, October 23, at the Rodriguez home. I hope you can join the church family that night for fun, laughter, study, and encouragement!
Community
Prayer for the Nation: Some from Crossroads attend a community-wide time of prayer that occurs on some Saturday mornings at the Vernon County courthouse. It’s a time of prayer specifically for our nation. Meet by the flag pole at 9:30 this Saturday morning if you’re interested. There is usually a song or two, then an open time of prayer for the nation. The meeting lasts between thirty and sixty minutes depending on the number of people and the movement of the Holy Spirit. Bring a lawn chair if you need to sit.
2019 Life Chain: A Life Chain event will take place in Nevada this Sunday, October 6, from 2-3:00 pm in support of the unborn. Meet at the parking lot on the west side of the First Christian Church Fellowship Hall. For more information, contact 417-684-0528 or 667-1390. The chain will form along Austin Blvd in front of the First Christian Church Fellowship Hall. A Life Chain is a time of prayer and an opportunity to help share the good message about the sanctity of life.
See you this Sunday!
–Tom
Leave a Reply