Hello, Crossroads Family !
Lots of good things going on at Crossroads ! Lots of new faces too ! I’m thankful to God for each one of you and am looking forward to worshiping and serving Christ with you during the remainder of this week.
Don’t forget Immerse tonight at 7:00 at the church. This would be a great time to jump in, even if you’ve missed one or two of the previous meetings. Women’s “Breakfast and a Bible Study” meets this Saturday morning, 8:00-9:15, at the church for all interested women. And, of course, worship this Sunday morning at 10:00.
I’m grateful for the good start to various activities this fall, including the women’s Breakfast and a Bible Study on Saturday mornings, a good men’s Recharge group last night, the relationship-building that took place last Sunday among our young families’ Family Fellowship group, and a good start to Immerse. These are all helping us grow stronger as a church and be better equipped to minister together to our community and world. I hope you’ll save room this week for a little spiritual “dessert” by joining our new Sunday night study group at 6:00 at the church. We’ll begin a 6-part study on How to Read & Understand the Psalms.
Our men’s study last night was on the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” Many stories were shared of having been on either end of the breaking of that commandment. Yet, the deeper heart issue seemed to be whether we are more of a “giver” or a “taker” in life. I enjoyed that deeper perspective. It made me think that one of the ways we take, or steal, from others is by insisting on our own way, or on our own opinion of things as being necessarily the right one. When we do, we often steal another person’s joy, or their trust, or we steal an opportunity for them to contribute toward some commonly held goal. It was a good study. It led me to remember something I have had a long time in one of my files which I’ve added at the end of this email.
May we be doers of the Word and not hearers only !
Please pray for Linda Murphy who had surgery on her knee this week (Tuesday). Linda, as you know, is Kim Reedy’s mother.
Calendar
Saturday — Breakfast and a Bible Study for women. 8:00-9:15 at the church.
Sunday —
- Worship at 10:00 at the church. Children’s Church during the sermon for 0-7 year-olds.
- Elders meeting following the worship service.
- Sunday night Bible Study at the church. 6:00-7:15 pm.
We’re looking at a tentative date of Sunday, October 12, for the next Hot Dog Dinner outreach at the Walton Pool parking lot.
Nine Words for Healing Relationships
I have in my files a church bulletin that’s probably at least 20 years old, from Ashley River Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina, from a summer when our family was vacationing (camping !) in Charleston. It was a good message and I hope will be a helpful reminder to you and me today. From Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
The nine words that heal relationships are these :
1. I was wrong. (Honesty)
Fractured relationships prevent true worship (Matthew 5:23-24) and must be addressed quickly (Eph 4:26-27 — “the Sundown Rule”).
2. Please forgive me. (Humility)
True repentance is more than regret (“If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t do it”), and more than remorse (“I know I did a wrong thing ; I regret it and I’m genuinely sorry). True repentance produces a change of heart and conduct.
3. I forgive you ! (Harmony)
Biblical forgiveness is not forgetting what has happened ; rather it’s “letting go” of the desire for the offender to be repaid for their wrong. Send away the grudge that remains. It’s a choice, and for Christians it must be a predetermined choice.
Can we do it ? I think we can with the Lord’s help !
Honesty, humility, and harmony : three good qualities to ask God to supply us at Crossroads Church !
I hope you have a wonderful second half of the week, and I look forward to seeing you as God gives opportunity !
— Tom
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