Please take a couple moments to read through these updates; this is our primary way of communicating what is going on at Crossroads and the opportunities for you to live the best possible life……this week’s edition includes information about our upcoming launch of Life Groups in April.

If you are not able to come to worship on Sunday due to being sick or out of town and you would still like join in you can go to www.live.connect2crossroads.com to listen in live to our Sunday worship experience…..live listening begins at 10:15am.

LIFE GROUPS LAUNCHING 2 WEEKS AFTER EASTER…SEE BELOW FOR CURRENT OFFERINGS; EXPO FOLLOWING WORSHIP ON MARCH 21^ST.

HOLY WEEK (PASSION SUNDAY 28^TH; COVERED DISH MEAL APRIL 1^ST; RESURRECTION CELEBRATION APRIL 4^TH)

Opportunities to Pursue Jesus

• Daily Prayer
• Reading Scripture–Log on to www.youversion.com to start a plan…if you need help please reply
• Worship This Sunday (March 14th) This is the 6th week of a 7 week message series called “Evolution”; this week we are going to examine those evil desires that are inside of us and how to deal faithfully with them through God’s healing grace.
• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  It kicks off at 6:45pm each Wednesday evening.  Caring, professional childcare for our wee little ones.
• Going Green—please bring a coffee mug with you on Sundays; we are going to phase out our paper cups for coffee as a way to be a good steward and cut down on trash.  There are also “crossroads travel mugs” available for $5 if you would like to have one.

Opportunities to Pursue each other

• www.youversion.com –join “Crossroads Route 66” group to see how Jesus is speaking to other during the week and contribute your own thoughts and insights….if you need help reply

• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  Also, if you would like information on how to begin a life group or if you have an idea in mind and would like to start a life group please reply to this update.
• Facebook Page—PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NEW PAGE AND USE THE WALL AS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS DURING THE WEEK http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Hope-Mills-NC/Crossroads-Churcha-new-united-methodist-community-of-faith/155915776719?ref=sgm
• Homepage Poll and Question—go to the home page and answer the weekly poll and questions as a way to get ready for this Sunday
• Generation Now (Youth)—Trip on March 5-7; contact Pastor Tim for more info (tim@connect2crossroads.com)
• Life Group Launching (April)—a Life Group is a “loving, intentional, fellowship, experience” between 4 to 12 folks that commit to meeting between 6-8 times over the course of a few months.  So far we have four Life Groups that will be available and hopefully more to come.  1. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace   2. Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love”  3.  Game Night (games like apples to apples; rock band; etc)  4. Women’s Life Group 5. Pot Luck Life Groups (you would think that)……..if you would like more information about starting your own life group or any of these listed above please reply to this email…..don’t forget that immediately following worship on March 21^st there will be an expo on each Life Group being offered in April.
• Easter Egg Hunt—March 28^th at Hope Mills Lake all of our children and families are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt for a time of fun and fellowship.  Details to come through the Ark Crew…

Opportunities to Pursue Others

• Food for Haitian Orphans—please bring canned meat and crunchy granola bars for the orphans of Haiti
• Sunday Morning Pit Crew—Great way to connect and serve on Sunday mornings; Please reply with any questions.
• “The Ark” Team (childrens ministry)—please reply if you’d like to serve in the Ark.  Positions currently open in both classes.
• Generation Now (youth ministry)—please reply if you’d like to help serve at Trade Street Arcade our new youth outreach
• “No Strings Attached”—grab some “no strings” cards on Sunday and do at least two random acts of kindness each week for others in our community
• Prayer—spend time in your daily prayer time praying for those in our reach that are not followers of Jesus

Financial Update

• Offering March 7th–$2,238.00
• Individual Year End Statements have already gone out, if you haven’t received one please let us know.

If you’d like more information, would like to respond to any of these updates  or if have updates you’d like listed please email info@connect2crossroads.

Peace,

Crossroads

910-366-3869

info@connect2crossroads.com

“seeking to be a crossroads between the brokenness of the world and the transforming love of Jesus Christ”

S—Loving the Lord with heart, mind soul; welcoming the stranger; not being seduced to worship other gods; write command, bind them on foreheads; teach them to children

H—Moses is laying it all out for his readers by reminding them to Love God, to love those around them, to be careful not to let the strangers of the land to influence them but rather for the Israelites to influence others, to spend time with God’s word, to wrap God’s word all in and out of their lives, and to teach these ways to their children and impress them upon their hearts.

A—Deuteronomy is blowing me away the past couple of days.  Its amazing how the more I read scripture and the more I become familiar with the story the more the story fits together.  In the name of freedom we who claim to be followers of Jesus in America have lost sight of the responsibility that is also required with the forgiving freedom of Jesus.  We have manipulated the promise of Jesus into a promise that doesn’t require anything from us and forgotten that Jesus set us free so that we, through God’s grace ,might be able to live into the commands of Moses not to ignore those commands.  I repent today of my sin of allowing my culture to influence me and of my failure to do an adequate job of impressing these commands on my children.  I am at the same time thankful for this responsibility and desire to be the kind of man that is wrapped in the scriptures and passes down the faith to all those around me.  I am reminded today that being immersed in God’s word is a hedge of protection in my life that continue to empower me to respond to God’s healing grace and allow the Holy Spirit to transform me into the journey of Christian perfection.

P—Lord Jesus, I come to you this morning realizing that although I have come a long ways (in my mind) from where I’ve been but I am reminded that there is so much more room to travel to become the person you desire me to be.  My prayer is that I will embody this scripture today; that I will love you with all I am; that I will welcome the stranger; that I will not be influenced by the culture around me; that I will wrap myself in your word; that I will impress these things upon the hearts of my children.  Give me the grace to live into this scripture.  Amen.

E—I am excited that through grace I can and I am expected to fulfill the requirements of the law.

Peace from Pastor P

chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com; www.wedesiremore.com

Please take a couple moments to read through these updates; this is our primary way of communicating what is going on at Crossroads and the opportunities for you to live the best possible life……this week’s edition includes information about our upcoming launch of Life Groups in April.

If you are not able to come to worship on Sunday due to being sick or out of town and you would still like join in you can go to www.live.connect2crossroads.com to listen in live to our Sunday worship experience…..live listening begins at 10:15am.

You can listen to these updates at www.mycrossroadstv.com

Opportunities to Pursue Jesus

• Daily Prayer
• Reading Scripture–Log on to www.youversion.com to start a plan…if you need help please reply
• Worship This Sunday (March 7th) This is the fifth week of a 7 week message series called “Evolution”; we are going to look at the different steps of being a follower of Jesus.  This week is “Cut to the Heart” as we look at the requirenments for entering the presence of Jesus.
• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  It kicks off at 6:45pm each Wednesday evening.  Caring, professional childcare for our wee little ones.
• Going Green—please bring a coffee mug with you on Sundays; we are going to phase out our paper cups for coffee as a way to be a good steward and cut down on trash.  There are also “crossroads travel mugs” available for $5 if you would like to have one.

Opportunities to Pursue each other

• www.youversion.com –join “Crossroads Route 66” group to see how Jesus is speaking to other during the week and contribute your own thoughts and insights….if you need help reply

• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  Also, if you would like information on how to begin a life group or if you have an idea in mind and would like to start a life group please reply to this update.
• Facebook Page—PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NEW PAGE AND USE THE WALL AS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS DURING THE WEEK http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Hope-Mills-NC/Crossroads-Churcha-new-united-methodist-community-of-faith/155915776719?ref=sgm
• Homepage Poll and Question—go to the home page and answer the weekly poll and questions as a way to get ready for this Sunday
• Generation Now (Youth)—Trip on March 5-7; contact Pastor Tim for more info (tim@connect2crossroads.com)
• Life Group Launching (April)—a Life Group is a “loving, intentional, fellowship, experience” between 4 to 12 folks that commit to meeting between 6-8 times over the course of a few months.  So far we have four Life Groups that will be available and hopefully more to come.  1. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace   2. Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love”  3.  Game Night (games like apples to apples; rock band; etc)  4. Women’s Life Group……..if you would like more information about starting your own life group or any of these listed above please reply to this email.

• Easter Egg Hunt—March 28^th at Hope Mills Lake all of our children and families are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt for a time of fun and fellowship.  Details to come through the Ark Crew…

Opportunities to Pursue Others

• Food for Haitian Orphans—please bring canned meat and crunchy granola bars for the orphans of Haiti…..THIS IS THE LAST WEEK
• Sunday Morning Pit Crew—Great way to connect and serve on Sunday mornings; Please reply with any questions.
• “The Ark” Team (childrens ministry)—please reply if you’d like to serve in the Ark.  Positions currently open in both classes.
• Generation Now (youth ministry)—please reply if you’d like to help serve at Trade Street Arcade our new youth outreach
• “No Strings Attached”—grab some “no strings” cards on Sunday and do at least two random acts of kindness each week for others in our community
• Prayer—spend time in your daily prayer time praying for those in our reach that are not followers of Jesus

Financial Update

• Offering February 28th–$3,577.50
• Individual Year End Statements have already gone out, if you haven’t received one please let us know.

If you’d like more information, would like to respond to any of these updates  or if have updates you’d like listed please email info@connect2crossroads.

Peace,

Crossroads

910-366-3869

info@connect2crossroads.com

“seeking to be a crossroads between the brokenness of the world and the transforming love of Jesus Christ”

Please take a couple moments to read through these updates; this is our primary way of communicating what is going on at Crossroads and the opportunities for you to live the best possible life……this week’s edition includes information about our upcoming launch of Life Groups in April.

If you are not able to come to worship on Sunday due to being sick or out of town and you would still like join in you can go to www.live.connect2crossroads.com to listen in live to our Sunday worship experience…..live listening begins at 10:15am.

You can listen to these updates at www.mycrossroadstv.com

Opportunities to Pursue Jesus

• Daily Prayer
• Reading Scripture–Log on to www.youversion.com to start a plan…if you need help please reply
• Worship This Sunday (Feb. 28th) This is the fourth week of an 8 week message series called “Evolution”; we are going to look at the different steps of being a follower of Jesus.  This week is “It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right” as we look at the role of doubt and belief in terms of us being a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.  If you or anyone you know has doubts about Jesus (which we all do) this is the week for you.
• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  It kicks off at 6:45pm each Wednesday evening.  Caring, professional childcare for our wee little ones.
• Going Green—please bring a coffee mug with you on Sundays; we are going to phase out our paper cups for coffee as a way to be a good steward and cut down on trash.  There are also “crossroads travel mugs” available for $5 if you would like to have one.

Opportunities to Pursue each other

• www.youversion.com –join “Crossroads Route 66” group to see how Jesus is speaking to other during the week and contribute your own thoughts and insights….if you need help reply

• Route 66 (Cross Country; Generation Now; Konnect)— Join us each Wednesday for “Cross Country,” Generation Now, and “Konnect” as a weekly way to dive deeper with Jesus for our adults, youth and children.  Also, if you would like information on how to begin a life group or if you have an idea in mind and would like to start a life group please reply to this update.
• Facebook Page—PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NEW PAGE AND USE THE WALL AS A WAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS DURING THE WEEK http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Hope-Mills-NC/Crossroads-Churcha-new-united-methodist-community-of-faith/155915776719?ref=sgm
• Homepage Poll and Question—go to the home page and answer the weekly poll and questions as a way to get ready for this Sunday
• Generation Now (Youth)—Trip on March 5-7; contact Pastor Tim for more info (tim@connect2crossroads.com)

• Life Group Launching (April)—a Life Group is a “loving, intentional, fellowship, experience” between 4 to 12 folks that commit to meeting between 6-8 times over the course of a few months.  So far we have four Life Groups that will be available and hopefully more to come.  1. Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace   2. Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love”  3.  Game Night (games like apples to apples; rock band; etc)  4. Women’s Life Group……..if you would like more information about starting your own life group or any of these listed above please reply to this email.

Opportunities to Pursue Others

• Food for Haitian Orphans—please bring canned meat and crunchy granola bars for the orphans of Haiti
• Sunday Morning Pit Crew—Great way to connect and serve on Sunday mornings; Please reply with any questions.
• “The Ark” Team (childrens ministry)—please reply if you’d like to serve in the Ark.  Positions currently open in both classes.
• Generation Now (youth ministry)—please reply if you’d like to help serve at Trade Street Arcade our new youth outreach
• “No Strings Attached”—grab some “no strings” cards on Sunday and do at least two random acts of kindness each week for others in our community
• Prayer—spend time in your daily prayer time praying for those in our reach that are not followers of Jesus

Financial Update

• Offering February 21st–$2,852.13
• Individual Year End Statements have already gone out, if you haven’t received one please let us know.

If you’d like more information, would like to respond to any of these updates  or if have updates you’d like listed please email info@connect2crossroads.

Peace,

Crossroads

910-366-3869

info@connect2crossroads.com

H—In the translation I read this morning it uses the word “infant” to describe the children being brought to Jesus and the disciples try to stop it from happening but then Jesus says, “let the little children come to me.”  Jesus has to be referring to the same children which would mean He is referring to the “infants.”  After Jesus says “that anyone who wants to inherit Kingdom of God must receive like a little child” He goes into a story about rich ruler who also wants eternal life.  Jesus tells him to sell his possessions to the poor, follow Jesus and he will inherit eternal life.  But the rich ruler is sad because he really likes his stuff.  Jesus uses an infant vs. a rich ruler to show God’s economy and which one is ready to inherit the Kingdom of God.

A—Why is a an infant more fit for the Kingdom of God and not the rich young ruler.?  Think about it; the infant has nothing to give up; the infant has no idea of value of material goods; the infant doesn’t see worldly wealth; the infant is not impressed with worldly wealth; the infant doesn’t have any status; the infant only has the hands of Jesus wrapped about him.  I wish I could say that I resemble the infant but that would be less then honest.  I am the rich young ruler and so are you.  Perhaps it is not that I posess my possessions; perhaps my possessions posess me and Jesus know that if my possessions posess me then He cannot.  I have a choice.  I can give up being possessed by my possessions, be possessed by Jesus, and inherit eternal life or I can be possessed my possessions and stay separated from Jesus.  Which one will you choose?  Perhaps the scripture should read to us, “it is very hard for people in America (if you are reading this blog you are the rich young ruler….you have access to internet, computer, time to surf net, knowledge to do it…..we are the rich young ruler) to inherit the Kingdom of God because they are a people that are in love with their possessions more then me.”

P—Jesus I come to you this morning not pretending that I love my possessions.  I do, in fact, I could spend all of my time playing with the current toys I have or searching for new toys to buy.  But yet I hear a call from you today to a better way; you’re way.  Jesus I desire not to be the rich young ruler that is not willing to give it all up to follow you but I desire to be an infant that can’t even control his own bowels but is able to welcome and receive your loving embrace.  Give me the strength and courage to be a baby and to receive the gift of eternal life that you are offering to me.  Amen.

E—I’m excited about being a diaper wearing infant instead of the cool, rich guy with a bunch of toys.

Peace,

Pastor P

www.wedesiremore.com; chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com

My readings this morning in Gen. and Luke are really intriguing.  I’ve been reminded of the power of God and His unfailing love for me while at the same time reminded of God’s expectations on my life.  Luke tells me that I should fear God and then the next sentence tells me that God is concerned about sparrows and I am more valuable then sparrows.  I’m then told that I shouldn’t worry about my needs that God takes care of the needs of lily’s in the field and I am more valuable then them.  Then the last part of the scripture Luke tells me that because God has singled me out; because of God’s attention to my life; because of God’s investment into my life much is expected of me in my life.

Often we desire and ask for God to bless us but few realize that in that asking we are also entering into an expectation of return.  Much has been given to me in my life and much is expected of me.  The same goes with all of us.  What a wonderful picture that God is blessing me in such a way that it is increasing my responsibility in the Kingdom.  Which means my discipline of seeking God (prayer, study, and worship) are vital for my ability to live into these responsibilities.  Today my hope is to live into these responsibilities by remembering the promise of God to care and bless me that brings about more expectation and responsibility in my life.

Luke 11:9                                                                                                                                                                                                                       So, I say to you, Ask and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.

These are bold words that Jesus makes to those that hear them.  It’s the same kind of boldness that speaks to Jacob in Gen. 28 with a promise to fulfill the promise made to Abraham long ago.  So often we spend time asking questions of why God isn’t doing something; we find ways to complain about our lives and of our frustration with God.  I wonder what would happen if we put as much time into asking, searching, and knocking as we did in complaining and doubting.  My hunch is “it would be given, we would find, and the door would be opened.”

I want to encourage you today to spend time praying and in your prayers ask with passion the desires of your heart; search with passion what you are looking for, and knock with passion on the doors that are around you.  The God that I serve will answer you!

Jesus, thank you for not abandoning me and forgive me for those times that I spend stewing in my own worry instead of seeking your face.  I pray today that as I ask, search, and knock that you would be faithful to your promise and meet me at the bethel of my life that I would experience the same promise of Jacob in my life.  Amen.

peace,

Chad

www.wedesirmore.com; chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com

The Earth was a dark, formless void and it wasn’t until God’s wind swept over it did light and a form begin to emerge.

This is such a picture of my life.  My life is nothing but a formless void that is merely existing and it is not until the wind of God sweeps over this formless void of a life that my life begins to take shape into something that really matters.  God is forming my life into a distinct form where God is creating me into the man He desires for me to be.  It is only through the “wind” of God that my formless life begins to take shape that represents a distinct piece of creation with intentional purpose and meaning.

Lord, thank you for not abandoning me but coming into my formless void and for you wind sweeping over my life and forming something out of nothing and creating me into a being with purpose and intention, amen.

S–For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden then the essentials.

H–there is already a temptation in the early church to become a bunch of rules and practices…..the exact thing that Israel was never able to live into through the law.  But here the church makes a turn toward grace instead of works.  This is a key moment.  There is this sense that if can grab hold of the essentials that everything else will take care of itself.  They choose to major in the majors instead of majoring in the minors.

A–so much of our lives are spent with structures and organization that major in minors.  So often, the church majors in minors; we focus on what divides us instead of what unites us.  My own denominational book of law and resolutions is probably double the size of the bible just to clarify these rules and regulations.  I wonder what would happen if we all took this to heart; if we just focused on the essentials.  What are the essentials?  Seems to me its pretty simple: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.”  My hunch is that if we majored in this that a lot of our other problems (if not all of them) would take care of themselves.  My hope is that my life would reflect these essentials and that when my time has passed that the legacy I leave would be one of majoring in the essentials and not the minors.

P–Jesus, I want to thank you for this morning and giving me the grace to set aside this time to major in you.  So often I find myself setting you aside and majoring in the minors.  Please forgive me of that disobedience.  It grieves my heart to think of how many opportunities I’ve missed of encountering your presence because I’ve majored in minors.  I pray that you would empower Crossroads to be a community of faith that majored in the essentials and that you would protect us from spending our time doing things that don’t really matter.  Amen.

E–Focus is committing to majoring in the essentials; the vision and mission empower this focus.

Peace, Pastor P

www.wedeiremore.com; chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com

“Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.  For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous but those who know they are sinners.”

There is such a difference between “thinking” and “knowing” isn’t there?  We are great at saying, “I think” and then we assume that this “thinking” is the same as “knowing” when deep down we know it not to be the case.  In this scripture Jesus makes an important observation that would do my Christian culture some good to take note of.  Jesus did not come for those that “think” they are righteous…ie, “a good person.”  Which takes out nearly all of our society.  This is speculation but I suspect that close to 75% of folks in my culture would say that “I think I am a good person.”  In fact, we want to protect this claim.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “hey pastor I’d like you to meet my friends they are really good people” I’d be in good shape.  But yet Jesus says He has come for those that KNOW they are sinners.  That’s right, not those that suspect or want to put on an image that they are “good” but those that know in their heart of hearts that they are a sinner.  I wonder how our churches would change if everyone there stopped thinking they were righteous and knew they were sinners.  I wonder if the difference between a follower of Jesus and someone who wasn’t was that the follower knew she was a sinner and the other thought she was righteous.  My hunch is that we have to create this false since of reality and image that we are “good” people because we know that deep down we are sinners.  My hunch is that when we experience the transforming grace of Jesus in our lives we are able to own who we really are and “know” that we are sinners saved by grace.  My question is: do you “think” you are a good person?  And if so, do you claim to be a follower of Jesus?  And if that answer is yes, then you are deceiving yourself.  There is no way to be a follower of Jesus and to “think” you are a good person.  The only way to be a follower of Jesus is to “know” you are a sinner saved by His grace.

In case you’re wondering, My name is Chad and I know I’m a sinner.  I know that Jesus is the only answer to my brokenness and it is through His grace that He is putting me back together and using me as a force for His mission in the world.  BTWàthis is way more exciting then living the lie of “thinking” I’m a good person.

chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com; www.wedesiremore.com