Note from Ben
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we celebrate our Independence as a nation this weekend, let’s not forget that the freedom we have in Christ is what truly sustains us!
I really enjoy our times each Sunday where we can join together as a church and worship God. It is always a special time when we read scripture together, sing songs together, hear the truth of the bible together and take communion together. “Reverent corporate worship truly brings to expression the very being of the church,” Wayne Grudem says. God has not given his church an option to worship him, but, rather, it should be a direct expression to our ultimate purpose for living. And what is our purpose for living? To glorify God and to fully enjoy him forever! I can miss out on this at times and treat Sunday’s as just another thing on the schedule to complete, but I really get the most out of corporate worship when I prepare myself during the week, and I focus on what genuine worship can really accomplish. Here are a few results of genuine worship:
We delight in God: David wrote in the book of Psalms that, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” We probably experience delight in God more during worship than any other activity in life.
God delights in us: Isaiah 62 says, “the Lord delights in you… as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” This scripture should really bring encouragement to us, for as we worship God, we are bringing joy and delight to his heart.
We draw near to God: Hebrews 10:19-22 says that we can have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. We have the amazing privilege to enter directly into the holy of holies when we worship!
God draws near to us: James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” We should come to worship with clean hands and pure hearts and we can expect God’s presence to be with us.
God ministers to us: When we worship God, he meets with us and directly ministers to us—strengthening our faith, intensifying our awareness of his presence, and granting refreshment to our spirits. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need.”
The Lord’s enemies flee: 2 Chronicles 20 talks about how when God’s people would sing and praise, he would fight for them against their enemies. Even today God will fight our enemies when we worship him.
Unbelievers know they are in God’s presence: Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:25 that if there is genuine worship “the unbeliever will disclose the secrets of his heart” and “worship God and declare that God is really among you.” Wouldn’t it be amazing to see unbelievers come to Christ because of the worship that is happening at Crossbridge!
I would encourage you to constantly be preparing yourselves for our worship services on Sunday. We have a Preparation for Sunday blog that goes out every week that has the songs and readings that we will do for the upcoming worship service. We also provide scripture for those songs so that you can see where the lyrics we sing are in the bible. This is just one of many tools that you can use to prepare yourself to encounter the great God of the universe each week. Let’s be a church of genuine worshippers who live to glorify God and fully enjoy him forever!!
Please continue to pray for the 18 students and 4 adults going to summer camp on July 10. We are taking our 3rd-5th graders to experience God in a fresh way up in the piney woods near Lake Livingston. Pray for our safety, health (it’s beyond hot), and for God to move in the hearts of ALL of our kids. Also, on July 4 a group of our people will be traveling on a mission trip to El Salvador to drill a fresh water well. You can pray for them by name if you pick up a card at the info table and keep it in your bible or on your fridge as a reminder.
Sunday, July 4th is this Sunday, so don’t forget: we’ll have ONE service at 10am. It’s a family service, so all children (babies too) will be invited to worship together. Dress them up in red, white, and blue and they will get a fun little surprise that day!
And also, remember that our 2nd Annual Floats on the Porch is coming on July 18. This is an ideal day to invite a friend to experience the church AND have ice cream. What else would they want to do on a Sunday morning?? Don’t leave Sunday without snagging some invite cards at the Info Desk!
I hope you have a great rest of the week, and I look forward to worshipping our great God with you on Sunday!!
Ben
Preparation for Sunday, 7/4/2010
Song Preparation: I encourage you listen to these songs each week so that you are familiar with them by the time we sing on Sunday. I always find that becoming more familiar with the lyrics to a song gives me more freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit as I worship. We won’t play these song exactly as they sound below but this is a good start! I would encourage you to go to itunes or any other music download site and purchase these songs for your music library. That way you can spend more time listening to them and learning the lyrics!
Here is some scripture that goes well with the songs we will sing this Sunday. Your Grace is Enough: 2 Corinthians 12:9; Greater than we can Imagine: Psalm 145:2-3; Refuge: 34:8, 36:7, 62:8; The Wonderful Cross: Colossians 2:14 ; Cannons: Psalm 99:9.
Songs
Remember that this Sunday is July 4th and we will only have one service from 10-11am. It is a family service and it should be a great time for us to be together and remember the freedom we have in Christ. Please read and meditate on Psalm 103:6-14 as we will read this scripture together on Sunday.
I look forward to celebrating the freedom we have in Christ with you this Sunday!
Ben
Note from Tisha
Friends,
Chuck asked that I write this week’s Update, so, here go some of my not-too-deep thoughts for you to ponder….
I am constantly amazed when learning about Jesus and his word. It’s silly, really. Why would I be shocked that there is a well of understanding about the Lord so deep that I won’t ever reach the bottom? My sweetheart 7 year old daughter has said to me in the past as we sit down to learn together, “Mommy, I love Jesus and I already know about him and have asked him into my heart.” It’s both fascinating and worrisome to see how all of us tend to think we’ve arrived. That we know him and can move on. I hope you’ve enjoyed Chuck’s series in Mark as I have. Realizing that Jesus is infinite, unmanageable, offensive. That he owes me absolutely nothing, yet he’s powerfully tender to his children. That I must remind myself that everyone is born spiritually dead, that I am far from like him, that I do not naturally gravitate to him. And too, my honing in on the hope that he wants to attack my pride, he wants me to trust him as he works on my character, and he shows me grace by offending my ego. It’s hard to be thankful in those times of his construction work on my pride, which by the way happens on nearly a daily basis. But it’s after those times that I find the most reward, the most closeness to him, a tremendous softness and humility of my heart. It’s then that the Holy Spirit puts bread before me as I hungrily follow it to learn more. So when I hear of kids and adults shirking off the idea of learning more and diving further into our complicated God, my heart leaps to tell them: spend your LIFETIME getting to know him, and in that he will transform your relationship with him in amazing and unthinkable ways!
Speaking of building relationships with God, will you pray for the 18 students and 4 adults going to summer camp on July 10? We’re counting the days until we take our 3-5th graders to experience God in a fresh way up in the piney woods near Lake Livingston. Pray for our safety, health (it’s beyond hot), and for God to move in the hearts of ALL of our kids. Also, on July 4 a group of our people will be traveling on a mission trip to El Salvador. You can pray for them by name if you pick up a card at the info table and keep it in your bible or on your fridge as a reminder.
Sunday, July 4th is around the corner, so don’t forget we’ll have ONE service at 10am that day. It’s a family service, so all children (babies too) will be invited to worship together. Dress them up in red, white, and blue and they will get a fun little surprise that day!
And also, remember that our 2nd Annual Floats on the Porch is coming on July 18. This is an ideal day to invite a friend to experience the church AND have ice cream. What else would they want to do on a Sunday morning?? Don’t leave Sunday without snagging some invite cards at the Info Desk!
I pray you will be carving out precious time with him this week so he can feed your spirit. See you Sunday for more adventure!
Tisha Rich
Children’s Ministry Director
Preparation for Sunday, 6/27/2010
Song Preparation: I encourage you listen to these songs each week so that you are familiar with them by the time we sing on Sunday. I always find that becoming more familiar with the lyrics to a song gives me more freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit as I worship. We won’t play these song exactly as they sound below but this is a good start! I would encourage you to go to itunes or any other music download site and purchase these songs for your music library. That way you can spend more time listening to them and learning the lyrics!
Here is some scripture that goes well with the songs we will sing this Sunday. Happy Day: Philippians 4:4-5; Only Your Blood: Hebrews 10:4, 9:14; Lead me to the Cross: Luke 9:23; In my Place: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:8-9.
Songs:
We will also speak this reading together based on Romans 8:15-17
We did not receive a spirit of condemnation to fall back into fear,
but we have received a spirit of adoption.
When we cry, “Abba! Father!”
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to the triune God.
I look forward to worshipping Christ with you this Sunday!
Ben
Floats on the Porch
- Invite a friend to join us for our 2nd Annual “FLOATS ON THE PORCH” Sunday July 18th. Following each Worship Service hang out on the porch of 1049 and enjoy a yummy Root Beer Float with old and new friends!
- This is a great Sunday to introduce a friend to Crossbridge. Grab an invite card this Sunday or e-mail this website to a friend directly or through Facebook.
Note from Chuck
Hi Everyone!
This week is an eventful week around Crossbridge. We had our first Ladies’ Night Out of the Summer Tuesday, and from what I hear there were a lot of ladies there! I have heard different numbers from different ladies, but it seems that we had 50-70ish ladies there! If you missed last week’s Men’s Night and this week’s Ladies’ Night, don’t worry! We will be having another round in July.
This Friday, here at 1049, we will be hosting an informational dessert for Terry and Christina Cokenour, longtime friends and founding Partners of Crossbridge. The Cokenours feel that God has called them to move their family to Hungary to advance the gospel there through church planting. This will require them to raise prayer and financial support. If you would like to learn more about their vision and how you can be a part of it, come to the dessert this Friday from 7-9pm in the Elementary Room. There will be coffee and dessert but no child care. E-mail ccokenour@gmail.com to RSVP.
Friday is also the day our high school students head for the Mountains of Colorado for “Peak Week.” This is a backpacking trip that will involve community building and Bible Study while hiking and riding the rapids. Please be praying for Mat Yelvington, our Teen Ministry Director, and his team as they seek to lead our high school students in a life-changing experience.
Don’t forget that we will be having ONE worship gathering on July 4th! It will be a special family worship service. That means all the kids will be in the service as well. We will have some great music and take communion all in one hour. The format is very similar to our Christmas Eve service except Ben will be dressed up as Uncle Sam, and I’ll be reciting the Gettysburg Address in the Lobby dressed as Old Abe. That’s a joke people! What isn’t a joke is ONE service at 10:00 a.m.
Finally, our 2nd Annual “Floats on the Porch” Sunday is coming! That’s right, friends! What you need after singing your hearts out to Jesus, hearing the Word of God, and taking communion is to enjoy a lovely, refreshing root beer float on the porch of 1049! This is a GREAT Sunday to invite people who aren’t connected to our church so that they can come experience a Sunday at Crossbridge. This Sunday we will show the first of three commercials for the big day, and have invite cards for you to take to your friends, family, and neighbors. FLOATS ON THE PORCH is happening July 18th. Invite a friend, and don’t miss this Crossbridge Summer tradition!
See-ya Sunday,
Chuck
Meet Real, Live Missionaries This Friday!
That’s right friends! Not just people on a slide show, flannelgraph, or a ten year old video, but real, live normal people who feel called by God to live on mission with Him in Hungary! And you have the chance to meet them, pray for them, and learn how you can help them be a part of God’s redemptive plan for Hungary.
This Friday from 7-9 p.m. in the Elementary Room at 1049, Terry and Christina Cokenour (long time friends of Crossbridge and founding Partners) will be hosting a time for us to learn more about the mission God has called them to. There will be coffee and dessert but no childcare. What an awesome way to spend a Friday night! So call the sitter and make plans not just to watch another movie, but come hear how the Gospel can change a nation.
Terry and Christina have raised 20% of the support they need to go full time to Hungary and are praying to be there by January 2011.
RSVP to ccokenour@gmail.com.
Learn more at www.budapestalive.org.
Preparation for Sunday, 6/20/2010
Song Preparation: I encourage you listen to these songs each week so that you are familiar with them by the time we sing on Sunday. I always find that becoming more familiar with the lyrics to a song gives me more freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit as I worship. We won’t play these song exactly as they sound below but this is a good start! I would encourage you to go to itunes or any other music download site and purchase these songs for your music library. That way you can spend more time listening to them and learning the lyrics!
Here is some scripture that goes well with the songs we will sing this Sunday. Our Glorious God: Exodus 15:11; At the Cross: Galatians 6:14; Take my Life: Philippians 1:22
Songs:
Take the time to read through Psalm 8 to prepare yourself for our reading this week. I hope you have a great rest of the week and I will see you Sunday!
Ben
Note from Kathleen
Tonight is Ladies Night OUT! Woo whooo!! Leave the cookin’ to someone else…and the clean up too!! Let’s all go hang out, and catch up at the Black Walnut Cafe! Just show up at 6:30pm, then go ahead and order, and we’ll all gather ’round for a night of laughs and conversation! (We don’t have time for a movie!!! We have too many words we need to use up!!! A movie would simply cut into our TALKING!!!!) If you are new to Crossbridge or still haven’t gotten to know some ladies, this is a perfect time to come connect in a laid back atmosphere! And don’t worry…if you’re not a great conversationalist, there’s always those weird fans on the ceiling to comment on!! Can’t wait to see you there!
~Kathleen Land
Note from Chuck
Rescued Ones,
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” ~Colossians 1:13-14
Sunday was a wonderful time of mining the depths of Mark 5:1-20. It’s been great, to talk to many of you about how the Lord spoke to you from this wonderful passage showing the power, majesty, and mercy of Jesus. We must continually put before us a robust, Biblical picture of the Son of God so we don’t remake Him in our image and drift from a life of discipleship. That, again, is why we are committed to preaching through the Bible, and in this season, specifically the Gospel of Mark.
It was great seeing a ton of guys show up Tuesday night at our first “Men’s Night Out.” I didn’t count how many showed up, but I’ve been told by at least three guys that they think there were about 50 men there. It was very cool to see Skeeter’s filled with men eating, laughing, and meeting new people. Men, you did a good job meeting others, and some of you brought guests with you – well done! We will do another one in July, so we can all go on diets and perform penance for the gluttony some of us committed last night 
!
Ladies, the gauntlet has been dropped, do you think at least 50 of you can show up next week at the “Ladies Night Out?” We’ll see…
This Sunday, we will begin our annual emphasis on Compassion International. Compassion International is a Christian, child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled, Christian adults. We will have a special table in the lobby of 1049 for you to stop by and learn more about this incredible ministry. To learn more about CI go to their website www.compassion.com.
Lastly, many of you have turned in your commitments to the Epic Campaign, but there are still some of you who have told us verbally you are committed and have not turned in a commitment card. We need you to turn one in or go online here to submit your commitment. We will announce where we are at with it in the next week.
See-ya Sunday – Read Mark 5:21-43 to get ready.
Chuck
