Words from the Heart
Crossbridge Community,
I am excited to have the opportunity to share with you what God is teaching me during this season of my life. With two young children at home there seems to be many lessons to be learned and not just for our children! Having children is a great mirror of how we are still growing and need the gospel EVERYDAY!
Most of our days lately have been trying to teach our daughter to follow the rules when asked and have a good attitude when doing things she’s asked. She is also learning consequences for when she doesn’t obey. As her teacher this seems very black or white of the basic rules of cause and effect. However, once again I become the student as I am reminded of the gospel.
Just the other day I was telling my daughter she needed to “make the right choice,” (do what I asked her to do, simply follow the rules.) Oh, and that she needed to do it with a good attitude. Well, she did as I asked but I wasn’t happy with the attitude she had while “following the rules.” I really wanted her to do what was asked of her not just because she had to but because she wanted too. So I found myself asking God how I could teach her to follow the rules and do it with a happy heart.
I was reflecting on how I get caught up in just following the rules or making the right choice just because it’s the Christian thing to do, or it’s just the right choice to make. I realized that I am asking my 4 year old to follow the rules and do it with a good attitude but she doesn’t have that ability yet. I don’t even have that ability on my own. I need the power the gospel provides to make good choices and follow the rules.
Following rules can be hard… Forgiving a family member or friend is hard when they have wronged us. Giving money to the building fund or tithing is hard when you could use that amount to pay a bill. Submitting to your husband is hard when you think your way is better. Following the rules is hard and trying to do it with joy is impossible without relying on the power that the gospel gives us.
I love how gracious our Lord is when teaching me of my inability to walk this life perfectly, I was never intended to. I need Jesus and the grace the gospel provides. Realizing that because Jesus made perfect choices, did them in love, without a sense of obligation and because He lives in me, I now have the power to follow the rules with a happy heart.
I encourage you to remember the gospel daily. Remind yourself that making the right choices are not dependant on our will or ability. We need the grace and power that the gospel provides every day in all situations. The gospel changes everything!
Thanks for letting me share a little about how God is working in me and allowing the gospel to change me. How are you allowing the gospel to grow you?
I am looking forward to a fun family worship service this Sunday with you!
Dixie
Note from Dixie
Dixie Moreau is our Preschool Ministry Director
Hi Crossbridgers!
I am so excited to update you this week about some of the great things happening here at Crossbridge!
I am sure you have noticed that with all the new smiling faces and babies on Sunday mornings, we are growing! You all are doing a great job of sharing Jesus with your friends and families and inviting them to come to church! As with any growth comes change and the change going on here at Crossbridge is exciting! Here are some things you can expect this week…
Crossbridge Kids has a new look! With all of the new babies arriving, we needed more space to accommodate them and the new mommas that need a quiet place to sooth or feed their child. This additional space allows moms to feed their baby and still be able to hear the worship service going on in the auditorium. So when parents of infants arrive on Sunday, the new class will be at the end of the hall where the Kindergartners used to have class.
We have a great group of Kindergartners that love learning about Jesus, and their new room will continue to be a place where they can do just that! They will have room to hear the great story about Christ’s love for us and still have a place to use that valuable energy. Their new room is the first door on the right down the Children’s hall.
It is so great to have the ability to change classes to fit the needs of our kids as we grow! God has provided a great building for us to use to spread the Gospel, and this growth shows that He is at work through you all!
Next up, Teen Chaos starts meeting this Sunday, next door at the One2One Fitness gym. This is such a great time for the youth in our church to connect with one another and hear a message about Jesus directed specifically to them on Sundays! Teen Chaos will meet only during the first service at 9:30am. Make sure that you get your teen out of bed early because they don’t want to miss the great things happening in Teen Chaos!
Finally, What better change could happen than the change you make when you decide to give your life to Jesus? So, this Sunday is extra special because we get to witness fellow Christians making their faith public through baptism. They are making a change in their life and a great statement that their old life is washed away and now they are new in Jesus! What a gift this will be to witness Sunday morning!
Thank you for growing and changing with us!
Join us this Sunday; you don’t want to miss these exciting changes!
Dixie
