2. On that note, Amy Steffanata, a young lieutenant and recent West Point graduate who has been coming to CrossPointe is deploying to Iraq this week. Amy is a military police officer. Amy’s husband Gino is an Armor officer and will be transferring to Ft. Benning soon and may also be going to Iraq in the near future. Pray for these selfless young leaders! Below is a picture of Amy and Gino.

3. We had a great time praying at the new location this Sunday evening! Very exciting. There will be several more times we gather to pray so stay tuned. The space is looking great. Some of the walls are being framed and it’s starting to take shape.

4. I was so humbled and encouraged about the Starting Pointe membership class this past weekend. About 40 folks came out Friday and Saturday for the two sessions. Great spirit in the room. People leaning forward in the foxhole sensing that God may be calling them to CrossPointe. God is blessing us.

5. One thing that has been strong on my heart lately as I’ve been praying about our new location is that it would be a “sending” place for people called to service in the mission field. Where do great missionaries that give their lives to serve Jesus in dangerous and remote places come from? They should come from places like CrossPointe.

6. I’ve read several reports lately about Christians around the world being attacked and persecuted for their faith. It is so easy to feel insulated from that reality here in America. I’m praying that CrossPointe develops a deep burden and awareness of the persecuted church worldwide. A good starting point to become familiar with the persecuted church is the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs. Check out their website here.

7. We are having a baptism service on Sunday, April 18th. Baptism is massively important in the life of a congregation and individual believer. Click here for an article on our website about baptism and here to listen to a teaching on baptism.

8. I will be out of town this Sunday at a conference in Washington, D.C. It is a seminar on the various aspects of building a healthy and biblical church put on by a ministry called 9Marks. Really looking forward to it. Hawk will be preaching this Sunday. Buckle your seat belts.  

9. That’s all I have for now. Busy few months ahead in the young life of our church. The staff team covets your prayers. These are exciting but critical days. We aren’t playing patti-cakes here. Souls hang in the balance. Lean forward with us. We need a tribe full of pardoned rebels who are consumed with making much of Jesus to fight for the advance of the Gospel in our city.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

2. We are gathering this Sunday at the new location to pray and show you the layout of the new space. The plan is to let everyone look around from 5:00p-5:30p and then have a time of prayer and worship from 5:30p-6:00p. Would love for as many of you as are able to join us from 5:00-6:00p.

3. Can I ask you to do something for me? One of my historical heroes is Charles Spurgeon. He was a pastor in London in the 1800’s. Some say he was the greatest evangelist and preacher since the Apostle Paul. His ministry was marked by great effectiveness and influence. He was quoted as saying numerous times that the secret to his fruitfulness was the prayers of his congregation. So, would you make it a point to pray for the staff team and me—that God would give us wisdom, courage, clarity, joy, and endurance? These next few months will be extremely busy times for the church and staff and we need the energy and wisdom that only God can give.

4. On that note, since we are in Colossians, a good Scripture to pray would be Colossians 4:3-4—“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

5. There is still time to sign up for our Starting Pointe Membership Class this Friday night and Saturday morning. If you desire to officially join CrossPointe, this class is a requirement. Email Hollie Farmer at hollie@insidecrosspointe.com if you are coming. Dinner is provided on Friday night.

6. Life Tip: When you come across somebody who really knows what they are talking about in a particular field, whether it is finance, plumbing, theology, parenting, etc., get to know that person and learn from them. Too many people skate through life never really getting good advice and learning from people who actually know what they are talking about.

7. I love you all and love being your pastor. My hope is to give the balance of my life serving to advance the Gospel through this little redemptive project we like to call CrossPointe Church.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

2. It’s a few months away, but mark your calendars for the weekend of August 20-22. We are planning a Missions Weekend with special speaker Paul Tokunaga of Intervarsity. I am really excited about this event and encourage you to plan on being there. More details to follow in the coming weeks.

3. Work continues at the new location. Probably a few more days of demolition before they start making forward progress. Pictures to be posted on the website soon.

4. The book I recommended yesterday is entitled The Cross of Christ by John Stott. It is a classic and you would do well to get a copy and make it a lifelong companion. It is not light devotional literature. It is the type of book you must read slowly and come back to over time. Doing so will give you a thorough understanding of what Christ did for us on the Cross.

5. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how moving to a new location will bring with it a host of changes beyond just physical relocation. A new place, different vibe, more people. My prayer is that we as a Tribe will see this move as a way for us to better serve our community through the Gospel, not a way that we can be served better. 

6. An album I’ve been listening to a lot lately is In Christ Alone by Bethany Dillon and Matt Hammitt. Click here to download the album from Amazon, and click here to listen to one of my favorite songs, The Power of the Cross.

7. How great was it to see the Williams family receive the Extreme Home Makeover! Great family. Members of Edgewood Baptist. They love Jesus. Praying that they had an influence on cast and crew.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

He writes in the preface:

"To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that ALL things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over."

• If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn
• Spectacular Sins and their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ by John Piper

2. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, which, for some is a very hard day. In particular for single people who desire to be married with no prospects on the horizon. Recently I came across an article on the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF) website entitled Single and Lonely: Finding the Intimacy You Desire. I found it very helpful and thought some of you may find it encouraging. On that note, CCEF's website is a great resource that has helpful articles on issues that we all face.  

3. Much more importantly (to me anyway), yesterday was also my daughter Arabella's 5th birthday. I love my boys, but daughters hold a special place in their daddy's hearts. Click here to see some pics from her party on Jennifer's blog. 

4. Speaking of Arabella's party...this just in...Chuckie Cheese is PACKED on Sunday afternoons! Kids loved it. Parents didn't.

5. Bob Landeg's parents were with us yesterday at CrossPointe as they were in town visiting Bob's wife, Amy, who you may see playing the keyboard on any given Sunday. Bob is one of our guys deployed to Iraq. It reminded me of how thankful I am for this generation of young soldiers. It's easy to be discouraged with the trajectory of our culture, but you will be very encouraged if you meet young men like Bob and the others that have come through CrossPointe on the way to defending our nation. Reminds me to pray for these young leaders and all our military.

6. We just met with the owners of the new building and they checked off on our renovation plans. Work should begin this week! Probably will take 4 to 5 months. Hopefully we'll be in the building by July(ish). Very excited. Keep praying that this building doesn't become a place where we exhale and get comfortable, but rather a place from which we lean forward in the foxhole and advance the Gospel in our city and valley with greater effectiveness.

7. Regarding the building, we are planning to gather there several times during the build-out process to pray and let everyone see the progress. Keep your eyes and ears open for some dates we'll gather to pray on-site soon!

8. I see so many evidences of God's grace and the moving of His Spirit all throughout the Tribe. Young husbands stepping up and leading. Older men and women having a burden for younger generations and offering their experience and wisdom. A sweet spirit of service and humility abounds. Increasing hunger for truth. More people bringing and flipping through their Bibles on Sunday. Increasing freedom and engagement in worship through song. A burden for the lost and helping those down and out. A continually deepening mix of people from multiple walks of life knit together in love. I could go on and on....

Grace & Peace,

Brad

p.s. - in case you didn't click on the link to Jennifer's blog to see my little princess...I thought I'd give you another chance. :-)

2. We plan to send out updates regarding the progress of our build out of the new building. Work should begin soon. For now, please continue to pray that God would give us wisdom for decisions to be made, provision, unity, and ultimately that He blesses us so that we are able to bear more fruit.

3. I’m very excited about our move to the new location and all it will allow us to do to advance the Gospel. I’m also concerned that we guard against apathy and thinking that by merely moving into a building things will be easier and more comfortable. There is much work to do. Our mission is not just to draw a crowd, but to make disciples.

4. Water baptism service coming up in April. If you are a Christian and have never been water baptized, you should follow the Lord’s command to display the Gospel. Click here for an article on baptism and here to listen to a message about the importance and meaning of water baptism.

5. New member class coming soon. Keep your ears open for dates.   

6. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning put on a clinic last night on how to play Quarterback. Great game. Didn’t have a dog in the hunt, but I love watching great QBs do their thing. Last night was a masterful display. Only bad pass of the night was Manning’s very costly interception. Touching video of Brees with his young son after the game. 

7. Colossians 1:15-20 this coming Sunday. A incredible text about Jesus. Most artistic depictions of Jesus make him out to be good-looking blue-eyed gentle dude who looks like a European soccer star. Yes, he is gentle, but he is also the all-powerful Sovereign Creator King. Much for us to meditate on in this text.

8. Men, this Sunday is Valentine’s Day. One very important mark of a community where the Gospel has taken root is when men treat women like Christ treats the Church. Brothers, let us spur one another on to love our wives in an Ephesians 5:25-33 sort of way.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

Humility - a fruit of the Gospel from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

“After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too much discouraged, when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). This reed, till he met with his bruise, had more wind in him than pith when he said, ‘Though all forsake thee, I will not’ (Matthew 26:33). The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroic deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do.”

-Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed, p.5.

And a thought came to me about the two tracks that people and churches get on when it comes to the Gospel:

Track 1: The Gospel is received, made central, lived out, and spread.

or

Track 2: The Gospel is received, assumed, confused, and lost.

My prayer is that I would live on the first track, and that CrossPointe would as well.

What track are you on?

2. As I mentioned this Sunday, the last week has been a good but hectic one. We sold our house and moved into a temporary apartment as we look for another house in an effort to downsize. I’ve been away from my computer and the office a lot the last few days so I’m behind on responding to emails. Forgive me if you’re waiting on a reply from me. I’ll respond soon!

3. On that note, we are looking forward to a month or two (or three….) in an apartment. The last time Jennifer and lived in an apartment was when I was in the Army. Brings back good memories. Only this time we have four more people living with us!

4. How talented is our worship team? Goodness! We are so blessed in this area. They labor well on our behalf. Say thank you to a musician from the Tribe when you get a chance.

5. The next few months as we renovate the new building will be critical ones for us a church. Would you pray that God would give us more and more wisdom so that we would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him? The hard work is not behind us, but before us. Pray for unity. Pray for good decisions to be made. Pray for an outward focus. Pray that we stay on mission and avoid the creep toward self-focus.

6. This week we’ll be back in Colossians looking at Colossians 1:13-14. This is one of the most spectacular, staggering, and important sentences in the entire Bible. Enormous implications. Deep theology. Beautiful truth. Chew on this amazing sentence this week. Ask questions. What is the main point Paul is trying to communicate in this sentence? What are the ramifications of it? How then should we live in light of what this sentence is saying?

Grace & Peace,

Brad

1.31.10 - News about future location of CrossPointe from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Prayer Day 8: SOULS

Prayer focus for today on our Daniel fast prayer guide is for souls. One of the things that kills me about church culture is how much effort we seem to put into keeping people who are already Christians happy, comfortable, and appeased. I think we do a great disservice when we allow this to happen. May God give us at CrossPointe a heart for people who do not know Jesus. And not just a heart, but a passion and many practical pathways to reach them with the Gospel. Yes, it gets messy. Yes, this means more work. Yes, this means we don’t spend all our money on ourselves. Yes, it means we have to get our hands dirty. Yes, it means we don’t gear all our programming and ministries on us. Yes, it means some folks reading this need to step up and contribute more and live on mission rather than for self. Yes, it makes selfish Christians upset and sometimes they leave. But yes, it is the heart of God and the mission of the church.

Lord, give us souls. I pray that we are faithful stewards, that we engage in the mission of spreading a passion for Jesus, not just making ourselves comfortable and secure. Stretch us, break us, use us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

• (v.9). Interesting that Johns mentions that the older ones left the scene after Jesus challenged them about their judgment of the woman caught in adultery. Life and age has a way of making you more humble than you were in your youth.

• (v.31-32). The phrase “once saved, always saved” has been incredibly damaging in church culture. I believe that God preserves his children to the end, but we must feel the weight of this statement. If we abide in his word, then the truth will set us free and we will endure. But only if we endure.

• (v.36). Free indeed. The power in these words is enormous.

• (v.44). Satan is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. But we regard him so lightly. 1 Peter 5:8-10. Lord make us sober and watchful.

• (v.47). These are difficult words for the prideful and self-deterministic. Jesus doesn’t say that they are not of God because they don’t hear these words. He says that they do not hear these words because they are not of God.

1. On this day that we celebrate the Civil Rights movement, I encourage you to take a moment to watch Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech. It is about 16 minutes long, and one of the most important speeches and moments in American history. Click here to watch it. I have also embedded the video at the bottom of this post.

2. Please give to Haiti relief efforts. Click here for the websites of four trustworthy organizations.

3. Good article today in the local paper about Dr. McCluskey, a local Columbus physician who is on his way to Haiti with Samaritan’s Purse. Click here to read it. 

4. I’m really loving this series on Colossians. Yesterday was the second message and an important one on the Gospel. If you missed it, please take a moment to listen to it. Message audio and notes will be posted sometime today on our website on the sermon page.

5. For the record, I’m a little embarrassed about the whole Lane Kiffin situation at USC. I’m a lifelong Trojan fan. I’ve rooted for USC long before Kiffin was the head coach, and I’ll root for USC long after he leaves. Hoping he matures a little bit. But let’s be honest boys, the whole world of big time college athletics is pretty shady.

6. I have really been encouraged by what the Lord seems to be doing in folks through the Daniel fast and our prayer gatherings the past week.

7. Prayer this Wednesday at Reynold & Danielle Counts’ house. Join us if you are able.

8. Prayer focus for today on our Daniel fast prayer guide is for souls. One of the things that kills me about church culture is how much effort we seem to put into keeping people who are already Christians happy, comfortable, and appeased. I think we do a great disservice when we allow this to happen. May God give us at CrossPointe a heart for people who do not know Jesus. And not just a heart, but a passion and many practical pathways to reach them with the Gospel. Yes, it gets messy. Yes, this means more work. Yes, this means we don’t spend all our money on ourselves. Yes, it means we have to get our hands dirty. Yes, it means we don’t gear all our programming and ministries on us. Yes, it means some folks reading this need to step up and contribute more and live on mission rather than for self. Yes, it makes selfish Christians upset and sometimes they leave. But yes, it is the heart of God and the mission of the church.

9. New LifePointe Groups semester starting in February. Check the LifePointe Groups page in the coming days for info on new groups to connect with. 

10. Here's the latest update from Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Texas. Matt has been such an encouragement to so many in his preaching and now is such a great example in his suffering as he battles brain cancer. Click here to watch this short video clip from his blog and let's continue to pray for Matt. Matt's attitude through this shouts the truth of 1 Peter 4:12-19.

11. I love you guys and love doing life with you.

Grace & Peace

Brad

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. 

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today. 

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” 

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

• (v.1-8). Jesus’ brothers were trying to persuade him to go more public with his ministry. He resisted. It then says that even his brothers did not believe in him. That’s striking. It seems like they did believe in him because they wanted him to go big time with his ministry. But, it seems that it is possible to hang around Jesus and even be involved in his program to some degree but still not be a believer. May I not be like Jesus’ brothers in these verses.

• (v.9-13). Many misunderstand Jesus. And He is God. Why are we so shocked when we are misunderstood?

• (v.30). They were seeking to arrest him but they could not because his time had not yet come. In other words, God is sovereign over the affairs of men. No one takes Jesus’ life from him, he lays it down on his own accord.

• (v.37-39). What beautiful words. Lord, may I thirst for you and be satisfied in you alone. Isaiah 58:11—And the Lord will guide you continually
 and satisfy your desire in scorched places 
and make your bones strong;
 and you shall be like a watered garden, 
like a spring of water,
 whose waters do not fail.

• (v.43). So there was division among the people because of Jesus. How true that is. Jesus is a line in the sand.

Our prayer focus on this day seven of the Daniel fast is for the persecuted church worldwide. Our comfort in America obscures the fact that more Christians are being martyred for their faith in our day than in any other in the history of church. 

Two websites that I would encourage you to visit and bookmark are Voice of the Martyrs and the Joshua Project. VOM is a ministry dedicated to helping the persecuted church worldwide. The Joshua Project is a great resource that has a tremendous amount of information about unreached people groups around the world. Take some time to look through these sites and pray for the persecuted church worldwide.

Voice of the Martyrs

The Joshua Project

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” –Tertullian

A few thoughts on John 6:1-71

• (v.5-6). Jesus tests us. Chew on that for a while. How many times have I missed his tests or blew past them or ignored them or, worse, completely bombed them! Thank you Jesus for your testing, which is always for my good, and for you grace when I fail.

• (v.29). This is an amazing sentence. They just asked Jesus what work they had to do to be saved. And he said to them that the work of God is that they believe. Interesting that he says it is God’s work. Also interesting that our first instinct is to do something, not faith. We are justified by faith, not works. This was the great issue for Martin Luther in the Protestant Reformation—that we are not justified by doing anything, but by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

• (v.37-40). Blessed assurance.

• (v.60-71). Quite a scene. Jesus has feed five thousand with a few scraps and followed that up by walking on water and then he preaches a hard sermon and after this “…many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” Wow. Selah.

Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 that we should give thanks and pray for people in positions of authority. In Romans 13:1-7 he tells the church that God has appointed authorities for our common good and His purposes. 

Therefore, regardless of our political leanings, we should thank God for our political leaders. And, as we express gratitude, we should also pray that God would bend their hearts so that they would fulfill his purpose. Proverbs 21:1 says that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

America is a unique place. God has blessed this country beyond measure and through us he has blessed the world. America is by far the most generous country in the history of civilization. The advancement of the Gospel to unreached lands has been fueled by American missionary zeal and funds. But, at the same time, America can be incredibly indulgent and has also been a force for the spreading of great sin and evil in our day. Pray that God would awaken America once again to His greatness.

Likewise, we need to remember and pray for the thousands of military personnel who are carrying out the orders of our nation in dangerous places doing dangerous things to protect us from dangerous people. Most of us reading this have lived our entire lives as citizens of the world’s lone military superpower. This has a tendency to produce complacency and ungratefulness in us. May we be stirred up towards gratitude as we remember our great nation and military in prayer.

• (v.6). What a question! Do you want to be healed? Why did Jesus ask him this question? Makes me think about when I stuck in a rut either by sin or some circumstance. Do I really want to get out of it? Or am I just content to sort of lay there and be pitiful and blame others?

• (v.18). The real issue was that Jesus was calling God his own Father, thus claiming deity. Yes, they were upset about the Sabbath breaking, but the claims of divinity were a whole other thing. The lordship and deity of Jesus is a dividing line between the religious and true believers. Was then, is now.

• (v.21-24). God raises the dead and Jesus gives life to whom he wills. This is a statement that needs to be chewed on, meditated, digested, and rejoiced over.

• (v.39-40). The Old Testament—all of it—points to Jesus.

• (v.47). I want to make understanding the Old Testament a lifelong pursuit. Too often we gloss over it. But here Jesus says that if we don’t believe Moses’ writings, how will believe Jesus’ words? That’s huge.

Columbus and the surrounding area is in desperate need of the Gospel. On the exterior it certainly seems like a god-fearing city, and in many ways compared to other cities in our nation it is. But the veil of religion and merely nominal Christianity has a strong grip on our valley. Likewise, many of the churches in the area are declining, uninterested in the lost, completely self-focused, or in competition with other churches.

Our prayer today is for God to move in the Chattahoochee Valley in a mighty way. May the Spirit of God blow through the Christian churches of all kind. May our pulpits be filled with men who passionately preach the Gospel without compromise. May the saints in the churches be eager to engage the lost. May a revival sweep through our city and churches and may no man or church boast in anything but the Lord. 

Shai Linne with "Spread His Fame." from Grace EV Free on Vimeo.

(via Justin Taylor's blog)

Lyrics:

All praise to the name of the savior who reigns.
He’s taken our blame, embraced all our shame,
He’s raised from the grave so his fame we proclaim.
Salvation by grace through faith in his name.

All praise to the name of the savior who reigns.
He’s taken our blame, embraced all our shame,
He’s raised from the grave so his fame we proclaim.
Salvation by grace through faith in his name.

Jesus, the beautiful and blessed Son,
Immutable, majestic one
Who was resurrected from the grave
for the depraved.
He paved the path for some
Place faith in His passion, son
Be saved from the wrath to come.

He’s fabulous, His status is immaculate
I’m lacking the vernacular to adequately capture His glory.
Incomparable, unconquerable, all powerful, unstoppable
Absolutely phenomenal.

No obstacle He can’t navigate.
He’s God and so He fascinates.
With Him it’s impossible to exaggerate.

Lord of all continents,
Source of all consciousness,
His compliments are the consequence of His accomplishments
Every sphere of life, He’s the Lord of it
And every other power is either fraudulent or subordinate.

At first we snubbed Him,
Now His vessels of mercy love Him.
Your highest thought is infinitely unworthy of Him.
Beyond vocabulary His actions vary,
His wrath is scary
All His adversaries are imaginary.

He has no competitors.
Ask Nebuchadnezzar, bro
He’ll mess you up, have you eating grass,
You can bet He’s amazing.

He takes in blatant, flagrant vagrants, breaks them, remakes them, and shapes them
to hate sin.

Jesus!
There’s no better name!
That’ll never change and He’ll forever reign while we spread His fame.

So all praise to the name of the Savior who reigns
He’s taken our blame
Embraced all our shame
He’s raised from the grave so His fame we proclaim
Salvation by grace through faith in His name!

All praise to the name of the Savior who reigns
He’s taken our blame
Embraced all our shame
He’s raised from the grave so His fame we proclaim
Salvation by grace through faith in His name!

------------

[Editor's Note: This post was written the evening of January 13, 2009]

***

Haiti saddens me. It saddens me in part because so many have lost so much. It also saddens me because I care so little.

I don’t say this flippantly. I say this because it’s the reaction I have right now. It’s not something I’m proud of; it’s simply what’s going on at this moment in my head and in my heart. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have a personal connection with anyone in Haiti. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have the kind of compassion I know I should have.

But this news does do something deep inside me. It affirms a gnawing feeling that there’s so much more to life and faith than what I know today. Today, I care about getting to bed late because I went to a UConn game with co-workers. Today, I care about wondering how many people are buying my new book. Today, I care about myself when there are others who need me to care about them.

Seeing suffering awakens me from the slumber of my ignorance, reminds me of my own self-centeredness, and plunges my theology into the deep water of reality. Is God sovereign, even as the earth heaves and fires are kindled? Is He good, even as the last cries of the dead drift quietly into the silence?

We know the rain falls on the just and the unjust. We know the Lord brings disaster on cities. We know He brings healing to the nations. We know He permits Satan to wreak havoc on His people. We know He restrains the devil. We know Jesus weeps over the lost. We know that some are born into suffering so that God might be glorified. There’s deep theology here, an ocean of questions and answers that flow in and through one another and leave us in one of two places: wondering where God is in the midst of suffering, or wondering at the mystery of this God who works all things, including suffering, for good according to His purposes.

I spent my lunch hour in a cemetery today. I don’t mean to be morbid, but it’s good to go to the place of the dead to be reminded that emails and deadlines and Twitter and phone calls aren’t quite as important as they seem throughout the day. It’s a good place to be when wondering at the mystery of this God who works all things, including earthquakes in Haiti, for good according to His purposes. And it’s a good place to go when thinking about what we’re supposed to do next. So:

Give if God moves you to do so.

Pray with zeal that the glory of God would shine brightly in the midst of this tragedy.

Weep for those whose tears are dried by despair.

Go if God sends you.

But perhaps most of all, live with Haiti in your heart. In a week, when the blogs and news cycles die down a bit, or in a month, when our lives consume us once more with other things, or in a year, when most of us will have long forgotten the day the earth broke under Haiti, another disaster will strike, and we will be awakened once more to the realization that we care far too much about the trivial and far too little about the eternal. We’ll be reminded that the bones of dead men testify that our lives are but a vapor. In that day, we will remember that living with Haiti in our hearts means living with a longing for the One who will bring renewal and restoration to a planet and a people who desperately need both.

My desire is that we give, and pray, and weep, and go, but that most of all we go to the Vine for comfort and hope and joy, even in the midst of great loss. When buildings fall and lives are ended, we need the earth-shattering, wound-healing, voice of the Son of God who says, “Behold, I make all things new.”

Lord Jesus, make Haiti new, a land where Gospel seeds are planted and Godly fruit grows into an abundant harvest. And make us new, each and every day of our lives, so that we will abide in You, for Your glory and our joy.

Chris Tomlinson, a graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the UCLA Anderson School of Business, is a businessman and writer who desires to see people realize the beauty and joy of knowing Jesus. The author of "Crave: Wanting So Much More of God," Tomlinson also blogs regularly at Crave Something More.

Some brief thoughts on John 4:

• (v.4). Jesus was tired. Seems like a minor detail, but it is huge. Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human. Hebrews 2:14-18 tells us how important this truth is. He had to be made like us in every way so that he could be a satisfactory substitute for us. It’s a concept we are all familiar with. If I buy a brand new car and you take it for a test drive and total it, I would want a brand new car as repayment for your wrecking mine. Likewise, we wrecked the perfect car of our humanity, and Jesus pays for the damages by offering the perfect car of his life in our place.

• (v.9). Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman. This would have been scandalous for a Jew to do because of the racial tension between Jews and Samaritans. There’s a tremendous lesson here for us. Racial division and animosity has no place for the Christian.

• (v.14). I think of all the things I thirst for that only satisfy temporarily. Satisfaction in Jesus is not temporary.

• (v.16). Jesus is God. The chapter begins with an emphasis on Jesus’ humanity in is tiredness and just a few verses later we see the attribute of his divinity in his omniscience. He knew this woman’s life, inside and out, just like he knows mine and yours.

• (v.20-24). This is a popular verse that gets kicked around a lot in worship circles and by younger Christians who rail against traditional church. But, honestly, I’ve got a long way to go on understanding what Jesus is saying here. What does it mean for me to worship in spirit and truth? What does that look like daily, hourly, second by second?

• (v.29-30). I’m struck by how freely, simply and passionately this woman immediately shared about her encounter with Jesus. She didn’t need a class on how to evangelize.

• (v.34-38). Don’t wait. Get to work. Now is the time.

Here's the deal. We are the most prosperous people in the history of civilization. If you have a checking account and a refrigerator, you are very likely in the top six percent of wealthiest people on the planet. No doubt some of you reading this post are enduring difficult times financially, but in comparison with the rest of the world, we are beyond blessed. For most of us, if we want something, we buy it. If we are hungry, we open full pantries. This has produced in us a sense of entitlement. A feeling that this is our birthright. Some of us were born into wealth. Some of us through hard work have saved up. Some of us are barely getting by. But, all of us, regardless of how we "attained" what we have do not have one thing that we did not receive from God. And whatever we "have" is not ultimately just for us, but given to us by God to glorify him.

So, my prayer is that whether we are rich or poor (and most of us reading this are very rich) God would make us pervasively and radically generous. 

Father, give the tribe at CrossPointe a disposition of radical generosity. Break our addiction to stuff, and make our grip very loose so that our hands are not bottlenecks for your blessing but rather conduits. In Jesus' name, amen. 

Some thoughts on John 3:1-36:

• (v.3). We are not born Christians. We are born sinners, and separated from God. Good works, noble intentions, decent morals, ethical standards, none of these things save us. We are physically and emotionally alive but spiritually dead before we come to Christ. Therefore, we must be born again. I’ve heard people tell me they are Christians but not the “born-again” type. Unfortunately for them, there is only one type of Christian, the born-again type.

• (v.8). The Wind blows where it wishes. You can’t make the new birth happen to yourself. God makes it happen. Realizing this is important because it smashes human pride and boasting. This is the point Paul makes as well in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

• (v.16-17). Maybe the most beautiful words ever penned.

• (v.27). What a statement. “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven.” James tells us that every good gift comes from the Father. All the stuff we take for granted should point us toward gratefulness to God. Air-conditioning. Food. Clothes. Salaries. Jobs. Trust funds. Everything. If we have it, God gave it to us.

• (v.36). The wrath of God. Jesus absorbed it, fully, for us. Propitiation is the technical term. It means that Jesus satisfied all of God’s wrath for the sin of all those that would turn and trust in him. That’s why there is now no condemnation for believers, because Jesus took it away.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

"Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth." -3 John 5-8

IN COLUMBUS & THE UNITED STATES:

Sound Choices Pregnancy Center

Teen Advisors

Highland Community Church

Young Life

International Friendship Ministries

Valley Rescue Mission

Compassion International

Michael Miller (Chi Alpha campus ministries - University of Georgia)

Ouida Bradford (Chi Alpha campus ministries - Columbus State University)

AROUND THE WORLD:

Ellis family - (sensitive location)

Carpenter family - (sensitive location)

Foran family - (sensitive location)

Jay & Nancy Dickerson - Central America

Donovan & Kathy Barron - Belgium

Chris Dudley - Convoy of Hope - Europe

Hanson family - (sensitive location)

Hovey family - Asia

Harvey & Maria Skinner - Italy

Brent Collins - Global Teen Challenge

Greg & Susan Johnston – Bulgaria

Barkhouse family - Kosovo

Here's an old puritan poem from a book called The Valley of Vision. The language is a bit antiquated, but the words are powerful.

THE GOSPEL WAY

Blessed Lord Jesus,

No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.

Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and message,

lived out on earth through infinite compassion,

applying thy life to insult, injury, death,

that I might I be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,

Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God,

for opening this way,

Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit,

for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,

until its virtue diffuses every faculty;

Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;

Help me to give up every darling lust,

to submit heart life and life to its command,

to have it in my will,

controlling my affections,

moulding my understanding;

to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,

not departing from them in any instance,

nor for any advantage in order to escape evil,

inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;

Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness

by my own doings.

O gracious Redeemer,

I have neglected thee too long,

often crucified thee,

crucified thee afresh by my impenitence,

put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me

so long,

and for the grace that now makes me willing to be

thine.

O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,

that nothing may ever draw me back from thee,

my Lord, my Savior.

• (v.3) Mary tells Jesus that they are out of wine. Why? It seems there was this expectation that he could do something about it? Was she wanting him to run down to the corner market and buy some more to bail out the host? Seems like there must be something more to her statement—an expectation that Jesus could change the situation.

• (v.5) “Do whatever he tells you.” Simple but profound advice from Mary.

• (v.11) Of all the miracles Jesus did while on earth (feeding multitudes, walking on water, bringing people back from the dead to mention a few of more high profile ones), he kicks it off with turning water to wine. What do you make of this? Something so simple. There is obviously a powerful symbol and teaching point here that Jesus is trying to make. What is it? That he makes ordinary things new? That the old wine of religion runs out but the new wine of Christ never does? Something to chew on…

• (v.13-17) Jesus cleanses the temple with zeal. The other gospels record him doing this a second time later in his ministry. What stands out to me is how serious Jesus is about his Father’s house and worship. Contrast that with the flippant casual take-it-or-leave attitude most of our culture approaches God with.

• (v.18-22). From the beginning Jesus is talking about the Cross. He came to die so that we might live. The cross was not a progressive evolving card that regrettably had to be played because the Trinity was out of options. Jesus is the lamb slain from the foundations of the earth. God is providentially in control of human sin, the consequences of the fall, and in his wisdom planned for redemption through Christ on the cross before redemption was even necessary. That’s sovereignty.

Father, we confess that we are arrogant, proud, self-sufficient, and impatient people. We’ve created a culture that caters to our insatiable appetites. If we are hungry, we eat. If we need something, we buy it. If we are bored, we give ourselves to mind numbing entertainment.

Lord, as we fast, tune us into the selfish side of our cravings. Remind us how quickly we can be disrupted. One day without coffee and our heads hurt. One day without meat and our stomachs grumble. Humble us, and remind us that it is in you that we live and move and have our being.  

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

2. We'll be reading through John together through the end of January in conjunction with the fast. 21 chapters. 21 days left in January. 1 chapter a day. I'll be posting daily thoughts on the chapters as we go. Click here for some brief thoughts on John 1. 

3. Prayer emphasis today is humility and repentance. More to follow on that later today on the blog.

4. Corporate worship is so good for the soul. There is just a unique beauty and strength to the simplicity of gathering with other believers to sing to Jesus, read and preach about Jesus, and remember what Jesus has done for us.

5. I know it is a very difficult topic, but thinking deeply about and coming to terms with the providence and sovereignty of God in all things and its implications for my life has been the most transformative biblical truth I have encountered.

6. Along those lines I am very grateful for the preaching and teaching ministry of John Piper. He’s had a tremendous influence on my life from afar. Recently he preached a message at Matt Chandler’s church in Texas to encourage the church through Matt’s battle with brain cancer. The message is entitled Subjected in Hope. You can listen to it here. It is well worth 55 minutes of your time.

7. Speaking of Chandler, keep praying for him. He’s undergoing several weeks of very intensive chemo and radiation. He’s such a gifted dude. What a gift his preaching has been to thousands. Here’s a quick clip from a message he preached at the Desiring God conference. Click here to watch it. "Jesus wants the rose!" Beautiful. (By the way, Reynold, Hawk and I were at this conference sitting in the front row like middle schoolers at a Miley Cyrus concert).

8. I love preaching to the Tribe. I can sense how our collective eagerness for the Scriptures has grown these past few years. What a joy to do life with people who’s spirits are leaning forward to hear and think about and wrestle with what the Scriptures say.

9. I’m very grateful for the great ministry of Sound Choices Pregnany Clinic. The ladies that came yesterday from Sound Choices were very encouraged by your response. Quite a few folks stopped by their table to get info and volunteer. Reynold really made a great point about responding right now and not waiting until we forget. A few of our men offered to help with security one night a month. Very, very grateful for such a responsive Tribe that responds to needs.

10. During this Colossians series I'm going to try and memorize the book of Colossians. This week: Colossians 1:1-8. Join me if you're up to it. And, I need some hazing and threat of public ridicule if I don't do this. I've always worked better that way. Takes me back to one of the most productive years of my life...plebe year at West Point. So, I welcome your insults if I wimp out or get lazy. It'll help motivate me. Seriously.  

11. Last thought—this is why we do what we do. Someone wrote this on the back of a connection card recently. Thank you, Jesus.

“I wasn’t raised in the church and I was invited here in August and I kept coming back. This church taught me what it means to be a Christian and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Grace & Peace,

Brad

Day one of the Daniel fast and as I mentioned we’ll be reading through the gospel of John through the end of January. There are 21 chapters, and 21 days left in January, so we’ll do a chapter a day. My plan is to post some simple thoughts from the corresponding chapter each day. Read along with me and record your own thoughts.

A few thoughts on John 1:1-51:

• (v.9-12) The humility of Jesus is breathtaking. Everything was made through him....everything. Yet, this world, which he created, did not receive him.

• (v.13) We are born-again not because of our will, but because of God’s.

• (v.14) Jesus is full of grace and truth. Contrast that with church culture that tends to lean too heavily on one while forsaking the other. Fundamentalism emphasizes truth but misses grace. Liberalism emphasizes grace but misses truth. Jesus combined both perfectly without sacrificing the one for the other.

• (v.29) Jesus takes our sin away. A short sentence, a spectacular truth.

• (v.43-51) I wonder what Nathaniel was thinking after Jesus turned his world upside down. Encounters with Jesus should often leave us in awe. Contrast this with pragmatic American culture that just wants answers or tips from Jesus on how to live a better life now. The reality of Jesus should blow up our small pragmatic reality so that we might see the “greater things than these.”

Grace & Peace,

Brad

God Moves in Mysterious Ways by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Colossians Promo from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Click here for the Daniel Fast Guide in PDF format.

Click here for the Daniel Fast Guide in Word format.

ESV Study Bible

Discipleship Journal

Don't beat yourself up if these plans aren't for you or if they are too much at this stage.

The important thing is to develop a habit of regularly coming to the Book.

Also, if you are an iTunes podcaster like me, you can subscribe to the free ESV daily podcast and listen along as you read. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe via iTunes. This is what I use, and I find it very helpful to hear the words read out loud as I follow along.

On evangelistic services and meetings:

"Insofar as the preaching at our Sunday services is scriptural, those services will of necessity be evangelistic.  It is a mistake to suppose that evangelistic sermons are a special brand of sermons, having their own peculiar style and conventions; evangelistic sermons are just scriptural sermons, the sort of sermons that a man cannot help preaching if he is preaching the Bible biblically.  Proper sermons seek to expound and apply what is in the Bible.  But what is in the Bible is just the whole counsel of God for man's salvation; all Scripture bears witness, in one way or another, to Christ, and all biblical themes relate to him.  All proper sermons, therefore, will of necessity declare Christ in some fashion and so be more or less directly evangelistic....If our churches "evangelistic" meetings, and "evangelistic" sermons, are thought of as special occasions, different from the ordinary run of things, it is a damning indictment of our normal Sunday services.  So that if we should imagine that the essential work of evangelism lies in holding meetings of the special type described out of church hours, so to speak, that would simply prove that we had failed to understand what our regular Sunday services are for" (bold added, p. 62-64).

(via the 9Marks blog)

Hebrews 1:3 - "...and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."

Psalm 8:3-4 - "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

(via Justin Taylor's blog)

Memorizing Scripture is one of the best things you can do for your soul. I encourage you to join me each week, whether it is the passage I am doing or something you pick out for yourself. My technique is to block out short segments of time, 5-10 minutes in the morning and then again in the evening right before I go to bed.

Just do a verse or two a day and build on the previous verses and you'd be surprised what you can store away in your long term memory.

Here's Colossians 1:15-20.

Colossians 1:15-20 (recite) from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

2. On that note, membership Sundays remind me afresh of how important it is to be reminded of the scriptures in the New Testament that speak to how we should treat “one another.” These are not optional verses for us at CrossPointe. We need to continually strive as a church to be a place filled with grace, forgiveness, respect, patience, gentle words, humble confrontation when necessary, the complete lack of political maneuvering, and selflessness. Romans 12:9-21 pretty much sums it up.

3. An album I’m loving lately is Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb. I especially like the song “Deliver Us.” Here’s a clip of it being sung by Derek Webb.

4. A frustration I have about church life is why some people seem to easily connect, thrive and grow while others struggle to connect, linger on the fringe and float from church to church. Some people tell me that CrossPointe is warm, inviting, and one of the kindest and friendliest places they’ve been. I’ve also had people tell me that no one said hello to them, it was clique-ish and hard to break into. Probably both are true at various times. Ultimately I think it is a two way street. As a church culture we must constantly be reminded to get outside of ourselves and engage people that are new and not in our social circle. And, to be honest, some folks need to toughen up a little bit and stick their nose in there and make themselves a little more visible and decide to make an effort to connect.

5. Cartoon animation has come a long way via Pixar and Disney. But there’s still something mesmerizing about the old style animation Christmas movies. I can’t get enough of them this time of year. Here’s a clip from my favorite, The Island of Misfit Toys. Reminds me of the Gospel. Jesus takes misfits.

6. Fan wise I’m a contradiction. This will make no sense to you native SEC fans, but I actually like my team’s rivals. It’s better for the sport when they are great. I’m a lifelong USC fan, but I like Notre Dame. I love the Dodgers, but I like the Padres, Giants, and Yankees too. I grew up a Lakers fan, but I like it when the Celtics are good. And, as tough as this is to say, although I’m an Army grad I’m actually proud of the Navy and Air Force’s success in football. (Caveat—this does not apply to UCLA. Can’t stand ‘em. Want them to lose every game in every sport).

7. I’m surprised that Mark Ingram is the first Alabama player to win the Heisman. I’m glad he won. Seems like a great kid. Loved the emotion he showed during his speech. Since we’re talking about Alabama, I’m still waiting for the ‘Bama fans among us to account for the fuzzy math I referenced last Monday. I realize public schools in Alabama may have their issues, but surely ya’ll can do simple arithmetic. Eight or nine does not equal twelve.   

8. "Once upon a time, men wore pants...." Love this men’s pants ad from Dockers. Click here to see it. Take a moment to read the small print in the graphic. Lots of truth to it. My favorite line, “We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and untie the world from the tracks of complacency.” Snap!

9. I’m behind on the memorizing. Still need to do a little work on Colossians 1:15-20 before I can recite it. Will have a new verse for you tomorrow (Tuesday). Had a busy week and I’m behind a little. But, as I learned at West Point, “No excuse!”

10. Keep praying for our boys overseas. The holidays are especially tough times to be away from family. Doesn’t help things when you’re getting shot at either. If any of you guys are reading this, we’re praying for you and very thankful for your service to our nation!

11. How about that song from Terrie McKelvey yesterday? Full of awesomeness.

12. I love being your pastor. These past 4.5 years have been a great ride, but our most significant and fruitful days are ahead. Soli Deo Gloria. 

Grace & Peace,

Brad

2. Had a very encouraging conversation yesterday about how God is getting a hold of a family. Good decisions are being made. The Holy Spirit is guiding. The husband is stepping up. The wife is finding security in it. Thank you, Jesus.

3. We had family movie night last night and watched “Enchanted.” What can I say? I loved it. Great movie for Daddy to watch with his little girl. Here’s a clip of my favorite scene. I'm being serious.

4. Recently we made copies of a message on marriage by Matt Chandler, a pastor in Texas. I received a very encouraging voicemail Friday from someone who said that it really opened her eyes and changed her life. Praise Jesus. Pick one up if you haven’t listened to it yet. On that note, it was recently discovered that Matt Chandler had a brain tumor. He had surgery to remove it Friday. Early reports are that he is doing well. Here is a video of him addressing his church before the surgery. I am so encouraged by Matt’s words and his view of suffering and the sovereignty of God. This is the type of perspective and theology we need more of in the American church. Click here to see the video.

5. Tiger Woods. As Christians we need to be careful how we respond to things like this. C.J. Mahaney, a pastor and leader I highly respect, has written some very wise words on the situation. Click here to read them.

6. Congrats Alabama. You’re good. But if you beat Texas, it won’t be your 13th national championship. Click here to read about the fuzzy math going on in Tuscaloosa.

7. It’s always so good to have young guys going through Ft. Benning with us at CrossPointe. One young lieutenant expressed to me Sunday how much folks from CrossPointe had reached out to him the last few weeks. So encouraging. Keep it up, Tribe!

8. I love the first Sunday of the month when we receive communion together as a church. We need consistently to be reminded of the Cross. We need to regularly meditate on and be humbled by Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and the all-encompassing implications for us as Christians.

9. I also love the first Sunday of the month because a team from CrossPointe helps to serve the ministry of Highland Community Church. Great things are happening there. If you want to be involved, talk to Daniel Hord, Jenny Smith, Joe Narde or Will Hawk.

10. Distractions. They abound most especially during the holiday season. If we don’t make a conscious effort to get out ahead of our schedule, the tail will wag the dog. This isn’t just about hustle and bustle. It’s straight up spiritual warfare. The devil attacks us not by jumping out from behind a bush with horns and pitch fork, but by distracting and diverting us from seeing and savoring Jesus.

11. One of the best ways to see and savor Jesus is through His Word. Here is the verse I’m memorizing this week. Colossians 1:15-20. Join me!

Grace & Peace,

Brad

Colossians 1:15-20 from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Romans 8:31-39 (recite) from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Romans 8:31-39 from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

2. Previously, we’ve been a fake tree house but the last two years we’ve gone the real route. We will never go back. Click here for pictures on Jennifer’s blog.

3. If you’re a Georgia fan you’ve go to be asking where in the world the team that showed up on Saturday night was all season?

4. Finishing Nehemiah 13 this week. Great chapter. Nehemiah goes off on a few guys, beats them up and pulls their hair out. Wow. Again, I’ll miss hanging out with Nehemiah. One of the reasons I think preaching through books is good for us is because it acquaints us with the redemptive storyline of the Bible. If all we hear are pragmatic “how-to” messages then we subconsciously see the Bible as a book about us instead of a book about God. This leads to cul-de-sac consumer Christianity that will ultimately fail us when times get tough and life breaks down.   

5. Confession time. Honestly, I really don’t care if Target says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. A blogger/pastor I read often had some thoughts on it recently that I agree with. Click here to read. I'm sorry If you’re part of the Focus on the Family army. They're good folks, just not my thing.

6. I think that if you are an adult you shouldn’t be allowed to type LOL. It seems kind of middle schoolish to me. It’s kind of like the virtual version of nervous laughter while in an awkward conversation. LOL.

7. On that note, of all the times LOL has been typed, what percentage of time do you think the typist was actually laughing out loud? Probably less than 0.001%. LOL (actual).

8. I thank God for the desire to read. I can remember when I was younger that I hated to read. Loathed it. But somewhere along the way I matured and God gave grace and now I love to read. Men in particular, you need to work on developing the habit of reading to benefit your soul. You may not consider yourself much of a reader. Don’t settle into that lie. You are a reader. You read the sports page, college football recruiting sites, and mindless other things on the Internet. So you’re a reader, you’re not just reading as beneficially as you can. One of the best things a person can do to grow spiritually is to read consistently. Obviously, Bible reading is essential. Click here for a good site with some helpful reading plans. But there are also numerable books that are good for your soul. A good starting point is our recommended reading list. Start slow. Even if it’s just a few pages a day. Just start reading. You may say you don't have time to read. If you watch any TV at all during the day or spend any time on the Internet, you have time to read. 

9. Telecommunication technology is amazing to me. I will never understand how you can talk into a little plastic thing attached to a wire that is attached to a bigger wire that connects you to someone across the country holding a little plastic thing and that they can hear you crystal clear with no delay. Seriously, that’s stunning. And that’s just a landline! Cellular technology is a whole other level of mind boggling. It is God’s common grace to mankind to allow us to invent and enjoy such technology. I feel the same way about flying and jet propulsion.

10. Here's the memory verse from last week, Titus 3:3-7. Sorry I didn't get it to you Friday. I got lazy over the holidays. I started something a few weeks ago called "Mondays are for Memorizing" to help keep myself accountable and motivated to memorize Scripture. Join me!

11. This week: Romans 8:31-39.

Grace and peace,

Brad

“Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and to try to realize it. But God’s grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves.

By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world. He does not abandon us to those rapturous experiences and lofty moods that come over us like a dream. God is not a God of emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God’s sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p.26-27 

I think Bonhoeffer is right. The sooner we can settle down into reality and move past the unrealistic dream, the deeper our sanctification and the richer our community will be. Paul’s words sum it up best in Colossians 3:12-17:

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

He wrote Life Together while leading an underground seminary in Germany. It is a classic on Christian community. Below is a quote about the necessity of fellowship in the life of every believer. Contrast his setting and the intensity of his words with our often half-hearted and shallow attempts at fellowship in American Christianity. He writes:

“But God has put this Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of man. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p.22-23.

“The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been sparred?”

Martin Luther, quoted by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together, p.18

Counter–cultural community

Because the gospel removes both fear and pride, people should get along inside the church who could never get along outside. Because it points us to a man who died for his enemies, the gospel creates relationships of service rather than of selfishness. Because the gospel calls us to holiness, the people of God live in loving bonds of mutual accountability and discipline. Thus the gospel creates a human community radically different from any society around it.

Regarding sex, the church should avoid both the secular society’s idolization of sex and traditional society’s fear of it. It is a community which so loves and cares practically for its members that biblical chastity makes sense. It teaches its members to conform their bodily being to the shape of the gospel—abstinence outside of heterosexual marriage and fidelity and joy within.

Regarding the family, the church should affirm the goodness of marriage between a man and a woman, calling them to serve God by reflecting his covenant love in life–long loyalty, and by teaching his ways to their children. But it also affirms the goodness of serving Christ as singles, whether for a time or for a life. The church should surround all persons suffering from the fallenness of our human sexuality with a compassionate community and family.

Regarding money, the church’s members should engage in radical economic sharing with one another—so “there are no needy among them” (Acts 4:34).  Such sharing also promotes a radically generous commitment of time, money, relationships, and living space to social justice and the needs of the poor, the oppressed, the immigrant, and the economically and physically weak.

Regarding power, it is visibly committed to power–sharing and relationship–building among races, classes, and generations that are alienated outside of the Body of Christ. The practical evidence of this is that our local churches increasingly welcome and embrace people of all races and cultures. Each church should seek to reflect the diversity of its local geographical community, both in the congregation at large and in its leadership.

2. Last night I watched a movie about one of my heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a German pastor and theologian who stood against Hitler and the Third Reich. He chose the dangers of returning to Germany over safety in America where he was teaching in a seminary. This led to his imprisonment and eventual hanging by the Gestapo less than a month before the end of the war at the age of thirty-nine. I highly recommend his book The Cost of Discipleship.

3. It is very encouraging to be part of a church where there are so many babies. We’ve dedicated a baby every Sunday this month. What a joy to see so many young families raising their children for Jesus.

4. I am going to miss Nehemiah when we finish up this series in a few weeks. Not that I can’t visit him again, but I know we won’t hang out as much as we have been these past few months when we are done with the series. His passion for God and people and all-consuming commitment to the mission has been very instructive and inspiring to me.

5. This may shock you but I have never watched even one episode of Cheers, Friends, or Seinfeld. Just never got into them. But, I admit that I have played along and given the token smiling affirming nod in conversation when people say, “Have you seen that Seinfeld episode where he says…?”

6. On that note, my favorite shows as a kid were Bonanza and The White Shadow. Was The White Shadow on in Georgia? The Italian kid “Salami” was my favorite character. Welcome Back Kotter deserves an honorable mention.

7. We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday. Maybe we should consider writing a few random notes of thanks to people that have encouraged and touched our lives this past year.

8. On that note, holidays are tough times for deployed military folks and their families. In particular, remember the young soldiers who’ve been through CrossPointe this past year and are overseas—Quinn MacArthur (Iraq), Nick Privette (Afghanistan), and Bob Landeg (Iraq). Bob’s permanent station is Ft. Benning and his wife Amy is part of the Tribe. There are probably a few other names that are escaping me now as well.

9. Every Sunday I met new folks and see new faces. I am reminded again of how important it is to be clear about the Gospel. I never want to fall into the trap of assuming the Gospel or assuming that people know Jesus.

10. There’s something about the holiday season that can wear us down. Seems like the schedule is tighter, the stress level is ramped up. So many tugs in so many directions that war against our ability to focus on Jesus. How inconvenient of Jesus to expect us to worship Him during this commercialized season we’ve created to celebrate His birth. Help us, Lord, to see and savor Jesus this December.

Grace and peace

Brad

Titus 3:3-7 (Monday Memorize) from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

C. H. Spurgeon, in Lectures Delivered Before The Young Men’s Christian Association in Exeter Hall From November 1858 to February 1859, pages 168-169.

(via Ray Ortlund's blog Christ Is Deeper Still)

-Rev. Iain Murray, in a recent 9 Marks interview with Dr. Mark Dever.

(via Ray Ortlund's blog Christ is Deeper Still)

Psalm 46 from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

2. Gratitude. Thankfulness. Not optional for followers of Jesus. In Paul’s stinging indictment of the fallen state of all humanity in the first few chapters of Romans, he indicates that a lack of thankfulness towards God leads to futile thinking and foolish darkened hearts (Romans 1:21). I wonder if we realize what effect growing up in a culture of entitlement has on us in regards to being thankful and grateful—to one another, and more importantly, to God. It’s good for us to be reminded that we do not possess one thing that we did not receive from God (1 Corinthians 4:7).

3. On that note, as I mentioned yesterday, ice is an absolute luxury. Most people don’t get ice in their drinks. Thank you Jesus for ice. When my glass is full of ice, may it remind me to give thanks.

4. I feel bad when I get facebook friend requests from high school classmates that I have no recollection of. It made me realize that my life has been lived in quadrants—hometown in California, college in New York, Army, and then settling down in Columbus. Other than family, I haven’t really kept up with anyone from the first quadrant.

5. I recently listened to a message that I want every person at CrossPointe who is married or who wants to someday be married to listen to. It is by Matt Chandler from The Village Church outside of Dallas. I’ve mentioned how much I respect Chandler before. I listen to him every week. This message is excellent, and something we all need to hear. We’re making copies of it on CD and will have it available in the foyer for the next few weeks. Be sure to pick one up. It is called “Sanctification in Marriage.” I especially encourage young couples to listen to this together.

6. Our worship team is really talented. They’ve been great since the beginning, but they seem to be getting better and better. We are blessed. Most young church plants really struggle in this area. God has been generous to us.

7. Yes, I know USC got absolutely punked by Stanford this weekend. There’s not much to say. It was total domination, on our home field nonetheless. That’s all I got on that. I really don’t want to talk about it anymore.

8. God continues to be very gracious to me. I feel a fresh wind of the Spirit blowing through my life. I know words like that can sound kind of esoteric and super-spiritual. But, it is true. Four years ago I completely underestimated the emotional toil and spiritual warfare involved in planting a church. But, I’m more encouraged and excited about the future than ever before. And, I’m very grateful and humbled that I am able to spend my life preaching the Scriptures and serving this redemptive project we call CrossPointe.

Grace and peace,

Brad

Psalm 46 from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Here's a video of a sermon on Hebrews 11 he preached this week at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Although it is addressed to young future preachers, it applies to all Christians, and well worth forty-five minutes of your time.

It's a common question, and a very important one. Mike Bullmore, a pastor in Wisconsin and member of The Gospel Coalition gives a very good response to the question. 

Mike's clear and correct answer is no, a person cannot be saved outside of hearing and believing in Jesus. Of course, in a pluralistic age, this is an unpopular answer, but it is the only biblical answer. 

The implications for churches and Christians are profound and obvious. It is the Gospel--the good news of what God did in Christ on the Cross--that saves. Not programs. Not self-help techniques. Not pragmatism. Not relevant environments. Not church attendance. Not good works. Only Jesus. His death on the Cross as our sin-bearing wrath absorbing substitute fully satisfied God's justice against our rebellion and turned that wrath into favor and eternal life for all those that repent and believe in Jesus. It is the only thing that saves us. And, it should be our only message.

Take a moment to hear Mike Bullmore's explanation of how the New Testament especially makes this abundantly clear.

Ray's words below are powerful and very important. Take a moment to read it.

An Earnest Call For Evangelical Leaders To Recover The Gospel From Its Present Humiliation

A wave of authentic revival sweeps over the church when three things happen together: teaching the great truths of the gospel with clarity, applying those truths to people’s lives with spiritual power, and extending that experience to large numbers of people. We evangelicals urgently need such an awakening today. We need to rediscover the gospel.

Imagine the evangelical church without the gospel. I know this makes no sense, for evangelicals are defined by the evangel. But try to imagine it for just a moment. What might our evangelicalism, without the evangel, look like? We would have to replace the centrality of the gospel with something else, naturally. So what might take the place of the gospel in our sermons and books and cassette tapes and Sunday school classes and home Bible studies and, above all, in our hearts?

A number of things, conceivably. An introspective absorption with recovery from past emotional traumas, for example. Or a passionate devotion to the pro-life cause. Or a confident manipulation of modern managerial techniques. Or a drive toward church growth and “success.” Or a deep concern for the institution of the family. Or a fascination with the more unusual gifts of the Spirit. Or a clever appeal to consumerism by offering a sort of cost-free Christianity Lite. Or a sympathetic, empathetic, thickly-honeyed cultivation of interpersonal relationships. Or a determination to take America back to its Christian roots through political power. Or a warm affirmation of self-esteem. The evangelical movement, stripped of the gospel, might fix upon any or several of such concerns to define itself and derive energy for its mission. In other words, evangelicals could marginalize or even lose the gospel and still potter on their way, perhaps even oblivious to their loss.

But not only is this conceivable, it is actually happening among us right now. Whatever one may think of the various concerns noted above as alternatives to the centrality of the gospel—and some of these matters possess genuine validity and even urgency, especially the family—not one of them is central to our faith. Not one of them is the gospel or deserves to push the gospel itself to the periphery of our message, our agenda and our affections. But the gospel of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ is today suffering humiliation among us evangelicals by our conspicuous neglect of it.

When we think of the gospel, we may have a feeling that “We already know that. Ho-hum.” We assume the gospel as a given. We assume that the people in our churches know the gospel, and we are anxious to move on to more “relevant” and “practical” topics. The gospel is being set aside in our minds and hearts in favor of a broad range of issues, as broadly ranging as evangelicalism is fragmented, while the heart and soul of our faith is falling into obscurity through neglect. The holy mysteries of the incarnation, cross, resurrection, ascension and heavenly reign of our Lord, the great themes of election, propitiation, justification and sanctification, the power and deceitfulness of sin, the meaning of faith and repentance, our union with our crucified, buried and risen Lord, the infinitely superior value of our heavenly reward compared with anything this life has to offer (including the Christian life), the final judgment and eternity—these glorious themes which lie at the very center of our faith, which made the church great at her greatest moments in the past and which can do the same again for us today if only we will recover them and exploit them confidently, prayerfully and biblically, these infinitely precious treasures are being bypassed in favor of legitimate but secondary matters of concern. We must guard the centrality of that which is central.

We should not think, “Well, of course we have the gospel. The Reformation recovered it for us.” Such complacency will cost us dearly. Every generation of Christians must be retaught afresh the basic truths of our faith. The church is always one generation away from total ignorance of the gospel, and we today are making rapid progress toward that ruinous goal. Rather than carelessly assume the gospel, we must aggressively, deliberately, fully and passionately teach and preach the gospel. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. If we do not intentionally search them out, we will miss them.

Pastors and church leaders, in particular, are under enormous pressure today to satisfy the immediate demands of the marketplace at the cost of the gospel. People want what they want when they want it, or they will drive down the street to the First Church of Where-It’s-At to get it. Are we leaders losing our nerve? Have we come to feel that the gospel itself meets people’s needs less convincingly and helpfully? But think about it. Without a clear understanding of the central truths of our faith, where will the wisdom and motivation to live godly lives come from? We are constantly offering people “Five Steps to (whatever)” in answer to their problems. But it is not working. To a shameful degree, we Christians are morally indistinct from the world. Why? One reason is that we think piecemeal, and our lives show it. We do not perceive reality from God’s perspective. We perceive reality from the perspective of our ungodly culture, and then we try to slap a biblical principle onto the surface of our deep confusion. Consequently, very little actually changes. What we really need is not to be pandered to but to be re-educated in reality, as it is interpreted for us by the gospel. We need to know who God really is. We need to find out who we really are. We need to understand what our root problem really is and what God’s merciful answer really is. And we need that new perception of reality to percolate deep down into our affections and desires, reorienting us radically and joyfully to a whole new way of life. But if we frankly feel that the plain old gospel offers very little for people’s real needs, then we have never really known it at all.

We evangelicals today are suffering massive defeat, brilliantly disguised as massive success. A record high 74% of Americans eighteen years of age and older say they have made a commitment to Jesus Christ, according to a recent Gallup Poll. That could suggest a high degree of effectiveness in our witness. But at the same time—as if we needed verification of the fact—a survey by the Roper Organization shows little difference in the moral behavior of “born-again” Christians before and after their conversion. If we come under the spell of ratings appeal rather than the imperatives of the gospel, what room can there be for the narrow gate and the hard way? Even as our churches enjoy a measure of outward success, we remain the influenced, not the influential, as long as we shift our power-base from the ways of God to the ways of man, from Spirit-anointed biblical truth to human skills and novelties. Operating in a man-centered rather than a God-centered mode, our churches do not necessarily fail. They stand as good a chance of success as any other franchise network. Some even become popular—but popular as what? As a religious pastime, or as a force for God?

And you, O desolate one,
what do you mean that you dress in scarlet,
that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold,
that you enlarge your eyes with paint?
In vain you beautify yourself.
Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
– Jeremiah 4:30

O desolate evangelicalism, what do you mean by your stylish fads and restless search for ever new “relevance”? Why are you so insecure that you long for the world’s approving recognition? They despise everything you hold dear! “All things to all men” is no license to cater to the whims of the consumer. Christ alone is Lord. Or have you yourself forgotten his majesty? And why are you so boastful of your numbers and dollars? How poor you really are! Come back to the gospel. Come back to the wellspring of true joy and life and power. Sanctify Christ again as Lord in your hearts. Wake up! Strengthen what remains, for it is on the point of death. But if you will not return to the centrality of the gospel as God’s power for the church today, then what reason does your Lord have for not abandoning you altogether?

2. Are you familiar with the ministry of Impact360? Several of the students there have been coming to CrossPointe recently. The ministry is located in Pine Mountain just across from Callaway Gardens and they’re doing a great work equipping some very sharp young people with great futures ahead of them. Take a second to check out their website here.

3. November through January is simultaneously my favorite and least favorite time of year. It’s my favorite because of the holidays, the weather, the colors, the football, and how warm food like Chili just seems better when it’s overcast and cool outside. But it’s also my least favorite because during the holiday season I miss my family in California more. It seems like just the other day I was 18 years old at the airport in San Diego leaving for college in New York. And now I’ve lived over half my life on the East Coast. Makes me want to slow down and savor each moment with my children.

4. Something that really jumped out to me about Nehemiah 10 was the seriousness given to keeping the Sabbath. We are absolutely horrendous at this in America. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to sit quietly in his room.” Along the same lines he said, “If our condition were truly happy we should not need to divert ourselves from thinking about it.” The point he was making in this part of his work Pensees was that we are not really as busy as we make ourselves out to be, rather, we are constantly looking for diversions so we don’t have to sit still for a moment and face our own souls because we are afraid of what we might find. Convicting. We’re probably terrible at the commandment to observe Sabbath rest not because we are so busy, but because we are so bent on diversion. Jesus, help us with this.

5. I’m very thankful to have had the privilege to officiate the wedding of Tribe members Brandon Barnes and Christy Smith (now Christy Barnes!). They met and fell in love at CrossPointe and it brings me great joy to see them begin their lives together in Christ. They both have a great heart for God, and I look forward to seeing how God will use them in the future for His glory and their joy!

6. Although I always sense lots of life in the room on Sundays at CrossPointe, I’d love for us to feel more freedom of expression in worship and response. This isn’t a green light for the closet tambourine players among us, but I do think some of us could stand to be a little more expressive and responsive. Raising your hands, clapping, receiving communion, getting prayed for, maybe even saying “amen” or “right on” haven’t hurt anybody yet that I know of. Men, this would be especially good for some of you. Just a thought.

7. Over 4 years into it and still we have first time visitors every week. If you’ve been around CP for a while, would you make a special effort to go out of your way to meet someone new each week? I know Sundays serve as a time of connection with old friends, but I think we could always stand to do a little better engaging newer folks. All in all though I think we’re a warm and inviting place, so I’m not beating you up, just a gentle reminder.

8. Reynold, Keith and the guys survived their 100-mile jaunt through the woods this weekend. Again, why people do these things, we’ll never know!

9. Veterans Day is this Wednesday. What a debt of gratitude we owe our military. Pray for our men and women overseas, and look for practical ways to bless those from Ft. Benning you see around town. Pick up their check at a restaurant this week. Or, just a simple “thank you” goes a long ways.

10. Nehemiah 11 this coming Sunday. It’s another long list of names, but I’m going to use it as a springboard for a message about our strategy and philosophy of ministry at CrossPointe. Looking forward to it!

Grace and peace,

Brad

2. God didn’t create the Church just for Christians. He created it so that through Christians He could bless the world. If we don’t understand this, we’ll be life-long consumers, and never actually contribute. The Church is God’s primary pathway for the spreading of His renown, not a cul-de-sac for Christians.

3. Christian culture often teaches people that they are okay with God when they are not. The subconscious message is that if you go to camp, raise your hand at the end of a message, repeat a prayer, wear a t-shirt, get the bumper sticker, and then occasionally attend church that you are right with God, no matter what you do otherwise. Nothing could be more unbiblical. John the Baptist preached that we need to “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:9-10). This does not mean we will be perfect, but it does mean there should be an earnest pursuit of God and some measure of fruit and life change that comes from that. I fear that in our numbers obsessed ministry culture we do not preach the necessity of fruit as an indicator of genuine salvation, probably because we are scared people will not like it.

4. A few books I’m reading right now:

• The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever. An excellent book about what it is to be a Gospel-driven and biblically faithful church. I’m learning a lot, and feeling very convicted.
• A Hunger for God by John Piper. I’m reading this book to prepare to lead us on a Daniel fast in January.
• Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller. A very insightful book about the idols of our American culture. I’m thinking about doing a preaching series shortly after the New Year about idols in our culture.

5. You need to know something about me. I’m into Christian rap. Not the lame kind but the really good kind that is coming out lately from artists like Shai Linne. You should listen to this guy.

6. Yes, I know guys, my USC Trojans got absolutely owned by Oregon. They worked us like Pharaoh did the Hebrew slaves in Exodus 1:8-14. Their offense looked like they were running downhill. What can I say? We were overrated. Matt Barkley is a stud though and is gaining valuable experience and I predict that before he goes pro he’ll have a Heisman and a national championship to his name.

7. I always hated cheap Halloween candy when I was a kid, that’s why I do this every year.

8. On that note, post-Halloween is a good time to teach your children some basic economic principles. Specifically, taxation. Daddy candy tax is 25% at my house. That adds up with four kids. ;-)

9. Social media. I used to have a bad attitude about it because I thought it encouraged narcissism and self-absorption. And it certainly can. But, I’ve since changed my mind because I also see it as a great platform to spread a passion for Jesus. So, if you’re on Facebook and we’re not friends, you can friend me here and CrossPointe here and if you’re a twit on tweeter follow me here and the church here.

10. I love you all, more than I can express!

Grace and peace,

Brad

Martin Luther, the Great Reformer, lived from 1483 to 1546. He grew up in the German city of Eisleben about 120 miles outside of Berlin. He studied law at an early age and achieved a bachelor’s and master’s degree by the age of thirteen.

At the age of twenty-one, he was nearly struck by lightening while traveling through the countryside during a thunderstorm. Scared out of his wits, he interpreted this as God’s way of getting his attention and cried out to God that evening, “I will become a monk!”

During his years a Catholic monk, Luther lived in great fear and anxiety because of poor theological instruction. He labored intensely to earn his righteousness through a life of piety and self-denial. During this time, Luther began to pursue a doctorate degree in the Bible. In his studies he encountered the true Gospel as he read the book of Romans and the Psalms. He said of this time, “At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I…began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith…Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open.” Thus began Luther’s salvation and discovery of the great biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone that would become the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation.

On October 31, 1517, Luther could contain his discovery no longer. He was incensed at the manner in which the Catholic Church was raising funds for the building of the Basilica in Rome through the selling of indulgences. Indulgences were notes sold by the Church to living people as a way of purchasing for themselves or their dead relatives relief from the unbiblical notion of purgatory. Of course, after discovery in Romans the free gift of salvation through faith alone, Luther had to oppose this practice. So, on All Saints Day, he posted ninety-five complaints against the Church on the door of the chapel in Wittenberg, Germany. This historic document, called Luther’s 95 theses, marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

In 1521, Luther was called to stand trial before the Roman Emperor, Charles V, at a meeting called the Diet of Worms, in the city of Worms, Germany. At this trial, he was pressured to recant his writings and 95 theses. In the face of great pressure and the threat of his life, Luther uttered his famous “Here I Stand” speech in which he said, “Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds of reasoning…then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen.”

Luther was subsequently declared a heretic by the Church, and forced into hiding for essentially the rest of his life. During this time, Luther continued his theological work, translating the Bible into German so that every day people could read it. He also wrote many other books and works which still stand today as mountains in church and theological history. He died in 1546 at the age of sixty-three.

Luther’s contribution to the body of Christ and the entire world cannot be overstated. He stands as one of if not the most important men in history since the Apostles.

Click here for a pdf of Luther’s 95 theses. 

Click here for a link to an excellent biography on Luther, Here I Stand by Roland Bainton.

-Charles Spurgeon (New Park Street Pulpit, 4:337)

(HT: EPM)

WHAT IF I WENT INTO THERAPY, AND FOUND THAT THE COUNSELOR WAS JESUS?

Me: I’m tired. Really tired. Especially tired of failing and then covering it up with a smile.

Jesus: “I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground.”

Me: I can’t see that. And it’s not just me. The whole world is a mess. What about 9/11? What about all the horrible things that keep happening?

Jesus: “I form light and I create darkness. I make well-being and I create calamity. I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

Me: That scares me. I don’t want one God over all. I want many spiritual paths, all okay. That leaves me in control.

Jesus: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other.”

Me: So let’s say you are God. Let’s say you even love me. But why? You know all my secrets. Why do you love me?

Jesus: “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”

Me: If I open my heart to you, don’t I risk ending up a fool? What if you fail, like everything else in my life?

Jesus: “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.”

Me: And if I refuse?

Jesus: “There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked.”

Me: And if I say yes?

Jesus: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Me: But I’m so sinful.

Jesus: “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Me: But I’m so weak, so very weak.

Jesus: “A bruised reed I will not break, and a faintly burning wick I will not quench. I will lead the blind in a way they do not know, in paths they have not known I will guide them. I do not forsake them.”

(HT: Isaiah the prophet)

2. The richness of the lyrics to the song we sang yesterday, How Deep the Fathers’ Love for Us are staggering. I love that song because it preaches the Gospel.  

3. I absolutely love seeing people be water baptized. It is such a clear expression of the Gospel. It is incredibly humbling and inspiring to witness people obey Jesus in this way.

4. I was very encouraged by the diversity our Starting Pointe new members class this weekend. A couple from Taiwan, young couples just starting out, not so young couples with grown children, and some in between. Thank you Jesus for our diversity. Give us much, much more of it. One generation shall commend God’s works to another. (Psalm 145:4)

5. I see more and more Bibles and hear pages flipping on Sundays. That makes me want to shadow box. I pray the Holy Spirit continues to press hard on us the absolute necessity and centrality of the Word in our lives and church.

6. CrossPointe sponsored a table at the Sound Choices Pregnancy Center Gala last week.  I was so impressed with the report of all they are doing. This local ministry started over 20 years ago out of Edgewood Baptist Church and is doing a tremendous work saving lives of the unborn in our area. Pray for this ministry, and consider getting involved. They going to visit us soon one Sunday to tell us more about their ministry.

7. Big thanks to all the guys who came early yesterday and helped set up for the picnic on the front lawn. Every Sunday there a good number of folks getting outside of themselves serving so that others can be blessed.

8. That makes me think about those who serve in the nurseries, toddler, preschool and children’s church classes. I hope each of you realize how absolutely critical your service is to the ministry of the church. When everybody does his or her part, it has an incredible ripple effect on the ministry of the church. When these unglamorous areas are served consistently well with gracious willingness by people in the Tribe, visitors with children are freed up to worship and hear about Jesus. It doesn’t get much more important than that. 

9. Back to Nehemiah this week. We’re going to cover all of Nehemiah 9:1-38. It contains one of the longest recorded prayers in the Bible. What a rich chapter. The word “nevertheless” is used twice in the prayer. The first in relation to the peoples disobedience to God (v.26), the second in relation to God’s great mercy in spite of their disobedience (v.31). Can’t wait to gather again with you Sunday!

Twenty years ago this fall I was a scared “plebe” (freshman) at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. A few months before through the witness of my older brother I made a public profession of faith in Jesus at a crusade in my hometown. Now, as a scared freshman at an incredibly intimidating place, I was in a very vulnerable place spiritually.

And into my life entered a young pastor in his mid thirties named Randy Czyz. He had just the year before planted a church outside the gates of West Point called Highland Falls Assembly of God. An upper-class cadet (who was supposed to be hazing me) named Matt Martin was going to this church and invited me to come with him. Actually he kind of ordered me to come with him. I obeyed. I am so thankful I did. That first Sunday I met Pastor Randy, his wife Mary Anne, and their four children. Aside from my father and big brother, no man has had a greater impact on my life. I soaked up his sermons like a sponge. I feasted on Mary Anne’s lasagna countless times. I watched them raise their kids. I received his rebuke when he learned about my sin. He gave me my first opportunity to speak at a cadet Bible study he led on the campus. I learned how to worship. I learned to love Scripture. I learned what a church family was. It was in this place that the Lord began to stir my heart and plant seeds that would eventually become a calling to pastor and preach the Gospel.

For some reason I was thinking about Pastor Randy this week. I pulled up his church website (he now pastors in the Syracuse, NY area) and subscribed to his podcast. Listening to him preach and hearing his voice again brought me to tears of thankfulness for this man.

Thank you, Jesus, for faithful shepherds like Pastor Randy. You used him in my life in ways he could never have imagined twenty years ago when we first met. His labor of love in that little church plant outside of West Point continues to bear fruit in my life today.  

2. The most debilitating issue in my life has been and continues to be my desire to be a man-pleaser, also known as idolatry. It’s better than it used to be, but I’ve still got a long way to go.

3. Watching my oldest son Joseph grow is a delight. He’s only 11, but he’s light years ahead of where I was at his age spiritually. His thirst for knowledge and biblical truth gives me great joy and humility.

4. On that note, I worry a lot about the effect that my calling as a pastor has on my children. Growing up as a preacher’s kid is like walking through a spiritual minefield barefoot with no flak jacket. Jesus, save my children, guard their steps, and protect them from my hypocrisy and sin. 

5. I get asked now and then about preachers nationally that I respect and listen to. Matt Chandler is one of them. He pastors The Village Church outside of Dallas, Texas. He’s one of the best communicators of the Gospel I’ve heard. I could listen to him read the phone book and stay interested. If you’re an iPod user, you can subscribe to their podcast or listen straight from their site.

6. Very glad to be able to talk so freely about money yesterday in the message on Nehemiah 7:66-73. Also very humbled that in spite of the fact that I have done a terrible job in regards to teaching well on this subject since we began, CrossPointe is in a very healthy place financially.

7. What that said, I am very aware that we’ve got a long ways to go as a church in regards to living with the type of generosity that the Gospel calls us to as a Tribe. Free us, Jesus, from the self-absorption we breathe in like air. It’s so natural to us we can hardly recognize it.

8. Looking forward to Nehemiah 8. It’s an incredible chapter that speaks to the authority of Scripture and the effect it should have on us. Once again I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit has pressed hard on me regarding the sufficiency of the Scriptures. Otherwise, I’d be scrambling today trying to find something to say next Sunday or buying some sermon series off the Internet and dishing out old oatmeal and calling it a sermon. Jesus, help me and other pastors study the Bible well and then preach Gospel truth and all its implications from the Scriptures this Sunday, not self-help, relevance, or simply techniques for a better life. 

Grace and peace,

Brad

"Jesus gets glory when nobodies gather and love each other. Jesus gets glory when nobodies gather in moldy buildings in bad parts of town. Jesus gets glory when pastors forsake the wisdom of the world, set aside attempts to show off, open the Bible and preach it." 

(Okay, I realize it is Wednesday and not Monday…but I was busy).

1. What a great weekend with Jennifer in New York City celebrating her birthday. We love our four children dearly, but it is so good to spend time alone together.

2. I’m always struck by the mass of humanity when I go to NYC. So many languages, so many cultures. How did they get here? Where are they going? Do they know Jesus? Is there anybody telling them about Jesus? Does anybody (me) really care about all these souls? We need thousands and thousands of church planters all over the world. How easy it is to be a content, lazy American cultural Christian. Are we really here to spend money almost exclusively on ourselves, fuss over silly stuff, run from Bible study to Bible study, and haggle with each other over secondary issues? To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

3. Do you know about CrossPointe’s partnership with Highland Community Church? Once a month a team from the Tribe assists with this great church in the Bibb City area. Big thanks to Jenny Smith and her team for kicking it off this past Sunday. Talk to Jenny, Will Hawk, Daniel Hord or Joe Narde if you want to be a part of this effort.

4. I love Don McKelvey. What a blessing he is to our church. Very thankful that he preached this Sunday in my stead on one of my favorite passages in the Bible, 2 Samuel 9 and the story of Mephibosheth.

5. This Sunday is going to be an unusual one. We’ll cover Nehemiah 7:66-73 and have what I hope is a very informative discussion about money, buildings, and where we are headed along those lines at CrossPointe. I know some people would rather have their toenails ripped off with pliers than hear a sermon about money. I understand. The only problem with that thinking is that Jesus talked a good deal about money as a real indicator of our hearts. So, I promise…no manipulation, no thermometers on the stage, and no Old Testament verses out of context. Instead, I hope it will be a great time of rejoicing in the all-encompassing implications of the resurrection of Jesus.

Grace and peace,

Brad

1. I’m very thankful to be able to pastor the Tribe. Choosing to be part of a faith family and committing your life to it is essential to real sanctification. I get frustrated like all pastors do I suspect but I could never imagine walking away from this group of people. I truly grieve for people that jump from church to church or who are not vitally connected to a local body.

2. I love preaching through books of the Bible, even when we have to handle two chapters of basically nothing but names (Nehemiah 3 & 7)! It’s a great freedom and relief for me as a preacher to be released from pulling a rabbit out of the hat every Sunday. I don’t have to do that because we all know that what is coming next is what is next in the Book. I also hope it is teaching us a Tribe to really lean heavy into the sufficiency of Scriptures, and not on the creativity of man.

3. Along the same lines, I am very uncomfortable with what seems to be an incessant focus on relevance, environment, and pragmatism from a lot of preachers of national acclaim. It seems like a good number of the ministry conferences have the subconscious message of “Let’s make Christianity hip and cool so people will come.” The only problem with that line of thinking is the Bible. It seems to me that Jesus calls us to look radically different than this broken down self-absorbed and insecure world we live in. Yes, I understand we need to contextualize the Gospel for each culture and generation, but I think we too often end up compromising it. But I confess that I feel the tug to be hip and cool and I want a lot of people come to my church too. I think it boils down to the fact that a lot of pastors are in this gig to feed their ego. Oh that I would care more about Jesus’ fame than having a big church and being popular. Help me with this, Jesus.

4. I love it when I see people leaning forward into the studying and preaching of the Bible. But I still see a lot of people (men especially) that would consider CrossPointe their home that do not even bring their Bibles to church. Honestly my brothers, that’s pathetic. Come on, you need to lead in this area. Let’s be men of the Book. Carry it around. Familiarize yourself with it. Don’t rely on the screen for the Scriptures. I love you guys, but some of us have got to do better here.

5. I’m very thankful for the ministry team at CrossPointe. They do more behind the scenes than many people realize. Reynold is an invaluable gift to the church. Hawk and Karan Anne are so wonderful with teenagers and kids. Paul is a rare find these days…an ultra-dependable, masculine, ego-less, and very talented worship leader. And Hollie, well, what can I say…CrossPointe would implode without her.

6. I want to do this well, for a long time, at the same place, for the right reasons, without sacrificing my family at the altar of ministry. That’s more challenging than I realized. I’m thankful that I can communicate my lack and struggle in this area to the Tribe.

7. I married the most excellent person I know. It will be 15 years this December. And this weekend we’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of her 30th birthday as I whisk her away to a yet to be disclosed (to her) location for four wonderful days. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve come a long ways since taking her out to the Shoney’s buffet for our first date.

Grace and Peace!

Brad

(HT: Worship Matters)

Nehemiah 3 - "Ordinary People" from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Click here to download "How Did We Get Our Bible and Has It Been Changed?" by Dr. Matthew Harmon.

(HT: Between Two Worlds)

This Friday and Saturday (August 7th & 8th) Cecil Cheves will embark on a rather unusual way to celebrate his 60th birthday (to say the least!). He's going to run 60 miles, bike 60 miles, and swim 60 laps! Yes, we thought about staging an intervention, but decided his mind was made up! Seriously though, in addition to doing it as a personal challenge, Cecil is hoping to bring awareness to a great cause called the Honor Flight Network.

Take a moment to check Cecil's Triathlon website and also the Honor Flight Network.

Right on, Cecil!

Nehemiah: A People On Mission from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Our first stab at a video post on the blog...with a little help from Arabella.

Test Video (sorta kinda) from CrossPointe Church on Vimeo.

Pastor Dad: Scriptural Insights for Fatherhood by Mark Driscoll

For more resources from Keller click here.

Click here to read it.

HT: Desiring God and 1031 Sermon Jams

HT: Justin Taylor

For full transcript click here.

Funny...and true.

(HT: Straight up)

I'm often very convicted about how the church responds to abortion. We need to have more than a political stance. We need to say more than "abortion should be illegal." Churches should be full of adopted children. But, regardless of the shortcomings of our response as a church, this excerpt from a recent John Piper sermon is very powerful and something we need to hear. To watch the whole sermon click here. To learn more about Sound Choices Pregnancy Center, a local ministry we support that is doing a great work, click here.

Here's a very helpful and simple explanation of the heart of the Gospel by Mark Dever. Dever is a pastor in Washington, D.C. and the author of several books. In particular, I recommend his book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism for help with how to share your faith.

Message number two in our Grow series coming up this week. The theme is going to be repentance, and how necessary it is, not only in our salvation, but also our growth. Here's what Martin Luther had to say about repentance in his 95 theses that kicked off this little thing we like to call the Protestant Reformation (in fact, it was #1 on the list!):

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

Chew on that for awhile. The "entire life" of the believer should be one of repentance. Wow.

The fact that Jesus died and then rose from death back to life is not just part of our message, it is the thing upon which everything else hangs.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17)

It's called Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will, written by a pastor named Kevin DeYoung. Click on the title and it will take you to the Amazon link.

I just got this book a few days ago. I haven't finished it yet but what I've read so far is very solid and practical. I especially appreciated and got a chuckle out of the subtitle of the book: "How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc."  

Let me know if you read and what you think.

So, here's my plan: Keep it simple. Speak from the Book. Make Jesus the hero. Remember that it's God who saves people, not me.

Pray for me and the people who need to hear the Gospel this Sunday. Specifically, pray Colossians 4:3-4.

Brad

"It is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness." [ p.16]

What a statement. As we struggle and strain at CrossPointe to wisely craft a culture of discipleship, pray that God would give us the gift of a sustained enthusiasm for "patient acquisition of virtue."

"The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." 

Get your TIVO's fired up. The ABC program nightline is conducting a debate about the existence of Satan that will air on Thursday, March 26 at 11:35 pm. This should be interesting. Check out link below for more info. Put me down for a "yes"...Satan is real.

ABC Nightline - Does Satan exist?

Turn on the news any given night these past months and all you see is talking heads telling you how bad the economy is. It can get depressing, and worrisome. I recently listened to a message by John Piper about the recession. Piper is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, and if you've been around CP for awhile, you know that I have a great appreciation for his ministry. This message was a great encouragement and reminder to me in these volatile financial times that God is in control. I think it will encourage you too. The message is entitled, "What is the recession for?" To listen to it or watch the video online, click here.  

See you in the blogosphere.

Brad