Thursday, October 23, 2014

You Are The Church


Since its birth, the church has been among the most misunderstood organizations in existence.  It has been maligned, persecuted, challenged, rejected, and ignored.  And yet, there are millions of congregations around the world, and in many nations the church is growing faster than we can imagine.

It seems striking that while those outside the church are often the ones that misunderstand it, so many times the misunderstanding comes from within.  When those within the church don’t quite understand it, there is often confusion, complacency, lack of vision and direction, decline, and even division.

Often, church members see the church as something you “go to.”  We’ve all had those conversations in which we talk about going to church, or getting others to go to church.  At times, this view causes us to think that if we “go to church,” we are in good standing spiritually, as if being “in church” makes one a Christian. However, as has often been said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”

Sometimes, people see the church as something to be joined.  It is as if we are somehow changed by affiliation or by finding our names on the church roll.  Other times, church people have the illusion that the church is a social organization created to change things around us, or as a place where like-minded friends are.

While all those and many other views of the church contain some elements of truth in them, the fact is that the church is nothing less than every single person, wherever they may be, who live in a relationship with Jesus that has been secured by his death and resurrection.  When any one accepts the forgiveness of God through the grace he has offered us through his son, Jesus, and then determines to follow Christ as a believer, that person is born into the church, not by human choice but by God’s action.

To state it very simply, then, if you know Jesus, you are the church.  We are the church together.  We have been entrusted with the most important task in the world, that of taking the good news of Jesus to a broken, lost, and dying world.  So the church is not a social organization, a gathering of people who think alike, a roster to get one’s name on, or a gathering of religious people.  It is the body of Christ, on mission. It is me. It is you.  It is us together.  We exist together so that Jesus can be made known, so that broken people can be made whole, so that empty people can be filled, so that people who are guilty can be forgiven, so that reconciliation can come to broken relationships. 

When we came to know Christ, we became part of the church. It’s hard to imagine, but God believes in us enough to trust us with being his body in this world.  Of all the things to be part of, the most exciting to me is to be part of the church.  Imagine, Jesus touches broken people with our hands, encourages them with our words, helps them through our giving, loves them with our hearts, and draws them to himself with our witness. 

And so, church rightly understand is not a burden, a chore, or a confining responsibility.  It instead brings great freedom to our lives, freedom to love, serve, give, and belong.  The next time church seems like just one more thing you have to do, take a look at your view of church.  Remember that it is the greatest, most powerful force in the world.

Best of all, remember that YOU ARE THE CHURCH!


Pastor Carl

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The Spirit Within

           Two thousand years ago, God came down to earth to dwell among us as a man. He lived, died on a cross, and rose again so that we might experience life.  A few weeks after his death, an equally amazing event took place. The third Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, came to dwell within His people for all eternity. Yes, the God of the universe, the One who created everything, and He who holds it all together desires to dwell within our fragile bodies for His purposes and glory.    
On Pentecost, the Spirit came as “tongues of fire” and filled the disciples. They were forever changed. The Apostle Peter, once a bumbling fisherman, now preached to thousands of people from different nations. His hearers, cut to the core, repented and were baptized, not because of Peter, but because of the Spirit of God within him, speaking through him (Acts 2). With a few words or a touch, the disciples healed the crippled, sick, and demon possessed – works of the Spirit of God within them. New believers sold everything they had to share with those in need – evidence of the Spirit of God within them. The evangelist Philip was instantaneously transported 30 miles after sharing the gospel and baptizing an Ethiopian eunuch; the Spirit within was using him for His purposes (Acts 8).
We can easily think such miraculous works of the Spirit were only for New Testament times and believers, but this is far from true. The Church of God movement has experienced many powerful works of the Spirit throughout its history. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, or “sanctification,” has been a central teaching and experience throughout our history. People who were surrendered to the Holy Spirit saw God perform the very same works mentioned in the New Testament because the very same Spirit dwelt within them, within us.
In the early 1930’s, my grandfather prayed all night for a man lying on his deathbed. During those hours of prayer, my grandfather received the spiritual gift of healing and the man was healed instantly. With only an 8th grade education, my grandfather went on to plant over ten churches and heal hundreds of people. Like the New Testament believers, the Spirit of God who lived within my grandfather gifted him and enabled him to fulfill God’s will.
Is Crossroads a people that is fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit? Are we experiencing fruit only God can produce or are we content with mere human effort as if God were not even with us? Do we merely ask God to bless what we have already done on our own strength or are we using the gifts His Spirit has given to follow His lead, building His Kingdom? Imagine what the Spirit within us desires to do in our lives, in our families, at Crossroads, in our community, and beyond. Wouldn't it be amazing to surrender anew and find out. 

Pastor Jason

For further dialogue on this blog entry and the role of the Holy Spirit in your life, contact Pastor Jason at 419-229-4074 or jason@limacrossroads.org.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Motivations

Over the past couple months I’ve been on a journey in my own life of trying to discover the motives behind my actions.  I’ve been at a place for quite a while now that longs to do the right thing for the right reason.  So many times I do the right thing in everyone’s eyes because I want people to think better of me or I want to gain respect.  The motives behind my actions are not always what they should be. 

Jesus spends most of his time teaching about the heart. It seems as though Jesus cares more about our heart than our actions.  If our hearts are in the right place, won’t the right actions flow out of that?  We have some how switched the two. We think doing the right thing means our hearts are in the right place.  I know this isn’t true because there I times I do the right thing for very selfish reasons. 

I have begun asking the question, why am I doing… fill in the blank.  What I have found in my life is that the reason why I do a lot of things is because there has been someone out there that has told me not to.  Let me give you an example.  One day I was at Chic-fil-A for lunch with some friends.  Chic-fil-A has the best milkshakes, so I usually go for a chocolate shake.  This day was no different. The cashier handed me the milkshake and says, “Don’t squeeze it too hard the lid may pop off.”  After hearing, this I didn’t even think - I just instantly gave the cup a couple small squeezes right in front of the cashier.  The cashier looked at me and said, “I said don’t.”  I have this automatic reaction to people who tell me to do something; I just don’t do well when people tell me what to do.

The question then remains, why do I do that?  Why am I so quick to do the opposite of what people tell me?  What is the reason or motivation behind those actions? When we answer these kinds of questions we begin to understand the condition of our own hearts.  But we must evaluate our motivation, not just our actions.  Jesus says, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  Jesus is constantly telling parables that people think have to do with farming, finding lost things, and being kind, when the more I read them the more it seems as Jesus is trying to get us to see the condition of our own hearts. 


For me answering these questions has shown me that I have a prideful heart at times.  The reason I do the opposite of what I’m told is because I want to prove to people that I don’t have to listen to anyone and I can figure it out on my own.  That’s the truth.  For the last couple months I have been aware of this and have spent a lot of time in prayer about it.  As we answer these kinds of questions it causes us to look straight in the mirror and own our own junk.  It goes beyond our actions and into our hearts.  This is what Jesus kept trying to get the Pharisees to see. Following Jesus is about more than just what we do, but why we do it.  When we answer that question we are forced to stare at our evil and deal with it instead of being blind to it.  We have gotten really good at playing the game and doing the right thing, but all we are doing is fooling ourselves into thinking that we have it all together.  I hope you spend some time evaluating your own heart by finding the motives behind your actions.   

Jake Kline

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Hope

What do you do when the world seems to be falling apart?

I don’t mean your world, necessarily, but the world as a whole. Have you listened to the news lately? I keep up with current events, and the past several weeks have been very alarming. Most recently, there was the apparent suicide of comedian Robin Williams this past Monday. I remember watching Good Will Hunting when I was 13, and experiencing the joy of him as an actor. His comedy was unmatched, and his dramatic roles were incredibly authentic. Then, when I heard he committed suicide, I wondered, “How can a man who has brought so much joy not experience it himself?”

Worse yet, there is a growing fight in the Middle East. Before I talk about it, I will mention that I don’t care about the politics of this topic. In the Middle East right now, there is a “new” terrorist group called ISIS. They’re insistent that America is evil and we should all die. On top of that, they have been linked to another terrorist group called the Hamas. The Hamas group is fighting a different war right now. They’re currently based in Palestine, and their hobby of the month is launching rockets from buildings like hospitals and schools at civilians in Israel. There have been many casualties, and even more disheartening is the cease-fire efforts. Both sides attempt to create a temporary ceasefire, just for respite. The first 72-hour ceasefire that was agreed on lasted around 2 hours. The latest ceasefire lasted around 70, but after that it was straight back to killing. What kind of world is this?

Now, I know that practically speaking, my day-to-day life isn’t changed much by both of these events. I am incredibly thankful for that, but there is pain here too. At the top of my list is the recent fact that my grandfather, one of the wisest, strongest, and best men I’ve known, is being decimated by lung cancer, and no matter the treatment, the news is the same. There isn’t anything we can do to stop it.

 I am blessed that my individual life is going well, but the world seems to be crashing down around me. It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while I start to feel hopeless. I look at these scenarios and think, “Where is Jesus in all of this?” One of the defining things about ISIS is they hate Christians. Their big thing right now is finding and killing any Christian they can. The hard part is, you know those Christians prayed. They probably prayed harder, more earnestly, and if I can jab at how we talk about prayer, with “more faith” than we have. When I try and empathize, my heart breaks. I want to yell at God, not knowing how He, the perfect loving creator I believe him to be, can listen to those cries and seemingly do nothing.

I hope I have made you feel the tension I feel lately, and I want to share with you the resolution. The first one is simple, but deep. As Christians, we believe that Christ died to make all things new. If that’s correct, that means we must have hope in the face of a world that’s falling apart. That’s the reality. That’s what sin is doing to the world. The cool part is this isn’t the final state of things. Eventually Jesus will fix it all. That knowledge, if we let it take root, gives us hope in even the worst situations. The second resolution is linked. Jesus, while he will eventually fix it all, isn’t content to wait. He didn’t just die on the cross to eventually save us. He died so he could start renewing things immediately.

So what does Jesus’ renewal look like? To me, a renewed world is one that is full of Love. This isn’t cheap, worldly love, which is the word I use interchangeably for music, tacos, and my friends. This is the deep, deep love that God has for his children, like a good father towards his kids. This kind of love isn’t natural. It shouldn’t be able to exist in this broken, sinful world. And yet, this kind of love pokes through into our world like a light through clouds. This is the love that I got to experience this past weekend with my cancer-ridden grandpa. This past weekend was his and my grandma’s 60th wedding anniversary. My grandpa, his loving wife, their three boys (one of whom is my dad), and all of their grandkids got together to celebrate them. I will never forget that night, or the look of pure joy on my dying grandpa’s face as we sat as a family and watched old 8mm tapes of my grandparent’s vacations, early Christmases, and other big moments. The love of Christ was there. It’s the same love that, in the midst of a country that’s tearing itself apart, is showing up in people. Honestly, I don’t have a specific story I can tell you from the Middle East that tells of how Christ’s love is showing up there. However, I know Jesus. I know that wherever there are Christians, He is there too, meeting people in the midst of their unbelievable pain. He doesn’t avoid the hard situations. He walks towards them.

Jesus wants to renew the world, and he wants to start now. The catch is that he isn’t here anymore. Who do you think Jesus wants to start renewing the world? 

I want to challenge you this week as I challenge myself.  First, we must have hope in all situations. And whether or not the situations around you are big or small, I challenge you to walk into the darkness, the hurt, the confusion, and take the light of Jesus there.


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Seeing God in Nature

The sunset last night was beautiful.  Did you see it?  Every night I intentionally watch for 2 things; the sunset and the night sky.  I live in the country so I have a panoramic view of both events.  I have always loved nature but lately I use it as a reminder of God’s created beauty for us…for me to enjoy.  It is intimately given to cause us to ponder the Creator so over the past months I intentionally looked for the unusual. 

In January it was Snow Rollers.  Our property was scattered with random sized snowballs with no footprints marking their creation, just skid marks as they grew in size.  Snow rollers, snow logs or Mother Nature’s snowballs, as they are called, are a rare creation which requires perfect conditions of cold snow topped by wet, loose snow and strong enough wind to roll but not destroy the fragile creation. 

Then in April I set my alarm for a 2am wakeup call with hopes of viewing the first of four blood moons to occur on and between April 2014 and September 2015.  All four blood moons will occur on major Jewish holidays! Cloudy skies prevented any sightings but I anticipate the second blood moon in October.  I will once again set my alarm for the early morning hours.

It is so intentional, God’s gift of beauty and wonder.  I am drawn to Him.  I praise Him, the Creator of my sunsets.  

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. Romans 1:20 NLT

My search for the wonder in nature has renewed my focus on God in all areas of life.  It has become an intimate moment of praise and worship to my Savior where He fills me with joy.  It is so much more than a sunset.  It is a priceless gift that a loving father gives to his child to experience, enjoy, and ultimately draw me closer to Him.

Susie Rosengarten



Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Taking a Sabbath

Sabbath rest is such a much-needed part of life that we in the Western Christianity have largely ignored and at times even criticize.  We live in a culture that rewards multitasking, long work hours, and an abundance of activities.  Even our vacations are so busy and draining that people often say they need a vacation from their vacation.  Persons who know the art of rest, rejuvenation, and Sabbath are often criticized as being lazy or weak.  And yet I believe this is exactly how God has wired us. 

God provided the model of Sabbath when He rested on the seventh day from all of His creating.  When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, the longest of all referred to taking a Sabbath each week.  Even their fields got a Sabbath 1 out of every 7 years in order to replenish and renew.  Peter Scazzero in his book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” writes:  “Sabbath keeping summons us to slow down to God’s rhythm. For when we are busier than what God requires…we do violence to ourselves… And in doing violence to ourselves, we are unable to love others in and through the love of Christ.”

When we don’t take time to rest, renew & rejuvenate; our bodies, minds and spirits begin to break down.  We become shells of who God created us to be.  Instead of living at peace we become anxious, instead being patient we become hurried, instead of forgiving we criticize, and instead of loving we even begin to hate. 

We often think that we will get more done and be more productive with less Sabbath, and yet the opposite is true.  In the February 9th, 2013 edition of The New York Times Tony Schwartz writes: “A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows that strategic renewal — including daytime workouts, short afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.”  People are finding out the truth of what God already put into place.

So how do we do this idea of Sabbath?  Find time throughout each day to stop and be renewed by God.  Take a whole day each week to be stop and rest.  Take multiple simultaneous days each year to be able to listen and be refreshed by His Spirit.  What should we be doing during that time?  Peter Scazzero writes that we should stop, rest, delight (in his creation, other people, play) and contemplate (focus on God).  While this can happen anywhere, Crossroads has provided Deep Woods (cabins, prayer walk & trails) for this very reason. 

Begin with small steps so that it won’t be an overwhelming experience that soon goes by the wayside.  Learn from others that are practicing it well.  Just do something, and by that, I mean at some point stop doing and rest. 

God Bless!


Jason 

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Vicarious Spirituality


Have you ever noticed that as Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, began his earthly ministry he drew large crowds? The people of that time thirsted for hope, hungered for justice, longed for a word from God and Jesus was their answer so they flocked to hear him, see him, touch him…at least for awhile. But in three short years the crowds grew smaller. In the end, even Jesus’ small band of disciples deserted him in fear and as he hung on the cross only a few were there to suffer with him.

How does the Son of God so quickly lose his popularity? It was always meant to be that way. Jesus never intended for any of us to live our spiritual lives vicariously through Him. He didn’t come to create a new cult and set himself up as the leader. His purpose was always to lead us back to life with the Father. Dare I say it…Jesus is NOT the subject…he is the way…the verb that reconnects us with God. Jesus wouldn’t allow his disciples to be satisfied with a vicarious spirituality that depended on him as the focal point. For that reason he challenged his disciple to grow up, to own their stuff, to speak out, to share, to let go, to try and fail, to be full and active partners in establishing the Kingdom that God has designed.

We continue to be a vicarious culture. Our real lives aren’t interesting or fulfilling enough so we live vicariously through other means. We vicariously feel important through famous people who have made it big. We live vicariously in the home of our dreams through HDTV. We vicariously run, pass, and play while seated comfortably in our easy chairs watching endless hours of sports programming. We vicariously experience romance through the Hallmark channel and adventure through Bear Grylls. We have vicarious sex on pornographic websites and meaningful friendships through clicks and emoticons on social networks… and on and on it goes.

Often, even our spiritual life is lived vicariously through the church’s weekend programming or through someone who we consider close to God…like maybe a pastor.

In this season of transition as I step aside as Lead Pastor of Crossroads church and as we wait for God to bring a new leader, I simply want to remind you that your life with God cannot be lived vicariously through Jesus, through a saintly family member, through a Bible teacher, through church activities, through comfortable Christian traditions, through me or any pastor from the past or that is yet to come.
We are all instruments to connect you to real life with God.
God calls you into relationship with him.
God calls you to be salt and light to the world.
God calls you to love as Christ loved.
God calls you to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
God sends you out into the world to make an impact.

Don’t settle for a vicarious spirituality!

It’s time to grow up, own your stuff, to speak out, to share, to let go, to try and fail, to live as a disciple, to be full and active partners with God in establishing the Kingdom He has designed.
Go live…really live!

Randy Bargerstock
Lead Pastor
Crossroads Church of God
Lima, Ohio

*Pastor Randy will step aside as Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church on July 31st, 2014 to pursue the next challenge that God is preparing. This is his last Blog entry on this site. He plans to share further reflections on his own Blog site in the near future.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Living with the Spirit

I was golfing with a friend who is a nurse and he was telling me about a doctor who is an atheist.  My friend told me that he was with a patient and asked if the doctor would pray with them.  The doctor’s response, “There is a saying that hands spread open can do a lot more good than hands closed together.”  When I heard this I thought what experiences does this doctor have that has completely robbed him of the power of God?  

While I was at IYC (International Youth Convention) there was a main session titled, “In Tune With Power”.  For the whole week we were talking about how we needed to be in tune with 4 different things; purpose, purity, power and people.  When I saw the one about power I was intrigued because power isn’t something that is talked about a lot.  When we read the story of Jesus you can’t help but see power, but when you look around todays churches, it looks like we are a bunch of powerless people.  Why?

The speaker referenced a pretty familiar passage in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  I would guess that most of you have read this passage before, but what struck me for the first time.  There seems to be a correlation between the power of the Holy Spirit and being witnesses.  In order for us to be the witnesses that God has called us to be, we must first be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is so comforting to me as I reflect on it, because it not longer means that I have to depend on my own power and strength, but instead I need to be connected to the ultimate power and strength through the Holy Spirit.

The obvious question after this is then, how do we do this?  I’m learning that if I surround myself with people who are striving to live in this same way, living close to the Spirit becomes a much clearer path.  Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am with them.”  The way that I connect with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit is by connecting with other people who are trying to do the same.  It’s in these relationships I experience the power of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness through other people by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I hope you take some time today to experience the power of the Holy Spirit; I am convinced that this is what the world needs to see.  They need to see the power of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness, and to be completely honest I need to see that in my own life too.


 Jake Kline

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

The Great Divorce

The other day, I was reading C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. He is one of my favorite authors, and not for the Chronicles of Narnia. He is one of the great thinkers of the faith for our time.  The Great Divorce has nothing to do with divorce. The book is one long parable. Lewis writes this book in the form of a story, and it’s strange to explain, but I will try. The story is from the perspective of a man that has just died, and then is almost in Heaven. It’s kind of a purgatory-esque place where people who have died recently are gathered, and angels meet them. There, conversations take place. Angels come to meet people and ask them to join them in the journey forward, deeper into Heaven and to Christ. The interesting part of the book is how C. S. Lewis portrays these conversations. The angels are pleading with them to come, because the ghosts of the humans have to give something up in order to move forward. It’s incredibly interesting.

For example, in one conversation, there was a self-righteous man. He argued with the angel, saying he was only there to get what was rightfully his. He ranted and raved about how he had done the best he could and he wasn’t perfect, but he was a good person. The angel tried to convince him that he didn’t deserve anything, that he in fact deserved hell. The man wouldn’t give in. He was too proud, and chose his pride over moving towards Christ.

Another conversation took place between an angel and what I’ll call a controlling mother.  This conversation was hard for me to read, but not because I’m a controlling mother. The angel was begging with her. Her problem was she saw everyone in her life as they related to how they could serve her.  She ranted to the angel about how her son had betrayed her, when in reality he simply made his own choices. She ranted about her husband who abandoned her, when she really pushed him away by being overly controlling. The hard part of this conversation was at the end, the angel, at the verge of giving up, asked her if “you could, just for a moment, think of something other than yourself?” That was convicting.

The point of this book is for us to see Christ and experience Heaven, we have to give up whatever is in our way.  This isn’t meant in a physical way, such as giving up a nice car or house or something. It’s meant in a deeper way. I have to sacrifice who I am and what I love to find Christ. I have to put parts of me to death, in order that Christ can bring them back to life. This week I’ve been learning, through C. S. Lewis, what it means to offer myself as a living sacrifice, like Romans 12:1 says. The cool thing is this. On one hand, when we refuse to put things to death, to submit things to Christ, they eventually die as weak, polluted things, like the love a mother has for her family that goes too far to the point of obsessive control. On the other hand, when we put things in our life to death, such as lust (which is simply a polluted, twisted version of love), Christ breathes life into them. Once lust is killed, the love that can rise in its place is supernatural.

I hope this made sense. If not, let me sum it up. Christ wants us to put to death the things in our life that keep us from him, such as our pride, lust, or self-righteousness. He wants these to die so that he can raise His characteristics in their place.

What in your life do you need to put to death?

What could Christ do in your life if you were rid of that?

Will you let him? 

Andrew Saffell

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Assessing the Good and the Bad

When we look at the world, we see some good people enjoying happy lives, but we also see many good people leading very difficult lives. More difficult and hard to accept are the bad people who seem to be happy and doing very well, as Job lamented. Privately, we may tell ourselves that they can’t really be happy despite all of the evidence to the contrary. Perhaps we don’t want them to be. We want our full portion and payoff right now, whereas now the payoffs are partial, just enough to give us some peace. I do strongly believe that goodness is its own reward, with foundational joy, peace and abundant life, and that evil is its very own punishment, with ongoing anxiety, restlessness and some form of fear. But the full declaration seems to wait for eternity.

     We express a small and resentful attitude when we proclaim that atheists, evildoers, sinners, and fill-in-the-blank bad people are miserable. We live in the in-between of faith and should not expect perfect logic, retributive fairness, or final judgment in this world.


     We need to focus on our own life and be sure we are all we can be in Christ. Because I have failed countless times in this life, I do not dare make judgments about another’s life, when there is so much more work to be done in my own. And then, just maybe, those who have chosen to turn from Life, might see something in me, a glimpse of the One who gives life and they, may chose Life themselves. 

Tim Hubbell

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Trust

I am repeatedly baffled at what we humans will trust.

We like to echo the phrase “in God we trust” but the very paper this phrase is printed on reveals something we trust more.

We struggle to trust other humans because at some time or another someone has disappointed us, betrayed us, belittled us, used or abused us. Determined not to be duped again, our self-protective walls grow high and limit the possibility of real, trust-based relationships.

We do, however, trust the fascination of technology that allows us to connect with the world from the safety of our isolated fortresses. We trust information that is often biased and rooted in partial truth. We trust our personal information and credit history to vendors who would sell us the world. We trust our secret thoughts and private moments to public walls where we can be encouraged, challenged, ridiculed, pursued or bullied. We trust our hearts to services that promise to find the right life partner for us. We trust our need for deep friendship to a network of contacts that can easily “like” or “unlike” us. We trust our sense of direction to an annoying voice that tells us where to go. We trust our lives to distracted driving practices believing that response to a text message is more urgent than human safety.

Before you assume that I am “anti-technology” let me assure you that is not the case. Technology is simultaneously wonderful, amazing, and mind-blowing in what it is able to do now, and will be able to do in the future. It has facilitated great advancements in the human condition and story. But technology remains neutral. It has no capacity to trust or distrust. Only humans have that ability.

How can we say we trust God when many of our decisions and actions betray our loyalty and prove that we are prone to trust lesser things?

One answer: We dissect our words and actions by redefining the word “believe”. In the Kingdom of God, “trust” or “faith” is the essence of belief. To say that you believe someone is to pledge your unwavering trust in him for every dimension of life.

Somewhere along the way we discovered that it is easier to believe in something rather than implicitly trust someone. So we reduced our understanding of “belief” to verbal consent or agreement with certain truth statements about God. This redefining of “belief” also redefined our mission as people of God. If we could get someone to verbally consent to their depravity as a human and admit their need for God’s gracious love, then we could declare them a believer and our efforts successful. Consequently the world is full of growing numbers of God believers who have never been challenged to fully trust in God.

I think the 21st century church’s mission must recapture the essence of God’s vision for the world –to reconnect people to people, people to the created world, and people to the spirit and heart of God.

Trust, belief, faith, whatever you call it, is the mortar that holds us and God’s vision together. We have to start there.

From the Ancient Text…Proverbs 3:4-7 MSG

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!

Randy Bargerstock –Lead Pastor







Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The World Cup

by Jake Kline

This past week, I found myself doing something I usually don’t do: watching soccer.  Soccer can seem boring and pretty pointless at times (like when it ends in a 1-1 tie) but I love the World Cup.  If you don’t know what the World Cup is, all the nations of the world gather in one place and take part in a huge soccer tournament.  This happens every 4 years and this year it is taking place in Brazil.  For about a month, we are going to see nations become unified because of sport.  Say what you will about sports in our world, at times they can be overbearing, but very few things have the power to unite generations for one common goal.

As I was watching the United States play Ghana on Monday evening, they would continually show the reactions of groups of people watching the game.  By groups I don’t mean a couple friends at a bar or a home, but thousands of people. In the last few minutes of the game, with the score tied, Team USA made an incredible goal. The fans reacted like any fan would when their team pulls it out. Check it out.



Doesn’t that video give you chills?  A nation, united with one goal, regardless of age, race or gender, all kinds of people unified in one moment.  Beautiful.

It got me thinking, what if my relationships were unified with one goal?  I’ll be honest, I don’t always agree with the decisions the people closest to me make and that disagreement has caused division.  We have all been there, right? There is some conflict, and it’s just enough to drive a wedge in the relationship.  It’s not that we don’t like the person, we just say things like, “we are going in separate directions,” or, “we grew apart.” I understand this happens in life, but what if we intentionally tried to stay unified with our friends instead of letting life dictate who our friends are?  Why is it that divorce within the church is just as common as divorce outside of the church?  Why is it hard for us to have true authentic relationships?  Aren’t our relationships supposed to look different?  How come I look around the relationships in the church and see no difference between them and the relationships portrayed on daytime sitcoms?  Then I remembered something that Jesus says in John’s gospel,

            “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As I was thinking about this, it hit me that the unity of my relationships with other people, no matter what kind of person they are or what kind of decisions they make, will be how they recognize me as a follower of Jesus.  Something should be different about our relationships as followers of Jesus.  Unfortunately mine tend to look a lot like everyone else’s.  Sure I may have healthier relationships than normal, but there are still relationships in my life that look a lot like everyone else’s.


What I love about the World Cup and the Olympics is that for a short time, the things that Americans argue about are going to be put aside.  Instead, we will be united as Team USA.  As I processed this, it led me to a very powerful question.  What would happen if followers of Jesus were united with one goal and one purpose: to go and make disciples of all the nations?  Instead of focusing on our division we focus on the one thing that brings us together, Jesus.  How would our community change if our church were unified in this way?  How would our families change?  How would our life circumstances change?  How would our relationships change?  Ultimately, how would our world change?

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Integrity

by Andrew Saffell, Intern

I’ve been learning a lot about integrity this week, and what it means to possess it. There are several situations in my life bringing a deeper understanding of the word. As someone who grew up going to a great church, I’ve heard the word tossed around a lot. We were always told as little boys that we should want to grow up to be men of integrity. It sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? We also toss around this word in context to our leaders. We want our politicians to be people of integrity. We want our pastors to be people of integrity. We want our spouses, our children, our friends, and our coworkers to be people of integrity. We also, in theory, want to be people of integrity. However, the more I learn about what it means to be a 21 year old post-college student with integrity, the harder it is for me to accept.

The Bible discusses integrity at length, and that’s where we’re headed, but first, let’s look at the dictionary definition. According to Webster.com, integrity means having a “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility” or “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” I like the word “incorruptible.” Corruption doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. I think back to a time when I was 12 years old. We were at a family friend’s house in the winter, and my dad said, “Son, do not go into the creek with Phil. If you fall through the ice, you’ll be soaked. You could get frostbite by the time you get back to the house.” What did I do when Phil asked me to go play on the frozen creek? I went. I was corrupted. That happens for all of us daily. We are faced with moral dilemmas, usually small ones, and we have to choose what to do. That’s the struggle with integrity. It rarely seems as black and white as we want it to. Was I hurt at all by going to play on the creek? No. It was a great time. Was it wrong? Yes. The problem is we see decisions in terms of consequences, not necessarily what is right or wrong. This is where the rubber meets the road with integrity.

I want to show you an example of outstanding integrity, and for that we will go to scripture. I’ll be paraphrasing, but this story is found in 1 Samuel 24.

This is a story from King David’s life. However, he isn’t a king yet. Saul is currently the king of Israel, and David has been his servant for many years. The conflict begins when Saul learns that Samuel, a known prophet of God, has already appointed David as the next king. David is not one of Saul’s sons. Saul’s flawless plan is to hunt down David, now one of his most successful generals, and kill him. When David hears of this, he gathers any men that are still loyal to him, and runs away with Saul’s army close behind. David’s army finds themselves in a canyon barely ahead of Saul, and with no clear way out, they take cover in a cave. When Saul’s army is journeying through the canyon, the unbelievable happens. Saul, the King of Israel, has to go to the bathroom. He stops the entire army, and tells them to wait. As Saul looks around, he sees a cave and decides it’s probably the best place to relieve himself. This just so happens to be the same cave that David and his men are hiding in.

Here is where we have to pause.

If we read this story too quickly we miss it. David knows he’s going to be the next king. His men know he’s going to be the next king. David’s men turn to him and say, “David, this is the day the Lord has made!” To paraphrase, “David, right ahead is your greatest enemy. He is hunting you down trying to kill you, and now he is right in front of you in the most vulnerable position possible. What are you waiting for?”

The problem with integrity is that frankly, it’s just easier to not have it. Life is much simpler. In fact, in many industries and professions, you will be more successful the less integrity you have. We want the people around us to have integrity, but when it comes to our life, we think we’re the exception to the rule. We say things like, “For most people I would agree, but for me…” and, “Well, yeah, but my situation is different.” What I am learning about integrity is that as much as I want those things to be true, they just aren’t. In the story, David could have said “Well, God said he would make me king of Israel. This seems pretty clear to me that this is what he meant. How can this golden opportunity not be from God?”

The story wraps up in spectacular fashion. David sneaks up on Saul and cuts of a corner of his robe without him noticing. When David returns to his men, who are no doubt wondering why he didn’t just kill Saul, he says to them “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” After Saul leaves the cave and has rejoined his army, David exits and stands on the hillside. He yells out to Saul, and shows him the corner of his robe, and bows to him saying, “My lord the king! I had the chance to take your life. God gave you into my hands, but I spared you because you are his anointed. See that I am not rebelling against you! May the LORD judge between you and me, but I will not harm you.”

David, by choosing the path of integrity, reveals to us a principle. Integrity is doing what is right as God defines right, regardless of the consequences. The reality is that sometimes integrity is rewarded. Working hard while your coworkers slack of may eventually pay off in the end, but that is not why we should work hard. Sometimes, integrity is punished. Lying in the business world can get you far, and in some professions, refusing to do so can cost you a job, but fear of that punishment isn’t why we shouldn’t lie. I want to challenge you with that, even as I grow in my own integrity. What would our lives look like if we were a people that did what was right as God defines right, regardless of the consequences?

I have just a few questions for you.

What excuses do you make when you have to make hard decisions?

What does being a man or woman of integrity look like for you in your workplace, school, or home?

How can you begin to practice integrity in your life?

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Seeing Jesus Everywhere

At Crossroads, we are a community committed to following Jesus Christ by reaching out with open arms to welcome and receive all people. Our calling is to love everyone well, to echo God’s gospel of grace and hope, and to encourage and empower them for the journey of faith.  We hope this blog is a way for you to be encouraged and empowered throughout the week as the pastoral staff shares personal insights and experiences. 

We believe that knowing others and being known is important, and this is a way for you to know us.  This is a place where we can share our thoughts and experiences as we walk with you toward Christ.  We are always learning something, sometimes through spiritual disciplines or through the world around us. 

Paul writes in Colossians,
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

These words remind us that everything in this world points us to Jesus to the Gospel, everything from movies to music, from art to science, from pop culture to the Bible.  Through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we are constantly receiving images of Jesus from the world around us. 

Our hope is that this blog will inspire you towards new ways of thinking and deeper conversations that will reveal Jesus to you. 


Crossroads Pastoral Staff