Crosspoint Fellowship Messages

Successful churches are characterized by servitude. They not only serve the Lord wholeheartedly, but they also serve their communities. Importantly, they also serve each other. We have to be able to put others first, otherwise we foster a community of consumerism.We are all slaves to sin. But through Christ, we can choose to be subject to him, making us slaves to righteousness.This is calling us to snuff out the fire of self-centeredness.To serve Christ is to serve others.Greatness in the world is to be served. Greatness in the kingdom of God is to serve others.What we do for others we ultimately do for the Lord.You won’t serve those you despise.

The greatest danger to churches today is an unwillingness to have tough conversations with each other. The Devil's greatest tool is division. If he can cause churches to fight amongst themselves, they will fail.Communication’s greatest gift is its ability to resolve conflict and build connections that aren’t easily destroyed. “Excellent communication doesn’t just happen naturally. It is a product of process, skill, climate, relationship, and hard work.” - Pat McMillanIf you have a problem with a brother or sister in Christ, the only person you should discuss that problem with, to begin with, is them. If you haven’t given your brother or sister a chance to correct their ills, don’t expect your pastor to do it for you. Communication is a matter of correction, not a seed of animosity.Our communication must be grounded in love.We must remember that the goal of our communication is restoration.Matthew 18:15-16, Ephesians 4:26-27, Proverbs 10:12 

Churches that pray are powerful churches. Prayer changes things. It strengthens relationships and builds a connection with the Almighty. If we want to be successful as a church by any of the metrics that actually matter, we must be characterized by prayer.Prayer is the means by which God fulfills his will among his people. Suffering that leads to prayer, that leads to grace, leads to the glory of God.Prayer encourages confession and brings healing.We can’t experience healing, or expect our offering to be received while harboring ill will for our brothers and sisters. Our lives should have clear evidence of a pattern of prayer2 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 4:15, James 5:16, Matthew 5:23-26, Romans 12:12, Acts 1:14, Acts 2:12, Acts 6:4

When it comes to our interactions with others, we must approach one another with a spirit of grace. This means we assume the best in one another, we are quick to forgive, and we don’t hold grudges.Approaching each other with a spirit of grace starts with assuming the best in one another.When we assume the worst in others, we break the bonds of fellowship, destroy trust and crush our own confidence.It’s easy to have a spirit of grace with others when you view yourself in the correct light.Matthew 22:36-40, Luke 6:36-37, Matthew 7:1-5

What takes place at the end of Judges is horrible. But debauchery is all that exists when we leave God out of the equation.The greatest defense of the existence of God is the propensity to create idols for ourselves.We reach peace once - that god is the one true God.When we unplug from God, we turn to idol worship.When your gods are taken from you, all you have is nothing.But there is nothing that can take God from you.I’m not a fan of "hellfire and brimstone" but I believe strongly in truth and immovable moral standards.Judges 17:1-5, Judges 18:22-26, Judges 21:25

Throughout Judges we have looked at temporary judge after temporary judge. These were imperfect saviors but Jesus was the perfect Savior. Today, on Easter, we look at what makes him so.Jesus is the perfect Savior because He was both human and divine. A real sacrifice exchanges something of equal value. Human life for human life. A divine sacrifice allows for the Son of God to reconcile all human life.Jesus is the perfect Savior because He was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus is Savior because He completes the process of salvation. It’s not just that Christ has allowed you to be forgiven, but that God sees you as blameless and whole because of what He's done.

Samson was physically strong but spiritually weak. He was a personification of the nation of Israel and his failures led to his demise.We can’t let our lust override the law. As parents, we can raise our children, try to lead them, and still watch them fail.God uses our mistakes for His mission.We can’t lead others down a sinful path despite our struggles.A lack of wise decision-making leads to a troublesome life.Poor decision-making is aided by an unchecked anger and the consequences can be earth-shattering.If we don’t learn from our mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them.

Samson is the most famous of all the Judges but he started out like we all do, a baby full of promise.God’s faithfulness persists beyond our foolishness.God uses the ordinary to bring about the extraordinary.We must do what we can to prevent corrupting what has been gifted from and ordained to the Lord.As parents, we must seek guidance from the Lord, control what’s in our control, and trust God with the rest.We all need people to bring us back to the ground, who speak wisdom and knowledge, people who we will listen to.

After yet another rebellion, the people found themselves in need of a leader. Jephthah stood up to fight for his brothers even after they had rejected him.Repentance requires actions and humility. And words alone mean very little. When you repent, you need to act and be humble. You are at the other party's mercy. What they need from you, you do. If you aren’t willing to repent, you are sorry about your circumstances, not that you caused them. Your past does not disqualify you from serving God, even if you find yourself rejected by man. It’s a blessing from God to be able to overlook how you’ve been hurt to serve others who need you.

Abimelech was the son of Gideon. The problem was he had 70 brothers standing in the way of what he wanted, so he killed them. This section of Judges shows us that we can’t escape the consequences of our actions.Be wary of those who want to lead you and be careful what you wish for.We must weigh advice based on its merit and not on its deliverer. Our God is a God of justice and there is no escaping consequences for your actions.

Midian was a mighty enemy, but Gideon served a mighty God. Gideon’s mighty God was greater than the enemy. It’s not about what we face that seems impossible - it’s about who faces the impossible with us.Your odds might not be great but they are never zero with God. God knows what you need when you need it.We must remember our place in the big picture of life.We can give God glory and still lead others astray.

God calls Gideon a mighty warrior, not because of anything he had done but because of what God planned to do through him. Gideon only needed to accept his calling and approach it with courage.Sometimes, God makes us deal with uncomfortable circumstances to call our attention to how we caused them.To pretend that God would work through self-inflicted wounds throughout Scripture - but not do so today - is dishonest.God isn’t above helping correct what we corrupted. There is a striking contrast between how we see ourselves vs. how God sees us - and His opinion is the one that matters.Knowing that God is capable means that it isn’t sinful to feel like you need reassurance that you are His chosen vessel.

The story of Deborah and Barak shows us that being a leader is dependent on one’s willingness to lead. Deborah stole Barak’s glory, because he lacked faith he could do it alone.Our voice should be one of encouragement and accountability.Deborah and Barak teach us that the greatest and best among us aren’t self-sufficient but recognize their need for others. Sometimes, people must be reminded that God is on their side and their success is a matter of faith.If you aren’t willing to accept God’s blessing, he will bestow it on someone else.

The people failed God and found themselves in hot water. But after crying out to God, He sent help. Then, the people repaid him by repeating their mistakes.A successful Christian walk requires us to identify strong leadership and heed its wisdom.Not adhering to Biblical leadership has consequences.Deliverance follows repentance.Deliverance is temporary without perseverance.God calls specific people to specific tasks because of their specific giftings. Sometimes when God calls you to something, you gotta deal with some dung.

Judges 1-2 tells the story of Israel’s failure to keep God’s commands and His continued providence despite their failures. It shows us that God is just and gives us many chances to get it right.God doesn't take away without providing a way forward.There is no aimlessness inside the will of God. Even wandering in the desert has a purpose.There is strength in numbers but that relationship should be mutually beneficial. Fear isn't an excuse to ignore the will of God. God isn't afraid to let us experience the natural consequences of our actions. God's promises to you will come to fruition.

Money is a touchy subject, but money is needed for the existence of the Church. We need goods. We need to give. We must. When we give everything to God, everything is God’s. And that includes our bank accounts.Serving God with our money starts in the same place that serving God in any capacity does.Our PrioritiesWealth is not evil. The love of wealth is evil.Signs that you have a healthy relationship with money:1) Your decision-making process when it comes to spending starts with prayer and thoughtful consideration.2) You are a good steward of what’s been entrusted to you. You can’t give to God what you have to give to a debtor.3) You give from a place of love not a compulsion.4) You have found contentment in the right things.

Each of us has been given a spiritual gift to use in elevating and supporting other saints. I’m not even sure it has to be known to be used, but it’s a mistake to think you don’t have one. This week we discuss how we use those things to improve the family of God.God in his abundant grace, has gifted you with the ability to serve your brothers and sisters in Christ. As we use our gifts, it must always be in the service of others, viewing people in the same light as we do our gifts, equals.John Doe came to know Jesus because Jane Doe was willing to take out the trash.The aim of our spiritual gifts is to love others.

All of us have been blessed with abilities that not everyone has. How can we use those talents to serve God? By using them to serve others.You were uniquely created and gifted to serve others.As important as having talent is the willingness to use it in the service of God and the education of others. Our service bears witness to gifts instilled in us by the Father and it brings Him glory.

We are called to be good stewards of all God has given us. It starts with 168 hours a week. Take away 56 hours for sleep. That’s 112 hours remaining. How we steward our time is extremely important.Seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness is about viewing all choices through his character and trusting the outcome of the decision that is made. Being mission minded with our time leads us to be kingdom focused with our priorities. Recognizing that our time is precious and understanding its value should give us a desire to spend it wisely. Using our time wisely is ensuring that we are prepared when the opportunity to be missional arrives so that we never miss the chance to show others the love of Christ. Service, Witness, Encouragement, Life Change.A pitcher does not refill itself but must be topped off to find itself useful again.

Before we can give anything to God, we must give everything to God. A cheerful giver doesn’t give out of compulsion, but out of their love for Christ. He must have all of us.Before we can give anything to God, we must give everything to God.Discipleship comes at a cost.The cost of our discipleship is whatever belongs to our earthly nature.What is anything compared to the gift that is Christ Jesus?All good things outside of Christ aren't good.Why Missions? To be an expression of God's love to the world around us. Being missional comes down to giving the totality of ourselves.