Crosspoint Fellowship Messages

In Nehemiah 4:15-23, we see the Israelites hard at work at building the wall of Jerusalem. There was a long list of things to do. The completion of many tasks takes teamwork. We need to encourage each other along the way so that the work can get done, sharing the responsibility as much as possible.Large undertakings require an “all hands on deck” approach.Don't forget the encouragement along the way.Sometimes an "all hands on deck" approach requires you to have your hands in multiple areas.

On Jake’s last Sunday with us, he’s teaching the things that CrossPoint has taught him over the past 6 years. It’s what the Church should look like and how a follower of Jesus can grow in their relationship with him.CrossPoint has taught me:All about sinAll about ScriptureAll about timeAll about servingAll about prayer

Successful teams require good communication. Sometimes good communication comes in the form of making others aware of what is taking place around them. Talking things out is the best way to quell conflict or even prevent it altogether.As teammates we must have each others' backs.Good teammates have delicate conversations about unknown conflict.Good teammates are willing to have tough conversations they don't want to have.Good teammates have conversations on behalf of their teammates.

Good teamwork is facilitated by team members being self aware. What are your weaknesses and what are your strengths? Where can God and others fill in those gaps? God is calling us to move, regardless of our vulnerabilities that we think will hold us back. The start of good teamwork begins with the self-realization of weaknesses.A weakness only remains a weakness if we refuse to acknowledge its existence. Lack of confidence or ability is not an excuse for inaction when God is calling you to move.Accept others' strengths, especially in your area of weakness.

Habakkuk’s final response to God was one of faith and recognition of sovereignty. We can ask God questions, but we must also be able to recognize him for who he is.The only way to ignore the power of God is to willfully claim ignorance.Just as God once worked on behalf of his people, he continues in power and might to work on behalf of his people. We can question. We can wonder why. We can desire and ask for change. But in the end, we can express faith in the face of fear.

Though God is going to use the Babylonians to bring the Israelites back to Him, he’s not letting the Babylonians off the hook. In our passage today, we learn about the sin they engaged in but also their destruction. Ultimately, God sees the Babylonians and the Israelites as similar people, when they should be different and separate. What does a Godly life look like?Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should.Godly people aren't intentionally intimidating.Godly people don't intentionally harm others for their own security.Godly people don't build empires off the blood, sweat, and tears of others.Godly people don't objectify people for their pleasure.Godly people don't worship their self-made idols. 

Patience is a virtue. Wanting what we want when we want it isn’t a new concept. Maybe it has gotten worse, in a culture that thrives on instant gratification, but all things will happen in due time. When God doesn’t seem to answer, the answer may just be to wait for his timing.

God’s response to Habakkuk’s complaint wasn’t exactly what he expected to hear. So, he comes back with a 2nd question - how could God let His chosen people, Israel, get wiped out? And why would he allow a wicked nation to exact punishment? Habakkuk exhibits both fear and faith at the same time in his 2nd complaint. We can ask God to act on our behalf, but we don't always get to choose how the action takes place.When the walls are closing in, are you faithful or fearful?We can not see the whole picture, but still have faith that God will paint it beautifully.

Continuing from last week’s passage, Habakkuk gets a response from God, though it may not have been the one he expected. The Lord shows Habakkuk the bigger picture that he is unable to see. But one thing is certain - God is not ignoring sim, but rather getting ready to punish it. Often, we can’t see what God is doing because we aren’t looking beyond our current circumstances to see what is actually taking place.Instead, we tend to become hyper focused on the trial.Which leads us down the path of anxiety, depression, and exasperation at our circumstances. This is the ideal, not standard practice. Justice prevails.Sometimes we are too close to a situation to see beyond it in the now. Be careful what you wish for.

In Habakkuk 1:1-4, Habakkuk’s world appears to be in shambles. Violence, injustice, wrongdoing, with no justice. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience - you cry out to God but there is no answer. It’s okay to question God (with the right attitude) when he seems to be silent.Genuine concern is different than reverent accusation.

God is the source of wisdom and knowledge; everything we know about this life just comes from him. Putting our ego where it belongs in relationship with God starts with accepting his wisdom and living according to it. Such a concession of course requires humility but, when we bow to his wisdom, we are granted the benefits afforded to those who pursue God. One way that we can accomplish overcoming our ego is by leaning on God for wisdom.Pursuing God with our ego admits that God's way is better than our own.The wise see wisdom as a gift from God.Choosing the wisdom of God is the right choice.Wisdom doesn't exist in you if it isn't accompanied by humility.The pursuit of wisdom is the pursuit of Christ. 

We are saved by God’s grace through faith but it is our works that show what God has done. Everything ultimately comes from God and we are really only giving him only that which he has given us. Pursuing God means doing good works and there are lots of ways to do that. We must make the most of our days on this earth and give of our time, talents and wealth in a way that pleases God. We are saved by faith, but our works testify to our faith. This follows Christ's example, and shows the world our connection to God, and brings glory to him.You give of your time, talents, and wealthMy money is not my own, my house is not my own, my family is not my own, my occupation is not my own, my abilities aren’t my own.These are gifts that I have been blessed with through which I can pursue and serve God.How we give is as important as what we give. Everyone can give at different levels. And that changes throughout life. The attitude with which you give doesn’t have to change.In the end pursuing God with our works is abo

Prayer is the pursuit of Jesus' input and presence. You can’t have a personal relationship with someone you aren’t willing to communicate with. There are many reasons to pray and various ways to do it. But the most important thing is to do it - open that line of communication with your God and see how he responds. Why should we pray? It follows Christ's example.Forgiveness. For strength and perseverance. How should we Pray?With confidence. With purpose. When should we pray? Always.

How many days on this Earth do you have left? How many hours do you have in a day? Whatever the numbers are, they are finite and cannot be added to. Given the time that is available to us, what should we do with that time? Time is the only finite resource we haveHow do we prioritize our time? How does God’s work being eternal affect what we do?God is the only one who can take what we do and give it lasting purposeThere is not a priority list of “how much time do we spend with God or doing Christian things” - rather everything we spend our time on, both the required and voluntary, we should do in the pursuit of Christ.Our time is not only limited by our mortalityChrist will return again, suddenly and without warning, so the time to pursue God is now, because we truly are not guaranteed later

The Word has always existed since the beginning of time. Today, we have God’s word in the form of the Bible. All Scripture is God-breathed and has incredible purpose in all kinds of ways. It is an incredible weapon for the believer, able fend off the lies of the Deceiver. It also reveals truth, even the truth we are actively avoiding as we pursue Christ. If we want to pursue Christ, we must pursue the Word of God.If we want to know Christ, if we want to be like Christ, if we want answers, Scripture is here for the job. Scripture allows us to fight against the assault of the enemy by counteracting his lies with God's truth. The Word is a revealer of truth. 

What does it look like to pursue Christ? Today, we see that getting your priorities in line, putting Jesus at the top of the list, is one of the major facets of it. God’s promise of healing and deliverance is yours if you chase him. Because all along, God has been chasing you - we just have to turn around and touch him. Pursuing Christ requires courage and conviction.Pursuing Christ means making Him your number one priority.The results of an earnest pursuit of Christ are guaranteed.

The Bible records in great detail the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ final hours, his crucifixion and his resurrection. Today’s message is the Gospel - the good news and the story of Jesus’ ultimate gift of salvation from death for us, paid for by his blood on the cross. But it didn’t stop with the cross - when he rose from the dead, he gave us the gift of life in the here and now.The cross paid our debts for wrongdoing, but his resurrection allows us to live and to thrive. Christ died for those that betrayed him. He died for those that denied him. And he died for you and for me. 

The final chapter of 1 John says that if we love God, then we will keep his commands. We don’t do so to earn salvation, but rather to keep harmony with others and God. It’s not a burden to keep his commands - it’s our pleasure because of our love for him. But salvation comes be grace through faith - this is the basis for our victory. God's commands are centered around creating harmony between believers and himself. Following God's commands are sacrificial, but when you love someone, a sacrifice is a pleasure and not a problem.If you struggle with being certain of your faith, look no further than your victory.It's not wrong to question your faith. It's wrong to not answer your questions.

You cannot fully understand what love is all about unless you know God. In fact, we only know what love can truly be because God has shown us. Everyone wants to be loved. God’s love lives in the heart of every follower of Christ. It is therefore our mission to love others and show them what God’s love looks like. Love is a product of the indwelling of the Spirit.One cannot know the fullness of God outside of the parameters of Love.Everything we innately want from love can be realized in Jesus.No one has ever seen God. But if we love others, like he has loved us, then they will see God in you.God never leaves us. Us staying in him is a direct sign that the Spirit is in us.

Just because someone claims to speak on behalf of God, doesn’t mean that they are. We have to test what he or she is saying to see whether it is from God. How do we do that? Knowing the Word of God is a key part of the answer. We must ensure that before we commit something to our hearts that it is in line with God's truth. True confession is accompanied by fruit. For a person's spirit to be of God, their life must testify to the sincerity of their words. Christians who become familiar with the source have an easier time avoiding what the world speaks to them.Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is peace, which occurs in the form of freedom.