MMQB - November 9, 2009

1. I’ve never been the sickly type, but I’ve had a head cold and cough for the past week that hit its peak this weekend. God used this to reveal the pride I’ve had for years about how I don’t get sick that often. I also am impatient with people that cough a lot. I know, snobby. This week I’ve been that guy. Humility. Jesus worked some into me this week through this. 

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