Crossing Community Church

Geri Secrest shared her testimony for us this week. She has been a member at Crossing for nearly 14 years, having served as our church secretary for a few years and more recently serving in Son Country, our children's ministry.  There are two great themes in her story: the power of the choices we make in our life and the difference it makes when we actively participate in a local church. Her...

After 13 years of languishing in slavery and prison, Joseph goes from a forgotten Hebrew prisoner to second in authority only to Pharaoh. God's favor on Joseph continues to benefit him as God gives Joseph the correct interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. This surprising change of events is a total turnaround in the life of Joseph. Now Joseph is in position for the fulfillment of the dreams...

Joseph's story is important in the grander story of God keeping His covenant with Abraham to give him an everlasting possession of the land and of descendants that will cover the earth and bless all mankind. But as that story is being told and fulfilled there are lessons to be learned. This week as Pastor Tim teaches through Genesis 39-40 we take time to pay attention to some of those lessons...

This week Pastor Tim picked up our study of Genesis by reminding us how God's covenant with Abraham to give his descendants the land of Canaan is the central theme of the book. As we compared the story of Joseph in chapter 37 with Judah's story in chapter 38 we were challenged to consider how God works out His plans and how different that is from what we think it should be. His ways are...

Graeme Burgan also served as a speaker for the Worship Summit. Graeme is a professor at Cairn University as well as the Executive Director of Csehy Summer School of Music. His topic was "What We Sing." He gave a great overview of different aspects of a worship service and how they determine the song choices we make for our church services. 

Our final session of the day for the 2020 Worship Summit featured our speakers for the day, Dr. Master and Graeme Burgan plus three worship leaders -- Dan Loch, Jarred Cain and Deion Payton. Ben Best served as our moderator. The questions were submitted by those in attendance at the Summit. 

In our Sunday morning session of our Worship Summit, Dr. Master answered the question, "How do I sing praise while I am in great suffering?" He teaches us from Job 42 and helps us to understand how Job came to the place of praising God in his suffering and we can do likewise. 

Dr. John Master joined us as one of our speakers for our 2020 Worship Summit. His topic was "Why We Sing." Going through the Bible beginning with Cain & Abel's offerings, Dr. Master taught from several biblical examples of worship and how we can understand them for ourselves. 

To appraise something means to define its value or to evaluate its worth. So when we 'appraise' God we consider His qualities and promises and deeds and the only response is --  to praise Him. But consider this thought, CS Lewis suggests that the epitome, the consummation of praise is to share what is praiseworthy. That's what we do we come together in our church. We gather to share...

Growing up in a home where religion was not prominent, Kelly Plexico was first introduced to Christ when she was 19 years old. Eventually she trusted Christ and states that she experienced peace for the first time. Kelly shares her story of how God has led her through obstacles and how the Holy Spirit has guided her in tangible ways during those times. Enjoy Kelly's story as she shares about...

This week, in preparation of our upcoming Worship Conference, Pastor Tim directs our attention to the origin of worship in our lives -- it only happens when we've experienced God in a personal and impactful manner. Worship is our response to the revelation of who God is, of His character or His deeds. It comes from the inside of us and overflows ourwardly through our words, attitudes, thought...

This week our guest speaker was Peter Berzin. Given that it was the first Sunday of 2020 Peter addressed the resolutions people typically make at the beginning of the year and asked us to consider making resolutions that would count more for eternity and benefit our spiritual life in the year to come. 

It's been said that the gospel is shallow enough for a child to play in, yet vast enough for an elephant to swim in. Too many of us have a limited understanding of the vastness of the gospel. It is more than our means to salvation, it is the means to our daily life in Christ. We need to daily remind ourselves of the grace God has bestowed on us and learn to live in that truth!

Immanuel, God is with us. We sing about it. We read about it. The angels proclaim -- and it's TRUE! We needed Jesus to come and take on flesh in order for Him to make a way back to God. At the same time, we need Jesus to be more than human! We need him to be God in flesh! The only way man can be redeemed to God was for God to come as man in the form of Jesus!

"Peace in our time!" has been proclaimed by many politicians but it has never been true. Peace has proven itself to be elusive and momentary, whether it is among nations, in our homes or in our hearts. Isaiah proclaimed that the child born to us would be called Prince of Peace and establish a peace that would be everlasting. 

As we continue our study of Isaiah 9:6 we come to the title of Everlasting Father. The passage points us toward more than meets the eye. Yes, it is speaking of a Father that will last forever, but it also speaks of the Father of Eternity -- the orignator of Eternity! There is so much in this title! So much to embrace and learn from and to grow into! 

This Sunday we were really excited to have the ladies from True Light Women's Recovery Ministry with us in our service. And it was especially great to have Nina Hershman, the Kensington House Manager for True Light, share her story of how watching the faith of others impacted her and lead her to place her faith in Christ herself. She shares a great story of addiction, recovery and faith!

Our Christmas sermons this year are focusing on Isaiah's prophecy of the coming Messiah from chapter 9, verse 6. Our focus this week was the title of Mighty God. Enjoy Pastor Tim's sermon on the inexplicable nature of the might and power of Jesus. 

Our Christmas sermons this year are focusing on Isaiah's prophecy of the coming Messiah from chapter 9, verse 6. This week Pastor Tim spoke on two of the titles for Jesus that Isaiah wrote about: Wonderful; Counselor. Jesus is most wonderful! And He is a marvelous Counselor. Enjoy this meditation on the nature and personality of our Lord. 

The last portion of James 5 is complicated and controversial. Does James intend for the reader to believe that God will heal every illness we bring before Him? Or is there another manner of being "sick" that James is writing about? Or, is there something else that James is addressing in this passage?

In chapter 5, James addresses the sin of the wealthy. Their sin was not that they were wealthy. It was what they did with their wealth. God blesses us so we can bless others. Who are you blessing with your wealth?

If ever there was a verse that gets misused and is misunderstood, it's James 4:11-12. Is it OK to judge other people? What does the Bible really say about this. Today we look at our passage in James but we also take in what the Jesus said in Matthew 7 as well as other passages to gain a deeper understanding of this most misunderstood topic. 

The bottom line to cheating on God is making ourselves the center of the universe -- instead of allowing God to occupy that space. As James continues to address man's desire to usurp God, he challenges the common mindset of mankind that everything should revolve around them. Meanwhile, scripture repeatedly points our attention to the fact that Christ is the center of everything!

James addresses the infidelity of his readers telling them that being 'friends with the world is being an enemy of God." Pastor Tim puts this verse in context as he demonstrates the ways we become friends with the world and forsake our relationship with God. In particular, he addresses all the activities we allow ourselves and our children to get involved with that take away from our dev...

James leaves no room for doubt or discussion -- conflict happens when we want things and don't get them. This happens between nations, tribes, political parties, spouses, parents & children, neighbors and in our churches. The answer doesn't lie in getting what we want but in loving others more than ourselves -- in being concerned for their needs more than mine.