You're Welcome Here...

I recently had two very different experiences with two people regarding Crossroads. In fact, it was two instances that were really polar opposites. Looking back on the two, I see God working in both situations and in me.

Experience 1: I was getting a haircut recently and the young woman had a tattoo on her hand. One thing I have learned about people with tattoos is that they love to talk about their tattoos, so I began a conversation about them. She said the one on hand was one of many. I told her how I never could get one, but she explained how much she loved them. She told me how she also wanted to one day go to Hollywood and cut hair of famous people. I told her that I was a youth pastor and that is what one of my youth wanted to do as well. (I always look for an opportunity to steer the conversation toward God. Thanks Franklin Graham.) She said she always wanted to go back to church, but she never felt welcome with all her tattoos, piercings, and dyed hair. I smiled and said, "You're welcome at Crossroads. We don't care about that stuff."

Experience 2: Someone visited our church one Sunday because theirs was closed. About a week later this person saw me and for some reason felt the need to criticize Crossroads and the way we held services. He said it wasn't "church," that our women dressed like men, and the preaching was bad because we didn't mention Hell once. He was doing this loudly in a public place. Now, I would like to say that I handled this situation with all grace and understanding. Being patient with him and calmly disagreeing with him. That is what I would like to say. Truth is, I got mad. Really mad. I asked him to go outside and in a rather stern voice told him, "I love you, but don't bad mouth my church." We argued a bit and I ended the conversation with, "If you don't agree with how we serve Jesus, that's fine, but you don't need to bad mouth us to me."

As I sat and thought about the second experience, I realized that people like him are the reason the girl with tattoos won't go back to church. Because too many people see what they don't like as sin instead of seeing sin as something they don't like. Be wary of comments like "That's just always the way we have done it." and "That's the way I was raised." We can not allow our feelings or what we think is right to over ride what the Word of God says.

Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. - Colossians 2:8

"God, may I turn to you for wisdom. Jesus, may I turn to you for forgiveness. Holy Spirit, my I turn to you for direction. And may others called by Your Name do the same. Amen."

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Strange Peace...

With all that is going on with our church right now, it is just odd that so many people have peace. if you don't know, the theater where Crossroads Community Church meets closed its doors on December 31st, 2010. What did that mean for us? Well, we were originally told on a Friday that we had the following Sunday and that was it. Now, for pretty much everyone that should induce panic mode. That should be the cue to freak out and scramble to find somewhere else for a growing congregation to meet. But something amazing happened. The leadership of the church didn't. In fact I don't think anyone in the church did. Did we talk about it? Sure. But instead of going into panic or freak out mode, we prayed. We all talked about the fact that we really were not worried, but we had peace about the situation. You see, I believe(as do all the leadership and most of the members of Crossroads) we serve a God that is bigger than where we meet. He meant it when He promised "I will never leave you nor forsake you." God meant it when He said, "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, not destroy you." My God is just that awesome.

So what happened? Well, the theater is closing, but God provided a way for us to stay for a bit longer anyway. The board of investors of the theater meet and agreed that we should stay until the theater sells. I don't know what God will do next, but I do know that He is showing just how faithful He is. God is going to give us something better than what we have had. He is still working miracles in the midst of all this.

How do I know Jesus is still working miracles? Because in the midst of all this, my 6 year old son, Isaiah, told me last night, "Dad, I want to ask Jesus into my heart." And he did. At a time when its seems like things could go very wrong, God makes things go very, very right. Thanks God. You are always my Lord. Thanks Jesus, for saving me, my wife, and my son. You are awesome God. And I love You.

In Christ,
jon walton

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