I've Got Something To Say

There's something to be said when the body of Christ comes together to do something greater than themselves.  Yesterday the Crossroads Church of Fredericksburg family spent the day with the Common Ground church family and worshiped together in the morning and then we spent our afternoon serving the community right in our back yard!  The only way that this would work is if we had plenty of volunteers.  We had hotdogs, hamburgers, and plenty of caring people that reached out to share a meal with our community in downtown Fredericksburg.

We had Volleyball games, corn hole, horseshoes and face painting for the kids.  People stopped by and were blessed with free food and a chance to hang out with our churches.  

Our purpose as believers should be to share the love of Jesus with those who are truly in need of hearing about the hope that is in each one of us.  Our mission is to see Jesus' name proclaimed in the Fredericksburg area and beyond.  Thanks to all those who made this afternoon possible.

Luke 19:10 (NLT)

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”  

The Battle for Our Broken Lives

Stories about redemption get me.  And I don't mean like it just gives me the warm fuzzies.  It gets me and I weep and cry and rejoice when I see a story of redemption.  Especially when all odds are against a situation and then at the 11th hour the tide changes and the good guy ends up winning.  Why do redemption stories tug at our hearts?  Because the very one that created us also created a way for us to be redeemed. 

I was watching a tv show the other day and really started to question my watching it until I got to the end.  Like many network tv dramas there are four or five plot lines and everyone of them are riddled with people making wrong choices and hurting one another and making their lives miserable.  But the cool thing about this show is that even though mistakes are made they are trying and striving to do the right thing.  Unfortunately they don't acknowledge that Jesus is one thing they need to redeem their lives but this particular episode had some real redemptive threads.  One of the main characters in the story is kinda a happy go lucky guy that tries to please everyone.  He and his fiance' broke off their engagement because the guy messed up and made some seriously bad decisons.  And then after that his fiance wanted nothing to do with him even though they have a son together.  But today this story took a turn for the best.

In spite of their differences they decided to get married and make it work because they truly loved each other.  It was a powerful moment.  It was a moment that had implications not only for their own lives but the life of their son.  The look on the little boys face when the mom and dad called him over to tell them that they were going to try and work things out was priceless.  It got me.

Wow, why do I get so crazy emotional when I hear redemption stories?  Because, it's my heart's desire  to see people give Jesus permission to come in and change their lives, to give Him permission to repair them, take away their sins and make them into the creation that they were meant to be.  Have you given the creator permission to come in and redeem your life?  If you do, it not only will impact your life but it will impact the lives of others around you!