Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. Numbers 22:26

I marvel at this passage, but not for the reasons everyone else might think.  Most are shocked that a donkey could speak and that God used the donkey to save a man's life, but this morning I realized here in verse 26, that God so desired to see Balaam do the right thing he moved in front of him not so that he could follow him but so that he could keep him from making a huge mistake.  

Lord, I pray that you would not have to deter me from what I think is right in my own mind.  I pray this morning that you would speak to my heart and the hearts of my family so that we can see your salvation and run to it. May my heart and your heart be aligned.  

Through the Years

If I have learned one thing over the years it's that God is with me always, and once again I am asking God what the next chapter of my life will look like.  It's been a long time.  I just counted back the years since I first started in ministry and I realized that I have been in ministry for over 27 years.  But it really started before that.  As a young man of 16, God spoke to me and he quietly said in a meeting out at a little farm in Manassas, VA  that he wanted me to work with young people.  I wasn't quite sure what that actually meant but I wrote it down on a piece of paper and put it in my bible.  Not too long after I graduated HS I started an internship and spent time as an 18 year old working with a man named Jack Wojiech who taught me how to study the Bible using a Halley's bible handbook and allowing me to take the reigns of that group.  It was fifteen kids who needed to understand God's love so I started showing them what that looked like.  Years later Jack's son John said that I was the first person that showed him that you could be cool and chase after God.  I got my CDL license so I could drive a school bus and started taking these kids to concerts, putt putt, and whatever I could come up with so I could spend more time with them sharing God's love.

Not long after, under the mentorship of Jack, I ended up meeting a man named Bill Jeschke who taught me some leadership 101 principles.  He asked me if I'd like to be in a youth ministry internship.  I jumped at the chance as I could see this really lined up with what God had spoken to me when I was 16.  I jumped into some bible classes that Bill's Father-in-law, Professor Earl Morey taught at our church.  By the end of that summer I was leading the group and I was really hoping to get hired on as a youth pastor of our church.  I got the call from the Lead Pastor Derrel Emmerson and he wanted to take me out to dinner.  He took me out to a very nice restaurant and I thought for sure this was it.  But, as God would have it, he said at the end of the dinner that he and the elders prayed about it and they all felt that they should hire someone from the outside with a bible school degree.  I was upset and really started questioning God about whether I should just quit this idea of youth ministry and  move on.  And then this story happened.

At the end of my internship,  I was preparing for a youth/parent night, we decided to show a video on peer pressure and suicide.  It was a very cheesy film and the acting was horrible.  I remember reviewing the film with my leaders and they laughed their way through it.  I asked them if we should show it and they were most definitely against it.  But every night that week God said to show that video.  I mean it was a strong feeling that I should show it.  I told the volunteer staff that I felt this and they were again begging me not to show it.  That Friday evening we started showing the video.  Kids and parents were laughing and when I got up to speak at the end and ask if there was anyone who wanted prayer not one person came up.  It was horribly embarrassing and I felt like God let me down, until the next week when I came into work that next Monday morning.    

In my inbox was a letter, handwritten and no name or address on the envelope.  The letter basically said that this young girl was planning on committing suicide Friday night.  She had planned out her death step by step and had come that night to say goodbye to her friends.  After seeing the cheesy video she left the meeting and had an encounter with the living God and decided not to end her life.  She said if it wasn't for us showing that video she would have gone through with it.  As cheesy as it was, it gave her message of hope and that God loved her.  At that moment I was overcome with emotion.  I remembered how I didn't want to show this video but God was gently nudging me showing me that he can use anything to reach someone who is in need.  

From that point forward I was hooked.  Partnering with God to bring people into a relationship with Him through His son Jesus is such an amazing feeling.  It satisfied my soul.  I felt complete.  And 27 years later my family and I  are still in ministry and God is still inviting us to join in where he's at work to partner with Him.  It's been a crazy ride but we love every minute of it!  He's so faithful to complete the work that he's started.  

The Lord is My Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need."
Psalms 23:1 NLT  

If we have surrendered our lives to Christ and call him Lord, we are under his protection and care!  We have been grafted into God's family. You are a member of God's house. We can honestly say that we have all that we need because Jesus who is the ultimate shepherd is watching and caring for us.  So remember there is no want if you have everything that you need.  So why would you stray from the herd?  But, the cool part is this.  Jesus will leave that herd to go find you.  That's right.  You are valued that much by God.

I remember one time when I was just a kid, my mom took me to the grocery store and my "job" was to hold on to the grocery cart while she shopped.  In the Cereal section a certain box of Peanut Butter Crunch caught my eye and I let go of the cart and went over to gaze it it.  I looked up and the cart and my mom were nowhere to be found.  As I started panicking I was surprised when my name came over the P.A. system and I was told to come to meet my mom at the front of the store.  I was thankful to be reunited with her and I told her I was sorry that I left the cart.

Today, I don't want to stray from God, but I love having the knowledge that if I did, he'd be searching for me.  He'd be chasing after me until I was found.  If you have walked away from God, today is your day to listen to his voice and come to him.  He will welcome you back, with open arms.

Reflecting Christ

At my house we have a stove that has a glass door.  It's awesome because you can see the fire and it warms the heart.  My favorite thing to do is to sit in my chair and do my devos while watching the fire. After each fire a film gets on the glass and impedes my ability to see the fire fully.  I have to take a moment, get the cleaner and spray the glass.  When you look at the paper towel that I used to clean it you can see the black soot that came off the window.   I am learning more and more each day that I need to be careful not to let my life get so crazy busy that it disturbs my abiding in Him.  I need to constantly be watchful and continue to be a mirror that is clean. That only happens when I abide in Him.

I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning and he states, "When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors."  As a servant of the Most High God I want to mirror and reflect God.  We need to keep our lives open to God.  But there are times that the cares of the world like work, clothing, food and my general busyness gets in way of that position of  beholding Him.  Colossians 3:3 says, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."  I don't want anything to obscure someone from seeing Christ in me.  Go God!

-P. Andy

What Seems Impossible to Us is Possible for God

26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26 NLT

This scripture in my estimation really clarified something for me.  Right before this scripture Jesus is talking about how hard it is for a rich man to enter into heaven.  But then, it says here that Jesus looked intently at them.  intent means having the mind and the will focused on a specific purpose.  In this case Jesus' mind and will was focused on His disciples.  Having that kind of attention is amazing even if he didn't say anything after he gazed at them.  But his words were directed to his disciples.  If you are a disciple, listen up!  We need to understand that God's ways are not our ways.  Period.  If He decides to show up in the miraculous, it's because the Father intended to do that.  If He doesn't, it's okay!  What's important here is the fact that Jesus attention is focused on His disciples.  His gaze is upon us.  Jesus.  Looking intently.  Wow.  Thanks God for showing us your love by gazing intently and letting us know that with you EVERYTHING is possible.  The impossible is possible for God.

Prayer: Let your will be done in my life and the lives of your disciples.

It's a New Day

It's been four months since my life turned upside down.  My life will never be the same.   I'm reading a book right now called A Place of Wonder: Preparing Yourself for Suffering: A Place for Weakness by Michael S. Horton.  One great quote from this book is the fact that "Our weaknesses really are an opportunity for God to show his strength." I started meditating on this early this morning and realized that God's strength is more than a nice peaceful thought.  God wants to show himself strong in our lives.  As I thought about this I looked back over the last few months and marvel at how God answered all the prayers that were lifted up.

I realized that there were people literally all over the world that responded to our plea for prayers.  We saw people respond to our need, inside and outside of the church.  God uses people in our lives for his purposes.

Missy was the "rock" during this ordeal.  She pretty much waited upon me hand and foot plus looked after the family and still kept up with her kindergarten class as she sent sub plans each day.

During this time she hid her own grief over the situation and purposed to be strong for the rest of us.  It was amazing to see how she responded in the midst of the battle that we were all thrown into at the beginning of the year.  We both didn't realize that the grief went so deep until my daughter got sick with Scarlett fever about three months after my surgery.  Her body was covered in red bumps and she was in so much pain she couldn't even swallow.  It was too much for Missy to bear.  Not another situation. One person can only handle so much.  And that was the moment that I believe that God stepped in and held her up and let her know how much she loved her.  I was able to shoulder the load with her and but God was the one that took her and showed her his undeniable power to provide peace in a situation that was pretty unsettling.

As we unload our burden's to the Lord he replaces that burden with peace and prepares us for the next battle.  Life is hard.  But God's strength is evident in the journey, if we are willing to give it over to Him.

Horton says, "Without trials, faith is not really roused to grab hold of the God of promise."

True.

An Affair of the Heart Part III

Tomorrow is my four week mark since I had open heart surgery.  I wish I could tell everyone that I'm back to normal but I have another 8 weeks to go according to doctors before I can confess this.  Everyone now has returned to their normal routines.  Missy will go back to work this week and then I'm left alone to get well.  I'm on a variety of medications and the doctor's seem to think it's fun to play around with my dosages.  I started taking double what I normally took last Friday and my blood pressure went way up and my pain factor seemed to get more intense.  Maybe I'm trying to get back in the swing of things too soon.  I feel like I'm starting to feel better then I take two steps backward.  Today was one of those take two steps backward kind of days.  I did one task today and then I totally went back in bed and rested the rest of the day.  (don't you wish you could do that?)

I liken this to my spiritual walk.  I take my dosage of spending time with God and expect my life to take a turn for the better.  Instead I seem to move forward and then there's the feeling that I'm not making any progress spiritually at all.  So, how do I become heart healthy in my spiritual life?  I know that for my physical heart I have to be on a heart healthy diet which is low in sodium and like my physical heart my spiritual heart needs to be on a healthy diet.   I need to be in the word and not just say I did a quiet time and then start eating junk food the rest of the day.  I need to get some real "meat" in my diet and start to chew on it, think about it and apply it to my life and most importantly ask the Holy Spirit to fill me and speak to me and lead me.  Life change happens when I decide to allow God the reigns of my life and start to say "yes" to him.  I need to keep asking him for more, please!

An Affair of the Heart Part II

It's been almost three weeks since my surgery.  I've had a lot of time to reflect and to see God's blessings in the midst of this.  I received this Psalm from my cousin, Becca who is familiar with trusting God in the midst of the heart issues of my Uncle, her Dad.  Before both surgeries I found myself saying this scripture over and over and asking God to show his mercy in this situation.

Whatever situation that we find ourselves we know that we have a refuge in Him, if you've committed your life into His hands.  You have a destiny in Him.  The reality of this was never more tangible than when I lay in that hospital bed waiting for a life saving procedure that has allowed me to have a new lease on life.  Thanks God, Thanks Surgeons, and thanks to my family, church family and friends!!!  Be encouraged...

A psalm of David.

1Keep me safe, O God,

for I have come to you for refuge.

2I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!

Every good thing I have comes from you.”

3The godly people in the land

are my true heroes!

I take pleasure in them!

4Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.

I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood

or even speak the names of their gods.

5Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

You guard all that is mine.

6The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

7I will bless the Lord who guides me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

My body rests in safety.

10For you will not leave my soul among the dead

or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

11You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

(Psalm 16 NLT)

An Affair of the Heart

It's 02/08/13

Wow, what a journey the past couple of months have been.  I want to share some things that I've been thinking.  As a pastor it's easy to get caught up in everyone else's situations and neglect your own self and that's exactly what happened to me.

On December 24, 2012 I was helping load the truck with music and sound equipment and my chest started tightening up.  Thinking that this was acid reflux symptoms I kept on going.  My chest tightened up again and for the next month I kept having these acid reflux like symptoms.  At Missy's urging I went to our family physician and he did a routine EKG and even said he was 95% sure it was acid reflux.  However, the EKG showed an anomaly.  This prompted a visit to the Heart specialist and he ordered up a nuclear stress test.  That showed some signs that something wasn't right with my heart.  They signed me up for a left heart catheterization.  This test is to check and see if there are any blockages in the arteries of the heart.  The cool thing is if they find something normally they can go in and put a stint in to open up the artery.  I came out of the surgery with the doctor looking concerned.  He said, that I needed a quadruple bypass surgery.  One artery was completely blocked.  Another was 95% Another was 80% and the final one was 75% blocked.  From a simple EKG abnormality to Quadruple by pass surgery.  Surreal.

The surgery was scheduled for the next day.  I didn't even have time to think about it which was probably a good thing.  The family came in and Missy's eyes were red from crying.  Maggie was quietly confident and saying that God has got this.  Justin on the other hand just fell on my feet and started sobbing.  I couldn't hold it in.  I lost it.  All of a sudden realized my mortality.  There are so many things running through my mind.  They say open heart surgery is routine. They do thousands of these things, but I say, it's routine unless you are the one that's getting the surgery!

The doctors and nurses were amazing and my anesthesiologist (one nurse called her the cocktail waitress) did such a great job.  I remember my ride to surgery and then the next thing I know is that they are taking the airway out without any problems and the surgery was done in just 4 /12 hours.  

I feel like I have a new lease on life.  Everyday is a blessing    For my next few blog entries  I want to explore some things that God has shown me through this process.  I realize that God has a purpose for my life and I know he has purpose for yours.  Hopefully you won't have to go through a life threatening situation to realize this, but everything came into focus when this happened to me.  

Some Kind of Wonderful

This morning as I am going through my to do list and browsing Facebook updates I came across one from a friend that said, "I would like something wonderful to happen today."  I hear people say this all the time.  Now Theologically speaking, God does not promise that our lives are going to be wonderful. But, he does bless those that are following His commandments and ask for blessing in their lives, such as Jabez.  Jabez prayed a prayer.  A simple prayer.  "Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory!  Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!"
(1 Chronicles 4:10 NLT)  That's a bold prayer to pray and it wasn't a quiet little prayer it was a shout out to God kind of prayer because of the exclamation point at the end of it!  Hundreds of other names are mentioned in this passage but only one person was mentioned as someone who prayed that prayer. And he believed that if he prayed that God would do what he asked.  And the coolest part is that we aren't left hanging.  It simply says, "And God answered his prayer."  Can we pray those kind of prayers today?  Absolutely.  He is waiting to hear from us!

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

from the Rogers family

 

This morning I thought of all the amazing things that God has done to show me his faithfulness in my family and the Crossroads church family. Crossroads has now been holding Sunday services for  a little over a year now at our 1915 Charles Street home.   We have an amazing volunteer staff that has been doing an incredible job getting to the church early and setting up. God has truly blessed us and I am truly thankful for each person on the team!  And God has added to our numbers.  I can't wait to see what the Lord does next! 

There is a moment right before the service starts. We all get together to pray for those coming to the service that day. It's a short prayer usually. But what that prayer does for me is amazing. We all have been running around setting up and making sure that things are ready. The prayer is that pause before the start of the service, nursery, and children's church. That moment is a constant reminder why we are here every Sunday morning. It's that time that I invite Him to come. It's the point when I recognize we are here to worship Him! It's the time that I let everything else go and pray that our human preparation plus the presence of the Holy Spirit will come together and we will see God's salvation that morning!

Last week we had the privelege to spend time with our neighbors at the hotel next door. Many weren't able to come to sit down with us at the table so we ended up bringing plates to their rooms. It was awesome watching Xroads people serve our friends. 

"He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer" (Psalm 102:17 KJV).


Be Thankful!

What Can I Do Today To Make A Difference In Someone's Life?

Last Spring I had the privilege of being in Kingston Jamaica's most impoverished sides of town participating in a week long soccer camp. While most people are going on vacays and visiting pristine beaches, this amazing group of coaches and pastors got together and sacrificed their time and did something that will forever change the lives of 85 kids.  I will never forget the kids faces as we spent time sharing the love of Christ and our love of football (soccer).   Every morning we got up with the sun and downed some great Blue Mountain Jamaican coffee, did our devos and then headed off to a high school soccer field which was more dirt than grass.  Each day we were on the field for 8 hours.  We'd sing songs and then we'd share a story about the love of Jesus.  And then we got to work on soccer skills with premier soccer coaches from all over Jamaica.  It was a soccer players dream to be a part of this and it was something never dreamed of by these kids. We fed them lunch every day and as we did we realized that for most of these kids, that this was their only real meal of the day. Many of us shed tears as we saw  groups of kids going through the trash collecting the leftovers from the lunches we just served.. 

 

You see, we could only do so much.  We could only help the 85 kids we were ministering to.  We came away from that camp asking the question, "Can we do more?"  This trip started as a dream in my friend Doug's head.  He prayed first and asked for God's help.  He saw this trip in his mind's eye.  But he didn't stop there.  He put feet to this dream.  He made this dream a goal.  He started asking for support from local businesses and he asked for help from those that know how to coordinate these trips.  Because of Doug's willingness to make a difference, all of us on the team experienced God's grace and love for a week in Jamaica.  We were given the ability to share Christ's love with 85 kids who's lives where forever changed by that week. 

 

What are you doing today to make a difference in someone's life? 

God is a Generous God

Last year, we started this church with Missy and I  going and transferring a $100.00 from savings to start a church account last year.  $100.00 may not seem like much but we've seen God do a lot with a little.  We've had no outside support other than those who were the pioneering families that gave well over and above.  God's taken our church account and blessed it.  Over the past year we've watched people answer the call in their lives to give and God's provided for our church as we have stepped out in faith.  http://www.crossroadschurchva.com is still in it's infancy stages and we are believing God for the resources to do what He wants us to do in Fredericksburg and beyond.  Pray that God uses us to give generously to this area and see Jesus name glorified. We tithe 10% of what we bring in to help local missions as well as global missions.  Yesterday I had the privilege to write the tithe checks that go to help our community and our church family in S.E. Asia.  What a privilege it is to be able to give and see it be given back to us over and over.  A pastor, former boss and mentor, Eric Watt had a great message in my inbox this morning that I wanted to share with you this afternoon.  


The Measure of Your Own Generosity Defines God's Return in Your Life


Scripture:  "Give and it shall be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)


Truth:  God promises to reward those who give.  The habitual giver will be the habitual receiver in God's kingdom.  The greater your generosity the greater your provision will be.  Generous giving is the great anti-does to greed.  Do you struggle with always needing the newest gadget, the best clothes, the new CD, or latest toy?  Learning to be content with what you have (Philippians 4:12) is the secret that opens the door to God's flow of generosity.  Give what you have away with a generous heart and watch God proportionately give it back to you, but this time He will use others to overwhelm you with his generosity.


Prayer: God, You have a plan that I know is best for me.  In at least one small way today, I will be a giver to someone in need.  I now know that my own heart's attitude about giving will determine the pattern of Your blessing in my life.  To show my dependence on You I will become a generous person, and then watch with joy Your generosity flow back into my life.  In Jesus' name, Amen. 

It's been a while since I posted an entry

Adam Cates, a VA Beach Pastor and worshiper said on a Facebook update this afternoon that "If you tend to see a persons problems before you see their potential then you are looking with the wrong set of eyes...Lord, give us eyes to see."  

This statement reminded me of my brother.  In High School my brother was not known as an intellectual giant and neither was I for that matter.  We got decent grades but my brother had what they called back then LD, a learning disability.  He got the help he needed and did very well and he eventually tested out of the program and graduated.  His dream was to become a firefighter/paramedic.

Along the way he had a teacher that saw his "problem" more than his potential. She basically told him that he'd never be able to do that job because of his LD problem. There were too many medicines and procedures to memorize and he'd never be able to do that.  He came home that day devastated. 

Fortunately my family was encouraging and saw potential in my brother.  Plus God gave him a determined heart.  He started volunteering his senior year of high school and then made it to the academy, went to George Washington University for his paramedic training and graduated at the top of his class. He's been serving Fairfax County for many years and has saved many lives in the process. Proud of you, bro.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank God for people that see potential.  I pray that God would help me to be that man of God that can look at another and encourage them in the gifts that He has given them.  Thanks, Adam for the reminder that we need to see others as the Lord sees them.  

-Andy

Tick Tock!

Recently a friend of mine in California had a friend that tragically passed away way before her time.  It really caused her to think about the brevity of life and how we need to make each day, each hour, each minute, and even each second count.

This has become more apparent to me in recent months.  Last month I spoke on the topic of the 11th hour church.  We talked about how in God's economy the last hour of the day is just as important as all the other hours of the day that preceded it.    Does it seem like I'm obsessed with time?  I am.    We need to be ever watchful ever waiting on God to direct us on how to spend our time, like it's our last day.  What are you doing with your 86,400 seconds?

-Pastor Andy
http://www.crossroadschurchva.com

Beautiful Things Thread

Today was a crazy morning.  I spent time trying to get ready after the kids got out of the house but I got phone call after phone call and then next thing I knew it was time to get to my first appointment.  Got half way to my appointment and realized I left my wallet at home.  Turned around, got my wallet and headed back down to Fredericksburg.  Beautiful thing?  Seeing the clouds break through after being a cloudy morning.

By this time I normally would have been getting really frustrated, but not today.  I don't know.  I was in a good mood?  There was an amazing song that someone was listening to and I got inspired and miraculously my set list materialized before my eyes after struggling with it for the past three days.  Beautiful Things.

Even though I had to make some tough choices in the past month, I did it willingly because I knew it was the right thing to do.  It hurt though.  Some things are harder to give up than others.  Are you willing to give up everything for the sake of the Call on your life?  Beautiful Things.

I'm at a place in my life where I am becoming totally dependent on God.  I did my taxes a few weeks ago and looked at what God did with that Adjusted Gross Income that was so little in my eyes!  Beautiful Things.

Final picture:  I was listening to, you guessed it Beautiful Things by Michael Gungor.  I just sat down waiting for my appointment  to arrive and right then and there I saw a young man walk in and I realized he didn't have any legs.  He had running prosthetics and you would never know it by how smoothly he was walking.  Beautiful Things.

When we see things with the Father's eyes, you find the beautiful things in life.

What Are You Going To Do Today?

Today I'm headed off to Elementary School.  Subbing in a Kindergarten class.  I have to get my teaching on!  As much as I want to get my message polished up and my set list together for worship, I know for the next 8 hours I need to be a Jesus follower at Margaret Brent Elementary School.  What are you going to do today?  Are you bringing your "A" game today?  You never know what impact you can make for the kingdom if you set your mind and affections on God.  

Subbing today.  Sure.  Jesus follower? Yes.  Wanting to make an impact for Christ in all that I do? Absolutely!!!

I spent some time today reminiscing (that's what I do when I do yard work) over the past few months.  They have been months of hope and promise until I got news yesterday that something I have been praying and fasting for is not going to happen now.  Talk about a punch in the gut.  The best way to describe how I feel is that I'm down on the ground trying to breathe but can't.  I'm gasping for air but none comes.  I've had this happen in reality a few times in my life and you want your world to end right then and there!  In this case it's called "death of a vision."  It came out of nowhere. But the same news that can send you into depression is something that can be your finest hour, if you will reach your hand up to God and ask him to help you back up.

Missy and I have been on this roller coaster ride ever since August of 2010.  We have fasted, prayed, and listened and walked out in obedience what we felt God was speaking to us.  Patience,  patience is the name of the game.  If God gave you what you asked for at the wrong time it wouldn't be His best.

What happens when you are on the ground, out of breath, and struggling for air?  A tiny bit of breath comes back.  Slowly you get back to a normal breathing rhythm and life starts to look better.  Most of us want the easy way out.  We want the shot of adrenaline that propels us upward into the stratosphere.  But, if you are like me, I'm still lying on the ground.  Waiting to get my breath back and believing that God will lift me up.  It takes longer than I think, longer than my wife thinks but God is reaching down, and he is sending words of comfort.  Words of encouragement.

Finally I turned the mower off and all this was going through my head my thoughts turned toward my Savior.  How this past week 2000 years ago, he was flogged, tortured, ridiculed, and even died.  And all this he did because of you and me.  Good Friday was terrible and bloody, and Saturday must have been a long day for those who loved him and missed Him, but Sunday came bringing life once again!  That same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in You and it will quicken our mortal body, if that Spirit dwells in you.

Thank you God that your Spirit dwells in those who believe in You.  God loves you and wants to breathe life into you today!

-Andy

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!