Crossroads

This blog is moving. We’re taking a break for about a week. We’ll be back soon…

Last Thursday at Crossroads, Seita continued taking us through the book of Philippians and preached a message titled "The Secret of Joy" from verses 1:18b-26. What is the secret of joy? The main point of the message was: Jesus Christ alone is the source of unshakable joy in whatever circumstance. You can download or listen to the message here.

Here are some questions for application:

1. How would those who observe your life complete this statement: "For him/ her, to live is…"? What do you spend the most time thinking and talking about? What are you most passionate about? What is your primary source of joy in life?
2. Are there things in your life that compete for your attention and affection against your relationship with Jesus? Ask yourself: "If I lose…, but have Christ in my life, will I still be joyful/satisfied?"
3. What circumstances in life are you currently tempted to believe will deliver the joy that only Christ can offer?
4. Can you say with confidence "To die is gain"? Why? Why not?

As you answer these questions and seek to apply God’s Word to your heart, be reminded of Paul’s example in verse 19 of trusting in God’s grace to work in him through the prayers of others and the help of the Holy Spirit. Consider how you could ask your family, friends, roommates, or caregroup to pray for you.

Recommended reading: Seeing & Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (follow the link to order or read for free as a PDF).

For those who were able to attend the 2008 Together for the Gospel Conference and for those who just like hearing a few thousand men sing hymns, Sovereign Grace Music has released a CD of music from the conference and is making three tracks available for free download.

As Mark mentioned this past Sunday morning, our experiences in corporate worship on earth can be gracious foretastes of worship in heaven.  How encouraging it is to hear men raise their voices to proclaim and savor truths about Jesus Christ in lyrics like these:

He breaks the power of canceled sin;
He sets the prisoner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood avails for me.

[I thank Stuart for the pointer.]

Al Mohler wrote an excellent article on his blog about whether Christians can question God when they don’t understand why certain things happen.

We have our monthly Crossroads meeting this Friday at 7:30pm in the Basement Auditorium. Come early for coffee at 7pm!

We’re continuing our series titled "Worth Everything" from the book of Philippians. I’ll be preaching from Philippians 1:18b-26 a message titled "The Secret of Joy". Is your life characterized by joy when you encounter various trials? How can we remain joyful in a disappointing circumstance? Come and find out what God’s Word has to say about this!

Ligon Duncan shares his thoughts on how we can pray for the President-Elect Obama. Here’s an excerpt:

For those Christians who are more overjoyed than concerned about the prospects of an Obama presidency, there should be a remembrance of our ultimate allegiance: Jesus is Lord (and thus, He, not we, decides what is right and wrong), we serve God not man, and the Lord himself has promised to establish "the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (Malachi 3:18). Thus, where our new president opposes or undermines biblical moral standards in our society, fails to uphold justice for the unborn, undermines religious liberties or condones an ethos that is hostile to the Gospel, we will pray for God’s purposes to triumph over our President’s plans and policies.

The day after the historic election I’m sure brought many thoughts to all of us. Perhaps you’re thrilled that we now have the first African-American President elected in the history of the country. Perhaps you’re also concerned about the future of morality in this country, knowing Barack Obama’s positions on different moral issues. How should we as Christians respond to this? There has been a flurry of activity in the Christian blog community. Here are some helpful posts:

Eric Redmond, an African-American pastor, shares his thoughts on what this election means for people like him who are both African-American and a pro-life Christian. 

Randy Alcorn, the Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, shares his perspective on the outcome of this election and its implications for the cause of protecting the unborn. He also offers some helpful resources that you can get online to educate yourself about the issue of abortion.

Finally, Al Mohler, the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, offers his counsel on how we as Christians should respond to this important election in the history of this country.

Albert Mohler offers advice on how to pray today. Don’t forget to vote!

My friend posted this on his blog a few years ago.  It gets me every time.

You may be aware, but October 31 is Reformation Day.  491 years ago, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.  The rest is history.  

We have our 4th Thursday Meeting tomorrow night (5th Thursday this month!). At these meetings, we have discussions on topics that are practical and relevant to singles. This time we’re discussing the topic of accountability and pursuing fellowship through small groups (smaller than caregroups).

Normally we meet in the Basement Auditorium, but due to some set up issues, we will meet in the Main Auditorium. I hope to see you all tomorrow!