Crossroads

We will NOT have a caregroup meeting this Thursday. Instead, if you know your accountability group already (if not, your CG leader will be letting you know shortly), you can use this Thursday to meet in your accountability group.

As we pursue fellowship in our accountability groups, here is a helpful definition of fellowship that might help us remember what we’re after:

"Fellowship is…a sharing with our fellow-believers the things that God has made known to us about himself, in hope that we may thus help thm to know him better and so enrich their fellowship with him…. Fellowship is, secondly, a seeking to share what God has made known of himself to others, as a means to finding strength, refreshment, and instruction for one’s own soul." — J.I. Packer 

Here is an outline on accountability groups that might be helpful as you start meeting in your groups.

The men in my accountability group started reading Temptation and Sin by John Owen together. I’ve found it extremely helpful in remembering that we are at war with sin. Oftentimes I forget this reality when everything seems to be going well in my life. But Dr. Owen exhorts us: "…be killing sin or it will be killing you." Sin is always active and always opposed to the desires of the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). If we’re not active in mortifying or killing sin, it will destroy us. He says:

It, then, sin will be always acting, if we be not always mortifying, we are lost creatures. He that stands still and suffers his enemies to double blows upoon him without resistance, will undoubtedly be conquered in the issue. If sin be subtle, watchful, strong, and always at work in the business of killing our souls, and we be slothful, negligent, foolish, in proceeding to the ruin thereof, can we expect a comfortable event? There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.

Are you killing sin? Let’s keep at it, trusting our faithful Savior who has broken the power of sin and will sustain us until the end! 

We have a really good problem in our church. That is, that we need more people to serve in Alpha Kids Club. It’s good because it’s a sign that we have people in Alpha hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ! And we have a wonderful opportunity to serve these folks and demonstrating the gospel in a tangible way, by spending time with their kids so they can hear the gospel undistracted. I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider whether this might be a place where God wants you to use the gifts He has given you to serve. For more information, click here. If you believe the Lord wants you to serve in Alpha Kids Club, please contact Phoebe Lewis (plewis@sovgracefairfax.org).

"But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never head?" (Rom.10:14)

It was wonderful to be together last night to worship God and experience His active presence with you. As we start Crossroads for this year, I would love to hear from you what you think we can do to make Crossroads a better place. It could be the structure, format, atmosphere, or anything…let me know your thoughts!

Here are the quotes from the message last night for your enjoyment…

“Without the Bible I could not see ‘the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’. Without the Bible I could not know ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’. Without the Bible I would not know that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior. I love the Bible because it gives the wisdom that leads to salvation, and shows me that this salvation is nothing less than seeing and savoring the glory of Christ forever, and then provides for me inexhaustible ways of seeing and knowing and enjoying Christ.” — John Piper

“What Scripture says, God says; for, in a manner comparable only to the deeper mystery of the Incarnation, the Bible is both fully human and fully divine. So all its manifold contents – histories, prophecies, poems, songs, wisdom writings, sermons, statistics, letters, and whatever else – should be received as from God, and all that Bible writers teach should be revered as God’s authoritative instruction.”  — J.I. Packer

Let’s keep on looking through the window of God’s Word to see and know and enjoy our Savior Jesus!  

We have our first Crossroads Meeting tomorrow night. I am looking forward to experiencing God’s rich grace through these meetings together with you this year. Come early for coffee at 7pm!

A few things to remember:

• Bring your Bible: We will hear God’s Word preached. Prepare your hearts to be addressed by God.
• Be others-minded: We will have guests and people we haven’t met. Please reach out to them and make them feel welcomed. God has been so gracious and kind to us; let’s extend the same kindness to those who are new.
• Be praying for the ministry of the Holy Spirit: Please pray that God would send His Spirit to encourage, comfort, and build up His people through the gift of prophecy, time of singing, and preaching of His Word.

See you guys tomorrow night!

When thinking about who to marry (or pursue a relationship with), what do you look for in that person? Good looks? Sense of humor? Chemistry? There are so many voices out there (even some of our close friends) that tell us to focus on this or that. But what is biblical wisdom on this? I recently heard in a sermon a quote by J.C. Ryle that might be really helpful for us to consider:

“Remember this in choosing a husband or a wife, if you are unmarried. It is not enough that your eye is pleased, that your tastes are met, that your mind finds likeability and friendliness, that there is affection. There needs to be something more than this. There is a life yet to come. Think of your immortal soul. Will it be helped upwards or dragged downwards by the union you are planning? Will it be made more heavenly, or more earthly, drawn nearer to Christ, or to the world? Will your faith grow or will it decay? I pray you, as Baxter said, ‘Think and think and think again before you commit yourself.” J.C. Ryle

Do you agree? Disagree? As you consider pursuing a relationship, what criteria do you have? Let me know your thoughts.

You guys just met for the first time in your new caregroups. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you like the new format? Is it going to work? Any areas that we can improve? Any suggestions? Let me know what you think!

Cortney Matz had a brilliant thought… Why don’t you recap the meeting last week on the Crossroads blog for the people who weren’t there? Thanks Cortney! So here it is:

- We announced the new singles care groups.

• New college group leaders are:
• Stephen Gallo, assisted by Jennifer Green
• Dan Mayernik, assisted by Naomi Hinders
• James O’Donnell, assisted by Kristen Crocker

• New career group leaders are:
• Matt Hawes, assisted by Christine Helms
• JJ Mahoney, assisted by Amy Windsor
• CJ Waldron, assisted by Heather Knight

- Reasons for the change:

1. We needed new leaders due to changing seasons of life for some of the leaders.
2. Some of the groups were getting too big.
3. The groups were unbalanced in terms of male/female ratio, maturity levels, etc.

- We met with the caregroup leaders to structure the groups so everyone might be served and experience grace through these groups, but we’re open for discussion if you have questions, suggestions, etc.

- Accountability groups will be announced later this month.

If you’re sure which group you’re supposed to go, please come see me tonight, and I’ll let you know.

Thanks for your faith-filled response to the changes we made to the caregroups last Thursday. Thanks for glorifying God by trusting Him. Our circumstances in life change constantly, but we have a God who says, "…I the LORD do not change" (Mal. 3:6). Thanks be to God for His constant care for us!

This Thursday, you will be meeting in your new caregroups for the first time. Here are some ideas of what you can do to get started:

• Share your testimonies of how God saved you.
• Ask questions to get to know one another:
• What do you enjoy doing when you are free?
• What have you never done that you wish you could do?
• What has helped you grow in your walk with God this year?
• What has been one of your most significant encounters with God?
• What have you been giving thanks to God for this week?

• Pray for one another.  

For more ideas for building your group relationally, click here. I pray that the Lord would bless your groups so you may experience God’s rish grace through these groups.

Upon further consideration, I changed my mind on the public comments policy. If your comments are insightful and perhaps helpful to others, why not post them?

Here is the new policy (You can also click on the Comments Policy tab above):

1. Please comment! I welcome your comments and may read and respond to them in my posts (Your identity will not be disclosed). But know that all comments will be approved and possibly edited by me before they are posted.

2. I may not be able to respond to most comments, but I look forward to posting people’s comments that are insightful and God-glorifying. 

3. Anonymous comments will be deleted. Please include your first AND last name when commenting.

4. I may delete a comment if I consider the tone or content to be unhelpful to readers.

As always, please feel free to email directly (ssakaguchi@sovgracefairfax.org) if you have thoughts or questions you want me to respond to.

If you have any suggestions for improvement, please comment on this!