Heaven and the Drained Brain Syndrome

Yesterday I preached about Heaven and what our resurrected bodies will be like in Heaven with God. Wow, it was so good I was taking notes! 8-) (Those that know me well know I'm not really all that good...) But to study and to hear this news about being resurrected to immortality, honor and power! Wow! Check out I Corinthians 15:35-58! We have a Victory in Christ that kicks!

So why Drained Brain Syndrome today?

I don't know. Maybe I'm a wimp. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I'm fighting something. Wait! I am! And if you are a Christian, you're fighitng something too! I'm fighting sin, weakness, death, hell and the devil (may he go to hell) and it is a BATTLE!

Would you pray for me and for your three favorite people to repent from self-reliance, believe the gospel and fight well?
Now pray for a couple more who are struggling.
Now take a minute to just stop.

And think on whatever is good, whatever is excellent, worthy of praise (God Himself).

Make a plan to read some Scripture later today.
Graced
Jim

P.S. I'm stoked about the number of folks who signed up to read the Essential 100 Bible reading passages!

PMS: I am fighting it and I am not the only one

Let me clarify, it's Post-Ministry Syndrome and every pastor has it.
It usually hits on Monday after a Sunday when I preach, teach or have some leadership role in church, so yeah, it's pretty much every week. I also struggle with Pre-Ministry Syndrome on Saturday nights, but that is a different battle.

See, yesterday was a really good day from a ministry and family perspective. Our King Jesus showed His worth and fame to over 100 people in our first week of two services, people worshiped and served God. My family had a really good day together. I really have nothing to complain about, but I feel down anyway. Why? I'm fighting a 3-front battle with what the Scripture outlines as the world, the flesh and the devil.

The world puts big kudos on big churches and popular preachers. Why am I even talking about this? Because in my fleshly heart of hearts, I want to be famous and popular. And the devil knows it (EVERY preacher wants to be famous, don't kid yourself) so he hammers away with temptation after temptation. He puts thoughts in my head like, 'I'll never make a difference.' and 'Who am I kidding? This will never work.' See he wants me to think, and I want to think that ministry and family and health and everything is up to me. It's not.

If you are reading this and you go to my church, I hope you won't fall for the lie that it is up to me either. Who am I kidding? If you are reading this and you go to my church you are probably already more convinced than I am that it's not up to me. You know me!

So to hell with the devil. He is beaten and he isn't taking me with him. My King, The Lord Jesus has rescued me from this power of sin inside and outside me.
And to Christ goes my flesh and the world. He is able to change. Have mercy on me a sinner. Thanks be to God!

Trying Two Services

Two Services - 930 and 1105

It has come to the point where we have filled out 80% of our worship space and we're moving forward with two services starting this Sunday March 16th.

Please pray for us as we seek to welcome and relate well to more people.
Pray for the staff, the musicians, tech people, greeters and preachers as we work a little more, sacrifice a little more and extend a little more.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of 1000s here in Smyrna!
For His fame and glory,
Jim

Listen In: Audio Interviews about Crosspoint

People ask about Crosspoint all the time. So I asked a friend of mine who’s skeptical about churches in general to record our dialogue about four questions most people have about church. I hope this gives you some insight into Crosspoint and its mission:

• Introduction
• What is Crosspoint like?
• What can someone expect when they come to Crosspoint?
• What can Crosspoint offer me?
• What can I offer to Crosspoint?
• Closing: How did you record this?

When people look at a church, they often notice things like our growing children and youth ministries, our diverse people and music or the welcoming atmosphere. You may connect with our home groups, service teams (like Habitat for Humanity) or men's ministry during the week. But programs are only what you see people doing.

If you were to visit us or our new church plant, I hope you'll notice that really, the driving force for Crosspoint is our passion for what we call 'the gospel' - which means 'good news'. We have simply discovered the good news that God has graced us through Jesus Christ. We aren't better than anyone else. We are sinners and God granted us beautiful, strong purpose for living here and now. We want all the implications of God's grace worked deeply into our souls, and then worked out in our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our city.

The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us boldness and humility to be who we are and do what we were made to do. We realize we are, at the same time, worse than we thought and more loved than we had ever imagined.

We're One to Win Everyone. We want to be one - forgiven, reconciled, united together - so that everyone experiences the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We want people to believe that is a good summary. We want everyone to experience God's grace and freedom so everyone else experiences it too.