What happened Sunday?

This past Sunday at Crossroads was going to be like any normal Sunday.

We had finished the first service and we were getting ready for the second service.  I passed Rhett in the hall after the service and we talked about a few things that happened during the first…but nothing special.

The second service started just like the first.  After I did the announcements we went into our programmed worship set.  I was setting on the front row as normal.  Rhett and I constantly keep eye contact with each other.  I know him and he knows me, so keeping eye contact is very important.

During the first song, I interrupted the song to point out something that those lyrics spoke to me.  We picked up and went right on after that.  It was during the last song of the set that I knew something was happening.  Rhett looked down at me and I told him to just keep going.  I know it was time for me to speak, but we were in a groove were I think God wanted us to stay…..so we stayed. 

From this point the band just had to follow Rhett and where he was going.  They hadn’t rehearsed any of these songs, none of them.  We just kept going and the more we went, the more God seemed to fill the place with his presence.

With about 20 minutes left in what would have been our normal time, I spoke for about 5 minutes.  Up to this point, people had already been on their faces at the front of the stage.  After I finished, Rhett continued to lead us until our time was done.

Now in three years of our existence this has never happened.  But what happened you may be asking?  God wanted to do something different and I had a choice to stick to the schedule or go with God….I went with God and apparently that was a good thing.  I can’t tell you how many emails, texts and phone calls I have received.  All of them telling me what God did in their lives.

If you were there and wanted to hear the message and you didn’t get too, let me be the first to apologize.  I had no idea that this was going to happen.  That’s another reason we record them and post them on-line.  I don’t know when or if this will ever happen again, but if it does we’re going with God.

Sunday was amazing!

Two on Tuesday

Here are my two “disappointments” from my amazing Tuesday!

• It never pays when you cut through a parking lot trying to beat the light….now I didn’t do it, but someone I was with did and the moment we came out on the other side….there was the motorcycle policeman.  Disappointed that we got away with it…are you kidding?
• I had an amazing salad at lunch today…trying to eat a little healthier these days.  Once you turn 30 you have to put a little more emphasis on your life style!  I was just disappointed that it wasn’t the “endless” salad like they have at Olive Garden!

See you on Wednesday!

Sunday Rewind

Sorry I’m just a little late this week in getting to the “Sunday Rewind”.

I’ve been totally amazed at how “…the END of ME” has impacted the lives of people at Crossroads.  I’ve been more amazed at how it’s impacted my own life.  I think as we’ve walked through four verses in the book of Luke, we have totally had our eyes opened in ways that we hadn’t been able to see our lives before.

If you were in the second service on Sunday then you know that God did something that we’ve not seen before.  It was while I was sitting on the front row that I realized that we just needed to keep going as it related to our music/worship.  It seemed that we were in a groove that God wanted to stay in, so I just looked up at Rhett and told him to keep going.  Now that’s not as simple as you think.  We typically program songs that we are going to do, so when I told him to go on, he just had to do it off the cuff.  That means that the band just has to follow him with stuff they haven’t prepared to do…..the band did amazing and you guys responded in typical Crossroads fashion.

It was great to see so  many people getting on their face before God and dealing with what ever it was they needed to deal with.  That’s what this series is doing.  It’s bringing many of us to a place where we are realizing that this life is not about us but about God.

Here are a few things I noticed from Sunday:

• Great attendance for the day.  It had been a while since we had a football game at noon on a Sunday.
• Thanks to our volunteers who show up and give their best!
• I’m really enjoying seeing what God is doing in people’s lives as a result of this series.
• Huge bunch of visitors on Sunday!
• Great weather….
• I love watching God work in our services.
• I’m one thankful guy when it comes to what God has allowed me to do.  I would have never thought all that is happening would have been possible.
• It’s great to see people responding and feeling comfortable to get out of their seat and get on their face and deal with the issues that they have going on in their life!
• I’m thankful our musicians could roll with it on Sunday….that made the second service what it was!  No, they didn’t know we were going to do that.
• I’ve heard some amazing stories that came out of what God did on Sunday!
• Looking forward to next Sunday…what about you?

Have a great week!

Useless Friday Info

This Friday’s info is not really so “useless”.   Actually it’s pretty important.

As you will see, most of it has to do with those who have served in the military or at least the information revolves around the military or our veterans.  I thought that since we observed “Veterans Day” this week, then it was only fitting that you have a little information or some military facts to put in your arsenal (You like that don’t you?).

So here we go:

“World War I was officially concluded on the 11th hour of the 11th day of November, at 11 a.m. in 1918.  On November 11th of the following year, President Woodrow Wilson declared that day as “Armistice Day” in honor of the peace.”  (The term armistice means “truce” or the end of wartime hostilities)

“In 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in Arlington Cemetery with a ceremony on November 11th.  After this dedication, Armistice Day was adopted in many states and at the federal level as a day to honor veterans.  This was made official in 1938 when an act of Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday.”

“In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day.  For several years in the 1970’s, Veterans Day was observed in October by many states, but in 1978 it was returned to November 11th.”

“Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day, center around the Tomb of the Unknowns.  To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.”

“As of last year, 23.2 million military veterans populate the United States.  Of these, 9.2 million are 65 or older and 1.9 million were younger than 35.”

It’s “huge” for me!

Some day’s for me can be a struggle.

Yep, that’s right….a “struggle”….a real “struggle”.

The “struggle” isn’t so much that I have something bad going on.  My “struggle” is staying focused.  With all that I am bombarded with on a day to day basis, sometimes it’s a “huge” problem to stay focused.

What’s something that’s “huge” for you?

Two on Tuesday

Once again, the “Two on Tuesday” is coming to you on Wednesday.  But I guess that is better than nothing at all….or then, maybe not.

Here are my two “light hearted” disappointments from yesterday.

• The first comes in the form of food….can you imagine that.  I went to Sunset Restaurant (a famous Lebanon eatery) with the sole intention of getting “roast beef”.  But there is something about the gravitational pull of the “broasted chicken”.  I gave in as usual….went for the “broasted chicken” white meat!  It was GOOD!
• The second disappointment happened while I was at Sunset.  Here I am sitting there minding my own business.  I look in the direction of the door and in walks about seven members of the “Red Hat Society”.  No big deal right?  Well as the last one walks past me, we get a peek at something we didn’t need to see.  Seems that when this poor lady was dressing or when she went to the restroom, she tucked her dress in her underwear……not pretty!  My disappointment came in the fact that I didn’t have the nerve to snatch it out when she walked by!  Needless to say, I heard she left the establishment with it still tucked in her underwear.  This was a sight enjoyed by many!

What about you?

Today i decided to do a little something special for lunch.

I usually don’t do a big lunch during the week….it’s something I save for special occasions.

Today I went to one of the local favorites, “Sunset Restaurant”.  It’s a pretty famous meat and three in our area.

I had my mind made up when I went in…..or at least I thought.  I was going to do the roast beef but I was led astray by the broasted chicken.  Seems that happens all the time.

My question for you guys is this…..would you prefer fried chicken or broasted chicken?  White meat or dark meat?

Pretty simple question….now its time for you to weigh in!

When God shows up!

Of course I know that God is always present.

But sometimes God really shows up in amazing ways.

That happened yesterday at Crossroads.

People were on their faces before God….and I hadn’t done a thing!

When God shows up….the plans are changed so that he can do what needs to be done.

More importantly…..when God shows up….change happens in the hearts of people.

Thanks God!

Sunday Rewind

Days like today remind me of who is in control.

You had to know that God was totally in control today as we went into week two of our new series “…..the END of ME”.

I’m so thankful that in times like we had today, we are flexible enough to let God do what he needs to do in the life of his people……it was really a good day at Crossroads.  I’m thankful for people who jump in and help us do all that we do.

Here is a quick rundown of some things that happened today at Crossroads:

• Amazing weather today, but it didn’t impact attendance at all.  I really had in my mind that it would be a little off today because of the great weather….but we were up in all three services.
• Didn’t the band do an amazing job today?
• Great seeing so many first time visitors.
• It was great doing “Revelation Song” again…..we took a break several months ago from doing that song…it was great to bring it back.
• I’m really encouraged at what I see God doing in the lives of so many people.
• It seems that “,….the END of ME” is just what some of you have needed.
• Thanks to so many of you for your feedback.
• A great job by our volunteers today!  Thanks for making a difference.
• What is God trying to show you?

Enjoy your Sunday…….

Useless Friday Info

Here is this week’s edition of “Useless Friday Info”:

“One square inch of skin on the human hand contains some 72 feet of nerve fiber.  There is a total of 45 miles of nerves in the skin.”

“Your nails grow faster in outer space.”

“1965-Sony introduces Betamax, a small home video recorder, which later loses out to the VHS machine.”

“1980-CNN, the Cable News Network, is born.  It’s followed by MTV.”

“The guy featured in the NBA logo is former Laker, Jerry West.”

“Go” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.”

“On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens each year.”

“If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.”

“A person sheds about 1.5 million skin flakes an hours, most of which becomes embedded in our carpets.”

“Pumpkin halves were supposedly used as guides for haircuts in colonial New Haven, Connecticut, giving rise to the nickname pumpkinhead.”