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Lifting Up Prayers (2018 to Present)

 Prayer List — October 2018 to May 2021 Garvin and wife Vivian Wilson Francis and Michelle Jones Super Etch and wife Michelle AJ (Working in Afghanistan; strength to quit smoking) Pastor Tony (RIP) and wife Leticia Br. Tony’s family (daughters Makayla, Monique, Moriah) AnTuan and wife Antwinette Br. Kurt Cox and Family (loss of father-in-law) Br. Jordan (for forgiveness) Br. Alex (law enforcement) Palmer “Big Pinck” and wife Barbara Pastor Ed Pastor Clayton Pastor Mike Employees of Crossroads Church All Christian Churches Jennifer Lawrence and son Camden Br. Mario Robinson and Family The Woress Family Kevin Savoy (vision loss) J.T. Fisher (employment) Jun Arellano and family Shane Faulkner Bryce and Keara Porter Peter and Gloria (ministry transitions) Michael Hall and family (new baby; family business) Amelio and Caroline (relationship) James Lightning (eye surgery) Leonard Black and Nick Gilbert Mama Wilson (RIP) Michelle Ecsedy (health – knee) Michael Anderson (health – back) Mot...
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Padre Guilherme (Priest, Soldier & DJ)

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The Baptist

John the Baptist didn’t waste words in the desert, and neither will I. He showed up looking like he just rolled out of a long patrol (camel hair, leather belt, living on locusts and whatever honey he could scrounge), yelling one clear mission: “Repent. The kingdom is at hand.”  That’s the same mission we’ve got this Second Sunday of Advent, brothers. Get your soul squared away, because the King is inbound.  I’ve been in formations where the commander walks the line and you can feel the tension rise. John did that to the whole nation. Crowds came out to the Jordan (regular people, soldiers, tax collectors, and then the brass rolled in): Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious elite, the ones who thought rank and heritage bought them a free pass. John didn’t salute. He called them exactly what they were: a brood of vipers slithering up to the water looking for a photo op. “Who warned you the fire’s coming?” he asked. “You can’t coast on Abraham’s coattails. Rocks on the ground ha...
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Trusting and Pleasing

“Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:9  “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 Do you seek to please God or simply trust Him? I believe many of us would say that we desire to do both, but if you had to choose or focus on one or the other, which would it be? In pleasing God, we put ourselves in a “what must I do” frame of mind. It requires considerable effort to do those things that are “good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord” (1 Timothy 2:3).  Our way then becomes paved with good intentions as we strive to please God. That word, strive, means “struggling in opposition,” and that really sums it up. We are not perfect, and those imperfections and shortcomings will continue to follow us as long as we live. “Trying to please,” in and of itself, becomes an ongoing challenge. Conversely, Scripture says to “cease striving” … to be still and know that God is God. Instead of all the manufactured...
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Why Aren’t the Rooms Full?

From the Gospel of John 13:35  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Also read: Acts 14:21-27  Revelation 21:1-5 Let’s settle in and lean into today’s readings with open hearts. In John’s Gospel, Jesus lays down the ultimate target: a new commandment to love one another as He loves us. It’s a bullseye that could fill every church to the rafters. So why aren’t the rooms full? Picture this: Star Trek, The Wrath of Khan. Captain Kirk, cool as ever, goads Khan, saying, You keep missing the target! Khan’s blasting away, but he can’t hit the mark. Sound familiar? Too often, we’re like Khan, firing shots at the Church-blaming it for empty pews, corruption, or hypocrisy. But, brothers, we’re missing the target! The Church preaches the Gospel, Christ’s love. The real mark? Flawed people-us, our neighbors, those caught in negativity or sin. Acts shows...
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Listen to the Quiet

From the Gospel of John 10:27-30 Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” Alright, let’s settle in for a moment, just you brothers, me, and the Holy Spirit, finding a quiet moment to listen, to really hear God’s voice, like we’ve been talking about for years on the prayer line.  Picture this: you’re sitting somewhere peaceful, maybe a cozy corner of your house, or out in nature, where the world’s noise just fades away. The Bible, it’s got wisdom for us. Like what we just read in John 10:27-30, Jesus says He’s the Good Shepherd, and His sheep, us, we hear His voice, we follow, and He’s got us safe, promising eternal life.  That’s the Gospel, tying into Acts 13, where Paul and Barnabas are calling everyone to listen, and also ...
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Guidance

“Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from my mouth and you will give them warning from me.”   --- Ezekiel 33:7 The best world leaders and top CEOs often rely on a trusted inner circle for advice. They know when to ask for help and whom to trust. This same idea applies to our personal and professional lives. Whose advice do you trust when it comes to your marriage, your kids, or your business? Mentors, life coaches, consultants, and counselors are everywhere, but what about your spiritual life? Where do you go when your faith journey gets hard? God always speaks to us through His Word. However, God also places key people in our lives to encourage and support us along the way. Take the role of preacher. In the Bible, God told the prophet Ezekiel that preachers were to speak the Word of God, meaning the Bible, in order to teach, encourage, warn, and even correct. This can be a challenge, especially when i...
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