Friday, August 28, 2015

Ministries at Cross Pointe Baptist Church

We encourage you to find a point of ministry at Cross Pointe; to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  There’s a place for you.  Come and join with us in the work of reaching a lost world for Jesus. Together we can make a difference in the lives of others.  Opportunities for ministry include:

Embers

Like a warm ember that leads to a flame, our infant and baby ministry is open to women of God who want to nurture our youngest family members into a loving knowledge of Christ Jesus through salvation.   This is the threshold ministry of the church.   Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”  From nursery services to toddler  and pre-school education, this ministry needs workers just like you.

Children learn through play.  They’re naturals.  It’s us adults that sometimes need help!  We’ve forgotten how.  Plus it’s difficult to know how much babies and toddlers understand anyway.

Next time you serve with Embers at Cross Pointe, play with your own little tikes, or take care of children this age, use these developmental ages and stages as a guide to know how to play with them.

0-6 months:  Sensory Learners

Infants absorb the world around them.  Their visual and auditory skills are developing quickly.  They love black and white contrasts, their parents’ voices, and reaching and grasping items.  Tummy time is beneficial, as is flashlight or mirror play, and singing favorite nursery and church songs.

6-10 months:  Little Explorers

Babies this age learn to impact their environment.  They develop an understanding of cause and effect.  “If I shake this rattle, it will make noise.”  They also begin to understand object permanence:  the realization that just because the ball is under the blanket doesn’t mean that it ceases to exist.  Peek-a-boo games, texture exploration, ball play, and singing are some of their favorite activities.

10-16 months:  Budding Communicators

Children this age are mobile.  They crawl, stand, cruise, and walk.  They learn to communicate with hand movements, sounds, and words.  Baby signs are helpful at this age to reduce frustration levels.  You can also support growing language development with songs. Favorite toys may include jack-in-the boxes, instruments, and push and pull toys.

http://www.cpbchurch.com/

PRAY LIKE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

PRAY LIKE IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much – James 5:16

After pondering the perfect sovereignty of God, many have asked the question “Why should I even bother praying then? If God is always going to do his will, and his will is always perfect, then why should we ever pray?”

The answer, it is important to recognize, comes from the same God who tells us that he “works all things after the counsel of his own will.” This very same God informs us that effectual, fervent prayer on the part of his people avails — not just a little bit, or for a little while, but much!

How can this be? How can an immutable, all-knowing, eternal God listen to our prayers and allow them to influence the outcome of events great and small? Frankly, we may never know or understand. But this we do know: God tells us that our prayers make a tremendous impact.

So then, how should you respond to temptation or trial? Pray. What should you do on behalf of sick, or wayward, or feeble loved ones? Pray. What is your responsibility toward those that have authority over you? Pray for them. How can you make a difference in the world around you? Pray.

The hard work of sincere and fervent prayer gains much ground, does great good, God says. Do you believe him? Do you pray like it makes a difference?

http://www.cpbchurch.com/

Monday, August 17, 2015

The ABC’s of Salvation

How Can I Be Saved?   The ABC’s of Salvation

So often we present salvation as something very complex, but God never intended it to be that way. God's plan of salvation is simple enough for everyone to understand. It is as easy as ABC.

Admit
Admit that you are a sinner an in need of salvation.    Each of us has a problem called sin.    The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”   Sin is a refusal to acknowledge God's authority over our lives, and the Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Believe
Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He is the only way to obtain salvation—to get to heaven.  Although we have done nothing to deserve His love and salvation, God wants to save us.  John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Jesus said,   “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Confess
The Bible teaches that “if you confess with your mou
th the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”   (Romans 10:9-10).

Please Pray

“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner in desperate need of a Savior.  I cannot save myself, and I believe that You died upon the cross for me.  I believe that You shed Your precious blood on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin.   I accept You now as my Savior, my Lord, my God, and my Friend. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and set me free from my sin. And because You are my Savior, I will not die an eternal death, but I now have everlasting life in You.  Thank you, Jesus for saving me today!”

Contact Us—We would love to have the opportunity to celebrate your new life in Christ with you!

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior please contact us so that we may share in your joy. We would like to provide support and resources to help you grow in your Christian walk.

Cross Pointe Baptist Church strives to Love God, Love people, Share Jesus and Make disciples. There is a place for you at Cross Pointe, come join us!

http://www.cpbchurch.com/

How can you be saved? Easy as ABC: Admit, Believe, Confess. Come worship at Cross Pointe. www.cpbchurch.com | cpbchurch.blogspot.com

Friday, August 14, 2015

Give thanks for all things

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – Ephesians 5:20

We are here admonished to give thanks for all things. We know we should give thanks for our daily provisions and for the mercy of God in saving us; but sometimes we don’t take the time or make the effort to truly thank him, or to consider all the things for which we should be grateful.

The apostle Paul frequently expressed his thanks to God for the faith, love and work seen in the churches where he had labored. He acknowledged that these godly fruits were because of God’s blessings on them and therefore gave thanks to God. He constantly expressed thankfulness for his godly fellow laborers, but consistently expressed thankfulness to God for even their faithfulness (Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:3).

Astonishingly, Paul also expressed appreciation for tribulations (Romans 5:3), and even acknowledged that he took pleasure in “infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake” because God’s strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10). If God’s sufficiency is displayed in my insufficiency, Paul said, then I am thankful for each opportunity for his strength to be shown in my weakness.

And above all, the apostle gave thanks for the Savior. He wrote, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Words are inadequate to describe the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ, but we should continually give thanks for him and his love for us.

www.cpbchurch.com


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

We are God's children

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" – Luke 15:17

My brothers & sisters in Christ, the story of the Prodigal Son is one of the more popular parables and describes us all, as children of God.

So often we are all unfaithful children of our benevolent God. We all have squandered the abundant
inheritance he so graciously has given to us. And we all —at one time or another— have known what it is to finally “come to ourselves”.

Sin is insanity. It is an unreasoning, illogical, self-destructive way of life. It ignores the plain hand of our heavenly Father and follows after the hallucination of worldly pleasures and fulfillment. But we do it anyways. We curse another drive who has cut us off. We envy our neighbor's new promotion at work. We desire a colleague or friend. Then we sin some more to try and obtain those self-destructing goals.

But when we finally come to ourselves, when we see the light, (often times it takes a smack to the back of the head so-to-speak), we realize that starving out in the pigpen is not what our Father planned for us. We are the God’s children! No one in his house is hungry or wanting, and yet here we are in the mud pit of sin because we walked away from the house of our Father. When we finally come to our senses, we finally come back to him. We take the long walk back home to His loving heart. We give up the miserable quest for self-gratification and begin to seek the abundant life that is found in God alone. We come back humbled by his ever-lasting love and forgiveness.

Have you come to yourself yet? Have you turned your feet back to the Father? If so, know that there is always a warm welcome for those who come to God by his Son Jesus Christ.

http://www.cpbchurch.com

We are God's children

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" – Luke 15:17

My brothers & sisters in Christ, the story of the Prodigal Son is one of the more popular parables and describes us all, as children of God.

So often we are all unfaithful children of our benevolent God. We all have squandered the abundant
inheritance he so graciously has given to us. And we all —at one time or another— have known what it is to finally “come to ourselves”.

Sin is insanity. It is an unreasoning, illogical, self-destructive way of life. It ignores the plain hand of our heavenly Father and follows after the hallucination of worldly pleasures and fulfillment. But we do it anyways. We curse another drive who has cut us off. We envy our neighbor's new promotion at work. We desire a colleague or friend. Then we sin some more to try and obtain those self-destructing goals.

But when we finally come to ourselves, when we see the light, (often times it takes a smack to the back of the head so-to-speak), we realize that starving out in the pigpen is not what our Father planned for us. We are the God’s children! No one in his house is hungry or wanting, and yet here we are in the mud pit of sin because we walked away from the house of our Father. When we finally come to our senses, we finally come back to him. We take the long walk back home to His loving heart. We give up the miserable quest for self-gratification and begin to seek the abundant life that is found in God alone. We come back humbled by his ever-lasting love and forgiveness.

Have you come to yourself yet? Have you turned your feet back to the Father? If so, know that there is always a warm welcome for those who come to God by his Son Jesus Christ.

http://www.cpbchurch.com

Friday, August 7, 2015

May God Bless

At Cross Pointe Baptist Church, it is our sincere belief that everyone who is a born again believer in Jesus Christ is uniquely gifted by God to be a part of the local ministry.

Being a part of our church family is so much more than finding a place to be served and fed. Fellowship at Cross Pointe involves finding a place to be of service to others, and to share the gospel of Christ with the lost.   We find our greatest calling is in service to others; leading a lost world to Christ and making disciples of those who trust Him as Lord and Savior.

We encourage you to find a point of ministry at Cross Pointe; to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.   There’s a place for you.  Come and join with us in the work of reaching a lost world for Jesus.  Together we can make a difference in the lives of others.   Opportunities for ministry include:

Fired Up

Fired Up ministry focuses on teens and college-aged students.  These students are entering a world that is eager to challenge their Christian worldview.    It is our goal to create champions for Christ who are fired up for taking on the world with great confidence in who Jesus is and what He has done for them.   Opportunities for vibrant and exciting explorations of faith and empowered ministry are found here at Cross Pointe.

http://www.cpbchurch.com/

Monday, August 3, 2015

SERVING OTHERS

SERVING OTHERS
And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. Genesis 40:6 (NKJV)

Let's think about this: how unlikely was it that Joseph would notice the sadness of his cellmates? He had plenty of problems himself, without taking on any more. His brothers had sold him into slavery and then his boss had fired and imprisoned him on false charges. Yet, Joseph noticed and cared about others.

Brothers and sisters, there is hope and the quickest way out of a dark pit of discouragement is to think of and serve others. The surest way to deepen your dark times is to draw into, and think more about, yourself. Joseph is perhaps the best example in the Old Testament of a selfless, servant-spirited saint and it is no coincidence that, in every situation in which he found himself, he continually rose above his trial and glorified God.

The old saying of walking a mile in someone eles's shoes most certainly applies. How often on social media do we see a heartwarming video of someone overcoming a deficit or tribulation? People post or comment on how "lucky" they are to not be in the same situation. So let us be thankful for what we have including our dark and difficult times. The Lord is teaching us something even though we might not see it right away. Reach out a hand to your neighbor; help a stranger; forgive a debt or friend.

Are you going through difficult times? Have others wronged you? What has been your response? Do you think of others and how to help them, or only about yourself and your own problems? Look around you: there is a world of opportunities to help, and they are all open doors that lead out of your darkness. Helping others through the darkness will bring you to the light as the Lord intended.

http://www.cpbchurch.com/

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10

www.cpbchurch.com | http://cpbchurch.blogspot.com

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