Life, Through Christ, Is Yours

Whether…the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come -- all are yours – 1 Corinthians 3:22 (NKJV)

What a strange thing to say. How can Paul claim with a straight face that everything—even death—has been given to God’s people and belongs to them?

It certainly does not feel as though the world belongs to us, that our present life is completely under our control, or that the future is ours for the taking. Least of all, death does not ever feel to be mastered or owned or tamed; more than anything else, death reminds us of just how frail we are and what little power we have over our surroundings.

And yet Paul claims that they are all yours, if you are Christ’s (3:23). Even death has been made a servant to the people of God. How can this be?

The truth is that we, in ourselves, do not have autonomous control over our life or our death; but the truth is also that Christ has—through his death and resurrection—brought even our greatest enemies into subjection and made them to serve us for our good.

Death, for instance, has been subdued; instead of acting as the jaws of fate to consume us, it has now become the door of salvation to renew us. Whereas death was once to be greatly feared, as the result of sin entering into the world, it is now made an occasion for rejoicing, as the vehicle that brings us into the presence and likeness of Christ.

Life, through Christ, is yours, dear believer. And, yes, even death is yours, to serve you for your good and for God’s glory. Rejoice today, then, in the possessions that are yours in Christ.

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There Is a Place For You At Cross Pointe

Do you have a God-given talent and love for music? Join our dynamic adult music ministry team, United Voices of Praise, in presenting the glorious message of our Lord Jesus in song! Be prepared to use your talents to glorify the King through the praise and worship ministry at Cross Pointe as an instrumentalist or vocalist. Plan to be a part of a dynamic, high-impact musical service. There is a place for you at Cross Pointe; come join us!

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.

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Have You Come To Yourself Yet?

“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 (NKJV)

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.

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Pray, It Makes a Difference

Confess your trespasses[a] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. – James 5:16 (NKJV)

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?

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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 mouth 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!

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“Nothing lasts forever”

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away – Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

“Nothing lasts forever.” We have become so used to the reality of this cliche that we have many times, even as Christians, unconsciously applied this earthly maxim to eternal things.

But Jesus would have us remember that, yes, heaven and earth shall pass away; nothing in this world lasts forever. Cars and carpet, bodies and bank accounts, hobbies and holidays — all eventually break up or break down. The things we strive for and try to obtain mean nothing when we are finally called to the Lord. Egyptians used to want to be buried with their belongings in the afterlife. Are we that different these days?

Even nations and world powers rise and fall over time. Did you know there is not a single world government still in power today that existed when the United States was formed? As young as this country is, it is already the oldest living government on the planet!

Heaven and earth shall pass away, Jesus says, but my words shall not pass away. God’s words and God’s works will still stand when the earth is on fire. You perhaps will agree to the point Jesus is making, but does the reality Jesus is highlighting infuse your decision-making with an eternal perspective and priority? In other words, do you live as if everything in this world is momentary and God’s promises are everlasting?

If your joy, fulfillment, or comfort is found in your youth… what about when you get old? If it comes from your wealth… what happens when you become poor or too sick to enjoy it? What if your happiness comes from popular? When you friends move on will you  turn to the Lord? Have you turned to Him throughout your life for happiness?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, NOTHING lasts forever, except everything that I do and say, Jesus reminds us. May this reality be reflected this day in everything we do and say.

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The Potter's Wheel

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:

Potter’s Wheel
Join the Potter’s Wheel ministry team; our local church-based point of service ministry team. Be a part of the welcoming family culture of hospitality and graciousness that exists at the Cross Pointe. Establish fellowship times, church greeters, and all elements of local church-level ministry

www.cpbchurch.com | (386) 232-8704 | plus.google.com/u/0/116498185892424571315/posts |
twitter.com/cpb_church | crosspointebaptistchurch.tumblr.com