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When You Walk Through The Fire

November 9, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 51 Comments

Every day I run into people that seem paralyzed by fear.

Some of you are afraid….

Your marriage will never be what you long for it to be.

You’ll never get married.

You’ll never have children.

You’ll just have one dead end job after another.

You’ll never get out of debt.

You’ll never really be able to trust God in powerful ways.

It’s true that… Fear establishes the limits of your life.

This morning I was reading Isaiah 43. I’ve got a personal situation right now that scares me to death and it was so applicable. I know the right thing to do, but I simply fear the ramifications of stepping out in faith and doing it. I’m somewhat paralyzed by my fear but this verse brought me so much comfort.

I’m hoping you’ll do more than just go through this passage. Let this passage go through you. Read it a few times and let this beautiful promise sink deep into your heart.

Isaiah 43
Israel’s Only Savior
1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

What’s one thing you fear these days?

Wait and See

January 17, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 48 Comments

If there is anything that can drive kids into a peak of frustration it’s hearing their parents say the dreaded words, “Wait and see.”

“Dad can we play video games later?” “We’ll wait and see.”
“Dad is it going to snow?” “There’s a chance, we’ll have to wait and see.”
“Dad can we go sledding?” “Wait and see if it snows boys.”
“Dad where are we going to eat tonight?” “I don’t know, wait and see.”
“Dad can we go to Toys “R” Us Saturday?” “NO!”

Kids want to know right now. Are we doing this thing? I need to know.

$1 An Hour

December 3, 2009 in God with 27 Comments

One of the highlights of over a decade and a half of ministry has been receiving emails just like this one over the past two weeks from people who stepped out in faith during Faith, Hope and Love.

I introduced you to Christina last week. Today, I want you to meet Josh. His faith and God’s faithfulness are intersecting in a new way!

Pete,

So I want to start off by saying thanks. Thank you for providing opportunities to trust, step out, and embrace faith. Although this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced God come through for me when I’ve stepped out, I just had to share this with you.

Throughout the whole series of Faith, Hope, and Love I was conflicted. I absolutely love Cross Point and it’s vision, and enjoy being part of a family that is relentlessly dedicated, but I was so unsure of how I could help. I’m not in the best of financial shape and have been working so hard this past year to get into better shape financially. I was going back and forth about how much I could commit to our cause and still be in shape to pay bills. After a lot of thought, I approached my commitment from a common sense and financial standpoint. Although I couldn’t really afford any pledge (budget wise) I had decided I would give $50 a month. I know it’s not alot, but I felt confident that I could cut out an extra dinner, or sacrifice a bit and still be able to budget the $50/mo. Sitting in the last week of the series, I felt compelled to trust and do more than I actually thought I could just afford.

Giving based on what I could reasonably afford really required no faith, just a bit of sacrifice. I decided to give $2000 through the course of the year. I had no idea how it would even be possible, I just knew that once I committed to it and made it a priority to trust, it would work out. Later that night and for the whole next 2 days I was completely stressed and worried that my heart had stepped a bit to far out on a limb and had no idea where I was going to pull $170 every month from.

3 days later, on Wednesday, I get pulled into my office at work and my boss let’s me know that although I’ve already received 3 raises this past year, he was excited about how well I was doing and said he was upping my pay another $1/hr. I was speechless. I certainly wasn’t expecting a pay increase for at least another year. $1/hr equals $2080 a year, just over my pledge. I left the office last Wed, high as a kite.

It’s so funny that every time in my life that I’ve stepped out on nothing more than hope and faith, God has ALWAYS come through. I shouldn’t be surprised, as it’s not the first time I have experienced it, but it never fails to amaze me. Now I know $2000 is still nothing extravagant, but to me, it was a pretty big deal. I’m so blessed to have a family at Crosspoint that pushes me to change my patterns, thinking habits, and really encourages you to step out on faith. I’m so excited that my initial pledge is now taken care of and I’m searching for ways that I can double my commitment. Thanks for sharing your vision and thanks for placing me in a spot where I truly reflect and search deeper in my faith than I ever have before.

I love this story. But probably not for the reason you think. Don’t miss the main point. The main point is not that he stepped out in faith and committed $2,000 and 3 days later got at $2,000 raise. In fact, I believe he may have received that raise even if he hadn’t made the financial commitment he made.

What I do know is this. If Josh hadn’t stepped out in faith and trusted God in the midst of his fear at best he would have received just another dollar an hour raise. Instead he just had an unforgettable encounter with the God of the universe. He went home that day with a new level of trust and intimacy with his Heavenly Father. He walked away knowing his story was taking place inside of a much larger story. One we all long to have a role in.

The Thrill of Trusting

November 19, 2009 in Cross Point Church, God with 41 Comments

Few things are as thrilling as having a front row seat to watch people take steps of faith and trust God in new ways. Here’s just one of many incredible stories from Faith, Hope and Love.

Meet Christina. She’s a graduate student who just took one HUGE step of faith.

Pete,

I wanted to write and not only thank you (and the entire staff at Crosspoint) but also encourage you by letting you know you are not alone in this stepping out in faith. (I’m sure you already know that by the hundreds, maybe thousands that are stepping up…)

Tonight was life-changing for me and I wanted to share it (and a bit of my story) with you.

I moved to Nashville from New Hampshire at the beginning of the summer to go to graduate school. Having grown up next door to my entire family and only attended college 2 hours away, this move was my “Jordan” moment. I graduated college in May, and moved halfway across the country 2 weeks later. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, yet the most rewarding. Looking back on it, I now see that I stepped into the river first, then God provided. It was a terrifying leap of faith- one that God rewarded through protection and provision. Since moving here, however, my life has become mediocre. Not in the sense of nothing exciting happening, but definitely in terms of my walk with the Lord. I am controlled by routine, stress, and worry. I work two jobs, attend school at night, and am barely making ends meet. I uprooted and moved over 1200 miles away and even on my best days question if this is really what God had for me. The series “Faith, Hope, and Love” has hit me right where I’m at. Several times I’ve considered throwing in the towel and moving home. Luckily, I have a best friend back home that won’t let that happen. He consistently reminds me that faith involves risk, and being “comfortable” will ultimately override my purpose. Being “comfortable” is not the goal- the goal is to be at the center of God’s will. Thankfully I have a church that is teaching me the same.

In all honesty, I figured God wouldn’t ask me to give… given my “circumstances” and all. I prayed “what role will you have me play?” with preconceived ideas that it would be to get involved or something along those lines. But money? I need that. Definitely definitely need that. There I go again, putting God in my “yeah, but…” box. I hate it when I do that.

So, tonight, I was really praying. Wanting to be a part of those miracles that used to happen in Biblical times… I always hear people say “well, yeah, but back then God moved more.” How sad! How quick we are to forget how much FAITH those people had to have to see Him move! So a number was on my heart… honestly, a “you’ve got to be kidding me” attitude swept over me… but I filled out the card nonetheless. You see, I have this small “just-in-case” savings account saved for the upcoming semesters, when I most likely will be working at an internship site for no pay… and not able to work the hours I need to pay the bills. Having a back-up plan is my thing- I am ALWAYS prepared (or at least I try really really hard to be). And I have my list- my “if I can’t make ends meet how long this money will last” list. Hence why I felt the “you’ve got to be kidding me” attitude when I filled out the commitment card.

Tonight, I committed to donating a one-time gift of $1,000… and when I sealed that envelope and tossed it into the offering basket, a wave of fear swept over me. Tears streamed down my face as I felt what those priests felt walking into the Jordan. “Okay God… this for real?” But now that I think about it, deep in my soul I know that I am about to be a part of something glorious… something heavenly… something eternal. This church has been my saving grace since moving here, and ultimately a God-given blessing. I know (and am SO thankful) that I am supposed to be a part of this church and all that it is wanting to accomplish. I have been reminded of what life really is all about- something I think I was slowly losing site of. In high school I used to walk on the edge daily, trusting Him with each and every step… my passion and love for the Lord never left, I just let life, stress, worry, and busyness drown it out. I want that back. I want to be so amped for what God is going to do- for what He has done and what He is waiting on us for. I want to be dependent on him- I want to save an extra $3.60 at Wal-mart and KNOW its one of God’s provisions for trusting Him. I want to follow Proverbs 3:5-6 and ACTUALLY understand what that means. I had a Jordan moment when I moved here- 5 months ago I leaned on His every promise to make it through just one more day… and I did. He provided for me then, and I know He will now. Am I scared? Terrified. My “what if He doesn’t come through” list could be miles long…but like you said tonight, I need to practice making a different kind of list… what would NOT happen if I didn’t.

Ephesians 3:20 says He is able to do exceedingly more than we could ask or imagine through the power that is at work WITHIN us. I think too often we over look those last two words. That power is in us, requiring us to step out, to trust that He will. THIS is when we see miracles. Faith is stepping out into the unknown… knowing sure well there is a possibility of failing, but trusting you won’t. I won’t. We won’t. Crosspoint won’t.

My “what if” list is now simply- He will.

I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with not only my sacrifice but of everyone’s at Crosspoint.

He has already begun to move,

Christina

Do you have a “what if” that needs to become a “He will” ?

A God We Cannot See

November 17, 2009 in Family, God, Parenting with 50 Comments

As a father I feel as if I have the responsibility to teach my boys a lot of different things. Here’s just a few I’ve been thinking of…

How to ride a bike.

How to shave.

How to tie a tie.

How to dribble a ball.

How to love people you don’t like.

How to jump off really high stuff.

How to do a push-up.

How to understand women.

How to treat a woman.

But the most important thing I want to teach my boys…

How to trust a God they cannot see.

This past Sunday I watched hundreds of people make their commitment to Faith, Hope, & Love. Each commitment represented someone trusting God in a new and unique way. But the pledge that caught my attention was the one my 8 year old son filled out.

He pledged $50 (that he doesn’t have) to the vision of Cross Point Church. He later told me that God would provide a way for him to fulfill his commitment. This card represents a lot more than fifty bucks. It represents what is hopefully just the first of many adventures my son will have trusting a God he cannot see.

If you missed commitment Sunday at one of our Cross Point campuses and want to make a commitment to Faith, Hope & Love you can do so HERE.

What do you want to make sure you’re teaching your kids?

The Greatest Of All Illusions

November 4, 2009 in Cross Point Church, God with 32 Comments

We’re in a series entitled Faith, Hope & Love at Cross Point where we’ve been looking at how God uses our faith to increase our intimacy and trust with Him. As usual I’ve found myself in the middle of struggling with the very topic I’m in the midst of teaching about.

I’ve got a situation that is driving me absolutely crazy.

I want answers.

I want explanations.

I want guarantees.

I want control.

And yet what God wants is for me to simply trust Him.

Over the past two days I’ve felt God saying, “Pete, take your hands off of this. Stop trying to control and maintain what you cannot control and maintain.”

I bet there are a lot of you who are just like me. We have fallen victim to faithless lives because we’ve bought into the illusion of control.

And control IS the greatest of all illusions.

Does This Shake Your Faith?

July 9, 2008 in God, Religion with 49 Comments

Time Magazine, along with many other media outlets, is promoting the heck out of this guy named David Jeselsohn, a Swiss-Israeli collector, who bought this ancient tablet from a Jordanian antiquities dealer. The article states…

The tablet appears to date authentically to the years just before the birth of Jesus and yet — at least according to one Israeli scholar — it announces the raising of a messiah after three days in the grave. If true, this could mean that Jesus’ followers had access to a well-established paradigm when they decreed that Christ himself rose on the third day — and it might even hint that they they could have applied it in their grief after their master was crucified. (CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE).

So my understanding is this guy is saying that this is proof that the early Christians could have used this information to base their account of Jesus’ 3rd day resurrection on.

While many scholars say the interpretation of this tablet is sketchy at best, it wouldn’t bother me a bit if it were true. This doesn’t shake our faith. IF the early Christians had wanted an example that they could use to make up a 3 day resurrection story, they had a lot more than this lame discovery. They had the whole Old Testament.

Over and over again the Old Testament uses the “third day” as a day of deliverance, hope, and new beginnings.
-When Joseph was in prison, he said to Pharaoh’s cupbearer: “…In three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your job … “(Genesis 40: 13)

-When Israel was trapped in slavery, Moses asked Pharaoh: Let us go three days into the wilderness. (Exodus 5: 3)

-When Israel was threatened with being wiped out, a young girl named Esther says that she will fast for three days. Then she will go to the King to seek deliverance for her people.

-When Jonah is swallowed and is in the belly of the big fish … does anybody want to take a guess how many days he’s there? He’s there three days before he’s released.

And there are more examples, but repeatedly, the Bible speaks of this third day.

I say all of this to say, I really don’t think Mr. Jeselsohn’s discovery is actually much of a discovery. Sorry to burst your bubble sir, but I don’t think it really proves anything. There is nothing new here. So like many before you, enjoy your moment in the limelight. This theory, like the ones before it, will be at the top of the Time article list for a few days and then we will never hear anything about it again. Then again, you may land a PBS special and your 15 minutes will be stretched to a whopping 25.

I’m wondering…when stories like this one get released, does it in any way shake your faith? It’s OK, you can be honest.

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