Not Your Grandma’s Jesus

Join us as we begin a new message series, entitled: “Not Your Grandma’s Jesus.” This will sort of be like a “blast from the past” (a term that DJ’s used to use when they wanted to introduce a song, on the radio, as being a “golden oldie” or a song from “yesterday,”,or “a blast from the past”). Oh, those memories…those were the days (or so we thought…).

Sometimes our “pictures,” our memories, become fuzzy, clouded, or faded. In the days before digital photography the life-span of a picture depended upon the quality of the chemicals used for developing, the paper on which it was printed, and the camera with which the photo was taken with. Pictures varied in contrast, clarity, and color. It all depended…

What’s your picture of Jesus look like? How clear is it? How accurate are “the actual colors”? Has your picture of Jesus begun to fade? Are you really seeing His true portrait, His true self, His true colors? Or, are you relying on “a blast from the past”?

Join us as we gently open the pages of Scripture and slowly, but carefully, look at the actual pictures of Jesus. The pictures you see may look entirely different than the ones your gramdma saw! See for yourself…

[PhotoCredit:dasjabbadas]

Mexico Mission Trip May 29 – June 5

I want to invite you to one week that will change your life forever…for GOOD!  Come and join us on our Crossroad’s Mission Trip to Mexico May 29-June5.  We will be going down the Baja Peninsula to Vicente Gurrero, approximately a 5-hour drive South of the border.  We will spend the week working at Foundation for His Ministry Orphanage for a week.  It is truly a trip of a life-time and you will never be the same again—you’ll be better!

Hurry and sign up now, because we can only take 20 people.  The cost for the entire Mission Trip for the entire week, is ONLY $300 which includes airfare (to and from San Diego, transportation, lodging, accomodations and meals).  For more information contact Glenn or Nancy Sayers —Glenn (835-6809), or Nancy (847-4703)

We do have some “scholarships” available, so don’t let the recession, or money “worries” stop you from experiencing Mission service that will change “their lives” AND YOURS.  Sign up now—-

Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served, but TO SERVE.”  Matthew 20:28.  This year, this Spring…right now…let’s do it!

Pastor Glenn and Nancy

Ultimate Fighting Championship?

UFC…Tap Out…and other “fighting” terms are becoming common words in many people’s vocabulary.  Millions of Americans tune in, each week, to see fighters climb into a ring, or “the cage” (or octagon), and fight.  People pay big money to watch people fight.   When I think about it, it seems cruel and crazy!  Yet, on the other hand, I guess if you’re going fight, you might as well get paid for it…(or is that crazy too)?  Do you ever fight?  Have you ever had someone take a “poke” at you?  Have you ever wanted to fight someone?  (Be honest…)
 
Come and join us, as we begin a new message series at Crossroads Church Saturday, September 26 called:  “UFC” — Ultimate Fighting Championship?  Or, Ultimately Friendly Christians?  While we don’t want to admit it, and usually hate to talk about it openly…let’s face it…sometimes even Christian’s fight!  If you haven’t been trained how to fight, if you’re not in condition, if you use the wrong technique or equipment, and if you fight against people in the wrong “weight class” you’re going to get hurt!  Jesus talked about fighting.  Paul, and the other early church leaders addressed fights, even among members.  Fighting is nothing new!  So, come join us, at Crossroads, as we learn what God says about “Fighting”.  How should we fight?  Who should we fight?  Where should we fight?  What should we be willing to fight about?  When should we fight?  These are all valid questions in today’s world.  Learning to fight fair, and learning to protect yourself could save your life, your marriage, your family, your job, or even your salvation!   Invite a friend (or an “enemy”) and join us as we learn how, and who to fight.

Bible Reading and Prayer

February 15

<< Feb 14 | Feb 15 | Feb 16 >>

Morning

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure”?

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.—Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.—We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.—In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.—If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prov. 20:9; Ps. 14:2, 3; Rom. 8:8; Rom. 7:18, 19; Isa. 64:6; Gal. 3:22; 2 Cor. 5:19; 1 John 1:8, 9 (Read full verses…)

Evening

The floods lift up their roaring.

Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!—O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

“Do you not fear me? declares the Lord; Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass.”—“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”—When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Ps. 93:3; Ps. 93:4; Ps. 89:8, 9; Jer. 5:22; Isa. 43:2; Matt. 14:29-31; Ps. 56:3 (Read full verses…)

<< Feb 14 | Feb 15 | Feb 16 >>

Hit The Bullseye

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Ready, aim, fire!” But in my own life, so many times I think I get it confused. Often times I tend to “do it” as “Ready, fire…aim!” I think we’ve all misfired, or shot randomly, at some point or another in our lives. We get so excited, or so busy, or so focused, or so distracted that we shoot at the wrong target. I used to think it was bad enough to miss the target. But, I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not even worse to hit the bullseye dead on center…only to realize that it’s completely the wrong target (in fact we might’ve been shooting at someone else’s target and not ours in the first place).

If you need to re-calibrate, or just step back and take a second look at where your life is headed. Maybe it’s time to just back away, and relook at some things or some targets or “goals” that you’ve been shooting at. Now might be a good time to check your aim, and make sure you’re shooting at the “right” target! Come and join us, and invite a friend, to Crossroads Church as we begin a new message series entitled: “Hit the Bullseye“. We’re going to look at what target(s) the Bible says are really worth taking aim at! We’ll see what Jesus told His disciples about where they should “shoot”. Let’s take some time together to sharpen our aim, and adjust our focus so that we can Hit the Bullseye in our own lives! Invite a friend, and join us this week as together we learn to “Hit the Bullseye!”

Pastor Glenn

[PhotoCredit:guineves']

Crossroads Moves into New Worship Center

July 25 was an exciting day at Natomas Crossroads.  It was the first day in our new worship center!  Weeks of work by contractors and many members finally come to fruition.  What had begun as an empty warehouse unoccupied for several years was transformed into a worship center ready to welcome guests and members alike.

Extensive work was required to prepare the warehouse to become a worship center.  Broken ceiling tiles had to be repaired.  Old electrical outlets had to be fixed.  The compressors in the air conditioning system had to be replaced so that everyone can stay comfortably cool in the summer and pleasantly warm in the winter.  A lobby was created with a fresh concrete walk leading from the sidewalk, new double doors, and a tile entry way.

The work continued inside with deep cleaning in the bathrooms and the repair or replacement of a number of fixtures.  Holes in the drywall had to be patched and textured, and then every wall received a coat of primer and paint.  Carpet was laid down over the old concrete floor and brand new baseboard added to tie it together.  Doors were upgraded to be compliant with the latest accessibility standards.  Several contractors and many workmen made the transformation possible.  But many members also donated hundreds of hours of their own time to help with the cleaning, painting, and other tasks.  The teamwork was outstanding!  The commpleted worship center is hardly recognizable to those who saw it in the dark and dingy beginning.

The new worship center features a number of different spaces for worship and other events.  Of course there is a large room for Saturday worship services with stage area in the front.  The is a stage up front and video screens for interactive media.  But the room also has a nursery in the back with large windows that allow parents the choice of taking their children into a quite room without being disconnected from worship.  The nursery is equiped with a rocking chair, swing seats, and a number of toys to keep the little ones occupied.  There are two additional rooms where the children will have their own programs during the weekly worship service.  The entry lobby will be able to perform double duty, also serving as a place for luncheons and smaller gatherings.  In the lobby you will also find refreshments such as coffee, juice, and cold water.

Two rooms are reserved for the free medical clinic.  One will serve as the nurse’s room where patients will be weighed, have their temperature taken, and blood pressure checked.  The other room will be the doctor’s exam room with a curtained area for each exam table.  The old break room has been revitalized and will be able to support the HealthyU program for better living.  It now has a new refrigerator and a fresh coat of polish on the floor.

Natomas Crossroads is Now on Twitter

We’ve added just one more way to stay connected with the Natomas Crossroads community.  We are now on Twitter at @NatomasXroads.  If you’re already a Twitter user, be sure to follow us for the most up to date news and information about happenings at Natomas Crossroads Church.  If you’re not yet a part of the Twitter crowd, visit Twitter.com and see what the buzz is all about.  There’s also a short video below that might help you understand the Twitter phenomenon.

So, what are you waiting for?  Be one of the first to follow us on Twitter.

Giving is Second Nature to Lucas Myers

The Sacramento Bee recently published a story about one of our church members who rises early every Saturday morning to give to others in a special way.  For several months Lucas Myers has joined his father, Gary, on a weekly trip to the midtown BloodSource to donate plasma.  They arrive each Saturday around 6:30 a.m. to be welcomed by a needle and a reason to give.  Lucas began giving last fall as a way of helping others who deperately need plasma.  Lucas was touched by the situation of a young girl at Natomas Crossroads who has leukemia.  Lucas knew that by giving each week, he would be helping to save the lives of countless others.

If you’d like to read more about Lucas and his reason for giving, visit the Sacramento Bee story online.  If you’d also like to give blood to help others, join us at Natomas Crossroads Church on June 20th.  For more information about the June 20th event, click here.

Lazy Eyes

by Ilana Rubenstein

My quest is not to become blinded to life’s beauty.

I first noticed my daughter’s left eye wandering outwards before her second birthday. Shortly after she turned three, she was diagnosed with a “lazy eye.” The problem is that when one eye doesn’t follow the other the brain essentially shuts off its use, favoring the good eye and losing the sight in the other. So while her right eye, the “good eye,” has 20/20 vision, she has begun to lose sight in the “lazy eye.”

In order to restore the vision in her left eye, or at least prevent any further atrophy, we were sent home with a box of patches and instructed to patch the “good eye” for an hour a day, to force the “lazy eye” out of semi-retirement. And so despite her protests and tears, we began patching.

I was thinking that maybe we could all use a bit of this therapy. The Jewish people are now approaching the end of the 33-day period during the counting of the Omer when we recall a plague that killed 24,000 of Rebbe Akiva’s students in Talmudic times. We are taught that the plague came upon them because they did not have respect for each other. Our Sages explain that this lack of respect came from an inability to see the spiritual greatness in each individual.

As descendants of Rebbe Akiva’s students, we too fall short in this task. To see the greatness in others — and to act with appropriate respect — is a skill that must be honed. And like a lazy eye, without use this vision atrophies, leaving our “critical” eye to dominate.

Oxygen Deprived

I recently read an account by a recovering alcoholic. He recalled that after years of living across the street from a gray school building, he awoke one day to discover that the bricks had turned red. Indeed, the bricks had always been red, yet only in sobriety did the world come into color. This had a biological explanation: as the brain is deprived of oxygen, the ability to see in color is diminished.

This got me thinking about how we often become blinded to the beauty before us. We busy ourselves with distractions, work, entertainment, money — depriving our own brains of what they need to see our world in all its radiant beauty.

The Torah charges us to “Love your fellow as yourself.” This directive is two-fold: We must accord respect to our fellow, but we must begin by honoring ourselves. By removing the noise in our lives, this time period forces us to take a closer look at ourselves and begin the work of respectfully working on who we are.

Like the distractions that keep our brains from receiving the oxygen necessary to see the world in color, noise prevents us from listening to the music that is innately within each person. This noise can be our cell phones and Blackberries, as much as it is the voice that tells us we are not good enough, or can only succeed by beating out someone else.

Sights and Sounds

Seeing the greatness in others is not merely an exercise of vision; it requires a keen ear as well. During this 33-day period, as a custom of mourning, we refrain from listening to music. The other day I found myself setting out on a long drive without any CDs in my car. There were only so many cycles of the 24 hour news channel I could endure, and talk radio left much to be desired. I would have to sit in silence. With this opportunity to be alone with my thoughts, I found myself in a sea of worry and judgmentalism. Had I completed my to-do list? What if I don’t arrive on time? If only that person hadn’t let me down, the project would be a success... This brief encounter with my thoughts was at times uncomfortable. I am used to noise. Sefirah forces us to listen to the sounds of silence.

When we turn down the volume of our judgments and distractions, we begin to hear the music in the silence. From this place we can find respect for ourselves and others.

My daughter still fusses when it’s time to put on her eye patch, but she is quickly lost in her Lego and forgets that she’s practicing using her “lazy eye.” Watching her, my own vision has become stronger. I have become keenly aware of the times I use my dominant eye — judging and creating divides between myself and another. I have also found the ability to start practicing the use of my own “lazy eye,” looking for opportunities of compassion and understanding. These days, the world has become more colorful and the silences more melodic.

Putting it into Practice

Here are a few exercises to sharpen your eyes and ears:

• Try designating some time with a loved one without any distractions. Shut off your cell phone, don’t answer the email, and be only available to that person. Listen. Let them guide how you spend the time. Notice when you want to direct, comment or criticize.
• Choose a route you usually travel while on the phone or listening to something. Travel in silence. Is there an interesting doorknob on a house you never noticed? You might be surprised by all the details you usually overlook.
• Find an activity during which you usually multi-task. Eat breakfast over the paper? Check messages while you drink your coffee? Fold laundry while on the phone? Try doing one thing at a time. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself and your routines.

Author Biography:
Ilana Rubenstein lives in Toronto where she studies and teaches.

[PhotoCredit:Lilyo]

Health Clinic Receives Grant from Kaiser

God just answered a prayer request for the Health Clinic by providing funding to expand and grow the free clinic.  Dr. Leonard Ranasinghe and the Medical Clinic team had requested a grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to support growth of the clinic.  God answered their efforts and prayers with a $25,000 grant from the Kaiser foundation to help us continue our free medical services to the community.  Prayer works!

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