Archive for the 'Leadership' Category
A Myriad Of Things
I have a myriad of things on my heart to share with you as we begin this new week. I will be straight and to the point.
Leaving for Holy Land
This week, Jeana and I will be leading 39 of our people into a biblical, historical, and spiritual experience in the Holy Land, the land of Israel. Please know we work with the Discovery Worldwide Ministries and their office in Israel is assuring us that all is safe. While travel into a couple of areas is restrictive, our tour is not going into those places anyway. We will not be in Bethlehem or the Gaza Strip. Regardless, please pray for our safety.
Remember, on the day we enter in the Garden of Gethsemane, we will be praying by name for hundreds of you. Join us in intercession from the other side of the world.
We leave today, and will be returning on Wednesday, March 13. Until then, please know all is in great hands and the Cross Church Sunday worship experiences will be great!
Dr. Jeff Crawford is preaching Sunday
Dr. Jeff Crawford, our Teaching Pastor and President of our Cross Church School of Ministry will be preaching Sunday morning at our Springdale and Pinnacle Hills services. Dr. Crawford, Dr. Nick Floyd, Dr. Andy Goode, and Doug Sarver will all be preaching from Acts 2:41-47 at each of our campuses. In fact, we will be in this passage not only on March 10, but also March 17. Pray for all of these preachers of God’s Word!
This Sunday is Time Change Sunday . . . move your clocks forward!
Sunday, March 10 is time change Sunday, the one where you move your clocks FORWARD ONE HOUR on Saturday night before you go to bed.
Therefore, get ready for it and be wise! Plan to show up on time and fired up, supporting our leaders with all you have!
Passion Week, March 24th through March 31st will be dynamic!
Starting on Sunday, March 24, Cross Church will the marking the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ for eight consecutive days. Join us these eight days as we walk through the final days of Jesus’ life. I encourage you to attend as many of these events as possible – you will not regret it.
Here is a brief schedule of Passion Week events:
Sunday, March 24 – Worship services at each campus, “The Lord’s Supper: Remembering the Gospel of Jesus Christ” from Matthew 26:17-30
Monday, March 25 – Friday, March 29: Passion Week Luncheons at our Pinnacle Hills campus. Join us from 11:50 a.m.–12:50 p.m. for lunch, a time of worship, and a message that will highlight a key moment in the final week of Christ. Each day will hold a new message, so please attend as many as you can.
Monday, March 25: “The Garden of Gethsemane: Jesus Christ Preparing to Die”
Tuesday, March 26: “The Betrayal of Judas and the Kiss of Death”
Wednesday, March 27: “The Denials of Peter and his Deep Regret”
Thursday, March 28: “The Scourging of Christ and the Final Hours Before His Death”
Friday, March 29: “The Crucifixion and The Death of Jesus Christ”
Friday Night, March 29: “The Death and Burial of Jesus Christ.” This will be a powerful evening of music, worship, and reflection at Cross Church Pinnacle Hills with special guest music from the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas.
Saturday Night, March 30, and Sunday Morning, March 31: “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ From The Dead” from Matthew 27:62-65; 28:1-15.
Make Christ FIRST in March!
I do hope that you will make March a month when the Lord Jesus Christ is first in everything! Make Him first in:
*Devotion each day
*Worship at church weekly
*Serving through your church
*Giving the first tenth of all God has given to you through Cross Church
*Living moment-by-moment with Jesus being first!
Jesus is Lord!
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
How Should The Church Respond In The Midst Of Our Crisis In America?
Regardless of one’s religious, political, or moral persuasion, most Americans would admit that America is in and facing critical days. Decisions are looming in America pertaining to major issues such as:
Finance, Budget, and National Debt: We are in the final days of another national debt crisis. How severe? It is hard to read. Regarding the budget, as a nation, congress has not passed a federal budget in years. The National Debt: well it speaks for itself. America is in uncertain times financially.
Political: The polarization is unimaginable. The division is unacceptable. Yet somehow, and in some way, leaders must emerge to get us through this political crisis. Where are the leaders who will step up above the masses of detractors and call America into a future of greatness?
Religion: The freedom of religion is under greater attack today than perhaps ever in our generation. The founders of our nation were a people committed to religious liberty. While Americans may debate various matters about our nation’s founders and their religious commitment, few would debate their strong commitment to religious liberty.
Moral: Whether the issues are about life, marriage, or family, there is a division in our nation about these issues. Yet, America must do what is right relating to these issues, not what is politically expedient. We need leaders who will stand courageously for the value and dignity of human life, the preservation of marriage between a man and a woman, and hold firmly and endlessly for the family.
How Should The Church Respond In The Midst of The Crises In America?
As a local church Pastor, a biblical theologian, and a spiritual leader, I believe the church in America needs to respond in the following ways:
The Church Needs To Live: We need to live out the Bible in the spirit of Jesus Christ. The church does not have to be reactionary, but it does need to live boldly! We are called to be as much as we are called to do. As we live the faith personally and as the church, we will be effective influencers in the various crises our nation faces.
The Church Needs To Pray: We need to call unto the Lord our God who alone is able to save our nation. The church is personified in many ways in our culture today, but few churches are known for being great houses of prayer. Jesus has told us to be a house of prayer for all the nations, all the people groups of the world. Perhaps if we prayed more as the church in America, we could come together more as a nation. Unified, praying, dynamic Gospel churches can have enormous influence in the midst of critical times and situations.
The Church Needs To Rise Up: We need to rise up to hold up God’s Truth in the Loving Spirit of Jesus Christ. Our goal should not be to offend others, but to win others through the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of hope for every person in America and the World. Additionally, we need to hold up all of God’s Truth from His Word, and do so in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. At times it is neither easy nor convenient to rise up, but when we are called upon to rise up, let’s do so. Let us represent our Lord in the highest manner, all in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Church: Live! Pray! Rise!
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.