Archive for November, 2014
This Week at Cross Church | Weather, Blessings, and Holidays
Cross Church, I want to thank you for your vision, commitment, and generosity. You are an amazing church. This is why I want to share these things with you today.
Weather Hit Us Last Sunday
Last year when we had a snow Sunday on the first Sunday in December, I was shocked! This year, winter weather hit in November! After a wonderful, engaging, winning football game in Razorback Stadium with 60,000+ fans present on the coldest collegiate game in recent history, Sunday was challenging.
With forecasters warning people not to go anywhere and others fearing they would not be able to get home after church, the weather and its forecast hit us strongly.
Therefore, please do two things:
(1) Make sure you support the ministry financially even on Sundays you are away. Sunday hit us hard financially. Please make up for it this week. You can be faithful in your giving in one of 6 ways.
(2) Watch or listen to the message from Sunday here. Since we are in a series, we believe this will encourage you.
We sure hope to see you Sunday.
Thousands of People Will Receive Blessing Baskets
Through the years, our church has gifted thousands of families with a Thanksgiving meal. The 2014 Thanksgiving will be no exception to this commitment. Please join us by volunteering to serve and giving generously to insure this continues. You can support one family this Thanksgiving for a gift of $25 given online or at your campus. Most can give more than one basket. Let’s commit to insure all families are taken care of. Thanks for serving and giving.
The Holidays Are Upon Us
One week from today is Thanksgiving. Our weekly email will be sent to you next Wednesday rather than Thursday. Please look for it in your inbox.
Also, please see the list below of some of the holiday opportunities for you and your family. Insure your own involvement and attendance in these days.
Springdale:
- Blessing Baskets: Assembly day is Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle Hills campus; the Springdale Campus distribution service is Sunday, November 23 at 1:30 p.m.
- Baby Dedication is Sunday, Nov. 30.
- New York Times bestselling Author, Joel Rosenberg, will be our special guest speaker at the Springdale & Pinnacle Hills campuses on Nov. 30.
- Week of Prayer for International Missions is Nov. 30–Dec. 7, and you may give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during the month of December.
- The Christmas Summit Luncheon is on Dec. 4 at 11:50 a.m., at our Pinnacle Hills campus.
- Breakfast in Bethlehem, breakfast and a walk-through Nativity for the whole family on Dec. 7.
- Cross Church Christmas, an evening concert event, will be at our Pinnacle Hills campus on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- Communion service is Sunday, Dec. 21.
- Each of our campuses will be hosting Christmas Eve services; Springdale’s candlelight service will be at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24.
Pinnacle Hills:
- Blessing Baskets: Assembly day is Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle Hills campus; the Pinnacle Hills distribution service is Saturday, November 22 at 12:30 p.m.
- Baby Dedication is Sunday, Nov. 30.
- New York Times bestselling Author, Joel Rosenberg, will be our special guest speaker at the Springdale & Pinnacle Hills campuses on Nov. 30.
- Week of Prayer for International Missions is Nov. 30–Dec. 7, and you may give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during the month of December.
- The Christmas Summit Luncheon is on Dec. 4 at 11:50 a.m., at our Pinnacle Hills campus.
- Cross Church Christmas, an evening concert event, will be at our Pinnacle Hills campus on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- Communion service is Sunday, Dec. 21.
- Each of our campuses will be hosting Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24; Chapel on the Creeks service will be at 1 p.m., and Pinnacle Hills service will be at 5 p.m.
Fayetteville:
- Blessing Baskets: Assembly day is Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle Hills campus; the Fayetteville Campus distribution service is Sunday, November 23 at 2 p.m.
- Baby Dedication is Sunday, Nov. 30.
- Week of Prayer for International Missions is Nov. 30–Dec. 7, and you may give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during the month of December.
- The Christmas Summit Luncheon is on Dec. 4 at 11:50 a.m., Pinnacle Hills campus.
- Cross Church Christmas, an evening concert event, will be at our Pinnacle Hills campus on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- Communion service is Sunday, Dec. 21.
- Each of our campuses will be hosting Christmas Eve services; Fayetteville campus services will be at 3:30 & 5 p.m. on Dec. 24.
College Avenue:
- Blessing Baskets: Assembly day is Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle Hills campus; the College Avenue Campus distribution service is Sunday, November 23 at 4 p.m.
- Baby Dedication is Sunday, Nov. 30.
- Week of Prayer for International Missions is Nov. 30–Dec. 7, and you may give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during the month of December.
- The Christmas Summit Luncheon is on Dec. 4 at 11:50 a.m., Pinnacle Hills campus.
- Cross Church Christmas, an evening concert event, will be at our Pinnacle Hills campus on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- Communion service is Sunday, Dec. 21.
- Each of our campuses will be hosting Christmas Eve services; College Avenue campus service will be 5 p.m. on Dec. 24.
Neosho:
- Blessing Baskets: Assembly day is Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle Hills campus; the Neosho campus distribution service is Sunday, November 23 at 2 p.m.
- Baby Dedication is Sunday, Nov. 30.
- Week of Prayer for International Missions is Nov. 30–Dec. 7, and you may give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during the month of December.
- The Christmas Summit Luncheon is on Dec. 4 at 11:50 a.m., Pinnacle Hills campus.
- Cross Church Christmas, an evening concert event, will be at our Pinnacle Hills campus on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
- Communion service is Sunday, Dec. 21.
- Each of our campuses will be hosting Christmas Eve services; Neosho campus service will be 5 p.m. on Dec. 24.
My Own Travel
Thankfully, travel relating to my role as President of the Southern Baptist Convention will be slowing down greatly. I have been so blessed to go the places I have gone and have enjoyed each one thoroughly. Yet, I need a break and am looking forward to being here in Northwest Arkansas the vast majority of the time between now and the end of the year.
Thank you for praying for me. While I am fulfilling my responsibility serving as Pastor here, I am also working toward the appointment process in SBC life. Please continue to pray for me.
See You Sunday,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
How Pastors Can Avoid the Sin of Pride
When pride walks on the platform, God walks off. Under major conviction from the Holy Spirit in 1995, in the early morning on a night when I could not sleep, God revealed this truth to me. It was not a truth about someone else, but a truth about me. During those early hours, God began a work within me that He is still doing in and through me daily.
Every pastor I know, but mostly this pastor, needs to continually learn the powerful truth from 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die every day!” May the Lord teach us this truth.
Where We Are
The spiritual vital signs in this nation, in our churches, and in our individual lives display our desperate need for a word from God that hits us between the eyes, takes the wind out of our self-importance, reminds us that we are not God, and brings us to our knees. Unless we humble ourselves with fasting and prayer, we will not know real joy, we will not know God’s best for our lives, and we will never experience the great awakening we need personally and nationally.
We need to stop long enough to evaluate where we are. Would anyone question that we live under ominous clouds of spiritual darkness? Unless we bow humbly before our God, that cloud will become even thicker, and the church will find itself increasingly immobilized, unable to support itself because of its own dead weight. The answer to our spiritual crisis will not be found in the ballot box, but in the prayer closet. It will come through a fresh touch from the Lord, who wants to speak to us, move us, and manifest His mighty presence. Moving the furniture in our churches, denominations, or our own lives will not be enough. The answer to our spiritual crisis will come when we put off our mindsets of self-worship, territorialism, and the spirit of arrogance and pride, and put on the sackcloth of prayer, fasting, humiliation, and repentance before God.
What We See When Pride is Displayed
Those of us who think for even a moment that we are righteous are not righteous at all. When this happens, we are afflicted with a terminal disease called spiritual pride, the most deadly manifestation of our sinful nature. We often see pride display itself in one of two forms.
Greed – Greed hoards the time, money, or possessions we have been entrusted within life. Greed exists because of pride. Why do people not honor God with the first tenth of all God has given them? Greed comes from pride. Humility is demonstrated through obedience to God’s Word to giving; and when done, it removes the wall of greed. We can pray and fast for revival all day long, but we must stop the robbing from God that goes on weekly by the people of God. Humility removes the wall of greed.
Unforgiveness – Unforgiveness is prevalent in the lives of most Christians and in most churches. It occurs because of pride. I believe unforgiveness is the major obstacle to revival in today’s church. Pride is so powerful that unforgiveness has become the norm in most Christ followers and churches. This pride has built such a calloused heart in us that we are no longer bothered by having an unforgiving spirit toward others. Pride is powerful. It has destroyed men and women, families, businesses, churches, and governments. Most of all, it has grieved the Holy Spirit in the lives of many of us. Has it done that in you? Humility will lead us to the forgiveness of others.
The Power of Humility
Humility crushes the wall of pride in our lives. There is nothing more deadly than pride and the only cure is humility and brokenness. As pastors, we must do whatever it takes to see pride rooted out of our life and leadership. Quite honestly, the only thing that will remove the spirit of pride in us is to humble ourselves through fasting and prayer. When we humble ourselves before God with prayer and fasting, God will provide major spiritual breakthroughs. We will see breakthroughs regarding our pride, our greed, and even our unforgiveness. God’s gateway to spiritual breakthrough is prayer and fasting.
The next great awakening will be determined by the people of God who will get down on their knees, pray, fast, and believe that God is bigger than their circumstances, bigger than any election, bigger than any political party, and much bigger than we are. While we are in a dark midnight crisis spiritually in our nation, through prayer and fasting spiritual breakthroughs await us.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.