Archive for May, 2017
This Week at Cross Church | New Series Begins Sunday
Did God Really Say?
This Sunday, we are beginning a new message series on the entire book of Genesis entitled, “Did God Really Say?” Beginning on May 21, we will teach from the book of Genesis throughout the entire summer. I enjoyed teaching our Living With Purpose series so much, but there is nothing like teaching a book of the Bible to God’s people. Our agenda beginning Sunday: the Book of Genesis. Begin reading it. Bring a friend.
Summer Program of Giving is May 28 – September 3
The financial goal for our Summer Program of Giving over the fifteen weeks of summer is $5,580,000. This is our weekly budget requirement for the weeks of May 28 – September 3, plus $150,000 for scholarships for all of our camps. Our goal for each of you and ourselves is to give at least the first tenth of all God has given us each week. Be faithful to give if you are in worship each Sunday or away on a time of vacation. You can set up recurring giving to occur even while you are away. You can learn more about that here. Join us in reaching this goal for the glory of God to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.
Congratulations to Gina Franzke for 25 Years at Cross Church
Twenty-five years ago, we called Gina Franzke to join our Ministry Team. She was a single adult, just out of college. Now she is married to Ed and they have two beautiful daughters, Meredith and Katelyn. They are a wonderful family that we love so much, and we are so grateful they have been on our team all these years. She has had several roles on our team. Now she is the leader of our Women’s Ministry and First Impressions Ministry on our Springdale Campus. We are thankful for Gina’s heart, refreshing humor, and the spirit she adds to our team. Gina, Ed, Meredith, and Katelyn, we love you and are so thankful to God for you.
Dave Ramsey on the Podcast This Week
Dave Ramsey is our guest on the Life and Leadership Today podcast this week. Please listen to this profound and gifted man. You will hear some fantastic advice for your own personal finances. God is using Dave so mightily. You can listen to it here.
Pray For Our Ministry Team and Their Spouses This Week
I’d like to ask you to please pray for our Ministry Team and their spouses this week. I have listed their names and how we can pray for them in agreement in Jesus’ name. Here is the list:
Call out to God for each of our Ministry Team members and their spouses by name, appealing to God for each of them to deepen their walk with God personally and their marriage together so God can raise them up to be used in the highest capacity as leaders in our church.
“To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33
Executive Team
- Dr. Nick Floyd (Meredith), Teaching Pastor and Leads All Staff
- Ben Mayes (Sue), Executive Leader of Finance & Operations
Fayetteville Campus
- Phil McMichael (Rachel), Campus Pastor
- Clif Anderson (Sarah), Minister of Small Groups
- Nick Bethea (Jordan), Children’s Pastor
- Jennifer Francis (Josh), Director of Preschool & Women’s Ministries
- Luke Harper (Kelsey), Minister to Students
- Brandon Kennedy (Carlese), Minister of Evangelism
- Jill Langham (Mike), Administrative Assistant to Nick Floyd
- David McKinney (Rachel), Worship Pastor
- Brian Mills (Jennifer), College Pastor
- Shane Schauer (Chelsea), Associate Worship Pastor
Fayetteville East Campus
- Dave Kinney (Emily), Campus Pastor
Neosho Campus
- Chris Deitsch (Rachel), Campus Pastor
Pinnacle Hills Campus
- Buster Pray (Martha), Campus Pastor
- Jeremy Dixon, Associate Student Minister
- Mollie Duddleston (Jim), Director of Ministry Operations and Women’s Ministries
- Billy Hardesty (Rachel), Associate Children’s Pastor
- Jeniffer Johnson (Shane), Director of Preschool Ministries
- Forrest Knight (Jordan), Associate Worship Pastor
- Jamie Lantzsch (Lisa), Minister of Pastoral Care
- Lee Larry, Associate Minister of Assimilation & Special Projects
- Adam Miller (Abby), Minister to Students
- Brad Noblitt (Caitlin), Worship Pastor
- Chris Plunkett (Cary), Minister of Discipleship & Young Adults
- Travis Young (Ginger), Children’s Pastor
Cross Church School of Ministry
- Ed Upton (Eleanor), President
Springdale Campus
- Clint Smith (Ashley), Campus Pastor
- Johann Acuna (Aubrey), Associate Worship Pastor
- Tim Bottoms (Tabitha), Worship Pastor
- Heath Bryant (Shelli), Children & Family Pastor
- Chuck Butler (Amy), Minister to Students
- Scott Carter (Crystal), Assistant Minister of Missions
- Pablo Daut (Florencia), Minister to Hispanics
- Brian Dunaway (Gina), Director of Communications & Technology
- Micah Farish (Karis), Associate Minister to Students
- Becky Fletcher (Jim), Administrative Assistant to Clint Smith
- Charlie Foster (Gloria), Minister to Senior Adults & Pastoral Care
- Gina Franzke (Ed), Director of Women’s Ministries/First Impressions
- Jesse Garcia (Amy), Associate Minister to Students
- Keith Harmon (Jackie), Marriage & Family Pastor
- Andy Jennings (Lauren), Millennial Pastor
- Greg Jones (Christi), President, Shiloh Christian Schools and Minister to Adults
- Jennifer McCroddan (Mark), Director of Preschool Ministries
- Gayla Oldham (Tony), Personal Assistant to Dr. Ronnie Floyd
- John Phillips (Jennifer), Creative Video Director
- Doug Sarver (Karen), Minister of Global Missions
- Eric Vaughan (Pamela), Director of Compassion Center Northwest Arkansas
See you Sunday,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The #1 Obstacle to the Next Great Move of God in the Church and in America
Unforgiveness is the #1 obstacle to the next great move of God in your life, your church and our nation. Almost every person has been affected by unforgiveness in some way or another. Either we have held a grudge or known a relationship hindered by someone who refused to forgive. Churches, friendships, and fellowship have been ruptured by wounds, unforgiveness, and bitterness.
For many years, I have pastored local churches, and am convinced that the #1 obstacle to the next great move of God in the church and in the nation is the sin of unforgiveness. Nothing has built a taller, deeper, and thicker wall in the hearts of people and in the churches of our land.
God Does Forgives Us
Human relationships fractured by unforgiveness are damaging, to be sure. What about our need for God’s forgiveness? Is God forgiving? Can anything be done if we have offended Him?
Thankfully, God has not left us in the dark. Yes, we have offended God, and yes, He will forgive.
The Bible is clear in both the Old and New Testaments that we have sinned against God. Jeremiah laments on behalf of his kinsmen in Israel, “Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers, from the time of our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”1 The Psalmist wrote even more broadly, “The LORD looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, who seeks after God. All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.”2
Yet, God forgives us. We are grateful!
How Can God Ever forgive?
We are not let off the hook in the New Testament. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.”3 Humanity has a problem, and that problem is the sin that separates us from God.
How can God ever forgive? Only through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. As Peter and John told the religious leaders of their day, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”4
What about those who have already accepted Christ? Is there forgiveness for the many sins we commit between the time we are saved and the time we leave this earth? Does God forgive the forgiven? Thank God, the answer is yes.
The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 5 Those of us who have believed in Christ are forgiven at salvation and forgiven as we are made more and more like Christ. This is one reason we are encouraged to forgive others. We need to experience the ongoing forgiveness of God that restores our fellowship with Him.
Therefore, Forgive Others
Since God so freely and sacrificially forgives us, we should forgive others. Friends, never let anyone outside of your circle of love. Forgiveness is imperative in the life of a Christ follower. Therefore, walk in forgiveness toward others.
Refuse to Let Unforgiveness in the Church
I realize calling upon us to refuse to let unforgiveness in the church is a big request. But if we let unforgiveness abide in the church, we are telling God we do not want Him to intervene in His church. We need to call people to account to one another, even pastors to their people, and the people to the pastor, if any unforgiveness is prevailing.
Call Upon Our Nation to Forgive Each Other
It is very concerning to think how much unforgiveness is prevailing in America presently. It is just wrong. Anger is raging and criticism is never ceasing. We need our nation to live with forgiveness toward one another.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
1 Jeremiah 3:25
2 Psalm 14:2-3
3 Romans 5:12
4 Acts 4:12
5 1 John 1:9
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.