Crossroads Church of God, Lima OH
Inviting people to apprenticeship in Christ: Learning to live by faith, transmit hope, and be known by love. Family oriented church in Lima, Ohio. Sunday Services in person at 9 & 10:45am, Online at 10:45am. www.limacrossroads.org
The LIGHT is here: Week 2: Light of Peace
John 1:4-5 NIV
John 8:12 NIV
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 NIV
Way of HOPE
Wonderful CounselorMighty GodEverlasting FatherPrince of PeaceThe LIGHT is here: Week 1: The Light Has Come: The impact of the arrival of Jesus
John 1:4-5 NIV
Hebrews 10:23 NIV
Hebrews 10:18-24 NIV
Philippians 1:6 NIV
The Way of Hope
We are cleansedGod is faithfulHope is contagiousHeart of Gratitude: Week 4
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Proverbs 11:25 NIV
Importance of Generosity
Time
Abilities
Resources
Choose gratitude before difficult situations
Heart of Gratitude: Week 3: Gratitude Perspective
1Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Philippians 1:3-8 NIV
Philippians 1:12-14 NIV
Philippians 3:13-14, 20-21 NIV
It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful…
Grateful for peopleGrateful for circumstancesCaptivated by the love of GodHeart of Gratitude: Week 2: Disciplines of Cultivate Gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Philippians 4:11-13 NIV
Romans 12:10 NIV
Colossians 3:2-4 NIV
Gratitude Blockers
EnvyGreedEntitlement"To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of his love. Every moment of our existence is a gift of his grace. Gratitude takes nothing for granted. It is never unresponsive. The grateful person knows that God is good not by hearsay, but by personal experience.” - Thomas Merton
Discipline of Contentment
Begin with praiseBe with othersLive with eternity in mindHeart of Gratitude: Week 1: Praise His Holy Name
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Psalm 103:1-22 NIV
Praise rightly honors GodPraise holds onto hopePraise reminds us of God’s workReclaim The Day: Week 4: Invitation to Receive
Zechariah 1:2-3 NIV
Matthew 5:16 NIV
Zechariah 4:6 NIV
Galatians 5:6 NIV
Invitation to…
A trusting relationshipDo good worksBe empowered by the Holy SpiritHow have you loved yourself, others or God that requires you to trust God more?
Reclaim The Day: Week 3: Mission to Participate
Genesis 12:2 NIV
Haggai 1:13 NIV
John 20:21 NIV
Matthew 10:16 NIV
Why: To restore and reconcile a broken and lost creation to the creator
How: Wise and Innocent
What: Depends on your context
Reclaim The Day: Week 2: Identity to Own
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 NIV
John 15:16 NIV
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Haggai 2:9 NIV
Chosen
Beloved
To live from not for
Reclaim The Day: Week 1: “Consider Your Ways"
Patriarchs -> Slavery -> Exodus -> Judges & Kings -> Temple -> Divide -> Exile -> Temple Destroyed ->Re-build the Temple
Haggai 1: 2-7 NIV
Matthew 6:31-33 NIV
4 Main Motivators
Fame
Wealth
Pleasure
Control
3 Intentional Reminders
Identity
Mission
Calling
Prayer: Week 4: Prayer of Petition
Scripture:
Matthew 6:9-13 NLT
Matthew 7:0-11 NIV
Matthew 21:22 NIV
James 5:15 NIV
Matthew 7:7-8 NIV
Philippians 4:6 NIV
Quotes:
Petitionary prayer should always remain the primary mode of prayer because we never can outgrow our dependence on God. Just as we long for our own children to share with us the petty details of their day at school, so God longs to hear from us the smallest matters of our lives. It delights him when we share. - Richard Foster, Prayer
Love l...
Prayer: Week 3: Listening Prayer
Psalm 46:10 NIV
John 10:27-28 NIV
Psalm 1:1-2 NIV
SilenceTone of Jesus’ wordsFamiliarity with ScriptureListen in context of communityPrayer: Week 2: Formational Prayer
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
Psalm 139:14 NIV
Quote by Nathan Foster: “Distraction is the curse of our age."
Quote by Richard Foster, Prayer: We need a deeper musing upon our knack for disobedience and God’s unbounded habit of forgiving. We all need a richer contemplation upon that life, which shows us the way so we may follow ‘in His steps’. We all need a fuller meditation upon that death, which sets us free. We all need a more profound experience of that resurrection, which empowers us to obey Christ in all things.<...
Prayer: Week 1: Simple Prayer
Matthew 7:9-11 NIV
[We] lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us… CS Lewis
Romans 7:15 NIV
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
Prayer is for everyoneDo not be discouragedLet go of trying too hardPray while strugglingPrayer is often uneventfulJonah: Week 4: God of Compassion
Jonah 4:4 NIV
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
Exodus 34:6-7a NIV
God is patientGod is one who weepsGod is generous
Jonah: Week 3: Relationship to God’s Grace
Romans 10:11-15 NIV
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
Romans 1:21, 24a, 25 NIV
Call to ‘go’ and bring good news
Prevalence of God’s movementPerformance aspect of Word of GodSharing is an act of mercyWhat is the warning?What is the message for our city?
Jonah: Week 2: Our Relationship to God’s World
The line that divides good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. - Alexandr Solzenietzen
Romans 5:8 NIV
1John 3:18 NIV
When [the world] sees us sacrificially serving the needs of our neighbors whether they believe as we do or not, then it may begin to see that believers are motivated more by love than by the desire to accrue power. – Tim Keller
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
Becoming Compassionate People
Resist pigeonholingGod’s mercy is not restrictedWork for the good in the communityCall to ‘go’ is for all of usJonah: Week 1: Relationship to God’s Word
Romans 12:21 NIV
1 Peter 5:8-9a NIV
Sin is of a stupefying nature. It is the policy of Satan to rock people asleep in carnal security that they may not be sensible of their misery or danger. (Matthew Henry Commentary)
God’s call confronts our way
Public ramifications of sin
Relentless pursuit of God
Necessity of other believers
Philippians: Week 7: Life with Christ
Philippians 4:2-9 NIV
Philippians 2:12-13 NIV
Grand Affirmation: the Lord is near
Live in harmony (4:2)Know real joy (4:4)Respond with gentleness (4:5)Know real peace (4:6)Paul’s How To: Purity of Thought (4:8)Philippians: Week 6: Growth in Christ
Philippians 3:10-21 NIV
Philippians 3:13 NIV
He will never glory in any of his achievements or use them as an excuse for relaxation … in the Christian life there is no room for those who want to rest on past accomplishments - William Barclay
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NIV
Requires forgettingUnderstands the ‘race’Keep the prize in mindPhilippians: Week 5: Rejoice in Christ
Joy: a pervasive sense of well-being
Philippians 3:1-11 NIV
Philippians 3:8-9 NIV
Wired for JoyBe aware of joy-robbersHuman resources cannot produce joySurpassing knowledge of ChristPhilippians: Week 4: Persistence in Christ
Philippians 2:12-18 NIV
Philippians 2:15-16a
Our Role (work out...)
God’s Role (works in you…)
Importance of details
Kingdom impact of Transformed People
Patience of a Mentor
Philippians: Week 3: Mind of Christ
Philippians 2:1-11 NIV
Quote by CS Lewis, Mere Christianity, Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
Quote by Dallas Willard, Spirit of the Disciplines, Secrecy rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God…We allow him to decide when our deeds will be known and when our light will be noticed.
Humility and Other-Centeredness
Surrendered to the agenda of God
Faithful in the small things
See the dignity of others
Receive the goodness of God
Practice of Secrecy
Philippians: Week 2: Worthy of the Gospel
Philippians 1:27-30 NIV
Living as Citizens of Heaven
Stand firm in the Spirit
Strive together
Life of confidence, not fear
Philippians: Week 1: Paul’s love for the church
Philippians 1:3-11 NIV
Philippians 1:5-6 NIV
Christian Community Matters
Paul remembersHe remembers with joyDesire for other’s growthCultivates gratitudeCentered on JesusPentecost: Role of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-8, 12 NIV
John 14:16-17 ESV
Galatians 5:22-23, 25 ESV
Presence of God for the Purposes of God
Guides us into truth
Intercedes/helps us
Brings out the best in us
Power to be witnesses of Jesus
Acts 1:8 NIV
Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Gathering with God’s people
Listen for the movement
Willingness to obey
if…Then…:Week 6: A Life of Devotion
If the resurrection is true, Jesus is worthy of our full devotion.
Revelation 5 NIV
Our Actions
A Humble Life
A Generous Life
A Compassionate Life
Our Verbal Witness
Songs of Adoration
Words of Encouragement
Point others to Jesus
if…Then…: Week 5: Heaven is Available Now
John 14:1-3, 27 NIV
“God’s plan for heaven is a resurrected life in a resurrected body, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected earth.” – Randy Alcorn, Heaven
“As He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in th...
if… Then…: Week 4: We Have a Purpose
Importance of Apprenticeship
Inroads to the community
A place to experience belonging
Invitation to be involved…
Attendance
Invitation
Giving
if…Then…: Week 3: Scripture is Reliable
Hebrews 4:12 NIV
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
Matthew 5:19a NIV
Matthew 4:4 NIV
Scripture is Reliable
What Jesus said about Scripture:
Primacy of loving God
Scripture is authoritative
Scripture guides us to life
Scripture points to Jesus
John 5:39-40 NIV
The best way to hear God speak is to spend regular time reading, studying and meditating on His Word. God speaks through the Bible in clear, understandable language. The first step in knowing God's will for your life is to carefully obey every revelation of His that you find in th...
if…Then…: Week 2: Jesus is Trustworthy
John 14:2-11, 16-18, 26-27 NIV
Matthew 7:24-27 NIV
Jesus’ Words Are Trustworthy
If the resurrection is real...
We can trust what Jesus claimed about himself.
We can also trust what Jesus taught about abundant life.
We can not only trust what Jesus claimed about himself.
We can not only trust what Jesus taught about abundant life.
We can act on what Jesus taught.
If the resurrection is real (and it is)
THEN
We can not only trust wh...
if…Then…:Week 1: Hope For Newness
2 Corinthians 4:14-18 NIV…
"Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us.” - Dallas Willard
Hope For Newness
Goodness of God’s presence
Foundation of hope
Life of joy
Romans 8:11 NIV
Practices to live as resurrection people
Count your blessings
Pray the Psalms
Practice rejoicing
Easter 2025
John 20:19-23 NIV
The resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing - Frederick Buechner
John 20:24-29 NIV
Easter: He is Risen
Jesus meets disciples in their fear
Establishes peace
Gives power
Life of purpose
Old patterns remain
God is patient with our doubts
Palm Sunday, 04,13, 2025
John 6:66-69 NIV
John 12:12-18 NIV
James 1:20 ESV
Palm Sunday
Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem
Contrasting Kings
Who was in the crowd?
Joyful
Curious
Angry
Fearful
1 John: Week 5: God’s “Bottom Line” (1 John 5)
1 John 5:6-13 NIV
1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV
1 John 5:11-13
Psalm 19:7-9 NIV
God’s “Bottom Line” (1 John 5)
Testimony about JesusTest/VerdictTakeawaysGuard your life with JesusPractice believing God’s promisesPrepare today for eternity1 John: Week 4: Greatest Yet Rarest Thing (1 John 4:1-16)
1 John 4:7-16 NIV
1 John 4:9-10 NIV
1 John 4:11-12 NIV
God is the source of love
Love is revealed in Christ
Love of God takes initiative
Love of God is transformative
We reflect God’s love
1 John: Week 3: How Great the Father’s Love (1 John 3:1-3)
1 John 4:18 NIV
1 John 3:1-3 NIV
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
1 John 3:1
1 John 3:2b NIV
How Great the Father’s Love (1 John 3:1-3)
Love of God is Incredible (3:1a)
Love of God is Consequential (3:1b)
Love of God is Eternal (3:2)
Love of God is Practical (3:3)
1 John: Week 2: Freedom through Obedience
1 John 2:3-6 NIV
1 John 2:9-11a NIV
1 John 2:15-17 NIV
1 John 2:28 NRSV
Freedom through Obedience (1 John 2)
Obedience is an issue of trust
love one another
live for God’s glory --- not yours
persevere in faith
Trustworthiness of God
Keep Christ before us always
1 John: Week 1: Fellowship
Fellowship
1 John 1:1-10
1 John 1:1-4 NIV
1 John 1:5 NIV
1 John 1:7 NIV
1 John 1:8-10 NIV
Life with God: a dynamic relationship with the Trinity made apparent in our everyday living
Way of the Cross
God is Light
Walk in the Light
Honest Vulnerability
Week 5: Forgive One Another
John 13:34-35 NIV
Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
Matthew 6:14-15 NIV
Luke 7:36-48 NIV
Forgive One Another
Gaze at the beauty of Jesus
See the humanity not just sin
Begin small
