Cross Pointe Canton

Saying that you have no regrets and that Life is Good requires us to take a certain position. Every morning, we each wake up with a choice: to focus on the obstacles in our lives, or to focus on the opportunities. Optimism is a powerful approach to accomplishing goals and living a fulfilling life. By acknowledging obstacles and opportunities—but focusing on the opportunities—optimism enables us to explore the world with open arms and an eye toward solutions and growth. It requires us to rejoice, refuse, and remember.

The book of Ecclesiastes strikes a chord in modern people who are studying the meaning of life. All things lead to meaninglessness and despair, if you live a life without God. The whole duty of a human being is to “fear God and keep his commandments.”

Worship is extreme love and devotion. It’s something we do, not something done to us. If my focus is on myself when I enter the church--getting my needs met, learning something, hearing a lesson that blesses me, being lifted by the singing--then Christ has no part in it. He becomes my servant, and the pastor and all the other so-called performers are there only for me. It's all about me.

When Jesus lived courageously on the earth he modeling the spiritual discipline of fasting perfectly by providing an example for us to follow in our daily lives. As a church we are fasting to deepen our relationship with God, to discover as never before His plan and purpose for our lives, and to experience a spiritual breakthrough that will revolutionize our church family and our community.

When you think of courageous living many thoughts come to mind. Bravery and lack of fear are front and center. Prayer fuels your ability to live courageously. Courage empowers us to reconcile the past, stand in the present, and shape the future with prayer as our guiding light throughout. Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the conquest of fear through prayer!

Many make New Year’s resolutions at this time of year. However, your resolution is not your purpose but your purpose should be your resolution! Our focus this new year is to live in the Whole, Called, Anointed, Filled, and Blessed!

Many people confuse Happiness with Joy. What they do not understand is that happiness is a feeling that is dependent on circumstances while joy is a promise that is dependent on God.

Peace is one of the most sought-after things in the world. Unfortunately, many are worn out physically, spiritually, and mentally. They feel there’s just no way they can obtain peace in their lives. Jesus came to earth with the promise of Peace for anyone who wants it. The challenge for us is to accept it.

Freedom is one of the most sought-after things in the world. For those who have it they strive to keep it. For those who don’t they diligently want it. But that’s more about physical freedom and Jesus promised us spiritual freedom. But do we really seek after spiritual freedom as we do physical freedom?

I remember growing up and all the promises I heard and also made. Christmas time brings out a lot of promises, but there’s no bigger promise than those of our Father in Heaven. One of those promises is our happiness on earth. However, God’s perspective of happiness and ours may be very different.