CrossPoint Fellowship Messages

Communication is the key in any and every relationship. We have to be Open, Honest, and Free with our communication if we hope to become and remain a strong team. And that starts with being honest with God. David in the book of Psalms was honest in his complaints to God just as he was in his praises. It’s so important to hear others’ opinions and to be heard so that changes can happen as they are needed. Successful teams work with one another and for one another. 

When a bunch of “I”s become a “we”, everyone brings their talents and gifts for the common goal of the team. What is the clear direction of the Church? God is CrossPoint’s team leader - He is the shepherd and His sheep listen to His voice. We must follow the path that He is leading us down and the way we get that direction is by getting into the Word of God. His direction will always look like us choosing second so that He can first and others won’t be last. 

On July 4th, Americans celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in our nation but Christians have a reason to celebrate beyond that - freedom from sin and death. "Who the Son sets free is free indeed" means that we have the freedom to live our lives the way God designed us to live and we can only do that with His help. It also means not living according to the way others live their lives around us. We must be set apart from the world and stand with Christ in order to live in freedom.

In Joshua 23, we read Joshua’s final words to the Israelites. In his speech, he warns his people against complacency and encourages them to remain faithful to God even during times of peace (times when we think we’re good on our own). When we are on the mountain, we can’t forget who helped us out of the valley. Remaining faithful isn’t just about our mindset, but the actions that accompany our thoughts.

In Joshua 7, we find the Israelites after the battle of Jericho. God’s people were told not to touch the sacred things but Achan disobeyed and stole some of them. There is never a more dangerous time for a Christian than on the backside of a victory. We have to change our view of success from doing and getting what we want to getting and doing what God wants for us.

Joshua 6 tells us the story of the Battle of Jericho. Joshua led his troops into Jericho not (at first) with swords and shields but with trumpets. But this whole thing could have possible been avoided if the people of Jericho had repented before the attack. If you are aware that something is not right in your circle of influence, speak up! Not taking action when God is clearly opposed to the situation you are in causes collateral damage. Don’t wait to take action if the spirit is telling you to act - do something!

In Joshua 2, we see that Joshua’s men made a promise and then in Joshua 6, they kept that promise. If you say you will do something, then do it. Our words hold power in that they represent who we are, which represents who God is. If we want people to trust us when it comes to the big things, then they need to be able to trust us with the little things. That means being specific with our language and following through on our promises. 

In Joshua chapter 1, Joshua tells the Israelites to prepare for battle. Does that mean they weren’t trusting in God to fight in battle for them? No. Preparedness isn’t a sign of lack of trust in God. Too often Christians take the approach that God will provide as an excuse to skirt responsibility and then we end up in battle without the things necessary to win the fight. Faith is not an excuse for foolishness. We must prepare while we can so that we can be ready when we have to be.

In our new series, we’re going to be taking a look at Joshua from the Old Testament. Staying true to our faith requires us to be strong and courageous. They are important if we are to finish our race and remain true to God, a continual theme of Joshua. God will stand by you while you work towards completing it and he won’t leave you a hostage to the outcome. But in order to have this experience we must exhibit strength and courage.

Even a moment with Jesus can change a person. In Acts 9:1-20, Saul was fundamentally changed from a man who persecuted by the Church to one of its greatest leaders. This teaches us that it doesn’t matter how far you’ve fallen, Jesus can always raise you back up. No matter what your past is, you can still be forgiven and you can still be changed. If you’ve already been changed by Jesus, it’s your job to be the vessel by which Jesus brings change to others - even if you’re a new believer.