CrossPoint Fellowship Messages

A healthy sex life is an important piece of a healthy marriage. We have to have a healthy view of sex and its place in marriage, so that we use sex as a uniting force. If we don’t, we will be divided by it. Pornography has no place since sex doesn't belong outside the confines of marriage. Sex is not a bargaining chip - it is the doorway to intimacy.

Conflict happens, but it has to be a positive tool used for growth in our marriages. When conflict arises, we cannot shutdown. Anger will happen but, when it does, refuse to sin in your anger. We must understand the fundamental differences between us and our spouses and love our spouses the way they need to be loved.

Conflict happens. If you are married you will fight. If you aren’t fighting, you are hiding from one another. We must speak to our spouses and use conflict as a positive tool. If we unite against the issues and fight fair, we will grow together. This means having the right attitude, going to your spouse first (before others) and listening.

There is a portion of our population, both Christian and Non-Christian, who are too flippant about marriage. This group sets their spouse up for failure, because it was never about unity, partnership, or intimacy. Others are too dependent on their marriage for the wrong reasons - they rely on their spouse to deliver joy, happiness and purpose. We are designed to be in healthy relationship with one another, and this is especially true of marriage. God gave us 3 gifts that we enjoy in marriage - intimacy, passion and commitment.

We want CrossPoint Fellowship to be a church that prays. To accomplish this goal, we must be intentional about prayer and have purpose behind our words. We should pray for specific things - for healing, protection, good outcomes for our enemies, with thanksgiving, for forgiveness, with confession, supplication and for guidance.

We need to be more intentional about growing spiritually. We have small groups during the week and, of course, Sunday morning worship. Regular attendance is important not so we can check something off our list but because we love to grow in our relationship with Christ and those things help us do that. Reading God's Word every day is another important contributor to spiritual growth. And spiritual growth, ultimately, is a sign of a healthy connection to God and a healthy church.

The next step for our church is to be on mission. Not just a few of us - all of us. We can be missional both inside and outside our church. The only thing we can’t do is nothing. What will you do for others to show the love of Christ this week?

At CrossPoint, we have seen great improvements over the last year, but it’s time that we take the next step forward in forming our identity. We have talked a lot about love recently - specifically, how it’s the most important command that Christ has given us. It only makes sense that love be our most important focus and goal of our ministry. Everything we do must be born from a loving heart.

In the end, it’s all about love. It’s why his Father sent Jesus to Earth - to show His love for humanity. And now God is calling us to love sacrificially in the same way He did - our love to others is our greatest witness. But will we choose to love the most unlovable around us?

Joy is what we experience when hope is realized. For many, Jesus brought about joy from a realization that they didn’t know was needed.