Crossroads Church

Hey Team,

Life is a highway. It can be a dangerous place. There are all sorts of cliffs, highways to danger zones, (that is two 80’s references in one paragraph!) and sometimes we need those grey, ugly guardrails to keep us from having a worse accident then we could have. This week we are starting our brand new series called “Guardrails.” We will look at the book of proverbs and look at guardrails for life to help keep us in check.

Also, as I said last week, Gary and Shelby are volunteering extra time interning for us. This helps us out so we can begin looking at the bigger picture of Crossroads worship and where we want it to go.

Last year, I released an album that was born out of the messages and congregation’s worship. One thing I would like to see is more of this. I would like us to write and collaborative with one another to write and record our own worship. This will take sometime. In fact, I am not anticipating this happening until next year. We first need to gather resources. We need to think if we want to record it in house (at the church) or go to a studio. I also would like all of you to be a part of this process once we get going.

There is just some inside thoughts in my crazy brain. Let me know what you think!

DEVOS: February 4 & 5, 2012
PASSAGE: Proverbs 27:12

Life is a highway…sometimes the highway takes us to places that are flat and boring (think Nebraska), and other times the highway takes us to places that are breathtakingly beautiful (think the mountains of Colorado). When you’re high up on a curvy mountain road, something you learn to appreciate is what’s next to the edge—a GUARDRAIL! GUARDRAILS are your friends!!

Guardrails exist to protect. Their mission is to keep us in bounds. And even though they save thousands of lives each year, they don’t get much attention. One other note about guardrails is their placement. They are placed just inside potentially dangerous zones or areas. They’re not IN the danger area…they’re placed BEFORE it. Danger/disaster is on the other side of the guardrail.

We live in a “guardrail-free” society when it comes to our personal lives. The culture we live in at best paints some yellow “cautionary lines” that say things like: Drink responsibly, Choose your friends carefully, and Practice safe sex. Those yellow lines don’t stop us from crossing over into dangerous areas.

What we need are personal guardrails. Convictions. Boundaries. But the truth is most of us are moving so fast down life’s highway that we don’t even think about the potential hazards up ahead of us. We’re too busy to stop and set some personal guardrails that will keep us from straying into the danger zones.

Read Proverbs 27:12. HOW DOES THE PRUDENT/WISE PERSON REACT? Go back to vs. 12…First, the wise person foresees danger—in other words, they look ahead at what’s coming up. They look as far down the road as they can. Why? To anticipate what’s coming up. To make the best decision they can make. They keep their eyes wide open.

What happens when you close your eyes? Lots of bad stuff can happen! The same is true on the highway of life. Close your eyes and you miss things you should’ve seen earlier on. As a result you make poor or hasty decisions…you take wrong turns…you end up in places you don’t want to be…and then you utter words like: “I NEVER SAW THAT COMING.”

DEVOTIONAL POINT: What road are you on today…and where is it taking you tomorrow? Do you see any danger up ahead on the road you’re on? Open those eyes up real wide. Is there something in your own life you need to stop, think and maybe correct your course? This week pray for what that might be for you. Pray for the congregation and the church that if we are on a wrong course we would make the right turn back to God.

MUSIC SUMMARY

Holy Is Our God – Opening Song/Song of Declaration. The holy reverence of God is one of life’s greatest guardrails. Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7 that to fear the lord is the place for all knowledge. The fear of God was the Jew’s fearful reverence for God’s holiness. This song declares God’s holiness.

O Praise Him - Song of Adoration. This song declares and moves the congregation to sing along and sing of God’s holiness.

Holy - Song of preparation.

The Stand – Song of Preparation. This song teaches who God is. He is the creator and we should stand in awe or fearful reverence of who he is.

Life Is A Highway – Fun opening song to message. Meant to get people comfortable.

I Will Follow – Song of response. This song is meant for people to declare they will follow God’s ways.