Crossroads Church

Hey Peeps!

We are excited to see what God is going to do in the next few weekends! We are wrapping up our “Life Apps” series, looking a head to Easter, and beginning to plan our services for our next series called, “Guardrails.”

With addition to keeping busy with the up coming series, we have been keeping busy around the office as well. We recently met Shelby, who is a worship major at North Central. She needed a school required internship and we need an extra pair of hands. So we asked her, how about interning with us and getting a handle on what we do around here? She said yes!

With the addition of Shelby, we also have Gary who will also be helping the worship arts department with some administrative things. He has past experience in worship leading and really wants to volunteer with the church. If you see an email from Gary, you know who it is from!
We are excited to have them on board. Please greet them well!

DEVOS

WEEK: January 27 & 28, 2012

PASSAGE: 1 Timothy 6:5-19

Printed on the back of that currency is a motto we’re all familiar with. It’s been on our coins since 1864 and on our paper currency since 1957. Let’s repeat this motto out loud: “IN GOD WE TRUST.” I like this motto, but I find it highly ironic that’s it’s plastered on our money. The incongruity or absurdity is 2-fold: (1) The majority of us don’t really trust in God, and (2) The majority of us trust more in money than in God.

What happens when money becomes our god? What happens when we like money a little too much? Read Timothy 6:5. Paul is confronting some false teachers in the early church. They were teaching these young Christians to pursue wealth. This is called “the prosperity gospel.” Look at what Paul says about those who teach this in vs. 5: These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

What’s wrong with pursuing wealth? Skip down to vs. 9: “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”

Don’t miss the point—money is neutral. There’s nothing inherently good or bad about it. Money is a medium of exchange. Money can be used to do wonderful things…enormous good. But, if it’s idolized or loved or “longed after” or elevated in importance, money can derail us and destroy our lives.

Paul emphatically says in vs. 10: For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. That’s why money’s a bad lover. It’s demanding. It’s insatiable. It’s terribly jealous. It wants ALL OF YOU…which is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

DEVOTIONAL POINT: So what’s God’s app to protect us from money’s grip on us…from loving money or dating money or liking it a little too much? The answer is in 1 Timothy 6: 17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. When we let go of money, money lets go of us and God takes hold of us.

Pray that the congregation of crossroads hears this message. Money has a hold of far to many of us and it is time that we let it go and allow god to take hold of us.

MUSIC SUMMARY
Glory To God - Song of Adoration.
Enough - Song of Declaration. Declaring God is enough for me. We do not need anything but his provision for us.
All I Am - Song of preparation.
My Reward – Song of surrender to God and not the things of this earth.
Money – Point Song.