Cross Creek Church Blog

Strangers and Aliens

[Written by Dr. Chris Peters]

A few weeks ago, in the men’s discipleship group I lead with 3 guys who are studying what the Bible teaches about the core beliefs of the Christian life, we came across the “heroes of faith” – chapter 11 of the Book of Hebrews. It reads, in part…

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

As I’ve mentioned in some comments and other written communication to our church recently, God seems to want to make sure Cross Creek Church remembers we should never get too comfortable with the things of this earth and this life. We can enjoy all the blessings of this life deeply and sincerely, and in fact, our relationship with God should enliven that enjoyment, but we also hold all things with a loose hand.

When the 100 year rain storm we had a few weeks ago flowed into the church building we are preparing to buy, it was a bit perplexing. After 12 years of growing to a place of having our own church facility, meeting at two area schools the first 8 years, and the last few renting the church building we are purchasing, you would think we would have no trouble remembering we are strangers and aliens in this world… but I know I easily forget.

God knows best, even in what appears to me to be setbacks or frustrations. Thanks to Parkwood Church of God we have a temporary space and will have the joy of coming back into a building with new flooring and paint, but we can thank Him most of all for helping us remember what the church actually is – God’s people, not a facility; the ministries we have for outreach and our own growth, not an address on a map; the vision to Glorify God By Inviting All Into God’s Grace, pursued by Growing in Truth, Living in Community and Serving in the Kingdom, not a deed and title.

I’ve said before, spiritual Alzheimer’s is one of our chief problems – failing to remember what we know from God’s Word, what God has shown us in experience, what others have helped us believe. Let’s thank God these next 4-5 weeks while we are at a temporary meeting place, for helping us remember the nomadic life… the alien existence. And when we set foot on new carpet and new plank flooring, let’s ask God to help us also remember the good vision he has given to us as a church, to be salt and light to a hurting and fallen community and to invite others to experience the grace we have the privilege of receiving through the ministry we use our facility to pursue.

In a few weeks, I’ll have the blessing of staying up late 3-4 nights to teach a seminary course online for 40-50 pastors halfway around the world in a place where churches are rare but the Gospel is rapidly spreading. Just like church facilities are helpful in our part of the world for all the ministries of the church, they are likewise for the churches led by these faithful pastors. Limitations of resources, of government restrictions and of community persecution might keep these believers from having a building. Yet we have more in common with them, than we might presume. They, like us, stand in the light of the accomplished work of God in Christ. Thus we can all say together…

“For you have not come to what may be touched….but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:18-24)

What You Can’t Do

[Written by Ben Halbrooks]

As we’ve been making our way through the catechism (or “cazzy” as my kids call it), one particular question/answer pair stood out to me recently: Question 82. It’s the culmination of a large section of the catechism that’s all about God’s law and its meaning and application in our lives. For the record, here it is:

Q: Can anyone perfectly keep the commandments of God?
A. Since the fall no ordinary man can perfectly keep the commandments of God in this life but breaks them every day in thought, word, and action.

That’s what we call a hard “NO.” How’s that for some uplifting motivation? I mean, literally every preceding catechism question outlining the requirements and expectations of the law just hit a brick wall.

So let’s think about this for a minute. Do you like being told what you can’t do? And how badly you can’t do it? We’re not talking about something you’re not supposed to do, but something you absolutely cannot do, no matter how hard you try.

Everything in ourselves, in our fallen natures, resists this. We’re steeped in a sea of messages that tell us that Anything Is Possible If You Work Hard, Never Give Up, Use Willpower and Positive Thinking, Decide to Win, Achieve Your Goals, Manifest Your Dreams, Believe in Yourself, and Follow a 5-Step Plan to Success. And we’re Americans, for crying out loud! Self-reliance is a national past-time. But the truth of Question 82 remains. And in the face of it, two great worldly myths crumble to dust:

That there is such thing as a “good person.” In a spiritual sense – that is, as it relates to ultimate reality – no one is good. (Rom. 3:10-12)
We also tend to believe that the problems of the world are “outside” of ourselves, and we look “within” ourselves for the solution. Question 82, and the Gospel as a whole, show us that this assumption is fundamentally backwards. The ultimate problem is the problem of the human heart, within ourselves, and the ultimate solution must come from something, Someone, outside ourselves.

In the wreckage of these illusions, one thing is clear: our desperate need of a Savior. And thankfully, the catechism answer gives us a hopeful hint in this direction when it says “no ordinary man” can do this. Because there was one who stepped into human history as more than just an ordinary man: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5)

So you know what’s good about being told what we can’t do in this case? It relieves us from the unbearable burden of seeking in vain to prove ourselves, as our Savior takes all our burdens and our sins upon Himself to the cross and fulfills the demands of the law – perfectly.

Embracing the Means of Grace

[Written by Dr. Chris Peters]

As we come into the final few months of 2021, now is most certainly a good moment to pause and look back at the first 75% of this year, even as we pivot and look to finish the year well. That can mean a lot of things, but in my 25 years of pastoral ministry and almost 30 years of walking in the Lord, it does not mean less than embracing the means of grace.

The means of grace, or spiritual disciplines, as they are also called, can be intimidating for all of us. Perhaps they bring to mind our failed attempts to carve out regular prayer time, or our stumbling with any regular personal scriptural and devotional reading, or more ominous and demanding practices, like fasting. Hopefully we are all growing in our identity in Christ, by grace, through faith alone, such that we don’t head off in either misguided “license” (using God’s mercy as an excuse to live without purposeful obedience to God) or “legalism” (overestimating our ability to follow God and perhaps even creating extra rules that we might be wired to accomplish easily, so we can perform spiritually). Instead, we would aim to elevate both the radical call to transformation we are invited into by grace, and the radical love God has shown to credit righteousness to sinners like us.

It is with this perspective, and only with it, that we can look at things like Starr Meade’s devotional book, and read the recent sections on the tenth commandment without dodging their impact or ditching the faith altogether. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, and Meade highlights, the tenth commandment – you shall not covet – is the tour de force of the commandments. Even if we miss the way that the other commandments compel us to seek grace and call us to even deeper obedience than we thought, we find it very hard to do with the tenth. The catechism #80 reminds us to be distinctively content in life. Everything else around us and in us, bids us to do the exact opposite. What joy to know that we can square up with the undoing of God’s law and let it land fully on us, because we know Jesus bore all the punishment for us, and gifts perfect righteousness to us.

This same perspective allows us to look back at 75% of the year and be honest with ourselves about where we have fallen short in our purposes and aims…perhaps including spending time and guiding our household through a spiritual growth plan like Meade offers and our church has pursued. And this also allows us to not wallow in where we fell short but to be inspired by God’s amazing kindness to put ourselves and our household in the way of grace through spiritual disciplines these last few months of 2021. All of us, including myself, can give a lot of reasons to justify where we and our household are, not the least of which has been another year of Covid issues, but as the theologians of the past have simply said, so I call to myself and our church – “Further In…and Further Up!”…in our 2021 journey of faith.

Bring Them to Jesus

Bring Them to Jesus

[Written by Shawndee Lovoy]

Matt. 19:14 “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

When mom and dad lose our temper. When we argue. When we don’t keep our promises. When we disappoint them. When we forget to show grace. Bring them to Jesus. Who teaches to let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. Who, in His very nature, will always keep his promises. Who will never disappoint because His will is revealed perfectly in time. Who is the author and founder of grace.

When they don’t make the honor roll. When they don’t make the team. When they are left out at school. When they don’t bond with a teacher. When it seems like everything comes easy to everyone else except for them. Bring them to Jesus. Who teaches they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Who teaches that their worth is found as His child and nothing else. Who teaches to love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. Who teaches that He has given them everything they need for life and holiness. Who teaches that their purpose is to know Him and to enjoy Him forever.

Sickness, fear, anxiety, self-esteem, performance, status, hopes and dreams are all a part of this earthly life. Our kids will face every single one of these. We will mess up. They will mess up. Bring them to Jesus. Put His word in front of them. Teach them His grace, love, and desire for their lives. Listen to worship songs that remind us of who He is. Take them to church. Put the church body in their lives and pray for others to speak truth to them.

Bring them to Jesus. In every triumph, bring them to Jesus. In every heartache, bring them to Jesus. Every day when we rise and when we lie down. Bring them to Jesus.

God is on the Move

Cross Creek Church

[Written by Dr. Chris Peters]

For all of us older than age 25 or 30, I’m sure the next week will bring up poignant memories of one of the saddest days in contemporary American life – September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were when we heard the news and saw the images of human destruction, pain and loss. Some of us even lost friends, family or business associates. As we rightly acknowledge the sobering anniversary of that national event, we are also reminded about the kingdom of God. In the midst of sadness and reflection, we can also take joy that the gates of hell shall not prevail against God’s kingdom, and that God is on the move globally and locally.

One of the primary ways God is active in the world is through His church, the body of Christ. At least for me, it is comforting and motivating to realize that by pursuing God’s kingdom on a daily basis, I am participating in God’s redeeming work in this world. Just as nations face opposition and attacks, the kingdom of God does as well, from the Evil One, but Jesus says he is the Strongest Man who has bound up that strong man.

For me this means that engaging in our church vision – Glorifying God, by Inviting All, Into God’s Grace – through the strategies of Growing in Truth, Living in Community and Serving in the Kingdom – is a vital daily endeavor. The recent decision of our church to purchase the land and building we have been meeting in for 3 years is just one part of pursuing that vision. In reality, this is a good moment to revisit our core mission – so that the edifice we prepare to own is something we use for the Lord’s work – a help to our mission in this community and even around the world – not a distraction from that.

Moments of national reflection and moments of church development are great chances for all of us, including me as Pastor, to ask some key questions:

  • How is God’s grace shaping my life in fresh ways?
  • What ways can I renew my pursuit to glorify God in all I do?
  • Who is God calling me to invite into his Kingdom and into His church?
  • Have I stagnated in pursuing God’s truth in His Word? How can I put myself in the way of truth?
  • Where have I opened myself up to the blessing of a committed local church community where I am known and know others? Where am I resistant to or hiding from that?
  • What new ways might the Lord want me to serve – whether through the ministry of our church, or the local organizations we partner with, or in our schools or kid’s activities or business arena?

If our hearts and minds are propelled by God’s redeeming work in our lives to engage deeply with these core questions of the Christian walk, then whether buildings fall or buildings are bought, we will be living as the adopted Children of God we are, and God will be using us to advance his joyful, powerful, transformational kingdom.

Overflowing Love

[Written by Garrett Greer]

11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11, ESV

Recently I was on a bike path in rural Georgia, it was around 98 degrees, I was hot and thirsty, and I knew it might be a while before I made it to the next source of water. Half grumbling, half praying, I questioned why it had to be so hot, wondering when I’d get some water. As I rounded a corner, I saw a man with a large white cooler, sitting in the shade, waving to come on over. While I stopped he introduced himself, his name was Rick, and he was giving out free water and Gatorade. As I reached into the deep ice of the cooler to pull out a cold drink, I tried to express how glad I was that he was there and that he was a bit of an answered prayer. At this he laughed, but told me that he wasn’t there because he was a Christian—quite the contrary. He was there because he wanted to prove that you didn’t need to be a Christian to be nice and hand out drinks to people. Apparently, a church in the area had been handing out free drinks to folks on the trail, and my new friend Rick was frustrated. He wasn’t a believer and was annoyed that people might think this sort of kindness was limited to Christians, and so he decided to give out drinks as well. We had a great conversation about how he was frustrated by Christian kindness. “They’re only doing it because God said so, I’m doing it to show you can do it just to be nice, without needing a God to tell you to do it.” This unbeliever had latched onto the idea that Christians only did nice things because they have to—and he wanted to show he could be friendly all on his own.

My run in with Rick gave me a lot to think about. I was thankful that God used Rick to quench my thirst, even when Rick didn’t acknowledge God. But I’ve also been thinking about Rick’s idea that Christians only do nice things because they have to—that we live in love because it’s a command. It’s certainly a command in Scripture, but hopefully there’s more to love than duty. When I’m doing kind things, what’s my real motivation? As a Christian do I only do nice things because I know I’m supposed to and not because of any genuine love? I hope not.  

As Christians we are supposed to be known by our love for one another (John 13:35). It sounds like Rick knew some Christians by their love, and wanted in on it, even without God. But we must remember that the reason we love one another isn’t really because we’re just nice, and it also isn’t just because “God said so.” We love one another because in Christ we’ve received so much love that there’s no other place for it to go but outwards—it simply pours forth! Christ’s sacrificial love for each of us on the cross is something that we receive and then also pour out onto those around us. Romans 12:9 asks us to “let love be genuine”—this doesn’t mean loving one another out of duty, or just pure good feelings, rather “genuine” Christian love overflows from the love we receive in Jesus. Genuine love is the only result when we truly receive Christ’s grace. We act in love and in kindness not because we have to, but because we are filled with love in Christ.

My encounter with Rick was a blessing—I got a cold drink on a hot day—but also because it challenged me to remember the reason for kindness. It’s not so that we look good to the world, it’s not so that we earn points by following God’s commands. Instead, we love one another as Christ loved us, because as his love overflows in our hearts, that manifests in kindness to the world. I pray that I might let that love pour forth in more tangible ways. Who knows, maybe soon I’ll be handing out free water and Gatorade on the side of the trail with Rick.

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:9-13, ESV

Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good

Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good

[Written by Dr. Chris Peters]

In his excellent book Heaven, Randy Alcorn comments on how strange it would be for a group of astronauts to be finally getting the chance to launch into space to reach Mars, and moments after lift-off, turning to each other to ask, “So, does anyone know anything about Mars?” Or maybe closer to home, most of us have probably read and meditated more about our next desired vacation destination, than we have about our eternal home in the New Heaven and New Earth. In our upcoming 6-week sermon series I hope to help us become more heavenly-minded, which, contrary to the old saying, will actually make us “more earthly good.”

One of the reasons we struggle to value heaven is that we live in a particular part of history and a particular society where earthly life can be amazingly good. By just about any statistical quantification, life today for the average American is remarkably better than 100 years ago, and the same can be said for most societies around the world – lower infant mortality, longer life span, antibiotics and other remarkable medicines that address ailments and sustain our lives, economic provision, leisure time, quality and quantity of food and housing, just for starters. I know that these things make it challenging for me to long for heaven, and I’m confident I’m not alone.

Yet 2 Corinthians 5:6;8-9, written by the apostle Paul over 2000 years ago, when day-to-day life, and even the process of death, were so much more difficult, says “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord… we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

Hope you will pray for yourself, your household and our church family, as well as for me, as we begin on August 1. For more details, visit the sermon series schedule here.

Savoring God on Thanksgiving Day 2020

On this Thanksgiving Day 2020, could it be that our Covid situation is meant to show us…
What C.S. Lewis meant in the 1950s when he said that pain, suffering, struggle was “God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world?”
What Spurgeon meant in the 1800s when we he invited us to “kiss the wave that throws us against the Rock of Ages?”
What Piper meant in 2005 when he said we actually face a “tsunami of death” in the millions of us who die every day in every year, decade and century, but we have just become sadly unaffected by this longstanding judgment of God?
What the Lord meant for all humanity to understand since The Garden, that without a saving relationship with Christ, we all face death, now, and eternal death, complete separation from Him – “For when you eat of it, you shall surely die.”
What our rightly jealous God will do to make us grow in Him by savoring delight in who He is above all earthly delights and to praise Him in all those delights – even our accustomed extended family gatherings, our usual entertainments, our freedom of activity, and our delicious food.
What our gracious loving God means when he beckons us to turn back, to run to his arms, to surrender our self-sufficient human pride, to reject our constant dissatisfaction, to confess our foolish and disobedient tendency to “do what is right in our own eyes” instead of surrendering to the goodness of His commanded way finding the truest thankfulness of redemption?
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7
What step of thankful response will you and I take toward Him today? In the days ahead?

How to Read the Bible – Blog #2 – Bible Overview

Here is the next video I hope our congregation will take 5 min to watch this week. This is a broad overview and subsequent videos will get more specific.

As you watch, what do you learn that is new for you about the Bible?

What is a bit confusing? What helps clarify?

With whom in your circle of influence can you share this video? On social media? in a text?

 

How to Read the Bible – Blog #1 – Introduction

I recently challenged our congregation to take just a few minutes a week (or a few minutes a day if you want to be on the fast track!) to respond to God’s loving, but also correcting, hand in the Covid-19 situation, by learning more about the Bible. I will plan to post a blog each week with a video link for each of the videos in this helpful series produced by The Bible Project.

As we watch this very short intro video, let’s ask ourselves some important questions:

– What am I most familiar with in the Bible?

– What do I understand the least?

– What do I think is the overarching theme of the Bible?

– How do the sections of the Bible relate to each other?

– If I have doubts about the Bible’s truth and reliability, what steps will I take to get answers?