It's a Wonderful Life!!

Giving isn't just for Christmas anymore!

Over the past couple of weeks at The Intersection, we have been working on what it means to have a "lifestyle of giving". Living with an open hand and saying goodbye to lack in our everyday lives. "It's a Wonderful Life" is becoming a message series with impact, redeeming the "Scrooge" that lives in all of us. There is a better way to live...

"A life lived for others has the kiss of God..."

This phrase is becoming our rally cry for the Christmas season and beyond at the Intersection. My prayer is that we will be more audacious givers on December 26th and 27th, than we ever were on Christmas day. Check out what we are doing by going to the "Media Online" section of our website at www.theintersectionchurch.net

Much love to all of you! Please comment back if you have been challenged!

Upcoming Leadership Events!!

The next Catalyst Meeting is going to be held at Freedom Valley York Road on December 5th @ 6pm. You are invited to join Cori and I as we discuss ministry and leadership concepts as well as time for fellowship and food. I especially want you administrative types to join me as we talk about ministry processes and qualifications for leadership. Please join us as we grow in our ability to lead God’s people at the Intersection!

Also, mark your calendars for March 17th as we will be having a one day, training and enrichment event with a person who has influenced me deeply. His name is Matt Keller and his passion for Jesus is only matched by his passion for church planting teams. That day will lead into a weekend with Johannes that will revolutionize your life! If you want to grow as a minister and leader you will want to set aside that week in March!

The Tale of Two Houses (An allegorical thought...)

This is the tale of two houses...

The first house was on a hill at the edge of town. Everyone in town “knew” about the house, or rather the one who lived there. Old Man Gray had been there as long as any of the townsfolk could remember even though no one could ever remember seeing the old man. The house was even older than it's owner and its age, and years of neglect could be clearly seen...

...in the broken shutters
...in the paint that peeled over every inch
...in the broken and damaged windows.

Rumor had it that the place had been “haunted” by the ghost of it's previous owner. In fact, it had become a topic of daily discussion at the local taverns and diners. Kids walking home from school quickly ran past it because of it's reputation and frightening lack of appeal.

Everyone in town knew the stories that swirled around the old Gray place. They all assumed that they knew what was in there. In fact, townsfolk called it “The Ghost House” because they were so sure of who lived in the house now. This old house had become defined by the “ghosts” that had taken up residence

The second house was on a hill on the other side of town. Everyone in town “knew” about this house as well, or rather the one who lived there. He was a kind person called White, who took meticulous care of his property. The fence and shutters had a perpetually crisp coat of white paint. The yard was clipped and welcoming to people who passed by. It had not always been that way, though.

The story about town was that White paid entirely too much for the old house when he bought it. Although that may have been true, the old man continued to pour thousands of hours and dollars into the remodeling. Townsfolk watched the transformation with curiosity for years, wondering what White was up to.

It was clear that he was a good man. They could see it in the way he took care of the place He lived. They could see it in the way he invited people into his house. Even when his house was “a mess” from remodeling, he would go out of his way to live his life openly, and humbly ask his guests to "excuse the mess." Truth was, the townsfolk began to say “that house would have crumbled down to the ground if White hadn't of purchased it.”

The moral of the story:
1. Both houses had a reputation in town
2. Both houses were defined by the ones who “lived” there
3. Both houses were a reflection of the one who “lived” there


Who lives in you?

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
who lives in you and was given to you by God?”
1 Corinthians 6:19

Listen to the sermon at www.theintersectionchurch.net/listen-online

The Spirit of Power

In Acts 1:8, Jesus makes a promise to His bewildered disciples before He returned to the Father. He said, "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalen, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the world".

Wow. Can you imagine the confusion and doubt that must have surrounded this group of fisherman, and otherwise "everyday people" when they heard this statement? Granted, most of them had already traveled to places that they never would have dreamed because they said yes to following Christ in His earthly ministry, but the ends of the earth?

Christ wasn't just changing the rules, He was changing the game! Not only does he tell them that they are expected to impact the entire world in a very literal sense, but he also explains that a "ghost" will now lead them. Can you see them all standing there with their gaping jaws and their confused glances?

The cool part is that this slack-jawed group of people standing on a hillside did just what Christ commanded! In fact, they became known for their ability to "turn the world upside down." But it cost them everything to follow Christ...

Here's the thing...The game hasn't changed since that time. Christianity was never meant to be a noun. Christ expects us to change the world in a quite literal sense and He has given us the promise of His Spirit to accomplish this task.

This week at the Intersection, I am going to introduce a whole new group of people to the Holy Spirit and we are going to line ourselves up with Christ's mandate to change the world. Will you join us at 10am? Whether you need a refilling to change your life or you need power to change the world, I believe that God's Spirit will be present to baptize His people once again...

Interpreting your dreams...

Have you ever had a dream that messed you up?

I mean, REALLY messed you up! I have had dreams that have left me saying "what was that all about?" We're talking dreams that would make Jim Morrison proud, complete with congressmen in tutus (don't ask)! The thing is, dreams in the night can be attributed to eating the wrong thing before bedtime.

The dreams that God gives us cannot be dismissed so easily. Whether you have a dream to become an artist, carpenter or a congressman (without the tutu), there are just times when your dream does not make sense. So what do YOU do when a dream doesn't make sense? How do you interpret the dreams you have when things just don't seem kosher?

Too often we interpret the obstacles in our lives as roadblocks to our God-given dreams in life, but nothing could be further from the truth! God's word teaches us that bad circumstances are the incubator of God's promises in your life. God-dreams are meant to be interpreted in the midst of adversity and it is adversity that will bring a God-dream to maturity. This is why James could say "...when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." (James 1) He realized that God-dreams require faith which only grow as it is tested. A friend of mine always used to say, "You'll never know that you have faith, until you are in a good fight." He was right.

How does this post help you look at your current circumstances?

Are there places you have been misinterpreting the dreams God has given you?

For the full sermon, go to www.theintersectionchurch.net

Got Nightmares?

All of us have had a nightmare or two that had us rattled...These scary dreams are based in our most primal fears and they can stop us cold. In time, however, we can usually shake off the fear and get back into the swing of things knowing that the nightmare is not our reality.

But what happens when our nightmares ARE our reality? Many of us live in nightmarish fear that our mistakes will catch up to us. Whether it was a bad decision, a broken relationship or abuse that stunted our development in life, these nightmares can kill us slowly with no hope of recovery.

The word of God teaches us how to deal with debilitating fear in our lives. This past weekend, we took a look at what happens when nightmares become reality. There is a remedy found in God's word that can set us free from fear as we give control of our lives over to the Dream Giver.

II Timothy 1:7 says "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind."

I John 4:18 says "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear."

God is love, and so the bottom line is that fear cannot control you when God does...

Check out the sermon at theintersectionchurch.net

Healed to Dream Again!!

I thank God for the numerous reports that I am hearing about the healing that is taking place every Sunday at the Intersection. We have been asking God for the ability to "Dream Again" and we have found that most of us need to be healed before we can dream God's dreams for our lives!

I have seen tears of joy and laughter as well as families coming together for the first time in years. I have seen people connecting with the real Jesus, rejecting religion for a revelation of a God who lives where we do.

This week we are looking at how nightmares can hinder us from the destiny God has planned when we give into fear. Will you join us?

jeremiah

The Intersection meets every Sunday at 10am @ the Gettysburg Area Middle School on Lefever Street.