Crossroads Celebration Church

We are finishing a teaching series in worship at Crossroads Church in Ankeny. We have been studying the film “Fireproof” and using scripture about how to love each other and God. This week Caleb has been saving up for a big boat and yet he donates $24,000 to buy his mother-in-law a hospital bed and a motorized wheelchair. It is about sacrifice. And the big question is what daring act of sacrifice are you willing to make to help someone else out?

Will you spend time to visit someone in prison? From my experience this one is a time sacrifice.

Will you help someone pay their bills or mortgage? This could be a sacrifice of money. I know “Fireproof” is only a movie, but the idea of $24,000 is a lot in my kind of budget. But I know it is a blessing to help someone else out with $50 or $100 or even $1,000, if it can make a difference in their life.

And the cool part is that making a sacrifice for someone is blessing them, but it will also bless you.

Are you willing and able to do a daring act of sacrifice this week for someone else? Talk to your family and friends and ask, “How can I help you?”

The robin has always been my best and favorite sign of spring. This week we have had 40′s and 50′s and even 60 degree weather the week before Valentines Day. The huge amount of snow has melted and is almost gone from the landscape. My father has seen five robins in two sightings where he lives. I am certain that I have heard the robins myself several mornings. But alas, I have not seen one single robin. They have been tormenting me. My hearing is dulled by a cold and yet I hear robins, but do not see. The forecast is for 6-8 inches of snow tomorrow, but I still believe the sign of spring is still out there, despite my lack of seeing what my heart longs for.

Isn’t that faith! Believing without seeing. I know that the spring flowers are just waiting to come up. I know that my father wasn’t lying about seeing his robins. I know that the trees will bud soon. The signs are always there and the seasons are like clock work. These are the witnesses of spring. Why do we not trust the witnesses of the resurrection? Many reliable friends and followers of Christ were there to see and believe. I know that I believe even though I wasn’t there to see. How about you? Do you have faith?

I have really been enjoying going out hiking in the woods this winter and last Sunday I got my family to go with me. My daughter and wife went hiking and my son and I played disc golf in the snow. Now my 23 year old son was goofing with his discs and saw an opportunity to slide down a snowy hill. He sat on his disc which is not much more than 10 inches in diameter. A really small sled.

So when we met up with the girls they decided to join in on the fun. They experimented with two and three and four discs. So the afternoon was spent playing in the snow and inventing new games. The real blast was disc golf sledding.

Mark Tuttle is pastor at the Free Methodist Church in Ankeny, Iowa. Come join us for some zany fun.